The University of the South Pacific (USP)

School of Engineering & Physics

Faculty of Science & Technology
Electrical & Electronics Engineering Discipline

EE225 : Analog Electronics II

Name: Aashutosh pratap
ID# S11187390
Lab #6
Lab Title: PHASE SHIFT OSCILLATOR

OBJECTIVE:
 Design and construct the sinusoidal wave generators/oscillator namely Phase Shift Oscillator
circuit with amplitude stabilization.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

Figure 1: Shows the circuit diagram of phase shift oscillator

Figure 2: Shows the circuit diagram of stabilized phase shift oscillator.

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OBSERVATION:
Table 1: Shows the observation of phase shift Oscillator.
Without stabilizing circuit Oscillator With stabilizing circuit Oscillator
The Oscillation of output voltage in a phase The Oscillation of output voltage in a phase
shift oscillator without the stabilizing circuit shift oscillator with the stabilizing circuit was a
was a decaying oscillation because the growing oscillation because the amplitude of
amplitude of oscillation decreased from a oscillation increased from a lower amplitude to
higher amplitude to a lower amplitude. a higher amplitude. Theoretically it can be said
Theoretically it can be said that Aβ<1. The that Aβ>1. The frequency of oscillation was
frequency of oscillation was measured as measured as 9500 hz, this was measured from
10250 hz, this was measured from peak to peak peak to peak voltage values. The frequency of
voltage values. The frequency of oscillation oscillation varied at different peak to peak
varied at different peak to peak voltage values. voltage values. Since it is Phase shift oscillator,
Since it is Phase shift oscillator, there is change there is change of phase in voltage for each RC
of phase in voltage for each RC network. At network. At point Vc the phase shift of voltage
point Vc the phase shift of voltage was 60 was 60 degrees. At point Vb the phase shift
degrees. At point Vb the phase shift was 120 was 120 degrees(60+60) and at point Va the
degrees(60+60) and at point Va the phase shift phase shift was 180 degrees (60+60+60). The
was 180 degrees (60+60+60). The output output voltage was 180 degrees out off phase
voltage was 180 degrees out off phase from the from the voltage at point Va. Making the
voltage at point Va. Making the output voltage output voltage 360 degrees phase shift from the
360 degrees phase shift from the input voltage. input voltage. The amplitude of the voltage
The peak amplitude of oscillation was was increased when the stabilizing circuit was
measured as 6.69mV, whereas, the voltages Va implemented. The peak amplitude of
was 231μV, Vb was 595μV and Vc was oscillation was measured as 13.6V and the
2.05mV. There were less distortion of voltages minimum voltage was 866mV, whereas, the
as the gain used was approximately 29. voltages Va was 600mV, Vb was 1.16V and
Vc was 4.15V. There were less distortion of
voltages as the gain used was approximately
29.

RESULTS
Calculations:
Table 2: Pre-lab calculation for Phase shift Oscillator:
Parameters Calculations
Frequency �1 = �1 (� − ��� ) − �2 �
formula 0 =− �1 � + �2 (2� − ��� ) − �3 �
derivation 0 = −�2 � + �3 (2� − ��� )
Use crammers rule:
� − ��� −� �1
−� 2� − ��� 0
����3 0 −� 0
�3 = =
��� � − ��� −� 0
−� 2� − ��� −�
0 −� 2� − ���

2
 �1 �2
�3 =
(� − ��� )[(2� − ��� )2 − �2 ] − �2 (2� − ��� )

�1 �3
� 0 = �3 � =
(� − ��� )[(2� − ��� )2 − �2 ] − �2 (2� − ��� )
V0 �3
β= =
V1 (�3 − 5�2 � ) + �(��3 − 6�2 �� )
For the angle 180 degrees the imaginary (j) is zero.
�� (�2 � − 6�2 ) = 0

�2 � = 6�2
�� = 6�
1
�� =
2���
1
f=
2π 6��

�3 �3 1
β= 3 2 = 3 =− 29
� − 5(6� ) −29�

�� Chosen theoretically as 29kΩ

R 1 Rf
A= =
β R
29000
29 = = 1kΩ
R

R = �1 = 1��

C 1
f=
2π 6��
1
10000 = = 6.49nF
2π 6(1000)�

Gain(A) 1
A= = 29
β

Table 3: Results of phase shift Oscillator (without stabilizing circuit)

Measured valued Results
�� 10250 Hz
Vc 2.05mV
Vb 595μV
Va 231μV
Peak amplitude(Vo) 6.69mV

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R 1 1
R= = = 975Ω
2π 6�� 2π 6(10250)(6.49�10^ − 9)

�� Rf Rf
29 = = = 28.29kΩ
R 975

Aβ 975
Aβ = 29( ) = 0.975
29000
Since Aβ is 0.975 the oscillation is decaying.

Table 4: Results of phase shift Oscillator (with stabilizing circuit)

Measured valued Results

�� 9500 Hz
Vc 4.15V
Vb 1.16V
Va 600mV
Peak amplitude(Vo) 13.6V
Min amplitude(Vo) 866mV
R 1 1
R= = = 1053Ω
2π 6�� 2π 6(9500)(6.495�10^ − 9)
Rf Rf Rf
29 = = = 30.53kΩ
R 1053

Aβ 1053
�� = 29( ) = 1.05
29000
Since Aβ is 1.05 the oscillation is growing

Graphs:

Figure 3 : Shows the Va, Vb, Vc and Vo of Oscillator without stabilizing circuit.

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Figure 4: Shows voltage Vo oscillation without stabilizing circuit.

Figure 5: Shows the Va, Vb, Vc and Vo of Oscillator with stabilizing circuit.

Figure 6: Shows output voltage Vo with stabilized circuit.

DISCUSSION:
The basic RC Oscillator is known as a Phase-shift Oscillator which produces a output sine wave
signal using regenerative feedback obtained from the resistor-capacitor (RC) ladder network.
This regenerative feedback from the RC network is due to the ability of the capacitor to store an

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electric charge. This resistor-capacitor feedback network can be connected to produce a leading
phase shift or interchanged to produce a lagging phase shift, the outcome is still the same as the
sine wave oscillations only occur at the frequency at which the overall phase-shift is 360 degrees.
By varying one or more of the resistors or capacitors in the phase-shift network, the frequency
can be varied and generally this is done by keeping the resistors the same and using a 3-ganged
variable capacitor because capacitive reactance (XC) changes with a change in frequency as
capacitors are frequency-sensitive components. However, it may be required to re-adjust the
voltage gain of the amplifier for the new frequency. If the three resistors, R are equal in value,
that is R1 = R2 = R3, and the capacitors, C in the phase shift network are also equal in
value, C1 = C2 = C3, then the frequency of oscillations produced by the RC oscillator is simply
1
given as:f = 2π 6��
. [1]

Advantages:
 The Circuit of this oscillator is very simple. So there is no complexity while using this
oscillator.
 The cost is also very less as it comprises resistors and capacitors which are not very costly.
 The frequency stability in the RC phase shift oscillator is very good.
 As the output is sinusoidal, so there is no distortion in the output
 The stabilization arrangements and the negative feedback is not needed in RC phase shift
Oscillators.
Disadvantages:
 Due to its smaller feedback, the output is very small. This is one of the drawbacks of RC
phase shift oscillators.
 When the frequency stability of this oscillator compared with the Wien bridge oscillator, it is
very low.
 As the feedback is small, it is somewhat difficult for the circuit to start with oscillations.

Application:

This oscillator is utilized for the generation of signals over a wide range of frequencies. This
oscillator is used in voice synthesis, musical instruments, and GPS units. These oscillators are
capable of working at all audio frequencies.[2]

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The experiment was on phase shift Oscillator. Two types of circuit setup was used for this
experiment. First setup was phase shift oscillation without amplitude stabilization. Before the
experiment was conducted some theoretical calculation were done to find the resistor (R and Rf),
capacitor to allow the oscillation to occur at 10kHz. The formula to calculate oscillation
frequency was derived from lecture notes. The value of Rf was chosen as 29kΩ, since the gain
of phase shift oscillator was 29 the R value was calculated as 1kΩ. From this information the
capacitor value was calculated as 6.49nF at 10khz oscillation frequency. For the setup without
stabilizing circuit the voltage at Vo, Va, Vb and Vc was measured in the LTspice software. In
this part the phase shift of each voltages were observed. Voltage at Vc was 60 degrees out of
phase from the input-voltage. Voltage at Vb was 120 degrees out-of phase from the input
voltage and 60 degrees from Vc. Voltage at Va was 180 degrees out-of phase from the input
voltage, 120 degrees from Vc and 60 degrees from Vb. All the 3 voltage add up and gave rise to
output voltage which was 180 degrees out of phase from Va. So, output voltage has a phase shift
of 360 degrees from the input voltage. Since there were only 3 RC network used, the phase
difference between each voltage was 60 degrees. If the RC network was increased to 4 than the
phase difference between the voltage would have been 45 degrees (θ=n/180) where n=number
of RC network. From the Vo graph it was observed that the oscillation was decayed because the
amplitude of oscillation decreased. Also theoretically the gain Aβ<1. The frequency of
Oscillation from the graph was calculated as 10250hz. The amplitude of oscillation was
measured as 6.69mV. The value of R calculated was 975Ω, Rf=28.3kΩ and the loop gain as
0.975 (0.975<1). The amplitude of Vc was measured as 2.05mV, Vb=595μV and Va=231μV.
The graph was not stabilized as the oscillation was not clearly seen. So in order to stabilize the
output and see a better oscillation without changing the Rf value, a stabilized circuit consisting
of oppositely charged diode and resistor circuit was implemented in the negative feedback.

Second setup using amplitude stabilizer circuit. The introduction of this circuit in the negative
feedback of phase shift Oscillator increased the loop gain(Aβ to approximately 1). Since the
resistance of the diode decreases as the amplitude of the signal across it increases, by
appropriately placing the diode can increase the gain of the amplifier and increase the amplitude
of the output sinusoidal. The two diodes are placed with opposite polarities across the resistance
in the feedback path of the op amp. When the amplitude of the output signal is small, D1 and D2
will be cut off, and the feedback resistance will be (Rf+R2). As the amplitude increases, D1 and

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D2 will conduct, and their incremental resistances will shunt R2, causing the effective feedback
resistance to increase and the amplifier gain to correspondingly increase making the loop gain
approximately 1. From the simulated graphs of the 4 voltages it was observed that the amplitude
of all the voltages was increased. Vo=13.6V, Vc=4.15V, Vb=1.16V and Va=600mV. The phase
shift of the graph remained same for the voltages, with the graph being clear because of bigger
amplitude of voltage. The minimum value of oscillation was 866mv and the maximum was
13.6V. The oscillation frequency was measured as 9500hz, the frequency varied at each period
of graph. The loop gain was calculated as 1.05 (1.05>1) therefore the graph was growing since
(Aβ>1). There were no distortion of sine waves due to stabilizing circuit. Practically the loop
gain Aβ will never be 1 because of the resistance value not being exact.

CONCLUSION:
After completing this experiment, it can be concluded that the stabilized and without stabilizing
phase shift oscillator circuit was implemented in LTspice software. The gain of the phase shift
1
oscillator is 29 with the oscillation frequency are calculated using f = 2π 6��
. The oscillation was

created for both the circuit, the stabilized amplitude circuit was growing (Aβ>1) and the without
stabilizing circuit was decaying (Aβ<1). It was also observed that if the oscillation is not
stabilized instead of changing its Rf value to make it stable, the best way was to introduce the
amplitude stabilizing diode circuit to its negative feedback. Introduction of amplitude stabilizer
circuit increased the amplitude of the voltage. The phase shift oscillator has many advantages
one of it is that it is easy to implement and therefore cheaper. The phase shift oscillator are used
in communication system such as radio frequencies. There were also some difficulties faced
while measuring the oscillation frequency in the LTspice software, due to that the frequency
value measured was not accurate. The error occurred because the cursor to measure the
frequency was not properly placed on the peak amplitude. Also the word phase shift means that
there is phase shift of voltage at every RC network and that add up to give the output voltage
phase shift.

REFERENCE:
[1]“The RC oscillator”, 2019. [Online]. Available:
https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/oscillator/rc_oscillator.html .[Accessed 7th November 2021]

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[2]“What is RC phase shift oscillator”,2020. [online]. Available:
https://www.watelectronics.com/what-is-rc-phase-shift-oscillator-circuit-diagram-its-working/. [Accessed
7th November 2021]