AC Bridge Circuits

Objectives

• Review DC Wheatstone Bridge circuits

• Investigate the most common AC Bridge
Circuits.
 So Why A Bridge Circuit?
• Used for precise measurements of resistance, reactive
components, impedances, temperature, pressure,
strain, and other physical quantities (measured or
sensed with transducers).
• Present in many expensive real-time monitoring
devices where physical quantities are measured or
sensed with transducers.
• Present in many expensive component-measuring
devices such as inductive-capacitive meters and high-
end ohmmeters.
• Bridges are also used to rectify AC signals into DC
signals, filters and oscillators (Wien-Bridge), and to
eliminate input capacitances in test instruments
(oscope x10 probes).
General Properties Of AC Bridge Circuits
• AC bridge circuits work on the same basic principle as DC bridge circuits:
that a balanced ratio of impedances (rather than resistances) will result in
a "balanced" condition as indicated by the null-detector device.
• Null detectors for AC bridges may be sensitive electromechanical meter
movements, oscilloscopes (CRT's), headphones (amplified or unamplified),
or any other device capable of registering very small AC voltage levels.
(DC meter movements can be used if the AC is rectified). Like DC null
detectors, its only required point of calibration accuracy is at zero.
• AC bridge circuits can be of the "symmetrical" type where an unknown
impedance is balanced by a standard impedance of similar type on the
same side (top or bottom) of the bridge. Or, they can be "nonsymmetrical,"
using parallel impedances to balance series impedances, or even
capacitances balancing out inductances.
• AC bridge circuits often have more than one adjustment, since both
impedance magnitude and phase angle must be properly matched to
balance.
• Some impedance bridge circuits are frequency-sensitive while others are
not. The frequency-sensitive types may be used as frequency measurement
devices if all component values are accurately known.
 DC Wheatstone Bridge
• Recall that the DC Wheatstone Bridge is simply two parallel
resistive voltage dividers connected to a common DC source with
the output taken between the junctions of the two dividers, and a
ratio developed for the balanced condition when VOUT = 0V
(the null detector): R1/R2 = R3/R4
• You may want to review pgs. 266-270 in your textbook.
 DC Wheatstone Bridge
• When one resistor is made variable, and another is an
unknown value of resistance, the unknown resistance may
be determined by adjusting the variable resistor until the
bridge is balanced and then calculating the unknown
resistance as follows: RUNK = (R2/R1)*R3 where R3 is the
variable resistor.
 Unbalanced Wheatstone Bridge
• The unbalanced bridge is used to measure
some transducer quantities, such as strain,
temperature, or pressure.
• The bridge is balanced at a known point,
then the amount of deviation, as indicated
by the output voltage, indicates the amount
of change in the parameter being measured.
 Unbalanced Wheatstone Bridge
The value of the
parameter being
measured can be
determined by the
amount that the bridge
is unbalanced.

Tiny changes in transducer resistance will unbalance the

bridge, thereby providing a measurement reading.
• For example, if the transducer above is a thermistor,
• ∆Vout = ∆Rtherm(Vs/4R) where R = R2 = R3 = R4
DC Wheatstone Bridge
Application - Smoke Detector
 AC Wheatstone Bridge
• An AC Wheatstone Bridge is similar to a DC Wheatstone
Bridge except for:
– Common AC Source.
– Resistances R may be replaced by impedances Z.
– When measuring impedances, an AC Wheatstone Bridge is often
referred to as a general impedance bridge.

R1 R2
R1 R2

Vs Vs

V V
R3 R4 Runk
R3

Z1 Z2

ZUNK = (Z2/Z1)*Z3 Vs

where Z3 is the V
variable impedance VZ3 Zunk
General AC Bridge Balanced Equation

• When Zx is located in the lower right-hand branch and the

bridge is balanced, the unknown impedance Zx is calculated as:

• Note the similarity between this equation and the equation for
the DC Wheatstone Bridge.
Common AC Bridge Circuits
 Common AC Bridge Circuits

• Can be used to measure

the frequency of the source
EXAMPLE 1
Impedance Bridge – Capacitive
(Simple Capacitive Bridge)
• Frequency
independent bridge

when bridge is balanced (null)

Series-Resistance Capacitive Bridge
• Frequency
independent bridge

when bridge is balanced (null)

 Wien-Bridge - Capacitive
• The previous impedance bridge circuits were ‘symmetrical’ (identical left-
right branches).
• Many practical ac impedance bridge circuits are ‘non-symmetrical’. For
example, in the circuit below, the unknown capacitance Cx has an internal
resistance Rx. To balance out the Rx, the known variable capacitance Cs is
connected in parallel to a known variable resistance Rs.

• Frequency
dependent bridge -
there is one
frequency where
the bridge is
balanced.

fc = 1/(2πRsCs)
and Cx = Cs
 Wien-Bridge (cont.)
• Like other types of AC Bridge circuits, the Wien-
Bridge circuit is also used for measurement purposes
but is also commonly used for notch filters and
oscillators.

• When ωCR = 1, Vo(1) = Vo(2) = (1/3)Vin, Vout in-phase with Vin. Vout is
then equal to 0V and the bridge is balanced.
• For any values of R and C, there is one frequency where the above
conditions will occur.
 Wien-Bridge As A Notch Filter
• Wien-Bridge acts as a notch filter at one frequency:
• fc = 1/(2πRC) where R2 = R3 = R4 = R5 and C1 = C2

Bode Plot - Wien Bridge 2

R = 22.0 kΩ, C = 0.10 μF
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
-5
Gain (dB)

-10

-15

-20

-25
Frequency (Hz)

fc = 1/(2πRC)
 Wien-Bridge As A Sine-Wave
Generator (or Oscillator)
• Wien-Bridge acts as a sine-wave generator or oscillator
at one frequency: • The nonlinear resistance of the
• fc = 1/(2πRC) Lamp stabilizes the gain and
prevents sine-wave clipping.
• The positive feedback sustains the
sine-wave frequency.
EXAMPLE 2
Maxwell Bridges

• Frequency
independent bridge
EXAMPLE 3
 EXAMPLE 4
• In the capacitance bridge shown above, resistor
Q is variable from 500 ohms to 10 kohms, and S
ranges from 1 kohm to 3 kohms. P is a standard
1 kohm resistor and Cs is a standard 0.1uF
capacitor. Calculate the range of measurement of
Cx and rx.

• Cx range:
• Cx(min) = (Qmin*Cs)/P = (500 ohms*0.1uF)/1k = 50 nF
• Cx(max) = (Qmax*Cs)/P = (10k*0.1uF)/1k = 1 uF

• rx(min) = P*S(min)/Q(max) = (1k*1k)/10k = 0.2 ohms

• rx(max) = P*S(max)/Q(min) = (1k*3k)/500 ohms = 6 ohms
 Single-Ended AC Bridge
• All the AC bridges discussed so far are sometimes
referred to as differential-ended AC bridges because the
output of the bridge is floating (not referenced to
ground). These types of bridges are very sensitive to
bridge changes and susceptible to external noise.

• See ‘Oscilloscope Compensating Probe’ for an example

of a Single-Ended AC bridge. A single-ended AC
bridge has the output voltage referenced to ground.
These types of bridges are not as sensitive to bridge
changes compared to differential-ended AC bridges but
are less susceptible to external noise.