Analogue Electronics II

Lecture on Oscillators
Prepared by-
Tahia Tasnim
Lecturer, DEEE, NUB
 Oscillators
Introduction

An oscillator is an electronic circuit that produces a periodic, oscillating electronic signal, often
a sine wave or a square wave. Oscillators convert DC signal from a power supply to an AC output
signal.
They are widely used in many electronic devices. Common examples of signals generated by
oscillators include signals broadcast by radio and television transmitters, clock signals that
regulate computers and quartz clocks, and the sounds produced by electronic beepers and video
games.

❖Oscillators are often characterized by the frequency of their output signal:

i.A low-frequency oscillator (LFO) is an electronic oscillator that generates a frequency below ≈20
Hz.
[Link] audio oscillator produces frequencies in the audio range, about 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
iii. An RF oscillator produces signals in the radio frequency (RF) range of about 100 kHz to 100
GHz.

❖There are two main types of electronic oscillator:

[Link] linear or Harmonic oscillator
ii. The nonlinear or Relaxation Oscillator.
 Oscillators
Principle of Operation
 Oscillators
Some Conditions

• Amplitude, phase and frequency of Xi and Xf should be identical.

• Active device like BJT, OPAMP.
• Feedback network (passive components, RC, LC)

Conditions for Oscillation: Barkhausen Criterion

To start oscillation, oscillators must satisfy Barkhausen Criterion –

1. Phase shift around the loop must be 0⁰ or 360⁰.

2. Magnitude of loop gain (βA) around the closed feedback loop must be unity.
 Oscillators
Start up Conditions
 Oscillators
How Oscillation are initiated

Oscillator does not require any external input and its output feeds its own input.
Every resistance has certain free electrons. At room temperature these free electrons
move randomly and generate a noise voltage due to collisions. This voltage is called
Thermal Noise Voltage. The resistor thus acts as a small ‘ac’ voltage source. When
power supply is turned on for the first time, the small ac noise voltage gets amplified
and appears at the output. This amplified output is feedback to input through the
feedback network. This is repeated and at a particular frequency circuit satisfied
necessary conditions to start oscillation.
 Oscillators
Feedback Oscillators
 Oscillators
Sinusoidal Oscillator

•A sinusoidal oscillator is an oscillator that generates a periodic signal in the shape of a

sinusoidal wave.
•It is used to convert input energy from a DC source into the periodic signal's AC output
energy.
•Sinusoidal or harmonic oscillators are oscillators that generate an output using a sine
waveform.
•These oscillators are capable of producing output at frequencies between 20 Hz and 1 GHz.
•This type of periodic signal has a specific frequency and amplitude.
•A sinusoidal oscillator has two main parts, one is an amplifier
and the other one is a feedback network.
•Though, it has a feedback network the loop gain of a
sinusoidal oscillator is greater than or equal to unity.
•The total phase shift around the loop in a sinusoidal
oscillator is either 0∘or 360∘.
 Oscillators

Sinusoidal Oscillator
There are a few types of sinusoidal oscillators:

➢ Tuned circuit oscillator: These oscillators produce high-frequency signals using a tuned
circuit made of inductors (L) and capacitors (C). As a result, they are often referred to as
radio frequency oscillators (R.F. These oscillators include Hartley, Colpitts, Clapp, and
others.
➢ RC oscillators: The oscillators produce low-frequency or audio-frequency signals by
using resistors and capacitors. They are also referred to as audio-frequency (A.F.)
oscillators as a result. Phase-shift and Wein-bridge oscillators are examples of these
oscillators.
➢ Crystal oscillators: These quartz crystal-based oscillators provide output signals that
are highly stable and have frequencies up to 10 MHz. An illustration of a crystal oscillator
is the piezo oscillator.
➢ Negative-resistance oscillator: These oscillators make use of the negative-resistance
property of gadgets like tunnel gadgets. An illustration of a negative-resistance oscillator is
a tuned diode oscillator.
 Oscillators
Free Running Multivibrator

(Astable Multivibrator / Relaxation Oscillator / Square Wave Generator).

Oscillators
Oscillators
 Oscillators
Problem 1: Design a square wave with 𝑡𝑂𝑁 = 2 𝑚𝑠, 𝑉𝑈𝑇 = 8 V and + 𝑉𝐶𝐶 = 15 V.

𝑅2
Solve: We know, 𝑉𝑈𝑇 = 𝑅 x + 𝑉𝐶𝐶
1 + 𝑅2
𝑅2
 8V = 𝑅 x 15 V
1 + 𝑅2
 8 (𝑅1 + 𝑅2 ) = 15 𝑅2
 8 𝑅1 = 7 𝑅2
7
∴ 𝑅1 = 𝑅2 = 16.8 KΩ
8
Let, capacitance, C = 0.1 վF
Again, from the equation of On/Off time of a multivibrator,
𝑅 + 2𝑅
we get 𝑡𝑂𝑁 = RC ln( 1 𝑅 2 ) = 0.1 վF
1
7
𝑅2 + 2𝑅2
2 x 10−3 s = R x 0.1 x 10−6 8
x ln( 7 )
𝑅2
8
23
𝑅2
 2 x 10−3 s = R x 0.1 x 10−6 x ln( 8
7 ) 7
8 2
𝑅 = 𝑅2
2x 10−3 8
R = 23
0.1 x 10−6 x ln( 78 )
8
∴ R = 16.8 KΩ
 Oscillators
Problem 2: Design a square wave with frequency 𝑓 = 2 𝐾𝐻𝑧, 𝐷 = 40%.
 Oscillators
Problem 3: Design a square wave with frequency 𝑓 = 2 𝐾𝐻𝑧, 𝐷 = 50%.

1
Solve: We know, 𝑇 = 𝑓
1
 𝑇= = 2.5 KΩ
2 x 103
∴ T = 5 x 10−4 sec

𝑡𝑂𝑁
Again, D = x 100% = 0.1 վF
T
𝑡𝑂𝑁
 50 = x 100%
5 x 10−4
∴ 𝑡𝑂𝑁 = 2.5 x 10−4 sec

Let, capacitance, C = 0.1 վF and ln(

𝑅1 + 2𝑅2
) =1 = 0.86 𝑅2
𝑅1

Again, from the equation of On/Off time of a multivibrator, we get

𝑅1 + 2𝑅2
𝑡𝑂𝑁 = RC ln( )
𝑅1
∴ 𝑡𝑂𝑁 = RC
2.5 x 10−4
 R = 0.1 x 10−6
∴ 𝑅 = 2.5 KΩ
 Oscillators
Problem 4: Design a Wein Bridge Oscillator circuit to generate a sinusoidal signal with
oscillation frequency 𝑓 = 10 𝐾𝐻𝑧.

Solve: Let, 𝑅1 = 𝑅2 = R and 𝐶1 = 𝐶2 = C

1
𝑆𝑜, 𝑓=
2π R C
Let, capacitance, C = 0.1 վF = 2 𝑅4
1
=> 10 x 103 =
2πR 𝑥 0.1 x 10−6
∴ 𝑅 = 159.15 Ω

Again, 𝑅3 = 2 𝑅4

= C = 0.1 վF
𝑅1 = 𝑅 = 159.15 Ω

= C = 0.1 վF
𝑅2 = 𝑅 = 159.15 Ω