Simple method for the determination of the complex cable transfer impedance

The cable transfer impedance is a quantity which describes the quality of coaxial cables. For analyzing the interference coupling into a shielded cable, precise knowledge of the transfer impedance is necessary. For analysis within a frequency range, the magnitude must be known. For investigations in the time domain (pulse-coupling), both magnitude and phase are needed. In recent years, several procedures for the determination of the cable transfer impedance have been published. Most of them deliver very good measurement results. The disadvantages of these methods are given by the difficult handling of the measurement procedures. This paper presents a new possibility which allows one to predict the cable transfer impedance by magnitude and phase in a comparably simple measuring arrangement.