A Practical Method for Extraction of High-Frequency Parameters of Distribution Cables

Cable parameter extraction is needed for many practical purposes. The main motivation for this research came from a need to extract high-frequency properties of cables used for indoor electricity distribution because they can be utilized for transmission of communication signals, too, by means of the power-line carrier (PLC) technology. These cables have relatively high specific losses, so that indoor broadband PLC applications can use frequencies up to some 30 MHz. In this paper, cable features in the frequency range from 5 to 30 MHz, belonging to the high-frequency band, were studied. The purpose of this paper is to describe a practical method by which the cable parameters in the mentioned indicated frequency range can be extracted rather accurately from measured complex reflection coefficients at a cable end when the other end is terminated by precise open and short terminations, using very simple equipment. The parameters extracted in this way can be used for very precise modeling of real-life multiterminal distribution networks.