RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering and Industrial

Technology
ECE-Department

Y = shunt admittance per section

Y = G + j C (S/m)
therefore:
Zo

Electronic Systems and Technologies

-Transmission Lines and AntennaName __________________________________________

TRANSMISSION LINE

Impedance matching circuits designed to deliver RF power from

the transmitter to the antenna and maximum signal from the
antenna to the receiver.
System of conductors having a precise geometry and
arrangement which is used to transfer power from the source to
load with minimum loss.

Propagation Constant ( )

ZY ; per unit length

R jL G jC ;

= j ; per unit length

either
conductors, or both combinations of conductors, ( /m).
Zinline
= Zo
L = total series inductance of the transmission line per unit length,
including inductance due to magnetic flux both internal and external
to the conductors, (H/m).
G = shunt conductance of the transmission line per unit length. The
losses that are proportional to the square of the voltage between the
conductors or the square of the electric field in the medium, (S/m).
C = shunt capacitance of the transmission line per unit length, (F/m).
Secondary Constants
Zo = characteristic impedance; impedance measured at the source
when the line is infinite ().

= propagation constant; used to express the signal loss and

phase shift per section along a transmission line
Characteristic Impedance of a Transmission Line (Zo) =
=
where:

Z
;
Y
Z = series impedance per section
Z = R + j L ( /m)

per unit length

Type

Zo
()

RG-59
(coax)

73

RG-11
(coax)

75

RG214
(coax)
RG-58
(coax)
Twin
Lead

50

Outsid
e
Diame
ter (in)

Freq
(MH
z)

A
(dB/
100ft
)

Applications

100

3.4

TV antennas, cable
TV, HF antennas

400

7.1

100

2.5

400

5.5

100

2.0

400

4.7

900

7.8

0.242

0.405

0.405

Three Possible Things May Happen when the Signal Reaches

the Load
in c id e n t w a v e
Zo

Common Types and Characteristics of Transmission Line

General Equivalent Circuit of Transmission Lines

where: Primary Constants
R = total resistance of the transmission line per unit area, including

R j L
;
G j C

Proportional to current and inversely proportional to

characteristic impedance.
Increase of frequency because of skin effect.
3. Dielectric Heating
Proportional to the voltage across the dielectric and
inversely proportional to the characteristic
impedance for an power transmitted.
Increase with frequency for solid dielectric lines
because of gradually worsening properties with
increasing frequency.
-

VHF antennas
Satellite
TV
antennas,
UHF
and microwave

Vs

r e fle c te d w a v e

1. The entire signal is absorbed by the load.

Z L Zo

; matched line
; Non Resonant (Resistive, Flat) Line

Notes: For non-resonant Line; in a lossless transmission line that has

infinite length or is terminated in its characteristic impedance all the
power applied to the line by the load generator at one end is
absorbed by the load at the other end. A line terminated in its
characteristic impedance.
2. A portion the signal is absorbed by the load and some is returned
to the source.

Z L Zo ; Z L R jX

53.
5

0.195

100

5.3

CB antennas

300

100

0.55

TV antennas

Losses in Transmission Lines

1. Radiation Losses.
Transmission line acts as an antenna if the separation
of the conductors in appreciable fraction of a
wavelength.
Increased with frequency
2. Conductor Heating or I2R Losses

Notes: Resonant Line; Standing waves can arise on a transmission

line if the terminating impedance is not matched to the characteristic
impedance of the line.
3. The entire signal is reflected back to the source.

Z L 0 , Z L , Z L jX

Reflection Coefficient ( )
Vector quantity that represents the ratio of the reflected voltage
to the incident voltage.

Z L Zo
Z L Zo

Vmax Vmin
Vmax Vmin

a. at matched line; ZL = Zo
= 0; most desirable
b. at short circuited line; ZL = 0
= -1
c. at open circuited line; ZL =
=1

Z Zo

Standing Wave Ratio (SWR)

The ratio of the voltage (or current) at a point of maximum
amplitude to a point of minimum amplitude.
A measure of the mismatch between the load and the line.

SWR =

Vmax
Vmin

1
1

SWR

Zo
; Zo>ZL
ZL

SWR =

ZL
Zo

Where: Z = impedance looking toward the load at any point on

the line

= distance to the load in degrees (for example, a quarterwavelength will be 90)

When the line is terminated in a purely resistive load

SWR =

Z L jZo tan
Zo jZ L tan

Transmission Line Sections and their LC Equivalents

T r a n s m is s io n lin e

E q u iv a le n t c irc u it

; ZL>Zo

ANTENNA
A structure that is generally a metallic object, often a wire or
group of wires, used to convert high frequency signals into
electromagnetic waves and vice versa.

A transmitting antenna can be used as a receiving antenna

or vice versa (Reciprocity Theorem).
Antenna Parameters

Note: The higher the SWR, the greater is the mismatch between
the line and the load.
a. at matched line; ZL = Zo
SWR = 1; most desirable
b. at short circuited line; ZL = 0

SWR =
c. at open circuited line; ZL =
SWR =

Double Stub.
- Adjustable stub which could cope with frequency or load impedance
changes and still give adequate matching.
Balun (Choke, Sleeve or Bazooka).
- A circuit element used to connect a balanced line to an unbalanced
line or antenna.
Directional Coupler.
- Used to measure the power being delivered to a load or an antenna
through a transmission line.
Reflectometer.
- A device used to measure standing wave.
Slotted Line.
- A piece of coaxial line with a narrow longitudinal slot in the outer
conductor which permits convenient and accurate measurement of
standing waves.
Smith Chart.
- A polar impedance diagram, which consists of two sets of circles, or
arcs of circles, which are so arranged that various important
quantities connected with mismatched transmission lines may be
plotted an evaluated fairly easily.

Variation of Impedance Along a Line

Transmission Line Components:

1. Radiation Pattern
- Polar diagram or graph showing actual relative strength or field
intensity at a fixed distance, as a function of the direction from the
antenna system.
- It shows the range and directional characteristics of an antenna.

()

6. Beamwidth
- Angular separation between two half-power (-3dB) points in a major
lobe of an antenna radiation pattern.
- Degree of concentration of the antennas radiation.

3 dB

6 dB
b a c k lo b e
9 dB

n u ll

m a jo r lo b e

90
60

15

b e a m w id th

2. Bandwidth
- The range of frequency over which an antenna will radiate
effectively or satisfactory.
3. Polarization
- Orientation of the electric field relative to the antenna structure.
- The electric vector is always parallel to the antenna elements.
4. Antenna Impedance (Ra)
- The ratio of applied voltage to the flowing current.
Ra = Rr + Rd
a. Radiation Resistance (Rr) the ratio of radiated
antenna power to the square of the RMS current at feed
point. It is an AC resistance equivalent of parallel tuned
circuit or the fictitious resistance which if replaced by the
antenna would dissipate the same power as it radiates.
b. Loss Resistance or Ohmic Resistance (Rd) actual
resistance losses in the antenna wire themselves.
5. Antenna Efficiency ()
- It is defined as ratio of the power radiated by the antenna to the
power delivered to the feed point.
- It is also defined as the ratio of radiation resistance to the total
system resistance.

P
Rr
transmitted
Rr Rd
Pinput

10 and is infinitely thin and has a

- is any dipole not more than
constant current. It is also known as Elemental, Hertzian dipole or
doublet.the radiation pattern of hertzian is a toroid.

3. Half-wave Dipole
30

0 .7 0 7

a. major lobes the direction of maximum radiation intensity.

b. minor or side lobes lobes of lesser radiation intensity.
c. nulls the direction with radiation intensity equal to zero.

Note: The directivity or directive gain of Hertzian dipole with respect

to an isotropic antenna is given by the ratio 1.5:1 or 1.76 dB.

3 dB

s id e lo b e s

2. Elementary Doublet

15
30

- length is
or multiples of 2
- radiation pattern: toroid (bi-directional)
4. Folded Dipole
- Single antenna which consists of 2 elements, one is fed directly and
the other coupled conductively at the ends

60

90
7. Field Strength (Field Intensity) ()
- A quantity which is inversely proportional to the distance from the
source, hence it is proportional to the square root of power density.

60l e i sin
d

where: d = distance
le = antenna length
i = antenna current
= angle of the axis of the wire and the point of maximum
radiation.
= wavelength

Basic Types Antennas

1. Isotropic Antenna
- Theoretical antenna used as reference for antenna engineering
calculations. The properties are identical in all directions so that its
radiation pattern is spherical.
Note: The directivity or directive gain of isotropic antenna is 1 or
0 dB.

5. The Rhombic Antennas

- Non-resonant antenna used for long distance sky-wave
transmission on reception horizontally polarized waves over distances
of from 200 to over 3000 miles at frequencies of from 4 to 22 MHz.
6. Antenna arrays
- A system of antenna elements geometrically and electrically
arranged to give the desired characteristics
a. Collinear Array
- Any combination of half wavelength elements in which all the
elements are placed end to end forming a straight line. Such field
excited so that their field are all in phase (additive) for points
perpendicular to the array.

- An element of one driven element and one or more parasitic

elements which may function as either a director or reflector. It is
relatively unidirectional and has a gain of 7 dB.
- Used as HF transmitting antenna and as VHF /UHF TV receiving
antennas.

e le m e n ts

D m ax

D m ax

10

10

0.55

0.45

2
r e fle c to r

b. Broadside Array

D r iv e n
e le m e n t

D ire c to r

8. Other Antennas
a. Helical Antenna
- A broadband VHF and UHF antenna which is used when it is
desired to provide circular polarization characteristics
- Consists of a loosely wound helix backed up by a ground plane,
which is simply a screen made of chicken wire

- A group of 2 element mounted vertically, one over the other.

- Their centers forming a straight line and the directivity is
perpendicular to the plane formed by the elements.
7. UHF and Microwave Antennas

a. Parabolic Antenna
- High gain antenna generally used for UHF and microwave bands.

Properties of Paraboloid Reflectors:

1. Beamwidth

c. End-Fire Array
- A linear array; directivity is parallel to the plane formed by the
elements and perpendicular to the elements.
d. LPDA (Log Periodic dipole Array)
- A broadband antenna array in which dipole lengths and spacing
increase with distance from a source, with the transmission line being
transposed between adjacent dipole elements.
- Provides constant impedance across the bandwidth.
- A band of driven elements which provides good gain over an
extremely wide range of frequencies.
e. YagiUda Array
- Developed by Japanese Physicist Yagi and Uda.

0 2

70
D

where: o = beamwidth between nulls, degrees

= beamwidth between half power points, degrees
= wavelength, meters
D = mouth diameter, meters
2. Gain of a Parabolic Antenna

D
A p 6

b. Discone Antenna
- A combination of a disk and a cone in close proximity
- A ground plane antenna evolved from the vertical dipole and having
a similar radiation pattern
- A constant angle, low gain antenna, but it is omnidirectional

b. Horn Antennas
- A microwave antenna produced essentially by flaring out the end of
a circular or rectangular waveguide into the shape of a horn, for
radiating radio waves directly into space.
- Ideal for terminating waveguides to provide gradual transformation,
improve directivity and reduce diffraction.

c. Loop Antenna
- A single turn coil carrying RF current
- Used for direction finding, because they do not radiate in (or receive
radiation from) a direction at right angles to the plane of the loop

Methods of Impedance Matching

1. Stub matching
- Is accomplished simply by connecting the coax or the twin lead to
the stub and sliding the connections up or down the stub until the
proper SWR is indicated by a meter connected in the system.

5. If two towers of a frequency 1100 kHz are separated by 120,

what is the tower separation in feet?
6. What is the return loss for a RG 11 line with a terminating
impedance of 50 ?
7. What is the quarterwave transformer will match a 100 line to
an antenna whose value is 75 ?

Hi Z
F u ll
W ave

T r a n s m is s io n
lin e

Lo Z
s tu b

2. Delta matching
- Is accomplished by spreading the ends of the feed line and
adjusting the spacing until optimum performance is reached.
3. Gamma matching
The most popular single-ended antenna impedance-matching method
used for medium and low power antennas. A sliding damp is included
in the assembly to permit fine -- tuning for minimum SWR at the time
of installation.
4. Quarter Wave Matching
- A section of transmission line one-quarter wavelength long placed
between the load and the line.
REVIEW PROBLEMS:
1. A very low-loss coaxial transmission line has 30 pF/ft of
distributed capacitance and 75 nH/ft of inductance. What is its
characteristic impedance?
2. The spacing between a twowire open air AWG 21
transmission line is 24 inches. Solve for the characteristic
impedance of the transmission line.
3. A piece of RG 59 coaxial cable has 75 characteristic
impedance and a nominal capacitance of 69 pF/m. What is its
inductance per meter? If the diameter of the inner conductor is
0.584 mm and the dielectric constant of the insulation is 2.23.
What is the outer conductor diameter?
4. What is the impedance of a balance 4-wire with a diameter of
0.25 cm and spaced 2.5 cm apart using an insulator with a
dielectric constant of 2.56?

8. An elementary doublet is 10 cm long. If the 10 MHz current

flowing through it is 2 A, what is the field strength 20 km away
from the doublet, in a direction of maximum radiation?
9. Calculate the beamwidth between nulls of a 2-meter
paraboloid reflector used at 6 GHz. Also, calculate the gain of
the paraboloid reflector.
10. The frequency of operation of a dipole antenna cut to a
length of 3.4 m.