3/6/2020

CSUN - ECE 440 Mohammad Ahadi

ECE 440 Electronics II

1
Oscillators
Mohammad Ahadi

CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

2 Introduction

 Amplifier: Reproduces a version of the input at the output

 Oscillator: generates a (periodic) signal – i.e. no input
 Many applications:
 A microprocessor running at a clock of 3.5 GHz
 Mobile phone operating at 1.9 GHz (carrier frequency)
 Wi-Fi transmitter/receiver operating at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz (carrier)
 Microwave oven working at 2.45 GHz
 But how can a circuit create output without input?
 We need to further discuss feedback systems

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CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

3 Feedback System Stability

 If designed poorly, a negative feedback system may become “unstable”

 Bode’s Rules: A transfer function’s magnitude slope decreases/increases
by 20 dB/dec as frequency passes a pole/zero
 What about the phase?
 A pole/zero causes a change of -45°/+45° in a transfer function’s phase at
the pole/zero frequency
 This effect starts a decade before and ends a decade after the pole/zero at
-90 °/+90°
 The effect is different from the magnitude’s

CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

4 Feedback System Stability

 Example: one-, two-, and three-

pole systems
 A phase shift of -180° is equal to
the sign reversal

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 3/6/2020

CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

5 Feedback System Stability

Instability
𝑌 𝐻(𝑠)
𝑠 =
𝑋 1 + 𝐾𝐻(𝑠)
 Consider 𝐾 not frequency dependent
 What if at an 𝜔 , 𝐾𝐻 𝑗𝜔 → −1? Closed-loop gain of ∞
 i.e. a very small (wideband) noise in the system leads to a large output at 𝜔
 Possible if 𝐻(𝑠) is a three-pole amplifier, causing ∠𝐻 = −180° at 𝜔
 Positive feedback at 𝜔 enhances the input
 The output amplitude is limited by the supply voltage or circuit saturation

CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

6 Feedback System Stability

Barkhausen’s Criteria
 𝐾𝐻 𝑗𝜔 = −1 → |𝐾𝐻 𝑗𝜔 | = 1 Barkhausen’s
∠𝐾𝐻 𝑗𝜔 = −180° Criteria
 i.e. positive feedback (sufficient delay) with enough loop gain for oscillation
 Question: Why a two-pole system does not oscillate?
∠𝐾𝐻 𝑗𝜔 = −180° only at 𝜔 → ∞, where |𝐻| →0, i.e. Barkhausen’s criteria not
satisfied
 Time domain display:

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 3/6/2020

CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

7 Feedback System Stability

Stability Condition
𝐾>1 𝐾<1

Does not
Oscillates 𝜔 𝜔 𝜔 Oscillate
(stable)
𝜔

𝜔 : Gain crossover frequency

Stability condition: 𝜔 <𝜔
𝜔 : Phase crossover frequency

CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

8 Feedback System Stability

Examples
 Example 1: With a feedback with 𝐾 = 1, determine the stability condition
 Other capacitances neglected, identical stages, 𝜆 = 0
 Must have 𝐻 <1

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CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

9 Feedback System Stability

Examples
 Must have 𝐻 <1

𝑔 𝑅
𝐻 𝑠 =
𝑠
1+𝜔

𝜔 = 𝑅 𝐶
𝜔
∠𝐻 𝑗𝜔 = −3 tan
𝜔 𝑔 𝑅
<1
𝜔   ⇒ 𝑔 𝑅 <2
tan = 60° ⇒ 𝜔 = 3𝜔  
𝜔
𝜔 1+ 𝜔

CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

10 Feedback System Stability

Phase Margin
 𝜔 only slightly less
than 𝜔 causes some
oscillations

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 3/6/2020

CSUN - ECE 440

Mohammad Ahadi

11 Feedback System Stability

Phase Margin
 Sufficient margin needed between 𝜔 and 𝜔 for a
“well-behaved” system
Phase Margin = ∠𝐻 𝜔 + 180°
 i.e. the difference between ∠𝐻 𝜔 and −180°
 The larger the phase margin, the more stable the
system is
 Typically, a phase margin of 60° is required for a well-
behaved system