Multistage Transistor Amplifier

Importance
• The output from a single stage amplifier is usually
insufficient to drive an output device. In other
words, the gain of a single amplifier is inadequate
for practical purposes. Consequently, additional
amplification over two or three stages is necessary.
To achieve this, the output of each amplifier stage
is coupled in some way to the input of the next
stage. The resulting system is referred to as
multistage amplifier.
• A transistor circuit containing more than one stage
of amplification is known as multistage transistor
amplifier. In a multistage amplifier, a number of
single amplifiers are connected in cascade
arrangement i.e. output of first stage is connected to
the input of the second stage through a suitable
coupling device.
• The purpose of coupling device (e.g. a capacitor,
transformer etc.) is (i) to transfer a.c. output of
one stage to the input of the next stage and (ii) to
isolate the d.c. conditions of one stage from the
next stage. Each stage consists of one transistor
and associated circuitry and is coupled to the next
stage through a coupling device. The name of the
amplifier is usually given after the type of coupling
used.
• (i) In RC coupling, a capacitor is used as the coupling device. The
capacitor connects the output of one stage to the input of the next
stage in order to pass the a.c. signal on while blocking the d.c. bias
voltages.
• (ii) In transformer coupling, transformer is used as the coupling
device. The transformer coupling provides the same two functions
(viz. to pass the signal on and blocking d.c.) but permits in
addition impedance matching.
• (iii) In direct coupling or d.c. coupling, the individual amplifier
stage bias conditions are so designed that the two stages may be
directly connected without the necessity for d.c. Isolation.
 Role of Capacitors in Transistor
Amplifiers
• A capacitor blocks d.c. i.e. a capacitor behaves
as an “open” to d.c. Therefore, for d.c. analysis,
we can remove the capacitors from the
transistor amplifier circuit.
• Therefore, for a.c. analysis, we can replace the
capacitors by a short i.e. by a wire.
• The capacitors serve the following two roles in
transistor amplifiers :
• 1. As coupling capacitors
• 2. As bypass capacitors
 As coupling capacitors:
• The capacitors are commonly used to connect
one amplifier stage to another. When a capacitor
is used for this purpose, it is called a coupling
capacitor.
• A coupling capacitor performs the following two
functions :
• (i) It blocks d.c. i.e. it provides d.c. isolation
between the two stages of a multistage amplifier.
• (ii) It passes the a.c. signal from one stage to the
next with little or no distortion.
 As bypass capacitors
• A bypass capacitor is connected in parallel with a circuit component
(e.g. resistor) to bypass the a.c. signal and hence the name.
 Important Terms
• gain,
• frequency response,
• decibel gain and
• bandwidth
 Gain
• The ratio of the output *electrical quantity to the
input one of the amplifier is called its gain. The
gain of a multistage amplifier is equal to the
product of gains of individual stages. For instance,
if G1, G2 and G3 are the individual voltage gains
of a three-stage amplifier, then total voltage gain G
is given by :
 Frequency response
• The voltage gain of an
amplifier varies with
signal frequency. It is
because reactance of the
capacitors in the circuit
changes with signal
frequency and hence
affects the output voltage.
The curve between
voltage gain and signal
frequency of an amplifier
is known as frequency
response.
 Decibel gain
• The gain of an amplifier can be expressed is bel
or decibel (db).
• The common logarithm (log to the base 10) of
power gain is known as bel power gain i.e.
 Advantages.
• The unit db is a logarithmic unit. Our ear
response is also logarithmic i.e. loudness of
sound heard by ear is not according to the
intensity of sound but according to the log of
intensity of sound.
• When the gains are expressed in db, the overall
gain of a multistage amplifier is the sum of gains
of individual stages in db.
 Bandwidth
• The range of frequency over which the voltage
gain is equal to or greater than *70.7% of the
maximum gain is known as bandwidth.
• Therefore, f1 − f2 is the bandwidth. It may be
seen that f1 and f2 are the limiting frequencies.
The former (f1) is called lower cut-off frequency
and the latter (f2) is known as upper cut-off
frequency.
 Numerical
• Example. Find the gain in db in the following
cases :
• (i) Voltage gain of 30 (ii) Power gain of 100
• Example : A three-stage amplifier has a first
stage voltage gain of 100, second stage voltage
gain of 200 and third stage voltage gain of 400.
Find the total voltage gain in db .
• Example. A certain amplifier has voltage gain of
15 db. If the input signal voltage is 0.8V, what is
the output voltage ?
• Example. An amplifier has an open-circuit
voltage gain of 70 db and an output resistance
of 1.5 kΩ. Determine the minimum value of
load resistance so that voltage gain is not more
than 67db.
• Example. An amplifier has an open-circuit
voltage gain of 70 db and an output resistance
of 1.5 kΩ. Determine the minimum value of
load resistance so that voltage gain is not more
than 67db.