Analog Circuits
Day-11
Feedback Amplifiers
Introduction of Feedback Amplifiers:
The phenomenon of feeding a portion of the output signal back to the
input circuit is known as feedback. The effect results in a dependence
between the output and the input and an effective control can be
obtained in the working of the circuit. Feedback is of two types.
• Positive Feedback
• Negative Feedback
Positive or regenerate feedback:
• In positive feedback, the feedback energy (voltage or currents), is in
phase with the input signal and thus aids it. Positive feedback
increases gain of the amplifier also increases distortion, noise and
instability.
• Because of these disadvantages, positive feedback is seldom employed
in amplifiers. But the positive feedback is used in oscillators.
Positive Feedback
Negative or Degenerate feedback:
• In negative feedback, the feedback energy (voltage or current), is out
of phase with the input signal and thus opposes it.
• Negative feedback reduces gain of the amplifier. It also reduce
distortion, noise and instability.
• This feedback increases bandwidth and improves input and output
impedances.
• Due to these advantages, the negative feedback is frequently used in
amplifiers.
Negative Feedback
Comparison Between Positive and Negative Feed Back:
S.No. Negative Feedback Positive Feedback
Feedback energy is out
Feedback energy is in
1. phase with their input signal
phase with the input signal.
Gain of the amplifier
2. Gain of the amplifier
decreases
increases
3. Gain stability increases Gain stability decreases
4. Noise and distortion Noise and distribution
5. decreases. increases.
Decreases bandwidth
6. Increase the band width
Used in Oscillators
Used in amplifiers
Principle of Feedback Amplifier:
A feedback amplifier generally consists of two parts. They are
the amplifier and the feedback circuit. The feedback circuit usually
consists of resistors. The concept of feedback amplifier can be
understood from the following figure.
Generalized feedback amplifier
In the above figure, the gain of the amplifier is represented as A. The
gain of the amplifier is the ratio of output voltage Vo to the input
voltage Vi. The feedback network extracts a voltage Vf = β Vo from
the output Vo of the amplifier.
This voltage is subtracted for negative feedback, from the signal
voltage Vs. Now,
Vi=Vs−Vf=Vs−βVo
The quantity β = Vf/Vo is called as feedback ratio or feedback
fraction.
The output Vo must be equal to the input voltage (Vs - βVo) multiplied by
the gain A of the amplifier.
Hence,
(Vs−βVo)A=Vo
AVs−AβVo=Vo
AVs=Vo(1+Aβ)
Vo/Vs=A/(1+Aβ)
Therefore, the gain of the amplifier with feedback is given by
Af =A/(1+Aβ)
Effect of negative feedback on amplifier
performance:
The effect of negative feedback on an amplifier is
considered in relation to gain, gain stability,
distortion, noise, input/output impedance and
bandwidth and gain-bandwidth product.
Gain:
The gain of the amplifier with feedback is given by
Af =A/(1+Aβ)
Hence, gain decreases with feedback.
Gain Stability:
An important advantage of negative voltage feedback is that
the resultant gain of the amplifier can be made independent of
transistor parameters or the supply voltage variations,
Af=A/(1+Aβ)
For negative voltage feedback in an amplifier to be effective,
the designer deliberately makes the product Aβ much greater
than unity. Therefore, in the above relation, ‘1’ can be
neglected as compared to Aβ and the expression becomes
Af = A/(1+Aβ) = 1/β
It may be seen that the gain now depends only upon feedback fraction,
β, i.e., on the characteristics of feedback circuit. As feedback circuit is
usually a voltage divider (a resistive network), therefore, it is unaffected
by changes in temperature, variations in transistor parameters and
frequency. Hence, the gain of the amplifier is extremely stable.
Distortion:
A power amplifier will have non-linear distortion because of large signal
variations. The negative feedback reduces the nonlinear distortion. It can be
proved mathematically that:
Df = D/(1+Aβ)
Where D = distortion in amplifier without feedback
Df = distortion in amplifier with negative feedback
It is clear that by applying negative feedback, the distortion is reduced by a
factor (1+Aβ)
Noise :
There are numbers of sources of noise in an amplifier. The noise N can be
reduced by the factor of (1+Aβ), in a similar manner to non-linear distortion,
so that the noise with feedback is given by
Nf = N/(1+Aβ)
However, if it is necessary to increase the gain to its original level by the
addition of another stage, it is quite possible that the overall system will be
noisier that it was at the start. If the increase in gain can be accomplished by
the adjustment of circuit parameters, a definite reduction in noise will result
from the use of negative feedback.
Input / Output Impedance :
The input and output impedances will also improve by a factor of
(1+Aβ), based on feedback connection type.
Bandwidth and Gain-bandwidth Product:
fhf= fh (1+Aβ)
flf= fl /(1+Aβ)
Bandwidth and Gain-bandwidth Product
Each of higher and lower cut-off frequencies will improve by a
factor of (1+Aβ). However, gain-bandwidth product remains
constant.
An important piece of information that can be obtained from a
frequency response curve is the bandwidth of the amplifier. This refers
to the ‘band’ of frequencies for which the amplifier has a useful gain.
Outside this useful band, the gain of the amplifier is considered to be
insufficient compared with the gain at the centre of the bandwidth. The
bandwidth specified for the voltage amplifiers is the range of
frequencies for which the amplifiers gain is greater than 0.707 of the
maximum gain Alternatively, decibels are used to indicate gain, the ratio
of output to input voltage. The useful bandwidth would be described as
extending to those frequencies at which the gain is -3db down compared
to the gain at the mid-band frequency.
Feedback in Emitter Follower Amplifier:
Diagram of an emitter follower
Operation:
For the emitter follower, the input voltage is applied at base and the
resulting a.c. emitter current produces an output voltage (IeRE) across
the emitter resistance. This voltage opposes the input voltage, thus
providing negative feedback (Voltage series). It is called emitter
follower because the output voltage follows the input voltage.
The major characteristics of the emitter follower are:
The voltage gain of an emitter follower is close to 1.
Relatively high current gain and power gain.
High input impedance and low output impedance.
Input and output ac voltages are in phase.
Classification of Basic Amplifiers:
Amplifiers can be classified broadly as,
• Voltage amplifiers.
• Current amplifiers.
• Transconductance amplifiers.
• Transresistance amplifiers.
Voltage Amplifier:
Ri >> Rs and Ro << RL
Equivalent circuit of voltage amplifier.
Current Amplifier:
Ri << Rs and Ro >> RL
Equivalent circuit for current amplifier
Transconductance Amplifier:
Ri >> Rs and Ro >> RL
Equivalent circuit for transconductance amplifier
Transresistance Amplifier:
Ri << Rs and Ro << RL
Equivalent circuit for transresistance amplifier
Summary:
Sl. No. Type Input Output Ri Ro
1 Voltage Amplifier Voltage Voltage High Low
2 Current Amplifier Current Current Low High
3 Transconductance Voltage Current High High
Amplifier
4 Transresistance Amplifier Current Voltage Low Low
Classification of Feedback Amplifiers:
There are four types of feedback,
• Voltage series feedback.
• Voltage shunt feedback.
• Current shunt feedback.
• Current series feedback
Rif = Ri (1+Aβ) Rif = Ri / (1+Aβ)
Rof = Ro / (1+Aβ) Rof = Ro / (1+Aβ)
Voltage series feedback. Voltage shunt Feedback
Rif = Ri / (1+Aβ) Rif = Ri (1+Aβ)
Rof = Ro (1+Aβ) Rof = Ro (1+Aβ)
Current Shunt Feedback Current Series Feedback
Effect of feedback on Input Resistance:
Voltage shunt Feedback Current Shunt Feedback
Rif = Ri / (1+Aβ) Rif = Ri / (1+Aβ)
Voltage series feedback. Current series Feedback
Rif = Ri (1+Aβ) Rif = Ri (1+Aβ)
Effect of feedback on Output Resistance:
Voltage shunt Feedback Current Shunt Feedback
Rof = Ro / (1+Aβ) Rof = Ro (1+Aβ)
Voltage series feedback. Current series Feedback
Rof = Ro / (1+Aβ) Rof = Ro (1+Aβ)
Summary:
Sl. No. Type Rif Rof
1 Voltage Shunt
Rif = Ri / (1+Aβ) Rof = Ro / (1+Aβ)
Feedback Amplifier
2 Current Shunt Rif = Ri / (1+Aβ) Rof = Ro (1+Aβ)
Feedback Amplifier
3 Voltage Series
Rif = Ri (1+Aβ) Rof = Ro / (1+Aβ)
Feedback Amplifier
4 Current Series
Feedback Amplifier Rif = Ri (1+Aβ) Rof = Ro (1+Aβ)
Current shunt feedback.
Equivalent circuit.
Current Series Feedback Voltage Shunt Feedback
GATE Questions and Solutions
14. Match the following
1. 2.
3. 4.
Sol: Trick to remember
The first term shows how the feedback is taken
Voltage is measured in parallel (by voltmeter) - Hence 1st term voltage means, the parallel
connection at the output
Current is measured in series - Hence 1st term current means series connection at the output.
Series connection increases resistance.
Parallel connection decreases resistance .
Answer: 1
End of Presentation
