Voltage Control Oscillator

& Tuning range of a Voltage Controlled

Oscillator (VCO)

Subject Code and Name:20ECC533J ANALOG CIRCUITS AND

SYSTEM DESIGN
Submitted by:Sneha Aich (RA2312008010002)
Voltage Control Oscillator
A voltage-controlled oscillator circuit is an electronic oscillator circuit whose output frequency is controlled by an input
voltage source. By varying the input voltage, we can change the output frequency. A voltage-controlled oscillator can produce
frequencies ranging from a few Hertz to tens of Gigahertz.
 Frequency Generation in VCOs:

Many forms of VCOs are generally used. It can be of RC oscillator or multivibrator type or LC or
crystal oscillator type. However; if it is of RC oscillator type, the oscillation frequency of the output
signal will be inversely proportional to capacitance as

For the case of RC oscillator type, the oscillation frequency

Therefore, we can say that as the input voltage or control voltage increases, the capacitance gets reduced.
Hence, the control voltage and frequency of oscillation are directly proportional. That is, when one increases,
the other will increase.
Types of Voltage Controlled Oscillator

• The VCOs can be categorized based on the output waveform:

• Harmonic Oscillators: If the Output waveform of the oscillator is sinusoidal then it is called as harmonic
Oscillators. The RC, LC circuits and Tank circuits fall into this category. These types of oscillators are harder
to implement but they better stability than the Relaxation Oscillator. Harmonic oscillators are also called as
linear voltage controlled oscillator.
• Relaxation Oscillators: If the output waveform of the oscillator is in sawtooth or triangular form then the
oscillator is called as Relaxation Oscillator. These are comparatively easy to implement and hence most
widely used. Relaxation Oscillator can further be classified as
1. Emitter Coupled Voltage Controlled Oscillator
2. Grounded capacitor Voltage Controlled Oscillator
3. Delay-based ring Voltage Controlled Oscillator
Working Principle of Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO)
The tuning range of a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO)

• It refers to the range of frequencies over which the oscillator can be tuned by varying the control
voltage. It is an important parameter that determines the flexibility and suitability of the VCO for
different applications.
• The tuning range is typically specified as a percentage or ratio of the center frequency. For
example, if a VCO has a center frequency of 1 GHz and a tuning range of ±10%, it means that the
VCO can be tuned over a range of frequencies from 0.9 GHz to 1.1 GHz by varying the control
voltage.
• The tuning range of a VCO is influenced by several factors, including the design of the oscillator
circuit, the components used (such as inductors and capacitors), and the control mechanism (such
as varactors or voltage-controlled capacitors).
• A wider tuning range is generally desirable in many applications, as it provides more flexibility in
frequency selection. However, achieving a wide tuning range often comes at the cost of increased
power consumption, phase noise, and complexity of the circuit design. Therefore, the tuning range
of a VCO needs to be carefully balanced with other performance requirements based on the
specific application.