The telegrapher's equations are a set of two coupled, linear equations that predict the voltage and current distributions on a linear electrical transmission line. The equations are important because they allow transmission lines to be analyzed using circuit theory.[1]: 381–392 The equations and their solutions are applicable from 0 Hz to frequencies at which the transmission line structure can support higher order waveguide modes. The equations can be expressed in both the time domain and the frequency domain. In the time domain approach the dynamical variables are functions of time and distance. The resulting time domain equations are partial differential equations of both time and distance. In the frequency domain approach the dynamical variables are functions of frequency, , or complex frequency, , and distance . The frequency domain variables can be taken as the Laplace transform or Fourier transform of the time domain variables or they can be taken to be phasors. The resulting frequency domain equations are ordinary differential equations of distance. An advantage of the frequency domain approach is that differential operators in the time domain become algebraic operations in frequency domain.
The Telegrapher's Equations are developed in similar forms in the following references:
Kraus,[2]: 380–419
Hayt,[1]: 381–392
Marshall,[3]: 359–378
Sadiku,[4]: 497–505
Harrington,[5]: 61–65
Karakash,[6]: 5–14
Metzger.[7]: 1–10
In conventional transmission lines, and are relatively constant compared to and . Behavior of a transmission line over many orders of frequency is mainly determined by and , each of which can be characterized as either being much less than unity, about equal to unity, much greater than unity, or infinite (at 0 Hz). Including 0 Hz, there are ten possible frequency regimes although in practice only six of them occur.
Typical Good Transmission Line Parameter RatioesTypical Good Transmission Line VelocityTypical Good Transmission Line Characteristic ImpedanceTypical Good Transmission Line LossTypical Good Transmission Line Characteristic Impedance PhaseLengths of RG58 transmission lines at one fifth wavelengthNewfoundland-Azores 1928 Submarine Telegraph Cable Estimated Velocity vs Frequency
^Kraus, John D. (1984), Electromagnetics (3rd ed.), McGraw-Hill, ISBN0-07-035423-5
^Marshall, Stanley V.; Skitek, Gabriel G. (1987), Electromagnetic Concepts and Applications (2nd ed.), Prentice-Hall, ISBN0-13-249004-8
^Sadiku, Matthew N.O. (1989), Elements of Electromagnetics (1st ed.), Saunders College Publishing, ISBN0-03-013484-6
^Harrington, Roger F. (1961), Time-Harmonic Electromagnetic Fields (1st ed.), McGraw-Hill, ISBN0-07-026745-6{{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
^Karakash, John J. (1950), Transmission lines and Filter Networks (1st ed.), Macmillan