Chapter 1: Frequency response of RC-coupled amplifiers

1.1 Low frequency response of BJT amplifier

Equivalent circuit
.26mV
h ie 
I CQ

Fig.1.1: CE configuration
RE >> R1//R2 (e.g. RE = 10R1//R2),
VCC/(R1+R2) >> iB Midband equivalent circuit

Low frequency equivalent circuit

Influence of CB and CC Low frequency equivalent circuit
Influence of CE

1.2 High frequency response of BJT amplifier

Miller effect
ZC I
Vi = Vo + ZCI = ViAV + ZCI  Vi =
1  AV
ZC 1
 Zi = =
1  AV jC(1  A V )
V
Vo = Vi - ZCI = o + ZCI
Capacitances that affect the high-frequency AV
response are ZC I I
- Junction capacitances: Cbe, Cbc, Cce  Vo = =
1 1
- Wiring capacitances: Cwi, Cwo 1 jC(1  )
AV AV
 1 1
ω LB  , ω LC 
R i  (R 1//R 2 //h ie )C B (R C  R L )CC
1
ω LE 
  h  (R i //R 1 //R 2 )  
 R E //  ie  C E
  
  h fe 
1
ω HB 
R i //R 1 //R 2 //h ie C be  (1  A V )C bc 
1
ω HC 
 1 
(R C  R L ) C ce  (1  )C bc 
 AV 

1.3 Low frequency response of FET amplifier

Equivalent circuit of
JFET

I D
2 gm 
 V 
ID  IDSS1  GS 
VGS
 VP 
2I DSS  VGS 
gm   1  
VP  VP 

1.4 High frequency response of FET amplifier

1 1
ω LG  , ωLD 
(R i  R G )CG (R D //rd )  R L CD
1
ω LS 
1
(R S // )CS
gm
1
ω HG 
(R i //R G )C gs  (1  A V )C gd 
1
ω HD 
 1 
(R D //r d //R L ) C ds  (1  )C gd 
 AV 
1.5 Experimental determination of frequency response of amplifier
If the response of an amplifier to an applied square wave is an undistorted replica of the input, the
frequency response (or BW) of the amplifier is obviously sufficient for the applied frequency. If
the response is as shown in Fig.a, the low frequencies are not being amplified properly and the low
cutoff frequency has to be investigated. If the waveform has the appearance of Fig.b, the high-
frequency components are not receiving sufficient amplification and the high cutoff frequency (or
BW) has to be reviewed.

Fig.a Fig.b Fig.c

The actual high cutoff frequency can be determined by measuring the rise time tr defined between
10% and 90% of the peak value (Fig.c)
0.35
fH =
tr
The low cutoff frequency can be determined by measuring the tilt of the output response (Fig.c)
pf V  V'
fL = S where p is the tilt defined as p = ,
 V
and fS is the frequency of the square wave.

Since fH >> fL, the bandwidth BW = fH – fL  fH.

Problem
1) Determine the midband gain Ao, the input impedance Zi and the cut-off frequencies of the
amplifiers in Fig.P1.1- P1.6. Sketch the frequency response of the amplifiers.

Fig.P1.1: R1 = 68k, R2 = 10k, RC = 5.6k Fig.P1.2: RB = 470k, RC = 3k, RE = 0.91k,

RE = 1.2k, RL = 3.3k, Ri = 820, VCC = 14V RL = 4.7k, Ri = 0.6k, VCC = 20V
CE = 20F, CB = 0.47F, CC = 0.47F,  = 120 CE = 6.8F, CB = 1F, CC = 1F,  = 100
 Fig.P1.3 RC = 3.3k, RE = 1.2k, RL = 4.7k, Fig.P1.4: R1 = 120k, R2 = fdk, RE = 2.2k,
Ri = 100, VEE = 4V, VCC = -16V, RL = 8.2k, Ri = 1k, VCC = 14V,
CE = 10F, CC = 10F,  = 100 CE = 0.1F, CB = 0.1F,  = 100

Fig.P1.6: RD = 3.9k, R1 = 220k, R2 = 68k,

Fig.P1.5: RD = 3k, RG = 1M, RS = 1.2k,
RS = 2.2k, RL = 5.6k, Ri = 1.5k, VDD = 20V,
RL = 3.9k, Ri = 1k, VDD = 18V, Rd = 25k,
Rd = 50k, CG = 1F, CD = 6.8F, CS = 10F
CG = 0.1F, CD = 4.7F, CS = 10F

2) The application of a 10-mV, 100-kHz square wave to an amplifier resulted in the output waveform
of Fig. P1.7.
a. Write the Fourier series expansion for the square wave through the ninth harmonic.
b. Determine the bandwidth of the amplifier to the accuracy available by the waveform of Fig.
P1.7.
c. Calculate the low cutoff frequency.

Fig. P1.7