The gyrator is an electric circuit which inverts an impedance. In other words, it can make a capacitive circuit behave inductively, a bandpass filter behave like a band-stop filter, and so on. It was invented around 1948 by B.D.H. Tellegen of Philips Research Laboratories, Eindhoven ("The gyrator, a new electric network element", Philips Res. Rep. 3 (1948) pgs 81-101) and is used in active filter design.

Simulated Inductor

Gyrator simulating Inductance

Its primary use is to simulate an inductive element in a small electronic circuit or integrated circuit, which is typically much smaller than a tabletop circuit. Before the invention of the transistor, coils of wire, with large inductance, might be used in electronic filters, for example. Thus a real inductor can be replaced by a much smaller assembly containing a capacitor, operational amplifiers or transistors, and resistors, which is especially useful in integrated circuit technology. In addition, real capacitors are often much closer to "ideal capacitors" than real inductors are to "ideal inductors". Because of this, a synthetic inductor realized with a gyrator and a capacitor may, for certain applications, also be closer to an "ideal inductor" than any real inductor can be. Thus, use of capacitors and gyrators may improve the quality of filter networks that would otherwise be built using inductors. In addition, as shown below, the Q factor of the synthesized inductor can be selected with ease.

Operation of the circuit

The circuit works by inverting the effect of the capacitor. The desired effect is an impedance of the form

This is an ideal inductor L with a series resistance R_L. From the diagram, it can be seen that the impedance of the simulated inductor is the desired impedance in parallel with the impedance of C and R.

If R is much greater than R_L, this comes close to

This is the same as a resistance R_L in series with an inductance L = R_LRC. It differs in function from a true inductor due to the parallel RC term, and because R_L is large compared to a real inductor. A real inductor has low internal resistance caused only by the wire it is made of. This limits the Q factor, or accuracy, of filters that can be made with the simulated inductor.

External links

• Good description of this form of the simulated inductor - Elliot Sound Products
• Another description, with the same circuit
• Gyrator with LM833, uses this circuit, but with op-amp inputs reversed
• LC filter design using equal value R gyrator, an alternative design
• An alternative circuit
• Another alternative circuit
• Discussion of the gyrator in general and a macro for Micro-Cap V
• Java simulation of this circuit