Feedback in Amplifiers

Four Amplifier Types Part 1

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Amplifier Types

Input and Output Impedance

Voltage Amplifier: Large Rin , Low Rout Transimpedance Amplifier: Low Rin , Low Rout Transconductance Amplifier: Large Rin , Large Rout Current Amplifier: Low Rin , Large Rout

Gain Units
Voltage Amplifier: [A]=V/V, []=V/V Transimpedance Amplifier: [A]=V/A, []=A/V Transconductance Amplifier: [A]=A/V, []=V/A Current Amplifier: [A]=A/A, []=A/A Loop Gain A is always unit-less.
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Amplifier Types Illustrated

CS amplifier can be used to implement simple voltage and transconductance amplifiers - (a) and (c). CG amplifier can be implemented simple transimpedance and current amplifiers (b) and (d).
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Improvements to Previous Examples of Amplifiers Types

Add Source Follower to decrease output resistance.

Improvements to Previous Examples of Amplifiers Types

Add CS (possibly with degeneration) to increase output resistance.

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Sense Mechanisms (at output)

To sense voltage connect in parallel (like using a voltmeter) Shunt feedback To sense current connect in series (like using an ammeter) Series feedback Practical ammeter: A small resistor RS we read voltage drop across resistor.
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Feedback Summation Mechanisms (at input)

Go back to Kirchhoffs basics: Current Addition: Create a node where input and feedback currents meet. Voltage Addition: Create a loop along which input and feedback voltages reside.
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Feedback Subtraction at input

Current Subtraction: Create a node where input and feedback currents meet. Let feedback current come at opposite polarity. Voltage Addition: Create a loop along which input and feedback voltages reside. Let feedback voltage come at opposite polarity.
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Examples: Feedback sensing and subtraction Mechanisms

(a): Voltage sensing: Use resistive or capacitive voltage divider.

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Examples: Feedback sensing and subtraction Mechanisms

(b) And (c): Current sensing: Place small resistor in series with wire carrying the current of interest. Use 12 voltage across this resistor.

Examples: Feedback sensing and subtraction Mechanisms

(d) Voltage subtraction: Can use a differential amplifier.

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Examples: Feedback sensing and subtraction Mechanisms

(e) and (f) Voltage Subtraction: Single transistor implementation. ID depends on VGS = Vin - VF

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Examples: Feedback sensing and subtraction Mechanisms

Note: For voltage subtraction voltages need to be at two distinct nodes.

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Current subtraction mechanisms:

For current subtraction both input and feedback signals must be brought to the same node.

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Voltage-Voltage Amplifier Topology

Series at input

Shunt at output

Ideally, feedback network does not load the forward amplifier. Practically, we try that feedback networks input and output impedances be as shown above.

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Ideal Voltage-Voltage Gain Derivation

Series at input

Shunt at output

VF=Vout where is a fraction resulting from voltage division. Ve=Vin-VF if subtraction is implemented correctly. That is, if VF comes at the correct polarity. 18

Ideal Voltage-Voltage Gain Result

Series at input

Shunt at output

Vout=A0(Vin-Vout) neglecting loading effects. Result: Vout/Vin=A0/(1+A0) In practical computations we include feedback loading within A0.
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Voltage-Voltage Amplifier Topology

Series at input Implementation of using resistive voltage division.

Shunt at output

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Voltage-Voltage Amplifier Topology

Series at input

Shunt at output Implementation of subtraction using differential amplifying

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Ideal voltage-voltage Output Impedance Modification - Goal

Ideally we want that Vout be independent of load resistance RL. For that we want the closed-loop Rout to be as small as possible.
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Ideal voltage-voltage Output Impedance Modification Setup

Let Rout be the output resistance of the forward amplifier. Input command is set to zero when testing for the output resistance.
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Ideal Output Impedance Modification Computation

VX VM VX ( A0VX ) IX = = Rout Rout Rout VX = Rout,CL = IX 1 + A0

Assuming that no current goes to feedback

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Example: Differential Amplifier with Current Mirror Load and Capacitive Voltage Division Feedback

DC Bias of M2 is not shown. Calculate gain and output resistance at relatively low frequencies.
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Forward Gain Computation

At low frequencies capacitors dont load the amplifier. Therefore A0=gm1(ro2||ro4) Shown above: To see loading at output we kill the feedback by grounding the output node.
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Loop Gain Computation

VF= - Vt(C1/(C1+C2))gm1(ro2||ro4)
A0= (C1/(C1+C2))gm1(ro2||ro4)
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Closed-Loop Gain

Lets substitute A0 and A0 into the closed-loop gain formula: Vout/Vin=A0/(1+ A0)= =gm1(r02||ro4)/ [1+(C1/(C1+C2))gm1(ro2||ro4)] 1+(C2/C1)

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Closed-Loop Output Resistance

Recall: Open-loop Rout= ro2||ro4 Closed-loop Rout= (ro2||ro4) /(1+ A0)= =(r02||ro4)/ [1+(C1/(C1+C2))gm1(ro2||ro4)] [1+(C2/C1)](1/gm1) independent of ro2||ro4.
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