Lecture 3 Oscillator

Introduction of Oscillator
Linear Oscillator
Wien Bridge Oscillator
RC Phase-Shift Oscillator
LC Oscillator

Stability

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

Oscillators
Oscillation: an effect that repeatedly and
regularly fluctuates about the mean value
Oscillator: circuit that produces oscillation
Characteristics: wave-shape, frequency,
amplitude, distortion, stability
Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

Application of Oscillators
Oscillators are used to generate signals, e.g.
Used as a local oscillator to transform the RF
signals to IF signals in a receiver;
Used to generate RF carrier in a transmitter
Used to generate clocks in digital systems;
Used as sweep circuits in TV sets and CRO.

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

Linear Oscillators
1.
2.
3.
4.

Wien Bridge Oscillators

RC Phase-Shift Oscillators
LC Oscillators
Stability

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

Integrant of Linear Oscillators

Vs

+
+

Positive
Feedback

Vf

Amplifier (A)

Vo

Frequency-Selective
Feedback Network ()

For sinusoidal input is connected

Linear because the output is approximately sinusoidal
A linear oscillator contains:
- a frequency selection feedback network
- an amplifier to maintain the loop gain at unity
Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

Basic Linear Oscillator

Vs

+
+

Vf

SelectiveNetwork
(f)

Vo AV A(Vs V f )

Vo

A(f)

and

V f Vo

Vo
A

Vs 1 A

If Vs = 0, the only way that Vo can be nonzero

is that loop gain A=1 which implies that
| A | 1
(Barkhausen Criterion)
A 0
Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

Wien Bridge Oscillator

Let X C1

1
1
X

and C 2
C1
C 2

Frequency Selection Network

Z1

Z1 R1 jX C1
1
1
Z2

jX
C2
2

R1
1

jR2 X C 2
R2 jX C 2

Z2

C1

Vi

C2

R2

Vo

Therefore, the feedback factor,

Vo
Z2
( jR2 X C 2 / R2 jX C 2 )

Vi Z1 Z 2 ( R1 jX C1 ) ( jR2 X C 2 / R2 jX C 2 )

jR2 X C 2

( R1 jX C1 )( R2 jX C 2 ) jR2 X C 2

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

 can be rewritten as:

R2 X C 2

R1 X C 2 R2 X C1 R2 X C 2 j ( R1 R2 X C1 X C 2 )

For Barkhausen Criterion, imaginary part = 0, i.e.,

or

1 1
R1 R2
C1 C2

1 / R1 R2C1C2

RX C

3RX C j ( R 2 X C2 )

Ref:061031

0.32
0.3
0.28

=1/3

0.26
0.24
0.22
0.2
1
0.5

Phase

Supposing,
R1=R2=R and XC1= XC2=XC,

Feedback factor

R1 R2 X C1 X C 2 0

0.34

f(R=Xc)
Phase=0

-0.5
-1

EE3110 Oscillator

Frequency

Example

1
By setting RC , we get
1
Imaginary part = 0 and
3
Due to Barkhausen Criterion,
Loop gain Av=1
where
Av : Gain of the amplifier
Rf
Av 1 Av 3 1
R1
Rf
2
Therefore,
R1
Ref:061031

Rf
R1

C
C

Vo

Z1

R
Z2

Wien Bridge Oscillator

EE3110 Oscillator

RC Phase-Shift Oscillator
Rf
R1

C
R

C
R

Using an inverting amplifier

The additional 180o phase shift is provided by an RC
phase-shift network

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

10

Applying KVL to the phase-shift network, we have

V1 I1 ( R jX C ) I 2 R
0 I1 R

I 2 (2 R jX C ) I 3 R

I2R

V1

I 3 ( 2 R jX C )

Solve for I3, we get

I3

Or

R jX C
R
0

R
2 R jX C
R

V1
0
0

R jX C
R
0

R
2 R jX C
R

C
I1

C
R

I2

C
R

I3

Vo
R

0
R
2 R jX C

V1 R 2
I3
( R jX C )[(2 R jX C ) 2 R 2 ] R 2 (2 R jX C )

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

11

The output voltage,

V1 R 3
Vo I 3 R
( R jX C )[(2 R jX C ) 2 R 2 ] R 2 (2 R jX C )

Hence the transfer function of the phase-shift network is given by,

Vo
R3
3
V1 ( R 5 RX C2 ) j ( X C3 6 R 2 X C )

For 180o phase shift, the imaginary part = 0, i.e.,

X C3 6 R 2 X C 0 or X C 0 (Rejected)
X C2 6 R 2
1

6 RC

and,

Ref:061031

1

29

Note: The ve sign mean the

phase inversion from the
voltage

EE3110 Oscillator

12

LC Oscillators

The frequency selection

network (Z1, Z2 and Z3)
provides a phase shift of
180o
The amplifier provides an
addition shift of 180o

Av Ro
~

+
2

Z1

Two well-known Oscillators:

Colpitts Oscillator
Harley Oscillator

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

Z2

Z3

Zp

13

Av Ro

Z1
V f Vo
Vo
Z1 Z 3

+
Z1

Vf

Z2
Z3

Z p Z 2 //( Z1 Z 3 )

Vo
Zp

Z 2 ( Z1 Z 3 )
Z1 Z 2 Z 3

For the equivalent circuit from the output

Ro
+
AvVi

Io

Zp Vo

AvVi
Vo
Vo Av Z p

or

Ro Z p Z p
Vi Ro Z p

Therefore, the amplifier gain is obtained,

Vo
Av Z 2 ( Z1 Z 3 )
A

Vi Ro ( Z1 Z 2 Z 3 ) Z 2 ( Z1 Z 3 )

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

14

The loop gain,

Av Z1Z 2
A
Ro ( Z1 Z 2 Z 3 ) Z 2 ( Z1 Z 3 )

If the impedance are all pure reactances, i.e.,

Z1 jX 1 , Z 2 jX 2 and Z 3 jX 3

Av X 1 X 2
The loop gain becomes, A
jRo ( X 1 X 2 X 3 ) X 2 ( X 1 X 3 )

The imaginary part = 0 only when X1+ X2+ X3=0

It indicates that at least one reactance must be ve (capacitor)

X1 and X2 must be of same type and X3 must be of opposite type

With imaginary part = 0, A

Av X 1
Av X 1

X1 X 3
X2

For Unit Gain & 180 Phase-shift,

o

Ref:061031

A 1

EE3110 Oscillator

Av

X2
X1

15

Hartley Oscillator
R

Colpitts Oscillator
R

L1
C
L2

1
( L1 L2 )C

L1
gm
RL2
Ref:061031

1
o
LCT
C
gm 2
RC1
EE3110 Oscillator

C1
C2

C1C2
CT
C1 C2

16

Colpitts Oscillator
R

Equivalent circuit

C1
C2

L
C2

+
V

gmV

C1

In the equivalent circuit, it is assumed that:

Linear small signal model of transistor is used
The transistor capacitances are neglected
Input resistance of the transistor is large enough
Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

17

At node 1,
V1 V i1 ( jL)

where,
i1 jC2V

C2

V1 V (1 LC2 )
2

+
V

I1

L
I2
gmV

node 1

I3
R

I4

V
C1

Apply KCL at node 1, we have

V1
jC2V g mV jC1V1 0
R
1

2
jC2V g mV V (1 LC2 ) jC1 0
R

For Oscillator V must not be zero, therefore it enforces,

1 2 LC2
g m
j (C1 C2 ) 3 LC1C2 0
R
R

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

18

1 2 LC2
g m
j (C1 C2 ) 3 LC1C2 0
R
R

Imaginary part = 0, we have

1
LCT

C1C2
CT
C1 C2

Real part = 0, yields

gm

C2
RC1

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

19

Frequency Stability
The frequency stability of an oscillator is
defined as
1
o

dT o

ppm/ o C

Use high stability capacitors, e.g. silver

mica, polystyrene, or teflon capacitors and
low temperature coefficient inductors for
high stable oscillators.
Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

20

Amplitude Stability
In order to start the oscillation, the loop
gain is usually slightly greater than unity.
LC oscillators in general do not require
amplitude stabilization circuits because of
the selectivity of the LC circuits.
In RC oscillators, some non-linear devices,
e.g. NTC/PTC resistors, FET or zener
diodes can be used to stabilized the
amplitude
Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

21

Wien-bridge oscillator with bulb stabilization

R

C
+

irms

R2
Blub

Operating
point

Vrms
Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

22

Wien-bridge oscillator with diode stabilization

Rf
R1

Vo

C
C

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

23

Twin-T Oscillator
low pass filter

Filter output

low pass region

high pass region

+
high pass filter

fr

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

24

Bistable Circuit
vo
v+

+Vcc

vo

v1

Vth

-Vcc

vo

vo

+Vcc
-Vth

-Vcc

Ref:061031

v1

+Vcc

v1

-Vth

Vth

v1

-Vcc

EE3110 Oscillator

25

A Square-wave Oscillator
vc

vo
vf

+ f

vc
vo

Ref:061031

EE3110 Oscillator

v
+vmax

max

26