Common Emitter Amplifier Frequency Response Objectives To analyze the CE amplifiers and to calculate different poles and zeros

s which determine its frequency response To calculate the dominant poles and the CE amplifier bandwidth To analyze the effect of the emitter resistor on the CE amplifier gain and bandwidth Introduction In the last lecture the frequency response of the amplifier circuits were examined !lso" the frequency response of the common source amplifier was calculated and the dominant poles were determined In this lecture the frequency response of the common emitter amplifier will be considered using the #CTC and OCTC techniques introduced in the last lecture The design trade$off using the emitter resistor will be explored Short-Circuit Time Constant Method to Determine L % % !s mentioned in the last lecture midband gain and upper and lower cutoff frequencies that define bandwidth of the amplifier are of more interest than complete transfer function In the next example the low cutoff frequency of the CE amplifier will be determined using the #CTC method

Example &' (erive an expression for the low cutoff frequency for the CE amplifier circuit in )igure & using the #CTC method

)ig$& in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure Common Emitter Amplifier Circuit

#olution' The small signal circuit may be obtained by short circuit the (C supply as shown in )igure 1

)ig$1 in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure ! CE amplifier circuit used for small signal analysis

23 is the equivalent resistance for 2& and 21 given by' R B = R& 44 R 1 5sing #CTC method )or C1 the resistance seen across the capacitor terminals may be calculated from )igure 6
CE R&S = R sig + *R B R in 0 = R sig + *R B r 0

#o the time constant associated with C& equals C& *2sig72344r 0

)ig$6 in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure " Circuit used to calculate the short-circuit time constant associated #ith C1

)or C2 the resistance seen across the capacitor terminals may be calculated from )igure 8
CE R 1S = R L + *RC R out 0 = R L + *RC ro 0

R L + RC #o the time constant associated with C1 equals C1 *2+72C0

)ig$9 in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure $ Circuit used to calculate the short-circuit time constant associated #ith C2

)or CE the resistance seen across the capacitor terminals may be calculated from )igure :

R ES = R E R CC out = R E

r + *R sig R B 0

o + &

#o the time constant associated with CE equals CE 2E#

)ig$. in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure % Circuit used to calculate the short-circuit time constant associated #ith CE

The low cutoff frequency is calculated using the #CTC as' 6 & & & & L = + + i =& R iS C i C & *R sig + *R B r 00 C 1 *R L + RC 0 r + *R sig R B 0 C E RE o + & ;lease note that due to the finite input resistance of the CE amplifier compared to the C# amplifier" the lower cutoff frequency will be higher in the CE amplifier compared to the C# amplifier Example 1' Calculate the low cutoff frequency for the common emitter amplifier in )igure & using the #CTC method !ssume' /CC<&1/" 2sig<&=" 2&<&-=" 21<6-=" 2C<9 6=" 2E<& 6=" 2+<&--=" C&<1)" C1< - &)" and CE<.-) #olution' 2efer to Example & solution

C & *R sig

& & + + + *R B r 00 C 1 * R L + RC 0

& r + *R sig R B 0 C E RE + & o

To calculate + we need to find r" this value may be found from the dc operating point of the amplifier

)ig$8 in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure & DC circuit for the CE amplifier in Figure

The (C circuit of the amplifier may be obtained from the CE amplifier circuit in )igure & by considering all the capacitors are open circuits and the !C sources are zero The circuit in )igure 8 may be further simplified using Thevinin>s Theorem as shown in )igure :

)ig$: in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure ' Simplified circuit for DC analysis

R th = R B = R& 44 R 1 = : .k R& &V th =V CC = &1 =6 V R& + R 1 9!pplying ?/+ in the 3$E loop and assuming that the transistor is in the active mode' V th = I B R th +V BE + I E R E =V BE + I B *R th + *& + o 0R E 0 I B = V th V BE 6- : = = &8 8 A * R th + *& + o 0R E 0 : . + &-&@& 6 I C = o I B I E = &8 8mA

!pplying ?/+ at the C$E loop V CC = I C RC +V CE + I E R E V CE = &1 & 88@*& 6 + 9 60 = 1 :V #ince /CE A /CEsat " then the transistor is in active region as assumed B$point < *&8 8m!" 1 :/0 VT 1.mV = = & .k I B &8 8 A #ubstitute in the expression of + L 111 + C8 + :.- = &-8Drad E sec r = Direct Determination of (igh-Frequency )oles and *eros+ #imilar to what we did in the last lecture The high frequency poles and zeros may be determined by direct analysis In this case all the coupling and bypass capacitors may be considered short circuit Fowever" the high frequency model of the transistor should be used since the transistor internal capacitances can>t considered open circuit at high frequencies The following example will illustrate this method for the common emitter amplifier Example 6' (rive an expression for the high frequency response !vF*s0 of the common emitter amplifier shown in )igure & Fence" determine the midband gain !mid" high frequency poles and zeros" and the high cutoff frequency #olution' The CE amplifier is redrawn for small signal analysis as shown in )igure D by replacing the transistor in )igure 1 by its high frequency small signal model !ll the coupling and bypass capacitors are considered short circuit at high frequency The biasing resistors 2& and 21 are combined into 23 R B = R& 44 R 1

)ig$D in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure , The CE amplifier in Figure ! redra#n #ith the transistor replaced -y its high frequency small signal model

The small$signal model can be simplified by using Thevinin>s theorem as shown in )igure C The simplified circuit is shown in )igure &-

)ig$C in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure . /sing The0inin1s Theorem to simplify the CE amplifier circuit in Figure ,

v th = v sig v th 1

R sig R B RB and R th = R sig + R B R sig + R B v th r = and rth 1 = r *R th + rx 0 R th + rx + r

= R L 44 R C 44 ro !lso" R L

)ig$&- in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure 2 Simplified circuit to calculate the frequency response of the CE amplifier

Griting the two nodal equations at nodes ! and 3 in the frequency domain" v v sC + be th 1 + *v be v o 0sC = v be R th 1 vo 0sC = + g mv gs + *v o v be RL #olving the last two equations by eliminating vHbe yields"

vo

*s0 =

v th1 *s0 *sC $ g m 0 R th 1

C & & & = s 1 ( C C ) + s + C g m + + + R RL R th 1 R th 1 R L L *sC $ g m 0 v *s 0 RB AvH *s 0 = o = v sig *s 0 * R th + rx 0 * R sig + R B 0 R + L +et us define CT = C + C & + g m R L R th 1 sC & = s 1C C + T + RL R th 1 RL AvH *s 0 = RB *R th + rx 0 *R sig + R B 0 C C s 1 + *sC $ g m 0 sC T & + C C RL R th 1 C C RL

!mid may be found from the last expression by assuming s A mid = = R B R th 1 R B r $g m R L $g m R L = *R th + rx 0 *R sig + R B 0 *r + R th + rx 0 *R sig + R B 0

RB $ o R L *r + R th + rx 0 *R sig + R B 0 Figh$frequency response is given by 1 poles" one finite zero and one zero at infinity )inite right$half plane zero" Z < 7 gmEC A T can easily be neglected )or a polynomial s17sA&7A- with roots a and b" if one root is much larger than the other one" we can assume that a <A& and b<A-EA&
&

A& A& R th 1C T

R ? & + L " and g m R L C ? C 0 !ssume that the midband gain is very large * i e g m R L R th 1 g & & gm 1 m & + + C C g m R th 1 g m R L #mallest root that gives first pole limits frequency response and determines H #econd pole is important in frequency compensation as it can degrade phase margin of feedbac= amplifiers !ssuming p& = p1 *p& is the dominanat pole0 H
&

& R th 1CT

(ominant pole model at high frequencies for C# amplifier is shown in )igure &&

)ig$&& in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure Equi0alent circuit assuming dominant pole model

Example 9' )ind the midband gain" high frequency poles and zeros" F" and the bandwidth for the CE amplifier in Example 1 Iiven the following transistor parameters !T <.-- JFz" o <&--" C"<- . p)"and rx <1.-, /!<&--/. #olution' 2eferring to example 1 solution" the B$point is *& 88m!" 1 :/0 I g m = C = 9- I C = 88 9mS VT r = & .k ro = V A &-= = 8- 1k I C & 88 gm C = 1- 8p) 1 ! T

C =

= R L RC 44 ro = &-- 9 6 44 8- 1 = 6 D8=K RL R th = R B R sig = : . & = - DD=K R th 1 = r *R th + rx 0 = - 89k R + L = &.1 6p) C T = C + C & + g m R L R th 1

 &=
1

& = &- 18J radEsec R th 1C T

gm & & + & + 6 6&I radEsec C g m R th 1 g m R L g = m = &61 DI radEsec # C It is clear that p& is much lower than p1 and z which means that p& is the dominant pole H !H =
&

= &- 18J radEsec

H = & 86$H# 1

B % = ! H ! L = & 86$H# &:-H# & 86$H# A = RB $ o R L = &1C . /E/ *r + R th + rx 0 *R sig + R B 0

mid

3ain-4and#idth )roduct 5imitations of the C-E Amplifier !s we can see from the expressions of the midband gain and the CE amplifier bandwidth 2th is appearing in both expressions If Rth is reduced to zero in order to increase the bandwidth" then Rth2 would not be zero but would be limited to approximately rx I3G = Av H o R L R th + rx + r & R C th 1 T

0 If Rth"< -" rx LLr so that rx < Rth2 and C T = C * g m R L & I3G rx C If we used the same values in Example 9 I3G DI radEsec The !ctual I3G in Example 9 is & 669I radEsec 6pen-Circuit Time Constant Method to Determine H % % !s mentioned in the last lecture the open$circuit time constants associated with the transistor capacitances may be used to simplify the determination of the high cutoff frequency of the amplifier In the next example the high cutoff frequency of the CE amplifier will be determined using the OCTC method

Example .' (erive an expression for the high cutoff frequency for the circuit in Example 9 using the OCTC method #olution' 5sing OCTC method for the circuit in )igure &- )or C"the resistance seen across the capacitor terminals may be calculated from )igure &1 R & = R th 1 #o the time constant associated with C equals C 2th1

)ig$&1 in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure ! Circuit used to calculate the open-circuit time constant associated #ith C

)or C the resistance seen across the capacitor terminals may be calculated from )igure &6 vx R + L 0 = R th 1 *& + g m R L ix R th 1 #o the time constant associated with C equals C 2th1 *&7gm2H+ 72H+E2th0 R o =

)ig$&6 in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure " Circuit used to calculate the open-circuit time constant associated #ith C

The high cutoff frequency is calculated using the OCTC as' & & & H 1 = = R ioC i R o C + R o C rth 1CT
i =&

Ghich is the same expression found before using direct calculations in Example 6 3ain-4and#idth Trade-off /sing Emitter Resistor The emitter resistance of the common emitter amplifier may be used to trade off between the gain and the amplifier bandwidth In this case no bypass capacitor is used The small signal circuit is shown in )igure &9 Ghere 2th and vth are the same as calculated in Example 6 v th = v sig R sig R B RB and R th = R sig + R B R sig + R B

)ig$&9 in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure $ Small signal CE Amplifier circuit at high frequency #ith no -ypass capacitor

The midband gain may be calculated from )igure &9 by assuming the transistor capacitors to be open circuit A mid = for RB o R L R L * R th + rx + r + * o + &0R E 0 *R sig + R B 0 RE

r >> R th + rx " rB >> R sig and g m R E >> &

The midband voltage gain decreases as the emitter resistance increases and the bandwidth of CE amplifier will correspondingly increase To find the effect of 2E on the amplifier bandwidth the high cutoff frequency may be calculated as follows' 5sing OCTC method for the circuit in )igure &9 )or C" the resistance seen across the capacitor terminals may be calculated as r 44 2eq Ghere 2eq is calculated from )igure &. v x R th + rx + R E = ix &+ g m RE R + r + RE R & = r R e' th x &+ g m RE #o the time constant associated with C equals C 2o R e' =

)ig$&. in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure % Circuit used to calculate the open-circuit time constant associated #ith C

)or C the resistance seen across the capacitor terminals may be calculated from )igure &8

)ig$&8 in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure & Circuit used to calculate the open-circuit time constant associated #ith C

To simplify the calculation the test source ix is first split into two equivalent sources as shown in )igure &: and then superposition is used to find vx <*vb $ v(0

)ig$&: in *+ec,-.,/er,-& vsd0

Figure ' Modified circuit used to calculate the open-circuit time constant associated #ith C

!ssuming that o AA& and ( R th + rx ) << ( r + * o + &0R E ) vx gm RL RL = *R th + rx 0 & + + ix & + g m R E R th + rx #o the time constant associated with C equals C 2o R o = The high cutoff frequency is calculated using the OCTC as' & & H 1 = RE g m RL RL R ioC i *R + r 0 C th x i =& & + g R & + R + r + C & + & + g R + R + r m E th x m E th x If we used the same amplifier discussed in Example 9 with CE<Ge will obtain' R 6 D8 A mid L = = 1 C: /E/ RE &6 C RE g m RL RL *R th + rx 0 & + + C & + + &+ g R & + g m R E R th + rx R th + rx m E & = 1- 8 )* &6 88 9@6 D8 6 D8 *- DD + - 1.0 k + & + + - . )* & + & + 88 9 @ & 6 - DD + - 1. & + 88 9@& 6 - DD + - 1. = 1&&J radEsec !s we can see we got a higher bandwidth on the expense of lower midband gain

&