Discussion3

LargeSignalvs.SmallSignalAnalysis
LargeSignal: 1.DCAnalysis;findingoperatingpointandthebiasconditions(Voltagesand
Currentsatdifferentnodes)ofcircuit.
2.Usecurrentandvoltageequationsthatgovernthebehaviorofthedevice
(e.g.I
D
=I
s
(exp(V
BE
/V
T
)1),andKVL/KCLtofindthebiaspoints.
3.Largesignalvaluesareusedtofindsmallsignalparameters.
*NOTE:Circuitmaycontainnonlineardevices(e.g.diodes,BJTs),so
neverlinearizethesedevices,i.e.donotthinkofthemasdependentsources
orresistors.
4.Voltagesappliedhereareusuallyseveralvoltstoseveraltensofvolts.They
arelargevalues.

SmallSignal: 1.ACAnalysis;tweakaroundthebiascondition,i.e.aroundtheDCbiasofthe
circuit,addasmallACsourcethatslightlyincreasesanddecreasesthebias
point.
2.Linearizethedevice.Replacethenonlineardevicewithlinearones.Why
canyoutreatnonlineardevicesaslinearwhensmallsignalvaluesareapplied?
BecauseifyoutaketheinstantaneousslopeoftheIVcurveataparticularDC
pointandzoomintoit,forvaluesveryclosetothisDCpoint,theIVcurvelooks
quitelinear.
3.Constructthesmallsignalmodelusingvaluesfortheparametersthatyou
foundinStep3ofLargeSignalAnalysis.
4.Usethismodeltofindthingslikegain,inputandoutputresistances.

LargeSignalandSmallSignalAnalysisonBJTs
DCEquationsforBJTs:(Reminder)

I
C
= I
S
(c
(v
BE
v
T)
-1)
I
C
= [I
B

I
L
= I
C
+I
B
= (1 +[)I
B

SmallSignalParamtersforBJTs:(Reminder)
*Ifthereistime,youmaywanttodrawI
C
vs.V
CE
curvesfor3differentV
BE
valuesandpickonepointas
theDCoperatingpointandshowhowincrementalchangesinV
BE
,i.e.ifthenewV
be
becomesV
BE
+v
be
,
changesI
c
toI
C
+i
c
andshowhowthisismodeledasavoltagedependentcurrentsource,g
m
v
be
.Similarly,
youcandothisforincrementalchangesinV
CE
andshowitseffectandwhythatsaresistor.So,basically
derivewherethesmallsignalmodelcomesfrom.

g
m
=
I
c
I
1

r
n
=
[
g
m

r
o
=
I
A
I
C

Ex.1
Forthecircuitbelow,findtheDCoperatingpoint,i.e.findI
C
andV
BE,1
andV
BE,2
,suchthatV
out
is3V.
(SupposeV
CC
andR
1
valuesaregiven).*Youdontactuallyneedtofindnumbers,justgothroughthe
KVL/KCLanddevicebehaviorequationsthatwouldprovidethefinalanswerforI
C
,V
BE,1
,andV
BE,2
.
Then,evaluatethesmallsignalparameters.*Again,justgothroughthestepsofhowyouwouldfind
theseparameters.
Finally,drawthesmallsignalmodel.*Drawtheentiremodelout.Note:Youcanreplaceg
m
V
BE

dependentcurrentsourceforQ2witharesistorhavingavalue1/g
m
sincethecollectorandbasearetied
together.

Amplifiers:Introductionto2portmodelsandgoingoveridealvoltageamplifiers,idealcurrent
amplifiers,idealtransconductanceamplifiers,andidealtransresistanceamplifiers,i.e.whatshouldR
in

andR
out
be(largeorsmall)foreachoftheseidealamplifiers.*Youmaywanttouseananalogyof2port
modelwithTheveninandNortonequivalentcircuits.

IdealVoltageAmplifier:(HighR
in
,LowR
out
)

IdealCurrentAmplifier:(LowR
in
,HighR
out
)

IdealTransconductanceAmplifier:(HighR
in
,HighR
out
)

IdealTransresistanceAmplifier:(LowR
in
,LowR
out
)

CalculatingA
v
,A
i
,G
m
,R
m
,R
in
,R
out
:
A
v
: Applyidealvoltagesourceattheinput(i.e.asourcewithnosourceresistance),andmeasure
theopencircuitoutputvoltage.
A
i
: Applyidealcurrentsourceattheinput(i.e.asourcewithnosourceresistance),andmeasure
theshortcircuitoutputcurrentgoingbackintothecircuit.
G
m
: Applyidealvoltagesourceattheinput(i.e.asourcewithnosourceresistance),andmeasure
theshortcircuitoutputcurrentgoingbackintothecircuit.
R
m
: Applyidealcurrentsourceattheinput(i.e.asourcewithnosourceresistance),andmeasure
theopencircuitoutputvoltage.
R
in
: Applyidealvoltagesourceattheinput(i.e.asourcewithnosourceresistance),keepR
L
attached
attheoutput,andmeasurethecurrentthatflowsoutofthisidealinputsource.
A
v
: Applyidealvoltagesourceattheoutput(i.e.asourcewithnosourceresistance),zeroanyinput
source(voltagesourcesbecomeshortandcurrentsourcesbecomeopen),keepR
s
attachedat
theinput,andmeasurethecurrentthatflowsoutofthisidealoutputsource:

*Ifthereismoretime,doanexampleofasimpleCommonEmitterAmplifiergoingthroughthestepsof
findingA
v
,R
in
,andR
out
.