http://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Balun

A balun, pronounced /ˈbælʌn/, is a type of electrical transformer that can convert electrical
signals that are balanced about ground (differential) to signals that are unbalanced (single-ended)
and vice versa. They are also often used to connect lines of differing impedance. The origin of
the word balun is bal(ance) + un(balance).

Baluns can take many forms and their presence is not always obvious. They always use
electromagnetic coupling for their operation.

Contents
[hide]

 1 Types of balun
o 1.1 Autotransformer type
o 1.2 Classical transformer type
o 1.3 Transmission-line transformer type
o 1.4 Delay line type
 2 Balun alternatives
 3 Applications
o 3.1 Radio and television
o 3.2 Video
o 3.3 Audio
 4 See also
 5 References

[edit] Types of balun

Autotransformer 4:1 wideband balun using two windings on a ferrite rod.

[edit] Autotransformer type

In an autotransformer, two coils on a ferrite rod can be used as a balun by winding the individual
strands of enameled wire comprising the coil very tightly together. This winding can take one of
two forms: either the two windings must be wound such that the two form a single layer where
each turn is touching each of the adjacent turns of the other winding; or the two wires are twisted
together before being wound into the coil.

The two windings are joined to become a single coil. The end of one of the windings on one side
of the coil is connected to the end of the other winding on the other side of the coil. This point
then becomes the ground for the unbalanced circuit. One of the remaining ends is connected to
the ungrounded side of the unbalanced circuit, and one side of the balanced circuit. Finally, the
other side of the balanced circuit is connected to the remaining end.

Isolated transformer

[edit] Classical transformer type

Isolated transformers have a real impedance at a resonance frequency where self-inductance and
self-capacitance for each individual winding cancel themselves out.

[edit] Transmission-line transformer type

Baluns can be considered as simple forms of transmission line transformers.

A more complex (and subtle) type results when the transformer type (magnetic coupling) is
combined with the transmission line type (electro-magnetic coupling). This is where whole
transmission lines are used as windings, resulting in devices capable of very wideband operation.
This whole class known generally as "Transmission Line Transformers" spawn their own huge
variety. Very commonly, they use small ferrite cores in toroidal or "binocular" shapes.
Something as simple as 10 turns of coaxial cable coiled up on a diameter about the size of a
dinner plate makes an extremely effective choke balun for frequencies from about 10 MHz to
beyond 30 MHz. The magnetic material may be "air", but it is a transmission line transformer.
Homemade 1:1 balun using a toroidal core and coaxial cable. This simple RF choke works as a
balun by preventing signals passing along the outside of the braid. Such a device can be used to
cure television interference by acting as a braid-breaker.

The Guanella transmission line transformer is often combined with a balun to act as an
impedance matching transformer. Putting balancing aside a 1:4 transformer of this type consists
of a 75 Ohm transmission line divided in parallel into two 150 Ohm cables, which are then
combined in series for 300 Ohm. It is implemented as a specific wiring around the ferrite core of
the balun.

[edit] Delay line type

A large class of baluns uses connected transmission lines of specific lengths, with no obvious
"transformer" part. These are usually built for (narrow) frequency ranges where the lengths
involved are some multiple of a quarter wavelength of the intended frequency in the transmission
line medium. A common application is in making a coaxial connection to a balanced antenna,
and designs include many types involving coaxial loops and variously connected "stubs".

One easy way to make a balun is a one-half wavelength (λ/2) length of coaxial cable. The inner
core of the cable is linked at each end to one of the balanced connections for a feeder or dipole.
One of these terminals should be connected to the inner core of the coaxial feeder. All three
braids should be connected together. This then forms a 4:1 balun which works at only one
frequency.

Another narrow band design is to use a λ/4 length of metal pipe. The coaxial cable is placed
inside the pipe; at one end the braid is wired to the pipe while at the other end no connection is
made to the pipe. The balanced end of this balun is at the end where the pipe is wired to the
braid. The λ/4 conductor acts as a transformer converting the infinite impedance at the
unconnected end into a zero impedance at the end connected to the braid. Hence any current
entering the balun through the connection, which goes to the braid at the end with the connection
to the pipe, will flow into the pipe. This balun design is not good for low frequencies because of
the long length of pipe that will be needed. An easy way to make such a balun is to paint the
outside of the coax with conductive paint, then to connect this paint to the braid.

[edit] Balun alternatives

An RF choke can be used in place of a balun. If a coil is made using coaxial cable near to the
feed point of a balanced antenna then the RF current that flows on the outer surface of the
coaxial cable can be attenuated. One way of doing this would be to wrap a lossy material, such as
ferrite around the coaxial cable;

[edit] Applications
A balun's function is generally to achieve compatibility between systems, and as such, finds
extensive application in modern communications, particularly in realising frequency conversion
mixers to make cellular phone and data transmission networks possible. They are also used to
convert an E1 carrier signal from coaxial cable to UTP CAT-5 cable.

[edit] Radio and television

A 75-to-300 ohm balun built into the antenna plug.

In television, amateur radio, and other antenna installations and connections, baluns convert
between 300 ohm ribbon cable or 450 ohm ladder line (balanced) and 75 Ω coaxial cable
(unbalanced) or to directly connect a balanced antenna to (unbalanced) coax. To avoid EMC
problems it is a good idea to connect a centre fed dipole antenna to coaxial cable via a balun.
Match 300 Ω twin-lead cable to 75 Ω coaxial cable

In electronic communications, baluns convert Twinax cables to Category 5 cables, and back, or
they convert between coaxial cable and ladder line.

In measuring the impedance or radiation pattern of a balanced antenna using a coaxial cable, it is
important to place a balun between the cable and the antenna feed. Unbalanced currents that may
otherwise flow on the cable will make the measured antenna impedance sensitive to the
configuration of the feed cable, and the radiation pattern of small antennas may be distorted by
radiation from the cable.

Baluns are present in radars, transmitters, satellites, in every telephone network, and probably in
most wireless network modem/routers used in homes. It can be combined with transimpedance
amplifiers to compose high-voltage amplifiers out of low-voltage components.
[edit] Video

While not as high as most RF applications, baseband video still uses frequencies up to several
megahertz. Since this bandwidth is now well within range of modern twisted-pair cables, they
are now being used to send video which would otherwise run over coaxial cable. Many better
security cameras now have both a balanced UTP output and an unbalanced coaxial one via an
internal balun, though any camera can be used with an external balun. A balun is also used on the
video recorder end to convert back from the 100-ohm balanced to 75-ohm unbalanced. A balun
of this type has a BNC connector with two screw terminals. VGA/DVI baluns are baluns with
electronic circuitry used to connect VGA/DVI sources (laptop, DVD, etc.) to VGA/DVI display
devices over long runs of CAT-5/CAT-6 cable. Runs over 130 m (400 ft) may lose quality due to
attenuation and variations in the arrival time of each signal. A skew control and special low skew
or skew free cable is used for runs over 130 m (400 ft).[citation needed]

[edit] Audio

Three audio baluns (transformers).

In audio applications, baluns convert between high impedance (see Nominal impedance)
unbalanced and low impedance balanced lines.

Except for the connections, the three devices in the image are electrically identical, but only the
leftmost two can be used as baluns. The device on the left would normally be used to connect a
high impedance source, such as a guitar, into a balanced microphone input, serving as a passive
DI unit. The one in the centre is for connecting a low impedance balanced source, such as a
microphone, into a guitar amplifier. The one at the right is not a balun, as it provides only
impedance matching.

In power line communications, baluns are used in coupling signals onto a power line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stub_%28electronics%29
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In microwave and radio-frequency engineering, a stub is a length of transmission line or

waveguide that is connected at one end only. The free end of the stub is either left open-circuit or
(especially in the case of waveguides) short-circuited. Neglecting transmission line losses, the
input impedance of the stub is purely reactive; either capacitive or inductive, depending on the
electrical length of the stub, and on whether it is open or short circuit. Stubs may thus be
considered to be frequency-dependent capacitors and frequency-dependent inductors.

Because stubs take on reactive properties as a function of their electrical length, stubs are most
common in UHF or microwave circuits where the line lengths are more manageable. Stubs are
commonly used in antenna impedance matching circuits and frequency selective filters.

Smith charts can also be used to determine what length line to use to obtain a desired reactance.

Contents
[hide]

 1 Short circuited stub

 2 Open circuited stub
 3 Resonant stub
 4 Stub matching
 5 References
 6 See also

[edit] Short circuited stub

The input impedance of a lossless short circuited line is,

where j is the imaginary unit, Z0 is the characteristic impedance of the line, β is the phase
constant of the line, and l is the physical length of the line.

Thus, depending on whether tan(βl) is positive or negative, the stub will be inductive or
capacitive, respectively.

The Length of a stub to act as a capacitor C at an angular frequency of ω is then given by:
The length of a stub to act as an inductor L at the same frequency is given by:

[edit] Open circuited stub

The input impedance of a lossless open circuit stub is given by

It follows that whether cot(βl) is positive or negative, the stub will be capacitive or inductive,
respectively.

The length of an open circuit stub to act as an Inductor L at an angular frequency of ω is:

The length of an open circuit stub to act as a capacitor C at the same frequency is:

[edit] Resonant stub

Stubs are often used as resonant circuits in distributed element filters. An open circuit stub of
length will have a capacitive impedance at low frequency when . Above this frequency
the impedance is inductive. At precisely the stub presents a short circuit. This is
qualitatively the same behaviour as a series resonant circuit. For a lossless line the phase change
constant is proportional to frequency,

where v is the velocity of propagation and is constant with frequency for a lossless line. For such
a case the resonant frequency is given by,
While this is qualitatively like a lumped element resonant circuit the impedance function is not
precisely the same quantitatively. In particular, the impedance will not continue to rise
monotonically with frequency after resonance. It will rise until the point where at which
point it will be open circuit. After this point (which is actually an anti-resonance point) the
impedance will again become capacitive and start to fall. It will continue to fall until at it
again presents a short circuit. At this point the filtering action of the stub has totally failed. This
response of the stub continues to repeat with increasing frequency alternating between resonance
and anti-resonance. It is not only a characteristic of stubs, but of all distributed element filters,
that there is some frequency beyond which the filter fails and multiple unwanted passbands are
produced.[1]

Similarly, a short circuit stub is an anti-resonator at , that is, it behaves as a parallel resonant
circuit, but again fails as is approached.[1]

[edit] Stub matching

In a stripline circuit, a stub may be placed just before an output connector to compensate for
small mismatches due to the device's output load or the connector itself.

Stubs can be used to match a load impedance to the transmission line characteristic impedance.
The stub is positioned a distance from the load. This distance is chosen so that at that point the
resistive part of the load impedance is made equal to the resistive part of the characteristic
impedance by impedance transformer action of the length of the main line. The length of the stub
is chosen so that it exactly cancels the reactive part of the presented impedance. That is, the stub
is made capacitive or inductive according to whether the main line is presenting an inductive or
capacitive impedance respectively. This is not the same as the actual impedance of the load since
the reactive part of the load impedance will be subject to impedance transformer action as well as
the resistive part. Matching stubs can be made adjustable so that matching can be corrected on
test.[2]

A single stub will only achieve a perfect match at one specific frequency. For wideband
matching several stubs may be used spaced along the main transmission line. The resulting
structure is filter-like and filter design techniques are applied. For instance, the matching
network may be designed as a Chebyshev filter but is optimised for impedance matching instead
of passband transmission. The resulting transmission function of the network has a passband
ripple like the Chebyshev filter, but the ripples never reach 0dB insertion loss at any point in the
passband, as they would do for the standard filter.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_wave_impedance_transformer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

A quarter wave impedance transformer, often written as λ/4 impedance transformer, is a

component used in electrical engineering consisting of a length of transmission line or
waveguide exactly one quarter of a wavelength (λ) long and terminated in some known
impedance. The device presents at its input the dual of the impedance with which it is
terminated. It is a similar concept to a stub; but whereas a stub is terminated in a short (or open)
circuit and the length designed to produce the required impedance, the λ/4 transformer is the
other way around; it is a pre-determined length and the termination is designed to produce the
required impedance. The relationship between the characteristic, Z0, input, Zin and load, ZL,
impedances is;

Using a transmission line as an impedance transformer.

Contents
[hide]

 1 Applications
 2 Theory of operation
 3 Notes
 4 References

[edit] Applications
At radio frequencies of upper VHF or higher up to microwave frequencies one quarter
wavelength is conveniently short enough to incorporate the component within many products,
but not so small that it cannot be manufactured using normal engineering tolerances, and it is at
these frequencies where the device is most often encountered. It is especially useful for making
an inductor out of a capacitor, since designers have a preference for the latter.[1] Another
application is when DC power needs to be fed into a transmission line, which may be necessary
to power an active device connected to the line, such as a switching transistor or a varactor diode
for instance. An ideal DC voltage source has zero impedance, that is, it presents a short circuit
and it is not useful to connect a short circuit directly across the line. Feeding in the DC via a λ/4
transformer will transform the short circuit into an open circuit which has no effect on the signals
on the line.[2] Likewise, an open circuit can be transformed into a short circuit.[3]

The lumped element low-pass filter (top) can be converted to a design that eliminates the
inductors and contains capacitors only by the use of J-inverters, resulting in a mixed lumped
element and distributed element design.

The device can be used as a component in a filter and in this application it is sometimes known
as an inverter because it produces the mathematical inverse of an impedance. Impedance
inverters are not to be confused with the more common meaning of inverter for a device that has
the inverse function of a rectifier. Inverter is a general term for the class of circuits that have the
function of inverting an impedance. There are many such circuits and the term does not
necessarily imply a λ/4 transformer. The most common use for inverters is to convert a 2-
element-kind[4] LC filter design such as a ladder network into a one-element-kind filter. Equally,
for bandpass filters, a two-resonator-kind (resonators and anti-resonators) filter can be converted
to a one-resonator-kind. Inverters are classified as K-inverters or J-inverters[5] depending on
whether they are inverting a series impedance or a shunt admittance.[1] Filters incorporating λ/4
inverters are only suitable for narrow band applications. This is because the impedance
transformer line only has the correct electrical length of λ/4 at one specific frequency. The
further the signal is from this frequency the less accurately the impedance transformer will be
reproducing the impedance inverter function and the less accurately it will be representing the
element values of the original lumped element filter design.[6]

[edit] Theory of operation

A transmission line that is terminated in some impedance, ZL, that is different from the
characteristic impedance, Z0, will result in a wave being reflected from the termination back to
the source. At the input to the line the reflected voltage adds to the incident voltage and the
reflected current subtracts (because the wave is travelling in the opposite direction) from the
incident current. The result is that the input impedance of the line (ratio of voltage to current)
differs from the characteristic impedance and for a line of length l is given by;[7]
 where γ is the line propagation constant.

A very short transmission line, such as those being considered here, in many situations will have
no appreciable loss along the length of the line and the propagation constant can be considered to
be purely imaginary phase constant, iβ and the impedance expression reduces to,[7]

Since β is the same as the angular wavenumber,

for a quarter wavelength line,

and the impedance becomes,

which is the same as the condition for dual impedances;