Chapter 14: Transmission Lines

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. SWR stands for:

a. Shorted Wave Radiation c. Shorted Wire Region
b. Sine Wave Response d. none of the above

2. TDR stands for:

a. Total Distance of Reflection c. Time-Domain Response
b. Time-Domain Reflectometer d. Transmission Delay Ratio

3. An example of an unbalanced line is:

a. a coaxial cable c. an open-wire-line cable
b. 300-ohm twin-lead TV cable d. all of the above

4. When analyzing a transmission line, its inductance and capacitance are considered to be:
a. lumped c. equal reactances
b. distributed d. ideal elements

5. As frequency increases, the resistance of a wire:

a. increases c. stays the same
b. decreases d. changes periodically

6. The effect of frequency on the resistance of a wire is called:

a. I2R loss c. the skin effect
b. the Ohmic effect d. there is no such effect

7. As frequency increases, the loss in a cable's dielectric:

a. increases c. stays the same
b. decreases d. there is no loss in a dielectric

8. The characteristic impedance of a cable depends on:

a. the resistance per foot of the wire used
b. the resistance per foot and the inductance per foot
c. the resistance per foot and the capacitance per foot
d. the inductance per foot and the capacitance per foot
 9. For best matching, the load on a cable should be:
a. lower than Z0 c. equal to Z0
b. higher than Z0 d. 50 ohms

10. The characteristic impedance of a cable:

a. increases with length c. increases with voltage
b. increases with frequency d. none of the above

11. The velocity factor of a cable depends mostly on:

a. the wire resistance c. the inductance per foot
b. the dielectric constant d. all of the above

12. A positive voltage pulse sent down a transmission line terminated in a short-circuit:
a. would reflect as a positive pulse
b. would reflect as a negative pulse
c. would reflect as a positive pulse followed by a negative pulse
d. would not reflect at all

13. A positive voltage pulse sent down a transmission line terminated with its characteristic impedance:
a. would reflect as a positive pulse
b. would reflect as a negative pulse
c. would reflect as a positive pulse followed by a negative pulse
d. would not reflect at all

14. A positive voltage-pulse sent down a transmission line terminated in an open-circuit:

a. would reflect as a positive pulse
b. would reflect as a negative pulse
c. would reflect as a positive pulse followed by a negative pulse
d. would not reflect at all

15. The optimum value for SWR is:

a. zero c. as large as possible
b. one d. there is no optimum value

16. A non-optimum value for SWR will cause:

a. standing waves c. higher voltage peaks on cable
b. loss of power to load d. all of the above
17. VSWR stands for:
a. variable SWR c. voltage SWR
b. vacuum SWR d. none of the above

18. The impedance "looking into" a matched line:

a. is infinite c. is the characteristic impedance
b. is zero d. 50 ohms

19. A Smith Chart is used to calculate:

a. transmission line impedances c. optimum length of a transmission line
b. propagation velocity d. transmission line losses

20. Compared to a 300-ohm line, the loss of a 50-ohm cable carrying the same power:
a. would be less c. would be the same
b. would be more d. cannot be compared

21. A balanced load can be connected to an unbalanced cable:

a. directly c. by using a "balun"
b. by using a filter d. cannot be connected

22. On a Smith Chart, you "normalize" the impedance by:

a. assuming it to be zero c. multiplying it by 2π
b. dividing it by 2π d. dividing it by Z0

23. The radius of the circle you draw on a Smith Chart represents:
a. the voltage c. the impedance
b. the current d. none of the above

24. The center of the Smith Chart always represents:

a. zero c. the characteristic impedance
b. one d. none of the above

25. A TDR is commonly used to:

a. measure the characteristic impedance of a cable
b. find the position of a defect in a cable
 c. replace a slotted-
line d. all of the above

COMPLETION

1. A cable that lacks symmetry with respect to ground is called .

2. Parallel lines are usually operated as lines since both wires are symmetrical
with respect to ground.

3. Normally, a transmission line is terminated with a load equal to its impedance.

4. Twisted-pair cables are transmission lines for relatively frequencies.

5. To analyze a transmission line, it is necessary to use parameters instead

of lumped ones.

6. The increase of a wire's resistance with frequency is called the effect.

7. The increase of a wire's resistance with frequency is caused by the field

inside the wire.

8. Dielectrics become more as the frequency increases.

9. The inductance and capacitance of a cable are given per unit .

10. Characteristic impedance is sometimes called impedance.

11. A cable that is terminated in its characteristic impedance is called a line.

12. A pulse sent down a cable terminated in a short-circuit will reflect with the
polarity.

13. The apparently stationary pattern of waves on a mismatched cable is called a

wave.

14. SWR stands for -wave ratio.

15. The ideal value for SWR is .

16. Transmission line impedances can be found using a chart.

17. Short transmission-line sections called can be used as capacitors or inductors.

18. Any cable that radiates energy can also energy.

19. A -dB loss in a cable means only half the power sent reaches the load.

20. It is often best to measure SWR at the end of a cable.

21. Besides heat from I2R, the power a cable can carry is limited by the voltage of
its dielectric.

22. To normalize an impedance on a Smith Chart, you divide it by .

23. The of a Smith Chart always represents the characteristic impedance.

24. A wavelength transmission line can be used a transformer.

25. A slotted line is used to make measurements in the domain.

SHORT ANSWER

1. A transmission line has 2.5 pF of capacitance per foot and 100 nH of inductance per foot. Calculate its
characteristic impedance.

2. Two wires with air as a dielectric are one inch apart. The diameter of the wire is .04 inch. Calculate,
approximately, its characteristic impedance.

3. If a coaxial cable uses plastic insulation with a dielectric constant ∈r = 2.6 , what is the velocity factor for
the cable?

4. If a cable has a velocity factor of 0.8, how long would it take a signal to travel 3000 kilometers along the
cable?

5. If a cable has a velocity factor of 0.8, what length of cable is required for a 90° phase shift at 100 MHz?

6. A cable has a VSWR of 10. If the minimum voltage along the cable is 20 volts, what is the maximum
voltage along the cable?

7. A lossless line has a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms, but is terminated with a 75-ohm resistive load.
What SWR do you expect to measure?
 8. If a cable has an SWR of 1.5, what will be the absolute value of its voltage coefficient of reflection?

9. A generator matched to a line with a voltage coefficient of reflection equal to 0.2 transmits 100 watts into
the line. How much power is actually absorbed by the load?

10. Using a Smith Chart to analyze a 50-ohm cable, what would be the normalized value of an impedance
equal to 200 + j50 ohms?