Feedback Oscillators

FEEDBACK OSCILLATORS
• What is an Oscillator
• Oscillator Principles
• The RC Phase-Shift Oscillator
• The Colpitts Oscillator
• The Hartley Oscillator
• The Crystal Oscillator
Reference: Electronics Fundamentals: Circuits, Devices and Applications, 8th Edition, by Thomas L. Floyd, David M. Buchla, 2009. [Pages 807-812]
What is an oscillator?
• An oscillator is a circuit that produces a repetitive waveform on its
output with only the dc supply voltage as an input. The output
voltage can be either sinusoidal or non-sinusoidal, depending on the
type of oscillator.
• Feedback oscillator operation is based on the principle of positive
feedback. In this lecture, we will examine feedback oscillators, look at
the general conditions required for oscillation to occur, and introduce
several basic oscillator circuits.
Oscillator Principles
• The basic concept of an oscillator is illustrated in the figure below:
The basic oscillator concept showing

a sinusoidal output waveform.
• Essentially, an oscillator converts electrical energy in the form of dc

to electrical energy in the form of ac.
• A basic oscillator consists of a transistor or op-amp amplifier for gain
and a positive feedback circuit that produces phase shift and
provides attenuation, as shown in the figure below:
Basic elements of an oscillator.

Positive feedback
• Positive feedback is characterized by the condition wherein a portion
of the output voltage of an amplifier is fed back to the input with no
net phase shift, resulting in a reinforcement of the output signal.
• The basic idea is illustrated in the figure below:
Positive feedback produces oscillation.

• As you can see, the in-phase feedback voltage is amplified to produce
the output voltage, which in turn produces the feedback voltage. That
is, a loop is created in which the signal sustains itself with no input
signal and a continuous sinusoidal output is produced. This
phenomenon is called oscillation.
Conditions for Oscillation
• Two conditions, illustrated in the figure below, are required for a
sustained state of oscillation:
1) The phase shift around the feedback loop must be 0°.
2) The loop gain (voltage gain, Acl, around the closed feedback loop)
must be 1 (unity gain).
• The voltage gain around the closed feedback loop (Acl) is the product
of the amplifier gain (Av) and the attenuation (B) of the feedback
circuit.
𝑨𝒄𝒍 = 𝑨𝒗 𝑩
Barkhausen Criteria
• In order for the oscillator to get sustained oscillation, these two
conditions must be satisfied:
• 𝑨𝒗 𝑩 = 𝟏
• ∠ 𝑨𝒗 𝑩 = 𝟎
Conditions for oscillation.

Start-Up Conditions
• The conditions for both starting and sustaining oscillation are
illustrated in the figure below:
When oscillation starts at 𝒕𝟎 , the condition 𝑨𝒄𝒍 > 𝟏 causes the sinusoidal output voltage
amplitude to build up to a desired level, where 𝑨𝒄𝒍 decreases to 𝟏 and maintains the desired
amplitude.
• A question that normally arises is this: If the oscillator is off (no dc
voltage) and there is no output voltage, how does a feedback signal
originate to start the positive feedback buildup process?
• Initially, when power is turned on, a small positive feedback voltage
develops from thermally produced broad-band noise in the resistors or
other components or from turn-on transients.
• The feedback circuit permits only a voltage with a frequency equal to the
selected oscillation frequency to appear in phase on the amplifier’s input.
This initial feedback voltage is amplified and continually reinforced,
resulting in a buildup of the output voltage as previously discussed.
The RC Phase-Shift Oscillator
• The basic RC phase-shift
oscillator shown in the figure
uses an RC circuit as its feedback
circuit. In this case, three RC lag
circuits have a total phase shift of
180°.
• The common-emitter transistor
contributes a 180° phase shift.
The total phase shift through the
amplifier and feedback circuit
therefore is 360°, which is
effectively 0° (no phase shift) RC Phase-Shift Network
• The attenuation of the RC circuit and the gain of the amplifier must
be such that the overall gain around the feedback loop is equal to 1 at
the frequency of oscillation. This circuit will produce a continuous
sinusoidal output.
A basic RC phase-shift oscillator.

Applications of RC Phase Shift Oscillators
• This oscillator is utilized for the generation of signals over a wide
range of frequencies. This oscillator is used in voice synthesis, musical
instruments, and GPS units. These oscillators are capable of working
at all audio frequencies.
The Colpitts Oscillator
• One basic type of tuned oscillator is the
Colpitts, named after its inventor. As
shown in the figure, this type of
oscillator uses an LC circuit in the
feedback loop to provide the necessary
phase shift and to act as a filter that
passes only the specified frequency of
oscillation.
A basic Colpitts oscillator.

• The approximate frequency of oscillation is established by the values
of 𝐶1 , 𝐶2 , and 𝐿 according to the following familiar formula:
𝟏
𝒇𝒓 ≅
𝟐𝝅√𝑳𝑪𝑻
• Because the capacitors effectively appear in series around the tank
circuit, the total capacitance is
𝑪𝟏 𝑪𝟐
𝑪𝑻 =
𝑪𝟏 + 𝑪𝟐
Applications of Colpitts Oscillator
• Colpitts oscillator can be used as High frequency sinewave generator.
• This can be used as a temperature sensor with some associated
circuitry.
• Mostly used as a local oscillator in radio receivers.
• It is also used as R.F. Oscillator.
• It is also used in Mobile applications.
• It has got many other commercial applications
The Hartley Oscillator
• Another basic type of oscillator circuit

is the Hartley, which is similar to the
Colpitts except that the feedback circuit
consists of two inductors and one
capacitor, as shown in the figure to the
right.
• The frequency of oscillation for the
Hartley oscillator is
𝟏
𝒇𝒓 ≅
𝟐𝝅√𝑳𝑻 𝑪𝟓
• The total inductance is the series
combination of L1 and L2.
Application of Hartley Oscillators
• The Hartley oscillator is used to produce sine wave with the desired
frequency.
• Hartley oscillators are mainly used as radio receivers.
• The Hartley oscillator is suitable for oscillations in RF (Radio-frequency)
range, up to 30 MHz
The Crystal Oscillator
• A crystal oscillator is essentially a tuned-circuit oscillator that uses a

quartz crystal as the resonant tank circuit. Other types of crystals can
be used, but quartz is the most prevalent.
• Crystal oscillators offer greater frequency stability than other types.
Quartz
• Quartz is a substance found in nature that exhibits a property called
the piezoelectric effect. When a changing mechanical stress is applied
across the crystal to cause it to vibrate, a voltage is developed at the
frequency of the mechanical vibration. Conversely, when an ac
voltage is applied across the crystal, it vibrates at the frequency of the
applied voltage. This is known as the inverse piezoelectric effect.
• The symbol for a crystal is shown in figure (a), the electrical
equivalent is shown in part (b), and a typical mounted crystal is
shown in part (c). In construction, a slab of quartz is mounted as
shown in figure (d).
Quartz crystal.
Resonance
• Series resonance occurs in the crystal when

the reactances in the series branch are equal.
• Parallel resonance occurs, at a higher
frequency, when the inductive reactance of
equals the reactance of the parallel
capacitor .
• A crystal oscillator using the crystal as a series resonant tank circuit is
shown in figure (a) below. The impedance of the crystal is minimum at
the series resonance, thus providing maximum feedback. The crystal
tuning capacitor, CC, is used to “fine-tune” the oscillator frequency by
“pulling” the resonant frequency of the crystal slightly up or down.
(a) Basic crystal oscillators: Series resonant tank.

• A modified Colpitts configuration, shown in (b) below, uses the crystal
in its parallel resonant mode. The impedance of the crystal is
maximum at parallel resonance, thus developing the maximum
voltage across both C1 and C2. The voltage across C1 is fed back to the
input.
(b) Basic crystal oscillators: Parallel resonant tank.

Applications of Crystal Oscillator
• They are widely used in computers, instrumentation, digital systems,
in phase-locked loop systems, modems, marine, telecommunications,
in sensors and also in disk drives. Crystal Oscillator is also used in
engine controlling, clock and to trip computer, stereo, and in GPS
systems.
Oscillator Conceptual Questions:

Feedback Oscillators

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FEEDBACK OSCILLATORS

The basic oscillator concept showing

• Essentially, an oscillator converts electrical energy in the form of dc

Basic elements of an oscillator.

Positive feedback produces oscillation.

Conditions for oscillation.

A basic RC phase-shift oscillator.

A basic Colpitts oscillator.

• Another basic type of oscillator circuit

• A crystal oscillator is essentially a tuned-circuit oscillator that uses a

• Series resonance occurs in the crystal when

(a) Basic crystal oscillators: Series resonant tank.

(b) Basic crystal oscillators: Parallel resonant tank.

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