Lab Manual [Electronic Devices and Circuits –II] Edition: 3 GEC.

ETC[2020]

Expt. No: 8 Date:

LINEAR WAVESHAPING CIRCUITS

(RC Integrator Circuit and RC Differentiator Circuit)

AIM:

1. To design High pass and Low pass RC circuits for different time constants and verify their
responses for a square wave input of given frequency.
2. To find the % tilt of high pass RC circuit for long time constant.
3. To study the operation of high pass RC circuit as a differentiator and low pass circuit as an
integrator.

Sr. No Component Specification Quantity

1. Regulated Power (0-30V, 1A) 1
Supply
2. Resistors* 1kΩ, 10 kΩ, 100 k Ω. 1 each
3. Capacitors* 0.1µf, 0.01µf, 0.001µf, 10µF ,100µF 2Nos
CRO (20 Mhz, dual-trace), Breadboard, Function Generator, Multimeter, Connecting wires
* Select the component values according to design.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:

Fig 8.1 High Pass RC circuit Fig 8.2 Low Pass RC circuit

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Lab Manual [Electronic Devices and Circuits –II] Edition: 3 GEC.ETC[2020]

THEORY:

Resistors and Capacitors can be connected in series or parallel in various combinations. The RC
circuits can be configured in two ways as shown above circuit diagrams. i.e.,

i) High Pass RC circuit ii) Low Pass RC circuit

High Pass RC circuit:

The reactance of the capacitor depends upon the frequency of operation. At very high
frequencies, the reactance of the capacitor is very low. Hence the capacitor in fig.6.1 acts as short
circuit for high frequencies. As a result the almost entire input appears at the output across the
resistor.

At low frequencies, the reactance of the capacitor is very high. So the capacitor acts as almost open
circuit. Hence the output is very low. Since the circuit allows only high frequencies, it is called as
high pass RC circuit.

High - pass RC circuit as a differentiator:

In high pass RC circuit, if the time constant is very small in comparison with the time required for
the input signal to make an appreciable change, the circuit is called a “Differentiator”. Under
these circumstances the voltage drop across R will be very small in comparison with the drop
across C. Hence we may consider that the total input Vi appears across C. So that the current is
determined entirely by the capacitor.

i = C dVi/dt.

The output voltage across R is, Vo = RC (dVi/dt).

i.e., The output voltage is proportional to the differential of the input. Hence the high
pass RC circuit acts as a differentiator when RC << T.

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Lab Manual [Electronic Devices and Circuits –II] Edition: 3 GEC.ETC[2020]

Low Pass RC circuit:

The reactance of the capacitor depends upon the frequency of operation. At very high
frequencies, the reactance of the capacitor is almost zero. Hence the capacitor in fig.6.2 acts as
short circuit. As a result, the output will fall to zero.

At low frequencies, the reactance of the capacitor is infinite. So the capacitor acts as open
circuit. As a result the entire input appears at the output. Since the circuit allows only low
frequencies, it is called as low pass RC circuit.

Low - Pass RC circuit as an integrator:

In low pass circuit, if the time constant is very large in comparison with the time required for the
input signal to make an appreciable change, the circuit is called an “integrator”. Under these
circumstances the voltage drop across C will be very small in comparison to the drop across R
and almost the total input Vi appears across R .i.e., i = Vi/R.

∴The output signal across C is

i.e., The output is proportional to the integral of the input. Hence the low pass RC circuit acts as a
integrator for RC >> T.

DESIGN:

RC high pass circuit:

1. Large time constant: RC >> T; Where RC is time constant and T is time period of input
signal.

Let RC = 10 T,

Choose R = 100k , f = 1kHz.

C = 10 / (103x 100x103 ) = 0.1µf

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Lab Manual [Electronic Devices and Circuits –II] Edition: 3 GEC.ETC[2020]

2. Medium time constant: RC = T

C = T/R = 1/ (103x 100x103 ) = 0.01µf

3. Short time constant: RC << T

RC = T/10 => C = T/10R = 1/(10x103 x 100 x 103) = 0.001 µf.

RC low pass circuit: (Design procedure is same as RC high pass circuit)

1. Long time constant : RC >> T, C = 0.1µf

2. Medium time constant : RC = T, C = 0.01 µf
3. Short time constant : RC = T/10, C = 0.001 µf

Expected output wave forms of High pass RC circuit for square wave input:

Consider the input at V1 during T1 and V11 during T2 then the voltages V1, V11, V2, V2 1 are
given by following equations.

V11- V2 = V
V1-V21 = V

For a symmetrical square wave

and because of symmetry V1= -V2 and V11= -V21

The percentage tilt ‘P’ is defined by P= (V1-V11) / (V/2) X 100

a. RC = T

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Lab Manual [Electronic Devices and Circuits –II] Edition: 3 GEC.ETC[2020]

b. RC >> T ( RC = 10T)

c. RC << T (RC = 0.1T)

Expected output wave forms of Low pass RC circuit for square wave input:

Consider the input at V1 during T1 and V11 during T2 then the voltages V01, VO2 during T1 and T2 is
given by following equations.

For a symmetrical square wave

V2= V/2(tanhx) and V1= -V2 where x = T/(4RC)

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Lab Manual [Electronic Devices and Circuits –II] Edition: 3 GEC.ETC[2020]

a. RC = T

b. RC >> T

c. RC << T

PROCEDURE:

1. Connect the circuit as shown in figure (fig.6.1 and fig 6.2).

2. Apply the Square wave input to this circuit (Vi = 2 VP-P, f = 1KHz)
3. Observe the output waveform for (a) RC = T, (b) RC<<T, (c) RC>>T
4. Verify the values with theoretical calculations.

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 Lab Manual [Electronic Devices and Circuits –II] Edition: 3 GEC.ETC[2020]

OBSERVATIONS:

S.no Time Constant Voltage levels S.No Time Constant Voltage levels
V1 V1
1 RC = T
V11 V2
1 RC = T
V2 V1
2 RC >> T
V21 V2
V1 V1
3 RC << T
V11 V2
2 RC >> T
V2
V21
V1
V11
3 RC << T
V2
V21

RESULT:

1. The response of Low pass and High pass RC circuits have been verified for non-sinusoidal
inputs.
2. Verified the theoretical and practical values of %P.

Time Voltage levels Voltage levels % Tilt % Tilt

Constant (Theoretical) (Practical) (Theoretical) (Practical)
RC<<T
RC=T
RC>>T

PRECAUTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.

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Lab Manual [Electronic Devices and Circuits –II] Edition: 3 GEC.ETC[2020]

VIVA QUESTIONS:

1. What is linear wave shaping?

2. Define Time constant.
3. Define %tilt and rise time.
4. When High pass RC circuit is used as Differentiator?
5. When Low pass RC circuit is used as Integrator?
6. What is the Difference between Low pass and High pass RC circuits.
7. Why High pass circuit blocks the DC signal?
8. What is rise time and what is its value.
9. Explain 3 dB value for a LP and HP circuit.
10. A differentiator converts a square wave into what form? An integrator converts a square
wave into what form?
11. What is the formulae for charging a capacitor from an initial voltage of Vi to a final
voltage of Vo.
12. Instead of using RC components for a low pass or high pass, how the circuit changes , if
we want to use RL components?
13. What is double differentiation?
14. What are units of time constant?

NOTE:

This material is not a Comprehensive Text book or the complete course. It gives you some
guidelines only. You should always refer to the recommended books to see the standard
development and data relating to a chapter / concept.