Transmission Lines

Introduction

Lab Engr Mughees Ahmed

Marks Division

Marks
Quizzes 6
Project 8
Copy 3
Lab Handout (Individual) 2
Lab Performance 1
Transmission Line:
A conducting device used to transfer energy in the form
of electromagnetic waves from source to load.
Electromagnetic Frequency spectrum
Electromagnetic Frequency spectrum is used
depending on the type of transmission line.
Type of Transmission line
There are several types of transmission lines. Each type of line
has different properties that affect transmission: bandwidth,
attenuation, noise or interference.
 Two-wire open line
 Twisted-pair line
 Shielded pair line
 Coaxial line
 Waveguide
 Optical fiber
 Two-wire open line
 Consists of two parallel conductors that are spaced two centimeters apart.
 Usage: power lines, rural telephone lines, and telegraph lines.
 Advantage: Advantage of this type of line is its simple construction.
 Disadvantage: Disadvantages of this type of line are the high radiation
losses and electrical noise pickup because of the lack of shielding.
Twisted-pair line
 The twisted pair line consists of two conductors sheathed in an insulating material and
twisted together to make a flexible line.
 Usage: Used for connections over short distances.
 Disadvantage: Not used for transmitting high frequency because of the high dielectric
losses that occur in the rubber insulation.
 When the line is wet, the losses increase greatly.
Shielded pair line
 The shielded pair consists of parallel conductors surrounded and separated from each other
by a solid dielectric.
 Advantage: Advantage of the shielded pair is that the conductors are balanced to ground
that is, the capacitance between the wires is uniform throughout the length of the line.
 The braided copper shield isolates the conductors from stray magnetic fields.
 Coaxial Line
 There are two types of coaxial lines, rigid coaxial line and flexible coaxial line.
 The physical construction of both types is basically the same; that is, each contains two
concentric conductors.
 Advantage: This type of conductor minimizes radiation losses and interference from
other lines.

Flexible Coaxial Lines:

1. The inner conductor is insulated from the
outer conductor by solid dielectric material.
2. The outer conductor consists of a braided
copper shield, giving the cable its flexibility.
This type minimizes the impact of
electromagnetic radiation and skin effect
Rigid Coaxial Line:
1. Inner conductor is insulated from the outer
conductor by a spacer or beads at regular
intervals.
2. This type minimizes radiation losses and
interference from other lines.
 Waveguide
 The waveguide is a transmission medium that confines and guides the propagating
electromagnetic waves.
 Classification based on cross-section: Rectangular, Elliptical, or Circular.
 Classification based on material: Metallic or Dielectric.
 Usage: Waveguides are used in microwave radio systems.
Optical Fiber
 The optical fiber is designed specifically for transmitting light, which can
be modeled as an electromagnetic wave.
 The optical fiber consists of a central conductor, called the core made of
glass or plastic. The core is surrounded by a protective cladding. The
whole assembly is housed in a protective sheath.
 Advantage: Have very high bandwidth, their noise immunity and their
small size.
Impedance
 In polar form Z=R<θ.
 In rectangular form
Z=R ± jX.

 Purely resistive
Z= R+j0 or R<0ο
 purely inductive
Z=0+jXL or X L <90
 purely capacitive
Z=0+jXC or X C <90ο

Most of the time impedance is neither purely resistive nor purely reactive. It is composed of
real (resistive) and reactive (inductive or capacitive) component.
Basic Transmission Line Circuit
Characteristic impedance Zo
 Zo is determined mainly by the physical characteristics of the line.
1. Diameter and shape of conductors
2. Relative spacing between conductors
3. Type of insulating materials

CHARACTERISTIC IMPEDANCE CAN BE DEFINED AS THE INPUT IMPEDANCE OF THE INFINITE LINE.
At high frequency and in lossless transmission line the Zo is considered to be purely resistive.

 Coaxial line 50 or 75 Ω
 Twin lead 300 Ω
 Twisted pair 600 Ω
Impedance Match
 When ZL = Zo the energy reaches the receiving end is perfectly absorbed by
the load, this condition is called impedance match.
Impedance Mismatch
 When ZL is not equal to Zo all the energy is not absorbed by the load. Instead, part of this is
reflected by the load to the source, resulting in loss due to reflection. This is known as
impedance mismatch.
 If additionally Zs is not equal to Zo, then reflected energy will re-reflected towards the load.
The reflected energy will continue to bounce back and forth on the line for a certain time,
increasing the losses.

It is therefore, important that

ZIN = Z L= Zo
for the maximum transfer of energy from source to load.
Facet Base Unit (Lab Volt)
 Transmission Line Circuit Board

 There are five sections of the Transmission Line circuit board:

 Transmission Lines A and B
 Auxiliary Power Input
 Step Generator
 Signal Generator
 Loads
Transmission Lines A and B
 Each transmission line consists of a RG174 coaxial cable and is 24 meters long.
 A BNC connector both at sending and receiving end.
 There are five probe turrets spaced at equal lengths of 6 meters and are used
for voltage/current measurements at that length with an oscilloscope.
Auxiliary Power Input
 The section is used when external supply is used to operate the circuit board
in stand alone position.
 Step Generator
 Signal available at 5 BNC connectors each of different
generator output impedance.
 Delivers 50KHz rectangular pulse every 20μs

Signal Generator
 Delivers sinusoidal signal between 5KHz to 5MHz
 Signal available at 5 BNC connectors each of different
generator output impedance.
Loads
 Consists of a network of resistors, inductors and capacitors.
 Can be configured in various ways through the setting of toggle switches.
Theveninizing Step Generator
 To determine the Thevenin equivalent we first find the output voltage
with no load connected. This voltage will be Thevenin voltage ETH.
 To find the Thevenin Impedance ZTH, let us assume that impedance is
purely resistive and connect a variable resistive load with impedance ZL

 Now if we adjust the variable ZL such that V L = E TH/2 , then Z TH = Z L

BNC

 Bayonet Neill–Concelman
 The connector was named the BNC (for Bayonet
Neill–Concelman) after its bayonet mount locking
mechanism and its inventors, Paul Neill and Carl
Concelman.
Follow the instructions in manual as well as
on computer program.

Write the indicated reading in manual.

Thanks
 VELOCITY OF PROPAGATION
 A radio signal travels in free space at the velocity of light (approx. 3.0
m/s)
 In a transmission line, a signal will travel at a relatively lower speed. This
is due to the presence of dielectric material used to construct the line.

 Vp = Velocity of Propagation ( m/s or ft/s)

 L’ = Distributed Inductance (Henry per unit length or H/m)
 C’ = Distributed Capacitance (Farads per unit length or F/m)
 Transit time
 The incident voltage Vi propagates at a certain velocity Vp called velocity
of propagation along the line. It arrives at the receiving end after a certain
time T which is known as transit time.
Roundtrip time or Back and Forth time
 The reflected step, VR, gets back to the step generator after a time
equal to twice the transit time, called roundtrip time or back-and-
forth time, 2T.
 The resultant signal is the algebraic sum of the incident and reflected
steps. Step VR is superimposed on step VI, and is separated by a time
2T from the rising edge of VI.

 Vp = Velocity of propagation (m/s)

 l = length of the line (m)
 2T = Round trip time (s)
 Lossy Transmission Lines

 It becomes clear that lossy lines cause a degradation

in the rise of voltage steps
 Velocity Factor
 The velocity of propagation of a signal in a transmission line is
usually expressed as percentage of velocity of light in free space.
This percentage is called velocity factor, VF.

 For example, a transmission line with VF 66% will transmit the

signal at about 66% the velocity of light.
Relative permittivity or dielectric constant
 When velocity of propagation in
a transmission line is known
then relative permittivity, Єr of
the dielectric material used to
construct that line is
determined by
Follow the instructions in manual as well as
on computer program.

Write the indicated reading in manual.

Thanks