EDC Experiment 4
EE23BTECH11041 -Md Ayaan Ashraf
EE23BTECH11006 -Ameen Aazam
September 19, 2024
1 Build 1Hz oscillator
1.1 Aim
The aim of this experiment is to build a 1Hz oscillator (an astable multivibrator with
frequency 1Hz)
1.2 Theory
The OP-Amp multivibrator is an astable oscillator circuit that generates a rectangular
output waveform using an RC timing network connected to the inverting input of the
operational amplifier and a voltage divider network connected to the other non-inverting
input.
Firstly lets assume that the capacitor is fully discharged and the output of the op-amp
is saturated at the positive supply rail. The capacitor, C starts to charge up from the
output voltage, Vout through resistor, R at a rate determined by their RC time constant.
The capacitor wants to charge up fully to the value of Vout (which is +V(sat)) within
five time constants. However, as soon as the capacitors charging voltage at the op-amps
inverting (-) terminal is equal to or greater than the voltage at the non-inverting terminal
(the op-amps output voltage fraction divided between resistors R1 and R2), the output
will change state and be driven to the opposing negative supply rail.
But the capacitor, which has been charging towards the positive supply rail (+V(sat)),
now sees a negative voltage, -V(sat) across its plates. This sudden reversal of the output
voltage causes the capacitor to discharge toward the new value of Vout at a rate dictated
again by their RC time constant. This process goes on periodically.
1
R2
β= (1)
R1 + R2
1+β
T = 2RC × ln (2)
1−β
1
f= (3)
T
1.3 Circuit
Figure 1: Relaxation Oscillator
Figure 2: UA741 Op-Amp
2
1.4 Procedure
• Prepare the Breadboard: Set up a breadboard and insert the 741 op-amp into
the appropriate sockets, ensuring the correct pin configuration.
• Connect the Power Supply: Connect the positive terminal of the power supply
(+Vcc) to the op-amp’s +Vcc pin and the negative terminal (-Vcc) to the op-amp’s
-Vcc pin.
• Connect the Resistors and Capacitor:
– Connect resistor R1 between the op-amp’s output pin and the non-inverting
input pin.
– Connect resistor R2 between the non-inverting input pin and the junction of R1
and C.
– Connect resistor R3 between the inverting input pin and ground.
– Connect capacitor C between the junction of R1 and R2 and ground.
• Verify Connections: Double-check all connections to ensure they are secure and
correct.
• Power On: Apply power to the circuit.
• Observe the Output after switching on Power: Measure the output voltage
using an oscilloscope or multimeter.
3
1.5 Observations
We chose R1 and R2 to be equal for our convenience and R and C to be such that eq(2) is
1 s. On connecting the power supply to our circuit we got the following outputs.
1.6 Result
The astable multivibrator using a 741 op-amp is a versatile circuit for generating square
waves. By adjusting its components, you can control the frequency and duty cycle. While
simple to implement, it might have limitations like power consumption and sensitivity to
component tolerances.
