Bode Plots

(1) Consider the RC circuit drawn to the right as a specific illustration; the transfer function is shown below the circuit. The polar form of the complex number is of particular interest here. First we discuss the magnitude, and subsequently the phase. A direct description of the magnitude, besides the algebraic expression, is a plot as a function of frequency. But suppose that accurate detail is not the prime concern, but rather a means of quickly ascertaining the general characteristics of the plot. Even more; it is a means that can be extended to more involved situations. A Bode plot provides just this sort of presentation. Sketching a Bode plot is not difficult; understanding the underlying concepts is perhaps a bit more involved. First, instead of dealing directly with the magnitude we deal with the log10 of the magnitude, or more conventionally with

20log10, i.e., in dB measure. Thus There are two advantages of dealing with the logarithm. One is the compression action of the logarithm; a very large frequency range on a linear scale is reduced to a much smaller range on a log scale. Plotting a response over a frequency range from say 100 Hz to 100 kHz involves three equally sized decades intervals on a log scale, rather more on a linear scale. Another advantage, to be considered in some detail later, also is a consequence of the fact that the log of a product of terms is the sum of the log of the individual terms. To return to the illustrative log expression. Observe that for (/o)2 << 1 the magnitude (in dB) is approximately log(1) = 0. Conversely, for (/o)2 >> 1 the magnitude -> 20log(/o). The argument of this latter expression doubles every time the frequency doubles, or equivalently, since doubling means adding 20log 2 = 6 dB there is an increase of 6 dB/octave. (Equivalently, for a change in frequency by a factor of 10 the increase is 20log 10 = 20db/decade. In the figure to the right the two asymptotes are sketched. One asymptote is the axis. The other is a line rising at 6 dB/octave (45 line) from the point /o=1. There is one other representative value easily recognized. At /o=1 the exact value of the magnitude is 3 dB. Given the two asymptotes and the value at the break point it is easy to draw a fairly representative curve for the magnitude (in dB) of the response. An illustrative PSpice computation is presented later.

ECE 414 Bode Plots

M H Miller

(2) Now consider a slightly more involved case, as illustrated to the right. Our objective here is to sketch the variation of the magnitude of the impedance Z with frequency. It is not difficult to derive an algebraic expression for the input impedance, and plotting the functional dependence of the magnitude (in particular) on frequency can be done, for example, using PSpice. However the point here is to quickly sketch a fair representation of the magnitude plot. Expressed in dB |Z| is a sum of three terms:

A Bode plot for the impedance magnitude is drawn below. First the contribution of each term is sketched. One term is a constant (log is negative since the ratio is less than 1). The asymptote for a second term starts at 1 and rises at 6 dB/octave. Similarly the asymptote for the last term starts at 2, and falls at 6 dB/octave. The complete expression is described by the sum, as shown by the solid line. For 1 the

sum of the asymptotes is simply equal to the constant term. At 1 the sum rises at 6db/octave, and continues rising to 2 where the rise is compensated by an equal fall. The value at this point can be calculated after determining either the number of decades or octaves between 1 and 2; this is Then multiply the number of octaves by 6, or the number of decades by 20.

It is not difficult, although usually not particularly necessary, to fit a curve to the asymptotic sketch,

ECE 414 Bode Plots

M H Miller

(3) A Bode plot for the phase shift is done similarly. Note that when a product of several factors is involved the phases add algebraically; convert the terms to polar form. Hence we can deal with phase directly; no log is involved. Consider a term such as 1+ (s/o), for which the phase is given by tan1(/o). The asymptotic approximation to this expression is drawn to the right; note the 'key' frequencies o/10, o, and 10o. The actual curve differs from the asymptote by just a few degrees (less than 5.7 at the break points). (4) As a specific example consider the circuit drawn below. A PSpice plot on which is superimposed a Bode plot of the voltage transfer function also is drawn below/ Note: 22.7 radians/second -> 3.6 kHz 7.58 radians/second ->1.2 kHz There are 1.58 octaves between the breakpoints, corresponding to a 9.5 dB change.

ECE 414 Bode Plots

M H Miller

5) A second PSpice illustrative computation uses the circuit drawn to the right. The input impedance magnitude and phase plots follow. Note the Bode approximations on the input magnitude plot. The pole is (for C1 = 0.01 F) at 1/(R2C1) -> 3.39 kHz and the zero is at 1/(R1||R2 C1 -> 19.3 kHz. The dashed line (on the right) is the Bode plot for C1 = 0.01 F. The magnitude drops at 6db/octave from the pole until the frequency corresponds to the zero. (Check the slope by noting that the magnitude is down 20 dB at 33.9 kHz (one decade higher).

The corresponding phase plot is shown below. Some interpretation is required. Despite the arrow direction in the diagram the netlist given to PSpice specifies a current flow in the opposite direction. You can adjust this if you run your own analysis. You may find it useful to sketch the phase contributions of the zero and pole separately to verify (Bode approximation) that the pole starts with zero phase shift at 3.39KHz/10, drops 45 /decade to 45 at 3.39 kHz, and continues at the same slope to 33.9 kHz. The 'zero' plot is similar except for the zero frequency

and that the slope is positive. Adding the phase produces a combined plot (shown for C1 = 0.01 F) which follows the pole plot until it intercepts the zero plot at 1.93KHz, at which point the rise and fall cancel each other. The cancellation is maintained until 33.9KHz, after which the zero plot is followed until ECE 414 Bode Plots 4 M H Miller

0 phase at 193KHz. The dashed line is the overall phase approximation. Incidentally the number of decades from 339Hz to 1.93KHz is log(1.93/.339) = 0.76 decade, and the phase change at 45 /decade is 34 . (This is a drop from the artificial phase change due to the netlist description, so the break on the plot is at 180 - 34 = 146 . The plots following are for the resistor stepping. The analysis is very much similar to that presented above.

ECE 414 Bode Plots

M H Miller