0.0.

1 Blackman’s method
Blackman’s method is a procedure that allows us to determine the equivalent resistance seen
between two nodes A and B of an electrical network.
Consider a LTI electric circuit with input variable u and output variable y and choose an
amplifier (a controlled source) with gain R, which sets a constraint between the values of two
variables y ∗ and u∗ according to the relation:
u∗ = Ry ∗

y* u*
R

u y
LTI

We proved that this circuits admits the block representation:

a22 u*

u u
a21 y*
R u* u*
a12 y

u
a11

for every choice of the input u and of the output y and we derived the transfer function between
the input u and the output y, which is:
a21 a12
−Ra22 (a11 − ) + a11
a22
AF B =
1 − a22 R
We can now factor out a11 it to rewrite it as:
a21 a12
−Ra22 (1 − )+1
a22 a11
AF B = a11
1 − a22 R
a21 a12
−R(a22 − )+1
a11
= a11
1 − a22 R
a21 a12
1 − R(a22 − )
a11
= a11
1 − a22 R

1
We can introduce the following parameters:
• TOC = −Ra22 the open circuit loop gain
• ZD = a11 the dead transistor impedance
 
a12 a21
• TSC = −R a22 − the short circuit loop gain
a11
The formula thus becomes:
1 + TSC
AF B = Z D
1 + TOC
We can consider the pair of nodes A and B, which identify a port, with a voltage and a current
defined on it:

y* u*
i A R We can now choose as:

v
LTI • output: the voltage at the port

• input: the input at the port

B

We then have that the transfer function between the current and the voltage is the equivalent
impedance seen between the two nodes A and B:
vAB
Zeq,AB =
i
and it can be computed using the previously derived formula:
a21 a12
1 − R(a22 − )
vAB a11
Zeq,AB = = a11
i 1 − a22 R

COMPUTING ZD

Given the formula:

a21 a12
1 − R(a22 − )
1 + TSC a11
AF B = Z D = ZD
1 + TOC 1 − a22 R
we can observe that ZD can be obtained as the value of the gain of the feedback amplifier when
R = 0:
 a21 a12 
  1 − R(a 22 − ) 
v
 1 + TSC  a11 
AF B |R=0 =  = ZD = ZD = a11

i R=0 1 + TOC R=0 1 − a22 R



R=0

2
So, we can evaluate the dead transistor impedance ZD by:
1. switching off the chosen controlled source
2. evaluating the impedance between the two nodes A and B

COMPUTING TOC

Since the coefficient TOC is the same as the coefficient T that we had in Rosenstark’s method,
we can derive it in the same way.
By definition, it is:
TOC = −a22 R
Since the value of R is known, we just need to compute the value of a22 .
a22 is the transfer function between y ∗ (the input of the amplifier) and u∗ (the output of the
amplifier) when u is set to zero and in absence of the amplifier :
y ∗ 

a22 = ∗ 
u no R
u=0
Once a22 is found we can compute the loop gain as:
T = −Ra22
We can impose the constraint u = 0 by observing that it is the characteristic equation of an
open circuit at the port defined by nodes A and B.
This can be done by simply leaving the port as it is, without connecting any load to it. This is
why it is called the open circuit loop gain.

COMPUTING TSC

We want to find:  
a12 a21
TSC = −R a22 −
a11
 
a12 a21
The parameter R is already known, so we just have to evaluate the term: a22 −
a11
Since the coefficients a11 ,a12 ,a21 ,a22 are defined on the LTI circuit without the controlled source,
we may remove it to start trying to find a procedure to determine the coefficient.

We can then consider the two equations that describe the remaining circuit:

u* y* (
y = a11 u + a12 u∗

u LTI y
y ∗ = a21 u + a22 u∗

3
If we add an additional constraint:
y=0
The system of equations becomes:
(
0 = a11 u + a12 u∗
y ∗ = a21 u + a22 u∗

We can rewrite the first equation as:

a11 u = −a12 u∗
a12 ∗
u=− u
a11
Substituting the result into the second equation we get:
a12
y∗ = − a21 u∗ + a22 u∗
a11
 
∗ a12 a21
y = a22 − u∗
a11
 
a12 a21
So, under the given conditions, a22 − is the transfer function between the output u∗
a11
of the removed amplifier and its input y ∗ .

Since y is the voltage on the port defined by the nodes A and B , the constraint y = 0 can be
added by short-circuiting such port:

y* u*
A R

v=0
LTI
B

This is why such parameter is called the short circuit loop gain TSC .
 
a12 a21
Therefore, the term a22 − can be evaluated by:
a11
1. short-circuiting the terminals A and B

2. removing the controlled source

4
 u∗
3. evaluating the transfer function between the output u∗ of the removed controlled source
y∗
and its input y ∗
 
a12 a21
The obtained transfer function is the constant a22 − .
a11
We can then compute the short-circuit loop gain as:
 
a12 a21
TSC = −R a22 −
a11

PRACTICAL PROCEDURE FOR ZD

We said that ZD is the impedance between the nodes A and B when the controlled source
is switched off.
The source can be switched off by replacing it with:

• an open circuit if it is a controlled current source

• a short circuit if it is a controlled voltage source

So, we have the following procedure for the dead transistor impedance:

ZD
1. Switch off the chosen controlled source:

• if the controlled source is a current source, replace it with a test current source
of value ys and same orientation
• if the controlled source is a voltage source, replace it with a test voltage source
of value ys and same orientation

2. Evaluate the impedance between nodes A and B

The value of the dead transistor impedance ZD is the obtained impedance.

PRACTICAL PROCEDURE FOR TOC

We said that the value of TOC can be computed in the same way as the loop gain T in Rosen-
stark’s method.
It must be evaluated when the input current flowing into the port defined by the nodes A and
B is zero, so when no such port is in open circuit

In order to make the procedure independent from our reasoning we call ys the output quantity
of the controlled source and us its input quantity.

5
We then have the following procedure:

TOC
1. Remove the controlled source
us
2. Evaluate the transfer function k1 = between what was the input us of the
ys
controlled source and what was its output ys (using a test source of the same kind
of the removed controlled source)

The value of the open circuit loop gain TOC is the obtained as the product:

TOC = −k1 R

PRACTICAL PROCEDURE FOR TSC

We said that the value of TSC can be computed by removing the controlled source, short-
circuiting the output of the circuit and evaluating the transfer function between what was the
output of the controlled source and what was its input.

Therefore, we have the following procedure:

TSC
1. Remove the controlled source

2. Short-circuit nodes A and B

us
3. Evaluate the transfer function k2 = between what was the input us of the
ys
controlled source and what was its output ys (using a test source of the same kind
of the removed controlled source)

The value of the short circuit loop gain TSC is the obtained as the product:

TSC = −k2 R