Bravo! This is the best and most simple explanation I have seen so far. As a novice/hobbiest who didn’t know what a smith chart was a week ago, I understand it now thanks to you.
Philip H. Smith's wonderful invention is indeed an amazing graphical aid. Sadly, unless you use it VERY regularly, you can spend an awfully long time re-learning or remembering, exactly how to do things. To be honest, I mostly reach for my spreadsheet that I have previously programmed with all the complex math that the Chart can do. But sometimes I do still go to the chart to get an overview of possible matching solutions.
For those of you learning the smith chart and want to understand why Inductive/Capacitive components move you around the smith chart the way they do, consider the following: A series inductor appears more like an open circuit to a given RF frequency with increasing inductance (RF choke). Hence it moves the impedance clockwise on a given resistance circle towards the open circuit point. A series capacitor looks more like a short circuit to a given RF frequency as it’s capacitance increases (think of a DC block, a capacitor which allows AC through) hence it moves the impedance along the constant resistance circle towards the short circuit point. For the shunt cases, imagine you are measuring the signal after a shunted branch to ground. Because of the shunt, there is a conductance to ground, and not all of the RF signal goes through the circuit to be measured. If you put a shunt inductor to ground, with increasing inductance, this branch will appear more like an open circuit to the RF energy, causing all of the signal to go through the circuit instead. This has the effect of moving the impedance along the constant conductance circles towards the short circuit point, because now it appears that there is a short circuit through to your measurement device instead of a branch to ground. In the case of a capacitive shunt to ground, as the capacitance increases, the branch to ground appears more like a short circuit than the path to your measurement device. Thus, the RF signal will conduct to ground instead of through the branch to your measurement device. From the measurement device’s point of view, it appears as if there is an open circuit between it and the source. This is why a shunt capacitor will move the impedance along the constant conductance circles towards the open circuit point on the smith chart. I hope this helps you understand the movements instead of just memorizing them!
Not precisely saying. Eg, A series capacitor is not moving "towards the short circuit point." think if it's below the X axis. It is also moving towards the open-circuit point. I would suggest we think it as "coordination-transform" . Resistance-Circle is actually Y axis of a plain A+iB coordinate; (change L/C will move it up or down, bendedily) Reactance-Circle is X axis. change R will move it up or down, bendedily)
I've been watching your videos for a long time W2AEW. I finally bought a nanovna and combined with this video I should FINALLY be able to match networks. Many many thanks for your ongoing videos. Do you have patreon? I would like to donate.
Hello Paul - thank you! I am very happy to hear that you have been putting my videos to good use! I don't have a Patreon (mainly because I can't reliably produce content on a regular basis, and I feel this wouldn't be fair to Patreon subscribers). If you truly want to donate, I do have a paypal donate button on the front page. Here is the link: www.paypal.com/paypalme/w2aew Thank you very much!
Excellent demonstration. I am learning this to use the NANOVNA. Before this I was completely unaware of smith chart. Thumbs Up. I could not find the Simsmith software and AE6TY site seemed down. Can you please point me to a alternative download location of Simsmith ? Thanks.
I am not sure the 'normalized impedance' is the best word for it. It might be confused with normalized complex number (magnitude or a norm of 1, |x| = 1, aka sqrt(Re(x)^2 + Im(x)^2) == 1), which are also used often when dealing with complex numbers. I think the better name would be 'scaled impedance' or unitless impedance. (in units of preference).
Some light relief, the smith chart has inspired a delicacy known as a smith tart; picture (link) pbs.twimg.com/media/EMKQQJsXUAATHje?format=jpg&name=medium
Why do we need to normalize Zl with Zo? Is Zo transmission line impedance? And what about RF generator impedance? Does it included in Zo too? Sorry for these stupid questions
In general, good RF practice dictates that ideally the source impedance, load impedance and transmission line impedance should all match. Most common is 50 ohms, others are used also (75 ohms, etc.).
@@w2aew, thank you very much for this answer. Now I see it. What should I do if source, line and load have mixed impedance? For example source 50, line 75 and load 75. My source (VNA) has 50 Ohm only and I can't switch it to 75 Ohm mode and make ideal match for 75 Ohm level. How to normalize in this situation?
I have listened to many lectures and presentation during my career (now retired). None have ever made a subject more interesting, informative, educational and downright easy to understand than the ones you do! Absolutely brilliant. Thank you. GW6UWW. Mike.
30 years in electronics,always avoided smith charts as too complicated to get a handle on...now I have seen the light, even if my mobile app does it all for me......great lecture
Wow! This deserves 12 stars out of 10! What a great video and comprehensive explanation! I just dig into Smith Charts and this is really the best and most practical teaching i could ever find about Smith Charts! Really great help, altough i probably have to repeat this lessons a few times until fully understanding 🙂 I think i need to buy a NanoVNA now... Thank you so much!
I'm not a ham radio guy. I'm not an EE. I don't have an upcoming exam. But this presentation is mind-blowingly engaging and fascinating. Smith Charts are brilliant analog computers.
Thanks, that was a great explanation for this elderly Radio Amateur. It always looked so complicated previously but now I'm really starting to understand.
OMG! I learned that exactly 40 years ago at Engineering graduation and I had forgot all as I never return to it. I have a nice plastic Smith Chart with movable scales. Thanks to bring back that to me at the eve of my retirement!
Great absolute to the point crash refresher course for former RF engineer ( 30 yers ago at Nokia ) who has forgotten everything and is now setting up ham station and antenna tuning lab. Thanks alot! 73 Jyrki OH1XYZ
This has to be the most useful and easily understood explanation I've ever come across. The practical examples make everything so much clearer than other videos I've watched.
It's great to see that hams are still producing tools like this. The ones I began using [...way back when I was way less forgetful than I am now...], haven't been updated for use with later version operating systems (like windblows 10), and some others still require some sort of MS/PC DOS simulator, but fail due to deprecated I/O functions... I know there are online smith chart 'calculators' available at various sites. But this one appears a bit more robust. At the very least, it's cross-platform (something I really like). Well done!
Excellent presentation. At @19:45 should'nt you say subtracting 0.82 of susceptance? Because the susceptance of the inductor must be negative: -j0.82. Right?
Was it just me that when I first encountered a smith chart, I instinctively looked away due to the sheer amount of info in that piece of paper? Awesome presentation, sir. You helped me conquer my fear of this beautiful monstrosity.
I couldn't thank you enough for this knowledge. Can you explain the choice of matching network based on ZL that you drew? Although you showed a diagram, can you tell as to what are those boundaries. I partly understand that they are part of the constant G and constant Z circles for the Z0. Is there an extension of this that we could derive for say a PI matching.
A pi or T matching network can basically transform any ZL on the chart to Z0. The L network is limited to certain ZL regions, based on it's topology. I simply copied this information from Smith's book.
thanks for your viedeo and there is some problems for me that when i change L or C, ZL point wouldn`t move , it just keep still .could you explain it for me?
I am from mechanical eng background and this presentation is very clear to me. But i vmcant download the presentation provided in the link. Is there any other link for the presentation?
Great timing! We've just learned how to use this this week at uni, but I didn't exactly understood it with one example, so you heleped me a lot! Thanks!
Holy molly!!! much better than the university lectures!!! great explanation. You make it look very simple!
He's a great speaker for sure .. makes it sound easy.
I couldn't agree more! This is a much thorough and better prepared explanation of many things my professor spent a week confusing us all on.
Molly*
Bravo! This is the best and most simple explanation I have seen so far. As a novice/hobbiest who didn’t know what a smith chart was a week ago, I understand it now thanks to you.
Impressive , I revised whole topic in 25 min.
For those who scared with smith chart. Explaination is 10 times better than a class lecture.
The very best clear and concise explanation on this subject I have ever heard. Thank you very much.
For those, who came here 1 hour before exam, you are in the right place
it is actually 3 hours 😂😂😂😂😂
@@PedramNG All the best bro
20 mins before the exam😁
4 hours, seems like I got all the time in the world over here!
ok
Perfect explanation~!
I studied smith chart about 25 years old. At that time, I cannot understood that. But I understand entirely.
Thanks lot~!
The really best course about Smith Chart i have never had !! Thanks a lot for your work
Philip H. Smith's wonderful invention is indeed an amazing graphical aid. Sadly, unless you use it VERY regularly, you can spend an awfully long time re-learning or remembering, exactly how to do things. To be honest, I mostly reach for my spreadsheet that I have previously programmed with all the complex math that the Chart can do. But sometimes I do still go to the chart to get an overview of possible matching solutions.
Amazing simple and practical lesson on a very complex topic. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and talent.
For those of you learning the smith chart and want to understand why Inductive/Capacitive components move you around the smith chart the way they do, consider the following:
A series inductor appears more like an open circuit to a given RF frequency with increasing inductance (RF choke). Hence it moves the impedance clockwise on a given resistance circle towards the open circuit point.
A series capacitor looks more like a short circuit to a given RF frequency as it’s capacitance increases (think of a DC block, a capacitor which allows AC through) hence it moves the impedance along the constant resistance circle towards the short circuit point.
For the shunt cases, imagine you are measuring the signal after a shunted branch to ground.
Because of the shunt, there is a conductance to ground, and not all of the RF signal goes through the circuit to be measured. If you put a shunt inductor to ground, with increasing inductance, this branch will appear more like an open circuit to the RF energy, causing all of the signal to go through the circuit instead. This has the effect of moving the impedance along the constant conductance circles towards the short circuit point, because now it appears that there is a short circuit through to your measurement device instead of a branch to ground.
In the case of a capacitive shunt to ground, as the capacitance increases, the branch to ground appears more like a short circuit than the path to your measurement device. Thus, the RF signal will conduct to ground instead of through the branch to your measurement device. From the measurement device’s point of view, it appears as if there is an open circuit between it and the source. This is why a shunt capacitor will move the impedance along the constant conductance circles towards the open circuit point on the smith chart.
I hope this helps you understand the movements instead of just memorizing them!
Not precisely saying. Eg, A series capacitor is not moving "towards the short circuit point." think if it's below the X axis. It is also moving towards the open-circuit point.
I would suggest we think it as "coordination-transform" . Resistance-Circle is actually Y axis of a plain A+iB coordinate; (change L/C will move it up or down, bendedily) Reactance-Circle is X axis. change R will move it up or down, bendedily)
EXCELLENT! I always wondered what all those lines were fer!
Mr. Smith was a genius.
One of the best tutorials I ever watched. Thank you for sharing. 73 de sv1onk
Very easy to understand. Thank you so much for the lecture.
Excellent Tutorial...Thank You! Finally...I can put to good use the data from my analyzers!
Super useful as always!
Top! Great video, learned something new again.
Thx Alan, this Will help me in my study!
I've been watching your videos for a long time W2AEW. I finally bought a nanovna and combined with this video I should FINALLY be able to match networks.
Many many thanks for your ongoing videos. Do you have patreon? I would like to donate.
Hello Paul - thank you! I am very happy to hear that you have been putting my videos to good use! I don't have a Patreon (mainly because I can't reliably produce content on a regular basis, and I feel this wouldn't be fair to Patreon subscribers). If you truly want to donate, I do have a paypal donate button on the front page. Here is the link: www.paypal.com/paypalme/w2aew
Thank you very much!
Thank you, that was superb.
Did someone ever found a Smith chart with admittance and radially scaled parameters as a vector graphic? That would be really awesome :-)
Useful video 👍
Thanks!
Excellent demonstration. I am learning this to use the NANOVNA. Before this I was completely unaware of smith chart. Thumbs Up. I could not find the Simsmith software and AE6TY site seemed down. Can you please point me to a alternative download location of Simsmith ? Thanks.
I am not sure the 'normalized impedance' is the best word for it. It might be confused with normalized complex number (magnitude or a norm of 1, |x| = 1, aka sqrt(Re(x)^2 + Im(x)^2) == 1), which are also used often when dealing with complex numbers. I think the better name would be 'scaled impedance' or unitless impedance. (in units of preference).
Some light relief, the smith chart has inspired a delicacy known as a smith tart; picture (link) pbs.twimg.com/media/EMKQQJsXUAATHje?format=jpg&name=medium
Nice job! But you forgot the links! lol
Excellent presentation! BTW, am no relation to the inventor of the chart, hi hi ...
Why do we need to normalize Zl with Zo? Is Zo transmission line impedance? And what about RF generator impedance? Does it included in Zo too? Sorry for these stupid questions
In general, good RF practice dictates that ideally the source impedance, load impedance and transmission line impedance should all match. Most common is 50 ohms, others are used also (75 ohms, etc.).
@@w2aew, thank you very much for this answer. Now I see it. What should I do if source, line and load have mixed impedance? For example source 50, line 75 and load 75. My source (VNA) has 50 Ohm only and I can't switch it to 75 Ohm mode and make ideal match for 75 Ohm level. How to normalize in this situation?
J what is 55 Gibraltar UK
Cruising ideal never subscribe to this channel if you don't like what you hear then don't subscribe to my telephone hams in my opinion are boring
I'm kind of the guy that talks on 11 a.m. wouldn't even think about talking ham radio and listening to the alpha Tango group
On an educational genius scale of 1-10:
This presentation of the Smith Chart = 11
Do you mean there is a mistake? 11 is superior to the limit of the scale O.o.
I have listened to many lectures and presentation during my career (now retired). None have ever made a subject more interesting, informative, educational and downright easy to understand than the ones you do! Absolutely brilliant. Thank you. GW6UWW. Mike.
There you go again! You managed to simplify things so that even a near caveman can understand! Bravo! KC2RDU 73's
73's = best regards's (incorrect) 73 = best regards (correct)
😂 I'm definitely one of the cavemen watching this video.
30 years in electronics,always avoided smith charts as too complicated to get a handle on...now I have seen the light, even if my mobile app does it all for me......great lecture
TNX Alan, you always make complex topics (pun intended) much more understandable. 73 - Dino KL0S
Another Great video Alan! Shared on my Facebook page ..
ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENTISSIMO! ALL tech courses should be taught like this. This video will serve as my new standard on how to teach tech subjects.
I was looking for a simple Smith chart tutorial for a long time ago.
Thanks a lot 😊
Excellent use of the yin yang. Studied Smith Charts back 1970. Many Moons. Very well done. Thanks de kp4azh
Thanks a lot!!!! This video helps me understand Smith Chart within an hour. I wonder if you do an LNA design example step-by-step.
Wow only one person in denial that's pretty good.
Thanks for the great video!
I really wish this was available 60 years ago. It would have made my studies much easier
Wow! This deserves 12 stars out of 10! What a great video and comprehensive explanation! I just dig into Smith Charts and this is really the best and most practical teaching i could ever find about Smith Charts! Really great help, altough i probably have to repeat this lessons a few times until fully understanding 🙂 I think i need to buy a NanoVNA now... Thank you so much!
Thank you - I'm glad you found the video so useful!
Thanks for posting this video. You've covered a lot of territory in a short period of time. Thanks for the references you have provided.
I'm not a ham radio guy. I'm not an EE. I don't have an upcoming exam. But this presentation is mind-blowingly engaging and fascinating. Smith Charts are brilliant analog computers.
Great presentation, making use of smith chart looks easy. Thanks.
Thanks for your great explanation: it is bliss !
For such a complex process you make it look very much simpler. Thank you.
Seriously amazed, I should give you my tuition money instead LOL
Excellent presentation. Understanding this process is required for when your VNA battery goes dead or you step on it.
that was so nice clear explanation... thanks grateful
you are god.........awesome
Thanks, that was a great explanation for this elderly Radio Amateur. It always looked so complicated previously but now I'm really starting to understand.
Life long learners rule! ♥️
Great clarity with a misunderstood and underused concept. +10!
Thanks Alan! Now, could you repeat that? lol
非常非常非常非常有用的视频，讲得通透且富有逻辑性，课上没听懂的在这里听懂了，感谢啊啊啊啊！！！
Thank you for sharing! Excellent explanations, I am also an amateur radio operator. Never too late to find your channel, thanks again.👍👍👍
Very interesting, thanks for the explanation.
Excellent presentation. Thank you for creating and posting it here. 73 K9OJ
OMG! I learned that exactly 40 years ago at Engineering graduation and I had forgot all as I never return to it. I have a nice plastic Smith Chart with movable scales.
Thanks to bring back that to me at the eve of my retirement!
Great absolute to the point crash refresher course for former RF engineer ( 30 yers ago at Nokia ) who has forgotten everything and is now setting up ham station and antenna tuning lab. Thanks alot! 73 Jyrki OH1XYZ
Really great presentation and walked us through all the basic concepts with great examples.
Superbly Explained !! All important concepts in one video. Thank You !!
great stuff
One AWESOME Video! Thanks for taking time to put this together. I plan to use this video in my Telecommunications Class.
Great Video and Presentation! A true Teacher. Hope this helps in my PE Test.
This was fantastic! Thank you!
Thank you. You made it so simple to understand.
I still have to get this in my brain x.x but thanks a lot! Going to be licenced in a few months, QTH is vienna, AT! 73!
This has to be the most useful and easily understood explanation I've ever come across. The practical examples make everything so much clearer than other videos I've watched.
I want a wallpaper in my room with your slides. GREAT!
TNX !!!
Nice explanation
It's great to see that hams are still producing tools like this. The ones I began using [...way back when I was way less forgetful than I am now...], haven't been updated for use with later version operating systems (like windblows 10), and some others still require some sort of MS/PC DOS simulator, but fail due to deprecated I/O functions... I know there are online smith chart 'calculators' available at various sites. But this one appears a bit more robust. At the very least, it's cross-platform (something I really like). Well done!
Thank you! Great explanation.
Why did he say "'DRAWRING" instead of "DRAWING"? Why would he do that to us ?
At 6:20 and page 10: How can G=1/R when "real" component = 0? R is the real component of Z.
Intro to RF Circuits has been a series of elevations and crashes, but this video has made it better. Thanks!
Thank you.
Excellent video on the explanation and usage of Smith charts - and what a great tool it is!
73
KA2EMI
I wish if you do about RF unlevled and when how to resolve device or driver amp compression
Thank you for such awesome explanation....!
Thanks again Alan, great video! I'm gonna have to make a play list of all your Smith Chart videos.👍
Most of them are included in the video notes.
that radial parameter thing needs to be scaled right? looks like it is zero'd to 50 ohms?
Excellent presentation. At @19:45 should'nt you say subtracting 0.82 of susceptance? Because the susceptance of the inductor must be negative: -j0.82. Right?
Yes, adding inductance is adding negative susceptance (or subtracting susc.)
You have done a great job . Thanks for posting this great video.
Thanks to your clear and concise tutoring, I'm beginning to get the hang of this Smith Chart biz! Thank-you.
Was it just me that when I first encountered a smith chart, I instinctively looked away due to the sheer amount of info in that piece of paper? Awesome presentation, sir. You helped me conquer my fear of this beautiful monstrosity.
I couldn't thank you enough for this knowledge. Can you explain the choice of matching network based on ZL that you drew? Although you showed a diagram, can you tell as to what are those boundaries. I partly understand that they are part of the constant G and constant Z circles for the Z0. Is there an extension of this that we could derive for say a PI matching.
A pi or T matching network can basically transform any ZL on the chart to Z0. The L network is limited to certain ZL regions, based on it's topology. I simply copied this information from Smith's book.
Thank you for this excellent explanation .
Great video, many thanks.
I haven't used a Smith chart in decades. Excellent refresher.
thanks for your viedeo and there is some problems for me that when i change L or C, ZL point wouldn`t move , it just keep still .could you explain it for me?
i do it on network analyzer
Very useful, thanks🙏🏻🙏🏻
Absolutely great presentation! Thanks for the upload, looking forward to checking out your other videos
I am from mechanical eng background and this presentation is very clear to me. But i vmcant download the presentation provided in the link. Is there any other link for the presentation?
The link seemed to work OK for me:
www.qsl.net/w2aew/youtube/Basics_of_Smith_Charts_W2AEW_2018.pdf
Such a great lecture! Thank you 👍🏻
amazing course, thank you so much !
Great timing! We've just learned how to use this this week at uni, but I didn't exactly understood it with one example, so you heleped me a lot! Thanks!
Cool - be sure to check out the other smith chart videos I have (linked in the video description).