29/09/20177 Smith Chart Manual 3.

1beta 1/13

Smith Chart Calculator Manual

What is new in version 3.1

The interface has completely been changed.

Verify which version you have.

Starting from 1.2beta a build is added so the user can verify whether he has the latest version. This
can be done by using the menu Help > About

Exiting this window is done by clicking on the window containing the build info.

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The Smith Chart

The program wants to resemble a paper version of a smith chart but should be faster and more
accurate.

We have a green SWR circle.

We have a yellow dashed reference cursor and a yellow cursor. These cursor are used to measure or
set the distance between 2 points (on the same SWR).

The distance between the reference and angle cursor can be activated via View > Show Distance. In
some cases the measurement will be made visible automatically.

Mouse actions
You can drag and scroll to move and zoom the smith chart.

You can right click of left click the mouse on a point.

A left click selects the point and show you the summary of that point.

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A right click calls a popup menu.

If no point is selected, the following menu is available.

You can add a new point or a special point.

A new point has following possibilities

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You can choose:

Z: a normal impedance
Z normalised: a normalised impedance
Y: a normal admittance
Y normalised: a normalised admittance
Z from reflection: an impedance from a reflection coefficient
Y from reflection: an admittance from a reflection coefficient

A new pop-up dialog will apear which asks you for the remaing info.

Possible errors
Note: All values should be entered with a “.” as decimal separator and all numbers.

If there is something wrong one of the following messages could appear:

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The available special points are:

Z(open): the impedance of an open circuit

Z(closed): the impedance of a closed / short circuit
Y(open): the admittance of an open circuit
Y(closed): the admittance of a closed / short circuit

Z @ Cursor and SWR: an impedance at the intersection of the SWR and the cursor. Rarely used but
for example interessing to put the MAX and MIN points when only the SWR is known.
Y @ Cursor and SWR: an admittance at the intersection of the SWR and the cursor

You can also set the SWR to a certain value or the rotated 1+jX Circle (Cfr. double stub).

You can set the cursor and reset the reference.

You can reset the zoom and Copy a png of the smith chart to the clipboard. To copy to the clipboard
Ctrl + C is faster though.

You can delete all points and select the next and previous pount. Selecting the next and previous
point can be handy when the points are close to each other.

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Copy values copies the summary of the point to the clipboard.

Rename allows you to rename the point.

A point can also be created when you desire the Y of a Z or the other way around. Select “Z <=> Y”.
The name is automatically set to the selected point and can be altered afterwards with rename.

If there is a change in characteristic impedance like in a quarter awave transformer, you can change
the characteristic impedance. Select the point which needs to be altered. Select the desired point
with the right mouse button and choose the “Change Z0” from pop-up menu.
Fill in the new characteristic impedance. Press OK.
The name is automatically set to the selected point and can only be altered afterwards with rename.

When moving along a transmission line, you move along the SWR circle. Select “Move WTL“
(Wavelengths Towards Load) or “Move WTG” to do this action.

To add a point to another point (series Z or parallel Y), you can select “Add Z/Y to selected” or if you
want to add a normalised z/y , choose “Add normalised z/y to selected”.

If you want to add to points together you can choose “Add existing ZY to selected”

Crossing with 1+jX gives you the solutions for the single stub matching.

Crossing with rotated 1+jX is used in the double stub matching.

You can set the SWR, reference and angle cursor to the selected point.

Of course you can also delete the selected point.

Menu
FILE MENU

Export data
Generates a “.gnssc” file which can be imported into a spread sheet editor. Don't forget to select the
"." as decimal separator.

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Import data
This allows you to import an original 1.5beta “.gnssc” file. Once the layout of your gnssc-file has been
tampered the import functions will not work.

In the student edition, it will be verified that you are the same user on the same PC as previously.

Export PNG
Export an image.

Copy to Clipboard
Copies the PNG image to the clipboard

Export PNG settings

One can choose the option to add a watermark. This feature is not longer possible to enable in the
normal edition. The Student edition has this option enabled automatically.

You can also choose to enable or disable the SWR, rotated 1+jX and Cursors. (default: enable)

EDIT MENU

Undo
Undo last action. You can maximally undo 5 actions.

Redo
Redo last action. This is actually the undo of the undo. You can only redo 2 actions.

VIEW MENU

Re and Im coordinates
Allows you to enable/disable the markers of the Re and Im circles.

Rotated 1+jX Circle

Allows you to enable/disable rotated 1+jX. You will need this in the double stub matching.

Show components

Shows the voltage phasors in case a impedance is selected or current phasors in case an admittance
is selected. These phasors are hidden inside the smith chart.

Vf is the forward Voltage, Vr the reflected and tot the sum of the 2.

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Show distance
Shows the distance between the cursor and the reference cursor.

Reset Zoom
This resets the zoom.

Extra
λ-calculator
A wavelength calculator. It uses the overaccurate speed of light.

HELP MENU

Help
Will direct you to the online PDF.

About
Will give you an overview of the version, build and contact info.

Example 1: Single stub

Use a single parallel open stub to match a load impedance of 15+10j Ω to a 50Ω transmission line.
Find the distance and length of the open stub circuit.

lstub

dstub

-jX
ZL

1 1+jX

To solve any exercise you should first draw the schematic and add a (imaginary) pawn to know where
you are at that moment. Here @ ZL

Right click and select “New Point”.

Select “Z” from the popup menu.

Since ZL = 15 +10j, type your desired name (L) and type 15, 10 and 50 in the respective text fields.
Press OK

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Since this is a parallel stub we need to go to admittances. Right click on the point and select Z <=> Y A
new point YL is generated.

Know we need to know the place on the cable where we have 1+jX so that by adding a stub with
input admittance -jX we get 1+0j. Right click on YL and select crossing with 1+jX. The 2 valid options
will appear. Let us take option B.
To know the distance between the load and the stub we need to use the cursors.
Select the YL and right click and choose “Set reference t this point”. Select Yopt_B and right click and
choose “Set cursor to point”.

Read the value from the WTG text field: 0.044029 λ

Why WTG? take a look at the schematic your pawn should move from ZL to the spot where the stub
will be put.

yopt_B normalised is 1-1.32916j if we add a stub of ynormalised = 1.32916j the sum will be nicely 1.
(this point is Yin)
If you would like to do this select Add normalised z/y to selected and complete with the desired
values (0, 1.32916,50).

OK back to the length of the stub:

Right click somewhere and choose y normalised from the menu. Type the name "stubB" and the
values 0, 1.32916 and 50.

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To know the length we will put our pawn at the open. Add the admittance of an open on the smith
chart. Right click and choose Special Points > Y(open). The characteristic impedance is still 50.

Right click > set reference set to point when Yopen is selected.

Select YstubB and press set cursor to point.

Read the value from WTG: 0.147343 λ

SOLUTION: The stub needs to be at a distance of 0.044029 λ and has a length of 0.147343 λ.

Example 2: Quarter wave transformer

A 50 Ohm transmission line has a load of 100+0j Ohm. Match this circuit using a quarter wave
transformer.

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distance to max or min

ZL
Z0,λ/4; length = λ/4

To solve this question we will first plot ZL. Select Z from the add point drop down box.
Since ZL = 100, type your desired name (L) and type 100, 0 and 50 in the respective text fields.
Press Add

Next we need to look for a maximum or a minimum. ZL is already at a maximum. So this is where we
will insert the transformer. De distance to the transformer is 0.

Calculate the characteristic impedance of the transformer. Since Z0,λ/4 is the square root of Zin at the
maximum and Z0 of the original cable this gives us 70.71.

We are already at the beginning of the transformer. Right click on ZL and select “Change Z0” from the
popup menu.

Fill in 70.71 and press OK.

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Now we need to move to this point to the end of the transformer. Right click on ZL @ Z0 = 70.71
Select Move selected WTG along SWR and fill in 0.25. Use e.g. “endTrafo” as name and press OK.

Now we need to go back to the original cable. Right click and select change Z0 and fill in 50.

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The result is a nicely matched system.

Gorik Stevens