1-01-d <Signal Flow Graphs>

Dr. Norbert Cheung’s

Lecture Series

Level 1 Topic no: 01-d

Signal Flow Graphs

Contents
1. Introduction
2. Basic Properties of Signal Flow Graphs
3. Definitions of Signal Flow Graphs
4. Signal Flow Graph Algebra
5. General Gain Formula for Signal Flow Graphs
6. Glossary

Reference:
1. Chapter 3, Benjamin C. Kuo, “Automatic Control Systems,” 6th Edition, Prentice
Hall International Editions.
2. Schaum’s Outline Series – Feedback Control Systems

Email: [email protected]
Web Site: http://norbert.idv.hk
Last Updated: 2024-03

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1. Introduction

A signal flow graph can be seen as a simplified version of block

diagram, and it applies to linear systems only. The signal flow graph
consists of nodes and branches. A signal can only transmit in the
direction of the arrow.

y2 = a12 y1

Example
Consider the following set of equations:
y2 = a12 y1 + a32 y3
y3 = a23 y2 + a43 y4
y4 = a24 y2 + a34 y3 + a44 y4
y5 = a25 y 2 + a45 y 4
We can construct the signal flow graph as follows:

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2. Basic Properties of Signal Flow Graphs (SFG)

1. SFG applies only to linear systems.

2. The equations for SFG must be in the form of algebraic functions.
3. Variables are represented by nodes, and are usually from left to
right.
4. Signal Travel along the branches only in the direction specified.
5. The branch directing from node yk to yj represents the dependence
of the variable yj upon yk, but not the reverse.
6. A signal yk traveling along a branch between nodes yk and yj is
multiplied by the gain of the branch akj, so that a signal akjyk is
delivered at node yj.

The Signal Flow:

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3. Definitions of Signal Flow Graphs (SFG)

Input Node (Source) – Node that has only outgoing branches.

Output Node (Sink) – Node that has only incoming branches.

Ways to make y2 and y3 as output nodes

Ways to make y2 as in put node

Terminology

Path – Collection of successive branches traveling in the same

direction.

Forward Path – Path that starts at an input node and ends at an output
node, and no node is traversed more than once.

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Loop – Path that originates and terminates on the same node,

along which no other node is encountered more than once.

The four loops of SFG in page 2.

Path Gain – The product of the branch gain in traveling along a path.

Forward Path Gain – Path gain of a forward path

Loop Gain – Path gain of a loop

Example 1:

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4. SFG Algebra

Rule 1 - Value of a variable is the sum of all incoming signals.

y1 = a21 y2 + a31 y3 + a41 y4 + a51 y5

Rule 2 – Value of the variable in a node is transmitted to all branches

leaving the node.

y6=a16y1 y7=a17y1 y8=a18y1

Rule 3 – Parallel branches in the same direction can be replaced by a

single branch with gain equal to the sum of the parallel
branches’ gains.

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Rule 4 – A series of unidirectional branches can be replaced by a

single branch with gain equal to the product of the branch
gains

C (s) G (s)
Rule 5 – A feedback control system with equation =
R(s) 1 + G (s) H (s)
can be represented as below.

How to construct the SFG?

The signal flow graph of a system described by a set of simultaneous

equations can be constructed in the following general manner.

1. Write the system equations in the form as above.

2. Arrange the m or n (whichever is larger) nodes from left to right.
The nodes may be rearranged if the required loops later appear too
cumbersome.
3. Connect the nodes by the appropriate branches A11, A12. etc.
4. If the desired output node has outgoing branches, add a dummy
node and a unity gain branch.
5. Rearrange the nodes and/or loops in the graph to achieve maximum
pictorial clarity.

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Example of constructing SFG

Example 1

Note that signal flow graph representations of equations are not

unique. For example, the addition of a unity gain branch followed by
a dummy node changes the graph, but not the equations it represents.

Example 2
The circuit below can be represented by the set of equations:
I1 (s) = Ei (s) − E2 (s)Y1 (s)
E2 (s) = I1 (s) − I 3 (s)Z 2 (s)
I 3 (s) = E2 (s) − E0 (s)Y3 (s)
Eo (s) = Z 4 (s) I 3 (s)

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Example 3
First establish the differential equation:
di(t ) dec (t )
L = e1 (t ) − Ri (t ) − ec (t ) C = i(t )
dt dt
Convert them to algebraic form using Laplace Transform
1 R 1 1
sI ( s) = i (0) + E1 ( s) − I ( s) − Ec ( s) sE(c) = ec (0) + I ( s)
L L L C
Then solve for I(s) and Ec(s)
1 1 1
I ( s) = i(0) + E1 (s) − Ec ( s )
s+R L(s + R ) L(s + R )
L L L
1 1
Ec ( s) = ec (0) + I (s)
s Cs
The obtained answer is (b). For your reference, (c) is obtained using different input
variables. This shows that the answer is not unique.

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5. General Gain Formula (Mason’s Gain Formula) for SFG

A structured method to obtain the gain formula for a given SFG.

yout N
M 
M= = k k
yin k =1 
yin input node variable
yout output node variable
M gain between yin and yout
N total number of forward paths between yin and yout
Mk gain of the kth forward path between yin and yout

(Note that the gain formula can only be applied between the input and
the output)

∆ = 1 – (sum of gains of all individual loops) + (sum of products-of-

gains of all possible combinations of two non-touching loops) –
(sum of products-of-gains of all possible combinations of three
non-touching loops) + …..

∆k = the ∆ of the part of signal flow graph that is non-touching with

the forward path.

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Example of General Gain Formula

1 There is only one forward path between Ei and Eo N =1 M1 = Y1Z2Y3Z4

2 There are 3 loops, the loop gains are: −Z2Y1 −Z2Y3 −Z4Y3

3 There is one pair of non-touching loop, and their product gain is: Z2Z4Y1Y3

4 ∆ = 1− (−Z2Y1−Z2Y3−Z4Y3) + Z2Z4Y1Y3

5 Since all 3 loops are in touch with the forward path: ∆1 = 1

M11 Y1Y3 Z 2 Z 4
6 M= =
 1 + Z 2Y1 + Z 2Y3 + Z 4Y3 + Z 2 Z 4Y1Y3

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A more complicated example

y7 G1G2G3G4 + G1G5 (1 + G3 H 2 )
=
y1 

 = 1 + (G1 H1 + G3 H 2 + G1G2G3 H 3 + H 4 ) …..individual

+ (G1 H1G3 H 2 + G1 H1 H 4 + G3 H 2 H 4 + G1G2G3 H 3 H 4 ) …..2 non-touching
+ G1 H1G3 H 2 H 4 …..3 non-touching

An example with 2 forward paths

Original block diagram

The SFG, with 2 paths:

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Glossary – English/Chinese Translation

English Chinese
signal flow graph 信号流图
nodes and branches 节点和分支
algebraic function 代数函数
source and sink 源和接收器
forward path 前进路径
loop gain 环路增益
Mason's Gain Formula 梅森增益公式
General Gain Formula 一般增益公式
two non-touching loops 两个非接触式循环

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