ECE 486: Control Systems
Lecture 14A: Bode Plots for Second-Order Systems
Key Takeaways
This lecture focuses on Bode plots for second order systems.
• Second-order differentiator 𝐺 𝑠 = 𝑠 2 : Phase is +180o and
magnitude has slope +40dB/decade.
• Second-order integrator 𝐺 𝑠 = 𝑠12 : Phase is -180o and
magnitude has slope -40dB/decade:
• Second-order underdamped 𝐺 𝑠 = 𝑠2+2𝜁𝜔𝑏0 𝑠+𝜔2 :
𝑛 𝑛
• Magnitude is (approximately) flat up to the corner frequency 𝜔𝑛 and
rolls off at -40dB/dec at high frequencies.
• Phase plot transitions by ±180𝑜 depending on the signs of the
coefficients.
• If damping is low (𝜁 ≪ 1) then the plot has a resonant peak of
𝐺 𝑗𝜔𝑛 ≈ 𝐺(0) 2𝜁
.
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Bode Plot: Second-Order Differentiator
• Differentiator:
• If 𝑢 𝑡 = sin(𝜔𝑡) then 𝑦 𝑡 = −𝜔2 sin 𝜔𝑡 = 𝜔2 sin(𝜔𝑡 + 𝜋)
• This agrees with 𝐺 𝑗𝜔 = 𝜔2 and ∠𝐺 𝑗𝜔 = 𝜋 𝑟𝑎𝑑 = +180𝑜
• Magnitude has slope +40dB/decade and phase is +180o.
A Nth order differentiator
G(s) = sN has phase
+90Ndeg and magnitude
slope of +20NdB per
decade.
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Bode Plot: Second-Order Integrator
• Integrator:
• If 𝑢 𝑡 = sin(𝜔𝑡) then 𝑦 𝑡 = −𝜔12 sin 𝜔𝑡 = 𝜔12sin(𝜔𝑡 − 𝜋)
[The form for y neglects integration constants.]
• This agrees with 𝐺 𝑗𝜔 = 𝜔12 and ∠𝐺 𝑗𝜔 = −𝜋 𝑟𝑎𝑑 = −180𝑜
• Magnitude has slope -40dB/decade and phase is -180o.
A Nth order integrator
𝟏
𝑮 𝒔 = 𝑵 has phase
𝒔
-90Ndeg and
magnitude slope of
-20NdB per decade.
4
Second-Order Underdamped Systems
Consider the a stable, second-order system:
Assume 𝑏0 > 0.
Bode plots can be generated by Matlab:
>> b0=16;
>> wn = 4;
>> z1 = 0.7;
>> G1=tf(b0,[1 2*z1*wn wn^2]);
>> z2 = 0.05;
>> G2=tf(b0,[1 2*z2*wn wn^2]);
>> bode(G1,’k—’,G2,’b’);
It will be useful to sketch straight-line
approximate Bode plots.
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Corner Frequency
Consider the a stable, second-order system:
Assume 𝑏0 > 0.
Corner Frequency: 𝜔 = 𝜔𝑛
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Corner Frequency
Consider the a stable, second-order system:
Assume 𝑏0 > 0.
Corner Frequency: 𝜔 = 𝜔𝑛
Small z gives a resonant peak.
This is associated with
overshoot and oscillations.
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Low-Frequency Approximation
Consider the a stable, second-order system:
Assume 𝑏0 > 0.
Low Frequency: 𝜔 ≤ 𝜔10𝑛
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High-Frequency Approximation
Consider the a stable, second-order system:
Assume 𝑏0 > 0.
High Frequency: 𝜔 ≥ 10𝜔𝑛
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High-Frequency Approximation
Consider the a stable, second-order system:
Assume 𝑏0 > 0.
High Frequency: 𝜔 ≥ 10𝜔𝑛
Magnitude rolls-off at -40dB
per decade (similar to 1/s2).
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Middle-Frequency Approximation
Consider the a stable, second-order system:
Assume 𝑏0 > 0.
Middle Frequency:
𝜔𝑛
10 ≤ 𝜔 ≤ 10𝜔𝑛
Straight line approximation to
connect low/high freqs.
Magnitude: Lines meet at
corner frequency.
Phase: Line passes through
-90o at corner frequency.
Low z gives resonant peak
and sharp phase transition.
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Resonance
• “Lightly” damped second-order system:
12
Resonance
• “Lightly” damped second-order system:
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General Second-Order Systems
We can draw Bode plots for the following cases using a
similar procedure:
Bode plots for higher-order systems are discussed next.
The approach can be used to sketch Bode plots for
overdamped second-order systems (which can be
expressed as a connection of two first-order systems).
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