Revisiting a T-Line With Any Termination

In the general case, where a transmission line is terminated in ZL,

the impedance along the line is given by:
 j z  Z L  Z 0   j z 
e  
 
e
j z
e  e  j z
  Z L  Z0  
Z ( z)  Z 0 j z  Z0
 e  e   e j z   Z L  Z0  e j z 
 j z

  Z L  Z0  

 Z0 L
 Z  Z 0  e   Z L  Z 0  e  Z Z L 2cos  z  Z 0 2 j sin  z
j z  j z

 Z L  Z 0  e j z   Z L  Z 0  e j  z 0 Z L 2 j sin  z  Z 0 2cos  z
Z L  jZ 0 tan  z
 Z0 Note: Z(z)=Z0 if ZL=Z0
Z 0  jZ L tan  z
The above equation shows how the input impedance to an
unmatched transmission line changes with electrical length, z.
Since the electrical length changes with frequency, the input
impedance to an unmatched line will be frequency dependent.

Impedance Calculations
Because the formula for impedance is a bit cumbersome and not
intuitive, design calculations and measurements are often made
graphically using a Smith Chart. The Smith Chart works with
normalized impedance and admittance, where normalization is
made with respect to the characteristic impedance of the
transmission line.
For example, the normalized impedance for a load ZL = 73 + j42 
on a 50  transmission line is ZLN = 1.46 + j0.84
By plotting the normalized load impedance on a Smith Chart, the
input impedance as a function of line length can be found.
The Smith Chart also provides the value of the reflection
coefficient, power delivered to load, as well as the voltage standing
wave ratio (VSWR)
Distance measurements are given in terms of wavelengths.

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 The Smith Chart Re{ Z or Y }
Center at 1+j0 Im { Z or Y }
(matched)

To find Z along the line for a particular ZL, find ZL/Z0 on the chart
and draw a circle, centered at 1+j0 through that point. Points on
that circle represent impedance on the line corresponding to
distance which is read from the scale “wavelengths toward the
generator”.

Blank Smith Chart

2
 Bottom Scale of Smith Chart

Network Analyzer Smith Chart Display

3
 Another Smith Chart Type Display

Smith Chart Example

A half-
half-wave dipole antenna (Z( = 73 + j42  ) is connected to a
50  transmission line. How long must that line be before the
real part of the input impedance is 50  ?

Z0 = 50 
Re{ Zin } = 50  ZL = 73 + j42


Step 1: plot the normalized impedance (1.46
( + j0.84)) on the Chart
Step 2: Draw a circle through that point, with the center of the
circle at 1 + j0
Step 3: Move along the circle you drew, towards the generator,
until you intercept the Re{ ZN }=1 circle is intercepted. The
distance moved on the circle to get to that intercept, read from the
“wavelengths toward generator” scale, represents the length of the
transmission line .

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 Smith Chart Example

0.198
0.198 

1.46+j0.84

Intercept with
Re{ ZN }=1
circle 0.348
0.348 

Smith Chart Example

The distance moved on the scale is 0.348 - 0.198 = 0.15 .
This represents the length of the transmission line, where  is
the wavelength in the transmission line.
line.
The normalized input impedance for that transmission line is
read from the Smith Chart to be 1 - j0.75.. This is read from the
point where the circle you drew intersects the Re{ ZN } = 1 circle.
The actual input impedance to the terminated line is
(1 - j0.75)50= 50 - j37.5  = ZIN

What we will be doing later is to add a reactive component that will

cancel the reactive component of the input impedance, resulting in
an input impedance equal to Z0 (a perfect match). We will do this
using “single-
“single-stub” matching.

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 Single--Stub Matching
Single
As shown previously, the input impedance (admittance) of a
shorted transmission line (a “stub”) is purely reactive. By placing
a stub in parallel with another transmission line, the reactive
component can be cancelled, leaving a pure-
pure-real input
impedance. This can be used to achieve a perfect match.

d Z0 = 50 
Zin = 50   ZL

To do this, we need to choose  so that the real part of the input
admittance is equal to the characteristic admittance, and then
choose d so that the reactive components cancel. This can all be
done on the smith chart.

Single--Stub Matching Example

Single
Find  and d that will match our half-
half-wave dipole antenna
(ZL=73+j42  ) to a 50  transmission line.
Note: Since we are going to add the stub in parallel with the
transmission line, it will be easier to work with admittance rather
than impedance.
Step 1: Plot the normalized load impedance (1.46+j0.84),
( ), and
draw a circle through that point, centered at 1 + j0.. Get the
normalized load admittance by drawing a line from ZLN through
1+j0 until you intersect the circle you drew on the other side.
From the chart, you get a normalized load admittance of 0.52-j0.3
Step 2: Move towards the generator (clockwise) on the circle you
drew until you intersect the Re{ YN }=1 circle. The distance you
moved to get to that intersection corresponds to the distance  ( =
0.5-(0.441-0.157) = 0.216 ). From the Smith Chart, the
normalized input admittance at this point is 1+j0.84.

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 Single--Stub Matching Example
Single
Step 3: In this step, we are looking for the length, d, of a shorted
stub that will have an input admittance of 0-j0.84.. The load
( L=), so that is where we will
admittance of a short is infinity (Y
begin on the Smith Chart. We will move towards the generator
from the point YL= until we intercept the Im{ YN= -0.84} line. At
this point, the input admittance to the shorted stub is 0-j0.84.. The
distance traveled to get to that point (0.389
( -0.25=0.139) is d.

d Z0 = 50 
Zin = 50   ZL

Using these values of  and d will result in a perfect match at
the frequency for which it was designed. That match will
degrade as the frequency varies.

Intersection with 0.157

0.157 
Re {YN}=1 circle
YN=1+j0.84 ZLN=1.46+j0.84

YLN=0.52
=0.52--j0.3

YL=

0.25
0.25 

0.441
0.441  YLN=0 -j0.84
0.389
0.389 

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 Design Parameters for Example
 = 0.5 - (0.441 - 0.157)= 0.216
d =0.389 - 0.25 = .139

Notes:

• going around the Smith Chart once corresponds to moving

a distance of 0.5 wavelengths on the transmission line
• the system will be matched at a single frequency

Quarter-Wave Matching Transformer

Used to convert any real load impedance (ZL ) to a desired
real input impedance (Zin ).
λ/4
Note: we can make our
load real by placing a
reactance-cancelling
Zin Z0 ZL
component in parallel with
it.
Because λ/4 represents one-half rotation around the Smith
Chart, the normalized input impedance is equal to the
normalized admittance of ZL:
Z in 1
 YLN   1  Z2
Z0 ZL So: Z in  Z 0  Z   0
 LZ  Z
Z0  0 L

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 Quarter-Wave Matching Transformer (2)
We can use this equation to find the characteristic impedance
(Z0) of the quarter-wave length on T-line:
Z 0  Z in Z L

For example: find the characteristic impedance of a quarter-

wavelength section of T-line that would match our half-wave
dipole antenna to a 50 Ω T-line (assume that the j42 Ω reactive
component has been cancelled):
Z 0  Z in Z L   50  73  60.4
Comment about stub and quarter-wave matching techniques:
Since all of the T-line dimensions are in wavelengths, the
match will exist only over a narrow range of frequencies.
Different approaches need to be used to achieve broadband
matching.