Unit V

Time Base generators and

blocking Oscillators
Unit V
• Time Based Generator and Blocking Oscillators -
Principle of Time Based Generator – Types of
Time Based Generator – Voltage Time Based
Generator – Bootstrapped and Miller Saw Tooth
Generator – Current time Based Generator –
Blocking Oscillator - Monostable and Astable
Blocking Oscillator using Emitter and base Timing
– Push-Pull Operation of Blocking Oscillator
Principle of time base generator
• In the field of electronics, a bootstrap circuit is one where part of the
output of an amplifier stage is applied to the input, so as to alter the
input impedance of the amplifier.
• When applied deliberately, the intention is usually to increase rather
than decrease the impedance. Generally, any technique where part of
the output of a system is used at startup is described as bootstrapping.

• In the domain of MOSFET circuits, bootstrapping is commonly used to

mean pulling up the operating point of a transistor above the power
supply rail.

• The same term has been used somewhat more generally for dynamically
altering the operating point of an operational amplifier
BLOCKING OSCILLATORS
Pulse Transformer
 A Pulse transformer is one which couples a source of rectangular
pulses of electrical energy to the load. Keeping the shape and other
properties of pulses unchanged. They are wide band transformers
with minimum attenuation and zero or minimum phase change.
 The output of the transformer depends upon the charge and discharge
of the capacitor connected.
 The regenerative feedback is made easy by using pulse transformer.
The output can be fed back to the input in the same phase by
properly choosing the winding polarities of the pulse transformer.
Blocking oscillator is such a free-running oscillator made using a
capacitor and a pulse transformer along with a single transistor
which is cut off for most of the duty cycle producing periodic pulses.
 Using the blocking oscillator, Astable and Monostable operations are
possible. But Bistable operation is not possible. Let us go through
them.
 MONOSTABLE BLOCKING
OSCILLATORS
 If the blocking oscillator needs a single pulse, to change its
state, it is called as a Monostable blocking oscillator circuit.
These Monostable blocking oscillators can be of two types.
They are
 Monostable blocking oscillator with base timing
 Monostable blocking oscillator with emitter timing
 In both of these, a timing resistor R controls the gate width,
which when placed in the base of transistor becomes base
timing circuit and when placed in the emitter of transistor
becomes emitter timing circuit.
 To have a clear understanding, let us discuss the working of
base timing Monostable Multi-vibrator.
Transistor Triggered Monostable blocking
oscillator with Base timing
 A transistor, a pulse transformer for feedback and
a resistor in the base of the transistor constitute
the circuit of a transistor triggered Monostable
blocking oscillator with base timing. The pulse
transformer used here has a turns ratio of n: 1
where the base circuit has n turns for every turn
on the collector circuit. A resistance R is
connected in series to the base of the transistor
which controls the pulse duration.
 Initially the transistor is in OFF condition. As
shown in the following figure, VBB is
considered zero or too low, which is negligible.
Transistor Triggered Monostable blocking oscillator with Base timing

 The voltage at the collector is VCC, since the device is OFF. But when a negative
trigger is applied at the collector, the voltage gets reduced. Because of the
winding polarities of the transformer, the collector voltage goes down, while the
base voltage rises.
 When the base to emitter voltage becomes greater than the cut-in voltage, i.e.
VBE>Vγ
 Then, a small base current is observed. This raises the collector current which
decreases the collector voltage. This action cumulates further, which increases
the collector current and decreases the collector voltage further. With the
regenerative feedback action, if the loop gain increases, the transistor gets into
saturation quickly. But this is not a stable state.
 When the transistor gets into saturation, the collector current increases and the
base current is constant. Now, the collector current slowly starts charging the
capacitor and the voltage at the transformer reduces. Due to the transformer
winding polarities, the base voltage gets increased. This in turn decreases the
base current. This cumulative action, throws the transistor into cut off condition,
which is the stable state of the circuit.
Transistor Triggered Monostable blocking oscillator with Base
timing
 The output waveforms are as follows
Transistor Triggered Monostable blocking oscillator with Base
timing
 The main disadvantage of this circuit is that the output Pulse
width cannot be maintained stable. We know that the collector
current is
 As the hFE is temperature dependent and the pulse width varies
linearly with this, the output pulse width cannot be stable. Also
hFE varies with the transistor used.
 Anyways, this disadvantage can be eliminated if the resistor is
placed in emitter, which means the solution is the emitter timing
circuit. When the above condition occurs, the transistor turns
OFF in the emitter timing circuit and so a stable output is
obtained.
ASTABLE BLOCKING OSCILLATORS

 If the blocking oscillator can change its state automatically, it

is called as an Astable blocking oscillator circuit. These
Astable blocking oscillators can be of two types. They are
 Diode controlled Astable blocking oscillator
 RC controlled Astable blocking oscillator
 In diode controlled Astable blocking oscillator, a diode placed
in the collector changes the state of the blocking oscillator.
While in the RC controlled Astable blocking oscillator, a
timing resistor R and capacitor C form a network in the emitter
section to control the pulse timings.
 To have a clear understanding, let us discuss the working of
Diode controlled Astable blocking oscillator.
Astable blocking oscillator (Diode
controlled)
 The diode controlled Astable blocking
oscillator contains a pulse transformer in
the collector circuit. A capacitor is
connected in between transformer
secondary and the base of the transistor.
The transformer primary and the diode
are connected in the collector.
 An initial pulse is given at the collector
of the transistor to initiate the process
and from there no pulses are required and
the circuit behaves as an Astable
Multivibrator. The figure below shows
the circuit of a diode controlled Astable
blocking oscillator.
Astable blocking oscillator (Diode controlled)
 Initially the transistor is in OFF state. To initiate the circuit, a negative
trigger pulse is applied at the collector. The diode whose anode is
connected to the collector, will be in reverse biased condition and will be
OFF by the application of this negative trigger pulse.
 This pulse is applied to the pulse transformer and due to the winding
polarities (as indicated in the figure), same amount of voltage gets
induced without any phase inversion. This voltage flows through the
capacitor towards the base, contributing some base current. This base
current, develops some base to emitter voltage, which when crosses the
cut-in voltage, pushes the transistor Q1 to ON. Now, the collector current
of the transistor Q1 raises and it gets applied to both the diode and the
transformer. The diode which is initially OFF gets ON now.
 The voltage that gets induced into the transformer primary windings
induces some voltage into the transformer secondary winding, using
which the capacitor starts charging.
Astable blocking oscillator (Diode controlled)
 As the capacitor will not deliver any current while it is
getting charged, the base current iB stops flowing. This turns
the transistor Q1 OFF. Hence the state is changed.
 Now, the diode which was ON, has some voltage across it,
which gets applied to the transformer primary, which is
induced into the secondary. Now, the current flows through
the capacitor which lets the capacitor discharge. Hence the
base current iB flows turning the transistor ON again.
 The output waveforms are as shown in the Figure.
Astable blocking oscillator (Diode controlled)
 As the diode helps the transistor to change its state, this circuit is
diode controlled. Also, as the trigger pulse is applied only at the
time of initiation, whereas the circuit keeps on changing its state
all by its own, this circuit is an Astable oscillator. Hence the name
diode controlled Astable blocking oscillator is given.
 Another type of circuit uses R and C combination in the emitter
portion of the transistor and it is called as RC controlled Astable
blocking oscillator circuit.
Astable Blocking Oscillator (RC-Controlled)
 When power is applied to the circuit, R1 provides forward bias and transistor
Q1 conducts. Current flow through Q1 and the primary of Te induces a
voltage in L2. The phasing dots on the transformer indicate 180-degree,
phase shift. As the bottom side of L1 is going negative, the bottom side of L2
is going positive. The positive voltage of L2 is coupled to the base of the
transistor through Cl, and Q1 conducts more.
 This provides more collectors current and more current through L1. This
action is regenerative feedback. Very rapidly, sufficient voltage is applied to
saturate the base of Q1. Once the base becomes saturated, it loses control
over collector current. The circuit now can be compared to a small in series
with a relatively C large inductor (L1), or a series RL circuit. The operation
of the circuit to this point has generated a very steep leading edge for the
output pulse. Figure shows the idealized collector and base waveforms.
Once the base of Q1 becomes saturated, the current increase in L1 is
determined by the time constant of L1 and the total series resistance. From T0
to T1 in figure the current increase (not shown) is approximately linear. The
voltage across L1 will be a constant value as long as the current increase
through L1 is linear.
Astable Blocking Oscillator (RC-Controlled)
 At time T1, L1 saturates. At this time, there is no further change in magnetic flux
and no coupling from L1 to L2. Cl, which has charged during time to T0 to T1, will
now discharge through R1 and cut off Q1. This causes collector current to stop, and
the voltage across LI returns to 0. The length of time between T0 and T1 (and T2 to
T3 in the next cycle) is the pulse width, which depends mainly on the
characteristics of the transformer and the point at which the transformer saturates.
 A transformer is chosen that will saturate at about 10 percent of the total circuit
current. This ensures that the current increase is nearly linear. The transformer
controls the pulse width because it controls the Slope of collector current increase
between points T0 and T1. Since TC= L / R, the greater the L, the longer the TC. The
longer the time constant, the slower the rate of current increases. When the rate of
current increase is slow, the voltage across L1 is constant for a longer time. This
primarily determines the pulse width.
 From TI to T2, transistor Q1 is held at cutoff by C1 discharging through R1. The
transistor is now said to be “blocked.” As Cl gradually loses its charge, the voltage
on the base of Q1 returns to a forward-bias condition. At T2, the voltage on the base
has become sufficiently positive to forward bias Q1, and the cycle is repeated.
 APPLICATIONS OF BLOCKING OSCILLATORS
 The blocking oscillator can be used as a frequency divider or counter.
 The blocking oscillator as a low impedance switch can be used to discharge a
capacitor quickly.
 The output of the blocking oscillator can be used as a gating waveform with a
very small mark-space ratio.
 Blocking oscillator is capable of generating a pulse of large peak power. The
average power is small since the duty cycle is low.
 The astable circuit is used as a master oscillator to supply triggers for
synchronizing a system of pulse type waveforms-square waves, sweep
voltages etc.,
 The monostable circuit is used to obtain abrupt pulses from a slowly varying
input triggering voltage.
 Using a tertiary winding, output pulses of either polarity may be obtained
depending upon which end of the winding is grounded. Also, the output
winding may be isolated from ground where required.
THANK YOU