Scribd
Upload
10 views

Average and Effective Values - Electronic Measurements

Uploaded by

Rakesh Sandarativju
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views

Average and Effective Values - Electronic Measurements

Uploaded by

Rakesh Sandarativju
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Average and effective values

Last Modification: September 3, 2021


The average (or mean) and effective (or RMS) values, are common used terms to indicate the magnitude of a
periodic signal. This can be a voltage, current, power or another quantity. This article lists the equations for
the average and effective values for a number of different waveforms. You can find the background on this
subject in the article Theory & definitions.

Random waveform
The mean and RMS value of a random waveform can be calculated with the equations below:

[equ. 1] [equ. 2]

In these equations is a(t) the signal function. This can be interchanged with a voltage v(t), current i(t),
power p(t) or another quantity. Amean and ARMS must than be replaced by the corresponding quantity. With
emphasis must be mentioned that the RMS-value may only be calculated for the voltage and current. For
other quantities is the RMS-value meaningless.

Waveforms
Here below is a list of common waveforms and their derivatives for the mean and RMS values.

description waveform mean value RMS value

DC
Signal with an unchanging
value apk over time.

Sine
Pure sine shaped signal
symmetrical around zero
with an amplitude apk.

Sine with offset


Sine wave with a top value
apk and an offset from zero
ao .

Half-wave rectified
sine
Signal that only contains the
positive (or negative) values
of a sine shaped signal with
a top value apk.

Full-wave
rectification sine
Signal calculated from the
absolute values of a sine
with a top value apk.

Half sine impulse


Half sine cycle with a width
of δT and a top value apk.

Square wave bipolar


Square wave that contains
positive ap as well as
negative an values and has a
duty-cycle δ.

Square wave unipolar


Square wave with only
positive (or negative) values
apk with a duty-cycle δ.
description waveform mean value RMS value

Trapezium
Trapezium shaped signal
with an amplitude apk and a
width δw. The rising and the
falling edge δf has the same
value.

Triangle
Triangle wave shape with a
top-top value Δa whereby
the mean amplitude an
offset ao has. The rising
edge has a width δ.

Triangle impulse
Triangle impulse with a top
value apk. The rising edge
has a width δu and the
falling edge δd.

Saw tooth impulse


Saw tooth impulse with a top
value apk and a width δ.

Saw tooth impulse


with offset
Saw tooth impulse with an
amplitude of the rising edge
Δa and a start amplitude am.
The impulse with is δ

Duty-cycle
De duty-cycle δ is expressed as coefficient and is always smaller than 1. Often a duty-cycle will be expressed
as a percentage: to obtain the coefficient, the percentage-number must be divided by 100. If a waveform has
more than one with declarations δx, is the total of widths never greater than 1.

Average value sine wave


The average value of a sine-shaped voltage or current is 0. But, often in literature, the value vpk*2/π
(≈0,637*vpk) is used. This is not the real value of the average values of a sine, but the average of the
absolute values of a sine. To avoid confusion, there has to be a clear indication which average value is meant.

Form factor
The form factor is the ratio between the effective and average value:

[equ. 3]

Sometimes when the formfactor is calculated the result will be infinitive. This is the case with pure alternating
voltages with an average value of 0. An exception is then made by using the absolute values. For a sine wave
the form factor will become π/(2*√2) ≈1,11.

Crest factor
The crest factor is the ratio between the (absolute) peak value and the effective value:

[equ. 4]

You might also like