4.

DIFFERENTIATOR AND INTEGRATOR

Aim
To design and set up differentiator and integrator circuit and to study its response to a square
wave input.
Components required
Sl No:

Components

Specification

Quantity

Capacitor

.01F, .001F

1 Each

Resistor

1.5M, 1.6K

1 Each

Bread board

Signal generator

CRO

Theory
In a differentiator circuit, the output voltage is proportional to the derivative of the input voltage.
The voltage drop across R is very small in comparison with the drop across the capacitor. The
current through the capacitor is
i=C

d v
dt
dv
Output voltage v 0 =iR=RC dt

Output voltage is proportional to derivative of the input voltage. If the time constant of the
circuit is very large in comparison with the time period of the input signal, the circuit is called an
integrator.

idt= R dt

q 1 v
v o = = dt
C C R
vo =

1
v dt
RC

DESIGN
1. Differentiator
For an RC circuit to behave as an differentiator, the time constant of circuit should be very less
than time period of the signal.
RC 0.0016 T

where, RC is the time constant of circuit and T is the time period of signal.
T 1 ms

Let input be 1 KHz, so time period be

R

and take C = 0.001F

0.0016 T 0.0016 1 10 3

1.6 K
C
0.001 10 6

2. Integrator
For an RC circuit to behave as an integrator, the time constant of circuit should be much greater
than time period of the signal.
RC 16 T

where, RC is the time constant of circuit and T is the time period of signal.
T 1 ms

Let input be 1 KHz, so time period be

R

16T 16 1 10 3

1.6 M (1.5 M)
C
0.01 10 6

Procedure

and take C = 0.01F

Set up the differentiator and integrator as per circuit diagram. For differentiator, set the signal
generator in pulse form and fix the amplitude at 20Vpp and frequency at 1 KHz. Using another
probe, connect the signal generator output to the input of the circuit. Observe the input and
output on the CRO. Repeat this with square wave and note the output waves.
For integrator, set the signal generator in pulse wave mode and fix the amplitude at 20Vpp and
frequency at 1 KHz. Observe integrated waveform on CRO by connecting output of the circuit to
other channel of CRO so as to see the input as well as the output of the circuit simultaneously.

Result
The differentiator and integrator circuit were designed. The output waveforms were observed and
plotted.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM
RC Differentiator Circuit

RC Integrator Circuit