
*There is a certain advantage to setting the capacitor, even if it may end up being a semantic difference: the capacitor is the only explicit component which stores "state" of the system.
You can also set initial condition of the capacitor (setting the node voltage means the same thing*), or use different DC operating point methods in the simulation configuration, e.g., set to zero. The circuit design must use an energy-storing component like an inductor or capacitor that continuously charges and discharges to produce a cyclic waveform.Transient simulations are perfectly noiseless, so after the engine finds the DC operating point, it will perfectly happily sit there forever and ever, even if it is an unstable operating point (as is the case here).
This means the design of the circuit must use a semiconductor device like a transistor, MOSFET, or op-amp. The circuit of a relaxation oscillator must be nonlinear.
Produce a non-sinusoidal periodic waveform like triangular, square, or rectangular wave. The active device switches between charging and discharging modes, producing a repeating waveform.įor any oscillator to qualify as a relaxation oscillator, it must: Some sort of active switching device is needed, such as a transistor pair or a uni-junction transistor or an op-amp comparator, or a custom chip such as a 555 timer. The period is set by the time constant which is usually an RC or LC pair. Relaxation oscillators have two alternating states: a long relaxation period in which the system comes to rest and then a short change-over period in which the stable point flips over to a second stable state for a period then flips back again. One of the easiest ways to generate a square-wave is by using a relaxation oscillator. However, this may also be adjustable in mark-to-space ratio and is often used for timing, pulsing and clocking circuits. It is also said to be an astable multivibrator.Ī square-wave generator obviously produces a square wave. It is just like a Schmitt trigger circuit in which the reference voltage for the comparator depends on the output voltage. Square wave generators are generally used in electronics and in signal processing. This produces an AC waveform at the output. It is an electronic circuit that changes state from positive to negative in a repeating cycle without any stimulus other than DC power.