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How to make a Smith chart

How to make a Smith chart

8 comments

·October 24, 2025

bmiekre

These are wormhole graphs, right?

mbostock

I made an interactive implementation here: https://observablehq.com/@mbostock/smith-chart

btkramer9

I loved smith charts during my microwave classes in college. I've always felt like there should be a fun game based on the mechanics of using a smith chart.

uzby

This software is so good it is as enjoyable as any game, it taught me to love Smith Charts

https://www.ae6ty.com/smith_charts/

dmd

I’m just amazed there isn’t a nearly impenetrable Greg Egan book based on them.

munchler

> The Smith chart from electrical engineering is the image of a Cartesian grid under the function f(z) = (z − 1)/(z + 1). More specifically, it’s the image of a grid in the right half-plane.

Well, I'm already confused. The domain is complex numbers where the real part is >= 0? I think it would be helpful to make that clear from the get-go. When I see "Cartesian grid", I think R^2, not C.

_whiteCaps_

I have PTSD from learning Smith charts in school.

My prof even said to me "If you'd pay attention, you'd understand this!". I was the only one who was brave enough to ask questions about it!

OldSchool

Heh, this reminds me, don't worry:

One of my extremely intelligent roommates in the 80s switched from EE to CS, seemingly due to Smith charts and Electromagnetics coursework.

He went on to make a large fortune in software.