Oscillators This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.
Module 5
1 Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru 1/10/2025
Introduction
An oscillator is a device which produces a periodic signal(Sine or
2 square) by converting a DC signal to AC signal.
Feedback is a process/technique where a portion of the output signal of a
system is fed back and recombined with the input.
Feedback is used in all amplifier and oscillator circuits.
A Feedback amplifier mainly consists of 2 parts: amplifier and feedback
circuit.
Depending upon whether the feedback signal increases or decreases the
input signal, there are 2 types of feedback amplifiers.
1. Positive feedback
2. Negative feedback
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3 Types of Feedback
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4
Positive Feedback Negative Feedback
• Feedback is in phase • Feedback is out of
with input signal and phase with input signal
increases it and decreases it
• Regenerative/ direct • Degenerative/ inverse
feedback feedback
• Increases gain • Reduces the gain
• Excessive distortion • Improves the amplifier
• Used in oscillators performance
• Used in amplifiers
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Negative Feedback
5
Advantages
Stability of gain is improved
Reduction in distortion (Harmonic, frequency, phase)
Reduction in noise
Input and output resistances can be modified as desired.
Increase in the range of uniform application (Increased BW)
Disadvantages
Reduces the Amplifier gain
Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru 1/10/2025
6 OSCILLATORS
If the applied feedback is in phase with the input and increases it, it is called as positive
feedback.
The use of positive feedback results in the increase of closed loop gain with feedback.
This leads to instability and operation as an oscillator.
An oscillator is a device, which produces an output signal, without any input signal of any
desired frequency.
Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru 1/10/2025
Amplifier vs Oscillator
7
Amplifier Oscillator
Amplifier is an electronic circuit which gives Oscillator is an electronic circuit which gives
output as amplified form of input with high power output without application of input.
level
Amplifiers do nothing till input signal is fed to the It keeps producing the output as long as DC power
input. is supplied.
This additional power is supplied by the external An oscillator does not require any additional
DC source, i.e. the device gets energy from DC external signal to start or to maintain the energy
source and converts it to AC energy. conversion.
Amplifier uses negative feedback. Oscillator uses positive feedback.
Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru 1/10/2025
Classification of Oscillators
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Non-sinusoidal
Sinusoidal Oscillators
Oscillators
• The oscillators that • The oscillators that
produce an output produce an output
having a sine having a square,
waveform are called rectangular or saw-
sinusoidal or tooth waveform are
harmonic oscillators. called non-sinusoidal
• provide output at or relaxation
frequencies ranging oscillators
from 20 Hz to 1 GHz. • provide output at
frequencies ranging
from 0 Hz to 20 MHz. 1/10/2025
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Sinusoidal Oscillators
9
Negative-
Tuned Circuit (LC)
RC Oscillators Crystal Oscillators resistance
Oscillators
Oscillator
• These oscillators • These oscillators • These oscillators • These oscillators
use a tuned- use resistors and use quartz use negative-
circuit consisting capacitors and crystals and are resistance
of inductors (L) are used to used to generate characteristic of
and capacitors generate low or highly stabilized the devices such
(C) and are used audio-frequency output signal with as tunnel
to generate high- signals. frequencies up to devices.
frequency • Thus they are 10 MHz. • A tuned diode
signals. also known as • The Piezo oscillator is an
• They are also audio-frequency oscillator is an example of a
known as radio (A.F.) oscillators. example of a negative-
frequency R.F. • Examples are crystal oscillator. resistance
oscillators. Phase –shift and oscillator.
• Examples are Wein-bridge
Hartley, Colpitts, oscillators.
Clapp-oscillators
etc.
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10
Barkhausen Criterion:
These are the two conditions that a system must satisfy to
behave as an Oscillator:
1) The total phase shift of the signals in the close loop system
must be equal to 0 or 360 degrees.
2)The magnitude of Aβ should be equal to 1.
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11
Types of Oscillations
The type of oscillation whose amplitude
decreases with time is known as
damped oscillation.
When the amplitude of an oscillation
remains unchanged with the time, it is
known as undamped oscillation.
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12
Tuned Circuit Oscillators
Tuned circuit oscillators are the circuits that produce oscillations with the help of tuning circuits.
The tuning circuits consists of an inductance L and a capacitor C. These are also known as LC
oscillators, resonant circuit oscillators or tank circuit oscillators.
A BJT or MOSFET is used as an amplifier.
With amplifier and LC tank circuit, a feedback signal is given with right amplitude and phase to
maintain oscillations.
Tuned-collector or Armstrong Oscillator − It uses inductive feedback from the collector of a
transistor to the base. The LC circuit is in the collector circuit of the transistor.
Tuned base Oscillator − It uses inductive feedback. But the LC circuit is in the base circuit.
Hartley Oscillator − It uses inductive feedback.
Colpitts Oscillator − It uses capacitive feedback.
Clapp Oscillator − It uses capacitive feedback.
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Hartley Oscillator
• A very popular local oscillator circuit that is mostly
13
used in radio receivers is the Hartley Oscillator
circuit.
• The resistors R1, R2 and RE provide necessary bias
condition for the circuit. The capacitor CE provides
a.c. ground thereby providing any signal
degeneration. This also provides temperature
stabilization.
• The capacitors C1 and C2 are employed to block d.c.
and to provide an a.c. path.
• The radio frequency choke (R.F.C) offers very high
impedance to high frequency currents which means
it shorts for d.c. and opens for a.c. Hence it provides
d.c. load for collector and keeps a.c. currents out of
d.c. supply source.
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Hartley Oscillator
14 • The frequency determining network is a parallel resonant
circuit which consists of the inductors L1 and L2 along with
a variable capacitor C.
• The junction of L1 and L2 are earthed. The coil L2 has its one
end connected to base via C1 and the other to emitter via CE.
• L1 is in the output circuit. Both the coils L1 and L2 are
inductively coupled and together form an Auto-
transformer.
• The tank circuit is shunt fed in this circuit.
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Hartley Oscillator
15 Operation
• When the collector supply is given, a transient current is
produced in the oscillatory or tank circuit. The oscillatory
current in the tank circuit produces a.c. voltage across L2.
• As the CE configured transistor provides 180o phase shift,
another 180o phase shift is provided by the transformer,
which makes 360o phase shift between the input and output
voltages.
• This makes the feedback positive which is essential for the
condition of oscillations. When the loop gain |βA| of the
amplifier is greater than one, oscillations are sustained in
the circuit.
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Hartley Oscillator
16
• The equation for frequency of Hartley oscillator is given
as
• Here, LT is the total cumulatively coupled inductance;
L1 and L2 represent inductances of 1st and 2nd coils; and
M represents mutual inductance.
• The feedback fraction β is given by β=L2/L1
• For Oscillations to start voltage gain should be greater
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Advantages Disadvantages Applications
17
• Instead of using a • It cannot be a low • It is used to produce
large transformer, a frequency oscillator. a sine wave of
single coil can be • Harmonic distortions desired frequency.
used as an auto- are present. • Mostly used as a
transformer. local oscillator in
• Frequency can be radio receivers.
varied by employing • It is also used as R.F.
either a variable Oscillator.
capacitor or a
variable inductor.
• Less number of
components are
sufficient.
• The amplitude of the
output remains
constant over a fixed
frequency range.
Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru 1/10/2025
Colpitts Oscillator
18
• A Colpitts oscillator looks just like the Hartley
oscillator but the inductors and capacitors are
replaced with each other in the tank circuit.
• The resistors R1, R2 and RE provide necessary
bias condition for the circuit. The capacitor CE
provides a.c. ground thereby providing any signal
degeneration. This also provides temperature
stabilization.
• The capacitors CC and CB are employed to block
d.c. and to provide an a.c. path.
• The radio frequency choke (R.F.C) offers very
high impedance to high frequency currents which
means it shorts for d.c. and opens for a.c. Hence
it provides d.c. load for collector and keeps a.c.
currents out of d.c. supply source.
Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru 1/10/2025
Colpitts Oscillator
19
• The frequency determining network is a parallel
resonant circuit which consists of variable
capacitors C1 and C2 along with an inductor L.
• The junction of C1 and C2 are earthed.
• The capacitor C2 has its one end connected to
base via CB and the other to emitter via CE.
• The voltage developed across C2 provides the
regenerative feedback required for the sustained
oscillations.
Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru 1/10/2025
Colpitts Oscillator
20 Operation
• When the collector supply is given, a transient current is
produced in the oscillatory or tank circuit. The oscillatory
current in the tank circuit produces a.c. voltage across C2
which are applied to the base emitter junction and appear in
the amplified form in the collector circuit and supply losses
to the tank circuit.
• As the CE configured transistor provides 180o phase shift,
and another 180o phase shift is provided by tank circuit, it
makes 360o phase shift between the input and output
voltages.
• Hence, feedback is properly phased to produce continuous
Undamped oscillations. When the loop gain |βA| of the
amplifier is greater than one, oscillations are sustained
in the circuit.
Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru 1/10/2025
Colpitts Oscillator
21
• The equation for frequency of Colpitts oscillator is given
as
• CT is the total capacitance of C1 and C2 connected in
series.
• The feedback fraction β is given by β=C1/C2,
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• For Oscillations to start voltage gain should be greater than 1/ β
1/10/2025
Advantages Disadvantages Applications
22
• Colpitts oscillator can • Colpitts oscillator is • Colpitts oscillator can
generate sinusoidal designed to overcome be used as High
signals of very high the disadvantages of frequency sinewave
frequencies. Hartley oscillator. generator.
• It can withstand high • It is known to have no • This can be used as a
and low temperatures. specific temperature sensor
• The frequency disadvantages. with some associated
stability is high. circuitry.
• Frequency can be • Mostly used as a local
varied by using both oscillator in radio
the variable receivers.
capacitors. • It is also used as R.F.
• Less number of Oscillator.
components are • It is also used in
sufficient. Mobile applications
• The amplitude of the and many other
output remains commercial
constant over a fixed applications.
frequency range .
1/10/2025
Department of ECE, GAT, Bengaluru