A transmission line is the material medium or structure that forms all or part of a path from one place to another for directing the transmission of energy, such as electromagnetic waves or acoustic waves, as well as electric power transmission. Components of transmission lines include wires, coaxial cables, dielectric slabs, optical fibers, electric power lines, and waveguides.
An electric transmission line can be generally represented by a series combination of resistance,inductance and shunt combination of conductance and capacitace as shown below.The transmission line model represents the transmission line as an infinite series of two-port elementary components, each representing an infinitesimally short segment of the transmission line:
Transmission lines are basically circuits with distributed constants i.e R,L,C and G are distributed along the whole length of line.each small length at any section of the line will have its own values and concentration of all such parameters for complete length of line in to a single one is not possible.In the above figure
- The distributed resistance R of the conductors is represented by a series resistor (expressed in ohms per unit length).
- The distributed inductance L (due to the magnetic field around the wires, self-inductance, etc.) is represented by a series inductor (henries per unit length).
- The capacitance C between the two conductors is represented by a shunt capacitor C (farads per unit length).
- The conductance G of the dielectric material separating the two conductors is represented by a conductance G shunted between the signal wire and the return wire (siemens per unit length).
Practical types of electrical transmission line
Coaxial cable
Coaxial lines confine the electromagnetic wave to the area inside the cable, between the center conductor and the shield. The transmission of energy in the line occurs totally through the dielectric inside the cable between the conductors. Coaxial lines can therefore be bent and twisted (subject to limits) without negative effects, and they can be strapped to conductive supports without inducing unwanted currents in them.
In radio-frequency applications up to a few gigahertz, the wave propagates in the transverse electric and magnetic mode (TEM), which means that the electric and magnetic fields are both perpendicular to the direction of propagation. However, above a certain frequency called the cutoff frequency, the cable behaves as a waveguide, and propagation switches to either a transverse electric (TE) or a transverse magnetic (TM) mode or a mixture of modes. This effect enables coaxial cables to be used at microwave frequencies, although they are not as efficient as the more expensive, purpose-built waveguides.
The most common use for coaxial cables is for television and other signals with bandwidth of multiple Megahertz. In the middle 20th Century they carried long distance telephone connections.
Microstrip
A microstrip circuit uses a thin flat conductor which is parallel to a ground plane. Microstrip can be made by having a strip of copper on one side of a printed circuit board (PCB) or ceramic substrate while the other side is a continuous ground plane. The width of the strip, the thickness of the insulating layer (PCB or ceramic) and the dielectric constant of the insulating layer determine the characteristic impedance.
Stripline
A stripline circuit uses a flat strip of metal which is sandwiched between two parallel ground planes. The insulating material of the substrate forms a dielectric. The width of the strip, the thickness of the substrate and the relative permittivity of the substrate determine the characteristic impedance of the strip which is a transmission line.
Balanced lines
Lecher linesLecher lines are a form of parallel conductor that can be used at UHF for creating resonant circuits. They are used at frequencies between HF/VHF where lumped components are used, and UHF/SHF where resonant cavities are more practical.
General applications of transmission lines
Transferring signals from one point to another
Electrical transmission lines are very widely used to transmit high frequency signals over long or short distances with minimum power loss. One familiar example is the down lead from a TV or radio aerial to the receiver.
Pulse generation
Transmission lines are also used as pulse generators. By charging the transmission line and then discharging it into a resistive load, a rectangular pulse equal in length to twice the electrical length of the line can be obtained, although with half the voltage. A Blumlein transmission line is a related pulse forming device that overcomes this limitation. These are sometimes used as the pulsed energy sources for radar transmitters and other devices.
Stub filters
If a short-circuited or open-circuited transmission line is wired in parallel with a line used to transfer signals from point A to point B, then it will function as a filter. The method for making stubs is similar to the method for using Lecher lines for crude frequency measurement, but it is 'working backwards'. One method recommended in the RSGB's radiocommunication handbook is to take an open-circuited length of transmission line wired in parallel with the feeder delivering signals from an aerial. By cutting the free end of the transmission line, a minimum in the strength of the signal observed at a receiver can be found. At this stage the stub filter will reject this frequency and the odd harmonics, but if the free end of the stub is shorted then the stub will become a filter rejecting the even harmonics.
