Transmission Lines for High-Frequency Wireline Signal Communication

This text discusses the use of transmission lines for high-frequency wireline signal communication. Transmission lines are physical circuits that connect a transmitter and receiver, and they allow signals to propagate without being filtered. The characteristic impedance of a transmission line is the ratio of voltage to current, and it is typically real-valued in the high-frequency regime. This means that the transmission line’s equivalent impedance is a resistor, and all the signal’s frequency components are transmitted equally.

Questions

• What is the propagation speed of a transmission line?
• What is the characteristic impedance of a transmission line?
• What is the difference between a transmission line and an optic fiber?

Answers

• The propagation speed of a transmission line is the speed at which signals travel along the line. It is determined by the physical properties of the line, such as the length, inductance, and capacitance.
• The characteristic impedance of a transmission line is the ratio of voltage to current at a given frequency. It is a measure of the resistance of the line to the flow of current.
• The main difference between a transmission line and an optic fiber is that a transmission line uses electric fields to transmit signals, while an optic fiber uses light. This means that optic fibers can transmit signals over longer distances without losing as much signal strength.