TRANSMISSION

LINES
By engr. joel t. mendoza
CATEGORIES OF TRANSMISSION
MEDIA
• GUIDED
• UNGUIDED
TYPES OF GUIDED TRANSMISSION
MEDIA
• METALLIC TRANSMISSION LINES
• NON-METALLIC TRANSMISSION LINES
METALLIC TRANSMISSION LINES
A transmission line is a conducting device used to transfer
energy in the form of electromagnetic waves from a source
(generator) to a load. In television and radio systems, for
example, transmission lines are used to connect transmitters
to antennas, or antennas to receivers,
Transmission lines are also used in telephone and data
transmission systems to carry signals over long
distances
Transmission lines are used in microwave systems to carry
electromagnetic energy. They are also used in optical cable
television networks. Optical fiber systems are used to carry light
signals, while coaxial transmission lines are used as feed cables.
Transients and Steady-State Conditions
on a Transmission Line
Transmission lines can carry different types of signals. For example,
they are commonly used for transmitting power signals (at low
frequencies) and communication signals (at high frequencies).

In some applications, such as in telephone or computer networks,

pulsed (digital) signals travel down the lines. These lines are said to
operate under transient conditions, because it takes a certain time,
or transitional period, for each pulse on the line to reach a steady
value.

In other applications, sinusoidal signals that repeat periodically

travel down the line. These lines are said to operate under steady-
state condition, because the signals exhibit only negligible change
over an arbitrarily long period of time.
BASIC TRANSMISSION LINE
The following types of transmission lines are
commonly used:
• two-wire open line;
• twisted-pair line;
• shielded pair line;
• coaxial line;
• waveguide;
• optical fiber.
The two-wire open line
• Consists of two parallel conductors that are spaced a
few centimeters apart and that are held by spacers
placed at regular intervals, This type of line is used
mainly for connections over short distances for high
power lines and rural telephone lines. It is susceptible to
noise, cheap, and simple.
The twin –lead line
• The two-wire line is called twin-lead line when the
parallel conductors are insulated by a dielectric material.
This type of line is often used to connect home
television sets to their antennas.
The twisted-pair line
Consists of two conductors sheathed in an insulating material
and twisted together to make a flexible line. This type of line is
used for connections over short distances. It is not recommended
for transmitting high-frequency signals because of the important
losses that occur in the insulating material.
The shielded pair line
Consists of two parallel conductors surrounded and separated by
solid dielectric material. The dielectric material is surrounded by
a copper braid that acts as an electrical shield. The entire
assembly is housed in a flexible protective cover. The main
advantage of this type of line is that the conductors are isolated
from external noise sources.
The coaxial line
Is widely used for cable television. It comes in two types: rigid
and flexible. Both types are constructed in the same way: an inner
conductor is surrounded by a tubular outer conductor. This type
of conductor minimizes radiation losses, as well as interference
from other lines.
The waveguide
Is a transmission medium that confines and guides propagating
electromagnetic waves. The waveguide normally consists of a
hollow metallic conductor, usually cylindrical, rectangular, or
elliptical in cross section. Waveguides are used in microwave
radio systems.
The optical fiber
Is designed specifically for transmitting light, which can be
modeled as an electromagnetic wave. The optical fiber consists of
a central conductor, called the core, made of glass or plastic,.
The core is surrounded by a protective cladding. The whole
assembly is housed in a protective sheath. Advantages of optical
fibers are their very high bandwidth, their noise immunity, and
their small size.
Types of Waves
• Longitudinal
Types of Waves
• Transverse
Characteristics of waves
• Wave velocity
• Frequency
• Wavelength
Wave velocity
• In free space the wave velocity is equal to the speed of light

• 3 x 108 m/s
• 186,000 mi/s
Frequency
• The number of vibrations, or cycles, of a wave train in a
unit of time.
• Unit is cps or Hz
Wavelength(λ)
A WAVELENGTH is the distance in space
occupied by one cycle of a radio wave at
any given instant.

λ = c/f
TYPES OF METALLIC
TRANSMISSION LINES
• BALANCED TRANSMISSION LINE
• UNBALANCED TRANSMISSION LINE
BALANCED
Differential or balanced
transmission line

Signal high side

Amplifier 1 Differential signal voltage Amplifier 2

Signal low side

Common mode voltage (noise)

Earth ground
Metallic currents due to signal
voltages
Longitudinal currents due to
noise voltages
UNBALANCED
Single or Unbalanced
transmission line
Circuit 1 signal wire
Amplifier 1 Amplifier 2

Signal 1 voltage

Circuit 2 signal wire

Amplifier 3 Amplifier 4

Signal 2 voltage
BALUN
TRANSMISSION LINE THEORY

The electrical characteristics of a two-wire transmission line

depend primarily on the construction of the line. The two-wire
line acts like a long capacitor. The change of its capacitive
reactance is noticeable as the frequency applied to it is
changed. Since the long conductors have a magnetic field
about them when electrical energy is being passed through
them, they also exhibit the properties of inductance. The
values of inductance and capacitance presented depend on
the various physical factors.
Characteristics are determined by:
• Physical Properties
• the diameter of the conductors,
• the relative spacing between the conductors

• Electrical Properties
• Conductivity of the wire
• and the insulating material used (dielectric constant)
4 Primary constants/ Distributed
parameters
• R corresponds to the series resistance in ohms, Ω, per unit
length.
• L corresponds to the series inductance in henrys, H, (i.e.
ohms-second, Ω-s), per unit length.
• C corresponds to the capacitance in farads, F, (i.e.
seconds/ohm, s/Ω), per unit length.
• RP corresponds to the parallel (shunt) resistance in ohms, Ω,
per unit length. (Rp is the reciprocal of the distributed
conductance, G).
Inductance of a Transmission Line
• When current flows through a wire, magnetic lines of
force are set up around the wire. As the current
increases and decreases in amplitude, the field around
the wire expands and collapses accordingly. The energy
produced by the magnetic lines of force collapsing back
into the wire tends to keep the current flowing in the
same direction. This represents a certain amount of
inductance, which is expressed in microhenrys per unit
length.
Capacitance of a Transmission Line
• Capacitance also exists between the transmission line
wires. Notice that the two parallel wires act as plates of a
capacitor and that the air between them acts as a
dielectric. The capacitance between the wires is usually
expressed in picofarads per unit length. This electric field
between the wires is similar to the field that exists
between the two plates of a capacitor.
Resistance of a Transmission Line
• The transmission line shown has electrical resistance along its
length. This resistance is usually expressed in ohms per unit
length and is shown as existing continuously from one end of
the line to the other.
Leakage Current

• Since any dielectric, even air, is not a perfect insulator, a small

current known as LEAKAGE CURRENT flows between the two
wires. In effect, the insulator acts as a resistor, permitting
current to pass between the two wires. The figure in the next
slide shows this leakage path as resistors in parallel connected
between the two lines. This property is called CONDUCTANCE
(G) and is the opposite of resistance. Conductance in
transmission lines is expressed as the reciprocal of resistance
and is usually given in microohms per unit length.
LEAKAGE IN A TRANSMISSION
LINE
Transmission line
Characteristics(Secondary constants)
• Characteristic Impedance (Zo)

• Propagation Constant (γ)

Characteristic Impedance (Zo)
• V/I at any point on a reflectionless line
• Provides perfect match termination
• Zo = √ (Z/Y)
• Zo = √[(R +jωL)/(G + jωC)]
• At low freq. Zo = √R/G
• At high freq. Zo = √L/C
Formulas for Zo
Propagation constant(γ)
• γ = Attenuation constant (α) + j phase shift (β)
• γ = α + jβ
• γ =√ (Z/Y)
• γ = √[(R +jωL)(G + jωC)]
@ intermediate radio frequencies
ωL > R and ωC>G
α = R/2Zo + Gzo/2
β = ω√LC

If ZL = Zo
I = Is e –γL
E = Es e –γL

Diameter = 0.102/ (1.123)n-10 inch

n= American wire gauge number (AWG#)
For 2-wire at HF
• α = R/2Zo neper/UL Conversions:
• α = 4.35 /Zo dB/UL 1 neper = 8.686 dB
• L = μo/π ln (2D/d) 1 inch = 1 circular mil
H/m 1 rad = 180°/π
• β = 2π/λ, rad/UL
• R = √f/5d, Ω/100ft
f in MHz, d in
inch
• C = πεo/ln (2D/d),
F/m
Example:
Given a 2-wire line at 1.21 MHz, AWG#14 and D = 0.54 cm.
Determine:
a. Zo
b. R (Ω/50’)
c. L (H/km)
d. C (F/10m)
e. α (dB/m)
f. β (rad/m)