Indraprastha Institute of

Information Technology Delhi ECE230

Lecture – 5 Date: 18.01.2016

• Voltage Reflection Coefficient

• Examples
• Standing Waves
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Voltage Reflection Coefficient

• To determine the unknowns 𝑉0+ and 𝑉0− , we need to consider the lossless
transmission line in the context of complete circuit including a generator
circuit at its input terminals and a load at its output terminals.

At the load side:

VL
ZL 
IL
• Where, 𝑉𝐿 and 𝐼𝐿 are
the total voltage and
current at the load.

V0 V0
VL  V ( z  0)  V0  V0 I L  I ( z  0)  
Z0 Z0
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Voltage Reflection Coefficient (contd.)

V0 V0 V0  V0
VL  V ( z  0)  V0  V0 I L  I ( z  0)   
Z0 Z0 Z0

VL  V0  V0 
ZL  ZL      Z0
IL  0
V  V0 
• Solving for 𝑉0− 
gives: V    Z  Z   V 
Z L  Z0
L 0
 0
V 0

 Z L  Z0 
0 
V0 Z L  Z0
V0 The ratio of the amplitudes of the reflected and the
V0 incident voltage waves at the load is called voltage
reflection coefficient Γ

V0 Z L  Z 0
   
V0 Z L  Z0
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Example – 1
• A 100Ω transmission line is connected to a load consisting of a 50Ω
resistor in series with a 10pF capacitor. Find the reflection coefficient at
the load for a 100MHz wave.
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Example – 2
• A 150Ω lossless transmission line is terminated in a capacitor with
impedance 𝑍𝐿 = −𝑗30Ω. Calculate Γ.
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Example – 3
• Show that Γ = 1 for a lossless line connected to a purely reactive load.
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Standing Wave and Standing Wave Ratio 0

• Another traditional real-valued
measure of load match is   j z
Voltage Standing Wave Ratio V 0 e
ZL
(VSWR). Consider again the Z0 V0e j z
voltage along a terminated
transmission line, as a function
of position 𝑧. z = -l z=0

V ( z )  V0 e  j z   0e  j z  V (l )  V0 e j l   0e  j l 

• For a short circuited line: Γ0 = -1 V (l )  V0  e  j l  e  j l 

2jsin(βl)

V (l )  2 jV0 sin  l

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Standing Wave and Standing Wave Ratio (contd.)

v(l , t )  Re V (l )e jt   Re  2 jV0 sin(  l )e jt 

 v(l , t )  2V0 sin(  l )cos(t  ( / 2))

Always zero for -l=0 i.e., the
Definitely not a point of short-circuit
traveling wave!!
Where has the traveling
wave V(z) gone?

• As the time and space are decoupled → No wave propagation

takes place
• The incident wave is 180ο out of phase with the reflected
wave → gives rise to zero crossings of the wave at 0, λ/2, λ,
3λ/2, and so on → standing wave pattern!!!
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Standing Wave and Standing Wave Ratio (contd.)

Corresponding βl: 0,
π, 2π, 3π

𝑉(𝑙)/2𝑉0 +

Spatial Location:
0, λ/2, λ, 3λ/2
𝛽𝑙
Standing Wave Pattern for Various Instances of Time

• for arbitrarily V (l )  V0  e  j l   0e  j l   V0 e  j l 1   0e  j 2  l 

terminated line:
 V (l )  A(l ) 1  (l )  Valid anywhere
on the line
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Standing Wave and Standing Wave Ratio (contd.)

 V (l )  A(l ) 1  (l )  Valid anywhere
on the line

• Under the matched condition, Γ0 = 0 and therefore Γ(-l) = 0 → as

expected, only positive traveling wave exists.
• For other arbitrary impedance loads: Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) or
Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) is the measure of mismatch.
• SWR is defined as the ratio of maximum voltage (or current) amplitude
and the minimum voltage (or current) amplitude along a line → therefore,
for an arbitrarily terminated line:
V (l ) max
VSWR 
V (l ) min


We have: V (l )  V0 e  j  l 1   0e  j 2  l 
• Two possibilities for extreme values:  0e  j l  1  0 e  j  l  1
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Standing Wave and Standing Wave Ratio (contd.)
Max. voltage: V(l ) max  V0 1   0   V0 1   0 

Min. voltage: V(l )
min

1  0
VSWR  Apparently: 0  0  1 1  VSWR  
1  0

• Note if Γ0 = 0 (i.e., 𝑍𝐿 = 𝑍0 ), then

V ( z)  V ( z)  V0
VSWR = 1. We find for this case: max min

In other words, the voltage magnitude is a constant

with respect to position 𝑧.

• Conversely, if Γ0 = 1 (i.e., 𝑍𝐿 = 𝑍0 ),
V ( z)  2 V0 V ( z) 0
then VSWR = ∞. We find for this case: max min

In other words, the voltage magnitude varies

greatly with respect to position 𝑧.
In practice, SWR can only be defined for lossless line as the SWR equation
is not valid for attenuating voltage and current
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Example – 4
• A 50Ω lossless transmission line is terminated in a load with impedance
𝑍𝐿 = (100 + 𝑗30)Ω. Calculate voltage reflection coefficient and the
voltage standing wave ratio.