Name: ________________________________________

Lab 4: AC Circuit Analysis and Frequency Response of First and Second-Order

Circuits
Objective: To gain experience with
AC Circuit Analysis
Measuring frequency response
Resonance

You must get Instructor sign off by

demonstrating one of the following:
Part A, Part B, Part C, or Part D

Table of Contents:
Pre-Lab Assignment
Background
Frequency Response of Circuits
Experimental Determination of Frequency Response
Bandwidth
Resistors
National Instruments myDAQ
Op Amp Buffer Circuits
Lab Procedures
Part A) Measuring Steady-State Sinusoidal Circuit Response
Part B) Frequency Response Data
Part C) Bode Plot
Part D) Bode Plot of an RLC Circuit
Appendix: Prelab for AC Circuit Analysis

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10

Pre-Lab Assignment
1) View the video on measuring frequency response using the myDAQ.
2) Read the Background section.
3) Perform the hand calculations in the Appendix.
Materials Needed
Resistors: (2) 1k, 50
Capacitor: 0.22f
Inductor: 3.3mH
LF351 op amp IC
Background
Frequency Response of Circuits
A circuit is a system with input x(t) and output y(t). Usually, the input is a voltage source x(t) =vs(t),
but a current source may also be used, x(t) = is(t). The output is identified as a voltage or current in
the circuit.
Phasor representation is used in AC circuit analysis to understand the steady-state response of
sinusoidal inputs signals. A voltage signal V = Acos(1t+) is represented in phasor form as A in
polar coordinates or Acos() + jAsin() in rectangular coordinates.

2010; TESSAL Center; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech

Name: ________________________________________

Frequency response of a circuit is the behavior of the system as it processes sinusoids of different
frequencies. The frequency response (or transfer function), H(), is found mathematically using the
impedance method or through experimental measurements by comparing the amplitude and phases
of the input and output waveforms.
Experimental Determination of Frequency Response
Examine Figure 1, which shows the input-output behavior of a circuit with frequency response
function H() and sinusoidal input with amplitude Ai and frequency 1 rad/sec. The steady-state
output is also a sinusoid with the same frequency 1 but with a scaled amplitude Ao and phase lag .
The frequency response plot is
1) a plot of the amplitude scaling |H()| = Ao/Ai versus the frequency and
2) a plot of the phase lag versus frequency .
The data is commonly plotted using log scales for magnitude and frequency, resulting in a Bode plot
representation of the frequency response.

Aicos (1t)

Aocos(1t+)
H()

Figure 1: Input Output behavior of a linear circuit in steady state.

The output amplitude, Ao, and the output phase, , depend on H() as follows:

= A

H (

and

= H (

To determine H() from experimental measurements of a circuit, find the steady-state sinusoidal
response to a wide range of input frequencies. From each sinusoidal response, measure Ao and . Fill
in a table such as the one below for each input frequency.
1 =H(1) |H(1)|=Ao/Ai 20log |H(1)|

Consider, for example, the response, y(t), of a system with input x(t)=sin(3t) shown below. For this
input, 1=3, and Ai = 1. For the signal in steady-state, measure Ao and T, the time lag. The phase
lag in degrees is calculated as
=

T
* 360o
T

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where T is the period of the signal.

2
x(t)
y(t)

1.5

T
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
-1.5
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

Time (sec)

The period T = 2/1 = 0.67. From the plot, T = 0.12s and Ao = 1.17. So |H(1)| = Ao/Ai= 1.17 and
= -0.12(360)/T = -64.7o.
1 =H(1) |H(1)|=Ao/Ai 20log |H(1)|
-64.7o
1.17
1.36dB
3
NOTE: it may be easier to measure T and T from the zero crossings of the plots rather than the peak
values.
Select a wide range of values of input frequencies that fully characterize the frequency response.
Once the data is collected, plot all the points on semilog paper to obtain the Bode plot of the system.

2010; TESSAL Center; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech

Name: ________________________________________

20log|H|

20

-20

-40
-1
10

10

10
Frequency (rad/sec)

10

10

Phase Angle (deg)

0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-1
10

10

10
Frequency (rad/sec)

10

10

Bandwidth
When a magnitude plot starts flat at low frequencies, then drops off as the frequency increases, then
the bandwidth is defined as the frequency at which the magnitude is equal to 0.707 of the DC value,
that is |H(B)| = 0.707|H(0)|. On the Bode plot, the log magnitude, 20log|H|, is 3dB below that of
the DC value, 20log|H(0)|.
Resistors
The resistance of physical resistors is denoted by four color bands on the resistor. The color code for
bands 1-3 is 0-black, 1-brown, 2-red, 3-orange, 4-yellow, 5-green, 6-blue, 7-purple, 8-grey, 9-white.
Capacitors
Like resistors, capacitor values are also encoded on capacitors. The first two digits of the code
corresponds to the significant figures of the capacitance, and the third digit, a, corresponds to a 10a
multiplier of the value in terms of picofarads (10-12). So a code of 100 means 10pf = 0.01nf. A code of
103 means 10000pf = 10nf = 0.01f. A code of 104 means 100000pf = 100nf = 0.1f. A code of 224 =
0.22f.
National Instruments myDAQ Input/Output Interfaces:
The myDAQ has an interface on one side with +15v, -15v, Analog Output (AO), Analog Input (AI), and
digital input/outputs. The part of the interface that will be used in this experiment is shown below.
+15v -15v

AGND 0

AO

AI

AGND 0+ 0- 1+ 1-

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Name: ________________________________________
The Scope is used to plot the inputs in (AI) Channels 0 and 1, that is, the potential between AI0- and
AI0+ and between AI1- and AI1+.
Op Amp Buffers Circuits
Since op amps have their own power source, they can be used to build a unity gain buffer circuit
whose purpose is to boost the power without changing the voltage waveform. The myDAQ analog
output, AO, channels are limited to 2mA, so the AO channels can be passed through a unity gain op
amp in order to deliver higher current levels. The pin diagram and schematic of an integrated chip
(IC) containing an op amp is shown in the figures below. The IC pin number 1 is the one closest to the
circle stamped into the top of the IC.

Lab Procedures
There are two basic tasks to this lab: implement the RC circuit from the prelab and do some
frequency analysis, and implement the RLC circuit from Lab 3 in order to generate its Bode plot.
Setup

Connect the myDAQ to your computer using the USB connector.

Start up the NI ELVISmx Instrument Launcher software.
Start up the function generator FGEN and the SCOPE by clicking on their icons.

Part A) Measuring Steady-State Sinusoidal Circuit Response

1. Build the RC circuit shown in the Appendix.

Voltage source is provided by

the function generator, FGEN.
DO NOT hook up the 15v
supply to this circuit.

FGEN: AO: 0

Scope: AI: 0+

Scope: AI:1+

vs

vo
-

All grounds:
AGND; AI:0-; and AI:1Channel A0 of the scope displays the input voltage, vs, and Channel A1 of the scope displays
the output vo.
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Name: ________________________________________
2. The prelab required you to use the impedance method to calculate the steady-state
amplitude and phase (in degrees) of vo to an input vs = cos(2ft) where f = 1000 Hz ( = 2f).
The results from the prelab are
Ao = ______________

Phase, = ______________degrees

3. Measure the steady-state output vo sine wave of your circuit to an input of vs = cos (2ft) for f
= 1000 Hz. Follow these steps for this measurement:
a. FGEN Settings
Set the frequency on FGEN to 1000 Hz
Set the amplitude to 2 Vpp (that is, peak to peak)
b. SCOPE Settings
Enable Channel 1 and set to AI 1
Time/Div = 200 us
Scale Volt/Div = 500mv on both channels
Vertical position = 0v (ie, no DC bias)
Turn on the cursors (box is in the bottom left of the SCOPE) and set C1 to CH0
and C2 to CH1
Trigger set to edge (on A0)
c. Measure the amplitude and lag of vc.
Drag the line for cursor 2 (C2) from the left axis until the + sign is aligned with
the peak of the CH 1 (blue) sine wave. Read the corresponding voltage for C2
(below the plot). This is the amplitude:
A = __________________
Drag cursor 1 (C1) from the left axis until the + sign is aligned with the peak of
the CH 0 (green) sine wave. Read the time difference between the input sine
wave peak (C1) and output sine wave peak (C2), that is, the dT value under the
plots:
dT = __________________. From the background section, compute the phase lag.
Phase lag, = _____________ degrees.
4. Compare the experimental results to the analytical prediction of the amplitude and phase lag
from the prelab and verify that they are approximately the same.
Not Working? Try This:
Make sure that the interface is pushed into to the myDAQ unit all the way. If it comes
loose, good electrical connections may not be present.
The wire leads often come out of the protoboard, make sure they are inserted
completely
2010; TESSAL Center; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech

Name: ________________________________________

It is easy to have wires inserted into the rows next to the ones intended, so look
carefully.
Double-check the resistors and the capacitor are the correct values.

Part B) Frequency Response Data

5. To determine the frequency response experimentally using the method described in the
background section, you must take amplitude and phase lag measurements at a number of
input frequencies. Start by recording the T and amplitude measurements for f = 1000 Hz
measured in Step 3 into the table below. Note that |H(f)|=Ao/Ai = Ao when Ai = 1. Repeat the
procedure done for f = 1000 Hz for all of the frequencies in the table.
f(Hz) T
100

Phase
Magnitude
Magnitude (dB)
=H(f) |H(f)|=Ao/Ai 20log |H(f)|

1000
9000

Adjust the time scale on the

scope to get clear sinusoidal
images at each frequency

At higher frequencies, you may

need to increase Ai to get a
measureable output amplitude

6. Compute the log magnitude 20log |H(f)| and phase lag at each frequency to complete the
table. (Do at home)
7. Slowly increase the frequency of the input signal in FGEN (change the time/div scale on the
SCOPE as needed to see the sine wave clearly) from 100 Hz to 6000 Hz. This procedure is
called a sine sweep. Describe the effect on the amplitude and phase lag of the output signal
behavior as the frequency is increased:

Find the bandwidth, that is, the frequency at which the output amplitude = 0.707 of its low
frequency value (for this circuit, the amplitude at 100Hz can be considered the low frequency
value; so measure the output amplitude at 100Hz and then sweep the frequency until the
output amplitude matches 0.707 of that value).
Bandwidth = _______________

2010; TESSAL Center; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech

Name: ________________________________________
Part C) Bode Plot
The myDAQ software has a Bode plot tool that automatically does a sine sweep of different
frequencies and records the data, essentially automating the procedures that you did in Part B).
8. Obtain the Bode Plot
Close the FGEN and SCOPE windows and open the BODE window.
Choose 15 steps per decade and run the Bode analyzer.
Sketch the Bode plot (both magnitude and phase for all Bode plots in Parts C) and D).

9. Determine the bandwidth (3dB below the low frequency value) and compare this to the value
found in Step 7.
Bandwidth = ____________________

10. Verify that the magnitudes (in dB) and phases that you measured Part B) (in the table) match
the data on the Bode at those frequencies.
Part D) Bode Plot of an RLC Circuit
11. Use the protoboard to build the circuit below (same RLC circuit from Lab 3 except the pot is
replaced by a resistor).
Voltage source provided by
the function generator, FGEN,
passed through the buffer
circuit
The enhanced schematic showing the op amp and the myDAQ connections:

2010; TESSAL Center; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech

Name: ________________________________________

FGEN

AO: 0

IN
PIN 3

+15
PIN 7
+
-

AO:
AGND
.

PIN 2

-15
PIN 4

OUT
PIN 6

Scope Channel 0
AI: 0+
3.3mH

vs

1k?

0.22f

Scope
Channel 1
AI: 1+

vc
-

AI: 0-

AI: 1-

12. Use the Bode tool to obtain the Bode plot automatically. This particular resistance gives an
overdamped response (the same circuit was analyzed in Lab 3).
Choose 15 steps per decade and run the Bode analyzer.
Sketch the Bode plot for the overdamped case.

13. Repeat the procedure in the last step for a resistor of 50. The corresponding circuit is
underdamped. Sketch the Bode plot for the underdamped case.

7. Measure the frequency of the peak magnitude, called the resonant frequency (measured from
Bode Plot): ___________________ Hz
14. Close the BODE tool and open the FGEN and SCOPE tools. Do a sine sweep manually using the
FGEN and SCOPE windows. Set the Vp-p to 2v and slowly increase the frequency of the input
signal in FGEN (change the time/div scale on the SCOPE as needed to see the sine wave
clearly) from 100 Hz to 9000 Hz. Notice that the output amplitude is significantly larger than
the input amplitude near the resonant frequency. Determine the frequency where the output
amplitude is the largest:
Resonant frequency (obtained from the manual sine sweep): ________________ Hz
2010; TESSAL Center; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech

Name: ________________________________________
Appendix: Prelab for AC Circuit Analysis
Consider the following circuit where R = 1000, and C = 0.22f.

R
+
-

vs

+
vo
-

The input is sinusoidal, vs = Aicos(2ft) where Ai =1v and f = 1000Hz. Find the steady-state
response for the output of the circuit, vo = Aocos(2ft+).
A = _________________v,

= _____________ degrees

Include all work here and turn in this prelab with your lab.

2010; TESSAL Center; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Tech

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