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Signal Flow Graphs and Mason's Rule Guide

Signal flow graphs are an alternative to block diagrams that represent systems of simultaneous equations using branches to represent systems and nodes to represent signals. Mason's rule is a technique for reducing signal flow graphs to a single transfer function relating the output to the input of a system. It involves calculating the forward path gains, loop gains including non-touching loop gains, and using these terms to determine the transfer function components numerator and denominator.

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219 views3 pages

Signal Flow Graphs and Mason's Rule Guide

Signal flow graphs are an alternative to block diagrams that represent systems of simultaneous equations using branches to represent systems and nodes to represent signals. Mason's rule is a technique for reducing signal flow graphs to a single transfer function relating the output to the input of a system. It involves calculating the forward path gains, loop gains including non-touching loop gains, and using these terms to determine the transfer function components numerator and denominator.

Uploaded by

athenalavega
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Signal flow graphs

- alternative to block diagrams


- A pictorial representation of the simultaneous equations describing a system
- Signal flow graphs consists only of branches, which represent systems and
nodes, which represent signals

 start by drawing the signal nodes for that system


 Then interconnect the signal nodes with system branches

Example:
Find the signal flow representation of the system below:
Mason’s rule
- A technique for reducing signal-flow graphs to a single transfer function that
relates the output of a system to its input

Definitions:
 Loop gain- product of branch gains found by traversing a path that starts at a
node and ends at the same node, following the direction of the signal flow,
without passing through any other node more than once.

 Forward-path gain- the product of gains found by traversing a path from the
input node to the output node of the signal-flow graph in the direction of
signal flow

 Nontouching loops- loops that do not have any nodes in common

 Nontouching-loop gain- the product of loop gains from non touching loops
taken two, three, four or more at a time

Mason’s rule
C(s)
The transfer function R(s) , of a system represented by a signal flow graph is
∑T ∆
C (s ) k k k
G ( s )= =
R (s ) ∆
k =¿ number of forward paths
T k =¿ the kth forward path gain
∆=1−∑ loop gains+ ∑ (nontouc h ing−loop gains takentwo at a time)−∑ (nontouc hing−loop gainstakent h r
∆ k =∆−¿ ∑
loop gain in terms in ∆ that touch the kth forward path. In other
words, ∆ k is formed by eliminating from ∆ those loop gains that touch the kth
forward path

Examples: Use mason’s law to solve for the transfer function

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