Single Time-Constant Circuits

David Johns

University of Toronto
[email protected]
Single-Time Constant (STC) Circuits
Here we will only concern ourselves with RC circuits
STC circuits are circuits that when the independent sources are
set to zero, the circuit can be reduced to a single capacitor and
single resistor
STC circuits have a first-order H(s)
2 main types of STC circuits
− Lowpass
− Highpass
The important parameter is τ
− τ determines the speed of settling
− τ = RC where R and C are the single capacitor/resistor that occur
when independent sources are set to zero and the circuit is
reduced.
− In the freq domain, ωo = 1/τ
− ωo is the pole frequency (3 dB freq)
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Lowpass STC Circuit (Freq Response)
R
vo
vi C

Vo (s) 1/sC 1
H(s) ≡ = = (1)
Vi (s) (1/sC) + R 1 + sRC

Defining τ ≡ RC and ωo ≡ 1/τ = 1/(RC)

1 1
H(s) = = (2)
1 + sτ 1 + (s/ωo )

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Lowpass STC Circuit (Freq Response)
In general, a lowpass STC transfer-function is ...
Kdc
H(s) = (3)
1 + (s/ωo )
− where ωo = 1/τ
Magnitude response

Kdc Kdc
|H(jω)| = = p (4)
1 + (jω/ωo ) 1 + (ω/ωo )2
− For ...
ω  ωo ⇒ |H(jω)| ≈ |Kdc |
|Kdc |
ω = ωo ⇒ |H(jω)| = √
2
(3dB freq)
|Kdc |ωo
ω  ωo ⇒ |H(jω)| = ω

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Lowpass STC Circuit (Freq Response)

Phase response (assume Kdc > 0)

∠H(jω) = ∠(Kdc ) − ∠(1 + (jω/ωo )) = − tan−1 (ω/ωo ) (5)

− For ...
ω  ωo ⇒ ∠H(jω) ≈ 0◦
ω = ωo ⇒ ∠H(jω) ≈ −45◦
ω  ωo ⇒ ∠H(jω) ≈ −90◦

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Lowpass STC Circuit (Freq Response)

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STC Circuit - Time (Step Response)
u(t) H(s) y (t)

Step response
− For both lowpass and highpass STC circuits, the step response
settles in an exponential behavior

y (t) = Y∞ − (Y∞ − Y0+ )e−t/τ (6)

− Y∞ is the final value

− Y0+ is the initial value
− τ is the time-constant

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Lowpass STC Circuit - Time (Step Response)

Kdc
H(s) = ωo = 1/τ (7)
1 + (s/ωo )
Y∞ = Kdc ; Y0+ = 0
y (t) = Kdc (1 − e−t/τ ) (8)

Initial slope at t = 0 is Kdc /τ

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Lowpass STC Circuit - Time (Pulse Response)

τ T

τ = T /3

τ T

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Highpass STC Circuit (Freq Response)
C
vo
vi R

Vo (s) R sCR s
H(s) ≡ = = = (9)
Vi (s) (1/sC) + R sCR + 1 s + (1/RC)

Defining τ ≡ RC and ωo ≡ 1/τ = 1/(RC)

s s
H(s) = = (10)
s + (1/τ ) s + ωo

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Highpass STC Circuit (Freq Response)
In general, a highpass STC transfer-function is ...
K∞ s
H(s) = (11)
s + ωo
− where ωo = 1/τ
Magnitude response

K∞ ω K∞
|H(jω)| = = p (12)
jω + ωo 1 + (ωo /ω)2
− For ...
|K∞ |ω
ω  ωo ⇒ |H(jω)| ≈ ωo
|K∞ |
ω = ωo ⇒ |H(jω)| = √
2
(3dB freq)
ω  ωo ⇒ |H(jω)| = |K∞ |

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Highpass STC Circuit (Freq Response)

Phase response (assume K∞ > 0)

∠H(jω) = ∠(jK∞ ω) − ∠(ωo + jω) = 90◦ − tan−1 (ω/ωo ) (13)

− For ...
ω  ωo ⇒ ∠H(jω) ≈ 90◦
ω = ωo ⇒ ∠H(jω) ≈ 45◦
ω  ωo ⇒ ∠H(jω) ≈ 0◦

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Highpass STC Circuit (Freq Response)

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Highpass STC Circuit - Time (Step Response)

K∞ s
H(s) = ωo = 1/τ (14)
s + ωo
y(t) = Y∞ − (Y∞ − Y0+ )e−t/τ

Y∞ = 0; Y0+ = K∞
y (t) = K∞ e−t/τ (15)

Initial slope at t = 0 is −K∞ /τ

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Highpass STC Circuit - Time (Pulse Response)

τ T

τ =T

τ T

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Highpass STC Circuit - Time (Pulse Response)
For the case τ  T
− ∆K can be found using the exponential equation
− However, it can also be approximately found since the decay is
mostly in the linear region at the beginning
− Slope is −K∞ /τ resulting in

K∞
∆K ≈ ×T (16)
τ

− So the percentage ”sag”, SAG, is given by

∆K T
SAG = × 100 = × 100 (17)
K∞ τ

− So the SAG decreases as τ is increased

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Finding τ from STC Circuits

STC circuits are circuits that when the independent sources are
set to zero, the circuit can be reduced to a single capacitor and
single resistor.
The following are STC circuits
− Any circuit with a single capacitor and multiple resistors
− Any circuit with a single resistor and multiple capacitors
To find τ
− Set all independent sources to zero
− If a single capacitor... find the equivalent resistance, Req that is
across the capacitor... τ = Req C
− If a single resistor... find the equivalent capacitance, Ceq that is
across the resistor... τ = RCeq

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Finding τ from STC Circuits
Examples

R1 R3 − When vi = 0, the source

vo becomes a short circuit
vi R2 C − Req = (R1 ||R2 ) + R3
− τ = Req C

C1
vo − When vi = 0, the source
vi R becomes a short circuit
C2
− Ceq = C1 + C2
− τ = RCeq

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Finding τ from STC Circuits
R1 C
vo
vi R2

1
τ = C(R1 + R2 ) ωo = C(R1 +R2 )

vo R2
K∞ = vi (j∞) = R1 +R2 since the cap is a short circuit at high freq

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Unity-Gain Freq of Lowpass STC
Consider a lowpass STC circuit with a LARGE dc gain
AM
H(s) = |AM |  1 (18)
1 + (s/ω3dB )

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Unity-Gain Freq of Lowpass STC
ωt occurs when |H(jωt )| = 1
AM
=1 (19)
1 + (jωt /ω3db )

since |AM |  1, we know ωt  ω3dB

AM
≈1 (20)
jωt /ω3db

ωt ≈ |AM |ω3dB (21)

and in Hz
ft ≈ |AM |f3dB (22)

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Topics Covered

Lowpass STC freq and time responses

Highpass STC freq and time responses
Finding τ from STC circuits
Unity gain freq of STC when large dc gain

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