Practical Amplifier

 To analyse the circuit:

 Determine quiescent conditions
 Calculate mutual conductance
 Calculate small signal performance
 Voltage Gain
 Input Impedance
 Output Impedance
 Cut-off frequency
Quiescent Conditions
I B  0  I RB  0  VB  0

VBE  0.5 V  VE  0.5 V

VE   15
I E  I RE 
RE
14.5
  0.5 mA  I C
29
VC  15  I C RC
 15  0.5 10  10 V
Small Signal Analysis: Voltage Gain
As before:
iC  g m vBE  g m vIN
vOUT dVOUT
   RC
iC dI C

vOUT vOUT iC
    RC g m
vIN iC vIN
IC 0.5
  RC   10 
4
 200
VT 25
Input and Output Impedance
 Unlike the op-amp, transistor amplifiers have
significant output impedances and finite input
impedances
 RIN can be comparable with the source resistance of the
input signal
 ROUT can be comparable with the load resistance
 Input Impedance
iIN iB  Input impedance, rIN, is the ratio
of the small signal input voltage
and the small signal input current
vIN
rIN  iIN  iRB  iB
iRB iIN

vIN
iRB 
RB

iC vIN g m
iB  
 
 Input Impedance (cont)
iIN iB vIN vIN g m
iIN  iRB  iB  
RB 

vIN 1 
iRB rIN    RB ||
iIN 1 / RB  g m /  gm

iC vBE
NB. g m  & rE 
vBE iE
1
 gm 
rE
Output Impedance
 One way to measure rOUT is:
 Short the input to 0 V
 Output now looks like just rOUT
Output Impedance (cont)
vIN  0  iC  0
Applying Kirchoff’s current law:

iC  iRC  iOUT  0  iOUT  iRC

By Ohm’s law:
vC vOUT
VC  15  I RC RC    RC 
iRC iRC

vOUT vOUT
rOUT     RC   RC
iOUT iRC
Coupling Capacitors
 Capacitor COUT is needed to remove
the d.c. component of the collector
voltage
 Capacitor CIN is needed to allow
the base voltage to be offset from
0V
 In both cases this is known as
coupling
 Both capacitors are chosen to look
like short circuits at operating
frequencies
 Their reactance will, however,
become significant at low
frequencies
Equivalent Circuit

rIN 1
v1  vIN  vIN
rIN  1 / j 2fCIN 1  1 / j 2frIN CIN

1
v1  vIN
1  1 / 2frIN CIN 
2
 Cut-Off Frequency
Cut-off frequency, or –3dB point, is when the gain of the
amplifier falls by a factor of 2
v1 1 1
 
1  1 / 2f C rIN C IN 
2
vIN 2

 1  1 / 2f C rIN CIN   2  2f C rIN CIN  1

2

If the cut-off frequency, fC, is specified and rIN has been

calculated:
1
C IN 
2f C rIN
NB. This assumes that COUT still looks like a short circuit
COUT
 For the lower cut-off frequency calculation to be
valid, COUT should still look like a short circuit at fC
1
 XC   rOUT
2f C COUT

 Typically, choose:
1
COUT 
fC
2 rOUT
10
 Emitter Capacitor
For the highest voltage gain,
vBE  vIN  vBE  vE
vBE iC
But, vBE   iE rE
vIN gm
vE
1 VT
where, rE  
gm IC
iE
Also, vE 
j 2fCE
vBE
 vE j 2fCE 
rE
 Emitter Capacitor (cont)
For CE to not interfere at fC:
vBE  vE
vBR vBE
Where, vE j 2f C C E 
vIN rE
vE  2f C CE rE  1

To make sure, choose,

1
CE 
fC
2 rE
10
NB. Use rE (=VT/IC) not RE for this calculation!
Summary
 In the context of the common-emitter amplifier we
have covered:
 Small signal analysis
 Mutual conductance
 Input/output impedance
 Coupling capacitor requirements and cut-off frequencies
 Next time:
 Applying the same principles to the differential amplifier
 It’s actually a much easier circuit to analyse – honest!
 Make sure you’re happy with the fundamentals by then!