LAB 03

Phasor Analysis using Lissajous Method

:
Learning Objectives:
1. Study the relationships between the amplitude and phase for AC voltages.
2. Develop phasor diagrams for AC electrical circuits through amplitude and phase
measurements for the constituent voltages.

Equipment Required:
1. Digital multimeter (DMM)
2. LCR meter
3. Breadboard
4. Resistors
5. Capacitors
6. Inductors
7. Connecting wires
8. Wire stripper
9. Function generator
10. Cathode ray oscilloscope (CRO)
11. Probes

Introduction:
AC electrical circuits may be defined as circuits which consist of sinusoidal voltage
and current sources as “source” elements, and resistors, inductors, and capacitors as “load”
elements. Due to the inherent stability properties in AC circuits, the transient responses in
the voltages across and the currents through the constituent load elements vanish with time,
implying that these voltages and currents will become sinusoidal at steady state.
Consequently, the steady-state analysis of AC electrical circuits simplifies the determination
of the amplitudes and phases of the voltages across and the currents through the load
elements. The steady-state analysis of AC circuits is best facilitated with phasors. By using
phasors, it is possible to transform the differential equation characterizing the AC electrical
circuit to an algebraic equation.

Consequently, Kirchhoff’s voltage law and Kirchhoff’s current law become readily
applicable to the analysis of the circuit by replacing the sinusoidal voltages and currents by
their phasor representations for both the “source” as well as the “load” elements. Similarly,
Ohm’s law becomes readily applicable to the analysis of AC circuits by replacing the load
elements by their impedances (or admittances).

Theoretical Background:
A phasor is a rotating vector which represents the time variation of a sinusoidal
quantity. A phasor diagram is a two-dimensional phasor plot which shows the magnitude
and phase angle for the associated sinusoidal wave at a particular time. Phasor diagrams are
useful for showing phase differences between two or more sinusoidal quantities.

A sinusoidal signal is represented in time domain as:

v ( t )=v m sin ( ωt + ∅ ) volts

Phasor Analysis using Lissajous Method LAB: 04
Where t represents the time variable. Moreover, v m represents the (peak) amplitude, ω =
2π/T represents the (angular) frequency, and ∅ represents the phase of the signal ( t ) . In
addition, T represents the period of v ( t ).

As an example of the phasor diagram of a sinusoidal voltage, consider the following:

v ( t )=141.4 sin ( ωt+60 ) volts

o

This voltage would be shown on a phasor diagram as:

Fig. 3.1: Phasor Representation of v (t)

In this lab, phase angles are measured by use of the phase ellipse method. The phase
ellipse is formed by putting the oscilloscope in X-Y mode. If the sinusoidal voltages applied
to Channel 1 and Channel 2 of the oscilloscope are out of phase, the oscilloscope display
will be an ellipse (if the voltages are in phase, the display will be a straight line with a non-
zero slope). The magnitude of the phase angle between the CH 1 and CH 2 signals is then
calculated from the arcsine of the ratio of the vertical height at the center of the ellipse (A) to
the total vertical height of the ellipse (B).

Fig. 3.2: Phase difference using X-Y mode

A=Vertical Height at center of ellipse .
B=Total vertical height of ellipse .
∅=Phase anglebetween the voltages .

∅=sin
−1
( AB )
To determine the sign of the phase angle, the oscilloscope is used in the normal swept
mode and both sinusoidal signals are displayed. Remembering that the oscilloscope beam is
swept from left to right across the screen, the signal that peaks ‘first from the left’ is leading
in time. Thus, in the following diagram signal 1 is ahead in time and has a positive phase
angle with respect to signal 2.

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Phasor Analysis using Lissajous Method LAB: 04
Fig. 3.3: Leading and lagging waveform

Fig. 3.4: Circuit diagram for Tasks 1, 2 & 3

Task 1:
Procedure:
1. CAUTION: connect the ground of your breadboard and the oscilloscope ground
terminal. The common ground must be same, else the measured voltages may not be
correct.
2. Set the 10 Vp-p, 2 kHz sinusoidal waveform from function generator. Measure this
voltage and frequency on an oscilloscope. This signal is the reference signal for this
whole experiment.
3. Implement the circuit as shown in figure 3.4 on breadboard and connect the input
voltage from the function generator between point A & B.
4. Connect channel 1 of CRO across A and B and channel 2 across C and B.
5. Sketch the output signal along with reference signal on the graph paper given below.
6. Use the procedures discussed earlier to find the phase difference between the
waveforms of the input wave and the output wave. This is the value of∅ .
7. Measure the peak value of the output signal - note this value as v m in Table 3.1.
8. Measure the frequency of the output signal and find the value of ω – note this value
in Table 3.1.
Sketch the waveform as displayed on the scope; note Volt/Div and Time/Div scales.

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Phasor Analysis using Lissajous Method LAB: 04
vm ω ∅
Measured

Calculated

Table 3.1

Write down the time representation of the output voltage vCB ( t ) :

Mathematical Calculation for Task 1:

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Phasor Analysis using Lissajous Method LAB: 04

Task 2:
Procedure:
1. CAUTION: connect the ground of your breadboard and the oscilloscope ground
terminal. The reference voltages must be same, else the measured voltages may not
be correct.
2. Set the 12 Vp-p, 4 kHz sinusoidal waveform from function generator. Measure this
voltage and frequency on an oscilloscope. This signal is the reference signal for this
whole experiment.
3. Implement the circuit as shown in figure 3.4 on breadboard and connect the input
voltage from the function generator between point A & B.
4. Connect channel 1 of CRO across A and B and channel 2 across D and B.
5. Sketch the output signal along with reference signal on the graph paper given below.
6. Use the procedures discussed earlier to find the phase difference between the
waveforms of the input wave and the output wave. This is the value of∅ .
7. Measure the peak value of the output signal - note this value as v m in Table 3.1.
8. Measure the frequency of the output signal and find the value of ω – note this value
in Table 3.1.
Sketch the waveform as displayed on the scope; note Volt/Div and Time/Div scales.

vm ω ∅
Measured

Calculated

Table 4.2

Write down the time representation of the output voltage v DB ( t ) : vCB

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Phasor Analysis using Lissajous Method LAB: 04

Mathematical Calculation for Task 2:

Task 3:
Design the circuit in fig. 3.4 on LTspice and compare the waveforms of v AB with v CB ,
v AB with v DB, i CB with v CB and i DB with v DB.

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