TWO-PORT
NETWORKS
INTRODUCTION
• A pair of terminals through which a current may enter or leave a network is known as a port.
• Two-terminal devices or elements (such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors) result in one-
port networks.
• Most of the circuits we have dealt with so far are two-terminal or one-port circuits, as shown
below:
• In general, a network may have n ports.
• A port is an access to the network and consists of a pair of terminals; the current entering one
terminal leaves through the other terminal so that the net current entering the port equals zero.
• Three-terminal devices such as transistors can be configured into two-port networks.
Reasons for studying port networks:
i. Such networks are useful in communications, control systems, power systems, and
electronics. For example, they are used in electronics to model transistors and to facilitate
cascaded design.
ii. Knowing the parameters of a two-port network enables us to treat it as a “black box” when
embedded within a larger network.
To characterize a two-port network requires that we relate the terminal quantities V1, V2, I1, and
I2 in fig. 18.1(b), out of which two are independent.
The various terms that relate these voltages and currents are called parameters.
Our goal in this chapter is to derive six sets of these parameters. We will show the relationship
between these parameters and how two-port networks can be connected in series, parallel, or
cascade.
A. IMPEDANCE PARAMETERS
• Commonly used in the synthesis of filters.
• They are also useful in the design and analysis of impedance-matching networks and
power distribution networks.
• We discuss impedance parameters in this section and admittance parameters in the
next section.
• A two-port network may be voltage-driven as in fig. 18.2(a) or current-driven as in fig.
18.2(b).
• From either fig. 18.2(a) or (b), the terminal voltages can be related to the terminal
currents as:
Or in matrix form as:
Where the Z terms are called the impedance parameters, or simply Z
parameters, and have units of ohms.
Evaluation of the z-parameters.
• The parameters can be evaluated by setting I1=0 (input-port open-circuited),
or I2=0 (output port open-circuited). i.e
• Since the z parameters are obtained by open-circuiting the input or output
port, they are also called the open-circuit impedance parameters.
• Specifically,
Z11 = Open-circuit input impedance
Z12 = Open-circuit transfer impedance from port 1 to port 2
Z21 = Open-circuit transfer impedance from port 2 to port 1
Z22 = Open-circuit output impedance
• Z11 AND Z22 are called driving-point impedances, while
Z21 AND Z12 are called transfer impedances.
• When z11 = z22, the two-port network is said to be symmetrical.
• This implies that the network has mirror-like symmetry about some center line; that
is, a line can be found that divides the network into two similar halves.
• When the two-port network is linear and has no dependent sources, the transfer
impedances are equal (z12 = z21), and the two-port is said to be reciprocal. This
means that if the points of excitation and response are
interchanged, the transfer impedances remain the same.
• Thus a two-port is reciprocal if interchanging an ideal voltage source at one port with
an ideal ammeter at the other port gives the same ammeter reading.
• Any two-port that is made entirely of resistors, capacitors, and inductors
must be reciprocal.
Equivalent circuit of 2-port n/w.
• For a reciprocal network, the t-equivalent circuit in fig. 18.5(a) can be used.
• If the network is not reciprocal, a more general equivalent network is shown in fig.
18.5(b).
• NB: For some 2-port networks, z-parameters do not exist, e.g an ideal
transformer
• The defining equations for the two-port networks are:
• We observe that it is impossible to express the voltages in terms of the currents, and
vice versa; thus an ideal transformer has no z-parameters. However it has hybrid
parameters.
EXAMPLES.
Determine the Z parameters for the circuit below:
METHOD I: To determine Z11 and Z21, we apply a voltage source V1 to the input port and
leave the output port open as below:
To find z12 and z22, we apply a voltage source V2 to the output port and leave the input
port open as in fig. 18.8(b).
METHOD II.
Alternatively, since there is no dependent source in the given circuit, z12 = z21 and
we can use fig. 18.5(a). Comparing fig. 18.7 with fig. 18.5(a), we get:
EXAMPLE 2
TUYYU
EXAMPLE 3
EXAMPLE 4
B. ADMITTANCE PARAMETERS
• In the previous section we saw that impedance parameters may not exist for a two-
port network. So there is a need for an alternative means of describing such a
network. This need is met by the second set of parameters, which we obtain by
expressing the terminal currents in terms of the terminal voltages.
• In either fig. 18.12(a) or (b), the terminal currents can be expressed in terms
of the terminal voltages as:
• The y terms are known as the admittance parameters (or, simply, y
parameters) and have units of siemens.
• The values of the parameters can be determined by setting V1 = 0 (input
port short-circuited) or V2 = 0 (output port short-circuited). Thus:
• Since the y parameters are obtained by short-circuiting the input or output port, they
are also called the short-circuit admittance parameters. Specifically,
Y11 = Short-circuit input admittance
Y12 = Short-circuit transfer admittance from port 2 to port 1
Y21 = Short-circuit transfer admittance from port 1 to port 2
Y22 = Short-circuit output admittance
• Following Eq. (18.10), we obtain y11 and y21 by connecting a current I1 to port 1 and short-
circuiting port 2 as in Fig. 18.12(a), finding V1 and I2, and then calculating:
• Similarly, we obtain y12 and y22 by connecting a current source I2 to port 2 and short-
circuiting port 1 as in Fig. 18.12(b), finding I1 and V2, and then getting
• The impedance and admittance parameters are collectively referred to as
immittance parameters.
• For a two-port network that is linear and has no dependent sources, the transfer
admittances are equal (y12 = y21). This can be proved in the same way as for the z
parameters.
• A reciprocal network (y12 = y21) can be modeled by the -equivalent circuit in fig.
18.13(a).
• If the network is not reciprocal, a more general equivalent network is shown in fig.
18.13(b).
