OTA based Current Mode First Order and Second

Order Amplitude Equaliser

Dattaguru V. Kamath
Ph.D., Professor, Department of E&C Engg.,
Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India-576104
Email: dv.kamath@manipal.edu, reachdvkamath@yahoo.com

Abstract: This paper presents OTA (operational transconductance amplifier) based current-mode first order and second order
amplitude equalizer circuits. The advantage of these circuits are simple architecture, use of grounded capacitor and low sensitivity
values. The proposed OTA-C amplitude equalizer circuits are verified using PSPICE simulator.

Index terms: OTA, Amplitude Equalizer, First-order filter, Second-order filter

I. INTRODUCTION Io+ = Io− = g m (Vi+ − Vi− ) (1)

where g m is the transconductance of the OTA, Vi+
and
The research on Operational Transconductance Amplifier
Vi− denote non-inverting and inverting input voltages of the
(OTA) based continuous-time (CT) filters is widely discussed
OTA respectively.
in the literature [1]-[21].
Equalization is the process of adjusting the amplitude of
various frequency components within an electrical signal. The
amplitude equalizer is a corrective network that is designed to
modify the amplitude characteristics of a circuit or system over Figure 1: Circuit symbol of DO-OTA with dual current outputs Io+ and
a desired frequency range. One of the important applications of
Io-
equalizer is in sound recording and reproduction. The OTA-C
voltage-mode first-order amplitude equalizer circuits are The DO-OTA based general two-admittance current-mode
reported by R. L. Geiger et al. [5]. Hence it is interesting to configuration proposed in [6], [7] for realizing OTA-C filters
consider OTA-C current-mode implementation of amplitude is shown in Figure 2 (a)-(b).
equalizer circuits.
The dual-output OTA (DO-OTA) with current outputs Io+
and Io- used in our work and the realization of grounded
negative resistor cum current copier using the same is
considered in section II. The DO-OTA based two-admittance
general current-mode configuration proposed in [6], [7] to
realize first and second-order filters is given in section II. Two
DO-OTA based current-mode first-order amplitude equalizer
circuits are presented in section III. The current-mode second-
order amplitude equalizer circuits are presented in section IV.
The simulation results are presented in section V. The
concluding summary is presented in section VI. (a)

II. DO-OTA WITH DUAL CURRENT OUTPUTS IO+ AND

IO-
An OTA is a versatile analog block having two voltage
sensitive inputs and a current output. An ideal OTA has infinite
input and output impedances. The salient features of OTA are
tunable transconductance and higher bandwidth. Note that the
transconductance of the OTA can be varied by adjusting the dc
bias current. The OTA acts as a voltage controlled current
source (VCCS). The symbol of typical DO-OTA is given in
Figure 1. The dual output currents of DO-OTA Io+ and Io- are (b)
Figure 2 (a)-(b): DO-OTA based two-admittance general current-mode
given by configuration to realize first and second-order filters

1
The generalized current transfer function for the circuit
configuration of Figure 2(a) is shown as
Io g m1 (Yn − Yp )
= (2.1)
Iin Yn (g m1 + Yp )
We next consider the configuration of Figure 2(b) whose
transfer function is given as
Io g m1 (Yn − Yp )
= (2.2)
Iin Yp (g m1 + Yn )
The OTA based simulated grounded resistor (having
resistance value of 1/g) is shown in Figure 3(a). The OTA (a)
based simulated grounded negative resistor (having resistance
value of -1/g) is shown in Figure 3(b). The DO-OTA based
simulated grounded negative resistor cum current copier is
considered in Figure 3(c).

(b)
Figure 4: DO-OTA based (a) CICO first-order amplitude equalizer1
(a) (b) (c) needing two equal input currents (derived from circuit configuration in
Figure 3: (a) OTA based grounded simulated positive resistor (b) OTA Fig. 2 (a)), (b) Simplified CICO first-order amplitude equalizer1 needing
based grounded simulated negative resistor (c) DO-OTA based grounded only one input current, derived from (a)
simulated negative resistor cum current copier
First order Amplitude Equaliser2

III. DO-OTA BASED CURRENT-MODE FIRST-ORDER Alternately, a first-order amplitude equalizer circuit in Figure 5
AMPLITUDE EQUALISER (a)-(b) can be realised by considering Yp = −g m2 (using a
negative transconductance) and Yn = sC1 in Figure 2(b) and
First order Amplitude Equaliser1 the resulting transfer function can be obtained as
The proposed first-order amplitude equalizer circuit in Figure m2 g
4 (a) is realised by considering the choice of components Yp = Io g m1 (s + C1 ) (3.2)
=−
sC1 and Yn = −g m2 (negative transconductance) in Figure 2 Iin gm2 (s + g m1 )
(a). The proposed first-order amplitude equalizer circuit in C1
Figure 4 (a) needs two equal input currents. An improved DO-
OTA based first-order amplitude equalizer circuit, needing one
input current, shown in Figure 4 (b) is realised using OTA g m2
as a negative grounded resistor cum current copier.
The transfer function of first-order amplitude equalizer
circuit in Figure 4 (a)-(b) is shown to be
m2g
Io g m1 (s + C1 ) (3.1a)
=
Iin gm2 (s + g m1 )
C1 (a)
The expressions for pole and zero frequency in (3.1a) are
shown to be
g g
ωp = m1 ; ωz = m2
C1 C1 (3.1b)
The sensitivities of the pole-frequency and zero-frequency of
first-order amplitude equalizer circuit in Figure 4 (a)-(b) with
respect to g m and capacitor values are given by
(b)
Figure 5: DO-OTA based (a) CICO first-order amplitude equalizer2
ω ω ωp ω
SC1p = SC1z = −1 , Sgm1 z
= Sgm2 =1 (3.1c) needing two equal input currents (derived from circuit configuration in
Fig. 2 (b)), (b) Simplified CICO first-order amplitude equalizer2 needing
only one input current, derived from (a)

2
 The transfer function of the second order amplitude equalizer
IV. DO-OTA BASED CURRENT-MODE SECOND- circuit of Figure 6(b) is given by
ORDER AMPLITUDE EQUALISER
g g g g
A second order amplitude equaliser filter circuit can be realised Io s 2 + s ( m2 m3 ) + m2 m3
g m4 C2 C1 C2 (4.1a)
using the basic structure of Figure 2(b) by replacing the =−
Iin 2 g m2 g m3 g m2 g m3
admittance Yn with C1 in series with grounded inductor L1 and s + s( )+
g m1 C2 C1 C2
Yp with a negative resistance. The resulting amplitude equaliser
The sensitivities of the pole-frequency and pole-Q of amplitude
biquad circuit derived from DO-OTA based two-admittance
equaliser biquad1 with respect to g m and capacitor values are
circuit structure Figure 2 (b) is presented in Figure 6. Note that
given by
−g m4 realizes Yp and the grounded inductance L1 in series with
C1 realizes Yn . The grounded inductance L1 is realized by OTAs
ω ω ω ω
g m2 and g m3 and capacitor C2 . SC1o = SC2o = −0.5 , Sgm2
o o
= Sgm3 = 0.5
(4.1b)
Q
o o Q Q Q Q
Sgm2 = Sgm3 = SC1o = −0.5 , SC2o = 0.5, Sgm1
o
=1

V. SIMULATION RESULTS

The proposed DO-OTA based first-order amplitude

equalizer in Figure 3(b) was simulated using ideal and non-ideal
behavioral voltage controlled current source (VCCS) macro
model of OTA [3]-[4] given in Figure 7 (a)-(b).

(a)

(a)

(b)

Figure 7: (a) Ideal and (b) non-ideal VCCS model of OTA

The first-order amplitude equalizer (AE) circuit in Figure 4(b)

(b)
Figure 6: (a) DO-OTA based (a) current-mode second order amplitude
equalizer needing two input currents (derived from the configuration of
Figure 2(b)), (b) Simplified current-mode second order amplitude
equalizer needing only one input current, derived from (a)
is designed for (the case ω𝑧 < ωp ) zero frequency of 1 MHz
and pole frequency of 10 MHz using values g1 = 10 µS; g 2 =
100 µS; C = 1.592 pF (refer Table I). The circuit is simulated
using PSPICE circuit simulator and the obtained amplitude
response plot is given in Figure 8 (a). From the obtained plot, it
is evident that the gain of AE circuit in Figure 4(b) for
frequency ranges 0 < ω < ωz and ωp < ω < ∞ are found
to be respectively 1 (0 dB) and 0.1 (-20 dB).

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 Table I Simulation details and design values for first order OTA-C VI. CONCLUSION
current mode amplitude equalizer
New OTA based first-order and second-order amplitude
Figure Filter design Design values (Transconductance and equalizer circuits have been proposed. All the proposed circuits
No. specifications capacitance values) have simple circuit structure, use grounded capacitors and
exhibit low sensitivity to component values. The proposed
amplitude equalizer circuits are simulated using PSPICE
4(b) fz = 1 MHz g1 = 10 µS; g 2 = 100 µS; C = 1.592 pF
simulator and the simulation results are in good agreement with
fp = 10 MHz R o1,2 = 1E20 Ohm; Co1,2 = 1 fF
theory.

4(b) fz = 10 MHz g1 = 100 µS; g 2 = 10 µS; C = 1.592 pF
fp = 1 MHz R o1,2 = 1E20 Ohm; Co1,2 = 1 fF
(a)
(b)
Figure 8: Amplitude response of first order OTA-C current-mode
amplitude equaliser ciruit in figure 3(b) designed for [a] zero frequency of
1 MHz and pole frequency of 10 MHz (𝐟𝐳 < 𝐟𝐩 ), [b] zero frequency of 10
MHz and pole frequency of 1 MHz (𝐟𝐳 > 𝐟𝐩 )
The first-order amplitude equalizer (AE) circuit in Figure 4(b)
is designed for (the case ω𝑝 < ωz ) pole frequency of 1 MHz
and zero frequency of 10 MHz using values g1 = 100 µS; g 2 =
10 µS; C = 1.592 pF (refer Table I). The circuit is simulated
using PSPICE simulator and the resulting amplitude response
plot is given in Figure 8 (b). From the obtained plot, it is evident
that the gain of AE circuit in Figure 4(b) for frequency ranges
0 < ω < ωp and ωz < ω < ∞ are found to be respectively
1 (0 dB) and 10 (+20 dB).
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