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Signal Flow Graphs

Signal Flow Graphs, introduced by SJ Mason, are graphical representations of systems that use nodes and directed branches to illustrate relationships between signals, primarily for analyzing control systems. Key elements include nodes (source, sink, chain), branches, forward paths, and loops, with Mason's Gain Formula used to calculate transfer functions. The document also outlines procedures for obtaining signal flow graphs from linear equations and converting block diagrams into signal flow graphs.

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19 views8 pages

Signal Flow Graphs

Signal Flow Graphs, introduced by SJ Mason, are graphical representations of systems that use nodes and directed branches to illustrate relationships between signals, primarily for analyzing control systems. Key elements include nodes (source, sink, chain), branches, forward paths, and loops, with Mason's Gain Formula used to calculate transfer functions. The document also outlines procedures for obtaining signal flow graphs from linear equations and converting block diagrams into signal flow graphs.

Uploaded by

jm
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Signal Flow Graphs

Signal Flow Graphs


• It was introduced by SJ Mason.
• It is often called flow graph.
• It is a graphical representation of a system, using nodes (representing
signals or variables) and directed branches (representing signal flow and
operations) to illustrate the relationship between them, often used to
analyze and simplify control systems.
• Block diagrams and signal flow graphs are both graphical tools used to
represent and analyze dynamic systems, particularly in control systems
and signal processing.
Elements of Signal Flow Graph
Element What it is
1. Node Nodes can be divided into the following three categories:
• Source (or Input) node- node having only outgoing branches.
• Sink (or Output) node- node having only incoming branches.
• Chain node- node having both outgoing and incoming branches.
2. Branch Lines joining nodes are branches.
3. Forward Path All paths leading to output and originating at the input are forward
paths.
4. Loop or feedback A path originating from and terminating at the same node, without
path crossing any other node twice is a loop.

5. Forward path gain Product of all gains associated with a forward path is the forward
path gain.
6. Loop Gain Product of gains associated with a loop is the loop gain.
7. Non-touching loops Loops having no common nodes are non-touching loops.
8. Isolated Loops An isolated loop is a loop that does not touch a forward path meaning
it doesn’t share any nodes or branches with a forward path.
Figure 1 gives a pictorial representation of these elements.
Mason’s Gain Formula
Mason’s gain formula is given by,
𝑪(𝒔) σ𝑵𝒊=𝟏 𝒑𝒊 ∆𝒊
𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 = =
𝑹(𝒔) ∆
where
𝑵 = the total number of forward paths
𝒑𝒊 = the gain of the 𝑖𝑡ℎ forward path
∆ = the determinant of the graph
∆𝒊 = the path-factor for the 𝑖𝑡ℎ path

The determinant of the graph ∆ and the path-factor for the 𝑖𝑡ℎ path ∆𝑖 are defined as
follows:

∆ = 1 − σ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 +


σ(𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑛 −
𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑠) − σ(𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑛 −
𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑠) …

∆𝑖 = 1 − σ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 +


σ(𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑛 −
𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑠) − σ(𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑛 −
𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑠) …
Procedure to obtain the Signal Flow Graph (SFG)
◦ From Linear Equation
Example 1: Draw a signal flow graph for the following algebraic equations and obtain the
transfer function of the system.
◦ Conversion of Block Diagrams into Signal Flow Graph
We shall follow a few rules while trying to obtain signal flow graph from a block diagram of a
system.
1. All the variables, summing points and take-off points are represented by nodes.
2. If a summing point is placed before the take-off point, then the summing point and take-off
point are represented by a single node.
3. If a summing point is placed after the take-off point, then the summing point and the take-
off point are represented by separate nodes.
Example 2:
𝐺4

𝑅 + 𝐶
+
−
𝐺1 +
+ 𝐺2 +

𝐺3

𝐺5
Example #3: Find the transfer function of the signal flow graph given in the figure.

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