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A Transmission Line
Connecting Source & Load

We can think of a transmission line as a conduit that allows

power to flow from an output of one device/network to an input
of another.

To simplify our analysis, we can model the input of the device

receiving the power with it input impedance (e.g., ZL), while we
can model the device output delivering the power with its
Thevenin’s or Norton’s equivalent circuit.
Ii Ii
Zg

+ +
+
Vg Vi Ig Zg Vi
-

- -

Vg = Vi + Z g Ii Vi
Ig = + Ii
Zg

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

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Typically, the power source is modeled with its Thevenin’s

equivalent; however, we will find that the Norton’s equivalent
circuit is useful if we express the remainder of the circuit in
terms of its admittance values (e.g., Y0 , YL , Y (z ) ).
Ii

+
Vg +
-
Vi Z0
-

z = -l z =0
Recall from the telegrapher’s equations that the current and
voltage along the transmission line are:

V ( z ) = V0+ e - j b z + V0- e + j b z

V0+ - j b z V0- + j b z
I( z ) = e - e
Z0 Z0

At z = 0 , we enforced the boundary condition resulting from

Ohm’s Law:

ZL =
VL
=
V ( z = 0)
=
V0+ + V0- 
IL I ( z = 0) V0+ V0- 
 - 
Z
 0 Z0 

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

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Which resulted in:

V0- ZL - Z0
= B GL
V0+ ZL + Z0

So therefore:

V ( z ) = V0+ �
e - j b z + GL e + j b z �
� �

V0+ - j b z
I( z ) = �
�e - GL e + j b z �
�
Z0

We are left with the question: just what is the value of complex
constant V0 ?!?
+

This constant depends on the signal source! To determine its

exact value, we must now apply boundary conditions at z = -l .

We know that at the beginning of the transmission line:

V ( z = - l ) = V0+ �
e + j b l + GL e - j b l �
� �

V0+ + j b l
I ( z = -l ) = �
�e - GL e - j b l �
�
Z0

Likewise, we know that the source must satisfy:

Vg = Vi + Z g Ii

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

9/4/2018 396185612.doc 4/6

To relate these three expressions, we need to apply boundary

conditions at z = -l :

Ii I  z = -l 

Vg +
-
Z0

z = -l z =0
From KVL we find:
Vi =V  z = -l 

And from KCL:

Ii = I  z = -l 

Combining these equations, we find:

Vg = Vi + Z g Ii
V0+ + j b l
Vg = V0 �
+
e
�
+j bl
+ GL e -j bl
�+ Z g Z �
� e
� - GL e - j b l �
�
0

One equation  one unknown (V0 )!!

+

Solving, we find the value of V0 :

+

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

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Z0
V0+ = Vg e - j b l
Z 0  1 + Gin  + Z g  1 - Gin 

where:
Gin = G  z = -l  = GL e - j 2 b l

Note this result looks different than the equation in your

textbook (eq. 2.71):

Z0 e -j bl
V = Vg
+

Z 0 + Z g  1 - GL G g e - j 2 b l 
0

where:
Z g - Z0
Gg B
Z g + Z0
I like my expression better.

Although the two equations are equivalent, my expression is

explicitly written in terms of Gin = G  z = -l  (a very useful,
precise, and unambiguous value), while the book’s expression is
written in terms of this so-called “source reflection
coefficient” G g (a misleading, confusing, ambiguous, and mostly
useless value).

Specifically, we might be tempted to equate G g with the value

G  z = -l  = Gin , but it is not ( G g �G  z = -l  )!

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS

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There is one very important point that must be made about the
result:

Z0
V0+ = Vg e - j b l
Z 0  1 + Gin  + Z g  1 - Gin 

And that is—the wave V0  z  incident on the load ZL is actually

+

dependent on the value of load ZL !!!!!

Remember:
Gin = G  z = -l  = GL e - j 2 b l

We tend to think of the incident wave V0  z  being “caused” by

+

the source, and it is certainly true that V0  z  depends on the

+

source—after all, V0  z  = 0 if Vg = 0 . However, we find from

+

the equation above that it likewise depends on the value of the

load!

Remember, this solution is a steady-state solution. Just like

the multiple reflection viewpoint for a l 4 transformer, we can
(sort of) view the waves on this transmission line as “bouncing”
back and forth until the boundary conditions are satisfied at
both ends.

Thus we cannot—in general—consider the incident wave to be

the “cause” and the reflected wave the “effect”. Instead, each
wave must obtain the proper amplitude (e.g., V0 ,V0 ) so that the
+ -

boundary conditions are satisfied at both the beginning and end

of the transmission line.

Jim Stiles The Univ. of Kansas Dept. of EECS