Hi there!
Attached below is a VCO circuit. Can anyone explain how the components work and why the resistor and capacitor values are selected so.
Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
P.S (This is not a homework question)

 

Ok here is a quick explanation:

There are two separate circuits here, an integrator (IC1), and a schmitt trigger (IC2). C1, R1, R2, R3 and R4 determine the rate at which the voltage input is integrated to give a triangle shaped waveform. The schmitt trigger (IC2) is used to discharge the integrator so that the system oscillates.

1. Integrator output goes low
2. Integrator output goes below the lower threshold for the schmitt trigger
3. The schmitt trigger switches on (its an inverting type)
4. This discharges the integrator so that the output now goes high (gradually)
5. The integrator output crosses the upper threshold for the schmitt trigger
6. The schmitt triggers output goes low and stops the discharging of the capacitor C1
7. The integrator output now begins to go low and back to the beginning

 

thanks, but can i have some more clarification here? what's the purpose of C2 and the mosfet? And positive feedback of schmitt trigger? and the currents?

 

C2 helps isolate the power to IC2 from the rest of the circuit, helping to stabilize the reference voltage between R5 and R6, among other things.

The MOSFET feeds back the state of IC2 to IC1, changing it from charging mode to discharging mode and vice versa.

 

thanks, but can i have some more clarification here? what's the purpose of C2 and the mosfet? And positive feedback of schmitt trigger? and the currents?

Hi,

The positive feedback of IC2 is what makes that section a Schmitt Trigger. Without that it would not provide that action. Resistor R7 is the same as the other two resistors there, so the trip points are at 1/3 of VCC and at 2/3 of VCC.