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UNIT-7

Frequency domain analysis

Frequency response of a control system refers to the steady state response of a system subject to

sinusoidal input of fixed (constant) amplitude but frequency varying over a specific range,

usually from 0 to ∞. For linear systems the frequency of input and output signal remains the

same, while the ratio of magnitude of output signal to the input signal and phase between two

signals may change. Frequency response analysis is a complimentary method to time domain

analysis (step and ramp input analysis). It deals with only steady state and measurements are

taken when transients have disappeared. Hence frequency response tests are not generally carried

out for systems with large time constants.

The frequency response information can be obtained either by analytical methods or by

experimental methods, if the system exits. The concept and procedure is illustrated in Figure 7.1

(a) in which a linear system is subjected to a sinusoidal input. I(t) = a Sin t and the

corresponding output is O(t) = b Sin (t +) as shown in Figure 6.1 (b).

Figure 7.1 (a) Figure 7.1 (b)

The following quantities are very important in frequency response analysis.

M () = b/a = ratio of amplitudes = Magnitude ratio or Magnification factor or gain.

 () =  = phase shift or phase angle

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These factors when plotted in polar co-ordinates give polar plot, or when plotted in rectangular

co-ordinates give rectangular plot which depict the frequency response characteristics of a

system over entire frequency range in a single plot.

Frequency Response Data

The following procedure can be adopted in obtaining data analytically for frequency response
analysis.

5. Obtain the transfer function of the system

O(S )
F (S )  , Where F (S) is transfer function, O(S) and I(S) are the Laplace transforms
I (S )
of the output and input respectively.

6. Replace S by (j) (As S is a complex number)

O( j )
 F ( j ) 
I ( j )

O( j )
  A()  B( j ) (another complex number)
I ( j )

7. For various values of , ranging from 0 to ∞ determine M () and .

O( j )
M ()   A()  B( j )  A  jB
I ( j )

M  A2  B 2

O( j )
  A  jB
I ( j )

B
  tan1
A

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8. Plot the results from step 3 in polar co-ordinates or rectangular co-ordinates. These plots are

not only convenient means for presenting frequency response data but are also serve as a

basis for analytical and design methods.

Comparison between Time Domain and Frequency Domain Analysis

An interesting and revealing comparison of frequency and time domain approaches is based on

the relative stability studies of feedback systems. The Routh‘s criterion is a time domain

approach which establishes with relative ease the stability of a system, but its adoption to

determine the relative stability is involved and requires repeated application of the criterion. The

Root Locus method is a very powerful time domain approach as it reveals not only stability but

also the actual time response of the system.

It was pointed out earlier that the performance of a feedback control system is more
preferably measured by its time domain response characteristics. This is in contrast to the
analysis & design of systems in the communication field, where the frequency response is of
more importance, since in this case most of the signals to be processed are either sinusoidal or
periodic in nature. However analytically, the time response of a control system is usually
difficult to determine, especially in the case of high order systems. In the design aspects, there
are no unified ways of arriving at a designed system given the time-domain specifications, such
as peak overshoot, rise time , delay time & setting time. On the other hand, there is a wealth of
graphical methods available in the frequency-domain analysis, all suitable for the analysis &
design of linear feedback control systems once the analysis & design are carried out in the
frequency domain, time domain behavior of the system can be interpreted based on the
relationships that exist between the time-domain & the frequency-domain properties. Therefore,
we may consider that the main purpose of conducting control systems analysis & design in
frequency domain is merely to use the techniques as a convenient vehicle toward the same
objectives as with time-domain methods.
The starting point in frequency-domain analysis is the transfer function.
For a single loop feed back system, the closed loop transfer function is written

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C(s) G(s)
M(s) = = (1)
R(s) 1+ G(s) H(s)

Under the sinusoidal steady-state, we get s = j; then equation(1.0) becomes,

C(j) G(j)
M(j) = = (1.1)
R(j) 1+ G(j) H(j)

The sinusoidal steady-state transfer relation M(j), which is a complex function of  , may be
expressed in terms of a real & an imaginary part; that is,

M((j) = Re [ M (j)] + j Im [ M(j)] (1.2)

Or , M(j) can be expressed in terms of its magnitude & phase as

M(j) = M ()  m() (1.3)

Where
G(j)
M(() = (1.4)
1 + G(j) H(j)
And
G(j)
 m() =
1 + G(j) H(j)
(1.5)

= G(j) - 1 + G(j) H(j)

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since the analysis is now in the frequency domain, some of the terminology used in
communication system may be applied to the present control system characterization. For
instance, M() of Eq. (1.4) may be regarded as the magnification of the feed back control system
is similar to the gain or amplification of an electronic amplifier. In an audio amplifier, for
instance, an ideal design criterion is that the amplifier must have a flat gain for all frequencies.
Of course, realistically, the design criterion becomes that of having a flat gain in the audio
frequency range. In control system the ideal design criterion is similar. If it is desirable to keep
the output C(j) identical to the input R(j) at all frequencies, M(j) must be unity for all
frequencies. However, from Eq. (1.1) it is apparent that M(j) can be unity only when G(j) is
infinite, while H(j) is finite & nonzero. An infinite magnitude for g(j) is, of course,
impossible to achieve in practice, nor would it be desirable, since most control system become
unstable when its loop gain becomes very high. Further more, all control system are subject
noise. Thus in addition to responding to the input signal, the system should be able to reject &
suppress noise & unwanted signals. This means that the frequency response of a control system
should have a cutoff characteristic in general, & sometimes even a band-pass characteristic.
The phase characteristics of the frequency response are also of importance. The ideal situation
is that the phase must be a linear function of frequency within the frequency range of interest.
Figure 1.1 shows the gain & phase characteristics of an ideal low-pass filter, which is impossible
to realize physically. Typical gain & phase characteristics of a feedback control system are
shown in Fig. 1.2. The fact is that the great majority of control systems have the characteristics
of a low-pass filter, so the gain decreases as the frequency increases.
M() 0 




1
 m()

0 c  Deg
Fig. 1.1. Gain-phase characteristics of an ideal low-pass filter.

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0 



M() Mp

  m()

1 Deg

0 
Fig.1.2. Typical gain & phase characteristics of a feedback control system.

Frequency-Domain characteristics:
If a control system is to be designed or analyzed using frequency-domain techniques, we need
a set of specification to describe the system performance. The following frequency-domain
specifications are often used in practice.

Peak response M p :
The peak response Mp is defined as the maximum value of M() that is given in
Eq.(1.4). In general, the magnitude of Mp gives an indication of the relative stability of a feed
back control system. Normally, a large Mp corresponds to a large peak overshoot in the step
response. For most design problems it is generally accepted that an optimum value Mp of should
be somewhere between 1.1 & 1.5.
Resonant frequency  p :
The resonant frequency p is defined as the frequency at which the peak resonance M p occurs.
Bandwidth :
The bandwidth , BW, is defined as the frequency at which the magnitude of M(j), M(),
drops at 70.7 percent of its zero-frequency level, or 3 dB down from the zero-frequency gain. In
general, the bandwidth of a control system indicates the noise-filtering characteristics of the
system. Also, bandwidth gives a measure of the transient response properties, in that a large
bandwidth corresponds to a faster rise time, since higher-frequency signals are passed on to the

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outputs. Conversely, if the bandwidth is small, only signals of relatively low frequencies are
passed, & the time response will generally be slow & sluggish.
Cutoff rate :
Often, bandwidth alone is inadequate in the indication of the characteristics of the system in
distinguishing signals from noise. Sometimes it may be necessary to specify the cutoff rate of the
frequency response at the higher frequencies. However, in general, a steep cutoff characteristics
may be accompanied by a large Mp , which corresponds to a system with a low stability margin.
The performance criteria defined above for the frequency-domain analysis are illustrated on
the closed-loop frequency response, as shown in Fig. 1.3.
There are other criteria defined that may be used to specify the relative stability &
performance of a feedback control system. These are defined in the ensuring sections of this
chapter.
M()

Mp

1 Bandwidth
0 
p BW

Fig.1.3. Typical magnification curve of a feedback control system.

M p, ,  p & the bandwidth of a second-order system:

For a second-order feedback control system, the peak resonance Mp, the resonant frequency p,
& the bandwidth are all uniquely related to the damping ratio  & the natural undamped
frequency n of the system. Consider the second-order sinusoidal steady-state transfer function
of a closed-loop system,
C(j) 2 n
M(j) = = (1.6)
R(j) (j)2 + 2  n (j) + 2 n

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1
=
1 + j 2 (/n )  - (/n )2

We may simplify the last expression by letter u = / n . The Eq. (1.6) becomes

1
M(ju) = ( 1.7)
1 + j2 u  - u2

The magnitude & phase of M (j) are

1
M(ju) = M(u) = (1.8)
[( 1 – u2 )2 + ( 2  u)2 ] ½

And
2 u
M(ju) =  m(u) = - tan -1
(1.9)
1 – u2

The resonant frequency is determined first by taking the derivative of M(u) with respect to u &
setting it equal to zero. Thus

dM(u) 1
= - [( 1 – u2 )2 + ( 2 u)2 ] –3/2 ( 4 u3 – 4u + 8u2) = 0 ( 1.10)
du 2
from which
4u3 – 4u + 8u2 = 0 ( 1.11)

The root of Eq. (1.11) are

up = 0 (1.12)

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and
up =  1 - 22 ( 1.13)

The solution Eq. (1.12) merely indicates that the slope of the M() versus  curve is zero at
 = 0; it is not true maximum. The solution of eq. (1.13) gives the resonant frequency,
p = n  1 - 22 (1.14)
Since frequency is a real quantity, Eq. (1.14) is valid only for 1  22 or   0.707. This means
simply that for all values of  greater than 0.707, the solution of p = 0 becomes the valid one, &
Mp = 1.
Substituting Eq. (1.13) into Eq. (1.8) & simplifying, we get
1
Mp = (1.15)
2  1 - 2
It is important to note that Mp is a function of  only, whereas p is a function of  & n
5

3
Mp

0
0.5 0.707 1.0 1.5 2.0
Damping ratio 
 1
Fig.1.4 Mp versus-damping ratio for a second – order system, Mp =
2  1 - 2

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1.0

0.8

up = p /n
0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0.5 0.707 1.0
Damping ratio 

Fig 1.5. Normalized resonant frequency- versus-damping ratio for a second order system,
Up =  1 - 2 .
Fig.1.4 & 1.5 illustrate the relationship between Mp &  , & u = p / n & ,
respectively.
Bandwidth :
Bandwidth BW of a system is a frequency at which M() drops to 70.7% of its zero
frequency level or 3 dB down from the zero frequency gain. Equating the Eq.
1
M(u) = = 0.707
[( 1 –u2 )2 + ( 2u)2 ] ½

1
= [( 1 –u2 )2 + ( 2u)2 ] ½ =
0.707

= 2.

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Squaring both sides

( 1 –u2 )2 + 4 2 u2 = 2

1 + u4 – 2u2 + 4 2 u2 = 2
Let u2 = x

1 + x2 – 2x + 4 2 x = 2

x2 – 2x + 4 2 x = 1
x2 – x ( 2 - 4 2 ) = 1
x2 – x ( 2 - 4 2 ) – 1 = 0
a = 1, b = - ( 2 - 4 2 ) , c = -1
-b b2 – 4ac
x=
2a
(2 – 4 2 )  (2 – 4 2 )2 + 4
=
2
(2 – 4 2 )  (4 + 16 4 – 16 2
+4
=
2
(2 – 4 2 )  16  4 – 16  2 + 8
=
2
2 (1 – 2 2 )   4 + 16 4 – 16 2 + 4
=
2
2 (1 – 2 2 )  22 + 4 4 – 4 2
=
2

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2 (1 – 2 2 )  22 + 4 4 – 4 2
=
2

2 [(1 – 2 2 )  2 + 4 4 – 4 2 ]
=
2
u2 = x = (1 – 2 2 )  2 + 4 4 – 4 2
/ n = u = [(1 – 2 2 )  (2 + 4 4 – 4 2 ] 1/2
BW = n [ ( 1 – 22 ) + 44 - 42 +2]1/2
For the second order system under consideration, we easily establish some simple relationship
between the time – domain response & the frequency-domain response of the system.
1. The maximum over shoot of the unit step response in the time domain depends upon 
only.
2. The response peak of the closed - loop frequency response Mp depends upon  only.
3. The rise time increases with  , & the bandwidth decreases with the increase of  , for a
fixed n , therefore, bandwidth & rise time are inversely proportional to each other.
4. Bandwidth is directly proportional to n .
5. Higher bandwidth corresponds to larger Mp.

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Recommended Questions:

1. Give the Comparison between Time Domain and Frequency Domain Analysis

2. For the second order system under consideration, establish some simple relationship between
the time – domain response & the frequency-domain response of the system.
3. Define Peak response, resonant frequency, cutoff rate and bandwidth.

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