Instrumentation & Control

Lecture 2
Introduction
The block diagram modeling may provide control engineers
with a better understanding of the composition and
interconnection of the components of a system. Or it can be
used, together with transfer functions, to describe the cause
and-effect relationships throughout the system.
Block Diagram:
o A control system may consist of a number of components.
To show the functions performed by each component, in
control engineering, we use a diagram called Block
Diagram.
o A Block Diagram is a shorthand pictorial representation of
the cause-and-effect relationship of a system.
o Block diagrams consist of unidirectional, operational blocks
that represent the transfer function of the variables of
interest.
As a rule, each block represents an element in the control system,
and each element can be modeled by one or more equations.
These equations are normally in the time domain or preferably
(because of ease in manipulation) in the Laplace domain. Once the
Block diagram of a system is fully constructed, one can study
individual components or the overall system behavior.
Block Diagram of Closed Loop System
Block Diagram and their
simplifications:
The block diagram representation of a given system often can be reduced to a
simplified block diagram with fewer blocks than the original diagram.

• Cascade (series) connection:

Parallel connections:
Block Diagram Algebra For Summing
Junction:
Block Diagram Algebra for Branch
Point:
Reduction rules:
Some Basic Rules with block Diagram Transformations
Simplify the following Block Diagram:
Simplify the following Block Diagram:
Simplify the following Block Diagram:
 Problem
Simply the following Block Diagrams
 Block Diagram of Multi-Input Systems—Special Case:
Systems with a Disturbance

For linear systems, the overall response of the system under

multi-inputs is the summation of the responses due to the individual
inputs, i.e., in this case,
Block Diagrams and Transfer Functions of
Multivariable Systems
 What is Signal Flow Graph?
 SFG is a diagram which represents a set of simultaneous
equations.
 This method was developed by S.J.Mason. This method
doesn’t require any reduction technique.
 It consists of nodes and these nodes are connected by a
directed line called branches.
 Every branch has an arrow which represents the flow of
signal.
 For complicated systems, when Block Diagram (BD) reduction
method becomes tedious and time consuming then SFG
is a good choice.
SFG
 Definition of terms required in SFG
Node: It is a point representing a variable.
x2 = t 12 x1 +t32 x3
X3
X1 t12 X2
t32
In this SFG there are 3 nodes.

Branch : A line joining two nodes.

X1 X2

Input Node : Node which has only outgoing branches.

X1 is input node.
Output node/ sink node: Only incoming branches.

Mixed nodes: Has both incoming and outgoing branches.

Transmittance : It is the gain between two nodes. It is generally

written on the branch near the arrow.

t12 t23 t34

X4
X1 X2 X3

t43
• Path : It is the traversal of connected branches in the direction
of branch arrows, such that no node is traversed more than once.
• Forward path : A path which originates from the input node
and terminates at the output node and along which no node
is traversed more than once.
• Forward Path gain : It is the product of branch transmittances
of a forward path.

P 1 = G1 G2 G3 G4, P 2 = G5 G6 G7 G8
 Loop : Path that originates and terminates at the same node
and along which no other node is traversed more than once.
Loop gain: it is the product of branch transmittances of a loop.
Non-touching loops: Loops that don’t have any common node
or branch.

L 1 = G2 H2 L 2 = H3

L3= G7 H7
Non-touching loops are L1 & L2, L1
& L3, L2 &L3
 SFG terms representation

transmittance input node (source)

branch
mixed node x4
mixed node
node d
x1 a path x3
b 1
forward
x2 path loop x3
c

input node (source)

output node
Draw the SFG using the following set
of equations:
Masson’s Gain Formula
Find the input-output relation using
Gain formula
Block Diagrams and their SFG
Equivalent Representations
Block Diagram to SFG
Draw the SFG and apply Masson’s rule
to find the system transfer function
Signal-flow graphs of state equations