Technical University of Cluj-Napoca Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technology

CAD project

Rectangular and triangular Op-Amp signal generator

Student: Rusu Alin-Dorel Group: 2021 Advisors: Conf.dr.ing. Ovidiu Pop Prep. Ing. Marius Muresan

The most commonly used signals in electronics are the sine, rectangular and triangular signals. To generate them, flip-flop circuits are used, and there are 3 types of such circuits: Bistable flip-flops: both its states are stable; the circuit can remain in each of the states for as long as we want Astable flip-flops: none of the states is stable; the circuit changes its state after a predetermined period of time -> these are used for rectangular and triangular signal generators Monostable flip-flops: only one of the states is stable; when a triggering signal is applied, the circuit changes to the other state, which is quasi-stable.

The main principle of such circuits is that no external excitation is applied to them. To generate a rectangular signal, an astable comparator with positive feedback is used. For the triangular signal, to the output of the first comparator is connected an integrator circuit, which is basically a non-inverting comparator with hysteresis, obtained by putting a capacitor on the feedback path. The circuit Ive used is designed to deliver a 5V amplitude triangular signal, with a variable frequency between 1KHz and 10 KHz.

Components used in the schematic: 2 LF412 op-amps 5 resistors 1 capacitor

4 VDC (set to +15V and -15V)

The waveform we want to obtain is the following:

VOH VAl 1V = 14V

(it is equal to the amplitude of the rectangular signal)

VOL -VAl + 1V = -14V

The about 1V difference between the supplying voltage and the values above is due to the op-amps, which deliver to the output a slighter smaller voltage.

VPH = VPL = -

(it is equal to the amplitude of the triangular signal)

Because I wanted the amplitude of the triangular wave to be 5V, Ive set the VPH and VPL to +5V and -5V and Ive chosen proper standardized resistors, so that their ratio was 0.3571. In conclusion, R1=1.8 k and R2=5.1 k. R3 has the value of R1 R2 = 1.3 k.

In order to test if the values are correct, I performed a transient analysis with stop time equal to 0.5ms, enough to see 5 periods at a frequency of 10 KHz.

For the variable frequency, R4 and R5 (R4=R5=R) are used as a potentiometer, because modifying their values changes the frequency. To obtain the maximum desired frequency, 10KHz, we must find suitable values for the potentiometer and the capacitor (C1). The following formula is used:

f=
To dimension the components properly, Ive set the value of the capacitor to 33nF and I replaced the other components values. So, for a 10Khz frequency, R (the potentiometer) must be set to 2.2 k. For 1KHz, the potentiometer must be set to 22 k. In order to simulate the potentiometer, Ive performed a parametric sweep, in which the parameter potentiometru changed its value by a list Ive chosen: the first and the last one are for the 1 and 10 KHz frequency, and the middle one for a 5KHz frequency. In the analysis menu, this time Ive set a 2ms stop time, in order to show properly the evolution in time of all the signals of various frequencies .

The result of the simulation is this: Triangular signal:

Rectangular signal:

I have also performed a performance analysis, to show the frequency behavior of the circuit according to the values of the potentiometer. For this, I clicked on performance analysis, in the trace menu, and I used the Period goal function:

Working plan: 11-12.05.2012: choosing the circuit and finding information about it 13.05.2012: realization of the schematic and dimensioning the components, according to the calculus 14.05.2012: writing the documentation 15.05.2012: presentation About 15 hours in total.

Bibliography: 1) Circuite electronice, Gabriel Oltean, U.T. PRES, Cluj-Napoca, 2007 2) http://home.anadolu.edu.tr/~mkoc6/EEM102/resistorsandcaps.pdf 3) Gabriel Oltean, Fundamental Electronic Circuits courses