CIRCUITS AND

6.002 ELECTRONICS

Op Amps Positive Feedback

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Negative vs Positive Feedback
Consider this circuit — negative feedback
vIN
R1 R2
–
vIN + R1
– + R2
+ vOUT = − vIN
– R1

and this — positive feedback s is

a ly age
an t p
e x
R2 se ne
+ on
vIN + R1
– + R2
–
“
–
vOUT = − vIN ”
R1

What’s the difference?

Consider what happens when there is a pertubation…

Positive feedback drives op amp into saturation:
vOUT → ±VS
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Static Analysis of Positive Feedback Ckt
R2

R1
+ vOUT
v IN +
– –

v + R2 vOUT
R1
v IN +
– v − +
– A(v + − v − )

vOUT = A(v + − v − )
= Av +

⎡ v − vIN ⎤
= A⎢ OUT ⋅ R1 + vIN ⎥
⎣ R1 + R2 ⎦
AR1 AR1vIN
= vOUT − + AvIN
R1 + R2 R1 + R2

⎡ AR1 ⎤ ⎡ R1 ⎤
vOUT ⎢1 − = v A 1 −
⎥ IN ⎢ R + R ⎥
⎣ R1 + R2 ⎦ ⎣ 1 2⎦

⎡1 − R1 ⎤
⎢ R +R ⎥ R
vOUT =⎢ 1 2
⎥ ⋅ AvIN = − 2 vIN
⎢ − AR1 ⎥ R1
⎢⎣ R1 + R2 ⎥⎦
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Representing dynamics of op amp…

v+ +
vo
R v* +
+
– C – Av*
(v + − v − )
v− –

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Representing dynamics of op amp…
Consider this circuit and let’s analyze its
dynamics to build insight.
R1 R2

+
vo
–

R3 R4
vo
Circuit model R2 A

R1 +
v+ +
R v* +
+
– C – vo
v− (v + − v − ) –
–

R3 R4

Let’s develop equation representing time

behavior of vo .
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Dynamics of op amp…
vo
vo = Av *
or v = *

A
dv* *
RC + v = v+ − v_
dt vo R1 +
v+ = = γ vo
RC dvo vo R1 + R2
+ = v+ − v_
vo R3
=−
A dt A −
v = γ vo
+ R3 + R4
= ( γ − −γ ) vo

neglect
dvo ⎡ 1 A − + ⎤
or +
⎢
+ ( γ − γ ) vo = 0
⎥⎦
dt ⎣ RC RC
dvo A − +
+ ( γ − γ ) vo = 0
dt RC
time −1
dvo vo RC
or + = 0 where T = − +
dt T A( γ − γ )
vo ( 0 ) = 0
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Consider a small disturbance to vo
(noise).
− + T is positive
if γ > γ
t
−
vo = K e T
stable
+
if γ > γ− T is negative
t
T
vo = K e unstable
+ −
if γ = γ T is very large
vo = K neutral
vo
unstable

K neutral

stable
t
disturbance

Now, let’s build some useful circuits with

positive feedback.
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 One use for instability: Build on the
basic op amp as a comparator
+ VS

v+ + vo
−
v –

− VS
vo
+ VS

v+ − v−
0

− VS

vo
+
−
v →0 v
t

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Now, use positive feedback

vi –
vo
+ R2

+ vo R1
v = R1
R1 + R2

e.g. R1 = R2
+
v = 7.5 vo = 15
vi VS = 15

( vi = v − ) > 7.5 v− < v+

v − > 7.5 v − < −7.5

vo = −15 v − = −7.5

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Now, use positive feedback

vi –
vo
+ R2

+ vo R1
v = R1
R1 + R2

+ VS R1 e.g. R1 = R2
v = vo = +VS 15
R1 + R2 vi VS = 15

( vi = v − ) > v + v− < v+
v − > 7.5 v − < −7.5
− VS R1
vo = −VS − 15 v − =
R1 + R2
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 vo
15
VS

hysteresis

vi
− 7 .5 0 7 .5

Demo − VS
− 15

Why is hysteresis useful?

vi e.g., analog
v o to digital
7.5
t
− 7.5

Demo

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Without hysteresis

vi analog
vo to digital
vi
7.5
t
− 7 .5

Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Oscillator — can create a clock
R

vC
–
vo
C + R1

vo
R1
2
vo
VS
VS v+
2 v−
vC
−
t
v
VS
−
2 v+
− VS

Demo Assume vo = VS at t = 0
vC = 0
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
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6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21

 Clocks in Digital Systems
„ We built an oscillator using an op amp.

t
can use as a clock

„ Why do we use a clock in a digital system?

(See page 735 of A & L)
1 1 0
sender receiver

clock

a 1,1,0?
b When is the signal valid?
common timebase -- when to “look” at a signal
(e.g. whenever the clock is high)

Æ Discretization of time
one bit of information associated with
an interval of time (cycle)
Cite as: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang, course materials for 6.002 Circuits and Electronics, Spring 2007. MIT
OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu/), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Downloaded on [DD Month YYYY].

6.002 Fall 2000 Lecture 21