Basic Elements of Signal Flow Graph
Nodes and branches are the two basic elements of a Signal Flow Graph.
Node
It is a point that represents a variable or a signal. There are three types of nodes:
- Input Node
- Output Node
- Mixed Node.
To identify a node, in Signal Flow Graph it mainly represents with circles, dots, you can find it in below images.
- Input Node: It is a node where we provide only inputs and it has only outgoing branches. To identify the input node, always follow the arrow, if it enters the node then it is input node.
- Output Node: It is a node that has only incoming branches. To identify the output node, always follow the arrow, if it goes out from node then it is output node.
- Mixed Node: It is a node that has both incoming and outgoing branches. To identify the mixed node, always follow the arrow, if it has both incoming and outgoing arrow then it is mixed node.
Branch
It is a line segment which joins two nodes. Since we use this in electronics equipment, which likewise has gain in both positive and negative, also it has directions, we must provide them the branch in order to finish our signal flow graph. Let’s use a little diagram to ensure we grasp this properly.
Demo Signal Flow Graph
Here we can see the black dots (y1, y2, y3, y4) they are the nodes of the Signal flow graph, and the lines are the branches. As we see that these branches has some directions that is defined by the arrow symbols. So, we can say a,b,c are the positive gain branches and the d is negative gain branch that is why it is in negative sign.
Characteristics of SFG
- Nodes
- Branches or Edges
- Forward Paths
- Single Loops
- Non-touching Loops
- Mason Gain Formula
We shall go into more information about this in the article’s lower section.
Basic Elements of Signal Flow Graph
Signal Flow Graphs are a crucial component of control systems. Furthermore, the control system is one of the most significant subjects in Electronics. It is primarily covered in the sixth semester of the B.Tech syllabus, though individual universities may alter it based on their syllabus hierarchy. To understand Signal Flow Graph let’s understand the Control System first, then we will dive into the main topic. When we put some inputs into a particular electronic device, it computes the signal or data and results in an output, this is what a Control System does.
A similar process is used with the Signal Flow Graph. Engineers can quickly compute and comprehend how the system operates by inserting the signal at one end and adding electronic devices in between to compute data using algebraic equations.
Table of Content
- What is a Signal Flow Graph?
- Basic Elements of Signal Flow Graph
- How to build Signal Flow Graph?
- Mason Gain Formula with Example
- Signal Flow Graph from Block Diagram
- Applications of SFG
- Advantages and Disadvantages of SFG
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