417

IEEE TRANSACITONS ON CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS, VOL. CAS-27, NO. 5, MAY 1980

Analysis of Active RC Networks by Decomposition

ARTICE

M. DAVIS, MEMBER, IEEE, AND EVAN A.

MOUSTAKAS, MEMBER, IEEE

Absmwr-A method is developed for rapid and intuitive analysis of

aetive RC networks. Only first-or&
the cmtstmts or poles and resistive
voltage transfer ratios need be computed, these being calculated wltb the
varlow capadtols repbwed by either shorts- or open-circnlt~. A computation gmpb is presented for order@ the calculatiom.

Fig.

i,

--

1.

cc

INTRODUCTION

Consider the general active RC network of Fig. 1. All the

capacitances have been extracted, leaving a linear active resistance network. Any source and/or load resistances have been
incorporated into the nondynamic network. The principal aim of
this paper is to present a general, intuitive method of analyzing
such a network by decomposing it into a set of single capacitor
networks.*
ANALYSIS

It is well known that a linear n-capacitor network possesses a

voltage transfer function which is bilinear in each capacitive
admittance. From this fact follows the general form of such a
voltage transfer function:

fz,s+u,~,s-l+
* * * +u,sk+. * * +a0
H(s) = -Vo(s) =
(1)
V,Cs) b,S+b,-IS-+a*
+bkSk+** +bo

+
:.

V
-

-c!3

Fig. 2.

denominator coefficient of order k - 1 whose subscripts form a

subset of {ii, i,, . . ik}. Suppose all capacitors whose subscripts
do not fall in the index set {i,, iz, . . . ik} are open-circuited, thus
forcing their values to zero. Suppose, furthermore, that a capacitor whose subscript is in the index set is selected arbitrarily (say
ik without loss of generality), and all other capacitors are permitted to approach infinity in value-thus
becoming shortcircuits. It becomes apparent that the network degenerates to the
single capacitor circuit of Fig. 2, and the characteristic polynomial becomes one of first degree:

where

(5)

Pi:iZ...i~Ci*S+Pi:i2...i*--l.

u,=Za!. *,~2~~~ikci,ci2~* Ci, =2:(yi,i2...ik

(2)

and
bk=Zpi;i2...i~Ci,Ci2.

CikiEX&,i2...ik*

(3)

The summations are performed over all possible ways of selecting k capacitors from a population of size n. The coefficients
a,,il...ik and /3i,i2...ik have been defined as absorbing the capacitances for later notational convenience. All coefficients are
finite, but can be zero in value.
The numerator coefficients can be expressed in terms of those
in the denominator
in the following
fashion. Simply let
G,, G,, . 9Ci, tend to infinity, thus becoming short-circuits, and
allow all other capacitances to approach zero, thus becoming
open-circuits.
The observation
that all terms involving
coefficients other than Q,...~, and /3i,i,...i, will contain either a
capacitor of zero value or a proper subset of the infinite valued
capacitors leads to the relation
(yi,i2...ik=Hi,i *... ik&,il...ik

(4)

where iYi,i,,.. .i* is the voltage transfer ratio of the resistive

network obtained by shorting Ci.,, C,,,. . . , Ci, and open-circuiting
all other capacitors. The notation Ho will be used to indicate
that all capacitors are opened. Thus knowledge of the
coefficients of the characteristic polynomial determines those in
the numerator.
The coefficients & can be determined in an algorithmic
fashion. In fact, it is possible to obtain &,il...iL in terms of any
Manuscript
received April 8, 1971; revised June 6, 1979.
The authors are with the Department
of Electrical Engineering, San Jose
State University, San Jose, CA 95192.
Some restricted applications of tbis technique were presented in [l], 121,
a&(3].

The network of Fig. 2 is readily analyzed in traditional fashion

by shortcircuiting the source and calculating the time constant.
This yields, by comparison with (5),

(6)

Pi,il...ilr=T~i2..ik-Ipi,i2...ix-,

where &.h-l
is the time constant due to Ci, with the capacitors cokesponding to the superscripts shorted and all others
open-circuited. This relation can also be written in terms of the
first-order pole as
p,

,_._ _ = p.hi2+k-~fli,i
c
112 k I

*,,, in .

(7)

It is now clear that all denominator coefficients (assuming that

the network is not degenerate) can be expressed in terms of b. by
(6) or in terms of PL2...,, = b, by (7), and the numerator
coefficients can be similarly expressed by using (4). The common
factor (b. or b,) cancels and the determination is complete.
COMPUTATION GRAPH
A graphical technique has been devised for ordering the time
constant or pole calculations. A representative graph is depicted
in Fig. 3 for the case n=3. The nodes are labeled with the
coefficients of the characteristic polynomial to be calculated,
each level representing those coefficients pertinent to the corresponding power of s. The edges are labeled with time constants
to be calculated in order to express the terminal vertex
coefficient in terms of the initial vertex coefficient. In the pole
representation, computation proceeds in the reverse direction.
Each edge terminating on a node represents an alternative for
expressing the coefficients of the terminal vertex in time contActually
the negotiw of the pole, but pole
mously with reciprocal time constant.

0098-4094/80/0500-0417$00.75

01980 IEEE

will be used here synony-

418

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS, VOL. CAS-27, NO. 5, MAY 1980

Fig. 3.

Fig. 5.

infinity.
Note that since all coefficients must be finite, if
~il~2~*-1
=0 (6) implies that fli,i2...ili =O. Alternatively,
if
k
Ti;c2...ik--I
= M or p,i&...i
k- I= 0) then /3i,i,. ik-, = 0. The next ex(
ample demonstrat&
the utility of the computation graph in
scheduling the time constant/pole calculations in this case.

Fig. 4.

stant form, and each edge originating on a node represents an

alternative in the pole calculation.
The graph provides an excellent mnemonic device for determining which time constants or poles to calculate. This proves
to be particularly useful in the presence of degeneracy.
EXAMPLES

Example 2
The circuit shown in Fig. 5 is a - KRC realization incorporating three capacitors [5]. The associated computation graph is
also illustrated in Fig. 5. The heavy edges represent zero time
constants. By inspection, one can derive the following:

The examples presented in this section have been selected as

representative of the practical application of the decomposition
method. They are not intended to stress the method through
inordinate

complexity,

and

it is not

the authors

intention

Example 1
Fig. 4 illustrates a KRC realization of a two-capacitor operational amplifier active filter [4]. The corresponding computation

T,=(l-K)RlC,
H,,=H,=H,=O

T;=(~+K)R

T;=(l+K)(R,II&)cj

2 c 2

T;=o

T,=Rlc,

T~=(R,+R~)C~

T~=R,C~.

Note that not all the above time constant calculations are
essential-only
those required to cover the graph. By (4) it is
only necessary to compute the transfer ratios associated with
nonzero denominator coefficients. Thus
H,2= -K

H2,=Hl=H2=H3=Ho=0.

Therefore, using one possible schedule of computation

[R,R2C,C2+(l+K)R,R2C2C3]s2+[R,C,+(R,+R2)C2+R,C3]s+1

T;=

Note that /I3 and pi3 are both zero, hence H3 and H,, need not
be computed.
As an additional
example,3 of degeneracy, one which
illustrates multiple degeneracy, consider the active network of
Fig. 4 with R, replaced by a capacitor C,. It is straightforward to
show that

- R2

1-K

T~=(RI+%)CZ
Ho= K.

73

Therefore,
H(s) =

T;=R,C,

T;=(R~IIR~)C,

- KR,R2C,C2s2

graph is also shown in Fig. 4. By inspection one obtains

~:=(&llRdC,

T;=o

to

pursue exhaustive comparisons with topological methods and

other techniques. It is felt that the modularity and intuitive
nature of the decomposition method are its distinctive (and
practical) features, and that these facets of the technique are well
illustrated in the examples presented here.

H(s) =

T:~=T;~=T;~=~

K
R,R,C,C,s+[(l-K)R,C,+(R,+R,)C,]s+l

2=

=T;3=Tf3=T;=T;4)

and
. (8)

In some cases, degeneracy can arise. This will result from one
or more time constants assuming a value which is either zero or

This simple example of multiple

to whom the authors are grateful.

degeneracy

was suggested by a reviewer,

IEEE TRANSACXONS ON CIRCUITS

AND SYSTEMS, VOL.

CA&~,

419

5, M A Y 1980

NO.

TABLE I

while
72

I- --

RC2

1-K

rf = RC,,

r:= RC,,
and

r;= RC,.

Thus the only nonzero coefficients are p12, p2s,

Any one of these coefficients can be taken as
other four expressed in terms of it. The resulting
tion can be then shown to have the form (after
common s factor)

/It, f12, and &.

unity, and the
transfer funccancelling the

H(s)=

Modified
Cauer

(10)

CONCLUSION

A method has been presented for the analysis of active RC

networks which is modular, effective, and intuitive to apply.
Complex impedance calculations are unnecessary, and the final
form of the transfer function is obtained immediately. A computation graph was developed which permits swift ordering of
the time, constant/pole calculations, thus permitting the method
to be easily applied when the network is degenerate. The decomposition technique should prove to be a useful method for the
analysis of practical active RC networks.

ki

allows the construction of functional approximations to a given

function without unwieldy calculations; this finds application in
system reduction [lo]; [ 111.
The first solution for the inversion problem was proposed by
Chen and Shieh [1] and this was followed by the procedures in
[2] and [3]. All the three procedures involve tedious computations. In [4]-[S] algorithms based on the Routh array for the
inversion of Cauer I or Cauer II forms have been developed.
These inversion algorithms start with the last quotient and
successive quotients are added in the reverse order.
In contrast, the algorithm presented in this letter begins with
the first quotient and progresses in the forward direction. It can
be terminated at any desired point and a number of approximations of different orders are directly available from the rows of
the inversion table.

REFERENCES

II.

111 R. D.

Thornton et al., Mulfistage Transistor Circuits.

New York: Wiley,
1965, ch. 1.
of the
PI B. L. Cochrun and A. Grabel, A method for the determination
transfer
function
of electronic
circuits,
IEEE Tram. Circuits Syst., vol.
CT-20,
Jan. 1973.
[31 A. M. Davis and E. A. Moustakas, Singular pole analysis of active
filters, in Proc. Fifteenth AlIerton Conf. on Communication, Control, and
Computing, pp. 632-637, Sept. 1977.
141 R. P. Sallen and E. L. Key, A practical method of designing RC active
filters, IRE Tram. Circuit Theory, vol. CT-2, May, 1955.
[51 A. Budak, Passive and Active Nehvork Analysis and Synthesis. Boston,
MA: Houghton-Mifflin,
1974.

THREE CAUER FORMS OF CONTINUED FRACXON

Consider the following

&T(s)
=

rational transfer function:

41+42s+. . . +q,sn-
Pl

+P2s

. . . +A+

where pis and q,s are constants. Equation (1) can be expanded
into the following generalized form of continued fraction:
1

&r(s) =
a1 +

A Generalized Algorithm for the Inversion of Cauer

Type Continued Fractions
R. PARTHASARATHY
Abs?mct-A

new generalized

AND SARAN

JOHN

algurithm,wbkb cao be pmgmmmedon a

digital computer, is established for performing the inversion of the Gwer

type euntinued fractions.
I.

INTRODUCTION

The inversion of a continued fraction to a rational transfer

function is of considerable practical interest in the area of
circuits and systems [13], [14]. The use of continued fraction

IS

b,

(2)

62
a,+ b3
u3+ -.

where u,s and his are defined as in Table I.

The Cauer I and Cauer II forms, which are well known in the
literature [lo], give, respectively, a satisfactory approximation in
the transient portion and in the steady-state portion of the
system response. To obtain a good approximation to both the
initial and steady-state portions of the response, Chuang [9]
carried out the expansion about s =0 and s = cc alternately
resulting in the following representation, which we call the
modified Cauer form [ 151:
1

Manuscript received October 9, 1978; revised June 6, 1979.

R. Parthasarathy is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian
Institute of Technology, Madras, India.
S. John is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute
of Technology,
Madras, India, on leave from the Karnataka
Regional Engineering College, Suratkal, India.

0098-4094/80/0500-0419%00.75

g(s) =

k,+
k,+A

k,+-

01980 IEEE

(3)