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3.3 The Smith Chart

This document provides instructions for plotting impedances on a Smith chart and using the chart to solve impedance matching problems graphically. It gives the following: 1) Background on how the Smith chart maps the reflection coefficient and normalized impedance. 2) Details on plotting example impedances and reflection coefficients on the chart. 3) An example of using the chart to find the matching admittance for a given load impedance by finding where the constant reflection coefficient circle intersects the unit resistance circle.

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71 views6 pages

3.3 The Smith Chart

This document provides instructions for plotting impedances on a Smith chart and using the chart to solve impedance matching problems graphically. It gives the following: 1) Background on how the Smith chart maps the reflection coefficient and normalized impedance. 2) Details on plotting example impedances and reflection coefficients on the chart. 3) An example of using the chart to find the matching admittance for a given load impedance by finding where the constant reflection coefficient circle intersects the unit resistance circle.

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CHAPTER 3 TRANSMISSION LINE CALCULATIONS

3.3 The Smith Chart

This document provides a Smith chart which maps normalized impedance, Zn(z), as a function of the
reflection coefficient, . The chart is used to plot a reflection coefficient corresponding to a given normalized
load impedance, and subsequently to solve an impedance matching example. Graphical methodology and
results are compared with Mathcad's complex arithmetic capability.
You provide:

L, the complex load impedance of the line

Background
The Smith chart shows, on the plane, contours of constant Re(Z) and Im(Z), that is, contours of constant
resistance and reactance. Pivoting around the center of the Smith chart on a circle of contant radius | | is
equivalent to examining the impedance along the transmission line, and will provide a graphical solution for
Zn(z).
Typically, (z) and Z(z) can be easily calculated in Mathcad without using a Smith chart (see Section 3.2
Reflection Coefficient Calculations), but the chart gives a convenient way of visualizing these relationships.
Plots can also provide a first guess for numerical solutions of impedance matching problems (see definition of
the root function in the Mathcad User's Guide.)

Smith Chart Restrictions


The plot covers the portion of the complex plane with real and imaginary parts less than 1 in absolute value,
since not more than 100% of the power can be reflected. The curves on the Smith chart represent loci of
constant normalized resistance and reactance; you should plot only normalized impedances on the Smith
Chart.

Mathcad Implementation
This document describes Mathcad plotting of transmission line impedances on a Smith chart, and shows
example of impedance matching using the chart.
Constants
00 8.854 10

12

00 4 10

The data for the Smith Chart is stored in the Excel Component below. We set up the plot by using the
Outputs section to map data from the Excel object to variables in the Mathcad worksheet.

Outputs

SR excel

Sheet1!A2:A875

SI excel

Sheet1!B2:B875

These instructions plot the first column of numbers in the data file on the horizontal axis against the second
column on the vertical axis, creating a simplified Smith chart, with the following gridlines:
Circles of constant resistance r for r = 0, .2, .5, 1, 2, and 5.
Contours of constant reactance x are at x = 0, .2, .5, 1, 2, 5, -.2, -.5,- 1, -2, and -5.

To plot values of the reflection coefficient on the chart, plot Re( ) against Im( ). As an example, the
sequence of instructions below shows the procedure for mapping a reflection coefficient onto the Smith chart.
On the same chart, the circle representing all other z) is plotted.
Given a complex normalized load impedance
ZnL 2 + 2j
Calculate the reflection coefficient
ZnL 1
L
= 0.538 + 0.308i
ZnL + 1

|L| = 0.62

To draw a circle at radius | |, define


f ( , ) exp (1j )

step 0 , .01 1

real (step) Re f |L| , 2 step

imag (step) Im f |L| , 2 step

SI
imag (step)
Im L

SR

real (step)

Re L

Fig. 3.3.1 Smith chart with circle of constant magnitude | |.

Circles of constant resistance for r = 0, .2, .5, 1, 2, and 5.


Contours of constant reactance for x = 0, .2, .5, 1, 2, 5, .2, .5, 1, 2, and 5.
Note that the constant | | circle intersects the r = 2 and x = 2 contours that represent the impedance Zn. The
intersection is marked with a box.

Impedance Matching
To use the diagram for impedance matching, find the admittance at the point where the | | circle crosses the r
= 1 contour, then match the imaginary part of the admittance at that point.
The chart is helpful in providing a guess value for the imaginary part x of the admittance. Mathcad can find x
exactly using the root function, and determine how far (in wavelengths) the parallel shunt admittance should
be placed from the load.
To illustrate this idea, use a guess value for x by looking at the Smith chart above, and calculate a matching
admittance, starting with the normalized admittance
Yn (x) 1 + 1j x
The corresponding normalized impedance is

1
Zn (x)
Yn (x)

and the reflection coefficient is

Zn (x) 1
(x)
Zn (x) + 1

For the case of a load impedance ZnL, as given above, the plot above indicates that the constant | | circle
crosses the r = 1 contour between x = 1 and x = 2. So we'll guess
x 1.5

x root | (x)| |L| , x

The actual value is


x = 1.581
The distance from the load where the shunt should be added is calculated from the phases of the reflection
coefficients. The expression for this will be different, depending on whether our impedances are in adjacent
or opposite quadrants of the plane.
angle (x) arg L arg ( (x))

1
1
z (x) if angle (x) > 0 ,
angle (x) ,
(2 + angle (x))

4
4
z (x) = 0.22

wavelengths

The matching admittance at this position should be


shunt x 1j = 1.581i
Graphically, the impedance matching calculation would appear as follows on a Smith chart:

Graphing Parameters
i01

Index for drawing radius | |


Real and imaginary

m01

starting and ending points:

r 0

i 0

r Re L

i Im L

Real and imaginary Admittance reflected through the origin to show impedance:
Yr Re ( (x))

Yi Im ( (x))

Yr Re ( (x))

Yi Im ( (x))

SI
imag (step)
Yi

SR

real (step)

Yr

Fig. 3.3.2 Smith chart for impedance matching

It is possible to match the load from the other point where the constant | | circle crosses the r
= 1 contour, i.e., between x = -1 and x = -2. It turns out that this second admittance has the
same susceptance magnitude, but with the opposite sign. The shunt will also need to be placed
at a different location with respect to the load in this case.
x 1.5

x root | (x)| |L| , x

The actual value is


x = 1.581
The distance from the load where this admittance occurs:
z (x) = 0.363

wavelengths

The matching admittance at this position should be


shunt x 1j

shunt = 1.581i

See 3.2 Reflection Coefficient Calculations for examples of using complex variables and Mathcad's root
function to solve problems of this kind directly without the aid of a Smith chart.

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