Personal computer assisted tutorial for Smith charts

A recognized advantage associated with the use a Smith chart is that it obviates the employment of complex algebra in solving transmission line problems. The paper focuses on combining the power of the PC, with its visual aesthetics, speed and accuracy, for the purpose of familiarizing students in the use of the Smith's graphical transmission line calculator. The demo version of the PC Smith chart program, which was obtained over the Internet, is limited to less than 6 data point. Despite the demo version's limitations for purposes of extensive design problems it provides an excellent tool for the purposes of introductory level instruction for the Smith chart. The collection of topics starts with the basic VSWR interpretation for a mismatched line. Rules covering impedance transformations for various points on the line are easily tested and visualized. Specifically, these include quarter wave matching, impedance matching using transformers and stub tuning.