The Application of Filter Theory to the Design of Reactance Networks

The design of electrical networks does not necessarily require the development of any special method of attack since a direct application of Ohm's and Kirchhoff's laws is always possible. Nevertheless such designs may be simplified and the selection of a suitable type of network for a particular application expedited by developing special methods of attack. It is the purpose of this paper to present one of these special methods; namely, the application of low-pass and high-pass filter theory to the design of reactance networks. While this method of attack probably offers no simplification unless one is already familiar with filter theory, such theory is now so well known to most radio engineers that its application to the design of reactance networks should appreciably simplify the procedure. Two specific applications of the method of attack are given; namely, (1) the design of impedance-matching networks such as might be used between a radio-frequency transmission line and an antenna and (2), the design of coupling units for video amplifiers. No doubt other applications will occur to the reader.