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Hardware and Systems Engineering Design - Positive vs. Negative Feedback

The document discusses the concept of feedback in systems, highlighting the difference between negative and positive feedback. Negative feedback aims to stabilize a system by minimizing the difference between actual output and desired output, while positive feedback can lead to instability by maximizing that difference. Understanding feedback mechanisms is crucial for maintaining system stability and mitigating unwanted effects.

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6 views

Hardware and Systems Engineering Design - Positive vs. Negative Feedback

The document discusses the concept of feedback in systems, highlighting the difference between negative and positive feedback. Negative feedback aims to stabilize a system by minimizing the difference between actual output and desired output, while positive feedback can lead to instability by maximizing that difference. Understanding feedback mechanisms is crucial for maintaining system stability and mitigating unwanted effects.

Uploaded by

workshop
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Positive vs. Negative


Feedback
Definition:
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Feedback is the process of comparing the actual output response of a system to a desired
output, typically derived from a reference value, in order to achieve a balance. It can be
likened to a mass beam scale, where the aim is to find a specific weight by adding or
removing weights on one side until the beam becomes horizontal. However, the weights of
the added pennies may not exactly equal the desired weight, necessitating the act of
continuously adding or removing pennies to maintain the balance of the beam scale. This
iterative process exemplifies the essence of a feedback system.

Negative Feedback

Negative feedback aims to minimize the difference between the output and the reference.
In the aforementioned example, the act of balancing the pennies to achieve a weight of
500 mg represents negative feedback, as it ensures the weight beam remains stable and
level.

Positive Feedback

In contrast, positive feedback seeks to maximize the difference between the output and
the reference. Using the same example, if the process of adding or removing pennies on
the scale is not sufficiently fast, the beam will tilt to one side and become unstable,
illustrating the consequences of positive feedback.

Summary

Feedback plays a critical role in maintaining system stability. The majority of designs
employ negative feedback to regulate the output and maintain it at the reference value.
However, disturbances and limited bandwidth can disrupt the balance of the system and
render the output unstable, often resulting in large oscillatory responses. Thus,
understanding and implementing appropriate feedback mechanisms are essential for
achieving stability in various systems and mitigating undesired effects.
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