Modeling and simulation of ladder-network transmission lines

This paper presents a general approach for the time-domain analysis of transmission lines composed of inductive and capacitive lumped elements. First order time differential equations are derived for the distributions of voltages and currents along the line, thus allowing analysis of transient regimes of the lines being excited by a pulse of arbitrary shape. In particular we examine the propagation characteristics of periodic lines in which identical unit cells are repeated periodically, especially the interpretation of positive and negative phase velocities associated with the LC and CL topologies.