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DC and Small-Signal Components

Although v I (t ) can be any general funct on of t !e" #e # ll f nd that often" n real $t c and u$eful electron c c rcu t$" th $ n%ut can be deco!%o$ed nto two $e%arate co!%onent$&the DC component 'I " and the small-signal component v (t ) . I.(.)

v I (t ) = 'I + v (t )
*et+$ loo, at each of the$e co!%onent$ nd v duall-) . /he DC component 'I $ e0actl- #hat -ou #ould e0%ect& the 12 co!%onent of $ gnal v I (t ) 3 4ote th $ value $ not a funct on of t !e (other# $e t #ould not be 123) and therefore $ e0%re$$ed a$ a constant ( e.g." 'I = 12. 3 ' ). 5athe!at call-" th $ value $ the time-averaged value of v I (t ) ) 1 'I = vI (t ) dt / 0 #here / $ the time duration of $ gnal v I (t ) .
/

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. A$ the notat on nd cate$" the small-signal component v (t ) is a funct on of t !e3 5oreover" #e can $ee that th $ $ gnal $ an AC signal" that $" t$ t !e6averaged value $ zero3 I.(.) / 1 v (t ) dt = 0 / 0 /h $ $ gnal v (t ) $ referred to a$ the $!all6$ gnal co!%onent becau$e t magnitude $ generall- small for all t !e t. Q: 7o# $!all $ small88 A: /hat depends3 9o!et !e$ t # ll be ver- $!all (e.g." ! ll volt$)" other t !e$ not $!all at all&!ore on th $ later3 . /he total $ gnal v I (t ) $ the sum of the 12 and $!all $ gnal co!%onent$. /herefore" t $ neither a 12 nor an A2 $ gnal3 :a- attent on to the notation #e have u$ed here. ;e # ll u$e th $ notat on for the re!a nder of the cour$e3 . DC values are denoted a$ upper-case var able$ (e.g." 'I" I1" or '<). . Time-varying $ gnal$ are denoted a$ lower-case var able$ (e.g." v I (t )" v (t )" 2 (t ) ).

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. AC signals ( .e." =ero t !e average) are denoted # th lower-case subscripts (e.g." v (t )" vo (t )" c (t ) ). . 9 gnal$ that are not AC ( .e." the- have a non6=ero 12 co!%onent3) are denoted # th upper-case subscripts (e.g." v I (t)" v< (t )" 2 (t )" 'I ). 4ote #e $hould never u$e var able$ of the for! ' " Ie " 'b . 1o you $ee #h-88 Q: Q: Bou Bou$a$a-that that#e #e# #lllloften oftenffnd nd n%ut n%ut$$gnal$ gnal$# #th thtwo twoco!%onent$&a co!%onent$&a 12 12and and$!all6$ $!all6$gnal gnalco!%onent. co!%onent. #hy #hy $$that8 that8 ;hat ;hat $$the the$$gn gnffcance canceor or %h-$ %h-$cal calrea$on rea$onfor foreach eachco!%onent8 co!%onent8 A1: > r$t" the 12 co!%onent $ t-% call- ?u$t a 12 bias. It $ a nown value" $elected and deter! ned b- the de$ gn eng neer. It carr e$ or relate$ no nfor!at on&the onlrea$on t e0 $t$ $ to !a,e the electron c dev ce$ #or, the #a- #e #ant the! too (e.g. to b a$ a @A/ to the active !ode)3 A!: 2onver$el-" the $!all $ gnal co!%onent $ t-% callun nown3 It $ the $ gnal that #e are atte!%t ng to process n $o!e !anner (e.g." a!%l f-" f lter" ntegrate). /he $ gnal t$elf re%re$ent$ in"ormation $uch a$ aud o" v deo" or data.

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9o!et !e$" ho#ever" th $ $!all" A2" un,no#n $ gnal re%re$ent$ not nfor!at on" but no $e3 4o $e $ a random" un,no#n $ gnal that n fact !a$,$ and corrupts nfor!at on. <ur ?ob a$ de$ gner$ $ to suppress t" or other# $e ! n ! =e t deleter ou$ effect$. 4ote that n add t on to (or %erha%$ becau$e of) the n%ut $ gnal v I (t ) hav ng both a 12 b a$ and $!all6$ gnal co!%onent" all the currents and voltages (e.g." 2 (t )" v( (t ) ) # th n our c rcu t$ # ll l ,e# $e have both a 12 b a$ and $!all6$ gnal co!%onent3 >or e0a!%le" the emitter voltage of a @A/ c rcu t ! ght have the for!) v( (t ) = 3. 5 + 0. 01 co$t It $ ho%efull- ev dent that)

'( =
v(
3.5

ve (t ) =

0.0

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Aga n" the DC bias ter!$ n all voltage and current$ are necessary" but of little ntere$t to u$ #hen evaluat ng a!%l f er %erfor!ance3 Q: Q: A!%l A!%lffer er per"ormance 8 per"ormance 8;hat ;hat $%ec $%ecffcallcall-do do-ou -ou !ean !eanbb-a!%l a!%lffer er %erfor!ance8 %erfor!ance8 A: ;e are ntere$ted n the three values that character =e an a!%l f er&Avo" C " and Co. 7o#ever" #e are ntere$ted n deter! n ng the small-signal o%en6c rcu t voltage" the small-signal n%ut re$ $tance and the small-signal out%ut re$ $tance. I.(.)

vI (t ) = 'I + v (t )
I

v< (t ) = '< + vo (t )

(t ) = II + (t )

/hu$ the small-signal" o%en c rcu t voltage ga n of an a!%l f er $ def ned a$)

A vo =

vo (t ) v (t )

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* ,e# $e" the small-signal n%ut re$ $tance $ def ned a$)

C =

v (t ) (t )

and the small-signal out%ut re$ $tance $)

Co =

voc (t ) $c (t )
$c

#here voc $ the small-signal o%en6c rcu t out%ut voltage" and $ the small-signal $hort6c rcu t out%ut current.