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‫سورة المجادلة ‪ :‬اآلية ‪11‬‬

‫صدق هللا العظيم‬ ‫‪1‬‬

 ELC 221
Electronic Circuit (2)
Differential Amplifiers

Lecturer : Dr. Sally Elgindy

 References
❑Thomas L. Floyd , “Electronic Devices Electron Flow Version”,
Prentice Hall , Ninth Edition,2012

❑Robert L. Boylestad, Louis Nashelsky, “Electronic Devices and

Circuit Theory”, Pearson Education , Eleventh Edition, 2013
 Introduction
❑A differential amplifier is an amplifier that produces outputs that are a function
of the difference between two input voltages .

❑A basic differential amplifier (diff-amp) circuit as shown in below figure which

has two inputs and two outputs..
 Introduction
❑The differential amplifier is important
in operational amplifiers as it is the
input stage for the op-amp. It provides
amplification of the difference voltage
between the two inputs. The second
stage is usually a class A amplifier that
provides additional gain. . A push-pull
class B amplifier is typically used for
the output stage
 Introduction
The differential amplifier has two basic modes of operation:

Differential Mode
Common Mode

❑Differential mode (in which the two inputs are different).

❑Common mode (in which the two inputs are the same)
 Basic Operation

DC Operation
AC Operation
 DC Operation
1. Both inputs are grounded:
❑𝑉𝐵1 = 𝑉𝐵2 = 0 volt and 𝑉𝐸 =−0.7 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡 (Explain??)

❑It is assumed that the transistors are identically matched

by careful process control during manufacturing so that
their dc emitter currents are the same when there is no
input signal.
𝐼𝐸
𝐼𝐸1 = 𝐼𝐸2 =
2
❑The emitter dc bias current is then
𝑉𝐸 −(−𝑉𝐸𝐸 ) 𝑉𝐸𝐸 −0.7
𝐼𝐸 = =
𝑅𝐸 𝑅𝐸
 DC Operation
1. Both inputs are grounded:
❑ Assuming that the transistors are well matched (as would occur in an IC unit), we
obtain::
𝐼𝐸
𝐼𝐶1 = 𝐼𝐶2 =
2
❑Then the collector voltage equal to:
𝐼𝐸
𝑉𝑐1 = 𝑉𝑐2 = 𝑉𝑐𝑐 − 𝐼𝐸 𝑅𝐶 = 𝑉𝐶𝐶 − 𝑅𝑐
2
❑ Then output difference voltage =-zero volt
𝑉𝑜𝑑 = 𝑉𝑐2 − 𝑉𝑐1 = 𝑧𝑒𝑟𝑜
 DC Operation
2. Bias voltage on input 1 with input 2 grounded:

𝑽𝑩𝟏 = 𝒃𝒊𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑽𝑩𝟐 = 𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒐

𝑄1 = 𝑂𝑁 𝑄2 = 𝑜𝑓𝑓

𝐼𝐶1 = 𝐼 𝐼𝐶2 = 𝑧𝑒𝑟𝑜

𝑉𝐶1 = 𝑉𝑐𝑐 − 𝐼𝑅𝑐 𝑉𝐶2 = 𝑉𝑐𝑐 − 𝐼𝐶2 𝑅𝑐 = 𝑉𝑐𝑐

𝑉𝐸 = 𝑉𝐵1 − 0.7
 DC Operation
3. Bias voltage on input 2 with input 1 grounded:

𝑽𝑩𝟏 = 𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝑽𝑩𝟐 = 𝒃𝒊𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆

𝑄1 = 𝑂𝑓𝑓 𝑄2 = 𝑂𝑁

𝐼𝐶1 = 𝑧𝑒𝑟𝑜 𝐼𝐶2 = 𝐼

𝑉𝐶1 = 𝑉𝑐𝑐 − 𝐼𝐶1 𝑅𝑐 = 𝑉𝑐𝑐 𝑉𝐶2 = 𝑉𝑐𝑐 − 𝐼𝑅𝑐

𝑉𝐸 = 𝑉𝐵2 − 0.7
 AC Operation
1. Circuit with differential mode inputs:

❑Single-ended differential inputs: (i.e. There is a signal on one input and the other
input is grounded.)

❑Double-ended differential inputs: (i.e. Two signals that are 180° out of phase are on
the inputs).

2. Circuit with Common mode inputs

❑Both input signals are the same phase, frequency, and amplitude
.
❑Common-mode rejection ratio
 AC Operation
1. Circuit with differential mode inputs:

❑ Single-ended differential inputs:

➢ When the signal voltage is applied to input 1 with
input 2 grounded, an inverted, amplified signal voltage
appears at output 1.

➢ Also, a signal voltage appears in phase at the emitter of

Q1. Since the emitters of Q1 and Q2 are common, the
emitter signal becomes an input to Q2 ,which functions
as a common-base amplifier.

➢ The signal is amplified by Q2 and appears,

noninverted, at output 2.
 AC Operation
1. Circuit with differential mode inputs:

❑ Single-ended differential inputs:

➢ When the signal voltage is applied to input 2 with input 1
grounded, an inverted, amplified signal voltage appears at
output 2.

➢ Also, a signal voltage appears in phase at the emitter of

Q2. Since the emitters of Q1 and Q2 are common, the
emitter signal becomes an input to Q1, which functions as
a common-base amplifier.

➢ The signal is amplified by Q1 and appears, noninverted, at

output 1.
 AC Operation
1. Circuit with differential mode inputs:

❑Double-ended differential inputs:

In this input configuration, two

opposite polarity(out-of-phase)
signals are applied to the
inputs, each input affects the
outputs.
 AC Operation
1. Circuit with differential mode inputs:

❑Double-ended differential inputs:

Note that the signals on output 1 are of the same polarity. And also the signals on output 2 are of same
polarity
 AC Operation
1. Circuit with differential mode inputs:

❑Double-ended differential inputs:

➢ By superimposing both output 1 signals

and both output 2 signals, you get the
total output signals.

➢ It is clear that both output are twice of

both inputs.
 AC Operation

2. Circuit with Common mode inputs:

In common-mode condition,
two signal voltages of the
same phase, frequency, and
amplitude are applied to the
two inputs
 AC Operation
2. Circuit with Common mode inputs:

Note that the signals on output 1 are of the opposite polarity. And also the signals on output 2 are of
opposite polarity
 AC Operation
2. Circuit with Common mode inputs:
➢ By superimposing both output 1 signals and both
output 2 signals, you can see that they cancel each
other, as they are equal in amplitude but opposite in
phase.

➢ The resulting output are zero volt ac (practically there

is small signal result).

➢ This action is called common mode rejection. Its

importance lies in the situation where an unwanted
signal appears commonly on both diff-amp inputs.

➢ Common-mode rejection means that this unwanted

signal will not appear on the outputs and distort the
desired signal.
 AC Operation
2. Circuit with Common mode inputs:

Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR):

❑ The measure of an amplifier’s ability to reject common-mode signals is a parameter called the
CMRR (common mode rejection ratio).

❑ Ideally, a diff-amp provides a very high gain for desired signals (single ended or differential) and
zero gain for common-mode signals.

❑ Practical diff-amps, however, do exhibit a very small common-mode gain (usually much less than
1), while providing a high differential voltage gain (usually several thousand).

❑ The higher the differential gain with respect to the common-mode gain, the better the performance
of the diff-amp in terms of rejection of common-mode signals.
 AC Operation
2. Circuit with Common mode inputs:

Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR):

❑ This suggests that a good measure of the diff-amp’s performance in rejecting unwanted
common-mode signals is the ratio of the differential voltage gain Av(d) to the common-mode
gain, Acm. This ratio is the common-mode rejection ratio, CMRR.
𝐴𝑣(𝑑)
CMRR= 𝐴
𝑐𝑚

❑ The higher the CMRR, the better.

❑ A very high value of CMRR means that the differential gain Av(d) is high and the common-
mode gain Acm is low.
❑ The CMRR is often expressed in decibels (dB)
𝐴𝑣(𝑑)
CMRR=20 log ( )
𝐴𝑐𝑚