Termination Circuit for a Two-Wire Transmission Line

This invention relates to a termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line, and more particularly to, a circuit for matching a terminal impedance to a two-wire transmission line in a communication between two and four-wire transmission lines.

A termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line has a function of matching a terminal impedance to decrease a reflected signal which is produced by a signal supplied from the two-wire transmission line to a four-wire transmission line, and is transmitted back thereto.

One type of a conventional termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line comprises a low-pass filter of an active filter, an analog to digital converter, a digital to analog converter, a terminal impedance resultant filter of a digital filter, and a feedback line having a feedback amount of "1".

Here, if it is assumed that a line impedance of a two-wire transmission line is Zs, and a transfer function defined by a cascade connection of the low-pass filter, the analog to digital converter, the terminal impedance resultant filter, and the digital to analog converter is Hz, the best result is obtained in a return-loss characteristic indicating a degree of suppressing the aforementioned reflected signal, when the following equation (1) is met.

where Ro is a reference resistance.

Another type of a conventional termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line comprises a low-pass filter of an active filter, a terminal impedance resultant filter of a switched capacitor filter, and a feedback line having a feedback amount of "1".

Here, if it is assumed that a line impedance of a two-wire transmission line is Zs, and a transfer function defined by a cascade connection of the low-pass filter and the terminal impedance resultant filter is Hz, the best return-loss characteristic is obtained, when the aforementioned equation (1) is met. Such a termination circuit is applied to, for instance, a switch board for a communication between two and four-wire telephone networks.

However, the former and latter termination circuits for a two-wire transmission line has a disadvantage, in that operation becomes instable in a high frequency range, in which a phase of an output signal at the low-pass filter is rotated by 180.degree.. In more detail, the output signal phase begins to be rotated at a frequency more than 80 kHz. Then, the phase is rotated around 100 to 200 kHz by 90.degree., and at a frequency more than 400 to 500 kHz by 180.degree.. As a result, a negative feedback which is customarily fedback through the terminal impedance resultant filter in accordance with the output signal of the low-pass filter is turned to be a positive feedback in opposition to operation inherent to the circuit.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line operating stably even in a high frequency range, in which an output signal of a low-pass filter is rotated in phase by 180.degree..

According to this invention, a termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line, comprises:

a low-pass filter connected in series to a four-wire transmitting line for transmitting a signal supplied from a two-wire transmission line;

a serial connection of first to third adders and a reference resistance connected to a four-wire receiving line for supplying a receipt signal to the two-wire transmission line;

a terminal impedance resultant filter including a switched capacitor and having an input terminal connected to an output terminal of the low-pass filter and an output terminal connected to an input terminal of the first adder;

first and second feedback lines having first and second feedback amounts and connected to an input terminal and an output terminal of the low-pass filter respectively;

a subtracter to input terminals of which the other ends of the first and second feedback lines are connected and having an output terminal connected to the second adder; and

a third feedback line having one end connected to the input terminal of the low-pass filter.

This invention will be explained in more detail in conjunction with appended drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are block diagrams showing conventional termination circuits for a two-wire transmission line,

FIG. 3 is an explanatory graph for explaining a rotation of a phase in an output signal of a low-pass filter at a high frequency,

FIGS. 4 and 5 are block diagrams showing termination circuits for a two-wire transmission line in first and second preferred embodiments according to the invention.

Before explaining a termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line in the preferred embodiment according to the invention, the aforementioned conventional termination circuits will be explained.

FIG. 1 shows the former type of the conventional termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line which comprises a cascade connection including a low-pass filter Hs, an analog to digital converter 11, a terminal impedance resultant filter Hz.sub.1, and a digital to analog converter 12. A connecting point between the analog to digital converter and the terminal impedance resultant filter Hz.sub.1 is connected to a four-wire transmission line LS.sub.4, and an output terminal of the terminal impedance resultant filter Hz.sub.1 and a four-wire receiving line LR.sub.4 are connected to input terminals of an adder 1, an output terminal of which is connected to the digital to analog converter 12. In addition, an input terminal of the low-pass filter Hs is connected to a feedback line H.sub.1 having a feedback amount of "1" which is connected to one of input terminals of an adder 3, to the other input terminal of which an output terminal of the digital to analog converter 12, and to an output terminal of which a reference resistance Ro is connected. On the other hand, a two-wire transmission line L.sub. 2 is connected to an input terminal of the low-pass filter Hs and the reference resistance Ro, and includes a line impedance Zs and a signal source Vs.

FIG. 2 shows the latter type of the conventional termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line, wherein like parts are indicated by like reference numerals and symbols as used in FIG. 1, except that a terminal impedance resultant filter Hz is of a switched capacitor filter. In this termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line, the analog to digital converter 11 and the digital to analog converter 12 are not used, because analog signals are transmitted through the four-wire transmitting line LS.sub.4 and the four-wire receiving line LR.sub.4.

In operation of the termination circuits for a two-wire transmission line, an output signal of the low-pass filter Hs begins to be rotated in phase by exceeding a frequency more than 80 kHz as shown in FIG. 3 by a dotted curve, while a magnitude of the output signal is shown therein by a solid curve. The phase is rotated around 100 to 200 kHz by 90.degree., and at a frequency more than 400 to 500 kHz by 180.degree..

Next, a termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line in the first preferred embodiment according to the invention will be explained in FIG. 4, wherein like parts are indicated by like reference numerals and symbols as used in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line comprises a low-pass filter Hs of an active filter connected in series to a four-wire transmitting line LS.sub.4 for transmitting a transmission signal supplied from a two-wire transmission line L.sub.2, first to third adders 1, 2 and 3, and a reference resistance Ro connected in series to a four-wire receiving line LR.sub.4 for supplying a receipt signal to a two-wire transmission line L.sub.2, a terminal impedance resultant filter Hz of a switched capacitor having an input terminal connected to an output terminal of the low-pass filter Hs and an output terminal connected to an input terminal of the first adder 1, first and second feedback lines A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 each having a feedback amount of "1" and connected to an input terminal of the low-pass filter Hs and the output terminal of the low-pass filter Hs, respectively, a subtracter 4 having input terminals connected to the other ends of the feedback lines A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 and an output terminal connected to an input terminal of the second adder 2, and a third feedback line H.sub.1 having a feedback amount of "1" and connected to the input terminal of the low-pass filter and an input terminal of the third adder 3.

In operation, if it is assumed that a characteristic of a loop including the feedback lines A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 is flat in a frequency band of the low-pass filter Hs, the presence of the loop is negligible in the frequency band. Therefore, a feedback loop is defined only by the third feedback line H.sub.1 which is of a high impedance, and the terminal impedance resultant filter Hz, so that the best return-loss characteristic is obtained, when the aforementioned equation (1) is met. On the other hand, a negative feedback of the terminal impedance resultant filter Hz is turned to be a positive feedback in a high frequency region, in which an output signal of the low-pass filter Hs is rotated in phase by 180.degree.. Simultaneously, a feedback of the second feedback line A.sub.2 becomes negative to be supplied to the substacter 4, together with a negative feedback of the first feedback line A.sub.1, so that a negative feedback is obtained at the second adder 2, even if the positive feedback is supplied to the first adder 1. As a result, the termination circuit operates stably even in the high frequency band.

FIG. 5 shows a termination circuit for a two-wire transmission line in the second preferred embodiment according to the invention, wherein like parts are indicated by like reference numerals and symbols as used in FIG. 4, except that feedback lines A.sub.k1 and A.sub.k2 having feedback amounts K.sub.1 and K.sub.2 are used in place of the first and second feedback lines A.sub.1 and A.sub.2.

In operation, if it is assumed that a characteristic is flat in a frequency band of the low-pass filter Hs, a loop including the feedback lines A.sub.k1 and A.sub.k2 provides a feedback equivalent to a difference between the feedback amounts K.sub.1 and K.sub.2 in the frequency band. In addition, a feedback loop is provided by the feedback line H.sub.1 of a high impedance and the terminal impedance resultant filter Hz.

Thus, the best return-loss characteristic is obtained, the following equation (2) is met.

On the other hand, an output signal of the low-pass filter Hs is rotated in phase in a high frequency band by 180.degree.. As a result, a feedback of the terminal impedance resultant filter Hz is turned from negative to positive. Simultaneously, a feedback of the feedback line A.sub.k2 is turned to be negative, and supplied to the subtracter 4 together with a negative feedback of the feedback line A.sub.k1, so that operation is maintained to be stable.

Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiment for complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modification and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.