Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

Year 2 – Semester 2
Transmission & Interface Design

Laboratory Manual

Practical 2 - Transmission and Attenuation

OBJECTIVES:
Model a transmission line using Multisim and observe the attenuation distortion.
EQUIPMENT:
1 PC running Multisim

PRE-LAB PREPARATION:
Transmission impairments are discussed in your text book. Review the material on
attenuation distortion.
In this experiment you will model a transmission line in Multisim .You will record amplitude
values of the signal at the end of the “transmission line” and observe how the attenuation is
not only a function of distance but also a function of frequency.
PROCEDURE:
The Simulation
Use this structure for your report.
1. Build the simulated transmission system.
a. Open up Multisim.
b. Add a digital clock (sources – CLOCK_VOLTAGE) as a source transmitter,
in the left part of the screen.
c. Add a digital ground.
d. Add a transmission line (lossy, Misc->LOSSY_TRANSMISSION_LINE
components).
e. Connect the digital clock to the top wire of the transmission line on the left.
f. Connect the digital ground to the bottom left of the simulation.
g. Add a scope as the receiver/sink to the right side of the simulation.
h. Connect Channel A of the scope to the left side of the transmission line and
Channel B to the right side; grounds should be connected to the bottom right
hand side of the transmission line.

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 2. Investigate attenuation as a function of frequency.
a. Set the transmission line parameters as follows:
i. Length = 1 meter
ii. Resistance/unit = 1 ohm
iii. Inductance/unit = 0 henries
iv. Capacitance/unit = 1 micro farads ( 1 uF)
v. Conductance/unit = 0 mhos
b. Set the Scope parameters as follows:
i. Time Scale = 1 micro second/div to 1 ms/div
ii. Amplitude Scale =5 volts/division (on Channel A and B)
c. Set the Digital Clock to 50% duty cycle; 0 delay.
d. Fill out the Table1.1. Adjust the clock and scope as needed.
3. Investigate attenuation as a function of distance.
a. Return the scope to the values in part 2.b.
b. Set the digital clock as in part 2.c and set the frequency to 100 k Hz.
c. Set the transmission line parameters as in part 2.a.
d. Fill out the Table 1.2. Adjust the transmission line and scope parameters as
needed.

Important:

You have to compile the report within the lab time to the link provided in the course
web.

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OBSERVATIONS:
Data Table

Frequency (Digital Output Peak Smallest Output Peak to Peak

Clock) Voltage Voltage Voltage
10 k hz
100 k hz
1000 k hz
Table 1.1

Distance Output Peak Smallest Output Peak to Peak Voltage

(meters) Voltage Voltage
1 meter
10 meters
100 meters
Table 1.2

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REPORT REQUIREMENTS:
You should type up your report. Preferably, equations should be typeset using suitable
software (e.g. Equation Editor in Word, using Scientific Word or Latex). The report should
have the following structure:
1. Front Page: Provided to you in the courseweb. Change the required fields
accordingly.
2. Introduction: A short introduction. Possible applications of the methods employed
could be included here. (1/2 Page)
3. Theory: This should include any theory that you actually use to either make testable
predictions (e.g. plot theoretical graphs) or analyze the data. Try to keep this as brief
as possible when describing experimental work. (1/2 Page)
4. Method: A description of the experimental setup and how you took the data. You
should also include your error analysis in this section. (1/2 Page)
5. Observation: Attach the observation page
6. Results / Discussion:
Briefly discuss your conclusions. What happens to the output as the frequency
increases? What happens to the output as the distance increases? (1 page)
7. Reference:
If any..

***IMPORTANT:
 Use correct structure and grammar.
 Plagiarism is highly prohibited.
 If you are referring to a book, website or any other material it is advised to include
reference to it.
 The report should be handed over at the next practical session.