multivibrator
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Posted by on November 8, 2005, 11:25 pm
Please log in for more thread options How is a multivibrator different from an oscillator? Is it that a multivibrator generates square waves only (two-state) while an oscillator's output can be any periodic waveform (sine, square, triangle etc) ? Thanks in advance. -Benn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Richard on November 9, 2005, 6:17 am
Please log in for more thread options Yes, mutivibrators are switching circuits that produce square-wave outputs. The square wave output can be modified (integrated, differentiated, filtered) to produce different waveshapes. For instance, integrating a square wave results in a triangular wave. Oscillators generally produce sine waves, however, an astable (no stable state) multivibrator is a square wave oscillator. Another difference between oscillators and multivibrators is that, with the exception of the astable multivibrator, multivibrators require an input signal; oscillators do not. I hope this helps. Richard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by John Popelish on November 9, 2005, 12:53 pm
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benn4321@yahoo.com wrote: > How is a multivibrator different from an oscillator?
A multivibrator is certainly a kind of oscillator. I think your
> Is it that a multivibrator generates square waves only (two-state) > while an oscillator's output can be any periodic waveform (sine, > square, triangle etc) ? > Thanks in advance. > > -Benn > distinction is a good one, but change "square waves" to "a pulse train", since there is no reason to expect a multivibrator to achieve a square wave output unless you have taken pains to make it do exactly that. Essentially any duty cycle is possible. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Paul Burridge on November 9, 2005, 8:01 pm
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wrote: >benn4321@yahoo.com wrote:
>> How is a multivibrator different from an oscillator?
>> Is it that a multivibrator generates square waves only (two-state) >> while an oscillator's output can be any periodic waveform (sine, >> square, triangle etc) ? >> Thanks in advance. >> >> -Benn >> >A multivibrator is certainly a kind of oscillator. I think your
>distinction is a good one, but change "square waves" to "a pulse >train", since there is no reason to expect a multivibrator to achieve >a square wave output unless you have taken pains to make it do exactly >that. Essentially any duty cycle is possible. Hello, John. Nice to see you're still imparting your invaluable wisdom to students of this most technically-challenging of hobbies. My 2p worth... A multivibrator is a form of (RC) oscillator, but one which by its very nature is guaranteed to self-start and produce a squarish waveform. Conventional LC oscillators require a noise shock and adequate positive feedback to get going. Then they'll ordinarily generate a sine wave. No doubt someone will find fault with that distinction, though. :-/ -- "What is now proved was once only imagin'd" - William Blake | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Michael Black on November 9, 2005, 3:46 pm
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(benn4321@yahoo.com) writes: > How is a multivibrator different from an oscillator?
> Is it that a multivibrator generates square waves only (two-state) > while an oscillator's output can be any periodic waveform (sine, > square, triangle etc) ? > Thanks in advance. > > -Benn > If it's an astable multivibrator, then there's no difference. It's merely a type of oscillator, it generates a signal. Michael | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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> Is it that a multivibrator generates square waves only (two-state)
> while an oscillator's output can be any periodic waveform (sine,
> square, triangle etc) ?
> Thanks in advance.
>
> -Benn
>