Sinusoidal Oscillators

• Signal generators: sinusoidal, rectangular, triangular, TLV, etc.

• Obtaining a sine wave:

triangle functional transf. sine

sine wave generation: frequency selective network in a
feedback loop of a PF amplifier: sinusoidal oscillator

-Oscillation frequency: f0
-Oscillation amplitude: Vˆo
- Oscillation criterion
- Frequency stability
- Amplitude stability
- Distortion coefficient
1/14
 Oscillator
feedback loop
PF amplifier:
xi = xs + xr
a
A=
1 − ar

xs = 0; x0 − finit

a ( jω )
A( jω ) =
1 − a ( j ω ) r ( jω )

1 − a ( jω 0 ) r ( jω 0 ) = 0

2/14
 Oscillation criterion

Barkhausen’s criterion
a ( jω 0 ) r ( jω 0 ) = 1
Signal reconstruction on
the feedback loop
a ( j ω ) = a ( j ω ) e jϕ a

r ( j ω ) = r ( j ω ) e jϕ r
a ( jω0 ) r ( jω0 ) = a ( jω0 ) r ( jω0 ) e j (ϕ a +ϕ r ) = 1

module condition: a( jω0 ) r ( jω0 ) = 1 gives a0

phase condition: ϕ a + ϕ r = 2 kπ gives f0

Who sets Vˆo ? Nonlinearity of the gain

3/14
 a ( j ω ) r ( jω ) < 1 oscillations are attenuated - zero
a ( j ω ) r ( jω ) > 1 oscillations are amplified - saturation

Stability of the oscillation amplitude

Automatic gain control

vo = Vˆo sin 2πf 0t

r ( jω ) = cst

Vˆo ↑, a( jω0 ) ↓, Vˆ0 ↓

4/14
 RC Oscillators
 Basic amplifier independent of frequency:
• inverting ϕ r = −180
o

• noninverting ϕ r = 0
 Frequency selective network
BPF with one zero and
two poles
Phase shift of the network
lies in the range of
[+90o; -90o].
We want ϕ r = 0 just for a
single frequency f0

It is necessary to bring
closer the two poles.

5/14
WIEN Bridge
For only one
single frequency,
f0 we have
ϕr = 0

v r ( jω )
F ( jω ) =
vo ( j ω )

output input 6/14

WIEN Bridge–cont.

v r ( jω ) 1
r ( jω ) = =
vo ( jω ) Rs C p  1 
1+ + 
+ j ω Rs C s − 
ϕr = 0 Rp Cs  ωR pC p 
 
1
ω0 Rs Cs − =0
ω0 R p C p
1
1 r ( jω 0 ) =
f0 = Rs C p
2π Rs R p C s C p 1+ +
R p Cs
Rs = R p = R 1 1
f0 = r ( jω0 ) =
Cs = C p = C 2πRC 3 7/14 7/14
 Op amp and WIEN bridge oscillator

vo (t ) = Vˆo sin 2πf 0t

Rs = R p = R
Cs = C p = C

1 1
f0 = r ( jω0 ) =
2πRC 3
1
a ( jω 0 ) = =3
r ( jω 0 )
R4 R4
a =1+ 1+ =3 R4 = 2R3
R3 R3
Vˆo = ? Nonlinearity on the gain, close to saturation
8/14
 Automatic control of the amplitude
1. Using diodes
for vo (t ) small, D1, D2 – (off)
R4' + R4''
a =1+
R3
a ( jω 0 ) r ( jω 0 ) > 1
vo (t ) increases,
D1 – (on) on the
positive half-cycle
D2 – (on) on the
negative half-cycle

R4' + R4'' || rd a ( jω 0 ) r ( jω 0 ) = 1 to maintain oscillations

a =1+
R3
Vˆo is given by the value of rd
9/14
2. Using n-channel
depletion-type MOSFET
R4
a = 1+ '
R3 + rDS
1
rDS ≈
2β (vGS − VTh )

vGS<0
| vGS |↑, rDS ↓

10/14
 Op amp and RC ladder network oscillator
• High pass band
• Low pass band

• the phase-shift is in the

range of [0o; -90o]
• inverting basic amplifier
• how many identical RC cells
are necessary to build an
oscillator?

11/14
 low pass RC
ladder with
3 cells
1
r ( jω ) = 2
[
1 − 5(ωRC ) + j 6ωRC − (ωRC )
3
] ϕr = 0
6ω0 RC − (ω0 RC ) = 0
3

6
f0 =
2πRC

1
r ( jω 0 ) = −
29

12/14
The circuit of RC ladder network oscillator

Why the basic amplifier does not contain

only one inverting op-amp amplifier? 13/14
Illustration
How does the voltages vo(t) and v+(t)
look like in the steady-state
regime? What is the oscillation
frequency?
Size R4 so that the circuit will
maintain the oscillation. In
conduction assume the
equivalent diode resistance
rD1=rD2=0,5 KΩ. Verify if the
oscillation can start.
How does the voltage vo(t) look like
in the steady-state regime if D2
diode is mising in the circuit?

14/14