Signal Flow Graph

Signal Flow Graph (SFG)

• Block diagrams are adequate for representation of
interrelationships of controlled and input variables.
However, for complex interrelationships, the block
diagram reduction is sometimes cumbersome.
• Another method for determining relationship between
system variables has been developed by Mason and
is based on representation of linear systems by line
segments called Signal-Flow Graph (SFG).
• The advantage of the SFG method is the availability
of a flow graph gain formula, which provides the
relation between system variables without requiring
any reduction procedure or manipulation of the flow
graph.
 Basic Elements of SFG
• For constructing a SFG, junction points or nodes are
used to represent variables. The nodes are
connected by line segments, called branches.
• A signal can transmit through a branch only in the
direction of the arrow.

system signal connectivity

 Signal Flow Graph (SFG)
a12
Signal-flow graph of
Y1 Y2 y2  a12 y1

Example:
Sketch the signal-flow graph for the following set of
equations.
y2  a12 y1  a32 y3
y3  a23 y2  a43 y4
y4  a24 y 2  a34 y3  a44 y4
y5  a25 y2  a45 y4
 Basic Properties of SFG
The important properties of the SFG are summarized as
follows:
• Nodes are used to represent variables. Normally, the
nodes are arranged from left to right, from input to
output.

• Signal travels along branches only in the direction

described by the arrows of the branches.
 Basic Properties of SFG
Definitions:
• Input Node (Source): An input node is a node that
has only outgoing branches.
• Output Node (Sink): An output node is a node that
has only incoming branches.
In general, we can make any non-input node an output
node, simply by connecting a branch with unity gain from
the existing node to a new node with the same name.
{See (b) in the Figure on next slide}
• If we attempt to convert y2 into input node, by using
the same unity gain branch, then y2 output will differ
from the original (y2 = y2 + a12y1 + a32y3 )
{See (c) in the Figure on next slide}
(c)
 Signal Flow Graph (SFG)
Path: A path is any collection of a continuous
succession of branches traversed in the same direction.
Forward Path: A forward path is a path that starts at an
input node and ends at an output node, and in which no
node is traversed more than once.
Loop: A loop is a path that originates and terminates on
the same node and in which no other node is
encountered more than once.
Path Gain: The product of the branch gains
encountered in traversing a path is called the path gain.
 Signal Flow Graph (SFG)
Loops

Loop Gain: The loop gain is the path gain of a loop.

Non-touching Part/Loops: Two parts/loops of a SFG
are non-touching if they do not share a common node.
 Signal Flow Graph (SFG)
Example: Converting common block diagram to SFG
Cascade Systems:

X2(s) X1(s) X2(s) X1(s)

 Signal Flow Graph (SFG)
Parallel Systems:

X1(s)

X1(s)

X2(s) X2(s)

X3(s) X3(s)
 Signal Flow Graph (SFG)
Feedback System:
 Signal Flow Graph (SFG)
Example: Converting block diagram to SFG
Equivalent SFG
 SFG Algebra
1) Value of a variable represented by a node is equal to
the sum of all the signals entering the node.

y1  a21 y2  a31 y3  a41 y4  a51 y5

 SFG Algebra
2) Value of a variable represented by a node is
transmitted through all branches leaving the node.

y6  a16 y1 , y7  a17 y1 , y8  a18 y1

3) Parallel branches in the same direction connecting
two nodes can be replaced by a single branch with
gain equal to the sum of gains of the parallel
branches.
4) A series connection of unidirectional branches can be
replaced by one branch with gain equal to the
product of branch gains.
 Gain Formula for SFG (Mason’s Gain Formula)
Purpose: To reduce SFG to a single transfer function
• Overall gain between input node yin and output node
yout of SFG with N forward paths and L loops is given by:
yout N M k  k
M 
yin k 1 
yin = input-node variable , yout = output-node variable
M = gain between yin and yout
N = total number of forward paths between yin and yout
Mk = gain of the kth forward path
 = 1 – (sum of the gains of all individual loops) + (sum
of products of gains of all possible combinations of two
non-touching loops) – (sum of products of gains of all
possible combinations of three non-touching loops) + …
 Mason’s Gain Formula
  1   Li1   L j 2   Lk 3  ...
i j k

Lmr = gain product of the mth (m = i, j, k, …) possible

combination of r non-touching loops (1 r  L)
k = the  for that part of SFG that is non-touching
with the kth forward path

N. B.: Care must be taken when applying the gain

formula to ensure that it is applied between an input
node and an output node.
 Mason’s Gain Formula
Example:

• There is only one forward path between R(s) and Y(s),

and the forward path gain is M1= G(s).
• There is only one loop; the loop gain L11 = -G(s)H(s).
• There are no non-touching loops. Furthermore, 1 = 1,
and  = 1 - L11 = 1+G(s)H(s).
Using the general form for the Mason’s gain formula,
Y ( s ) M 11 G( s)
 
R( s)  1  G( s) H ( s)
 Mason’s Gain Formula
Example: Determine the gain between y1 and y5.

(1) There are three forward paths.

Path 1: y1 – y2 – y3 – y4 – y5 , M1 = a12 a23 a34 a45
Path 2: y1 – y2 – y4 – y5 , M2 = a12 a24 a45
Path 3: y1 – y2 – y5 , M3 = a12 a25
 (2) There are four loops.
Loop 1: y2 – y3 – y2 , L11 = a23 a32
Loop 2: y3 – y4 – y3 , L21 = a34 a43
Loop 3: y2 – y4 – y3 – y2 , L31 = a24 a43 a32
Loop 4: y4 – y4 , L41 = a44
(3) Non-touching loops: y2 – y3 – y2 and y4 – y4
Thus the product of the gains of the two non-touching
loops: L12 = a23 a32 a44
(4)  = 1 – (L11 + L21 + L31 + L41) + L12 = 1 – (a23 a32 +
a34 a43 + a24 a43 a32 + a44) + a23 a32 a44
(5) All the loops are in touch with forward path M1, thus
1 = 1. All the loops are in touch with forward path M2,
thus 2 = 1.
Two loops (y3 – y4 – y3 and y4 – y4) are not touching
with forward path M3. Thus 3 = 1 - a34a43 – a44 .
y 5 M 1 1  M 2  2  M 3  3

y1 
y 5 (a12 a 23a34 a 45 )  (a12 a 24 a 45 )  (a12 a 25 )(1  a34 a 43  a 44 )

y1 1  (a 23a 32  a 34 a 43  a 24 a 32 a 43  a 44 )  a 23a32 a 44

Example:
Verify the following input-output relations using the
Mason’s gain formula:

y2 1  G3 H 2  H 4  G3 H 2 H 4

y1 
y4 G1G2 (1  H 4 )

y1 
y6 y7 G1G2G3G4  G1G5 (1  G3 H 2 )
 
y1 y1 

  1  G1 H 1  G3 H 2  G1G2G3 H 3  H 4  G1G3 H 1 H 2
 G1 H 1 H 4  G3 H 2 H 4  G1G2G3 H 3 H 4  G1G3 H 1 H 2 H 4
Gain Formula between Output Node and
Non-input Nodes
• It was pointed out earlier that gain formula can be
applied only between a pair of input and output nodes.
• However, by including input node, the gain formula
can still be applied to find the gain between a non-input
node and an output node.
• Let yin be an input and yout be an output node of a SFG.
The gain, yout/y2, where y2 is not an input node, may be
written as
yout yout yin  M k  k from yin to y out 
 
y2 y2 yin  M k  k from yin to y 2 
Since  is independent of inputs and the outputs, then

yout yout yin  M k  k from y to y

  in out

y2 y2 yin  M k  k from y to y
in 2

Example:
From the SFG shown in the previous example, the gain
between y2 and y7 can be derived as:

y7 y7 y1 G1G2G3G4  G1G5 (1  G3 H 2 )
 
y2 y2 y1 1  G3 H 2  H 4  G3 H 2 H 4
Example:
Construct the equivalent SFG of the block diagram
shown and find the transfer function Y(s)/E(s) using the
Mason’s gain formula.
  1  G1G2 H1  G2G3 H 2  G1G2G3  G4 H 2  G1G4

E ( s ) M 11 1.(1  G1G2 H 1  G2G3 H 2  G4 H 2 )

 
R( s )  

Y ( s)
Y ( s ) R( s ) G1G2G3  G1G4
 
E ( s) E ( s ) 1  G1G2 H 1  G2G3 H 2  G4 H 2
R( s )