Instructor: Professor Clayton R. Paul
Room 223E
(O) 478-301-2213 email Paul_CR@mercer.edu
Primary Notes: Overhead transparencies will be used in class to highlight and summarize the important points and concepts. Copies of these can be obtained at nominal cost from the Mercer Copy Center in the Auxiliary
Services Building (you should give them a call and 3hr notice). You must obtain a copy of these as they will constitute our primary textbook for the course.
Supplementary Textbook: C.R. Paul, Analysis of Multiconductor Transmission
Lines , John Wiley Interscience, 1994. (Copy on reserve in Dr. Paul’s office.)
Description: This course covers the analysis of transmission lines in the frequency and time domains. The emphasis is on high-frequency behavior of parallel conductors that guide a signal between a source and a load. When the line is electrically short, length much less that a wavelength, lumped circuit models suffice. When the line is not electrically short, one must solve the transmission line equations to determine the terminal voltages and currrents of the line. The transmission line model, as well as the lumpedcircuit model, includes the per-unit-length parameters of resistance, conductance, capacitance and inductance. The calculation of these parameters of the line will be developed. Emphasis is on the RF and microwave use of these lines in high-speed packaging as in VLSI and on printed-circuit boards. The two important concerns that will be emphasized are signal integrity in high-speed design and crosstalk.
Grading: 3 Examinations
Homework
60%
20%

Experiments (4) 20%
We will conduct several experiments. We will compare the predictions of the transmission line models to experimental results.
You may use the copies of the transparencies described above in the in class tests. No other material allowed.
Class Attendance: I expect you to attend class regularly, be on time, and participate in class discussions. You are responsible for all business conducted during regularly scheduled class periods.
Computer Useage: We will make extensive use of various FORTRAN computer programs to implement the numerical solutions. These will be provided to you. We will also make extensive use the PSPICE program so you should have a copy of that on your computer and know how to write SPICE code.
Handing In Your Own Work: We will be doing a lot of computer simulations for homework and projects. It is O.K. for you to work together. But the work you turn in must be yours and yours alone.
Important Additional Information: Students with a documented disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting. The instructor will refer you to the office of Student Support Services (SSS) for consultation regarding evaluation, documentation of your disability, and recommendations for accommodation, if needed. Students will receive from SSS the Faculty
Accommodation Form . On this form SSS will identify reasonable accommodations for this class. The form must be given to the course instructor for signature and then returned to SSS. To take full advantage of disability services, it is recommended that students contact the Office of Student Support
Services, immediately. The office is located on the third floor of the Connell
Student Center.

Period Topics
1 Examples of transmission line structures, review of Maxwell’s equations
2 The TEM mode of propagation, wavelength, voltage and current, distributed vs lumped circuits
Two-Conductor Transmission Lines
3 A simple qualitative explanation of wave propagation on transmission lines, derivation of the transmission line equations for two-conductor lines
4 Classification of types of transmission lines
5 The per-unit-length parameters of wire lines
6 cont.
7 The per-unit-length parameters of lines of rectangular cross section
8 Per-unit-length resistance and skin effect
9 Time-domain solution, sketching terminal voltages and currents
10 cont.
11 The SPICE numerical model
12 cont.
13 The Laplace transform solution
14 Digital waveforms in the time and frequency domains
15 Signal integrity (when does the line not matter?)
16 cont.
17 cont.
Test #1
18 Frequency-domain solution
19 cont.
20 VSWR, standing waves, power flow
21 cont.
22 Smith charts
23 cont.
24 Lossy lines, lumped-circuit approximations

25 The time domain-frequency domain transformation
Test #2
Multiconductor Transmission Lines (MTLs)
26 The multiconductor transmission line (MTL) equations
27 Interpreting the per-unit-length parameter matrices
28 The per-unit-length parameters for wire lines (WIDESEP.FOR)
29 Numerical methods for ribbon cables (RIBBON.FOR)
30 cont.
31 Coupled coplanar strips (PCB.FOR) and coupled microstrip (MSTRP.FOR)
32 cont.
33 Time-domain solution, decoupling
34 cont.
35 The MTL SPICE model (SPICEMTL.FOR)
36 cont.
37 Frequency-domain solutions and decoupling of the MTL equations
38 cont.
39 Incorporating losses
40 Terminal characterizations (MTL.FOR)
41 cont.
42 Lumped-circuit approximations (SPICELPI.FOR)
43 Time-domain to frequency-domain transformation (TIMEFREQ.FOR)
44 cont.
Test #3(Take Home)