ECE 3110: Engineering Electronics II Fall 2008

Laboratory 4: Feedback and Compensation

To be performed during Week 9 (Oct. 20-24) and Week 10 (Oct. 27-31)
Due Week 11 (Nov. 3-7)

1 Pre-Lab
This Pre-Lab should be completed before attending your regular lab section. The Lab TA
will need to see your completed Pre-Lab and check it off at the start of the lab session
before you can begin taking your measurements.
Read Sections 8.1, 8.8.1, 8.10, 8.11.1, and 8.11.2 in the text, which cover feedback,
stability, and frequency compensation. This lab will demonstrate the effect of negative
feedback on amplifier performance, and demonstrate one method of frequency compensa-
tion. The first part of the lab involves the construction and characterization of an open-loop
amplifier whose poles are accurately set by discrete resistors and capacitors. In the second
part we will close a feedback loop around the amplifier and measure its effect on amplifier
performance, and in the third part we will use dominant pole compensation to stabilize the
feedback system.
In a “practical” amplifier, the high-frequency poles and zeros result from the internal
capacitances of the transistors. These poles occur at frequencies too high to be measured
using a breadboard (the poles of the breadboard wiring appear at lower frequencies than
the amplifier poles). To avoid this problem, the “high-frequency” poles of the amplifier
we will build are deliberately and accurately set to relatively low frequencies by external
resistors and capacitors. The open-loop amplifier is shown in Fig. 1
1. Calculate the low frequency gain for this circuit (Hint: open circuit all capacitors and
consider each of the three gain stages in isolation).
2. Estimate the 3-dB cutoff frequency for this circuit using the method of Open Circuit
Time Constants (Hint: op-amp outputs are considered grounds in the OCTC analysis,
as are op-amp inputs that are driven to be virtual grounds by feedback).

Figure 1: Open-loop amplifier schematic.

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Figure 2: Open-loop amplifier schematic for spice simulations.

3. From the relative sizes of the time constants associated with each capacitor, which
capacitor do you expect to contribute the dominant pole (in other words, which
capacitor should we focus on for our frequency compensation efforts)?

2 Simulations
Create a .cir file for the circuit shown in Fig. 2 (this is the same circuit as shown in Fig.
1 but with node numbering added). Note the configuration of the input terminals of the
third opamp (its terminals are flipped with respect to the other opamps). The spice model
for the 741 opamp is available on the class website. Number your nodes as indicated to
maintain consistency with the rest of the class, and to make it easier to help you if you
have questions.
The circuit in Fig. 2 models an op-amp with multiple gain stages, where vin is the
negative input, and the positive input is implicitly grounded. This circuit has a high input
resistance, low output resistance, and reasonably high gain. The capacitors C1 - C3 limit the
high-frequency response of this amplifier, playing the role that internal transistor parasitic
capacitances play in actual IC (integrated circuit) op-amps.

2.1 Open-Loop
1. Run an AC simulation of the open loop amplifier (A(s)) in Fig. 2 and plot the
magnitude and phase response. Save the data points for the magnitude and phase so
they can be plotted in Matlab along with the measured data.

2. Using this bode plot, we can predict the stability of different closed-loop configura-
tions. For a feedback factor of β = 3.3/4.3, determine whether or not you expect
the closed-loop system to be stable, and if so, record the phase margin. Note: In
this amplifier the inversion (180◦ phase shift) is built into A(s), so you need to check
where the magnitude crosses 20 log(1/β) and the phase margin will be how far above
0◦ the phase is at that frequency.

3. Repeat the previous step for a feedback factor of β = 1/16.

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Figure 3: Closed-loop amplifier schematic for spice simulations.

2.2 Closed-Loop
We will now close a feedback loop around the amplifier and run transient simulations to
validate our stability predictions from the open-loop simulations. Save a new spice file with
a feedback network connected around the amplifier, as shown in Fig. 3 (save the open-loop
spice file, as we will use this again for compensation). The triangular block represents the
entire 3-stage amplifier of Fig. 2 (our “op-amp”) with the corresponding nodes labeled.
This feedback configuration corresponds to the familiar “inverting amplifier”,
with the closed loop gain given by ACL ≈ Rb /Ra (assuming that A(s)β >> 1) and
the feedback factor given by β = RaR+R a
b
.
1. In your new spice file for the closed loop amplifier, let Ra = 1 kΩ and Rb = 3.3 kΩ
to implement a feedback factor of β = 3.3/4.3. Ground the input (remove the vin
source in Fig. 2 and connect the positive input of the first opamp to node 0 (ground)
instead of node 1)and run a transient simulation with a length of 1 ms. Plot the
output voltage and observe whether or not the feedback amplifier oscillates.
2. Change the spice file to let Ra = 1 kΩ and Rb = 15 kΩ to implement a feedback factor
of β = 1/16. Re-run the transient simulation (again with a length of 1 ms) and plot
the output voltage (retain this plot for your lab report). Observe whether or not the
feedback amplifier oscillates, keeping in mind that any non-periodic disturbance that
you observe are probably just numeric artifacts.
3. With the same feedback factor of β = 1/16, change the spice file to have a 0.1 V, 100
Hz square wave at the input and plot the output for two periods, observing whether
any ringing is present in the output signal. Record the rise and fall times, and the
amount of overshoot. Save this data to plot in Matlab.

2.3 Compensation
We will now compensate the second version of the amplifier (with Ra = 1 kΩ, Rb = 15 kΩ)
to increase its stability (and thereby reduce the ringing effects observed in the transient

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simulation). We will do this using dominant pole compensation, as described in pp. 848-
851 of the text.

1. Re-run the AC simulation for the open-loop amplifier and plot the magnitude and
phase responses, adjusting the value of C2 (the dominant pole in the amplifier) until
the amplifier has a phase margin of about 70◦ . Record the final value of C2 .
2. Now re-run the transient simulation (with the 0.1 V, 100 Hz square wave input) for
the closed-loop amplifier with the new value of C2 , and observe whether or not there
is any ringing present. Save this data to plot in Matlab. Record the rise and fall times
and overshoot of the output waveform.

3 Measurements
Build the amplifier shown in Fig. 1. Note the configuration of the input terminals of the
third opamp (its terminals are flipped with respect to the other opamps). Use resistors and
capacitors within 10% of the values shown in Fig. 1 (only change the value if the specified
resistor value is not available). Record any component values that you end up changing for
later use in calculations. You may use any general purpose opamp. Power supplies should
be ±10 V, as shown in Fig. 1.

3.1 Open-Loop
Connect the signal generator to the input of the open-loop amplifier, and connect the
oscilloscope to observe both the input and output waveforms of the amplifier. The low
frequency voltage gain of this amplifier is about 100 and the ±10 V power supplies limit
the output voltage to a range less than ±10 V, so the input voltage must be less than 100
mV to prevent distortion. Perform the following measurements:

1. Set the signal generator to output a sinusoid, and measure both the gain and phase vs.
frequency of your amplifier over a frequency range from 100 Hz to 20 kHz, recording
5-10 data points per decade. To measure the phase, compare the delay of the output
signal to the input signal, keeping in mind that one period is 360◦ . Remember that
this is an inverting amplifier, so the low frequency phase shift will be 180◦ , not 0◦ as
you might expect.

3.2 Closed-Loop
1. Connect the feedback network around the amplifier, as shown in Fig. 3, with Ra = 1
kΩ and Rb = 3.3 kΩ. Disconnect the signal generator from your circuit, and ground
the input (the vi end of Ra in Fig. 3). Connect the oscilloscope to the output and
observe the signal (if any) that is present there. Does the circuit oscillate?
2. Now change Rb to 15 kΩ, and again observe the signal at the output (with the input
still grounded). Does the circuit oscillate?

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3. With Rb still set at 15 kΩ, connect the signal generator to the input (remember to
remove the connection to ground) and apply a 0.1 V, 100 Hz square wave to the
circuit. Is there any ringing in the output signal? Record the rise and fall times and
amount of overshoot of the output signal.

3.3 Compensation
We will now compensate the second version of the amplifier (with Ra = 1 kΩ, Rb = 15 kΩ)
to increase its stability (and thereby reduce the ringing effects observed in the transient
simulation). We will do this using dominant pole compensation, with the capacitor values
that were determined in the spice simulations.

1. Change the value of C2 in your circuit to what you determined in your spice simula-
tions.

2. We will first determine the effects of the compensation on the open-loop response
of the op-amp. Temporarily remove Ra and Rb from your circuit and apply a low-
frequency sinusoidal signal to the input and increase the frequency until the gain has
dropped by 3 dB from its low-frequency value (observe the gain by comparing the
input and output amplitudes with the oscilloscope). Record this value as the 3-dB
frequency of the compensated opamp.

3. We will now observe the output of the feedback amplifiers with a square wave input.
Add the feedback resistors Ra = 1 kΩ, Rb = 15 kΩ back to your amplifier, remembering
that the signal generator will now be applied to Ra instead of directly to the opamp
input. Set the signal generator to apply a 0.1 V, 100 Hz square wave to the input of
the feedback amplifier. Observe if there is any ringing present in the output signal,
and record the rise and fall times and amount of overshoot

4 Analysis
Answer the following questions in the analysis section of your lab report:

1. Using Matlab, plot your measured and simulated results for the magnitude and phase
of the open-loop gain of the uncompensated amplifier on the same axes. Include this
plot in your report. Discuss how well they match, and what could be responsible for
differences between them.

2. Compare the 3-dB frequency for the open-loop uncompensated amplifier calculated in
the pre-lab to those from the simulations and measurements. Does the Open Circuit
Time Constant method yield a reasonable approximation of the 3-dB frequency?

3. Using Matlab, plot the simulated results for the square wave responses of the closed-
loop compensated and uncompensated amplifiers on the same axes. What effect does
compensation have on the rise and fall times of the closed-loop amplifier?

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4. Compare the measured and simulated rise and fall times of the closed-loop compen-
sated amplifier. Does the difference between the measured and simulated rise and fall
times coincide with the difference between the measured and simulated 3-dB points
of the open-loop compensated amplifier?

5. If we increased the compensation capacitor (C2 ) further, what effect would you expect
to observe on the rise and fall times of the closed-loop system?