SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |1

Question: Define the following terms-

1. Node 7. Path
2. Transmittance 8. Loop
3. Branch 9. Loop gain
4. Input node [Source] 10.Non-touching loops
5. Output node [Sink] 11.Forward path
6. Mixed node 12.Forward path gain

Answer:

1. Node: A node is a point representing a variable.

2. Transmittance: A transmittance is a gain between two nodes.
3. Branch: A branch is a line joining two nodes. The signal travels along a
branch.
4. Input node [Source]: It is a node which has only out-going signals.
5. Output node [Sink]: It is a node which is having only incoming signals.
6. Mixed node: It is a node which has both incoming and outgoing branches
(signals).
7. Path: It is the traversal of connected branches in the direction of branch
arrows. Such that no node is traversed more than once.
8. Loop: It is a closed path.
9. Loop gain: It is the product of the branch transmittances of a loop.
10.Non-touching loops: loops are non-touching if they do not possess any
common node.
11.Forward path: It is a path from input node to the output node which does
not cross any node more than once.
12.Forward path gain: It is the product of branch transmittances of a forward
path.

Question: State Mason’s gain formula.

Answer: The relation between the input variable and the output variable of a
signal flow graphs is given by the net gain between the input and the output
nodes and is known as overall gain of the system.

Mason’s gain formula for the determination of overall system gain is given by,

T= ∑

Where, PK = Forward path gain of Kth forward path

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)
Control System-I (EEE 703)
 SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |2

∆ = Determinant of the graph.

∆= { } ...

{ } { } { }

∆K = The value of the ∆ for that part of the graph not touching the Kth forward
path

T = Overall gain of the system

( )
Problem 1: Obtain the closed loop TF, ( )
by using Mason’s gain formula.

Solution:

Mason’s gain formula is, T = ∑

No. of forward paths:

P1 = G1G2G3G4G5 ∆1 = 1
P2 = G1G6G4G5 ∆2 = 1
P3 = G1G2G7 ∆3 = 1 { H1G4} = 1+G4H1

No. of individual loops:

L11 = G4H1
L12 = G2 G3 G4 G5 H2
L13 = G2 G7 H2
L14 = G6 G4 G5 H2

Gain products of all possible combinations of two non-touching loops:

L21 = (L11)(L31) = H1H2G2G4G7

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Control System-I (EEE 703)
 SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |3

No. of three non-touching loops = 0

Now,

∆ = 1 {L11+L12+L13+L14}+L21

T= ×* +
* +

, -
∴T=

( )
Problem 2: Obtain the closed loop TF, ( )
by using Mason’s gain formula.

Solution:

Mason’s gain formula is, T = ∑

No. of forward paths:

P1 = G2G4G6 ∆1 = 1+G5H2
P2 = G3G5G7 ∆2 = 1+G4H1
P3 = G1G2G7 ∆3 = 1
P4 = G3G8G6 ∆4 = 1
P5 = G3G8 ( H1) G1G7 ∆5 = 1
P6 = G2G1 ( H2) G8G6 ∆6 = 1

No. of individual loops:

L11 = G4H1
L12 = G5 H2

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Control System-I (EEE 703)
 SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |4

L13 = H1G1H2G8
Gain products of all possible combinations of two non-touching loops:

L21 = (L11)(L21) = G4G5H1H2

No. of three non-touching loops = 0

Now,

∆ = 1 {L11+L12+L13}+L21

T= ×* +
* +
, - , -
∴T=

Problem 3: Construct a signal flow graph from the following equations. Obtain
overall TF using Mason’s gain formula.

x2 = a12x1+a32x3+a42x4+a52x5
x3 = a23x2
x4 = a34x3+a44x4
x5 = a35x3+a45x4

where, x1 is input and x5 is output variable.

Solution:

Mason’s gain formula is, T = ∑

No. of forward paths:

P1 = a12 a23 a34 a45 ∆1 = 1

P2 = a12 a23 a35 ∆2 = 1 a44

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |5

No. of individual loops:

L11 = a23 a32

L12 = a44
L13 = a23 a34 a42
L14 = a23 a34 a45 a52
L15 = a23 a35 a52
Gain products of all possible combinations of two non-touching loops:

L21 = (L12)(L11) = a23 a32 a44

L22 = (L15)(L12) = a44 a23 a35 a52

No. of three non-touching loops = 0

Now,

∆ = 1 {L11+L12+L13+ L14+L15} + {L21 L22}

T= ×* +
* +
, -
∴T=

( )
Problem 4: Obtain ( )
by block diagram reduction method and verify the result
by signal flow graph.

Solution: Rearranging the summing points,

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |6

( ) ( ), ( )-
∴ =
( ) ( )

Signal flow graphs:

Mason’s gain formula is, T = ∑

No. of forward paths:

P1 = G1G3 ∆1 = 1
P2 = G1G2 ∆2 = 1
P3 = G4 H2G1G3 ∆3 = 1
P4 = G4 H2G1G2 ∆4 = 1

No. of individual loops:

L11 = G1G3H1H2
L12 = G1G2H1H2

Now,

∆ = 1 {L11+L12}

T= ×* +
* +

∴T=

Problem 5: Obtain the TF and verify by signal flow graph.

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |7

Solution: Shifting the take-off point T2 ahead of the block G2. The block
diagram reduces to,

( ) ( )
∴ =
( )

Signal flow graph:

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Control System-I (EEE 703)
 SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |8

No. of forward paths:

P1 = G1G2G3 ∆1 = 1
P2 = G1G4 ∆2 = 1

No. of individual loops:

L11 = G1G2H2
L12 = G1G2H2

Mason’s gain formula is, T = (P1∆1+P2∆2)

∴ T =

Problem 6: Reduce the block diagram shown

Solution: Shifting H2 beyond G3, we get,

Eliminating feedback loop H1, we get,

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 SIGNAL FLOW DIAGRAM |9

Eliminating feedback loop , we get,

Eliminating another feed back loop , we get,

( ) ( )
∴ =
( )

Signal flow graph:

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Control System-I (EEE 703)
 S I G N A L F L O W D I A G R A M | 10

No. of forward paths:

P1 = G1G2G3 ∆1 = 1
P2 = G1G4 ∆2 = 1+G2H2+G2G3H1+G1G2H2

No. of individual loops:

L11 = G1H2
L12 = G1G3H1
L13 = G1G2H2

Mason’s gain formula is, T = (P1∆1+P2∆2)

( )
∴ T =
( )
Problem 7: Obtain the closed loop TF ( )
by using Mason’s gain formula.

Solution:

No. of forward paths:

P1 = G1G2G3 ∆1 = 1
P2 = G4 ∆2 = 1 ( H1 H2)+(H1H2)

No. of individual loops:

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)
Control System-I (EEE 703)
 S I G N A L F L O W D I A G R A M | 11

L11 = H1
L12 = H2
L13 = G3H4
L14 = G2G3H3

Two non-touching loops:

L21=H1H2
L22 = H1H4G3

∆ = 1 {L11+L12+L13+L14}+{L21+L22}

Mason’s gain formula is, T = (P1∆1+P2∆2)

( )
∴ T =( )

Problem 8: Obtain the TF of the closed loop control system represented by the
Block Diagram shown below using block diagram reduction method.

Solution: Shifting the take off point H1 beyond block G3 and simplifying for the
blocks H2, G2 and G3, we get,

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)
 S I G N A L F L O W D I A G R A M | 12

( )
∴ =
( )

Problem 9: Using Mason’s gain rule, obtain the overall TF of a control system
represented by the signal flow graph shown below.

Solution:

No. of forward paths:

P1 = 1×K×0.5× = ( )
∆=1

Individual loops:

L11 = 0.5× ( )=
L12 = ( )=
( )

L31 = K(0.5). ( )=
( )

Two non-touching loops = 0

∆ = 1 {L11+L12+L13}

( )
TF = P1∆1 =
∆ { }
( ) ( )

( )
∴ TF = =
( )

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Control System-I (EEE 703)