When two or more two-port networks are connected, the two-port parameters of the combined network can be found by performing matrix algebra on the matrices of parameters for the component two-ports. The matrix operation can be made particularly simple with an appropriate choice of two-port parameters to match the form of connection of the two-ports. For instance, the -parameters are best for series connected ports. The combination rules need to be applied with care. Some connections (when dissimilar potentials are joined) result in the port condition being invalidated and the combination rule will no longer apply. A
Brune test can be used to check the permissibility of the combination. This difficulty can be overcome by placing 1:1 ideal transformers on the outputs of the problem two-ports. This does not change the parameters of the two-ports, but does ensure that they will continue to meet the port condition when interconnected. An example of this problem is shown for series-series connections in figures 11 and 12 below.
Series-series connection When two-ports are connected in a series-series configuration as shown in figure 10, the best choice of two-port parameter is the -parameters. The -parameters of the combined network are found by
matrix addition of the two individual -parameter matrices. :[\mathbf z] = [\mathbf z]_1 + [\mathbf z]_2 As mentioned above, there are some networks which will not yield directly to this analysis. :[\mathbf y] = [\mathbf y]_1 + [\mathbf y]_2
Series-parallel connection When two-ports are connected in a series-parallel configuration as shown in figure 14, the best choice of two-port parameter is the -parameters. The -parameters of the combined network are found by matrix addition of the two individual -parameter matrices. :[\mathbf h] = [\mathbf h]_1 + [\mathbf h]_2
Parallel-series connection When two-ports are connected in a parallel-series configuration as shown in figure 15, the best choice of two-port parameter is the -parameters. The -parameters of the combined network are found by matrix addition of the two individual -parameter matrices. :[\mathbf g] = [\mathbf g]_1 + [\mathbf g]_2
Cascade connection When two-ports are connected with the output port of the first connected to the input port of the second (a cascade connection) as shown in figure 16, the best choice of two-port parameter is the -parameters. The -parameters of the combined network are found by matrix multiplication of the two individual -parameter matrices. :[\mathbf a] = [\mathbf a]_1 \cdot [\mathbf a]_2 A chain of two-ports may be combined by matrix multiplication of the matrices. To combine a cascade of -parameter matrices, they are again multiplied, but the multiplication must be carried out in reverse order, so that; :[\mathbf b] = [\mathbf b]_2 \cdot [\mathbf b]_1
Example Suppose we have a two-port network consisting of a series resistor followed by a shunt capacitor . We can model the entire network as a cascade of two simpler networks: :\begin{align}[] [\mathbf{b}]_1 &= \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -R \\ 0 & 1 \end{bmatrix}\\ \lbrack\mathbf{b}\rbrack_2 &= \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ -sC & 1 \end{bmatrix} \end{align} The transmission matrix for the entire network is simply the matrix multiplication of the transmission matrices for the two network elements: :\begin{align}[] \lbrack\mathbf{b}\rbrack &= \lbrack\mathbf{b}\rbrack_2 \cdot \lbrack\mathbf{b}\rbrack_1 \\ &= \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ -sC & 1 \end{bmatrix} \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -R \\ 0 & 1 \end{bmatrix} \\ &= \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -R \\ -sC & 1 + sCR \end{bmatrix} \end{align} Thus: : \begin{bmatrix} V_2 \\ -I_2 \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -R \\ -sC & 1 + sCR \end{bmatrix} \begin{bmatrix} V_1 \\ I_1 \end{bmatrix} ==Interrelation of parameters==