AED 621 S

Feedback Amplifiers

1
 Outline

• Introduction
• The general feedback structure
• Some properties of negative feedback
• The four basic feedback topologies
• The series-shunt feedback amplifier
• The series-series feedback amplifier
• The shunt-shunt and shunt-series feedback amplifier
• The stability problem
• Stability study using bode plot
• Frequency compensation

2
 Introduction

• It’s impossible to think of electronic circuits without some

forms of feedback.
• Negative feedback
 Desensitize the gain
 Reduce nonlinear distortion
 Reduce the effect of noise
 Control the input and output impedance
 Extend the bandwidth of the amplifier
• The basic idea of negative feedback is to trade off gain for
other desirable properties.
• Positive feedback will cause the amplifier oscillation.

3
 The General Feedback Structure

This is a signal-flow diagram, and the quantities x represent

either voltage or current signals.

4
 The General Feedback Equation

• Closed loop and open loop

• Closed loop gain
xo A
Af  
xs 1  A

• Feedback factor β
• Loop gain Aβ
• Amount of feedback (1+ Aβ)

5
 Some Properties of Negative
Feedback

• Gain desensitivity
dA f 1 dA

Af 1  A A

• Bandwidth extension
• Noise reduction
• Reduction in nonlinear distortion

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 The Four Basic Feedback
Topologies
• Voltage amplifier---series-shunt feedback
voltage mixing and voltage sampling
• Current amplifier---shunt-series feedback
Current mixing and current sampling
• Transconducatnce amplifier---series-series feedback
Voltage mixing and current sampling
• Transresistance amplifier---shunt-shunt feedback
Current mixing and voltage sampling

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 The Series-Shunt Feedback
Topologies

voltage-mixing voltage-sampling (series–shunt) topology

8
 The Amplifier with Series-Shunt
Feedback

voltage-mixing voltage-sampling (series–shunt) topology

9
 The Shunt-Series Feedback
Topologies

current-mixing current-sampling (shunt–series) topology

10
 The Amplifier with Shunt-Series
Feedback

current-mixing current-sampling (shunt–series) topology

11
 The Series-Series Feedback
Topologies

voltage-mixing current-sampling (series–series) topology

12
 The Amplifier with Series-Series
Feedback

voltage-mixing current-sampling (series–series) topology

13
 The Shunt-Shunt Feedback
Topologies

current-mixing voltage-sampling (shunt–shunt) topology

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 The OP Amplifier withShunt-Shunt
Feedback

current-mixing voltage-sampling (shunt–shunt) topology

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 The Series-Shunt Feedback
Amplifier

• The ideal situation

• The practical situation
• summary

16
The Ideal Situation

A unilateral open-
loop amplifier (A
circuit).
An ideal voltage
mixing voltage
sampling feedback
network (β circuit).
Assumption that the
source and load
resistance have been
included inside the A
circuit.

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 The Ideal Situation

Equivalent circuit.
Rif and Rof denote the input and output resistance with feedback.

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 Input and Output Resistance with
Feedback
• Input resistance
Rif  Ri (1  A )
In this case, the negative feedback increases the input
resistance by a factor equal to the amount of feedback.
• Output resistance
Ro
Rof 
1  A
In this case, the negative feedback reduces the output
resistance by a factor equal to the amount of feedback.

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 The Practical Situation

Block diagram of a practical series–shunt feedback amplifier.

Feedback network is not ideal and load the basic amplifier thus affect
the values of gain, input resistance and output resistance.

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 The Practical Situation

The circuit in (a) with the feedback network represented by its h parameters.

21
The Practical Situation

The circuit in (b) with h21 neglected.

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 The Practical Situation

• The load effect of the feedback network on the basic

amplifier is represented by the components h11 and h22.
• The loading effect is found by looking into the appropriate
port of the feedback network while the port is open-circuit
or short-circuit so as to destroy the feedback.
• If the connection is a shunt one, short-circuit the port.
• If the connection is a series one, open-circuit the port.
• Determine the β.
V1
  h12 
V2 I1  0

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24
 Summary

• Ri and Ro are the input and output resistances,

respectively, of the A circuit.
• Rif and Rof are the input and output resistances,
respectively, of the feedback amplifier, including
Rs and RL.
• The actual input and output resistances exclude Rs
and RL. Rif  Rin  Rs
Rof  Rout // RL

25
Example of Series-Shunt Feedback
Amplifier

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 Example of Series-Shunt Feedback
Amplifier

• Op amplifier connected in noninverting

configuration with the open-loop gain μ, Rid and ro
• Find expression for A, β, the closed-loop gain
Vo/Vi , the input resistance Rin and the output
resistance Rout
• Find numerical values

27
Example of Series-Shunt Feedback
Amplifier

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Example of Series-Shunt Feedback
Amplifier

Vf R1
 
Vs R1  R2

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 The Series-Series Feedback
Amplifier

• The ideal situation

• The practical situation
• summary

30
The Ideal Situation

Io
Transconductance gain A 
Vi
31
 The Ideal Situation

Vf
Tranresistance feedback factor 
Io

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 Input and Output Resistance with
Feedback
• Input resistance
Rif  Ri (1  A )
In this case, the negative feedback increases the input
resistance by a factor equal to the amount of feedback.
• Output resistance
Rof  Ro (1  A )
In this case, the negative feedback increases the output
resistance by a factor equal to the amount of feedback.

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 The Practical Situation

Block diagram of a practical series–series feedback amplifier.

Feedback network is not ideal and load the basic amplifier thus
affect the values of gain, input resistance and output resistance.

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 The Practical Situation

The circuit of (a) with the feedback network represented by its z parameters.

35
 The Practical Situation

A redrawing of the circuit in (b) with z21 neglected.

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 The Practical Situation

• The load effect of the feedback network on the

basic amplifier is represented by the components
Z11 and Z22.
• Z11 is the impedance looking into port 1 of the
feedback network with port 2 open-circuited.
• Z22 is the impedance looking into port 2 of the
feedback network with port 1 open-circuited.
• Determine the β. V1
z 
12
I2 I1  0

37
38
 Summary

• Ri and Ro are the input and output resistances,

respectively, of the A circuit.
• Rif and Rof are the input and output resistances,
respectively, of the feedback amplifier, including
Rs and RL.
• The actual input and output resistances exclude
Rs and RL. Rif  Rin  Rs
'
Rof  Rout  RL

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Example of Series-Series Feedback
Amplifier

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Example of Series-Series Feedback
Amplifier

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Example of Series-Series Feedback
Amplifier

Vf RE 2
   RE1
I o RE 2  RF  RE1

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Example of Series-Series Feedback
Amplifier

RC 2
Ro   RE 2 //( RF  RE1 )  re3 
1  h fe
Rof  Ro (1  A )
Rout  ro  (1  g m 3ro )( Rof // r 3）

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 The Shunt-Shunt and Shunt-Series
Feedback Amplifiers

• Study by yourselves
• Important notes:
 Closed-loop gain
 Feedback factor
 Load effect
 Summary
 example

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 The Stability Problem

• Closed-loop transfer function is similar to the one of the

middle band gain.
• The condition for negative feedback to oscillate
L( j )  A( j )  ( j )  1
• Any right-half-plane poles results in instability.
 Amplifier with a single-pole is unconditionally stable.
 Amplifier with two-pole is also unconditionally stable.
 Amplifier with more than two poles has the possibility to be
unstable.
• Stability study using bode plot

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The Definitions of the Gain and
Phase margins
Gain margin represents
the amount by which the
loop gain can be
increased while stability
is maintained.
Unstable and
oscillatory
Stable and non-
oscillatory
Only when the phase
margin exceed 45º or
gain margin exceed 6dB,
can the amplifier be
stable.
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Stability analysis
using Bode plot of
|A|.

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 Stability Analysis Using Bode Plot
of |A|
• Gain margin and phase margin
• The horizontal line of inverse of feedback factor in dB.
• A rule of thumb:
The closed-loop amplifier will be stable if the 20log(1/β)
line intersects the 20log|A| curve at a point on the –
20dB/decade segment.
• The general rule states:
At the intersection of 20log[1/ | β (jω)| ] and 20log |A(jω)|
the difference of slopes should not exceed 20dB/decade.

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 Frequency Compensation
• The purpose is to modifying the open-loop transfer
function of an amplifier having three or more poles so
that the closed-loop amplifier is stable for any desired
value of closed-loop gain.
• Theory of frequency compensation is the enlarge the
–20dB/decade line.
• Implementation
 Capacitance Cc added
 Miller compensation and pole splitting

49
 Frequency Compensation

Two cascaded gain stages of a multistage amplifier.

Equivalent circuit for the interface between the two stages in (a).

Same circuit as in (b) but with a compensating capacitor CC added. 50

Frequency compensation for  = 102. The response labeled A is obtained by
introducing an additional pole at fD. The A response is obtained by moving the
original low-frequency pole to f D. 51
 Frequency Compensation

A gain stage in a multistage amplifier with a compensating capacitor

connected in the feedback path
An equivalent circuit.

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