Electronic Design

Signal Generators

Minh Thuy LE
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (SEEE),
Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Vietnam

[Link]@[Link]

09-Sep-24 Electronic Design – Le Minh Thuy 1

 Introductions
• Signals which are frequently used in electronic devices:
- Sinusoidal
- Square
- Triangular
• Sinusoidal oscillators:
- Positive-feedback amplifier (linear oscillator)
- Shaping triangular waveform
• Square-wave generator and triangular-wave generator (non-
linear oscillators)
- Bistable
- Astable

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Sinusoidal Oscillators
• Sine-wave generator:
- Positive feedback amplifier (linear oscillator)
- Shaping triangular waveform

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 Linear Oscillator
• Use positive feedback:

A ( s)
A f ( s) =
1 − A ( s)  ( s)

• Oscillates without input signal 𝑥𝑠

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 Barkhausen criterion
• Oscillating conditions:
- Characteristic equation has roots on 𝑗𝜔 axis
- The signal will be purely sinusoidal if the characteristic
equation only has roots at 𝑠 = ±𝑗𝜔0 . Otherwise, the
output signal will be the summation of many sinusoidal
signals (“signal distortion”)
• Barkhausen criterion
A ( jo )  ( jo ) = 0
A ( jo )  ( jo ) = 1

• The value of the components in the circuit might vary (due to

temperature, moisture, aging…)
- If 𝐴𝛽 < 1 → oscillations decrease in amplitude
- If 𝐴𝛽 > 1 → oscillations increase in amplitude
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 Amplitude Control
• Gain-control mechanism:
- When oscillations start, 𝐴𝛽 is slightly greater than 1 →
oscillations grow in amplitude
- When the amplitude reach the designed level → 𝐴𝛽 is
controlled to decrease to 1
- If 𝐴𝛽 is reduced below 1 → 𝐴𝛽 is controlled to increase
to 1
➔ Amplitude control

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 Limiter Circuit
• vI = 0
- vo = 0 ON if vI is much positive
- vA > 0 → D1 is OFF

- vB < 0 → D2 is OFF

• vI is less positive
- vo is less negative → vA
decreases but D1 remains OFF
- vB < 0 → D2 is OFF

Rf
vO = − vI
R1
R3 R2
vA = V + vO
R2 + R3 R2 + R3 ON if vI is much negative
R4 R5
vB = −V + vO
R2 + R3 R2 + R3
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 Limiter Circuit
• When vI is much positive
- vo is much positive → vA is much positive → D1 is ON

- If the voltage drop on D1 is VD = 0.7 V, the voltage at

which D1 turn on is:
R3 R2
vA = −VD = V + vO
D 1− on
R2 + R3 R2 + R3 L−
vI =
R3  R  D 1− on Rf
vO = L− = −V − VD  1 + 3 
D 1− on
R2  R2  R1

- If vi is continuing increase, the voltage drop on D1 is nearly

unchanged, therefore:
V − v A V + VD vI −vO  v A − vO V + VD 
IR2 = const = = = + − 
R2 R2 R1 R f  R3 R2 

iR1 = iRf + iD1 = iRf + ( iR 3 − I R 2 )

R3 // R f
vO = − vI + ...
R1
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 Limiter Circuit
• When vI is much negative

R4 R5
vB = VD = −V + vO
D 2 − on
R4 + R5 R4 + R5 L+
vI D 1− on
=
 Rf
R R 
vO D 2 − on
= L+ = V 5 − +VD  1 + 4  R1
R4  R5 

• If vI > vI(D1-on):
R4 // R f
vO = − vI + ...
R1

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Limiter Circuit

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Sinusoidal Oscillators Using Op-amp
• Wien-bridge oscillator
• Phase-shift oscillator
• Active-filter-tuned Oscillator

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Wien-Bridge Oscillator

VO  R  Zp
L ( s) = = 1+ 2 
Vtest  R1  Zp + Zs
1 + R2 R1
L ( s) =
3 + sCR + 1 sCR
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 Wien-Bridge Oscillator
• Substituting 𝑠 = 𝑗𝜔

Frequency at which the phase is zero:

To set the magnitude of the

loop gain to 1:

𝑅2 /𝑅1 is chosen slightly

greater than 2 to ensure
oscillations will start
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Wien-Bridge Oscillator + Limiter

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Phase-Shift Oscillator
Total phase shift = 0o

RC network Negative-gain amplifier

(phase shift = 180o) (phase shift = -180o)
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 Phase-Shift Oscillator + Limiter

 2C 2 RR f
A ( j ) =
4 + j ( 3CR − 1/ CR )
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 Phase-Shift Oscillator + Limiter
• Negative-gain amplifier:
vO Rf
=−
v1 1 sC

• KVL:
v2 − v1 v1 v
= + 1
1 sC R 1 sC
vtest − v2 v2 v2 − v1
= +
1 sC R 1 sC
• Loop-gain:
vO R f C 2 R2s2
=
vtest 4 + 3RCs + 1 RCs
 2C 2 RR f
A ( j ) =
4 + j ( 3CR − 1/ CR )
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Active-Filter-Tuned Oscillator

Bandpass filter

Comparator

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Non-Linear Oscillators
• Bistable multivibrator
• Astable multivibrator

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Bistable – Inverting Trigger Smith

R1
VTH = L+
R1 + R2
R1
VTL = L−
R1 + R2
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Bistable – Non-Inverting Trigger Smith

R1
VTH = − L−
R2
R1
VTL = − L+
R2
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Comparator Using Bistable

Reject
interference

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Bistable Multivibrator

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Bistable Multivibrator

Square-wave generator

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 Bistable Multivibrator

Square-wave and triangular-wave generator

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IC 555

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IC 555 – Astable Multivibrator

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