Spice simulations of inductive Nonlinear Transmission Lines

Abstract

Nonlinear Transmission Lines (NLTLs) have been used with great success in radiofrequency (RF) generation using a train of oscillatory waves produced at the output load. There are two configurations of NLTLs, the first one is a dispersive line consisting of sections with nonlinear components, and the second one is a continuous and non-dispersive line. The objective of this paper is to study the effect of the line parameters on the second configuration (also known as gyromagnetic line) based on an analytical model by means of SPICE circuit simulation, leading to a great compression of the pulse rise time at the output. The influence of several parameters such as line capacitance, saturation inductance, number of sections and load resistance are illustrated through comparison among different values on the same model configuration. It is expected that the technique presented here can be useful in the future for the design of NLTLs in space applications and mobile defense platforms of compact size.