Chapter 4

Microwave Network Analysis

In general, the well known Kirchoff voltage and current
laws of circuit theory cannot be directly applied to
microwave circuits.
Since it is easier to use circuit theory than Maxwells
eqns, it is important to use some principles from circuit
theory in the design of practical microwave circuits.
Microwave network theory was originally developed at
the MIT radiation lab in the 1940s

Impedance and Equivalent

Voltages and Currents
At microwave frequencies the measurement of V & I is difficult.

E____
H -----

Electric and magnetic field lines from an arbitrary Transmission line

The voltage V between the two conductors can be expressed as:

! !
V = E dL

(1)

! !
I = H dL

(2)

and the current is

Hence the impedance is:

Zo =

V
I

(3)

These concepts are easily applied for any structure with TEM
waves.

For non TEM waves we define equivalent voltages, currents

& impedances.
For example, consider a TE10 in a rectangular waveguide.

Ey =

ja

A sin

e j z

a
ja
x
Hx =
A sin e j z

(4)
(5)

The voltage then would be:

V=

ja

A sin

x
a

j z

dy

(6)

Note, eqn (6) relies on the position of x & the value of b, i.e. we
get different values.

That is why we define equivalent currents & voltages.

Voltage and current are defined only for a particular waveguide
mode, and are defined so that the voltage is proportional to the
transverse electric field, and the current is proportional to the
transverse magnetic field.
In order to be used in a manner similar to voltages and currents
of circuit theory, the equivalent voltages and currents should be
defined so that their product gives the power flow of the mode.

The ratio of the voltage to the current for a single traveling wave
should be equal to the characteristic impedance of the line. This
impedance may be chosen arbitrarily, but it is usually selected as
equal to the wave impedance of the line, or else normalized to
unity.
Let us consider what we know. Start with the transverse components:
!
+ j z
j z
(7)

(
(

)
)

Et = e( x , y ) A e
+A e
!
H t = h( x , y ) A+ e j z A e j z

Where e( x , y ) , h( x , y )
mode , and

A+ , A

(8)

are the transverse variations of the

are the field magnitudes of the traveling waves

Both equations 7 & 8 include waves traveling in both directions.

The wave impedance can be defined as:

Zw =

z e( x , y )

(9)

h( x , y )

If we let:

V+ V
I+ I
c1 = + = & c2 = + =
A
A
A
A
We can rewrite equations (7) & (8) as:

e( x , y ) + j z
j z

Et ( x , y , z ) =
V e #
+!
V!
e"

c1 $!V!
equivalent

h( x , y ) + j z
j z
I e
H t ( x, y, z ) =

I
e
#!!"
c2 $!I!
equivalent

(10)

(11)

Power for the incident wave is:

V +I +
P =
2c1c2
+

( x, y )

h *( x , y ) dS
where * means the
complex conjugate

The characteristic impedance is:

V + V c1
Zo = + = =
I
I
c2
Also:

Zw =

c1
c2

Example :
Find the equivalent voltage and currents for a TE10 mode in a
rectangular waveguide

Impedance and Admittance

Matrices
Consider the following two port network:

We can relate V & I via an impedance or admittance expression:

V1 = Z11I1 + Z12 I 2

Z matrix

V2 = Z 21I1 + Z 22 I 2

Z parameters

or in terms of admittance as:

I1 = Y11V1 + Y12V2

Y matrix

I 2 = Y21V1 + Y22V2

Y parameters

In general Zs and Ys can be complex numbers.

To solve for Z11 for example you set:

I 2 = 0 Z11 =

V1
I1

etc.

For an arbitrary N port microwave network we have:

In this case:

V1 Z11
V Z
2 = 21
! !

VN Z N 1

Or in matrix form as:

Z12 Z1N I1
" " ! I 2
" " ! !

Z NN I N

[V ] = [Z ][I ]

Similarly, we can define an admittance matrix [Y] as

I1 Y11 Y12 Y1N V1
I Y

2 = 21 " " ! V2
! ! " " ! !


I N YN 1 YNN VN
Or in matrix form as:

(12)

(13)

[I ] = [Y ][V ]

[Z] and [Y] matrices are the inverse of each other

Reciprocal Networks
A reciprocal two port network, for example has the same
transmission characteristics in either direction; that is:
The output of the two port is the same for either port 1 or port 2
used as an input port.

This occurs when [Z] or [Y] are symmetric i.e.

Z12 = Z21 ; Y12 = Y21

Z ij = Z ji ; for i j

Or in general:

Yij = Y ji
Lossless Networks
No attenuation as the wave is being transmitted through the network
from port to port.
The condition is:

Re{Z mn } = 0

for any m & n

The Scattering Matrix

Measurement of parameters relating voltages and currents is
difficult.
A more satisfactory approach is to use incident and reflected waves
as variables.
Scattering or S-parameters are defined in terms of wave
variables.
They are more easily measured
at microwave frequencies.
Consider this figure

The scattering matrix or [s] matrix is defined as:

V 1 S11

V 2 = S 21
! !

V N S N 1

S12
"
"

S1N V +1

" ! V + 2
" ! !

S NN V + N

(14)

For a two port network, for example we have:

V2+ = 0

V1 S11 S12 V1+

=
+
S
S
V
21
22

V2
2

(15)

V1
S11 = + V + =0
V1 2

(16)

When there is no incident wave in port 2

S11 is therefore the reflection coefficient at port 1, when
port 2 is terminated with a matched load.

Transmission
coefficient

V2
S 21 = + V + =0
V1 2

(17)

This gives the ratio of a wave leaving port 2 to a wave entering

port 1 under matched conditions at port 2.

For a Lossy transmission line, S21 is less than 1, and it

indicates the amount of attenuation.
Consider Pi1= incident power at port 1
and Po2= incident power at port 2 (under matched
conditions)
Then:

V1+

Pi1
1
=
=
2
2
Po 2 V
S
21
2
in dB values
dB (attenuation) = 10 log

Insertion loss

Pi1
= 20 log S 21
Po 2

10

Finally:

V2
S 22 = + V + =0
V2 1

Reflection coefficient at port

2 (with port 1 matched)

V1
S12 = + V + =0
V2 1

transmission coefficient
from port 2 to port 1

Scattering parameters are complex numbers in general.

Sij means properties from port j to port I
[S] & [Z] matrices are related by.

[S ] = ([Z ]+ [U ])1 ([Z ] [U ])

Where:

1 0 0
0 1 #
[U ] =
" # 1

0 ! !

0
"
"

is the identity matrix

Scattering Parameters

Definition of Scattering Parameters:

11

S11 = forward reflection coefficient (input match)

S22 = reverse reflection coefficient (output match)
S21 = forward transmission coefficient (gain or loss)
S12 = reverse transmission coefficient (isolation)

Example:
Find the S- parameters for a waveguide component if the measured
VSWR=1.3 when the component is terminated with a matched load. It
is also found that the power to the matched load is 60 mW for an input
power of 100 mW. The same results are obtained when the component
is reversed.
V1
S
=
+
Since
11
V1+ V2 =0
Which is the reflection coefficient at port 1 with no incident wave at
port 2. We find using:

S11 = =

Also

VSWR 1
= 0.13
VSWR + 1

V2
S 21 = + V + =0
V1 2

12

Since power is proportional to the square of the waves

2

+
Pi1 V1
=
Po 2 V 2
2

and

S 21 =

Po 2
= 0.77
Pi1

If the measured results are the same when the component is turned
around, then |S21|=|S12|=0.77. Note that we have only determined the
magnitudes of the S parameters. The angles depend on the reference
position of the port.

13