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EE361 Lab 3: Transients on Transmission Lines

1. Introduction
We have thus far focused on techniques for understanding transmission lines under sinusoidal excitation. Powerful analytic insight is available here, permitting straightforward design of interesting circuits. In contrast, the analysis of transients is generally more difficult and less amenable to simple closed-form analysis, especially when loads are reactive. This laboratory will explore the propagation of transients on transmission lines with the aid of numerical experiments in SPICE.

2. Purely Resistive Termination


First, let's use SPICE to investigate the propagation of pulses on a transmission line terminated by purely resistive loads.

2.1 A step function, matched load


First, create a 50 transmission line with total length (time delay) of 25 ns, and excite it with a Thevenin source 10u(t), with a source resistance Rg = 50 . With the load resistance RL = 50 , run the simulation. To create the voltage source, use the VPWL source. Using VPWL allows various times and the voltages at those times to be specified using the T1, T2, T3, ... and V1, V2, V3, ... parameters. The voltage source will be piece-wise linear, connecting each specified point. Using VPULSE allows specification of the initial voltage, V1, the voltage of the pulse, V2, the delay time, TD, the rise time, TR, the fall time, TF, the pulse width, PW, and the period, PER. The VPWL source is piece-wise linear and allows the user to specify voltages at specific times using T1, T2, T3 and the corresponding V1, V2, V3 parameters. Please note that the source will connect each specified point in the most direct way. Additionally, two voltages cannot be specified for the same time, so that instantaneous changes must be approximated.

For Example: to specify a VPWL source that produces a 10 V square pulse starting at t=0 and lasting for 10 ns, would have the following specified parameters: T1=0, V1=0, T2=0.001n, V2=10, T3=10n, V3=10, T4=10.001n, V4=0. (Making V3=0 would form a sawtooth wave because of the reasons stated above.) Using VPULSE allows specification of an initial voltage, V1, the voltage of the pulse, V2, the delay time, TD, the rise time, TR, the fall time, TF, the pulse width, PW, and the period, PER. Single pulses can be formed with this source. More complex signals can be formed by combining multiple sources. Problem 1 Plot the voltage at the source and load ends of the transmission line for t = 050 ns. Using your understanding of bounce diagrams, explain whether this plot makes sense and shows what you would expect to see in the exact answer. Do the two agree? If not, why not? A full credit answer will describe the bounce diagram until a reasonable (whatever you consider reasonable) number of bounces, which can explain what exactly is happening in this situation. Please do the same in any other bounce diagram questions that may follow.

2.2 A step function, mismatched load


Now, change the load impedance in the previous case to 20 . Problem 2 Plot the voltage at the source and load ends of the transmission line for t = 0100 ns. Using your understanding of bounce diagrams, compare this with what you would expect to see in the exact answer. Do the two agree? If not, why not? How long does it take the answer to settle to the final answer?

2.3 A step function, mismatched load and source


Now, change the load impedance in the previous case to RL=20 , and change the source impedance to Rg=200 . Problem 3 Plot the voltage at the source and load ends of the transmission line for t = 0300 ns. Using your understanding of bounce diagrams, compare this to the exact answer. Do the two agree? If not, why not? How long does it take the answer to settle down to the final answer?

2.4 A short pulse


Now break the transmission line into two equal pieces, with total length 25 ns (you should now have two different transmission lines, both with the same 50 characteristic impedance, but each with a time delay of only 12.5 ns). This permits us to sample

inside the transmission line. With the same transmission line, and Rg=200 and RL=20 apply a pulse of duration 10 ns to the transmission line, namely vg(t) = 10(u(t)u(t-10ns)). Problem 4 Plot the voltage at the source, middle, and load ends of the transmission lines for t = 0100 ns. Sketch the bounce diagram; do you understand the voltage plots? How long before the ghost pulse (the pulse you are seeing at the middle of the transmission line) arrives at the load end? How large is the ghost pulse?

2.5 A longer pulse


In the previous problem, the pulse was brief (10 ns) compared to the length of the transmission line (25 ns). Now investigate a more complicated system. Problem 5 Using the same transmission line and source impedance, define a new source for which vg = +10 V for t = 0 20 ns, and vg V for t = 20 40ns. Plot the voltage at the source, center, and load end of the transmission line for t = 0100 ns. Is the transition from high to low perfectly clear at the load end?

2.6 An Impedance Bump


Transmission lines must be protected against damage, or their impedance properties could be compromised. In this section well damage the transmission line by putting a weak load in the middle. In particular, at the center of the transmission line, add a shunt resistance of 50 (a shunt resistance connects the node at the middle to ground). Problem 6 With the shunt resistance in place, repeat the previous problem. How did the presence of the bump (break in the transition line) affect the voltage plots? Di d any new ghosts show up? Looking only at the source and end voltages, could you determine where the bump is? Can you explain what you see in terms of a bounce diagram?

3. Reactive Termination
As mentioned in class, it is frequently the case that the loads at the end of a data bus are reactive (and often capacitive).

3.1 A step into a capacitive load


For this exercise, again form a circuit with a source vg(t) = 10u(t), a source impedance Rg=25 , and a transmission line with characteristic impedance 50 and length 25ns.

Problem 7 Terminate the transmission line with a 1 nF capacitor. Plot the voltage at the source and load ends of the transmission line for t = 0400ns. If you see any exponential charging or discharging, estimate the time constant, and solve for the R. You may use the following formulas.

Problem 8 Problem 9 Problem 10 Problem 11

Repeat the previous problem, but with a load capacitance of 100 pF. Repeat the previous problem, but with a load capacitance of 10 nF. Repeat the previous problem, but with a load inductance of 2.5 H. Repeat the previous problem, but with a load inductance of 0.25 H.

Problem 12 Repeat the previous problem, but with a load composed of a parallel combination of RL=1000 , L = 1 H and C = 100 pF. Problem 13 How important is the value of Rg in these exercises?

4. Coupling
Many data buses are in parallel, in close proximity, such as the 32 bit and 64 bit buses found in computers. These transmission lines will have mutual impedance which causes signals on one transmission line to show up on another one. In EE571 students analyze this coupling in great detail, but we can simulate a simplified model of a two-wire data bus using SPICE1:

Note that your SPICE library contains a model for coupled lines; you could use this, but it does the modeling with an explicit form of the Telegraphers Equation, and is painfully slow. I tried to use it, but realized that it would take about one day to run every simulation!

Here T1 and T4 represent the actual transmission lines, while T2 and T3 represent the cross coupling. The coupling is slightly faster (95 ns instead of 100 ns) and has a higher characteristic impedance. Connect a thevenin signal pulse (10 V, 50 ) to A and 50 loads to B, C and D2.

4.1 A simple pulse


Inject a 10ns pulse with the thevenin source at A. Use a rise and fall time of 1ns. Problem 14 Simulate the problem for 250 ns, and plot the voltage at A, B, C, and D. Describe what you observe. How big is the VC compared to VD when the pulse arrives? Which arrives first? Problem 15 When does a signal arrive at B? If you change the values of the load resistances at C and D, can you eliminate the reflection? If so what value should the load have?

5. Impedance Matching
5.1. Pre-lab Assignment
5.1. A. Design a quarter-wave transformer to match a 150 load to a source resistance of 75 . State the length of your transmission line(s) in terms of the wavelength. 5.1. B. Using the Smith Chart, if the characteristic impedance is given as 75 , design a stub-matching network to match a 150 load to a 75 source. Do this for both a shorted

To make this model even closer to the real thing, the signal injected into T2 should have opposite sign of that injected into T1. However, this lab will not require this.

and an open circuited stub. State the length of your transmission line(s) in terms of wavelength.

5.2. Lab Assignment

5.2.A. Find the actual length of the quarter-wave matching network you designed in part 5.1.A if up = 2E+8 (m/s) and frequency = 1 GHz. Simulate the frequency response of the circuit by sweeping the frequency from 1 MHz to 3 GHz using a 5Vpp sine wave source with a source resistance of 75 . Plot the input and load voltage over frequency. Plot the magnitude of the reflection coefficient of the matching network and find the bandwidth where || is less than 0.2. What is the input impedance of the matching network at 1 GHz? 5.2.B. Using the assumptions of section 5.2.A, simulate your pre-lab design in part 5.1.B and find the bandwidth (the portion of the signal less than 0.2) of the matching network as well as the input impedance at 1 GHz. Include the same plots as in section 5.2.A.

Problem 16

Compare the results for the matching networks that you designed in the

lab (quarter wave, open and short stub). Which one is a better choice. Why?

Problem 17

For stub matching networks compare the performance of an open stub

versus a shorted stub.

Problem 18

Suppose you had a lossless line terminated by a complex load, but wanted

to carry out the match using a quarter-wave transformer. How could you accomplish this?

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