Rules for Making Bode Plots

Term Magnitude Phase

K>0: 0°
Constant: K 20·log10(|K|)
K<0: ±180°
Low freq. asymptote at 0°.
Real Pole: 1 Low freq. asymptote at 0 dB High freq. asymptote at
s High freq. asymptote at -20 dB/dec -90°.
1
0 Connect asymptotic lines at 0, Connect with straight line
from 0.1· 0 to 10· 0.
Low freq. asymptote at 0°.
Low freq. asymptote at 0 dB High freq. asymptote at
Real Zero*: s 1 High freq. asymptote at +20 dB/dec. +90°.
0
Connect asymptotic lines at 0. Connect with line from
0.1· 0 to 10· 0.
Pole at Origin: 1 -20 dB/dec; through 0 dB at =1. -90° for all .
s
Zero at Origin*: s +20 dB/dec; through 0 dB at =1. +90° for all .
Low freq. asymptote at 0 dB. Low freq. asymptote at 0°.
Underdamped Poles: High freq. asymptote at -40 dB/dec. High freq. asymptote at
-180°.
Connect asymptotic lines at 0.
Connect with straight line
1 Draw peak† at freq. r 0 1 2
2
from ‡
2 with amplitude 2
s s log10
2 1 H( j ) 20 log10 2 1 2 2
r 0 to 0
0 0 2 2
log10

Draw low freq. asymptote at 0 dB. Low freq. asymptote at 0°.

Draw high freq. asymptote at +40 Draw high freq. asymptote
Underdamped Zeros*: dB/dec. at +180°.
Connect asymptotic lines at 0. Connect with a straight
2 Draw dip† at freq. 0 with line from ‡
s s r
1 2 2 2
2 1 log10
2
0 0 amplitude 0
2
to 0
2
log10
H( j r ) 20 log10 2 1 2 .

Notes:
* Rules for drawing zeros create the mirror image (around 0 dB, or 0 ) of those for a pole with the same 0.
† For underdamped poles and zeros peak exists only for 0
1 and peak freq. is typically very near
0.707 0.
2
‡ For underdamped poles and zeros If <0.02 draw phase vertically from 0 to -180 degrees at 0
For nth order pole or zero make asymptotes, peaks and slopes n times higher than shown (i.e., second order asymptote
is -40 dB/dec, and phase goes from 0 to –180o). Don’t change frequencies, only the plot values and slopes.