ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT DESIGN 1

402058

Chapter 1
Signals & Amplifiers
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This slide is adopted from lecture slides of

Microelectronic Circuits Text by Sedra and Smith,
Oxford Publishing.

Oxford University Publishing

Microelectronic Circuits by Adel S. Sedra and Kenneth C. Smith (0195323033)

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 INTRODUCTION

IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN…

 That electronic circuits process signals.
 The Thevenin and Norton representations of
signal sources.
 The representation of a signal as sum of sine
waves.
 The analog and digital representations of a
signal.

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 INTRODUCTION

IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL LEARN…

 The signal amplifier.
 How amplifiers are characterized (modeled)
 How the frequency response of an amplifier is
measured and calculated.

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 1. SIGNALS

 Signal – contains information

 e.g. voice of radio announcer reading the news
 Process – an operation which allows an observer
to understand this information from a signal
 generally done electrically
 Transducer – device which converts signal from
non-electrical to electrical form
 e.g. microphone (sound to electrical)
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 1. SIGNALS

 Q: How are signals represented?

 A: thevenin form – voltage source vs(t) with
series resistance RS
 preferable when RS is low
 A: norton form – current source is(t) with parallel
resistance RS
 preferable when RS is high

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 1. SIGNALS

Two alternative representations of a signal source:

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(a) the Thévenin form; (b) the Norton form.
 2. FREQUENCY SPECTRUM OF
SIGNALS

 Frequency spectrum – defines a time-domain

signal in terms of the strength of harmonic
components
 Fourier series vs. Fourier transform

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 WHAT IS A FOURIER SERIES?

 Decomposition – of a periodic function into the

(possibly infinite) sum of simpler oscillating
functions

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 FOURIER SERIES EXAMPLE

4Va  1 1 
f( x )  sin( tt
)  sin(3 )  sin(5 t )  
  
0 0 0
3 5

The frequency spectrum (also known as the line

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& Amplifiers 10
 2. FREQUENCY SPECTRUM OF
SIGNALS
 Q: Can the Fourier Transform be applied to a non-
periodic function of time?

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 3. ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALS

 Analog signal – is continuous with respect to both

value and time
 Discrete-time signal – is continuous with respect
to value but sampled at discrete points in time
 Digital signal – is quantized (applied to values) as
well as sampled at discrete points in time

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 3. ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALS

analog signal
discrete-time signal
digital signal

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 3. ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALS

sampling

quantization

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 3. ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALS

 Q: Are digital and binary synonymous?

digital

digital and
binary

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 4. AMPLIFIERS

 Q: Why is signal amplification needed?

 Linearity – is property of an amplifier which

ensures a signal is not “altered” from amplification
 Distortion – is any unintended change in output

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 4.1. SIGNAL AMPLIFICATION

 Voltage amplifier – is used to boost voltage

levels for increased resolution.
 Power amplifier – is used to boost current levels
for increased “intensity”.
output / input relationship for amplifier
    
v o (t )  Av v i (t )

voltage gain
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 4.2. AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT SYMBOL

(a) Circuit symbol for amplifier. (b) An amplifier with a

common terminal (ground) between the input and output
ports.
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 4.3. POWER AND CURRENT GAIN

 Q: What is one main difference between an

amplifier and transformer? …Because both alter
voltage levels.

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 4.4. EXPRESSING GAIN IN DECIBELS

 Q: How may gain be expressed in decibels?

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 5. CIRCUIT MODELS FOR
AMPLIFIERS

 Model – is the description of component’s (e.g.

amplifier) terminal behavior
 neglecting internal operation / transistor design

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 5.1. VOLTAGE AMPLIFIERS

  model
 of amplifier
  input
 terminals
      model
 of amplifier
   output
  terminals
   
Ri RL
input voltage  vi  (v s ) output voltage  vo  (Avovi )
 R R  R R
source  i   s open-ckt  L   o
volt. output
source and
input voltage output and
load
resistances resistances

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 5.1. VOLTAGE AMPLIFIERS

 Q: How can one model the amplifier behavior

from previous slide?
 A: Model which is function of: vs, Avo, Ri, Rs,
Ro, RL
 
 
 
 R  RL Ri RL
vo  Avo (v s ) i
 Avovs
 source Ri  Rs  RL  Ro
 Ri  Rs RL  Ro
 volt.
      
source and output and
 input  load
        resistances
resistances

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open-ckt output – Chap 1: Signals & Amplifiers
voltage 23
 5.1. VOLTAGE AMPLIFIERS

 Q: What is one “problem” with this behavior?

 A: Gain (ratio of vo and vs) is not constant,
and dependent on input and load resistance.
 
 
 
R  RL  Avovs Ri RL
vo   Avo (v s ) i
 source
 R R R R
i s L o Ri  Rs RL  Ro
 volt.
      
source and output and
 input  load
    resistances
  
resistances

The ideal open-ckt

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voltage
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& Amplifiers
 5.1. VOLTAGE AMPLIFIERS

 Ideal amplifier model – is function of vs and Avo

only!!
 It is assumed that Ro << RL…
 It is assumed that Ri << Rs…
non-ideal model
ideal model

key characteristics of ideal voltage amplifier model = high input

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Amplifiers 25
 5.1. VOLTAGE AMPLIFIERS

 Ideal amplifier model – is function of vs and Avo

only!!
 It is assumed that Ro << RL…
 It is assumed that Ri << Rs…
Ri RL
vo  Avov s  Avov s
Ri  Rs RL  Ro ideal
        model
non-ideal model

key characteristics of ideal voltage amplifier model = source

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Chap 1: SignalsR& Amplifiers
L have no effect on gain
26
S
 5.2. CASCADED AMPLIFIERS

 In real life, an amplifier is not ideal and will not have

infinite input impedance or zero output impedance.
 Cascading of amplifiers, however, may be used to
emphasize desirable characteristics.
 first amplifier – high Ri, medium Ro
 last amplifier – medium Ri, low Ro
 aggregate – high Ri, low Ro

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 EXAMPLE 1.3: CASCADED
AMPLIFIER CONFIGURATIONS

 Examine system of cascaded amplifiers on next

slide.
 Q(a): What is overall voltage gain?
 Q(b): What is overall current gain?
 Q(c): What is overall power gain?

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 EXAMPLE 1.3: CASCADED
AMPLIFIER CONFIGURATIONS

Three-stage amplifier for Example 1.3.

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 5.3. OTHER AMPLIFIER TYPES

voltage amplifier current amplifier

transconductance amp. transresistance amp.

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 5.3. OTHER AMPLIFIER TYPES

v0 Ri   i0 Ri  0
Av 0  with Av 0  with
vi i0 0
Ro  0 ii v0 0
Ro  

voltage amplifier current amplifier

transconductance amplifier transresistance amplifier

i0 Ri   v0 Ri  0
Gm  with Rm  with
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Ro – 
402058 i i i 0
Chap 1: Signals & Amplifiers
Ro  0 31
0
 5.4. RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN FOUR AMP MODELS

 Interchangeability – although these four types

exist, any of the four may be used to model any
amplifier
 They are related through Avo (open circuit gain)
current
to voltage transres.
amplifier transcond. to voltage
   to voltage
 amplifier
amplifier
 Ro   Rm
Avo  Ais    GmRo 
 Ri  Ri

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 5.5. DETERMINING RI AND RO

 Q: How can one calculate input resistance from terminal

behavior?
 A: Observe vi and ii, calculate via Ri = vi / ii
 Q: How can one calculate output resistance from terminal
behavior?
 A:
 Remove source voltage (such that vi = ii = 0)
 Apply voltage to output (vx)
 Measure negative output current (-io)
 Calculate via Ro = -vx / io
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 Section 1.5.5:
Determining Ri and Ro

 question: how can we calculate input resistance from terminal behavior?

 answer: observe vi and ii, calculate via Ri = vi / ii
 question: how can we calculate output resistance from terminal
behavior?
 answer:
 remove source voltage (such that vi = ii = 0)
 apply voltage to output (vx)
 measure negative output current (-io)
 calculate via Ro = -vx / io

Determining the output resistance.

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 5.6. UNILATERAL MODELS

 Unilateral model – is one in which signal flows only

from input to output (not reverse)
 However, most practical amplifiers will exhibit
some reverse transmission…

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 EXAMPLE 1.4: COMMON-EMITTER
CIRCUIT

 Examine the bipolar junction transistor (BJT).

 three-terminal device
 when powered up with dc source and operated
with small signals, may be modeled by linear
circuit below.
C

E
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 input resistance (r)
base Example 1.4. collector
output resistance (ro)

 examine:
 bipolar junction transistor (BJT):
 three-terminal device
 when powered up with dc source and operated with small signals,
may be modeled by linear circuit below.

short-circuit small-signal circuit model for

a bipolar junction transistor
conductance (BJT)
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m
 EXAMPLE 1.4: COMMON-EMITTER
CIRCUIT

 Q(a): Derive an expression for the voltage gain vo /

vi of common-emitter circuit with:
 Rs = 5kohm
 r = 2.5kohm
 gm = 40mA/V
 ro = 100kohm
 RL = 5kohm

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 input and output share common terminal

source load

The BJT connected as an amplifier with the emitter as

a common terminal between input and output (called a
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common-emitter amplifier).
 6. FREQUENCY RESPONSE OF
AMPLIFIERS

 Reading assignment:
Section 1.6 pg 33-43
Sedra/Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, 7e.

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 SUMMARY

IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU HAVE LEARNED:

 the Thevenin and Norton representations of
signal sources
 the representation of a signal
 the signal amplifier and its characteristics
 the frequency response of an amplifier

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 HOMEWORK

Sedra/Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, 7e.

Chapter 1 problems:
1.2, 1.5 ,1.6
1.10, 1.14, 1.15
1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19
1.20, 1.39, 1.43, 1.63
Prepare Chapter 4: Diodes

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