Dayalbagh, Agra

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

TERM PAPER

CONCEPT OF FEEDBACK
Submitted to: Prof. V. Prem Pyara,
Head, Electrical Engineering Dept.

- Harshit Agarwal
Bsc.Engg.(III yr)
074008
 FEEDBACK
The concept of feedback was introduced by Harold Black of Bell Laboratories.
Feedback is a powerful technique that finds wide applications in analog circuits.
For example, negative feedback allows high-precision signal processing and
positive feedback makes it useful to build oscillators.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Here this is a representation of a general feedback system, where H(s) and G(s)
are the FEEDFORWARD and the FEEDBACK networks, respectively. And X(s)
and Y(s) are the INPUT and OUTPUT of the system .The input to H(s), called
the feedback error, is given by X(s) – G(s)Y(s). That is,

Y(s) = H(s) [ X(s) - G(s)Y(s)]

Thus,

We call H(s) the “OPEN LOOP” transfer function and Y(s)/X(s) the “CLOSED
LOOP” transfer function. Here H(s) represents an amplifier and G(s) is a
frequency-independent quantity. In other words, a fraction of the output signal is
sensed and compared with the input, generating an error term. In a well designed
system, the error term is minimized, thereby making the output of G(s) an
accurate ‘copy’ of the input and hence the output is faithful replica of the input.

The four elements need to be identified in the feedback system are (1) the
feedforward amplifier, (2) a means of sensing the output, (3) the feedback
amplifier, (4) a means of generating the feedback error. These elements exist in
every feedback system.
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PROPERTIES OF FEEDBACK CIRCUITS:

The properties of feedback or the benefits of negative feedback which is

employed in various analog circuits are:

Gain Desensitization: The negative feedback provides gain “desensitization,”

i.e., the closed-loop gain is much less sensitive to device parameter. To show
this consider the common-source stage in Fig.1(a), where voltage gain is
equal to gm1r01. Variation of gm1 and r01 with process and temperature,
varies the gain which is a critical drawback of this circuit.

Fig.1 (a) Simple common source stage (b) circuit with feedback

Now the circuit is configured as in Fig. 1(b), applying feedback with the help of
C2 . Let us calculate the overall voltage gain of the circuit at relatively low
frequencies such that C2 does not load the output node, i.e., Vout / Vx = -gm1ro1.

If gm1ro1 is sufficiently large, the 1/( gm1ro1) terms in the denominator can be
neglected, yielding

If C1 and C2 are of the same material, then process and temperature variations do
not change C1/C2. The above example reveals that negative feedback provides
gain “desensitization”.

Now considering a general case,

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Where we assume AB >>1 , thus closed loop gain (Y/X) is determined , by the
feedback factor B. Higher the value of ‘loop gain” i.e, AB ,less sensitive Y/X will
be to variations in A. But as ‘B’ increases, the closed loop gain, Y/X ~ 1/B
decreases, thus there is a trade off between Precision and the closed loop gain.

Terminal Impedance Modification: Consider the circuit given shown in

Fig.2(a)where a voltage divider senses the output voltage of a common-gate stage
and returning a current feedback to the input. Our objective is to compute the
input impedance at relatively low frequencies with or without feedback.
Neglecting channel-length modulation and breaking the feedback loop [Fig.2(b)],
We have

For the closed loop circuit,

Fig .2(a) Common-gate circuit with feedback (b) open-loop circuit

Therefore it can be concluded that this type of feedback reduces the input
resistance by a factor of 1+ gm2RD C1/(C1+C2), where gm2RD C1/(C1+C2) is the
loop gain.

Bandwidth Modification: Now we will observe the effect of negative

feedback on Bandwidth. Suppose feedforward amplifier has a one-pole
transfer function,

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where A0 denotes low-frequency gain and ω 0 is the 3-dB bandwidth.

The transfer function of closed loop system is, which is given by Y/X is,

In the expression the denominator reveals a pole at (1+β A0)ω 0 .Thus the 3-
dB bandwidth increases by a factor 1+β A0, at the cost of proportional
reduction in gain.

Fig.3 Bandwidth modification as result of feedback

Nonlinearity Reduction: Another very important property of negative feedback

is the suppression of non-linearity in analog circuits.

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FEEDBACK TOPOLOGIES:

Voltage-Voltage Feedback (Series-Shunt): This topology samples the output

voltage and returns the feedback signal as a voltage. The feedback network is in
connected in parallel with the output and in series with the input port. An ideal
feedback network in this case exhibits infinite input impedance and zero output
impedance because it senses a voltage and generates a voltage.

Fig.4 Voltage-Voltage Feedback

From the Fig.4 we can write VF = β Vout , Ve= Vin - VF ,Vout =A0 (Vin - Vout), and
hence

Where β A0 is the loop gain and the overall gain has dropped by 1+ β A0 . (Both
A and β are dimensionless quantities).The input impedance of a voltage-voltage
feedback circuit increases and output impedance decreases, by a factor of
1+β A0.
Thus is useful as a “buffer” stage that can be interposed between a high
impedance source and a low impedance load.

Current-Voltage Feedback (Series-Series): This topology senses the output

current and returns the feedback signal as a voltage. The current is actually
sensed by placing a small resistor in series with the output and the voltage drop
across it as the feedback information. This voltage may even serve as the return
signal that is directly subtracted from the input.

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 Fig.5 Current-Voltage Feedback

Since the feedback network senses the output current and returns a voltage ,
its feedback factor (β ) has the dimension of resistance and is denoted by RF .
From the Fig.5 , VF =RFI out ,Ve =Vin- RFI out and hence I out = Gm( Vin- RFI out).
Thus,

An ideal feedback network in this topology exhibits zero input and output
impedances. Sensing the current at the output of a feedback system increases the
output impedance. This is because the system attempts to make the output current
a faithful replica of the input signal .Consequently, the system delivers the same
current waveform as the load varies, in essence approaching an ideal current
source and hence exhibiting a high output impedance. In summary Current-
Voltage feedback increases both the input and the output impedances while
decreasing the feedforward transconductance.

Voltage-Current Feedback (Shunt-Shunt): In this type of feedback, the output

voltage is sensed and a proportional current is returned to the summing point at
the input. The feedforward path incorporates a transimpedance amplifier with the
gain R0 and the feedback factor has a dimension of conductance.

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 Fig.6 Voltage-Current Feedback

Sensing a voltage and producing a current, the feedback network is characterized

by a transconductance gmF, ideally exhibiting infinite input and output
impedances. Since IF =gmFVout and Ie =Iin- IF we have Vout = R0Ie = R0( Iin- gmFVout),

Voltage-Current feedback decreases both the input and output impedances .An
important application of amplifiers with low input impedance is in fiber optic
receivers, where light received through a fiber is converted to a current by a
reverse-biased photodiode. The current is typically converted to a voltage for
further amplification and processing.

Current-Current Feedback (Shunt-Series): This topology senses the output

current and returns the feedback signal as a current. The feedforward amplifier is
characterized by a current gain, At and the feedback network by a current ratio,
β .

Fig.7 Current-Current Feedback

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The input impedance of a current-current feedback circuit decreases and output
impedance increases, by a factor of 1+β At.

EFFECT OF FEEDBACK ON NOISE: Feedback does not improve the

noise performance of circuits. Considering a simple case in Fig .8(a), where
open-loop voltage amplifier At is characterized by input-referred noise voltage
and feedback network is noiseless.

Fig. 8(a) Feedback around a noisy circuit

We have Vout =At ( Vin - β Vout + Vn ) and hence

Thus, the circuit can be simplified as,

Fig. 8(b) Simplified circuit of 8(a)

The circuit in Fig. 8(b) reveals that the input-referred noise is still Vn. This
analysis can be extended to all four topologies to prove that the input-referred
noise voltage and current remain the same if the feedback network introduces no
noise. In practice, the feedback network itself may contain resistors or transistors,
degrading the overall noise performance.

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