The w-Plane as a Graphical Representation of Sampler Configuration in a Sampled-Network Reflectometer

This paper presents a study of sampler configuration within a sampled-network reflectometer, an extension of the sampled-line. The sampled-network impedance sensing approach leverages a six- to four-port reduction technique that produces a graphical representation known as the w-plane. In this work, an experimental setup in which the samplers can be located near-arbitrarily within the network is used to explore the w-plane’s characteristics and relationship to the physical reflectometer.