Frequency Response and Bode Plots

• Frequency response is the steady-state response of a

system to a sinusoidal input.
• In frequency-response methods, the frequency of
the input signal is varied over a certain range and the
resulting response is studied.

System

The Concept of Frequency Response

• Consider the mechanical system.

• If the input force, f(t), is sinusoidal, the steady-state output

response, x(t), of the system is also sinusoidal and at the same
frequency as the input.

!
 Frequency Domain Plots
• Bode Plot
• Nyquist Plot
• Nichol’s Chart

Bode Plot
• A Bode diagram consists of two graphs:
– One is a plot of the logarithm of the magnitude of
a sinusoidal transfer function.
– The other is a plot of the phase angle.
– Both are plotted against the frequency on a
logarithmic scale.

"
 BODE PLOTS, The Decade

Ø A DECADE is an interval between 2 frequencies with a ratio of 10 (between 10

Hz and 100 Hz or between 500 Hz and 5000 Hz).
Ø 20 dB/decade means that magnitude changes 20 dB whenever the frequency
changes tenfold or one decade.

Ø Slopes are expressed in dB/decade.

20 dB

One Decade

#
 Decade

Basic Factors of a Transfer Function

• The basic factors that very frequently occur in
an arbitrary transfer function are
1. Gain K
2. Integral and Derivative Factors (jω)±1
3. First Order Factors (jωT+1)±1
4. Quadratic Factors

20(3s + 1)
G( s ) =
s( s + 1)( s 2 + 5s + 2)
$%
 Basic Factors of a Transfer Function
1. Gain K

• The log-magnitude curve for a constant gain K is a horizontal

straight line at the magnitude of 20 log(K) decibels.

• The phase angle of the gain K is zero.

• The effect of varying the gain K in the transfer function is that

it raises or lowers the log-magnitude curve of the transfer
function by the corresponding constant amount, but it has no
effect on the phase curve.

If K = 5 Then20 log (K) = 20 log ( 5 ) = 14db

15

10
Magnitude
(decibels)

0
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec)
$&
 Im 0
If K = 5 Thenf = tan-1( ) = tan-1( ) = 0
90o
Re 5

30o
Phase (degrees)

0o

-300

Frequency (rad/sec)
-90o
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109

Basic Factors of a Transfer Function

2. Integral and Derivative Factors (jω)±1
Derivative Factor G( s ) = s, where s = jw

Magnitude G( jw ) = 20 log(w )

ω 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

db -20 -14 -8 -6 -3 -2 -1 0

Slope=20db/decade

w
Phase ÐG( jw ) = tan-1 ( ) = 90o
0

$'
 20db
decade
30

20 Decade
Magnitude (decibels)

10

Decade
0

-10

-20

-30
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec)
w
f = tan-1( ) = 90o
180o
0

900

60o
Phase (degrees)

0o

-600

-180o
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec) $(
 Basic Factors of a Transfer Function
2. Integral and Derivative Factors (jω)±1
• When expressed in decibels, the reciprocal of a number
differs from its value only in sign; that is, for the number N,
1
20 log( N ) = -20 log( )
N
• Therefore, for Integral Factor ( (1/s)=(1/jw)) the slope of the
magnitude line would be same but with opposite sign (i.e -
20db/decade).
1
Magnitude G( jw ) = = -20 log( w )
jw

w
Phase ÐG( jw ) = - tan-1 ( ) = -90o
0

-20db
30
decade

20
Magnitude (decibels)

10

-10

-30
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec)
$
 w
f = tan-1( ) = -90o
180o
0

60o
Phase (degrees)

0o

-600

-900

-180o
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec)

$$
 Basic Factors of a Transfer Function
3. First Order Factors (jωT+1)

M (w ) = 20 log( 1 + w 2T 2 ) 1
G( s ) = ( s + 3) = ( s + 1)
3
– For Low frequencies ω<<1/T 1
T
T
M (w ) = 20 log(1) = 0

– For high frequencies ω>>1/T

M (w ) = 20 log(wT )

1
T

1
G( s ) = ( s + 3) = ( s + 1)
3
30

Decade
20
Magnitude (decibels)

10
20 db/decade

0
ω=3

-10

-30
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec)
$)
 Basic Factors of a Transfer Function
3. First Order Factors (jωT+1)-1
1
G(s) =
M (w ) = -20 log( 1 + w T ) 2 2
( s + 3)

– For Low frequencies ω<<1/T

M (w ) = -20 log(1) = 0
– For high frequencies ω>>1/T
M (w ) = -20 log(wT )

1
G( s ) =
( s + 3)
30
Magnitude (decibels)

10

0
ω=3

-10

-20 db/decade
-20

-30
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec)
$!
 Basic Factors of a Transfer Function
4. Quadratic Factors

w2 w 2
M (w ) = 20 log (1 - ) + (2z )
wn2 wn

– For Low frequencies ω<< ωn

M (w ) = 20 log(1) = 0

– For high frequencies ω>> ωn

w
M (w ) = 40 log( ) = 40db / dec
wn

BODE PLOT OF QUADRATIC ZERO

Ø The EXACT responses can be approximated by BODE plots in terms of the corner
frequency ωn
2 ì 0 as w ® 0
j 2V1w æ jw ö ï
H dB = 20log10 1 +
wn + èç wn ø÷ » í40log10 w
ï
î wn as w ® ¥

$"
BODE PLOT OF QUADRATIC POLE
2 ì 0 as w ® 0
j 2V1w æ jw ö ï
H dB = -20log10 1 +
wn + çè wn ÷ø » í-40log10 w
ï
î wn as w ® ¥

Procedure for Bode plot Construction

• Express transfer function in Standard form.
• Find the Pole and Zero frequencies.
• Express the magnitude responses.
• Sketch each term of the magnitude responses.
• Add each term of magnitude response to find total magnitude response.
Another Procedure
• Zeros cause an increase and poles cause a decrease in the slope .
• Start with the lowest frequency of the Bode plot.
• Move along the frequency axis and increase or decrease the slope at each corner
frequency.
•Repeat the same procedure for both the magnitude and the phase.

$#
 Example.1:
• Draw the Bode Plot of following Transfer function.
20s
G( s ) =
( s + 10)
Solution:
2s
G( s ) =
( 0.1s + 1)
• The transfer function contains
1. Gain Factor (K=2)
2. Derivative Factor (s)
3. 1st Order Factor in denominator (0.1s+1)-1

Example1
2s
G( s) =
(0.1s + 1)
1. Gain Factor (K=2)
K db
= 20 log( 2) = 6 db
2. Derivative Factor (s)
s db = 20 log(w ) = 20 db/decade
3. 1st Order Factor in denominator (0.1s+1)
1
whe n w << 10, = -20 log(1) = 0
0.1 jw + 1 db

1
whe n w >> 10, = -20 log( 0.1w ) = -20db/de c
0.1 jw + 1 db
)%
 2s
G( s) =
(0.1s + 1)
30

2 20 db/decade
Magnitude (decibels)

10
1
K=2
0
3

-10

d
-20 db/decade
-20
20

-30
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec)
2s
G( s) =
(0.1s + 1)
30

-20 db/decade+20db/decade
Magnitude (decibels)

10

20 db/decade
0

-10

-20

-30
0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Frequency (rad/sec) )&
Example.2: The controlled plant is

10
G (s ) =
s (0.5s + 1)

Draw its asymptotic Bode diagram.

Solution: Note that the system consists of

• Constant gain K =10 (20lg10=20 dB)
• An integral factor
• A first-order factor with corner frequency 2rad/s

1 1
10
s 0.5s + 1

[-20]

10 1
s
1 [-40]
0.5s + 1

)'