Differential Amplifiers and

common mode feedback

 Differential amplifiers
• Cancellation of common mode signals
including clock feed-through
• Cancellation of even-order harmonics
• Increased signal swing

Symbol:
 Two-Stage, Miller, Differential-In,
Differential-Out Op Amp

peak-to-peak
output voltage
≤ 2·OCMR

Output common mode range (OCMR)

= VDD-VSS - VSDPsat - VDSNsat
Two-Stage, Miller, Differential-In, Differential-
Out Op Amp with Push-Pull Output

Able to actively source and sink output current

Output quiescent current poorly defined
Cascode Op Amp with Differential-
Outputs, push-pull output
 Differential-Output, Folded-
Cascode

OCMR = VDD -VSS - 2VSDP(sat) -2VDSN(sat)

Quite limited
Two-Stage, Differential Output,
Folded-Cascode

M11-M13 and M10-M12 provide level shift

 Common Mode Output Voltage
Stabilization
Common mode
drift at output
causes differential
signals move into
triode region
 Common Mode feedback
• All fully differential amplifier needs CMFB
• Common mode output, if uncontrolled,
moves to either high or low end, causing
triode operation
• Ways of common mode stabilization:
– external CMFB
– internal CMFB
 Cause of common mode problem
Unmatched quiescent currents
Vbb=VbbQ+Δ
Vbb I2 Vin=VinQ
Vbb=VbbQ

Vo1 Vo2

Vin
I1

Vo1Q
Vo1
Vin=VinQ+ΔVin actual Q point
M2 is in triode
 If Vo  VOCM  I y i.e.  V yy
If Vo  VOCM  I y i.e.  V yy
Vxx Ix

Vo

Ix(Vo)
VOCM
Vin

Iy(Vo)
Vyy
Iy
Vo

 need neg. feedback from Vo to V yy

Basic concept of CMFB:

Vo+ Vo+ +Vo-

CM 2
Vo- measurement
Voc

-
vb e VoCM
CMFB
+

desired
common mode
voltage
 Basic concept of CMFB:

Vo+ Vo+ +Vo-

CM 2
Vo- measurement
Voc

-
vb e e VoCM
CMFB
+

Find transfer function from e to Voc, ACMF(s)

Find transfer function from an error source to Voc Aerr(s)
Voc error due to error source: err*Aerr(0)/ACMF(0)
 example
Vb2

CC CC
Vi+ Vi- Vo+ Vo-

VCMFB Vb1

VCMFB Voc Vo+

-
+ Vo-
 Example

Voc

?
?

VoCM

Need to make sure to have negative feedback

 VDD

M7A 150/3 M2A 150/3 M2B 300/3 300/3

75/3
BIAS4 M13A M13B
1.5pF 1.5pF
M7B
75/3
BIAS3
M3B
OUT+
averagerOUT-
M3A 20K 20K
300/2.25
300/2.25

300/2.25 300/2.25
M6C 75/2.25
IN- IN+

M6AB
M1A M1B Source
M12A
M12B

follower
1000/2.25
75/2.25 1000/2.25
200/2.25
BIAS2
M11 M10 M9A M9B
CL=4pF 4pF
150/2.25 50/2.25 50/2.25
BIAS1
M8 M5
200/2.25 M4A M4B
150/2.25
50/2.25 50/2.25

VSS

Folded cascode amplifier

 Resistive C.M. detectors:

Vo   Vo 
, if R1  R2
Vo+
R1 R2
Vo-
2
Prob : resistive loading effect.
use R1 , R2 very large
- difficult to achieve
- especially when Vo is
at an cascoded node
 Resistive C.M. detectors:

Vo.c.

R1 R1
Vo+ Vo-

Vi+ Vi-
• O.K. if op amp is used in a resistive
feedback configuration
• & R1 is part of feedback network.
• Otherwise, R1 becomes part of g0 & hence
reduces AD.C.(v)
Buffer Vo+, Vo- before connecting to R1.

Voc
Vo+ Vo-

R1 R1

Simple implementation:
source follower

Vo+ Vo.c. Vo-

* Gate capacitance is your load to Amp.

Why not:

Vo.c.
Vo+ Vo-

* Initial voltage on cap.

 Vo   Vo 
, if C1  C 2
2
Prob : at high freq.
C1 C2
A C diff short
Use buffer to isolate Vo node:

gate cap is load

or resistors
Switched cap CMFB
Vo+ Φ1 Φ2 Φ1
VoCM.

Vo-
VoCM.
 To increase or decrease the C.M. loop gain:
e.g.

Vo.c. Vo.c.d. Vo.c. Vo.c.d.

VC.M.F.B.
VC.M.F.B.
 Another implementation
• Use triode transistors to provide isolation
& z(s) simultaneously.

M1, M2 in deep triode.

VGS1, VGS2>>VT
Voc

Vo+ Vo-
M1 M2

In that case, circuit above M1,

M2 needs to ensure that M1, M2
can be a c.s. are in triode.
 Vo   Vo 
2

deep triode oper

Example:

Input state

Vo- Vo+
Vb

M1 M2

e.g. Vo+, Vo-≈2V at Q & Vb ≈1V ,

Then M1&2 will be in deep triode.
 If Vo  , Vo  
Vo- Vo+  Voc 
 VG1 ,VG 2 
Vb1
 RM 1 , RM 2 
Vb2
 V X  ( I  const )
VX
but V X to Vo  , Vo 
is cascoded C.G.
M 1 M2
 Vo  ,Vo  
Two-Stage, Miller, Differential-In,
Differential-Out Op Amp

M10 and M11 are in deep triode

 Vo++ Vo-
2 VoCM.

VCMFB

Vo   Vo 
 VCMFB
2
gain can be large

Vo+
Note the difference
Vo- from the book
accommodates much
larger VoCM range
 Small signal analysis of CMFB
Example:

IB VCM IB
M3 M4

Vo+ M1 M2 Vo-
-Δi
+Δi
+Δi
M5 +Δi
+Δi -Δi
VCMFB
-Δi -Δi
Δi=0 2Δi
• Differential Vo: Vo+↓ by ΔVo, Vo-↑ by ΔVo
• Common mode Vo: Vo+↑ by ΔVo, Vo-↑ by ΔVo

Vo
i  g m1  g m1  g m 2  g m3  g m 4 
2
1  g m1 
VCMFB   2i  k  
g m5  g m5 
 k  Vo
 IB VCM IB
M3 M4

Vo+ M1 M2 Vo-
+Δi
+Δi
M5
-Δi -Δi
VCMFB
Δi=0 2Δi
Δi7 M7

+ 1
-2Δi M6 -2Δi
- gm6
To increase gain :
1
VG 7  2i
g m6
g m7
i7  VG 7 g m 7  2i
g m6
 g m7 
 i5  2i1  
 g m6 
g m1  g m 7 
VCMFB  1  Vo
g m5  g m6 
* gain by geometric ratios  can be made accurate
CMFB loop gain: example
Vb2

CC CC
Vi+ Vi- Vo+ Vo-

VCMFB Vb1

VCMFB Voc Vo+

-
+ Vo-
 Vo   Vo 
gain from VCMFB  Voc 
2

-gm5vro2

-gm5vro2gm6

Vo

gm5v g m5 g m6
Aocmc 
v g ds 2  g ds 6  g ds 7 

Poles: p1
p2
z1 same as before
 VDD

M7A 150/3 M2A 150/3 M2B 300/3 300/3

75/3
BIAS4 M13A M13B
1.5pF 1.5pF
M7B
75/3
BIAS3
M3B
OUT+
averagerOUT-
M3A 20K 20K
300/2.25
300/2.25

300/2.25 300/2.25
M6C 75/2.25
IN- IN+

M6AB
M1A M1B Source
M12A
M12B

follower
1000/2.25
75/2.25 1000/2.25
200/2.25
BIAS2
M11 M10 M9A M9B
CL=4pF 4pF
150/2.25 50/2.25 50/2.25
BIAS1
M8 M5
200/2.25 M4A M4B
150/2.25
50/2.25 50/2.25

VSS

Folded cascode amplifier

Removing the CM measurement

Vo+ VoCM

Vo-

VCMFB

Directly connect Vo+, Vo- to the gates of

CMFB diff amp.
 VDD=+1.65V

M11 M12 M3 M4 M26 M27

Vo1 Vo2
M21 M22 M23 M24

M1C M2C
IDC=100υA VCM

M13
Vi1 M2 Vi2
M1

M14 M51 M52 M25

-VSS=-1.65V
CMFB with current feedback
M3 M4
IB

Vo+ Voc
CM VoCM
Vo- detect M5
M6 M7

M1 M2
IB VDD  VSS
desired Q : I 3   I1 , VoCM 
4 2
If Vo   Vo   by Vo , Voc  by Vo
i1 , i2  by Vo  g m 6
(equivalent to VG1 , VG 2  by Vo )