Lecture 2 : Smith Chart

Ahmed Jameel Abdulqader

Ph.D Student
Introduction
• Invented by Phillip H. Smith
• It is a graphical ‘nomogram’
• Used for solving Transmission line problems
and matching circuits
• Used to represent parameters such as:
Impedance, Admittance, Reflection coefficients,
S parameters, etc.
This is what you can find from a Smith
Chart
• Reflection Coefficient
• VSWR
• Transmission Coefficient
• Load Impedance
• Admittance
• Input Impedance
• Lmin and Lmax
• and even more …
The characteristics of the Smith chart are summarized as follows:
Constant Reactance Curves
• Now lets hold constant the
reactance (Y) and vary R. This
will result in producing the
following curves on the Smith
Chart. So for a given curve, the
reactance will be same but as
we move ON the curve, we’ll
have different values of
Resistance.
Vary Resistance on a Reactance Curve
• Now here we’re taking
constant reactance of 1.0 and
different resistances (R=0.3
and 2.o) implying to zL=0.3 + j
1.0 and zL=2.0 + j 1.0)
Zero Reactance
• An important curve is given by
Im[zL]=0. That is, the set of all
impedances given by zL = R,
where the imaginary part is
zero and the real part (the
resistance) is greater than or
equal to zero. The result is
shown in Figure.
• It is understood that for Short
Circuit zL=0 and for Open
Circuit zL= ∞
Zero Reactance
• So the three special cases are:
• zL=0+j 0, Γ =1
• zL=1+j 0, Γ =0
• zL=∞+ j 0, Γ =1
Transmission Coefficients
• The transmission coefficient is given by:

T  1   V transmitted

Vincident
• The inner most axis denotes the Transmission coefficient angle
• The transmission could be easily plotted with the help of
reflection coefficient (taking the same point) and then
calculating the magnitude of the transmission coefficient with
the help of the linear scale
Impedance
• The first thing that should be done is the Normalization of the given
impedance from Zo, in the following manner:

Zreal jZimaginary
zL 
Zo
• Check the point where the Resistance Circle and the Reactance
Curve intersect
• Negative Reactance implies to being Capacitive

• Positive Reactance implies to being Inductive

Impedance - Example
• So lets suppose I have a load impedance ZL =
50 + j 50 ohms, the Characteristic impedance
Zo= 50 ohms
• After I normalize it:
zL= 1 + j 1
• Now let’s plot this on the Smith Chart
Impedance – Example
zL=1+j 1
Impedance – Example 2
• Do the same thing for ZL=50 - j 50
Impedance – Example 2
zL=1- j 1
Finding Reflection coefficient with the
help of zL
• Find the angle of reflection
coefficient by drawing a line
from the center of the smith
chart to the circumference,
crossing the zL point.
• The axis will show you the
angle
• For magnitude, scale the
point from center of the
smith chart to zL and arc it
down on the linear scale of
reflection coefficient
Admittance
• Lets begin with the previous example:
• zL=1+j1 (normalized impedance of the load)
• yL = 1/zL
• The method is called ‘translating through the
center of the smith chart’
Plotting Admittance
Plotting Admittance
• Now copy the distance of
zL and plot it on the line
from the center of the
smith chart.
• So the yL comes out to be :
0.5 – j 0.5 (in normalized
form)
• To find YL in mhos,
multiply yL by Yo which is
given by Yo = 1/Zo
• So for this example: YL (in
mhos) = 0.01 – j 0.01
mhos
VSWR
• Draw a circle round the zL point
• The value of resistance circle (easily read at the 0
reactance line) represents the VSWR
• You can follow up with the linear scale, where
you can find the value in dB too
Example: Find (d), given ZL 25  j 100 W with Z0  50 W
Example: Find dmax and dmin for ZL 25  j 100 W ; ZL  25 - j100W (Z0  50 W)

IM(ZL )>0
IM(ZL )>0
0.5 λ
H.W
• A lossless transmission line is terminated by a
load ZL=10+j20 Ω. Find Γ, T, VSWR, lmin, lmax, YL
and Zin if the line length is 4 cm and frequency of
3 GHz.
H.W - Solution
• Step 1: Normalize the load impedance
• zL=0.2+j0.4
• Step 2: Calculate length of transmission line in
number of wavelengths
8

 c  3X10 9
 0.1m 
f 3 X 10 10cm
• So the transmission line length in number of
wavelengths is:
4cm
 0.4
10cm
H.W - Solution
• Step 3: plot zL
• Step 4: Draw a circle through the zL point
• Step 5: Find out reflection coefficient
• Step 6: Find VSWR (with the circle method and the
linear scale too, both give the same results)
• Step 7: Find yL and then YL (translating through the
center of the smith chart)
• Step 8: find T with the help of reflection coefficient
• Step 9: find zin by rotating towards the generator 0.4
wavelengths