ECE_401@MUST ...............................................

Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

ECE_401: Electronics_IV

Stability and response of feedback

amplifiers.
October 14, 2016

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Negative Feedback:

(): open loop transfer function

(): feedback transfer function
We assume that:
the amplifier has dc gain , and with poles & zeros in the high
frequency band.
at low frequency reduces to a constant value.
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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Closed Loop Gain:

= = ( )
= ( )
Thus:
(1 + ) =
=

1+

1+

When 1, then

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

The stability problem:

The loop Transmission
(j) = A(j)B(j) = |A(j)B(j) j |
At low frequencies, the amplifier does not produce any excess phase
shift.
Beyond some frequency the phase shift will affect the stability of
the closed loop system.
Consider the frequency at which (j180 ) = 180 . The loop gain
(180 )(180 ) will be negative

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

A system has 3 cases: (stable-, oscillatory- and unstable system)

Case 1 - Stable system:
If, |A(j180 )B(j180 )| < 1 then,
=

October 14, 2016

1+

> , & the amplifier will be stable.

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Case 2 Oscillator:
If, |A(j180 )B(j180 )| = 1 then,
=

1+

The amplifier will have an output for zero input oscillator at

180 .

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Case 3 Unstable System:

If, |A(j180 )B(j180 )| > 1 then,
=

1+

, + .

The system becomes unstable with increasing input.

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Frequency Response
Bandwidth of feedback amplifiers: Single Pole case
Assume the amplifier has an open loop transfer function
( ) = (

) : low frequency gain and 1 : 3 bandwidth

The closed loop transfer function is thus,

() =

October 14, 2016

( )
1+()

1
1

(1 + [

1
1

] ) =

1
1

1 +
1

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

() =

1 +
1

]
1+ 1(

() = [

)=

1+

1
1
)
1 (1+ )

the low frequency gain reduced to

1+

and the 3 bandwidth

extended by 1 + .
plane

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Bode plot:
The separation between and , is labeled as X:
= 20 log(|()|) 20 log(| ()|)

Fore 1 =

= 20 log() 20 log ( ) = 20 log()

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Stability and compensation issue

=

1+

=
1

If = 1 = 1 180 or if = 180 we are facing stability

problem.

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Now let us use the Rate of Closure ROC to check the stability of the
feedback amplifier.
1

At the intersection point of the two Bode plots, = . And the ROC is
defined as follows:
= | /

/|

If
20 /:
= {
40 /:

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Example: Given the following non-inverting amplifier with () =

109
104 +

and = 99 , = 100 . Check the amplifier stability if it

has 1 output resistance.

Solution: () =

109
104 +

105
1+104

and

= 20 log 105 = 100 ,

1 =
=

1
2104

+ +

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35
22

= 0.5

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

1

20 ( ) = 20 log 2 = 6
Calculate ROC at the point =

= 6

= |20 / 0 /| = 20 /
20 /:

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Example: Given the inverting amplifier shown below. Obtain the noninverting equivalent then check the amplifier stability if it has the
following parameters: () =

109
,
104 +

= = 10 and a negligible

output resistance.
Solution: Lets convert the amplifier to the
non-inverting topology,
| =

| =

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Seeking equivalent circuit the above equations should be equal.

Thus,

Rearrange the block diagram to obtain

the standard feedback form.
now start the application of frequency
response and the ROC concept to check
the stability.
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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

( ) =
1

105
1+104

= 100 and 1 =

35
22

= 1 = 0

Calculate ROC at the point =

= 0

= |20 / 0 /| = 20 /
20 /:

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Example: Check the stability of the shown amplifier if () =

105
,
1+104

contains 0.01 capacitor and = 5 .

Solution: () =
+

105
1+104

= 100 and 1 = 1.591

1
+5103
1108
1
1108

starts at 0 and has a zero acting at 2 , where

2 =

1
25105

7104
22

= 1 + 5105

= 3.182

| = 0 at 1 105
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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

1

Calculate ROC at the point | = |

Since 2 < 1 105

= |20 / 20 /| = 40 /
40

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Example: Referring to the amplifier shown in circuit diagram, if () =

103
1+104

and = 5 . calculate the capacitance that guarantee the

amplifier stability.
Solution:
( ) =

103
1+104

= 60 and 1 = 1.591

| = 0 at 1 103
1

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1
+5103

= 1 + 5103

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

1

starts at 0 and has a zero acting at 2 , where

2 =

1
25103

7104
22
1

For stable amplifier, should satisfy 2 1 103 = 1.591

2 1.591 =

1
104 1.591106

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1
2

1
25103

1
104

= 21011 = 20

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

Compensation
If the following system becomes unstable due to the effect of the
capacitive load . The use of a resistance can bring back the
amplifier to the stable region.
From the opposite circuit, we have

October 14, 2016

+1/
1/

= + 1

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

For large , the corner frequency of the noise gain may lead to unstability.
Using the compensation resistance we obtain the compensated noise
gain

1
.

, such that

++1/
+1/

has one zero at

Since

1
( +)

<

( +) +1
+1

1
( +)
1
,

and one pole at

the effect of zero starts at lower frequency

with respect to the pole. This leads to system stability.

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ECE_401@MUST ............................................... Stability and response of feedback amplifiers

the value of can be calculated to re-stable the amplifier.

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