Chapter 14

Frequency Response
Chapter Objectives:
Understand the Concept of Transfer Functions.
Be Familiar with the Decibel Scale.
Learn how to make Bode Magnitude and Phase plots.
Learn about series and parallel resonant RLC circuits.
Know Different Types of Passive and Active Filters and their
Characteristics.
Understand the use of scaling in circuit analysis.
Be Able to use PSpice to obtain frequency response.
Apply what is learnt to radio receiver and touch-tone telephone.

Huseyin Bilgekul
Eeng 224 Circuit Theory II
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Eastern Mediterranean University

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DECIBEL SCALE
The DECIBEL provides us with a unit of less magnitude.

P2
GdB 10 log10
P1

is defined as Decibel Gain

V2 2

V2
P2
R2
R
GdB 10 log10
10 log10 2
10 log10 10 log10 1
V1
P1
R2
V1
R1
20 log10

V2
R
V
10 log10 2 20 log10 2
V1
R1
V1

if

P2
V2
GdB 10 log10
20 log10
P1
V1

R2 R1

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DECIBEL SCALE

The DECIBEL value is a logarithmic measurement of the ratio of one variable to

another of the same type.
Decibel value has no dimension.
It is used for voltage, current and power gains.
Magnitude H
Decibel Value HdB

H dB

V2
20 log10 H 20 log10
V1

0.001

-60

0.01

-40

0.1

-20

0.5

-6

1/2

-3

P1
log log P1 log P2
P2

log P n n log P

log 1 0

10

20

20

26

100

40

Some Properties of Logarithms

log P1 P2 log P1 log P2

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Typical Sound Levels and Their Decibel Levels.

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SEMILOG SCALE

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BODE PLOTS
Bode plots are APPROXIMATE semilog plots of the magnitude (in Decibels)
and phase (in degrees) of a transfer function versus frequency. They are much
easier to plot.

High pass filter circuit magitude

response.
Bode plots are APPROXIMATE plots of
the magnitude and phase responses.
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BODE PLOTS

BODE PLOT
Actual Response

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BODE PLOTS

Bode plot and actual magnitude

and phase responses of the RC
high pass filter circuit.

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BODE PLOTS
Bode plots are semilog plots of the magnitude (in Decibels) and phase (in
degrees) of a transfer function versus frequency.

H H He j

Bode plots carry same information. They are much easier to plot.

Decibel values

Logarithmic axis

Total Magnitude Response

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BODE PLOTS
A transfer function may be written in terms of factors that have real and
imaginary parts.

j 2 1
K ( j ) 1 j 1
j K
z1
k
k

N ( )

H ( )

2
D( )
1 j 1 j 2 1 j K

p1
n
n

This representation is called the STANDARD FORM. It has several different factors.
We can draw the Bode plots by plotting each of the terms of the transfer function separately and
then adding them.
The different factors of the transfer function are

1.) Gain term K.

2.) A pole (j)-1 or a zero (j) at the origin.
3.) A simple pole 1 j p or zero
1

4.) A quadratic pole

j 2 1

1 j

z1

n
n

or zero

j 2 1

j
k
k

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BODE PLOTS, The Decade

A DECADE is an interval between 2 frequencies with a ratio of 10 (between 10
Hz and 100 Hz or between 500 Hz and 5000 Hz). 20 dB/decade means that
magnitude changes 20 dB whenever the frequency changes tenfold or one decade.
The DC value ( 0) does not appear on Bode plots ( Log0 = - ).
Slopes are expressed in dB/decade.
20 dB

One Decade
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BODE PLOTS
To plot the Bode plots of a given transfer function.
1.) Put the transfer function in STANDARD FORM.
2.) Write the Magnitude and phase equations from the STANDARD FORM.
3.) Plot the magnitude of each term separately.
4.) Add all magnitude terms to obtain the magnitude transfer function.
5.) Repeat 2-4 for the phase response.
6.) The total magnitude response in Decibel units is the summation and
subtraction of the responses of different terms.
7.) The total phase response in degrees is the summation and subtraction of the
phase responses of different terms.

STANDARD FORM
0.4(1 j 10)
H ( )
j (1 j 5) 2

H db 20 log10 0.4
20 log10 1 j 10
20 log10 j
40 log10 1 j 5

0 tan -1 ( 10)
90 2 tan -1 ( 5)
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BODE PLOTS
We examine how to plot different terms that may appear in a transfer function.
The total response will be obtained by adding all the responses.

j 2 1
K ( j ) 1 j 1
j K
z1
k
k

N ( )

H ( )

2
D( )
1 j 1 j 2 1 j K

p1
n
n

CONSTANT TERM 20 log10 K

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BODE PLOTS
ZERO AT THE ORIGIN

20 log10

POLE AT THE ORIGIN

-20

-90
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SIMPLE ZERO 1 j z
1

Approximate the magnitude response of a simple zero by two linear curves before
and after =z1
Approximate the phase response of a simple zero by three linear curves before
=0.1z1 after =10z1 and between =0.1z1 and =10z1

0
20 log10 1 0 0 0 dB
H dB 20log10 1 j z1

20 log10 z1 20 log10 z1 0
0, =0

tan 1 45, =z1

z1
90,

CORNER FREQUENCY
BREAK FREQUENCY
3 dB FREQUENCY

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SIMPLE POLE

1 j

p1

Approximate the magnitude response of a simple pole by two linear curves before
and after =p1
Approximate the phase response of a simple pole by three linear curves before
=0.1p1 after =10p1 and between =0.1p1 and =10p1
NOTICE the pole and zero responses are in opposite directions.

20 log10 1 1 j p1
CORNER FREQUENCY

-20

=0
0,

tan 1 45, =p1

p1
90,

-90
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EXACT RESPONSE OF QUADRATIC POLE

1

H ( )

j 2 1

n
n

H dB 20 log10 1

j 2 1

j
n
n

BODE PLOTS

2 1

tan

1
2

n
n 2

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BODE PLOT OF QUADRATIC ZERO

The EXACT responses can be approximated by BODE plots in terms of the corner
frequency n

H dB 20 log10 1

j 2 1

j
n
n
2 1

tan

0 as 0

40 log10

n as

n
n 2

0, 0

90, n
180,

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BODE PLOT OF QUADRATIC POLE

H dB 20 log10 1

j 2 1

j
n
n

0 as 0

40 log10

n as

2 1

tan

n
n 2

0, 0

90, n
180,

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Procedure for Bode plot Construction

Express transfer function in Standard form.

Find the Pole and Zero frequencies.

Express the magnitude and phase responses.
Sketch each term of the magnitude and phase responses.
Add each term of magnitude response to find total magnitude response.
Add each term of phase response to find total phase response.
Another Procedure

Zeros cause an increase and poles cause a decrease in the slope .

Start with the lowest frequency of the Bode plot.
Move along the frequency axis and increase or decrease the slope at each corner
frequency.

Repeat the same procedure for both the magnitude and the phase.
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EXAMPLE 14.3 Construct Bode plots for

H ( )

200 j
j 2 j 10

Express transfer function in Standard form.

STANDARD FORM

H ( )

10 j
(1 j 2)(1 j 10)

Express the magnitude and phase responses.

H db 20 log10 10 20 log10 j 20 log10 1 j 2 20 log10 1 j 10

90 tan -1 ( 2) tan -1 ( 10)

Two corner frequencies at =2, 10 and a zero at the origin =0.

Sketch each term and add to find the total response.
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j
EXAMPLE 14.3 Construct Bode plots for H ( ) j 200
2 j 10

H db 20 log10 10 20 log10 j 20 log10 1 j 2 20 log10 1 j 10

26 dB

20 log10 2 6dB

90 tan -1 ( 2) tan -1 ( 10)

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EXAMPLE 14.3 Continued: Let us calculate H and at =50 rad/sec graphically.

H (50) H (10) 20 log10 (50 /10) 26 20 0.7 26 14 12 dB

(50) 90 45 log10 (1/ 0.2) 90 log10 (20 /1) 45 log10 (50 / 20)
90 45 0.7 90 1.3 45 0.4 90 31.5 117 18 76.5
26 dB

=50

=50

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EXAMPLE 14.4 Construct Bode plots for H ( )

j 10

j j 5

Express transfer function in Standard form.

STANDARD FORM
H ( )

0.4(1 j 10)
j (1 j 5) 2

Express the magnitude and phase responses.

H db 20 log10 0.4 20 log10 1 j 10 20 log10 j 40 log10 1 j 5

0 tan -1 ( 10) 90 2 tan -1 ( 5)

Two corner frequencies at =5, 10 and a zero at =10.
The pole at =5 is a double pole. The slope of the magnitude is -40
dB/decade and phase has slope -90 degree/decade.
Sketch each term and add to find the total response.
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EXAMPLE 14.4 Construct Bode plots for H ( )

H db 20 log10 0.4
20 log10 1 j 10

j 10

j j 5

20 log10 j
40 log10 1 j 5

0 tan -1 ( 10)
90 2 tan ( 5)
-1

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PRACTICE PROBLEM 14.6 Obtain the transfer function for the Bode plot given.

A zero at 0.5, 1 j 0.5

1
A pole at 1,
1 j 1
Two poles at
H ( )

10,

1
(1 j 10) 2

1 j 0.5
(1 0.5)(0.5 j )
200 ( s 0.5)

(1 j 1)(1 j 10) 2 (1 100)(1 j )(10 j ) 2 ( s 1)( s 10) 2

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