Block Diagram reduction

Review: Block Diagram of a System

• Components of a block diagram:
➢Blocks to represent components

➢Arrows to indicate direction of signal flow

➢Summing points to show merging signals

➢Take off points to indicate branching of signals

Block Diagram Reduction
• Block diagram reduction refers to simplification of block diagrams of
complex systems through certain rearrangements

• Simplification enables easy calculation of the overall transfer function

of the system

• Simplification is done using certain rules called the ‘rules of block

diagram algebra’

• All these rules are derived by simply algebraic manipulations of the

equations representing the blocks
Rules of Block Diagram Algebra
1. Combining blocks in cascade
Rules of Block Diagram Algebra
2. Combining blocks in parallel
Rules of Block Diagram Algebra
3. Eliminating a feedback loop
Rules of Block Diagram Algebra
4. Interchanging the summing point
Rules of Block Diagram Algebra
5. Moving a summing point after a block
Rules of Block Diagram Algebra
6. Moving a summing point before a block
Rules of Block Diagram Algebra
7. Moving a take-off point after a block
Rules of Block Diagram Algebra
8. Moving a take-off point before a block
Example1. Find the overall transfer function

H2

R _ C
+_ + G1 + G2 G3
+

H1
Contd….
H2
G1
R _ C
+_ + + G1 G2 G3
+

H1
Contd…
H2
G1
R _ C
+_ + + G1G2 G3
+

H1
Contd….
H2
G1
R _ C
+_ + + G1G2 G3
+

H1
Contd….
H2
G1
R _ G1G2 C
+_ + G3
1 − G1G2 H1
Contd….
H2
G1
R _ G1G2G3 C
+_ +
1 − G1G2 H1
Contd….

R G1G2G3 C
+_ 1 − G1G2 H1 + G2G3 H 2
Contd….

R G1G2G3 C
1 − G1G2 H1 + G2G3 H 2 + G1G2G3
Example2: Reduce the Block Diagram.
Contd….
Example3: Reduce the Block Diagram.
Example: Continue.
Simplify the block diagram then obtain the close-loop transfer function C(S)/R(S).
Signal Flow Graph
Signal flow Graph
• For complicated systems, block diagram reduction is tedious and time consuming

• Signal flow graph is an alternate approach to block diagram representation

• It is a graphical representation of the relationships between the system variables

• Signal flow graph does not require any reduction because there is a graph gain
formula which directly gives the transfer function

• It was developed by S.J. Mason

Properties of Signal flow Graph
• Signal flow graph can be obtained from the block diagram of a system

• Signal flow graph can also be obtained from system equations directly

• The equations must be in algebraic form (𝑠− domain)

• It is applicable only for linear systems (detailed during state space

analysis)
Signal Flow Graphs: Example
• Consider a simple equation below and draw its signal flow graph:
y = ax
• The signal flow graph of the equation is shown below;
a y
x

▪ r1 and r2 are inputs and x1 and x2 are outputs

a11 x1 + a12 x2 + r1 x1

a21 x1 + a22 x2 + r2 x2

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Components of Signal Flow Graphs
Node:
➢Represents a system variable which is equal to the sum of all incoming
signals at the node.
➢Outgoing signals do not affect the variable at the node.

Branch:
➢A signal travels along a branch from one node to another in the direction
indicated by the branch arrow.
➢Each branch has a gain.
➢The signal passing through a branch gets multiplied by its gain.
Terminology in Signal Flow Graphs
1. Input Node:
➢Node with only outgoing branches.

2. Output Node:
➢Node with only incoming branches
➢If this condition is not met, an additional branch with unit gain may be
introduced.

3. Path:
➢It is the traversal of connected branches in the direction of branch arrows
such that no node is traversed more than once.
Terminology in Signal Flow Graphs
4. Forward Path:
➢A path from the input node to the output node

5. Loop:
➢A path which originates and terminates at the same node

6. Non-touching loops:
➢Loops with no common nodes

7. Path gain:
➢Product of branch gains encountered in traversing a path (or loop)
Mason’s Gain Formula
• Purpose of Mason’s gain formula is to find the overall gain of the signal flow
graph which is the transfer function of the system
• Overall gain =
𝑁 𝑃 𝑘 Δ𝑘
TF= σ𝑘=1
Δ

𝑇𝐹: Overall transfer function of the system

𝑃𝑘 : Path gain of 𝑘th forward path
𝑁: Number of forward paths in the graph
Δ: Determinant of the graph
Δ𝑘 : The value of delta for the part of the graph not touching the 𝑘𝑡ℎ forward
path
Mason’s Gain Formula
• Overall gain =
𝑁 𝑃 𝑘 Δ𝑘
TF= σ𝑘=1
Δ

• Δ: determinant of the graph =1 – (sum of individual loop gains) + (sum of gain

products of all combinations of two non-touching loops) − (sum of gain
products of all combinations of three non-touching loops) + …

• 𝜟𝒌 : the value of delta for the part of the graph not touching the 𝑘𝑡ℎ forward path
= the value of delta for a reduced graph with nodes and branches in the 𝑘𝑡ℎ
forward path removed
Signal Flow Graph : Example1
Contd….
Example2: Find The transfer Function
H1

R(s) E(s) X1 － X3 C(s)

G1 G2 G3 G4
－ X2
－
H2

H3

－H1
R(s) 1 E(s) G1 X1 G2 X2 G3 X3 G4 C(s)

－H2
－H3
37
Contd…
－H1
R(s) 1 E(s) G1 X1 G2 X2 G3 G4 X3 1 C(s)

－H2

－H3

 = 1 + (G1G2G3G4 H 3 + G2G3 H 2 + G3G4 H 1 )

P1 = G1G2G3G4 ; 1 = 1

C ( s) G1G2G3G4
G= =
R( s ) 1 + G1G2G3G4 H 3 + G2G3 H 2 + G3G4 H 1
38
Example3: Find The transfer Function
－
－ X1 Y1
G1
R(s) + + C(s)
E(s)
－ －X +
2
G2
－ Y2

-1
X1 G1 Y1
-1
-1 1
R(s) 1 E(s) C(s)
1 1 1
X2 G2 Y2

-1
-1
39
Contd……
-1
X1 G1 Y1
-1 1
R(s) 1 E(s) -1 C(s)
1 X2 1 Y2 1
G2

-1 -1

forward paths:
p1 = ( − 1)  G1  1
p2 = ( − 1)  G1  ( − 1)  G2  1

p3 = 1  G2  1

p4 = 1  G2  1  G1  1 40
Contd….. -1
X1 G1 Y1
-1 1
R(s) 1 E(s) -1 C(s)
1 X2 1 Y2 1
G2

-1 -1
loops:?
1 2 non-touching loops :?
2
1
3
2
4

5 3

6
7 41
Contd….
-1
X1 G1 Y1
-1 1
R(s) 1 E(s) -1 C(s)
1 X2 1 Y2 1
G2

-1 -1

Then: Δ = 1 + 2G2 + 4G1G2

Δ1 = 1 + G2 C( s )  pk k
=
R( s ) 
Δ2 = 1
G2 − G1 + 2G1G2
Δ3 = 1 + G1 =
1 + 2G2 + 4G1G2
Δ4 = 1 42
Example4: Calculate the transfer function : HW

P1

P2

1.Forward path.
P1 = G1G2G3G4 (path 1) and P2 = G5G6G7G8 (path 2)

2. Loops.
L1 = G2 H 2 , L2 = H 3G3 , L3 = G6 H 6 , L4 = G7 H 7

3. Two non-touching loops.

L1L3 L1L4
L2L4 L2L3 43
Contd.....
4. Three non-touching loops.
None.

5. Calculate Δ from steps 2,3,4.

 = 1 − (L1 + L2 + L3 + L4 ) + (L1L3 + L1L4 + L2 L3 + L2 L4 )

 = 1 − (G2 H 2 + H 3G3 + G6 H 6 + G7 H 7 ) +
(G2 H 2G6 H 6 + G2 H 2G7 H 7 + H 3G3G6 H 6 + H 3G3G7 H 7 )

44
Contd….
Eliminate forward path-1

1 = 1 − (L3 + L4 )
1 = 1 − (G6 H 6 + G7 H 7 )

Eliminate forward path-2

 2 = 1 − (L1 + L2 )

 2 = 1 − (G2 H 2 + G3 H 3 )

45
Contd…..
Y ( s ) P11 + P2  2
=
R( s ) 

Y (s) G1G2G3G4 1 − (G6 H 6 + G7 H 7 ) + G5G6G7 G8 1 − (G2 H 2 + G3 H 3 )

=
R( s ) 1 − (G2 H 2 + H 3G3 + G6 H 6 + G7 H 7 ) + (G2 H 2G6 H 6 + G2 H 2G7 H 7 + H 3G3G6 H 6 + H 3G3G7 H 7 )

46