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Gyrator

technology Maturity 7-9 Next article →

{

"text": "A gyrator is a specialized electrical component known as a passive, linear, lossless, two-port network element. It was first proposed in 1948 by the scientist Bernard D. H. Tellegen. Tellegen envisioned the gyrator as a hypothetical fifth linear element. This would join the four conventional elements: the resistor, capacitor, inductor, and ideal transformer. Unlike those four standard parts, the gyrator is non-reciprocal. This means the direction of the signal matters significantly. Because of this unique property, gyrators allow engineers to create complex devices like isolators and circulators. These specific devices cannot be built using only the four conventional elements.

tellegen-gyrator-symbol
tellegen-gyrator-symbol

\n\nThe core mechanism of a gyrator involves cross-coupling voltage and current. In an ideal gyrator, the current on one port is coupled to the voltage on the other port. Conversely, the voltage on one port is coupled to the current on the other. This relationship is defined by a value called gyration resistance. The direction of this relationship is shown by an arrow on its schematic diagram. By convention, the gyration resistance relates the voltage at the arrow's head to the current at its tail. The voltage at the tail relates to the current at the head by minus the stated resistance. Interestingly, the gyrator is a lossless component. This means the instantaneous power into the device is exactly zero.

tellegen-gyrator-annotated
tellegen-gyrator-annotated

\n\nBecause of this cross-coupling, the gyrator can invert the impedance of a circuit. Impedance is a measure of how much a circuit resists electrical flow. For example, a gyrator can make a capacitive circuit behave as if it were inductive. It can also turn a series LC circuit into a parallel LC circuit. This ability is vital for miniaturization in modern electronics. If the gyration resistance matches the characteristic impedance of the ports, the device transmits a signal unchanged in the forward direction. However, it reverses the polarity of the signal traveling in the backward direction. This is equivalent to a 180-degree phase shift for the backward signal.

tellegen-gyrator-cascaded
tellegen-gyrator-cascaded

\n\nBernard Tellegen provided both the name and the symbol for this element. He created the name by blending \"gyroscope\" with the common device suffix \"-tor.\" This suffix is seen in words like resistor and transistor. The name reflects a mechanical analogy. In a gyroscope, a torque on one axis produces a change in angular velocity on another axis. In the electrical version, voltage and current act as the analogs for torque and angular velocity. Tellegen also suggested several ways to build practical gyrators. Today, these circuits are often built using transistors and operational amplifiers, also called op-amps, through the use of feedback.

Op-Amp Gyrator
Op-Amp Gyrator

\n\nOne of the most important uses for a gyrator is simulating an inductor. Before transistors were common, engineers used large coils of wire to create inductance. These coils can be very bulky. A gyrator can transform a load capacitance into an inductance using much smaller parts. This is done by inverting and multiplying the effect of a capacitor in an RC differentiating circuit. The resulting input impedance can mimic an ideal inductor with a series resistance. In these designs, the inductance $L$ is calculated as $R_L \cdot R \cdot C$. This allows for the creation of very small inductive elements. This technique is especially useful when designing integrated circuits where space is limited.\n\nThere are notable differences between a simulated inductor and a physical one. A simulated inductor made with a gyrator can reach a massive range. It can create inductance from the microhenry range up to the megahenry range. In contrast, physical inductors are typically limited to tens of henries. Furthermore, a synthesized inductor can actually be higher in quality than a real one. This is because physical capacitors are often more \"ideal\" than physical inductors. By using a gyrator and a capacitor, engineers can achieve a higher Q factor. The Q factor represents the quality or efficiency of the inductor. This makes gyrators excellent for high-precision filter networks.\n\nHowever, simulated inductors have specific limitations. They do not possess the inherent energy-storing properties of real inductors. For instance, they cannot produce a high-voltage back EMF during sudden changes. This means they are not useful for \"flyback\" applications where large voltage spikes are needed. They also do not react to external magnetic fields. A real inductor creates a magnetic field that can induce currents in nearby conductors, but a gyrator does not. Additionally, because the circuit uses active components, it only works within the range of its power supply. This limits the transient response to the bandwidth of the active device used in the circuit.",

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"File:tellegen-gyrator-symbol.svg",

"File:tellegen-gyrator-annotated.svg",

"File:tellegen-gyrator-cascaded.svg",

"File:Op-Amp Gyrator.svg"

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}

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File:tellegen-gyrator-symbol.svg
tellegen-gyrator-symbol.svg
File:tellegen-gyrator-annotated.svg
tellegen-gyrator-annotated.svg
File:tellegen-gyrator-cascaded.svg
tellegen-gyrator-cascaded.svg
File:Op-Amp Gyrator.svg
Op-Amp Gyrator.svg
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