Electronic Circuit Design

S IG N A L G E N E R ATO R S A N D WAV E F O R M -
S H A P IN G C IR C U IT S
C H A P T E R 11 ( 1 3 O R 1 7 ) : A D E L S . S E D R A A N D
K E N N E T H C . S MI T H , M IC R O E L E C T R O N I C
C IR C U IT S , 5 T H E D IT IO N .

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BISTABLE
MULTIVIBRATORS
These devices make use of a special class of circuits known as
multivibrators.

There are three types

◦ Bistable

◦ Monostable

◦ Astable

The bistable multivibrator has two stable states.

◦ The circuit can remain in either stable state indefinitely and moves to the
other stable state only when appropriately triggered.
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 The Feedback Loop
DC amplifier in a positive-feedback loop having a loop gain greater than
unity.
No external excitation.
The electrical noise  present in every electronic circuit  small positive
increment in the voltage V+
Incremental signal will be amplified  large open-loop gain A of the
opamp
Much greater signal will appear in the op amp's output voltage V0.
The voltage divider (R1, R2) fraction R = R1/(R1 + R2) of the output
signal back to the positive input terminal.
If Aβ > unity, the feedback signal > the original increment in V+.
Regenerative process continues  op amp saturates with its output
voltage L+.
The voltage at the positive input terminal V+  L+R1/(R1 + R2)
positive and thus keeps the op amp in positive saturation.
If assumed the equally probable situation of a negative increment
◦ op amp would have ended up saturated in the negative direction with V0 =
L_ and V+ = L_ RX/(Rx + R2).
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Transfer Characteristics

Vl is increased from 0V and VI reaches a value equal to V+ (i.e., βL+).

VI begins to exceed this value
Net negative voltage develops between the input terminals of the op amp
Thus V0 goes negative and vice versa
The input signal vl is thus referred to as a trigger signal, or simply a trigger
Known as a Schmitt trigger and a Memory Element

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 A Bistable Circuit with Noninverting
Transfer Characteristics
A circuit with noninverting transfer characteristics
by applying the input signal VI (the trigger signal)
to the terminal of Rt that is connected to ground

To trigger the circuit into the L_ state, VI must be

made negative and of such a value as to make v+
decrease below zero.

Similarly,

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Application of the Bistable Circuit
as a Comparator
A variety of applications
◦ Detecting the level of an input signal relative to a
preset threshold value,
◦ The design of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters

Comparator as having a single threshold value

◦ To add hysteresis to the comparator characteristics.

Comparator exhibits two threshold values, VTL

and VTH, symmetrically placed about the desired
reference level
VTH and VTL are separated by a small amount, say
100 mV

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Illustrating the use of hysteresis in the comparator
characteristics as a means of rejecting interference. Limiter circuits are used to obtain more precise output levels
for the bistable circuit

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Operation of
the Astable
Multivibrator
Has no stable states,
Two quasi-stable
states remains in each
for a time interval
determined by the
time constant of the
RC network and the
thresholds of the
bistable multivibrator

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T= T1 + T2.

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Generation
of Triangular
Waveforms

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 GENERATION OF A STANDARDIZED
PULSE-THE MONOSTABLE
MULTIVIBRATOR
The need arises for a pulse of
known height and width
◦ Generated in response to a
trigger signal

Width of the pulse is

predictable
◦ Initiate a particular task at a
specified time.

Should not be triggered again until C1 has been

recharged to VD1
Known as the Recovery Period
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Home work
1. Example
2. Exercise 11.11 - 11.19
3. Problems 11.24 - 11.36 (for your own practice)

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