Mason's rule 1

Mason's rule
Mason's gain formula is a method for finding the transfer function of a given control circuit/loop when you have
the signal flow graph. It is used frequently in control theory, and was derived by Samuel Jefferson Mason.[1] It can
be determined by looking at a signal-flow graph, or a block diagram. Mason's Gain Formula provides a step by step
method to obtain the transfer function from a block diagram or signal flow graph. An alternate method would be to
find the transfer function algebraically by labelling each signal, writing down the equation for how that signal
depends on other signals, and then solving the multiple equations for the output signal in terms of the input signal.
Some people prefer a more structured approach, and Mason's Formula may be easier or more difficult depending on
the graph in question.

Formula
The gain formula is as follows:

where:
• Δ = the determinant of the graph.
• yin = input-node variable
• yout = output-node variable
• G = complete gain between yin and yout
• N = total number of forward paths between yin and yout
• Gk = gain of the kth forward path between yin and yout
• Li = loop gain of each closed loop in the system
• LiLj = product of the loop gains of any two non-touching loops (no common nodes)
• LiLjLk = product of the loop gains of any three pairwise nontouching loops
• Δk = the cofactor value of Δ for the kth forward path, with the loops touching the kth forward path removed. I.e.
Remove those parts of the graph which form the loop, while retaining the parts needed for the forward path.

Usage
To use this technique,
1. Make a list of all forward paths, and their gains, and label these Gk.
2. Make a list of all the loops and their gains, and label these Li (for i loops). Make a list of all pairs of non-touching
loops, and the products of their gains (LiLj). Make a list of all pairwise non-touching loops taken three at a time
(LiLjLk), then four at a time, and so forth, until there are no more.
3. Compute the determinant Δ and cofactors Δk.
4. Apply the formula.
Mason's rule 2

Equivalent matrix form

Mason's rule can be stated in a simple matrix form. Assume is the transient matrix of the graph where
is the sum transmittance of branches from node m toward node n. Then, the gain from node m to
node n of the graph is equal to , where
,
and is the identity matrix.
There have been times when I wanted to determine the z-domain transfer function of some discrete network, but my
algebra skills failed me. Some time ago I learned Mason's Rule, which helped me solve my problems. If you're
willing to learn the steps in using Mason's Rule, it has the power of George Foreman's right hand in solving network
analysis problems.
This blog discusses a valuable analysis method (well known to our analog control system engineering brethren) to
obtain the z-domain transfer function equations of digital signal processing (DSP) networks. That method, called
"Mason's Rule" (sometimes called "Mason's Gain Formula"), was developed by Samuel Mason in the early 1950s to
analyze interconnected analog systems[1-3]. Here we describe Mason's Rule and present several examples showing
the utility of this network analysis technique.
Mason's Rule enables us to determine the H(z) = Y(z)/X(z) transfer function of complicated networks, such as
multi-feedback loop networks.
Mason's Rule is also particularly useful for deriving the z-domain transfer function of, say, a discrete network that
has inner feedback loops embedded within outer feedback loops (nested loops). Here's the good news: if we are able
to draw the block diagram of some discrete network, then the application of Mason's Rule will give us that network's
z-domain H(z) transfer function. Once we have H(z) we can then use all the algebraic and software tools at our
command to determine the frequency-domain behavior, and stability, of the network. Here we describe Mason's
Rule, accompanied by several examples, in the hope this robust analysis technique is of use to the reader in their
future DSP network analysis efforts.
For our purposes, Mason's Rule is a method to derive a discrete network's z-domain transfer function by identifying
various forward paths from the input node to the output node of a discrete network, and the various feedback paths
that may, or may not, share common signal nodes with those feedforward paths. This sounds mysterious, but it's not
really too complicated. Let's define our Mason's Rule terminology and then demonstrate this analysis technique by
way of examples.
I. A Few Definitions
Mason's Rule is based on converting a network's block diagram to a signal flow diagram like that shown in Figure 2,
and identifying crucial signal paths and loops.
we establish the following definitions:
A gain symbol is an arrowhead with its associated z-domain function (indicated by an uppercase letter), such as a
sample delay (z-1) or a constant multiplier. The direction of the arrowhead shows the direction of signal flow. A
signal node is a single point in the flow diagram. In Figure 2, signal nodes are indicated by an italicized lowercase
letter. A path is a sequence of signal flow branches from one node to another node. A forward path is a path that
travels from the x(n) input to the y(n) output, without going through the same node twice. In Figure 2, the path from
node a to node g, [a,b,c,d,e,f,g], is a forward path. The gain of that forward path is the product ACDFGI. A loop is a
path that starts and ends at the same node, with no node encountered more than once. That is, a loop is a feedback
path. In Figure 2, the path from node b to node c and back to node b is a loop. A signal flow diagram, of course, can
have multiple forward paths and multiple loops. Nontouching loops are two loops that do not share a common signal
node. In Figure 2, the loops [b,c,b] and [d,e,d], for example, are nontouching loops. The loops [b,c,b] and
[b,c,d,e,f,g,b] are touching loops because they share the signal nodes b and c. The loop gain of a loop is the product
of all the branch gain symbols within a loop. In Figure 2, the loop gain of the [d,e,d] loop is the product FE. The loop
Mason's rule 3

gain of the [b,c,d,e,f,g,b] loop is the product CDFGIJ. With those simple definitions established (here comes the
exciting part), we define the Δ(z) determinant of a signal flow diagram as:
Δ(z) = 1 – the sum of all loop gains

+ the sum of products of nontouching loop gains taken two at a time

– the sum of products of nontouching loop gains taken three at a time
+ ... etc. (1)

The "nontouching loop gains taken two at a time" are the combinations of pairs of loop gains. The pairs of
nontouching loop gains in Figure 2 are the loop gain combinations: CB,FE; CB,IH; and FE,IH. The "nontouching
loop gains taken three at a time" are the combinations of triplets of loop gains. The only triplet of nontouching loop
gains in Figure 2 is the loop gain combination: CB,FE,IH.
The Δ(z) determinant for the diagram in Figure 2 is
Δ(z) = 1 – (CB + FE + IH + CDFGIJ)

+ (CBFE + CBIH + FEIH) – CBFEIH. (2)

For each forward path in a signal flow diagram there is an associated determinant represented by Δi(z). If a diagram
has P = 3 forward paths (designated as paths P1(z), P2(z), and P3(z)), then there will be a Δ1(z), a Δ2(z), and a Δ3(z)
determinant. Subscript variable i is merely the index identifying the individual forward paths and their associated
determinants. Determinant Δi(z) is the determinant of the signal flow diagram that does not touch the ith forward
path. To ascertain Δ1(z), for example, we delete the P1(z) forward path in a signal flow diagram (and any branches
that touch the P1(z) forward path) and use the above Eq. (1) for whatever signal flow paths that remain. If no loops
remain after deleting the P1(z) forward path, then Δ1(z) = 1.
To recap, a signal flow diagram has a Δ(z) determinant, and each Pi(z) forward path has a gain as well as its own
Δi(z)(z) determinant. All determinants are defined by Eq. (1) once a diagram's loops have been determined. With all
this said, we can now (finally) define Mason's Rule.

Notes
[1] Mason, Samuel J. (July 1956). "Feedback Theory - Further Properties of Signal Flow Graphs". Proceedings of the IRE: 920--926.

References
• Bolton, W. Newnes (1998). Control Engineering Pocketbook. Oxford: Newnes.
• Van Valkenburg, M. E. (1974). Network Analysis (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Article Sources and Contributors 4

Article Sources and Contributors

Mason's rule  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=388446027  Contributors: Anantsrao1988, Apollokiev, Arch dude, Auntof6, Bender235, Coelacan, EmanWilm, Ghassan taha,
Goldenrowley, Hanspi, Hoemaim, Jiuguang Wang, KJS77, Majorly, Mdd, Michael Hardy, Musically ut, Ssafarik, Stemperm, The wub, XieChengnuo, 30 anonymous edits

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