ECE334A - Communications 4 - Transmission Media, field around the wire expands and collapses

Antenna System and Design (Midterm Reviewer) accordingly. The energy produced by the magnetic
Characteristic Impedance lines of force collapsing back into the wire tends to
keep the current flowing in the same direction. This
Characteristic Impedance – surge impedance; Z naught represents a certain amount of inductance, which is
(Z0) expressed in microhenrys per unit length. Figure 3-10

Z 0=
√ L
C
illustrates the inductance and magnetic fields of a
transmission line.
Capacitance of a Transmission Line
L = Inductance per unit length of line
C = Capacitance per unit length of line
Balanced Lines
 The more conductors used, the higher the Capacitance also exists between the transmission line
characteristic impedances. wires, as illustrated in figure 3-11. Notice that the two
o 150 ohms and above for balanced transmission parallel wires act as plates of a capacitor and that the
lines; air between them acts as a dielectric. The capacitance
o 150 ohms below (usually 50-75 ohms) for between the wires is usually expressed in picofarads
unbalanced transmission lines per unit length. This electric field between the wires is
similar to the field that exists between the two plates
Propagation Constant – the measure of the change of a capacitor.
undergone by the amplitude and phase of the waves as
it propagates along a medium in a given direction. Leakage Current
 Also known as transmission parameter, Since any dielectric, even air, is not a perfect insulator,
transmission function, or propagation a small current known as LEAKAGE CURRENT flows
parameter/coefficient between the two wires. In effect, the insulator acts as
 The propagation constant for any conducting lines a resistor, permitting current to pass between the two
(copper lines) can be calculated by relating the wires. Figure 3-13 shows this leakage path as resistors
primary line parameters. in parallel connected between the two lines. This
 Where Z = R + iωL is the series impedance of line property is called CONDUCTANCE (G) and is the
per unit length. Y = G + iωC is the shunt admittance opposite of resistance.
of line per unit length.
Conductance of a Transmission Line
Attenuation Constant
 The attenuation of an EM wave propagating
through a medium per unit distance from the
source.
Conductance in transmission lines is expressed as the
1 Nepers = 8.686 dB reciprocal of resistance and is usually given in
Phase Constant – represents the change in phase per micromhos per unit length.
unit length along the path travelled by the wave at any
instant and is equal to the real part of the angular
Notes:
wave number of the wave.
 k for coaxial line, which is Polyethylene = 2.3
Phase Velocity – the speed and direction at which the
(common for transmission lines)
phase of a wave propagates through space.
Velocity Factor – purely a factor of the insulating
factor’s relative permittivity (dielectric constant) Transmission Line Constants and Characteristic
 It is the ratio of a material’s electric field Impedance Examples
permittivity to that of a pure vacuum. 1. The velocity of propagation in a certain medium is
 The velocity of propagation of a solid conductor is 200*10^6 m/s. What is the refractive index? VF =
always less than the speed of light. 0.667
Refraction Index – measure of the bending of a ray of
light when passing from one medium into another.
2. What is the propagation velocity of a signal in a
Snell’s Law - a relationship between the path taken by transmission line whose inductance and
a ray of light in crossing the boundary or surface of capacitance are 5 μH/m and 20 pF/m, respectively?
separation between two contacting substances and What is the index of refraction? Vp = 1*10^8 m/s; n
the refractive index of each. = 2.9979
Willebrord Snell – a Dutch astronomer and
mathematician who discovered the law of refraction.
3. A parallel wire line spaced at 1.27 cm has a
Constants of a Transmission Line diameter of 0.21 cm. What is the characteristic
Resistance of a Transmission Line impedance? Z0 = 298.80 ohms

The transmission line

shown has electrical 4. In a coaxial line, if the outer diameter is 0.51 cm
resistance along its and the center conductor has a diameter of 0.22
length. This resistance is usually expressed in ohms cm. What is the characteristic impedance? Z0 =
per unit length and is shown as existing continuously 33.23 ohms
from one end of the line to the other.
Inductance of a Transmission Line
5. For a parallel wire line, determine the conductance
When current flows if the conductivity is 200*10^-6 S/m and the
through a wire, conductor diameter is 10 mm with a conductor
magnetic lines of spacing of 12 mm. G = 7.18*10^-4 mho/m
force are set up
around the wire. As
the current increases and decreases in amplitude, the
6. Calculate the velocity factor of a coaxial cable
used as a transmission line, with the characteristic
impedance of 50 ohms, capacitance is 40 pF/m, and
inductance equal to 50 μH/m.

7. What is the actual length in feet of a one-half

wavelength of a coax with velocity factor of 0.61 at
27 MHz?

8. What is the attenuation constant of a 50-ohm

coaxial cable if it has a resistance of 0.121 ohm/m?

9. Find the inductance of a 5-meter length

transmission line if the characteristic impedance is
52 ohms and the capacitance is 75 pF/m.

10. A coaxial cable uses Teflon as dielectric with

relative permittivity of 2.1. What is the propagation
velocity of a signal?

11. A 530 MHz signal is propagating along a RG 8/u

coaxial cable with a velocity factor 0.66. If a 75-
degree phase shift is needed, what is the length of
the transmission line?

12. A radio frequency transmission line has a

capacitance of 46.8 pF/m and a phase constant of
30 degrees/m. Determine the inductance of the line
at a frequency of 30 MHz.