Lecture 1: Telegraphers Equation

of Transmission Lines

Ref.: N. N. Rao, Elements of Engineering

Electromagnetics, 6th Ed., Sec.6.1

What you will learn?

Abstraction of Maxwell equation to telegraphers
equation for transmission lines
Wave solution of telegraph (Tx-line) equation
Inductance and Capacitance p.u.l.
Characteristic impedance and velocity
Extraction of line parameters

R. B. Wu

Motivation

Chi A
Chip

Build up layer
Stacked via

Chip B

(1). Reflection noise,

(2). Crosstalk,
(3). Lossy effect
(4). Ground Bounce.
3

R. B. Wu

Common Transmission Lines

Wire over ground

Coaxial cable

Microstrip lines

Triplate lines
R. B. Wu

TEM in Parallel-Plate Tx-Line

G
E = E x ( z , t ) x
G
H = H y ( z , t ) y

current density
G
G
Js
= x H
= H y ( z , t ) z
x =0
x =0
G
G
Js
= ( x ) H
= H y ( z , t ) z

z
y

x=d

x=d

P
Power
fl :
flow

G G G
P( z, t ) = transverse E H dS

V ( z , t ) = E x ( z , t )dx = d E x ( z , t )
0

plane

V ( z, t ) I ( z, t )

dydx
x = 0 y = 0
d
w
= V ( z, t ) I ( z, t )
=

I ( z , t ) = J s ( z, t )dy = w H y ( z , t )
0

R. B. Wu

Tx-Line (Telegraphers) Equations

Maxwell's eq. :
H y
E x
=
z
t
H y
E x
=
z
t
Generalization to
other tx-lines

Ex =

V
I
; Hy =
d
w

V
d I
=

z
w t
I
w V
=
z
d t

V
I
= L
z
t
I
V
= C
z
t

L. M. Magid, Electromagnetic Fields, Energy, and Waves, John

Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1972, Sec.10.1-10.2 & Prob. 10.1

L C =

R. B. Wu

Voltage & Current in Tx-Line

V
I
= L
z
t
I
V
= C
z
t

L C =
Electric line
Magnetic line

G
G
E ( x, y , z , t ) = v ( z , t )e ( x, y )
G
G
H ( x, y , z, t ) = i ( z, t )h ( x, y )
R. B. Wu

Distributed Circuit Representation

V
dI
= L
z
dt
I
dV
= C
z
dt
R. B. Wu

Derivation from Maxwell Equations

G G
G G
d
E d A =
B dS
dt S ABCD
di ( z , t )
v( z +A
z , t ) v( z , t ) = L2 D B
z
dt
v
i
= L2 D
z
t

G
G D
H =

t
G
G
G
v H d A v H
A

G G
G G
d
E d A =
B dS
dt S ABCD
di ( z , t )
v( z + z , t ) v( z , t ) = L2 D z
dt
v
i
= L2 D
z
t

ABCDA

z +z

G d
G G
d A = w
D dS

z
dt

i ( z , t ) i ( z + z, t ) = id ;
G G d
d
d
id = w
D dS = dv = C z v ( z, t )

S
V

z
dt
dt
dt
i
v
= C
z
t

ABCDA

G
G
B
E =

t
G G
G G
d
v ABCDA E d A = dt SABCD B dS
v ( z + z , t ) v ( z , t ) = L z

di ( z , t )
dt

v
i
= L
z
t Wu
R.B.

Wave Equation Fundamental Solution

2u 2u

= 0;
z 2 c 2t 2

c=

1
L C

= z ct
2u

=0

z
ct

=
+

solution : u = f ( ) + g ( )

u ( z , t ) = f ( z ct ) + g ( z + ct )
right - moving left - moving

Homework: rederive (3.78) and (3.79) again.

R. B. Wu

What does u(z,t)=f(z-ct) Mean?

For example, f(t) is a step function
u(z t)
u(z,

t=0

z
t=t

ct

t=2t

2ct

R. B. Wu

Wave Solution Example

Example : for z (, ) with I.C. u ( z ,0) = F ( z ), ut ( z ,0) = 0

f ( z) + g ( z) = F ( z)

cf ( z ) + cg ( z ) = 0
choose f = g =
u ( z, t ) =

1
F ( z)
2

1
[F ( z ct ) + F ( z + ct )]
2

R. B. Wu

Velocity & Characteristic Impedance

V
I
= L
z
t
I
V
= C
z
t

L
V
=
= Z0
C
I
1
z
=
= vp
t
C L

) + g (t + )
1
I ( z, t ) =
f ( t ) g ( t + )

Z
V ( z, t ) = f t

z
vp

z
vp

z
vp

z
vp

R. B. Wu

Tx-Line in Inhomogeneous Medium

Pure TEM does not exist
Approximate
A
i t TEM wave
Calculation of C
Dielectric has not effects on L
Define C0: p.u.l. capacitance with
all dielectrics replaced by free
space L C0 = 00
vp =
Z0 =

1
1
=
L C
L C0

C0
c
=
C
reff

reff
L
L C0
1
=
=
=
C
C C0 c C C0
cC

microstrip line

r =
eff

C
C0

R. B. Wu

Determination of Line Parameters

Analytical Techniques
Closed-form solution of Laplaces equation
Applicable for several types of lines only

Numerical Techniques
Calls for numerical techniques

Empirical Formulas
Deduce from vast measurement or simulation results

Graphical Techniques
Very rough, but can yield intuitive feeling
R. B. Wu

Analytic Techniques by conformal mapping

Note: pul capacitance keeps invariant in scaling
Theory: pul capacitance keeps invariant in conformal mapping

C =

( B A)

Coaxial cable

C =
B ' = e B ; A' = e A

C =

2
ln( B '/ A ')

ln B ' ln A '

R. B. Wu

Parallel Wire Capacitance

R. B. Wu

Ref: R. W. Churchill & J. W. Brown, Complex Variable & Applications,

McGraw-Hill, 1984, p.329

Twisted Line Capacitance

Scaling

r
2d

x1 =

1
2d/r

2d
2d
+ 1, x2 =
1
r
r

C =

=
=

ln ( 1 Ro ) ln d + ( d )2 1 cosh 1 dr d >>r ln 2rd

r
r

R. B. Wu

Parallel Wire Capacitance (cont)

Equipotential surfaces
r2
( x + b) 2 + y 2
=
=k
r1
( x b) 2 + y 2
2

k2 +1
2k
2
xb 2
+ y = b 2

1
k
k 1

d = b
V+ =

2k
k2 +1
d d 2 a2
; a=b 2
k=
2
k 1
k 1
a

L
L

d + d 2 a2
ln
= V C =
=
2
a
V+ V ln d + d 2 a 2

C =

cosh 1 ( d a )

) a

R. B. Wu

Wire above Ground

2
;
2d
ln
r
2d
L
ln
2
r
C

r
d

C
1
2

ln

2d
r
1
2

R. B. Wu

10

Numerical Techniques
Geometry of lines:
width, separation,
thickness height
thickness,
height,
substrate, etc.

CAP1

CAP2 - microstripp

C2D
Electrical parameters:
capacitance matrix [C]
Inductance matrix [L]

CAP3 triplate

CAPG general
layered

B
Basedd on integral
i t
l equation
ti formulation
f
l ti
and method of moments
Employ exact integration formulae
Four versions are available
W. T. Weeks, Calculation of coefficients of capacitance of multiconductor
transmission lines in the presence of a dielectric interface, IEEE Trans.
Microwave Theory Tech., vol. 18, pp. 35-43, Jan. 1970.

R. B. Wu

CAP2 Example

R. B. Wu

11

Commercial Software

R. B. Wu

http://web.appwave.com/Products/Microwave_Office/Feature_Guide.php?bullet_id=9

Empirical Formula
Microstrip line example

C. S. Chang, Electrical design of signal lines for multilayer printed circuit

boards, IBM J. R&D, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 647-657, Sept. 1988,

R. B. Wu

12

Graphical Technique
C =
Q
C =
V

Q Q1 + Q2 + " + Qm
=
V
V1 + V2 + " + Vn
=

1
n

j =1

Vj
Qi +Q2 +"+Qm

Cij

j =1

i =1

Qi
Vj

1
n

j =1

1
Cij

i =1

Qi
Vj

if curvilinear square
m
n
Cij , C
, Z0
n
m

e.g., m = 26 , n = 4
Z 0 0.154 377
R. B. Wu

Did you Learn

How E, H fields can be simplified to V & I for tx-line? Under what
assumptions?
How the circuit variables V & I are related? What is Tx-line
equation? How to find E, H fields from V & I?
Whats the general solution of Tx-line eq. and its physical meaning?
What are the major electrical parameters in Tx-line? Why C2D and
L2D are in terms of p.u.l. capacitance and inductance in circuit sense?
What are the major characteristics of the tx lines? How are they
related to the electrical parameters?
Whats the difference between characteristic impedance & line
resistance?
How to find the p.u.l. capacitance?
How to find the p.u.l. inductance in terms of p.u.l. capacitance for
homogeneous material, as well as for inhomogenerous material?
R. B. Wu

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