linsmith

tool to generate Smith Charts

A Smith chart is a tool used in electrical engineering that shows how the complex impedance of a transmission line varies along its length, and simplifies the design of impedance matching networks to match the line to its load. linSmith is a Smith Charting program, mainly designed for educational use. As such, there is an emphasis on capabilities that improve the 'showing the effect of'-style of operation. Its main features are: * Definition of multiple load impedances (at different frequencies) * Addition of discrete (L, C, parallel and series LC, and transformer) and line components (open and closed stubs, line segments) * Connection in series and parallel * Easy experimentation with values using scrollbars * A 'virtual' component switches from impedance to admittance to help explaining (or understanding) parallel components * The chart works in real impedances (not normalized ones) * Direct view of the result on the screen * Ability to generate publication quality Postscript output * A 'log' file with textual results at each intermediate step * Load and circuit configuration is stored separately, permitting several solutions without re-defining the other