When Barkhausen's Criterion Does Not Suffice and you Must Rely on the Forgotten Art of Oscillator Design

This paper recasts methods known for a long time to complement Barkhausen's criterion when designing oscillators. These methods rely on describing functions to linearize nonlinear systems and Routh-Hurwitz's criterion to study natural frequency movements around the imaginary axis. The paper set links to Lab exercises that employ Excel datasheet and SIMULINK models and are designed for students to gain insight into fundamental concepts about oscillator design.