c Copyright 2010. W. Marshall Leach, Jr.

, Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of

°
Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The BJT Differential Amplifier

Basic Circuit
Figure 1 shows the circuit diagram of a differential amplifier. The tail supply is modeled as a current
source IQ . The object is to solve for the small-signal output voltages and output resistances. It
will be assumed that the transistors are identical.

Figure 1: Circuit diagram of the differential amplifier.

DC Solution
Zero both base inputs. For identical transistors, the current IQ divides equally between the two
emitters.
(a) The dc currents are given by

IQ αIQ
IE1 = IE2 = IC1 = IC2 =
2 2
(b) Verify that VCB > 0 for the active mode.
µ ¶
¡ + ¢ IE IE
VCB = VC − VB = V − αIE RC − − RB = V + − αIE RC + RB
1+β 1+β

(e) Calculate the collector-emitter voltage.

VCE = VC − VE = VC − (VB − VBE ) = VCB + VBE

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Small-Signal AC Solution using the Emitter Equivalent Circuit
This solution uses the r0 approximations.
(a) Calculate gm , rπ , re , and re0 .

αIE (1 + β) VT VT RB + rx VA + VCE
gm = rπ = re = re0 = + re r0 =
VT IE IE 1+β αIE

(b) Redraw the circuit with V + = V − = 0. Replace the two BJTs with the emitter equivalent
circuit. The emitter part of the circuit obtained is shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 2: Emitter equivalent circuit using the r0 approximations.

(c) Using Ohm’s Law, solve for i0e1 and i0e2 .

vi1 − vi2
i0e1 = i0e2 = −i0e1
2 (re0 + RE )

(d) The circuit for vo1 , vo2 , rout1 , and rout2 is shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 3: Circuits for calculating vo1 , vo2 , rout1 , and rout2 .

−αric kRC
vo1 = −i0c1 ric kRC = −αi0e1 ric kRC = (vi1 − vi2 )
2 (re0 + RE )

−αric kRC
vo2 = −i0c2 ric kRC = −αi0e1 ric kRC = (vi2 − vi1 )
2 (re0 + RE )
rout1 = rout2 = ric kRC
r0 + re0 kRte
ric = Rte = 2RE + re0
αRte
1− 0
re + Rte

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 (e) The resistance seen looking into the vi1 (vi2 ) input with vi2 = 0 (vi1 = 0) is

rin = RB + rx + rπ + (1 + β) Rte
µ ¶
RB + rx
= RB + rx + (1 + β) 2RE + + re
1+β
= 2 [RB + rx + rπ + (1 + β) RE ]
¡ ¢
= 2 RB + rπ0

where rπ = (1 + β) re has been used and

rπ0 = rx + rπ + (1 + β) RE

Figure 4: Base equivalent circuit for calculating ib1 and ib2 .

The differential input resistance rid is the resistance seen between the two inputs when vi1 =
vid /2 and vi2 = −vid /2, where vid is the differential input voltage. It can be seen from the figure
that it is given by rid = 2 (RB + rπ0 ).

The Diff Amp with an Active Load

Figure 5 shows a BJT diff amp with an active load formed by a current mirror with base current
compensation. The object is to solve for the open-circuit output voltage voc , the short-circuit
output current isc , and the output resistance rout . By Thévenin’s theorem, these are related by the
equation voc = isc rout . It will be assumed that the current mirror consisting of transistors Q3 − Q5
is perfect so that its output current is equal to its input current, i.e. ic4 = ic1 . In addition, the r0
approximations will be used in solving for the currents. That is, the Early effect will be neglected
except in solving for rout . For the bias solution, it will be assumed that the tail current IQ splits
equally between Q1 and Q2 so that IE1 = IE2 = IQ /2.
Because the tail supply is assumed to be a current source, the common-mode gain of the circuit is
zero when the r0 approximations are used. In this case, it can be assumed that the two input signals
are pure differential signals that can be written vi1 = vid /2 and vi2 = −vid /2. For differential input
signals, it follows by symmetry that the signal voltage is zero at the node above the tail current
supply IQ . Following the analysis above, the small-signal collector currents in Q1 and Q2 are given
by
α vid α vid
i0c1 = 0 i0c2 = − 0
re + RE 2 re + RE 2
where
RB + rx
re0 = + re
1+β
The short-circuit output current is given by

isc = i0c4 − i0c2

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 Figure 5: Diff amp with active current-mirror load.

With i0c4 = i0c3 = i0c1 and i0c2 = −i0c1 , this becomes

α α
isc = 2i0c1 = vid = 0 (vi1 − vi2 )
re0 + RE re + RE

The output resistance is given by

rout = r04 kric2
where ric2 is given by

r0 + re0 kRte2
ric2 = Rte2 = 2RE + rie1 = 2RE + re0
αRte2
1− 0
re + Rte2

By Thévenin’s theorem, the small-signal open-circuit output voltage is given by

α × r04 kric2
voc = isc rout = (vi1 − vi2 )
re0 + RE

Example 1 For IQ = 2 mA, RB = 100 Ω, RE = 51 Ω, V + = 15 V, V − = −15 V, VT = 0.025 V,

rx = 50 Ω, β = 99, α = 0.99 VBE1 = VBE2 = 0.65 V, VEB3 = VEB4 = VEB5 = 0.65 V, VC2 = VC4 =
13.7 V, and VA = 50 V, calculate isc , rout , and voc .

Solution.
2VT 0 0 RB + rx
re1 = re2 = = 25 Ω re1 = re2 = + re = 26.5 Ω
IQ 1+β
α
Rte2 = 2RE + rie1 = 2RE + re0 = 128.5 Ω isc = 0 (vi1 − vi2 ) = 0.0128 (vi1 − vi2 )
re + RE

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 VA + (VC2 + VBE ) r02 + re0 kRte2
r02 = = 65 kΩ ric2 = = 362.7 kΩ
αIQ /2 αRte2
1− 0
re + Rte2
VA + (V + − VC4 )
r04 = = 51.82 kΩ rout = r04 kric2 = 45.34 kΩ
IQ
voc = isc rout = 579.2 (vi1 − vi2 )
This is a dB gain of 55.3 dB.

Diff Amp with Non-Perfect Tail Supply

Fig. 6 shows the circuit diagram of a differential amplifier. The tail supply is modeled as a current
source IQ0 having a parallel resistance R . In the case of an ideal current source, R is an open
Q Q
0 = 0. The solutions
circuit. Often a diff amp is designed with a resistive tail supply. In this case, IQ
below are valid for each of these connections. The object is to solve for the small-signal output
voltages and output resistances.

Figure 6: BJT Differential amplifier.

DC Solutions
This solution assumes that IQ 0 is known. If I is known, the solutions are the same as above.
Q
(a) Zero both inputs. Divide the tail supply into two equal parallel current sources having a
current IQ0 /2 in parallel with a resistor 2R . The circuit obtained for Q is shown on the left in
Q 1
Fig. 7. The circuit for Q2 is identical. Now make a Thévenin equivalent as shown in on the right
in Fig. 7. This is the basic bias circuit.

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 Figure 7: DC bias circuits for Q1 .

(b) Make an “educated guess” for VBE . Write the loop equation between the ground node to
the left of RB and V − . To solve for IE , this equation is
¡ ¢ IE
0 − V − − IQ
0
RQ = RB + VBE + IE (RE + 2RQ )
1+β

(c) Solve the loop equation for the currents.

IC −V − + IQ 0 R −V
Q BE
IE = = (1 + β) IB =
α RB / (1 + β) + RE + 2RQ

(d) Verify that VCB > 0 for the active mode.

µ ¶
¡ + ¢ IE IE
VCB = VC − VB = V − αIE RC − − RB = V + − αIE RC + RB
1+β 1+β

(e) Calculate the collector-emitter voltage.

VCE = VC − VE = VC − (VB − VBE ) = VCB + VBE

0 /2. If I 0 = 0, the currents are given by
(f) If RQ = ∞, it follows that IE1 = IE2 = IQ Q

IC −V − − VBE
IE = = (1 + β) IB =
α RB / (1 + β) + RE + 2RQ

Small-Signal or AC Solutions
Emitter Equivalent Circuit
This solution uses the r0 approximations.

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 (a) Calculate gm , rπ , re , and re0 .
αIE (1 + β) VT VT RB + rx VA + VCE
gm = rπ = re = re0 = + re r0 =
VT IE IE 1+β αIE
(b) Redraw the circuit with V + = V − = 0 and IQ 0 = 0. Replace the two BJTs with the emitter

equivalent circuit. The emitter part of the circuit obtained is shown in 8.

Figure 8: Emitter equivalent circuit for the simplified T model..

(c) Using superposition, Ohm’s Law, and current division, solve for i0e1 and i0e2 .
vi1 vi2 RQ
i0e1 = − 0
re0 + RE + RQ k (re + RE ) re + RE + RQ k (re + RE ) RQ + re0 + RE
0 0

vi2 vi1 RQ
i0e2 = −
re0 + RE + RQ k (re0 + RE ) re0 + RE + RQ k (re0 + RE ) RQ + re0 + RE
For RQ = ∞, these become
vi1 − vi2 vi2 − vi1
i0e1 = i0e2 =
2 (re0 + RE ) 2 (re0 + RE )
(d) The circuit for vo1 , vo2 , rout1 , and rout2 is shown in Fig. 9.

Figure 9: Circuits for calculating vo1 , vo2 , rout1 , and rout2 .

µ ¶
−αric kRC RQ
vo1 = −i0c1 ric kRC = −αi0e1 ric kRC = 0 vi1 − vi2
re + RE + RQ k (re0 + RE ) RQ + re0 + RE
µ ¶
−αric kRC RQ
vo2 = −i0c2 ric kRC = −αi0e1 ric kRC = 0 vi2 − vi1
re + RE + RQ k (re0 + RE ) RQ + re0 + RE

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 rout1 = rout2 = ric kRC
r0 + re0 kRte ¡ ¢
ric = Rte = RE + RQ k re0 + RE
αRte
1− 0
re + Rte
(e) The resistance seen looking into the vi1 (vi2 ) input with vi2 = 0 (vi1 = 0) is

rib = RB + rx + rπ + (1 + β) Rte

(f) Special case for RQ = ∞.

−αric kRC −αric kRC

vo1 = (vi1 − vi2 ) vo2 = (vi2 − vi1 )
2 (re0 + RE ) 2 (re0 + RE )

(g) The equivalent circuit seen looking into the two inputs is similar to that in Fig. 4 with the
exception that a resistor representing the effect of RQ must be added. It is shown in Fig. 10. The
resistors labeled rπ0 have the same value as the ones in Fig. 4. They are given by

rπ0 = rx + rπ + (1 + β) RE

Figure 10: Equivalent circuits for calculating ib1 and ib2 .

The differential input resistance rid is defined the same way that it is defined for Fig. 4. That
is, it is the resistance seen between the two inputs when vi1 = vid /2 and vi2 = −vid /2, where vid is
the differential input voltage. In this case, the small-signal voltage at the upper node of the resistor
(1 + β) RQ is zero so that no current flows it. It follows that rid is given by rid = 2 (RB + rπ0 ).

Hybrid-π Model
This solution assumes that r0 = ∞. Replace the two transistors with the hybrid-π model as shown
in Fig. 11.
(a) Write the loop equations for the two input loops. Use the relations vπ1 = i0c1 /gm and
vπ2 = i0c2 /gm . µ 0 ¶
i0c1 i0c1 i0c1 ic1 i0c2
vi1 = (RB + rx ) + + RE + + RQ
β gm α α α
µ 0 ¶
i0c2 i0c2 i0c2 ic1 i0c2
vi2 = (RB + rx ) + + RE + + RQ
β gm α α α
These equations are in the form
vi1 = (A + B) i0c1 + Bi0c2

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 Figure 11: Hybrid-π model (r0 = ∞).

vi2 = Bi0c1 + (A + B) i0c2

where
RB + rx 1 RE RQ
A= + + B=
β gm α α
(b) Use determinants to solve the two equations simultaneously for i0c1 and i0c2 .
(A + B) vi1 − Bvi2 (A + B) vi1 − Bvi2
i0c1 = 2 =
(A + B) − B 2 A (A + 2B)
(A + B) vi2 − Bvi1 (A + B) vi2 − Bvi1
i0c2 = 2 =
(A + B) − B 2 A (A + 2B)
Thus the solutions are
µ ¶
RB + rx 1 RE RQ RQ
+ + + vi1 − vi2
0 β gm α α α
ic1 = µ ¶ µ ¶
RB + rx 1 RE RB + rx 1 RE 2RQ
+ + + + +
β gm α β gm α α
µ ¶
RB + rx 1 RE RQ RQ
+ + + vi2 − vi1
0 β gm α α α
ic1 = µ ¶ µ ¶
RB + rx 1 RE RB + rx 1 RE 2RQ
+ + + + +
β gm α β gm α α
After some algebra, the solutions reduce to those obtained with the emitter equivalent circuit.
The output voltages are given by
vo1 = −i0c1 RC vo2 = −i0c2 RC
For the case of a finite r0 , the r0 approximation replaces RC with ric kRC .

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Differential and Common-Mode Gains
This solution uses the r0 approximations.
(a) Define the common-mode and differential input voltages as follows:
vi1 + vi2
vid = vi1 − vi2 vicm =
2
With these definitions, vi1 and vi2 can be written
vid vid
vi1 = vicm + vi2 = vicm −
2 2
By linearity, it follows that superposition of vicm and vid can be used to solve for the currents and
voltages.
(b) Redraw the emitter equivalent circuit as shown in Fig. 12.

Figure 12: Emitter equivalent circuit for calculating the common-mode and differential emitter
currents.

(c) For vi1 = vid /2 and vi2 = −vid /2, it follows by superposition that va = 0 and

vid /2 −vid /2
i0e1 = i0e2 =
re0 + RE re0 + RE
µ ¶
−αric kRC vid −αric kRC vi1 − vi2
vo1 = −αi0e1 ric kRC = 0 = 0
re + RE 2 re + RE 2
µ ¶
+αric kRC vid +αric kRC vi1 − vi2
vo2 = −αi0e2 ric kRC = 0 = 0
re + RE 2 re + RE 2
The differential voltage gain is given by

vo1 vo2 1 αric kRC

Ad = =− =− 0
vid vid 2 re + RE

(d) For vi1 = vi2 = vicm , it follows by superposition that ia = 0 and

vicm vicm
i0e1 = i0e2 =
re0 + RE + 2RQ re0 + RE + 2RQ
µ ¶
−αric kRC −αric kRC vi1 + vi2
vo1 = −αi0e1 ric kRC = 0 vicm = 0
re + RE + 2RQ re + RE + 2RQ 2

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 µ ¶
−αric kRC −αric kRC vi1 + vi2
vo2 = −αi0e2 ric kRC = 0 vicm = 0
re + RE + 2RQ re + RE + 2RQ 2
The common-mode voltage gain is given by

vo1 vo2 αric kRC

Acm = = =− 0
vicm vicm re + RE + 2RQ

(e) If the output is taken from the collector of Q1 or Q2 , the common-mode rejection ratio is
given by ¯ ¯ ¯ ¯
¯ vo1 /vid ¯ ¯ vo2 /vid ¯ 1 re0 + RE + 2RQ 1 RQ
CM RR = ¯¯ ¯=¯
¯ ¯
¯=
¯ 0
= + 0
vo1 /vicm vo2 /vicm 2 re + RE 2 re + RE
This can be expressed in dB.
µ ¶
1 RQ
CM RRdB = 20 log + 0
2 re + RE

Example 2 For IQ 0 = 2 mA, R = 50 kΩ, R = 1 kΩ, R = 100 Ω, R = 10 kΩ, V + = 20 V,

Q B E C
−
V = −20 V, VT = 0.025 V, rx = 20 Ω, β = 99, VBE = 0.65 V, and VA = 50 V, calculate vo1 , vo2 ,
vod , rout , and CM RR.

Solution. ³ ´
0 − V − − IQ
0 R
Q − VBE
IE = = 1.192 mA
RB / (1 + β) + RE + 2RQ
µ ¶
¡ + ¢ IE
VCB = VC − VB = V − αIE RC − − RB = 8.209 V
1+β
αIE (1 + β) VT
gm = = 0.0472 S rπ = = 2.097 kΩ
VT IE
VT RB + rx
re = = 20.97 Ω re0 = + re = 31.17 Ω
IE 1+β
VA + VCE ¡ ¢
r0 = = 49.869 kΩ Rte = RE + RQ k re0 + RE = 230.83 Ω
IC
r0 + re0 kRte
ric = = 390.5 kΩ
αRte
1− 0
re + Rte
µ ¶
−αric kRC RQ
vo1 = 0 vi1 − vi2 = −36.84vi1 + 36.75vi2
re + RE + RQ k (re0 + RE ) RQ + re0 + RE
vo2 = −36.84vi2 + 36.75vi1
rout = ric kRC = 9.75 kΩ
1 αric kRC
Avd = − = −36.80
2 re0 + RE
−αric kRC
Avcm = = −0.0964
re0
+ RE + 2RQ
¯ ¯
¯ Avd ¯
CM RRdB = 20 log ¯¯ ¯ = 51.63 dB
Avcm ¯

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