Differential Amplifiers

Differential amps take two input signals and amplify

the differences (good signal) while rejecting their
common levels (noise)
Normal-mode input: differential changes in the input
signals
Common-mode input: both inputs change levels
together
A good differential amp has a high common-mode
rejection ratio (CMRR) of about 106 (120 dB)
Ratio of response for normal-mode signal to response for
common-mode signal of the same amplitude

Differential amps help us to understand operational

amplifiers (coming in Lab 8)

Differential Amplifiers in Electrocardiography

Differential Amplifier Construction

(single-ended output)
(+ or non-inverting input)

( or inverting input)

Differential Amplifier Construction

Long-tailed pair configuration:

(The Art of Electronics, Horowitz and Hill, 2nd Ed.)

Differential Amplifier of Lab 61

output
+ input

Q1

Q2

input

Differential Amplifier Performance

Gdiff

RC

2 re RE

Differential Amplifier Performance

GCM

RC

re RE 2Rtail

Gdiff
Rtail
CMRR

GCM RE re

(Student Manual for The Art

of Electronics, Hayes and
Horowitz, 2nd Ed.)

Differential Amplifier Performance:

Improving CMRR (Lab 61)

Single-Ended Input Differential Amplifier

(Lab 61)

+ input

output
(not inverted)

Example Problem 2.13

Verify that Gdiff, max 20VRC and

CMRR max 20VR1. Then design

a differential amplifier to your own

specifications.

Solution details given in class.

Bootstrapping
Standard emitter follower biasing scheme:

Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping increases Zin at signal frequencies
without disturbing the DC bias: (Lab 62)

Bootstrap Design
Want Thvenin resistance of bootstrap network at
DC to be same as Thvenin resistance of bias
voltage divider in original circuit (10k)
Choose R3 = 4.7k
Then R3 + R1R2 = 10k R1R2 = 5.3k 5k
Choose R1 / R2 = 1 (same as original circuit)
Solve for R1 and R2 from the above R1 = R2 = 10k

Choose f3dB and calculate C2 or choose C2 and

calculate f3dB using C2 = 10 F, f3dB = 3.2 Hz
We do the latter since we dont know choice of f3dB

Similarly, choose C1 and calculate f3dB,in

For C1 = 0.1 F, f3dB,in = 16.9 Hz

Transistor Junction and Circuit Capacitance

Miller Effect
Consider the following amplifier with voltage gain G,
with a capacitor connected between input and output:

The effective input capacitance becomes Ceff = C(1 + G)

According to the Miller model, the equivalent input

circuit is:
Ceff

Miller Effect
Source impedance (Rsource) and Ceff form a low-pass
filter with an f3dB smaller than without Miller Effect

(CMiller = Ceff)

Defeating Miller Effect

Reduce Rsource (Rsource = 0 eliminates Miller Effect)
Arrange things so that base and collector of any one
transistor do not head in opposite directions at the
same time

Defeating Miller Effect

Cascode circuit (Lab 63)

Beating Miler Effect

Single-ended input differential amplifier

Darlington Connection
Darlington Q1 Q2

IC

IB

VCE ,sat 0.6 V

IC
VB 1.2 V

VC

IB
0.6 V

VE = 0 V

(Lab 64)

Superbeta Transistor
Superbeta transistor used in Lab 65

(Lab 65)