Signal Flow Graph

SIGNAL FLOW GRAPH

Block diagram consists of blocks, signals, summing junctions and pickoff
points.

Signal flow graph consists of branches (represent how subsystems are

interconnected) and nodes.

Node - represents system variable

1. Replace all summer and
pick –off point with a node.
2.Eliminate the nodes that
have single flow in and flow
out.
 1. Forward path : A path from input node to output node.

2. Forward path gain : product of gains in forward path from input node to
output node.

3. Loop : It is defined as a closed path which starts and ends at the same
node.

4. Loop gain: It is the product of forward path gain and feedback gain.
 5. Non Touching Loop gain: The product of loop gains from non touching
loops (Loops that do not have any nodes in common) taken two, three, four, or more
at a time.
 Transfer function from signal flow graph can be calculated using MASON’S
GAIN formula

C (S ) P  k k
 k
R( S ) 
k = No.of forward paths

Pk= kth forward path gain

  1   loop gains   nontouching loop gains with two loop combinations

  nontouching loop gains with three loop combinations
  nontouching loop gains with four loop combinations.....

 
 k   for k th forward path to be calculated with loops not touching k th forward path
P19. Obtain the transfer function.

Find the transfer function, C(s)/R(s), for the

signal-flow graph

P 
k = No.of forward paths = 1

C (S ) k k
P11
Forward path gain T1  k 1

R( S )  
Δ formula terms
Individual loop gains

Two nontouching loop combinations and their gains

Three nontouching loop combinations and their gains

For Δ1
P20. Obtain the transfer function.

C(S) T  k k
T1 1  T2  2  T3  3
k = No.of forward paths = 3  k 3

R( S )  
 Δ formula terms
Forward path gain Individual loop gains

T1  G1G2G3  G5 H 1

T2  G4G5G6  G2 H 2

T3  G7G8G9  G8 H 3

Two nontouching loop combinations

G2G5 H 1 H 2 Three nontouching loop combinations

G2G8 H 2 H 3
 G2G5G8 H 1 H 2 H 3
G5G8 H 1 H 3
 Δ1 terms
Individual loop gains

 G5 H 1
 G8 H 3
Two nontouching loop combinations

G5G8 H 1 H 3

For Δ2