In my studies when I first saw the Smith Chart I completely dismissed it. It looked way too daunting and complicated. I took my losses and just skipped those questions on my exams. It’s safe to say I didn’t get straight A’s.

When I finally sat down to learn about it, I was intrigued by its design and forms. It reminded me of a mixture of natural elements and rather than being intimidated, I started admiring it. I wrote about it in abstract ways and found a non-technical, artistic love for the Smith Chart.

Invented by Phillip H. Smith and originally described in 1939, the Smith Chart is commonly used for impedance matching. Electrical impedance is a measure of the opposing ‘force’ against electrical flow.

The Smith Chart originally allowed for communication and transmission network problems to be solved graphically, but is now mostly used to visualize these matching networks. If you think of two circuits being matched like two pipes being fitted together, this chart graphs the ‘size’ of the pipe’s connecting ends.

The chart can be broken into three sections. Resistance, inductance, and capacitance. The inductive and capacitative parts are the top and bottom halves respectively. The resistive part is the horizontal line through the center. The chart is plotted from zero to infinity starting with zero being the right-most side of the resistive line.

In electrical engineering, inductance, and capacitance are understood as imaginary impedances. Resistance is understood as a real impedance.

I find it beautiful that all impedance can be represented in one circle. I think this chart can be interpreted in more ways than just network design.

From afar it looks intimidating, complicated, and overwhelming. Problems in our lives are similar, real or imaginary. They seem scary but if become intrigued about their design, we may be able to visualize a solution.

Balance and unity can be in problems can be achieved assuredly, slowly, and thoughtfully. Add a little more real action, a little more imaginary ideas, and a thoughtful way. Just like how impedances are matched on a Smith Chart.

The circuit shown throughout my work is all the exact same. It’s a low-noise amplifier I designed a few years ago. It's equipped with a handful of electrical components called resistors, capacitors, MOSFETs, inductors, and grounding connections. 

This circuit is found in all devices that can send and receive signals. It is a part of a massive city of circuits that make up the communication devices we use every day. 

I like to think of it as a filter, taking in a noisy signal and refining it down to the main message that needs to be heard by the rest of the system. It amplifies that signal so that all other proceeding circuits understand the message and communicate clearly. 

In my experience, engineering is filled with a lot of noise. Overcomplicated explanations, egos, and language that may be specifically correct, but generally doesn't communicate the subject effectively. The knowledge within engineering has been made to seem unreachable to anyone that doesn't ‘get it’. It’s a lot of noise. 

Imagine if engineers reduced the noise, and made this knowledge accessible. If a larger population understood how signals are sent through the air or through flashes of light when we send a text or email. How would the world change? How would technology change if as a society we knew more about it and its advancements?