Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Waveform Generators (Vco) Object
Waveform Generators (Vco) Object
W4
Drexel University
Electrical and Computer Engr. Dept.
Electrical Engineering Laboratory III, ECEL 303
E.L. Gerber
7-1
L303.7.W4
The chip has a basic oscillator circuit built in but requires external timing
elements RT and CT. The chip provides a constant DC current source which is
reversed under internal chip command. The magnitude of the current, however, can
be controlled externally via the timing resistor RT. The fundamental principle of the
system is the current flow in a capacitor, i(t) = Cdvdt. Since the current in the
capacitor is constant, hence, the voltage across it (pins 7-1) will be a positive or
negative ramp as seen in Fig. 2. Referring to Figure 1, the current source/sink circuit
provides a constant charging or discharging current to the external timing capacitor
CT. The amount of current is controlled by the timing resistor, RT. Increasing the
value of RT decreases the capacitor current. Control of this current is also possible by
changing the voltage across the resistor via the modulating input. The voltage at pin 6
is normally maintained at the same voltage as pin 5. Thus, if the modulating voltage
at pin 5 is increased, the voltage at pin 6 increases, resulting in less voltage across RT
and, therefore, less charging current. All voltages must be positive.
Refer to Fig. 1 again, the voltage developed on capacitor CT is applied to the
Schmitt trigger circuit U2 via the buffer amplifier U1. The output voltage swing on the
Schmitt trigger goes from VCC to 0.5 VCC. Resistors Ra and Rb form a positive feedback
loop from the output of U2 to its non-inverting input. With equal dividing resistors Ra
and Rb, the non-inverting input swing is from 0.5VCC to 0.25VCC. If the voltage on the
timing capacitor CT exceeds 0.5VCC during charging, it will cause the Schmitt trigger
output to go low (0.5 VCC). A low level on the output of U2 causes the current source to
change to a sink (discharging CT). When CT discharges to 0.25VCC, the output of the U2
will swing high (VCC), causing the current sink to return to a source (charging CT).
Since the source and sink currents are equal, it takes the same amount of time to charge
CT as it does to discharge this capacitor. This results in a triangular voltage waveform
(Fig.2) on CT which is available as a buffered output at pin 4. A square wave appears at
the output of the Schmitt trigger and is inverted by inverter U3 for a second output at
pin 3. If the current from the source/sink is increased, the charge/discharge time for
the capacitor is reduced and the output frequency is increased (shorter period). See Fig.
2.
Determining VCO Output Frequency
The output frequency can then be changed by three methods:
1. Changing the value of CT.
2. Changing the value of RT.
3. Changing the voltage at the modulating input terminal.
We can determine the actual frequency of oscillation from the time it takes to
charge and discharge the capacitor. The basic equation for a capacitor is:
i(t) = C
dV
dt
or
v(t) =
1
i(t) dt
C
7-2
(1)
L303.7.W4
where dV is the voltage change on the capacitor during the time change dt. The total
voltage on the capacitor changes from 0.25 VCC to 0.5 VCC because of the limits of the
controlled current source/sink circuit.
Thus
(2)
Dt =
0.25 VCCC T
I
(3)
1
1
=
T 2Dt
(4)
I
0.5 VCC C T
(5)
f=
2(VCC - V5 )
C T R T VCC
(6)
(7)
L303.7.W4
(8)
f = f1 - f0 =
Solving for V:
DV =
(9)
Df C TR T VCC
2
Df VCC Df VCC RT CT
=
8 f0
2
(10)
3
RB
RA CT 1 +
2
2R A - R B
fo = 1/3 RT CT
(11)
(12)
7-4
L303.7.W4
7-5
L303.7.W4
f) Reset RA for 50% duty-cycle. Replace the capacitor with a substitution box
and vary CT over five orders of magnitude starting at 0.1 nF. Measure the
frequency and the duty-cycle. Plot these results on a log-log graph.
2 DC Sweep:
Connect the circuit shown in Fig. 4. Apply a second DC power supply between pins
8 and VCC with the polarity as shown. Start with VDC set to zero. Increase the DC sweep
voltage from 0V, in one-volt steps, until the output signal shuts down. Measure and record
the sweep voltage, VDC, and the frequency. Plot these results. Determine the VCO's
modulation rate, k, from this plot.
7-6
L303.7.W4
3 AC Modulation:
Connect the circuit in Fig. 5. Let RC = 10 k and CC = 200 F. Apply a 1-VPP, 100 Hz
sine wave from the HP function generator to the AC input to ground. Measure the AC
input at pin 8 not the HP generator. The capacitor will drop a large voltage at low
frequencies so you will need to increase the amplitude of the input as you lower the
frequency. Observe the VCOs square wave output on the scope. Reduce the input
frequency to 10 Hz and observe the VCOs output on the scope. Reduce again to 1 Hz and
observe the VCOs output on the scope. Reduce again to 0.1 Hz, and increase the input
each time. Has the output frequency range changed?
Repeat the last part with a ramp function at 10 Hz and 0.1 Hz.
Repeat the last part with a square function at 10 Hz and 0.1 Hz.
Now increase the input AC to 2 VPP at low frequency, observe and capture the
output. Has the output frequency range changed?
Parts List:
1 ICL 8038 circuit board
Resistors; 10 k, 25 k pot
Capacitors; 200 F, substitution box.
2 Twisted DC leads
2 BNC/clip
7-7
L303.7.W4
ICL8038
7-8