APLLIED ELECTRONICS

(EE3129)
Chapter 1-2: The Concept of Amplifier Circuits

HIEU NGUYEN
Department of Electronics
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology

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Table of Contents

1 Amplifiers

2 Circuit Models for Amplifiers

3 Frequency Response of Amplifiers

4 Reference

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Table of Contents

1 Amplifiers

2 Circuit Models for Amplifiers

3 Frequency Response of Amplifiers

4 Reference

HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 3 / 47

Definition
An amplifier that preserves the details of the signal
waveform is characterized by the relationship:
vo (t) = Av .vi (t) (Av : Voltage gain)

(a): Circuit symbol for amplifier

(b): An amplifier with a common terminal (ground)
between the input and output ports
HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 4 / 47
Examples of amplifiers

(a): Av > 1 and (b): Av < 1 and (c): Av = 1

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Transfer characteristic

(a): A voltage amplifier fed with a signal vI (t) and

connected to a load resistance RL
(b): An amplifier with a common terminal (ground)
between the input and output ports
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Power Gain and Current Gain

An amplifier provides the load with power greater than

that obtained from the signal source. The power gain:
PL v o io
AP = =
PI v I iI
io
The current gain is defined as: Ai =
iI
Then:
AP = Av .Ai

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Express Gain in Decibels

The amplifier gains defined above are ratios of similarly

dimensioned quantities. Thus, they will be expressed
either as dimensionless numbers or, for emphasis, as V/V
for the voltage gain, A/A for the current gain, and W/W
for the power gain
Besides, amplifier gain can be expressed with a
logarithmic measure:
The power gain (dB) = 10log |AP |
The voltage gain (dB)= 20log |Av |
The current gain (dB)= 20log |Ai |

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The Amplifier Power Supplies
The power delivered to the load is greater than the
power drawn from the signal source
→ These DC sources supply the extra power delivered to
the load as well as any power that might be dissipated
(heat) in the internal circuit of the amplifier

HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 9 / 47

Calculate Power in Amplifiers
The DC power delivered to the amplifier:

PDC = VCC ICC + VEE IEE

The power-balance equation for the amplifier:

PDC + PI = PL + Pdissipated

The amplifier power efficiency:

PL PL
η= ≈ .100%
PDC + PI PDC
(Assume that PI << PDC )
HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 10 / 47
Example 1

Example 1:
Consider an amplifier operating from ±10V power
supplies. It is fed with a sinusoidal voltage having 1V
peak and delivers a sinusoidal voltage output of 9V peak
to a 1kΩ load. The amplifier draws a current of 9, 5mA
from each of its two power supplies. The input current of
the amplifier is found to be sinusoidal with 0, 1 mA peak.
Find the voltage gain, the current gain, the power gain,
the power drawn from the DC supplies, the power
dissipated in the amplifier, and the amplifier efficiency.

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Example 1
Vo 9 V
Voltage Gain: Av = = = 9 = 19.1dB
VI 1 V
Vo 9V
Output current: Io = = = 9(mA)
RL 1k
Io 9mA A
Current Gain: Ai = = = 90 = 39, 1dB
II 0, 1mA A
Power received from signal source:
1 1
PI = VI II = .1V .0, 1mA = 0, 1mW
2 2
Power sent to load:
1 1
PL = Vo Io = .9V .9mA = 40, 5mW
2 2

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Example 1

PL 40, 5mW W
Power gain: Ap = = = 810 = 29, 1dB
PI 0, 1mW W
Power supplied by DC source:
PDC = 10V .9, 5mA + 10V .9, 5mA = 190mW
Power dissipated: Pdissipated = PDC + PI − PL =
190 + 0, 05 − 40, 5 = 149, 6mW
PL
Power efficiency: η = .100 = 21, 3%
PDC

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Amplifier Saturation
The practice, transfer characteristic is shown:

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Amplifier Saturation

The amplifier transfer characteristic remains linear

over only a limited range of input and output
voltages
In order to avoid distorting the output signal
waveform, the input signal swing must be kept
within the linear range of operation:
L− L+
≤ vI ≤
Av Av

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Table of Contents

1 Amplifiers

2 Circuit Models for Amplifiers

3 Frequency Response of Amplifiers

4 Reference

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Two-port Network
From 2-port networks theory, any amplifier circuit can be
expressed by using 2 models below:

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Two-port Network
Y-parameters:
i1 i1
y11 = and y12 = ≈0
v1 v2 =0 v2 v1 =0
i2 i2
y21 = and y22 =
v1 v2 =0 v2 v1 =0

G-parameters:
i1 i1
g11 = and g12 = ≈0
v1 i2 =0 i2 v1 =0
v2 v2
g21 = and g22 =
v1 i2 =0 i2 v1 =0

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Circuit Models for Amplifiers

G-parameters are usually used to model the voltage

amplifiers. This model includes:
Input conductance g11 . This parameter is often used
as a resistance parameter, called input resistance:
1
Ri =
g11
A voltage-controlled voltage with gain g21 . It is
often used with the more common name
open-circuit voltage gain Av 0
Output resistance g22 . It is often denoted Ro

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Circuit Models for Amplifiers

1 vi
Ri = =
g11 ii io =0
vo
Av 0 = g21 =
vi io =0
vo
Ro = g22 =
io vi =0
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Circuit Models for Amplifiers
In practice, the amplifier model fed with a signal voltage
source vs having a resistance Rs and connected at the
output to a load resistance RL . This is modeled:

Using the voltage-divider rule we obtain:

RL
vo = Av 0 vi
RL + Ro
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Circuit Models for Amplifiers

vo RL
Voltage gain: Av = = Av 0
vi RL + Ro
Using the voltage-divider rule at the input, we obtain:
Ri
vi = vs
Rs + Ri
The overall voltage gain:
vo vo vi Ri RL
= = Av 0
vs vi vs Ri + Rs RL + Ro
vo
Easy to get the result: Av < Av 0 and < Av 0 (lose
vs
gain)

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Circuit Models for Amplifiers

In order not to lose gain in coupling the amplifier output

to a load and input to a source:
Ro << RL
Ri >> Rs
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Cascaded Amplifiers

To meet given amplifier specifications, we often need to

design the amplifier as a cascade of two or more stages
For instance:

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Example 2

Example 2:
Calculate the overall voltage gain vL /vs , the current gain,
and the power gain of the circuit

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Example 2
Stage 1: The voltage gain of the first stage is obtained
by considering the input resistance of the second stage to
be the load of the first stage
vi2 100k
Av 1 = = 10 = 9, 9V /V
vi1 100k + 1k
Similar:
vi3 10k
Stage 2: Av 2 = = 100 = 90, 9V /V
vi2 10k + 1k
vL 100
Stage 3: Av 3 = =1 = 0, 909V /V
vi3 100 + 10
vL
Total voltage gain: Av = = Av 1 Av 2 Av 3 = 818V /V
vi1

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Example 2
Using the voltage-divider rule at the input:
vi1 1M
= = 0, 909
vs 1M + 100k
The overall voltage gain:
vL vL vi1 vi1
= = Av = 818.0, 909 = 743, 6V /V
vs vi1 vs vs
The current gain:
io vL /100
Ai = = = 104 Av = 8, 18.106 A/A
ii vi1 /1M
The power gain:
PL v L io
Ap = = = Av Ai = 818.8, 18.106 = 67.108 W /W
PI vi1 ii

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Cascaded Amplifiers

To avoid losing signal strength at the amplifier input

where the signal is usually very small:
The first stage is designed to have a relatively large
input resistance (≈ 1MΩ ), which is much larger
than the source resistance
The final, or output stage is not asked to provide
any voltage gain; rather, it functions as a buffer
amplifier, providing a relatively large input resistance
and a low output resistance, much lower than RL

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Table of Contents

1 Amplifiers

2 Circuit Models for Amplifiers

3 Frequency Response of Amplifiers

4 Reference

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Frequency Response of Amplifiers
Typical magnitude response of an amplifier is shown:

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Frequency Response of Amplifiers

The gain is almost constant over a wide frequency

range, roughly between fL and fH
Signals whose frequencies are below fL or above fH
will experience lower gain, with the gain decreasing
as we move farther away from fL and fH
The band of frequencies over which the gain of the
amplifier is almost constant, is called the amplifier
bandwidth (BW)
BW = fH − fL

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Frequency Response of Amplifiers

fL and fH are found within a certain number of

decibels (usually 3 dB) below the constant gain
The amplifier is designed so that its bandwidth
coincides with the spectrum of the signals it is
required to amplify
If this were not the case, the amplifier would distort
the frequency spectrum of the input signal, with
different components of the input signal being
amplified by different amounts

HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 32 / 47

Example 3
Example 3:
(a) Calculate the Vo /Vs as a function of frequency. From
this, find expressions for the DC gain and the 3-dB
frequency

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Example 3
Using Thevenin’s Theorem at the input:

Vi (s) 1
The input side is RC LP STC type: =
Vs1 (s) 1 + sτ
Ri
where: τ = (Rs //Ri )Ci and Vs1 (s) = Vs (s)
Ri + Rs
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Example 3

Vi (s) Ri 1
→ =
Vs (s) Ri + Rs 1 + sτ
Using voltage-divider rule at the output side:
RL Vo (s) RL
Vo (s) = µVi (s) → =µ
RL + Ro Vi (s) RL + Ro
HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 35 / 47
Example 3
Vo (s) Vo (s)
→ T (s) = =
Vs (s) Vi (s)
RL Ri 1
→ T (s) = µ
RL + Ro Ri + Rs 1 + sτ
DC gain is found by letting ω = 0 → s = 0:
RL Ri
K = T (s = 0) = µ
RL + Ro Ri + Rs
The frequency response of T (s) is of the LP STC type:
1 1
ω0 = =
τ Ci (Rs //Ri )

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Example 3
Example 3:
(b) For the case Rs = 20kΩ, Ri = 100kΩ, Ci = 60pF ,
Ro = 200Ω, and RL = 1kΩ, calculate the DC gain and
the 3-dB frequency

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Example 3

Substituting the numerical values given into K and ω0 :

1k 100k
K = 144 = 100V /V
1k + 200 100k + 20k
1
ω0 = = 106 rad/s
60p(20k//100k)

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Example 3
Example 3:
(c) Find vo (t) for each of the following inputs:
(i) vi = 0, 1sin(102 t), V
(ii) vi = 0, 1sin(105 t), V
(iii) vi = 0, 1sin(106 t), V
(iv) vi = 0, 1sin(108 t), V

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Example 3
Example 3:
(c) Find vo (t) for each of the following inputs:
(i) vi = 0, 1sin(102 t), V
(ii) vi = 0, 1sin(105 t), V
(iii) vi = 0, 1sin(106 t), V
(iv) vi = 0, 1sin(108 t), V
K
Replace s by jω: T (ω) =
jω
1+
ω0
where K = 100, ω0 = 106
Plot the magnitude response and phase response
HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 39 / 47
Example 3

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Example 3
(i) vi = 0, 1sin(102 t), V
ω
For ω = 102 then = 10−4 : From Bode plots,
ω0
|T | = K = 100 and Φ = 0o

vo (t) = 0, 1.100sin(102 t) = 10sin(102 t), V

(ii) vi = 0, 1sin(105 t), V
ω
For ω = 105 then = 10−1 : From Bode plots,
ω0
|T | = K = 100 and Φ = −5, 7o

vo (t) = 0, 1.100sin(102 t − 5, 7o ) = 10sin(102 t − 5, 7o ), V

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Example 3
(iii) vi = 0, 1sin(106 t), V
ω
For ω = 106 then = 1: From Bode plots,
ω0
100
|T | = √ ≈ 70, 7 and Φ = −45o
2

vo (t) = 0, 1.70, 7sin(102 t − 45o ) = 7sin(102 t − 45o ), V

(iv) vi = 0, 1sin(108 t), V
ω
For ω = 108 then = 102 : From Bode plots, |T | = 1
ω0
and Φ = −90o

vo (t) = 0, 1.1sin(102 t − 90o ) = sin(102 t − 90o ), V

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Classification of Amplifiers
Amplifiers can be classified based on frequency
response

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Capacitors in Amplifiers
Internal capacitances in the device (a transistor)
cause the falloff of gain at high frequencies
(Capacitor Ci in example 3
Coupling capacitors cause the falloff of gain at
low frequencies (in Figure below)

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Capacitors in Amplifiers

Coupling capacitors are usually chosen quite large

(from µF to tens of µF ) so that their impedance is
1
small ( → 0) at the frequencies of interest
ωC
At low frequencies, the impedance of a coupling
1
capacitor will become large enough ( → ∞) to
ωC
cause part of the signal to not reach the subsequent
stage

HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 45 / 47

Table of Contents

1 Amplifiers

2 Circuit Models for Amplifiers

3 Frequency Response of Amplifiers

4 Reference

HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 46 / 47

Textbooks

1 Microelectronic Circuit (6th edition) - Sedra Smith

2 Giáo trình Điện tử tương tự - Lưu Phú
3 Giáo trình Kỹ thuật xung - Lưu Phú
4 Documents on Google

HIEU NGUYEN (HCMUT) APLLIED ELECTRONICS Chapter 1-2 47 / 47