Bode PlotsSketching magnitude and phase from the factored transfer function, corner by corner.Electrical EngineeringStraight-line asymptotes first; the true curve never wanders far from them.1Put H(s) in standard formFactor into real poles, real zeros and quadratic pairs, eachnormalised.2Start at low frequencyPlot the DC gain in dB, plus 20n dB per decade for n poles at theorigin.3Mark every cornerOne corner per pole and per zero, noting which way each onebends the line.4Accumulate the slopesA pole adds −20 dB per decade, a zero adds +20. Slopes simplyadd up.5Sketch the phaseEach real pole gives −90°, spread over a decade either side of itscorner.At the corner itself the true magnitude sits 3 dB under the asymptote fora pole, and 3 dB over it for a zero.Bode Plotslearnposters.com
Bode Plots — printable engineering wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

Bode Plots, step by step

Straight-line asymptotes first; the true curve never wanders far from them.

  1. Put H(s) in standard formFactor into real poles, real zeros and quadratic pairs, each normalised.
  2. Start at low frequencyPlot the DC gain in dB, plus 20n dB per decade for n poles at the origin.
  3. Mark every cornerOne corner per pole and per zero, noting which way each one bends the line.
  4. Accumulate the slopesA pole adds −20 dB per decade, a zero adds +20. Slopes simply add up.
  5. Sketch the phaseEach real pole gives −90°, spread over a decade either side of its corner.

At the corner itself the true magnitude sits 3 dB under the asymptote for a pole, and 3 dB over it for a zero.

Questions about the Bode Plots poster

What’s on the Bode Plots poster?
5 numbered steps. Straight-line asymptotes first; the true curve never wanders far from them. Put H(s) in standard form — Factor into real poles, real zeros and quadratic pairs, e…; Start at low frequency — Plot the DC gain in dB, plus 20n dB per decade for n poles a…; Mark every corner — One corner per pole and per zero, noting which way each one bends…; Accumulate the slopes — A pole adds −20 dB per decade, a zero adds +20. Slopes simply…; Sketch the phase — Each real pole gives −90°, spread over a decade either side of its…. At the corner itself the true magnitude sits 3 dB under the asymptote for a pole, and 3 dB over it for a zero.
Who is the Bode Plots poster for?
Bode Plots belongs to the Electrical Engineering section rather than to a school year, because engineering is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning signals & systems can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the Bode Plots poster?
Sketch before you simulate: the asymptotes tell you what the simulator should show. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so Bode Plots belongs on the wall where that engineering work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with Bode Plots?
Transfer Functions, Filter Responses and Convolution sit alongside Bode Plots in the Electrical Engineering section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.Transfer FunctionsFilter ResponsesConvolution
Is the Bode Plots poster free to download and print?
Yes. Bode Plots downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Electrical Engineering section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the Bode Plots poster print at?
Bode Plots is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of Bode Plots loses nothing.Printing guide

Related posters

Charts that sit alongside Bode Plots on the same wall.

Browse every Electrical Engineering poster, or start from the full catalogue.