Non-minimum Phase Behaviour

Qm
j=1 (s zj )
, n > m that
A system with rational transfer function G(s) = Qn
i=1 (s pi )
has right half plane (RHP) zeros ( k, 1 6 k 6 m, such that Re(zk ) > 0)
is not a minimum phase system.
The name non-minimum phase is derived from the fact that, according to
Bode Phase-Gain relationship, for the minimum phase system, the phase
can be uniquely determined by its magnitude and it is always less than
its non-minimum counterparts (assume the counterparts are of the same
magnitude as the non-minimum phase system), hence minimum phase.

Example. Here we consider a 2nd order transfer function

Ga (s) =

n2
,
s2 + 2n s + n2

and its zeros added form

Gb (s) =

n2
s
(
+ 1),
2
2
s + 2n s + n z

where = 0.6, n = 5 rad s1 , and extra zeros are symmetric to origin,

located at z = 3 respectively.
Frequency response. Notice that the non-minimum phase system transfer function can be represented by the corresponding minimum phase sys1 Ts
tem transfer function with an all pass element
, T > 0. In this
1 + Ts
example, the non-minimum phase transfer function Gbr (s) with RHP zero
zr = 3 could be written in terms of its minimum phase counterpart Gbl (s)

magnitude [dB]

50
0
original system, 1 = 0:6, !n = 5 [rad/s]
with RHP zero, z = 3
with LHP zero, z = !3

-50
-100
10

-2

10

-1

10

10

10

10

10

10

freqency ! [rad/s]

phase [degrees]

100
0
-100
original system, 1 = 0:6, !n = 5 [rad/s]
with RHP zero, z = 3
with LHP zero, z = !3

-200
-300
10

-2

10

-1

10

10

freqency ! [rad/s]

Figure 1: Non-minimum phase behaviour of a 2nd order systemBode plot.

1.5

step responses

0.5

-0.5
original system, 1 = 0:6, !n = 5 [rad/s]
with RHP zero, z = 3
with LHP zero, z = !3

-1

0.5

1.5

2.5

time [s]

Figure 2: Non-minimum phase behaviour of a 2nd order systemunit step

response plot.
3

with LHP zero zl = 3,




s
Gbr (s) = Ga (s)
+1
zr


1 zsr
s
+1
= Ga (s)
zl
1 + zs l
!
1 zsr
= Gbl (s)
.
1 + zs l
| {z }
min phase |
{z
}
all pass element

From Figure 1 we can see that in Bode plot, Gbr (s) and Gbl (s) have the
same magnitude but the phase of Gbl (s) is less than that of Gbr (s) at all
frequencies.
Step response. Figure 2 shows the step responses of Ga (s), Gbr (s) and
Gbl (s). Can we compute the time at the crossing of all three step responses
around t = 0.8 s? Can we relate the undershoot in step response of Gbr (s)
in Figure 2 to its phase plot in Figure 1?

As for the first question, we have a 2nd order system with natural frequency
n = 5 rad s1 , and the damping ratio is = 0.6. For all three responses,
the characteristicppolynomials are the same, so the damped natural frequency d = n 1 2 = 4 rad s1 . So to the crossings, we relate the
period of the damped oscillation as tcrossing = 12 Td = 12 2d 0.7854 s.
As for the second question, the undershoot in step response is part of
systems transient behaviour however Bode plot shows gain and phase shift
of the output signal if the input is a sinusoidal signal u(t) = sin(t + ),
i.e., y(t) = |G(j)| sin(t++G(j)) for various input signal frequencies
s. For a unit step input, = 0 rad s1 , = 2 , the Bode plot in Figure 1
shows all three transfer functions Ga (s), Gbr (s) and Gbl (s) have the same
gain and phase shift at frequency = 0 rad s1 . So Bode plot shows only
systems steady state behaviour in step response. (I am not so sure how
to detect the undershoot from Bode plot at the moment yet. I am reading
Bodes book (1945) trying to figure out the answer to this question.)

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