Electrical network that exhibits anti-symmetrical electrical properties.
An antimetric electrical network is an
electrical network that exhibits anti-
symmetrical electrical properties. The term is often encountered in
filter theory, but it applies to general electrical
network analysis. Antimetric is the diametrical opposite of symmetric; it does not merely mean "asymmetric" (i.e., "lacking symmetry"). It is possible for networks to be symmetric or antimetric in their electrical properties without being physically or
topologically symmetric or antimetric.
Definition
Figure 1. Examples of symmetry and antimetry: both networks are
low-pass filters but one is symmetric (left) and the other is antimetric (right). For a symmetric ladder the 1st element is equal to the nth, the 2nd equal to the (n-1)th and so on. For an antimetric ladder, the 1st element is the dual of the nth and so on.
References to symmetry and antimetry of a network usually refer to the input impedances[note 1] of a
two-port network when correctly terminated.[note 2] A symmetric network will have two equal input impedances, Zi1 and Zi2. For an antimetric network, the two impedances must be the
dual of each other with respect to some nominal impedance R0. That is,[1]
or equivalently
It is necessary for antimetry that the terminating impedances are also the dual of each other, but in many practical cases the two terminating impedances are resistors and are both equal to the nominal impedance R0. Hence, they are both symmetric and antimetric at the same time.[1]
Physical and electrical antimetry
Figure 2. Adding another T-section to the ladders of figure 1Figure 3. Examples of symmetric (top) and antimetric (bottom) networks which do not exhibit topological symmetry nor antimetry.
Symmetric and antimetric networks are often also
topologically symmetric and antimetric, respectively. The physical arrangement of their components and values are symmetric or antimetric as in the ladder example above. However, it is not a necessary condition for electrical antimetry. For example, if the example networks of figure 1 have an additional identical
T-section added to the left-hand side as shown in figure 2, then the networks remain topologically symmetric and antimetric. However, the network resulting from the application of
Bartlett's bisection theorem[2] applied to the first T-section in each network, as shown in figure 3, are neither physically symmetric nor antimetric but retain their electrical symmetric (in the first case) and antimetric (in the second case) properties.[3]
Two-port parameters
The conditions for symmetry and antimetry can be stated in terms of
two-port parameters. For a two-port network described by normalized
impedance parameters (z-parameters),
if the network is symmetric, and
if the network is antimetric. Passive networks of the kind illustrated in this article are also
reciprocal, which requires that
and results in a normalized z-parameter matrix of,
Some circuit designs naturally output antimetric networks. For instance, a low-pass
Butterworth filter implemented as a ladder network with an even number of elements will be antimetric. Similarly, a
bandpass Butterworth with an even number of resonators will be antimetric, as will a Butterworth
mechanical filter with an even number of mechanical resonators.[7]
Glossary notes
^input impedance. The input impedance of a
port is the impedance measured across that network port with nothing connected to it externally and all other ports terminated with a defined impedance.[citation needed]
^"correctly terminated". This will most usually mean termination with the system
nominal impedance which, in turn, is usually chosen to equal the nominal
characteristic impedance of the system
transmission lines. This is the impedance the circuit is expected to be connected to in operation and
impedance matching is of some importance in telecommunications. In some design contexts a more theoretical impedance is considered such as
image impedance.[citation needed]
References
^
abMatthaei, Young, Jones, Microwave Filters, Impedance-Matching Networks, and Coupling Structures, pp. 70–72, McGraw-Hill, 1964.
^Bartlett, AC, "An extension of a property of artificial lines", Phil. Mag., vol 4, p. 902, November 1927.
^Belevitch, V, "Summary of the History of Circuit Theory", Proceedings of the IRE, vol 50, p. 850, May 1962.
^ Baher, H.,Synthesis of electrical networks, John Wiley & Sons, 1984, §5.7.3.