Non Sinusoidal

Oscillator (Part II)

Non sinusoidal oscillator

Known as relaxation oscillator

Typically use RC circuit or integrator and schmitt
comparator

The capacitor charge and discharge. The comparator

compare the capacitor voltage with a reference voltage and
switch between high and low voltage

Lecture will covers

Square wave generator

Triangular wave generator
Sawtooth wave generator
2

Square wave generator

Composed

Bistable multivibrator (or Schmitt trigger)

of 2 components

Generate output voltage vo (

on vd

Vsat or Vsat ) depending

RC circuit

Charge towards + voltage

and - voltage depending on
vo

Non Inverting Schmitt trigger

V d = v + - v- ;
if vd >

v0 = +Vsat

if vd < - v0 = -Vsat

For simplicity we
assume =0 in
the analysis

Schmitt trigger will be

covered in more detail
in chapter 6

On oscillator circuit
V- is connected to RC
network and compared to a
reference voltage
V+ is used as Vref

+Vsat

-Vsat

Circuit Operation
Initial operation
vo

+Vsat
+Vth

t
vC
-Vth
-Vsat
Steady-state operation

The circuit operation can be visualized by looking at the chain

reaction in the circuit.
The comparator compare the capacitor voltage with the
reference voltage and switch between (+Vsat and -Vsat)
First assume that Vo initial value is high (+Vsat) then analyses the
effect of this setting on the threshold (reference voltage) and the
comparator output
Explanation will be based on the notes
5

Revision: Step Response of A

RC Circuit (from circuit theory)
The

detail derivation for the oscillation frequency f is

given in the note
Initially at time t=0, V0 = v(0)
The current through the
resistor R is equal to current
flowing through the capacitor
ic = (Vs v)/ R = C dv/dt

Derivation of the voltage vc(t)

(when
capacitor
is
charging)

Note that in the oscillator circuit, the output voltage

Vo is used to charge the capacitor
Charging starts when V = +V is applied
o
sat

Vs = Vo and V(t) = Vc(t)

V(0+)= V0 = -Vth
Vc

Vo

V(0+)

vc t Vsat Vsat Vth e t RC

7

Oscillation Frequency f = 1 /T
First

find t1 (the charging time of the

capacitor)
The detail derivation for f is given in the note

Computing the capacitor

charging time t1

Initial operation

Assume currently at point

1 and moving to point 2
Using

vo

+Vsat

+Vth

2
t

vC

Applied voltage is +Vsat ,

V(t) = Vc(t)
V(0+)= V0 = -Vth

vc t Vsat Vsat Vth e

-Vth
-Vsat

t2

t1

Steady-state operation

t RC
9

Computing the capacitor

charging time t1
Initial operation

At point 2 , t = t1

vo

+Vsat

+Vth

vC
-Vth
-Vsat

t2

1
t1

Steady-state operation

10

Square Wave Oscillation

Frequency
In

the circuit t1 = t2
T t1 t 2 2t1
2 R1 R F
2 RC ln
RF

2 R1

2 RC ln 1
RF

fo

If ln(1 + 2R1/RF) = 1

R F 1.164 R1

fo

2 R1

2 RC ln 1
RF

2 RC

11

Triangular Wave Generator

Consist

of comparator A1 and integrator A2

The integrator
integrate the
square wave to
produce a
triangular wave at
Vo

Comparator continuously compares the non-inverting

input at point P with the inverting input (= 0V).
If V+ > 0 Vo = +Vsat
If V+ < 0 Vo = -Vsat
12

Transient voltage current

relationship in a capacitor
dvc
ic C
dt c
vc ( t )

dV i
c

vc ( t 0 )

Vc(t)

/ C dt

vc (t ) vc (0 ) ic d
0

13

CF

Integrator

Vi

R1
V-

V+

Vo
+

From chapter 1 notes, Vc = Vo

t

1
Vo (t ) Vo (0 )
Vi ( )d
R1C F 0

1
Vo (t )
R1C F

V ( )d
i

As value of t increases, the area under Vi increases

Thus integrating a rectangle wave give a linear increasing negative

value
Vi

Area
under
curve
Vi

14

Comparator output Vo switch between +Vsat and

Vsat depending on oscillator output Vo
+Vsat
+Vth

vo
vo

-Vth
-Vsat
Vo is

connected to V+ through resistor R1,

When Vo is more negative than Vth >>> the

comparator output will switch to Vsat
When Vo is more positive than +Vth >>> the
comparator output will switch to +Vsat

15

Circuit Operation
Assume

that when the

supply voltage are
switched on,

V+ slightly above 0 V ,
Vc(t=0) = 0 V
Vo = +Vsat

Detail

description is
given in the note
Knowing Vo we can
derive Vo which turns out
to be alternating
negative/positive ramp

+Vsat
+Vth 1

vo
3

vo
t1

-Vth

-Vsat

16

Deriving the oscillation frequency

We are interested to find the time it

takes for the capacitor to charge
from an initial voltage
Vc = -Vth to Vc = +Vth
Considering point 2 3
Assume at point 2, t=0, at point 3

+Vth

t=t1=T/2
ic = C dVc/dt , ic = -iR = -Vo/R = +Vsat /R
t

Vo = Vc = ic / C dt Vc (t 0)
0

Vo = +(Vsat /RC) t + Vc(t=0)

V0 = +(Vsat /RC) t - Vth

v o

+V sat

vo
t=0

-Vth

t1

-Vsat

17

Deriving the oscillation frequency

Vo = +(Vsat /RC) t - Vth

At half period, t=t1 = T/2,

T = period,

vc t t1 Vth
vc t t1

(1)

+Vth

Vsat
t1 Vth
RC

V T
sat Vth (2)
RC 2

(1) = (2)

4 RCVth 4 RC

Vsat
Vsat

T
fo

v o

+V sat

R1
Vsat
RF

vo
t=0

-Vth

t1

-Vsat

4 RCR1
RF

1
1 RF

T
4 RC R1

frequency of oscillation,

18

Sawtooth-wave Generator

A sawtooth waveform has unequal rise and

fall times.
The rise time tr may be longer than the fall
time tf or vice versa.

tr

tf

19

Sawtooth-wave Generator
Circuit

The triangular-wave generator can be

converted to a sawtooth generator by adding
a variable dc voltage to the noninverting
terminal of the op-amp.
Vref acts as a reference signal for the
integrator
-Vsat < Vref < Vsat

20

Circuit Operation

In the triangle oscillator V1 = 0V

By changing V1 to Vref , we can change the slope

for the decreasing and increasing ramp function.
That is the main idea of the circuit.

21

Deriving the output voltage Vo

Decreasing ramp function

Vo(t) = (Vref -Vsat ) t/RC + Vth

Increasing ramp function

Please see the

note for detail
explanation

Vo(t) = (Vref +Vsat ) t/RC - Vth

22

Oscillation Frequency f = 1/T

Oscillation period T = tf + tr
tf

2 RCVth
Vsat Vref

tr

2 RCVth
Vsat Vref

Please see the

note for detail
explanation

2 RCVth
2 RCVth
T t f tr

Vsat Vref Vsat Vref

4 RCV thVsat
2
Vsat2 Vref

1
V
duty cycle t f / T 1 ref
2
Vsat
-Vsat < Vref < Vsat

23