APPLIED ELECTRONICS II

Course code: ECEg3102

1
 CHAPTER 1
FEEDBACK AMPLIFIERS
 Contents
 Introduction

 The general feedback structure

 Some properties of negative feedback

 Loop gain and Stability analysis of feedback

amplifier circuit

 Basic topologies of feedback amplifiers

2
1.1. Introduction

In general, the transistor parameters vary with

temperature and have a range of values for a given

type of transistor.

The parameter variations mean that the Q-point,

voltage gain, and other circuit properties can vary
from one circuit to another, and can be functions of
temperature.
3
 Cont. …
 Transistor circuit characteristics can be made

essentially independent of the individual transistor

parameters by using feedback.

 The feedback process takes a portion of the output

signal and returns it to the input to become part of

the input excitation.

4
 Advantages of negative feedback
1.Gain sensitivity: Variations in the circuit transfer
function (gain) as a result of changes in transistor
parameters are reduced by feedback.

2.Bandwidth extension: The bandwidth of a circuit

that incorporates negative feedback is larger than
that of the basic amplifier.

3.Noise sensitivity: Negative feedback may increase

the signal-to-noise ratio if noise is generated within
the feedback loop.
5
 Cont. …
4. Reduction of nonlinear distortion: Since
transistors have nonlinear characteristics, distortion
may appear in the output signals, especially at large
signal levels. Negative feedback reduces this
distortion.

5. Control of impedance levels: The input and output

impedances can be increased or decreased with
the proper type of negative feedback circuit.

6
 Disadvantages of negative feedback
1. Circuit gain: The overall amplifier gain, with
negative feedback, is reduced compared to the
basic amplifier used in the circuit.

2. Stability: There is a possibility that the feedback

circuit may become unstable (oscillate) at high
frequencies.

7
1.2. The General Feedback Structure

 This is a signal-flow diagram, and the quantities x

represent either voltage or current signals.

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 The General Feedback Equation
 Closed loop and open loop
 Closed loop gain

xo A
Af  
x s 1  A
 Feedback factor β

 Loop gain Aβ

 Amount of feedback (1+ Aβ)

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 Gain Sensitivity
 If the feedback transfer function is a constant, then
taking the derivative of Af with respect to A,

 Dividing both sides of Equation above by the closed-

loop gain yields
10
 Cont. …

 Equation above shows that the percent change in the

closed-loop gain Af is less than the corresponding
percent change in the open-loop gain A by the factor
(1 + βA).

 The change in open-loop gain may result from

variations in individual transistor parameters in the
basic amplifier. 11
 Noise Sensitivity
In any electronic system, unwanted random and
extraneous signals may be present in addition to the
desired signal.

Electronic noise can be generated within an

amplifier, or may enter the amplifier along with the
input signal.

Negative feedback may reduce the noise level in

amplifiers; more accurately, it may increase the
signal-to-noise ratio.
12
 Cont. …
More precisely, feedback can help reduce the effect
of noise generated in an amplifier, but it cannot
reduce the effect when the noise is part of the input
signal.

The output signal-to-noise ratio is

where the desired output signal is So = ATiSi and the

output noise signal is No =ATnNi .

13
 Cont. …
The parameter ATi is the amplification factor that
multiplies the source signal, and the parameter ATn is
the amplification factor that multiplies the noise
signal.

Example: Determine the effect of feedback on the

source signal and noise signal levels.

1. Two open-loop amplifiers are in a cascade

configuration, and the noise signal is generated
between the two amplifiers. The output voltage is
14
Cont. …

15
 Cont. …
2. Two open-loop amplifiers are in a cascade
configuration, and the noise is part of the input
signal. The output voltage is

16
 Cont. …
3. Two amplifiers are in a feedback configuration, and
the noise signal is generated between the two
amplifiers. The output voltage is

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 Cont. …
Then,

 Note: Comparing the three configurations, we see that

example 3 produces the largest output signal-to-noise ratio.
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Loop gain and stability of feedback circuits
 The quantity that directly determines whether a
negative-feedback circuit is stable is not the closed-
loop gain or the open-loop gain, but rather the loop
gain, written as Aβ. Recall our formula for closed-
loop gain:

This formula assumes that Aβ is a positive number

(because positive Aβ means that the feedback is
negative). 19
 Cont. ...
What happens when Aβ is not positive? Consider the
case when Aβ = -1:

In this context, a closed-loop gain of infinity

corresponds to an oscillator; even with zero input the
output is saturated. Thus, the critical quantity in
stability analysis is the loop gain.

20
 Cont. ...
If an AC signal experiences a 180° phase shift before
being fed back and subtracted, our negative
feedback has just become positive.

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 The Stability Criterion
If the loop gain, Aβ is less than unity at the high
frequencies where phase shift reaches 180°, the high-
frequency phase-shifted signals will gradually fade
away instead of progressively building up into major
oscillations.

This indicate that the amplifier circuit is stable.

So the general stability criteria is given as: a given

amplifier circuit is stable if loop gain, |Aβ|<1.

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1.3. Feedback Topologies
There are four basic feedback topologies, based on
the parameter to be amplified (Voltage or current)
and the output parameter (voltage or current).

The four feedback circuit categories can be

described by the types of connections at the input
and output of circuit.

1. Series–Shunt/voltage series/Voltage Amplifiers

2. Series–series/Current series/Trans-conductance
amplifier 23
 Cont. …
3. Shunt–shunt/Voltage shunt/Trans-resistance amplifier
4. Shunt–series/Current shunt/Current amplifier
 The first term refers to the connection at the amplifier
input, and the second term refers to the connection at
the output.
 Also, the type of connection determines which
parameter (voltage or current) is sampled at the output
and which parameter is amplified.
 The connections also determine the feedback amplifier
characteristics in particular, the input and output
resistances.
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 Voltage series-shunt configuration

 The feedback circuit is a voltage-controlled voltage source and is an ideal

voltage amplifier with an input resistance Ri and an open-loop voltage
gain ‘Av’ that samples the output voltage and provides a feedback
voltage Vf connected in series with the input signal voltage vi
 There is an error signal which is a difference between the source signal
voltage Vi and the feedback voltage Vf and it is the signal that is amplified
in the basic voltage amplifier .
 In this ideal configuration, the input resistance to the feedback circuit is
infinite; therefore, there is no loading effect on the output of the basic
amplifier due to the feedback circuit. 25
 Cont…
 An increase in the output voltage produces an increase in the feedback
voltage, which in turn decreases the error voltage due to the negative
feedback.
 Then, the smaller error voltage is amplified producing a smaller output
voltage, which means that the output signal tends to be stabilized.
Closed- loop Gain :
 If the output of the feedback network is an open circuit, then the output
voltage is :𝑽𝟎 = 𝑨𝒗 𝑽𝒆
 Feedback voltage is :𝑽𝒇𝒃 = 𝜷𝑽𝒐 = 𝜷𝒗 𝑽𝒐
 Parameter βv is the voltage feedback transfer function.
 The error voltage, assuming the source resistance RS is negligible, is :
𝑽𝒆 = 𝑽𝒊 − 𝑽𝒇𝒃
 Combining Equations, we find the closed-loop voltage transfer function
𝑽𝒐 𝑨𝒗
𝑨𝒗𝒇 = =
𝑽𝒊 𝟏+𝑨𝒗 𝜷𝒗
 The above equation shows that the closed-loop voltage gain with
feedback is the amplifier gain reduced by the factor (1+βA). 26
Input impedance

 The input resistance including feedback is denoted by Rif

𝑉𝑖
𝑉𝑖 = 𝑉𝑒 + 𝑉𝑓𝑏 = 𝑉𝑒 + β𝑣 𝑉𝑜 = 𝑉𝑒 + 𝑉𝑒 𝐴𝑣 β𝑣 or 𝑉𝑒 =
1+𝐴𝑣 β𝑣
𝑉𝑒 𝑉𝑖
 The input current is: Ii = =
𝑅𝑖 𝑅𝑖 (1+𝐴𝑣 β𝑣 )
 And the input resistance with feedback is then:
𝑉
𝑅𝑖𝑓 = 𝑖=𝑅𝑖 (1 + 𝐴𝑣 β𝑣 )
𝐼𝑖
 The input impedance with series feedback is seen to be the value of the
input impedance without feedback multiplied by the factor (1+βA),
resulting in an increased input resistance.
 This eliminates loading effects on the input signal source and this large
input resistance is a desirable property of a voltage amplifier. 27
Output impedance
 The output resistance of the feedback circuit can be determined from the
equivalent circuit shown below.
 The input signal voltage source is set equal to zero (a short circuit), and a test
voltage is applied to the output terminals.

 From the circuit: 𝑉𝑒 + 𝑉𝑓𝑏 =0, 𝑉𝑒 + β𝑣 𝑉𝑥 = 0

𝑉𝑒 = −β𝑉𝑥
𝑉𝑥 −𝐴𝑣 𝑉𝑒 𝑉𝑥 +𝐴𝑣 β𝑣 𝑉𝑥 𝑉𝑥 (1+𝐴𝑣 β𝑣 )
 The output current is 𝐼𝑥 = = =
𝑅𝑜 𝑅𝑜 𝑅𝑜
𝑉𝑥 𝑉 𝑅
𝑅𝑜𝑓 = = 𝑉𝑥(1+𝐴𝑥 𝑣β𝑣) = 𝑜
𝐼𝑥 1+𝐴𝑣 β𝑣
𝑅𝑜

 This shows that output impedance is reduced from that without feedback by
the factor (1+βA).A small output resistance is a desirable property of a
voltage amplifier.This eliminates loading effects on the output signal when an
output load is connected. 28
Example 1
Consider a series–shunt feedback amplifier in which the open-loop gain
is Av = 10e5 and the closed-loop gain is Avf = 50. Assume the input and
output resistances of the basic amplifier are Ri = 10 kΩ and Ro = 20 kΩ,
respectively. Find Zif and Zof.

 The input resistance increases drastically and the output

resistance decreases substantially, with negative feedback.
These are the desired characteristics of a voltage amplifier.
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Example 2
Consider the non-inverting op-amp with parameters
Ri = 50k, R1 = 10k, R2 = 90k, and Av = 10e4.
Determine the closed-loop input resistance and
closed loop gain.

30
solution

The closed loop gain Avf

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Current Shunt–Series Configuration

 The circuit is a current-controlled current source and is an ideal current

amplifier with an input resistance Ri and an open-loop current gain Ai
that samples the output current and produces a feedback current If, which
is feedback in shunt with an input signal current Ii.
 A signal that is the difference between the input signal current and the
feedback current is the error signal which is amplified by the basic
current amplifier .
 In this ideal configuration, the feedback circuit does not load down the
output; therefore, the load current Io is not affected.
 An increase in output current produces an increase in feedback current,
which in turn decreases the error current. The smaller error current is
then amplified, producing a smaller output current and stabilizing the
output signal.
32
 Cont...
closed-loop voltage gain :
 If the output is essentially a short circuit, then the output current is :
𝐼𝑜 = 𝐴𝑖 𝐼𝑒
𝐼𝑓𝑏 = β𝐼𝑜 = β𝑖 𝐼𝑜
𝐼𝑖 = 𝐼𝑒 +𝐼𝑓𝑏
𝐼𝑜 𝐴𝑖
𝐴𝑖𝑓 = =
𝐼𝑖 1+𝐴𝑖 β𝑖

Input resistance:

𝐼𝑖
𝐼𝑖 = 𝐼𝑒 +𝐼𝑓𝑏 = 𝐼𝑒 +β𝑖 𝐼𝑜 =𝐼𝑒 +β𝑖 𝐴𝑖 𝐼𝑒 and 𝐼𝑒 =
1+𝐴𝑖 β𝑖
𝑅𝑖 𝐼𝑖
The input voltage is : 𝑉𝑖 = 𝑅𝑖 𝐼𝑒 =
1+𝐴𝑖 β𝑖
𝑉 𝑅𝑖
The input resistance with feedback is then:𝑅𝑖𝑓 = 𝑖 = 33
𝐼𝑖 1+𝐴𝑖 β𝑖
Output Resistance :

 From the circuit we have: 𝐼𝑒 +𝐼𝑓𝑏 =𝐼𝑒 +β𝑖 𝐼𝑥 =0

𝐼𝑒 = −β𝑖 𝐼𝑥
 The output voltage 𝑉𝑥 = (𝐼𝑥 −𝐴𝑖 𝐼𝑒 )𝑅𝑜 =(𝐼𝑥 -𝐴𝑖 (−β𝑖 𝐼𝑥 ) 𝑅𝑜
=𝐼𝑥 (1 + 𝐴𝑖 β𝑖 ) 𝑅𝑜
𝑉𝑥
 The output feedback resistance:𝑅𝑜𝑓 = = (1 + 𝐴𝑖 β𝑖 ) 𝑅𝑜
𝐼𝑥

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Series–Series Configuration

 The circuit is a voltage-to-current amplifier that samples a portion of the

output current and produces a feedback voltage Vfb , which is in series
with the input signal voltage Vi.
 It then converts the error voltage to an output current with a gain factor
Ag.
• Closed loop voltage gain :
 Assuming the output is essentially a short circuit, the output current is :
𝐼𝑜 = 𝐴𝑔 𝑉𝑒
and the feedback voltage is:𝑉𝑓𝑏 = β𝑧 𝐼𝑜 = β𝑧 𝐴𝑔 𝑉𝑒
 The input signal voltage, neglecting the effect of RS, is :
𝑉𝑖 = 𝑉𝑓𝑏 + 𝑉𝑒 35
Cont...
 Combining these equations yields the closed-loop current-to-voltage
𝐼 𝐴𝑔
transfer function :𝐴𝑔𝑓 = 𝑜 =
𝑉𝑖 1+𝐴𝑔 β𝑧

 The units of the transfer function given by the equation are amperes/volt,
or conductance. We may note that the term βzAg is dimensionless. This
particular feedback circuit is therefore called a transconductance
amplifier .
Input resistance and output resistance:

Input resistance
Vi
R if = =𝑅𝑖 (1 + 𝐴𝑔 β𝑧 )
Ii
Vx
Output resistance :R of = =𝑅𝑜 (1 + 𝐴𝑔 β𝑧 )
Ix

36
Shunt - shunt Feedback Configuration

 The feedback circuit samples portion of the output voltage and produces
a feedback current If , which is in shunt with the input signal current Ii
and converts(amplify) the error current to an output voltage with a gain
factor Az.
Closed loop voltage gain :
 Assuming the output is essentially a short circuit, the output current is :
𝑉𝑜 = 𝐴𝑧 𝐼𝑒
 And the feedback voltage is:𝐼𝑓𝑏 = β𝑔 𝑉𝑜 = β𝑔 𝐴𝑧 𝐼𝑒
 The input signal voltage, neglecting the effect of RS, is :
𝐼𝑖 = 𝐼𝑓𝑏 + 𝐼𝑒
 Combining these equations yields the closed-loop current-to-voltage
𝑉 𝐴
transfer function :𝐴𝑔𝑓 = 𝑜= 𝑧
𝐼𝑖 1+𝐴𝑧 β𝑔
37
Cont....
 The units of the transfer function given by the equation are volts/ampere,
or resistance. We may note that the term βgAz is dimensionless.
 This particular feedback circuit is therefore referred to as a trans-
resistance amplifier.
Input and output impedance

Vi 𝑅
Input resistance R if = = 𝑖
Ii 1+𝐴𝑧 β𝑔
Vx 𝑅
Output resistance R of = = 𝑜
Ix 1+𝐴𝑧 β𝑔

38
 Examples
1) Determine the voltage gain, input, and output
impedance with feedback for voltage series
feedback having A = -100, Zi = 10kΩ, Zo= 20kΩ for
feedback of

a) β=-0.1

b) β=- 0.5

Sol𝝙:

a)
44
 Cont. …
b)

2) Determine the voltage gain, input, and output

impedance with feedback having A=-100, Zi=10kΩ,

Z o =20kΩ and β=-0.1 for feedback of

a) Current series

b) Voltage shunt

c) Current shunt 45
 Example
Calculate the voltage gain with and without feedback
for the circuit with values of gm = 5mS, RD = 5.1 k, RS =
1k, and RF = 20K.

41
Solution
Using source transformation

Voltage Gain with out feedback(If=0)

42
Cont. …

43
 Cont….
 The output gain with out feedback will be
• 𝐴𝑣 = −𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐷 = −(5 × 10−3 (5.1 × 103 ) = −25.5
 The gain with feedback
𝑅𝑓
• 𝐴𝑓 = −𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐷
𝑅𝑓 +−𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐷 𝑅𝑠
20×103
• -25.5( )
20×10 +(5×10 (5.1 ×10 )
3 −3 3

• =-11.2