S-PARAMETERS EXTRACTION OF A MULTI-PORT

NETWORK USING PSPICE

Mohamed Ali SKIMA*, Mohamed Salah KAROUI, Hamadi GHARIANI, Mounir SAMET
Laboratory of Information Electronics and Technologies (LETI)
National Engineering School of Sfax, B. P. W. 3038. Sfax - Tunisia
skima_mohamedali@yahoo.fr

ABSTRACT The Pspice is a traditional software for circuit analysis

which includes the nonlinear models of the electronic
The designers of radio frequencies and microwaves devices, but it doesn’t have a direct link with the
circuits frequently express the input and output parameters related to the high frequencies such as the S-
characteristics of their circuits in terms of the S- parameters. In the following we will try to build sub-
parameters. These parameters are usually measured using circuits under Pspice which, when they are applied to a
a vectorial network analyzer. This device is very two-port network, allow the extraction of its Sij
expensive so it is not always available. To solve this parameters.
problem we can use the CAE and CAD tools to build We consider a two-port network connected to a voltage
sub-circuits for the extraction of the S-parameter from a source with impedance equal to ZG and a load impedance
given multi-port network. In the first part of this paper we ZL as shown in figure 1.
describe sub-circuits realized under Pspice software
I1 I2
allowing the extraction of the S-parameters from a given ZG
two port network. In the second part we affirme that the VG Zin Two-port Zout ZL
V1 V2
sub-circuits realized can be used in the general case of a network
multi-port in order to extract its Sij parameters. a1
b1 b2

Figure 1. Voltages, currents, input and output waves.

1. INTRODUCTION
Zin and Zout shown in figure 1 refer to the input and output
At Low frequencies we are accustomed to use the z, y or impedances of the two-port network. The scattering
h parameters, elements of [Z], [Y] and [H] matrices to matrix relates the outgoing waves b1, b2 to the incoming
describe the input and output characteristics of a two-port waves a1, a2 that are incident on the two-port:
network. Measuring these parameters calls for the input
and output of the device to be successively opened and ⎡ b1 ⎤ ⎡ s11 s12 ⎤ ⎡ a1 ⎤ ⎡ ⎤ ⎡ a1 ⎤
short circuited. This can be hard to do, especially at RF ⎢b ⎥ = ⎢ s ⋅ = ⋅ s
s 22 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣a 2 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣ ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣a 2 ⎥⎦
(1)
frequencies where lead inductance and capacitance make ⎣ 2 ⎦ ⎣ 21
short and open circuits difficult to obtain. Not only is this
inconvenient and tedious, but making the input or the The matrix elements S11, S12, S21, and S22 are referred to
output of the device opened and short circuited may cause as the scattering parameters or the S-parameters. The
oscillation so the measurement becomes invalid. For this traveling wave variables a1, b1 at port 1 and a2, b2 at port
reason the [S] matrix (scattering matrix) [1], is regarded 2 are defined in terms of V1, I1 and V2, I2 and a real-
as the basic tool for the study of the multi-port network at valued positive reference impedance Z0 (commonly
high frequencies. Indeed the elements of this matrix are chosen to be Z0 = 50 ohm) as follows:
easy to measure and we don’t require short-circuit or
open circuit in the input or output of the two-port. In V + Z 0 I1 V + Z0I 2
a1 = 1 a2 = 2
practice we use a vectorial network analyzer for the 2 Z0 2 Z0
measurement of these parameters. This apparatus is not (2)
V − Z 0 I1 V − Z0I2
always available considering its very expensive cost. We b1 = 1 b2 = 2
can exceed this problem by using CAD and CAE tools 2 Z0 2 Z0
for the extraction of the S-parameters of a given Two-port
network. where: a1 is the incident wave at port 1, a2 is the incident
wave at port 2, b1 is the reflected wave from port 1 and b2
2. S-PARAMETERS EXTRACTION OF A TWO- is the reflected wave from port 2.
PORT NETWORK UNDER PSPICE To make easier the calculations, we can replace the
original two-port circuit of figure 1 by simpler equivalent
circuits. For example, the two-port and the load can be
replaced by the input impedance Zin connected at port 1.
Similarly, the generator and the two-port can be replaced U2
by a Thévenin equivalent circuit connected at port 2 1
xrms
(Figure 2).
2
gnd
I1 I2
ZG Zout 3
ref lect
VG V1 Zin Vout V2 ZL
S1122

a1 a2 Figure 4. Hierarchical block S1122 related to the internal

b1 b2 structure represented in figure 3.

Figure 2. Input and output equivalent circuits. The extraction of the output reflection coefficient S22 is
treated as we have done for coefficient S11. Indeed, if the
We will adopt these equivalent circuits to build sub- hierarchical block S1122 is placed at the output of the
circuits under Pspice that can extract the S-parameters of two-port network and the input port is terminated with a
a given two-port network. reference impedance Z0 = 50 Ω, then the hierarchical pin
3 of S1122 block enables us to get S22 versus frequency.
2.1. Extraction of S11 and S22 Parameters
2.2. Extraction of S21 and S12 Parameters
The parameter S11 has the meaning of input reflection
coefficient if the load impedance is matched to the The parameter S21 has the meaning of the forward
reference impedance Z0, that is ZL = Z0 = 50 Ω. In this transmission coefficient. If the internal impedance of the
case and if the internal impedance of the generator is generator ZG and the load impedance ZL are identical and
equal to the reference impedanceZ0, the parameter S11 can equal to the reference impedance Z0, then, according to
be expressed as shown in the following equation: equations 1, we can express S21 as follows:
b V − Z 0 I 2 2 ⋅ V2
b V −Z I Z − Z0 ⎡ Zin ⎤ S 21 = 2 = 2 = (4)
S11 = 1 = 1 0 1 = in = 2⎢ ⎥ −1 (3) a1 a = 0 V1 + Z 0 I1 VG
a1 a =0 V1 + Z0I1 Zin + Z0 ⎣ Zin + Z0 ⎦ 2
2

Thus if we place at the input of the two-port network a

If an AC voltage with amplitude of 1V is applied to the voltage source VG with 1V amplitude, then S21 will be
input of the two-port network, then the voltage at port 1 equal to the voltage at the output of the two-port network
(V1) will be equal to Zin/(Zin +Z0). In this case, and V2 multiplied by 2. This result is used to build the circuit
according to equation 3, the input reflection coefficient shown in figure 5 that is assembled to extract the forward
S11 is equal to V1 multiplied by 2 minus the AC transmission coefficient S21. For that, this circuit will be
component [2-4]. We will use this reasoning to build the placed at the output of the two-port network and the
circuit of figure 3 that is assembled to determine the input voltage source must have amplitude equal to 1V and
reflection coefficient S11 of a given two-port network. For internal impedance equal to the reference impedance Z0.
that this circuit will be connected to the input of the two-
GAIN = 2
port network and the load impedance must be equal to the E1
+
reference impedance ZL = Z0 = 50 Ω. xtrans + strans
-
-
R1 E R2
R1 50 1

50 E1

+
+ xrms
V1 -
-
1Vac E
0Vdc V2 GAIN = 2 gnd
1Vac
gnd
0Vdc
Figure 5. Internal structure of the circuit used for extraction of
ref lect
S21 parameter.
R2
1

The resistor R1 in the figure 5 will be considered as the

Figure 3. Internal structure of the circuit used for extraction of
S11 parameter.
The component E1 shown in figure 3 is a controlled
voltage source with a gain equal to 2. This component is
controlled by the input voltageV1.
The circuit above is a sub-circuit attached to a
hierarchical block named S1122 shown in figure 4. The
load impedance of the two-port network. The component
E1 is a controlled voltage source with a gain equal to 2.
This component is controlled by the output voltage V2.
The circuit above is a sub-circuit attached to a
hierarchical block named S1221 shown in figure 6.
U1
1
xtrans

ports: xrms, gnd and reflect are hierarchical ports. The 2

gnd
port xrms enables us to connect the S1122 component
(Hierarchical pin 1) to the two-port network (device strans
3
under test). The port reflect is used as a probe to get S11 S1221
(Hierarchical pin 3) as a function of frequency. The port
Figure 6. Hierarchical block S1221 related to the internal
gnd is related to the ground (Hierarchical pin 2). structure represented in figure 5.
The hierarchical port xtrans enables us to connect the 4. S-PARAMETERS EXTRACTION OF A FOUR
S1221 component to the two-port network (Hierarchical PORT NETWORK
pin 1). The port strans (Hierarchical pin 3) is used as a
probe to get the S21 parameter as a function of the The sub-circuits which we have used to extract the S-
frequency. The port gnd is connected to the ground parameters of a transistor may be applied to a four port
(Hierarchical pin 2). The extraction of the reverse network in order to extract its S-parameters. We will
transmission coefficient S12 is treated as we have done for apply these sub-circuits to find the Sij parameters of a
S21. Indeed if the hierarchical block S1221 is placed at the directional coupler. The directional coupler that we will
input of the two-port network and also if we place at the adopt is a branch line directional coupler [5] operating at
output of this last a voltage source with an amplitude a frequency equal to 100MHz and designed with a
equal to 1V and an internal impedance equal to the lossless transmission lines. The circuit of simulation is
characteristic impedance Z0, then we can get at pin 3 the shows in figure 9.
S12 parameter versus the frequency.
U1 U2
1 T1 T2 T9 1
xrms xtrans

3. EXTRACTION OF THE S-PARAMETERS OF A gnd

2
TD = 5n TD = 2.5n TD = 5n
2
gnd
R3 Z0 = 50 Z0 = 36 Z0 = 50 R4

TRANSISTOR ref lect

S1122
3
100k
0
0
0 0
0
0 0 0
100k
3
strans
S1221
T5 T6
S11 S21

TD = 2.5n

TD = 2.5n
To test the sub-circuits built in he paragraph above, we

Z0 = 50

Z0 = 50
will try to extract the S-parameters of the MRF 9011 U3 0 0 U4

transistor (bipolar, NPN, Motorola firm). This transistor

1 T4 T8 T10 1
xtrans xtrans

2 2

is used in a common emitter configuration, and the

gnd TD = 5n TD = 2.5n Z0 = 50 gnd
R6 Z0 = 50 Z0 = 36 TD = 5n R5
3 3
strans 0 0 0 0 0 0 strans

operating point is IC = 5mA with VCE = 10 V. The

100k 100k
S1221 S1221
S41 S31
Figures 7 (a) and 7 (b) show the circuits allowing the
extraction respectively of S11 and S21 parameter on Pspice. Figure 9. S-parameters extraction of the directional coupler.

This circuit enables us to get the magnitude of S11, S31,

R3 L1

V1
650 100mH

S41 and S21 versus frequency (figures 10 and 11).

12Vdc
(a) C2 U2
1
xtrans
U1 Q1 10n
C1
1 2 0
xrms MRF9011/MC 0 gnd 500mV
10n
C3 R4
2 100k 3
gnd 0 S21 strans
R1 I1 100n S1221
3 100k R2
ref lect S11
S1122 10k DC = 5mAdc 250mV

0 0 0

R7 L2 SEL>>
V2
0V
100mH V(S41)
650 12Vdc
(b) C5 U4 1.0V
1
xrms
U3 Q2 10n
C4
1 2 0
xtrans MRF9011/MC 0 gnd
10n
C6 R8
2 100k 3 0.5V
gnd 0 S22 ref lect
R5 100n S1122
3 I2
strans S12 100k R6
S1221 10k DC = 5mAdc

0V
0 0 0 10MHz 100MHz 1.0GHz
V(S11)
Figure 7. S-parameters extraction of the MRF9011 transistor Frequency
under Pspice.
Figure 10. Magnitude of S11 and S41 as a function of frequency.
If we simulate the Pspice schematic given in the figure
above, we can obtain the magnitude and phase of each 800mV

parameter S11, S21, S12 and S22 as a function of frequency.

The figure 8 gives the magnitude of S11 parameter versus 600mV
frequency.
900mV SEL>>
400mV
V(S21)
800mV
800mV

600mV

700mV

400mV
10MHz 100MHz 1.0GHz
600mV V(S31)
40MHz 100MHz 1.0GHz Frequency
V(S11)
Frequency

Figure 8. The magnitude of S11 parameter versus frequency. Figure 11. Magnitude of S31 and S21 as a function of frequency.
Three parameters are defined for a directional coupler: U1
The coupling factor C, the directivity D and the isolation xrms 1
I. These parameters can be expressed in terms of the S- Port 1
gnd 2
parameters of the coupler [6]. S21 and S43 represent the
forward transmission. S31 and S42 represent the coupling reflect 3
of the propagation modes. Consequently, the knowledge S1122
of these parameters completely describes the coupler
function. For that reason it is interesting to measure the Uj
S-parameters of a directional coupler. xtrans 1
Port j An N-port
gnd 2
5. GENERALIZATION: S-PARAMETERS network
strans 3
EXTRACTION OF A MULTI-PORT NETWORK
S1221
In this paragraph we will develop the idea of using the
sub-circuits S1122 and S1221 for the S-parameters Un
extraction of a high frequency multi-port network. An N- xtrans 1
port network can be represented by figure 12. gnd 2 Port n

Port 1 strans 3
b1 a1 an S1221
b2 Port n
Port 2 Figure 13. S-parameters extraction of an N-port network under
bn Pspice.
a2
N-port
b3 network aj 6. CONCLUSION

Port 3 Port j This paper treats the S-parameters extraction under

a3 bi ai bj Pspice software. Theses parameters are regarded as the
Port i basic tool for the study of the linear multi-port networks
at high frequency. In the first we begin by the simple case
Figure 12. An N-port network used for defining S-parameters. of a two-port network. For that we build sub-circuits
under Pspice allowing extracting the S-parameters of a
The waves, ai and bi were respectively the incident wave given two-port. In the second part we proved that these
at port i and the reflected wave from the same port. The S sub-circuits can be used in the general case of a multi-
matrix of such component is an N order square matrix port network in order to extract its S-parameters.
(equation 5) [7]. 7. REFERENCES

⎡ S 11 S 12 S 13 " S1 j " S 1n ⎤ [1] L. Besser, R. Gilmore, "Practical RF circuit design for

⎢S S 2 n ⎥⎥
⎢ 21 S 22 S 23 " S2 j " modern wireless systems", Volume I: "Passive circuits
⎢ S 31 S 32 S 33 " S3 j " S 2n ⎥ and systems", Artech House, 2003, ISBN: 1-58053-521-6.
⎢ ⎥ [2] A. Rusek and B. Oakley, "PSpice Applications in the
S =⎢ # # # % # # # ⎥ (5)
⎢ Sj 1 Sj 2 S j3 " S jj " S jn ⎥ Teaching of Wireless and High Frequency Electronics",
⎢ ⎥ Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for
⎢ # # # " # % # ⎥
⎢S S n2 S n3 " S nj " S nn ⎥⎦
Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition.
⎣ n1 [3] A. Rusek and B. Oakley, "Software Tools for
Teaching High Frequency Electronics Courses", Second
As we have did for the directional coupler (four port IEEE EIT Conference Proceedings, Oakland University,
network), it is possible to use the sub-circuits S1122 and Rochester, MI, June 2001.
S1221 in order to extract the S-parameters from an N-port [4] ALS Design,"Mesure des paramètres S", Note
network. Indeed if we connect the S1122 component d’application, juillet 2000, http://www.alsdesign.fr
(containing the AC source) to port 1 and the (n-1) other [5] F. Losee, "RF systems, components, and circuits
ports to the S1221 components, then we can extract the handbook", Artech House, 1997.
following parameters: S11, S21, S31,…, Sj1,…, Sn1 of the [6] Z. Popović, E. F. Kuester, "Principles of RF and
multi-port; otherwise parameters of the first column of Microwave Measurements", Electromagnetic Laboratory,
the S matrix (figure 13). University of Colorado, 2001.
To obtain the parameters of the jième column we must [7] H. Lu, T. Chu, "Port Reduction Methods for
connect the S1122 component to the port j and the (n-1) Scattering Matrix Measurement of an n-Port Network",
other ports with the S1221 components. Thus we can IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and
determine all the elements of the S matrix of the multi- Techniques, Vol. 48, No. 6, June 2000.
port.