Lecture 11

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Prob. 5 of Pre-Lab #5 has been clarified. (Download
new version.)
HW#6 has been posted.
Review session: 3-5PM Friday (10/5) in 306 Soda (HP
Auditorium)
Midterm #1 (Thursday 10/11):
Material of Lectures 1-10 (HW# 2-6; Chapters 2, 4,
OUTLINE
5)
2 pgs of notes
(double-sided,
8.511),
Review
of BJT Amplifiers
calculator allowed

Cascode Stage

Reading: Chapter 9.1

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 1

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Review: BJT Amplifier

Design

A BJT amplifier circuit should be designed to

1. ensure that the BJT operates in the active mode,

2. allow the desired level of DC current to flow, and
3. couple to a small-signal input source and to an output
load.

Proper DC biasing is required!

(DC analysis using large-signal BJT model)

Key amplifier parameters:

(AC analysis using small-signal BJT model)
Voltage gain Av vout/vin
Input resistance Rin resistance seen between the
input node and ground (with output terminal floating)
Output resistance Rout resistance seen between the
output node and ground (with input terminal grounded)
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 2

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Large-Signal vs. SmallSignal Models

The large-signal model is used to

determine the DC operating point (VBE, VCE,
IB, IC) of the BJT.

The small-signal model is used to

determine how the output responds to an
input signal.
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 3

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Small-Signal Models for

Independent Sources
The voltage across an independent voltage source does
not vary with time. (Its small-signal voltage is always zero.)
It is regarded as a short circuit for small-signal
analysis.
Large-Signal
Model

Small-Signal
Model

The current through an independent current source

does not vary with time. (Its small-signal current is always
zero.)

It is regarded as an open circuit for small-signal

analysis.
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 4

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Comparison of Amplifier
Topologies
Common Emitter
Large Av < 0
- Degraded by RE
- Degraded by RB/(+1)

Moderate Rin
- Increased by RB
- Increased by RE(+1)

Rout RC
ro degrades Av, Rout
but impedance seen
looking into the
collector
can be boosted by
emitter degeneration
EE105 Fall 2007

Common Base
Large Av > 0

Emitter Follower
0 < Av 1

-Degraded by RE and
RS
- Degraded by RB/

(+1)

Small Rin
- Increased by RB/
(+1)
- Decreased by RE

Rout RC

- Degraded by RB/
(+1)

Large Rin

(due to RE(+1))

Small Rout
- Effect of source
impedance is
reduced by +1
- Decreased by RE

ro degrades Av, ro decreases

Av, Prof.
RinLiu,
, and
UC Berkeley
RoutLecture 11, Slide 5

Common Emitter Stage

VA

VA

vout
RC

1
RB
vin
RE
gm
1
Rin RB r ( 1) RE
Rout RC
EE105 Fall 2007

Rout RC || rO 1 g m ( RE || r )

Lecture 11, Slide 6

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Common Base Stage

VA
vout
RC
RE

1
RB RS RE
vin
RS RE
gm
1
1
RB
RE
Rin

gm 1

Rout RC
EE105 Fall 2007

VA

Rout RC || rO 1 g m ( RE || r )
Lecture 11, Slide 7

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Emitter Follower
VA

VA
vout
RE

vin R 1 RS
E
gm 1
Rin r (1 ) RE
1
Rs
|| RE
Rout

gm 1
EE105 Fall 2007

vout
RE || rO

vin R || r 1 RS
E
O
gm 1

Rin r 1 RE || rO

Rout

Lecture 11, Slide 8

Rs
1
|| RE || rO

1 gm
Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Ideal Current Source

Circuit Symbol

I-V Characteristic

Equivalent Circuit

An ideal current source has infinite output impedance.

How can we increase the output impedance of a BJT that

is used as a current source?
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 9

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Boosting the Output

Impedance

Recall that emitter degeneration boosts the

impedance seen looking into the collector.
This improves the gain of the CE or CB amplifier.
However, headroom is reduced.

Rout 1 g m RE || r rO RE || r
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 10

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Cascode Stage
In order to relax the trade-off between output
impedance and voltage headroom, we can use
a transistor instead of a degeneration resistor:

Rout [1 g m (rO 2 || r 1 )]rO1 rO 2 || r 1

Rout g m1rO1 rO 2 || r 1

I C 2 I E1 I C 2 if 1 1

VCE for Q2 can be as low as ~0.4V (soft

saturation)
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 11

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Maximum Cascode Output

Impedance
The maximum output impedance of a
cascode is limited by r1.

If rO 2 r 1 :
Rout ,max g m1rO1r 1 1rO1

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 12

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

PNP Cascode Stage

Rout [1 g m1 (rO 2 || r 1 )]rO1 rO 2 || r 1

Rout g m1rO1 rO 2 || r 1
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 13

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

False Cascodes
When the emitter of Q1 is connected to the
emitter of Q2, its not a cascode since Q2 is
a diode-connected device instead of a
current source.

Rout
Rout

1
1 g m1
|| rO 2 || r 1
g m2

1
|| rO 2 || r 1
rO1
g m2

g m1
1
rO1
1
2rO1
g m2
g m2

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 14

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Short-Circuit
Transconductance
The short-circuit transconductance of
a circuit is a measure of its strength in
converting an input voltage signal into an
output current signal.

iout
Gm
vin

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 15

vout 0

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Voltage Gain of a Linear

Circuit

By representing a linear circuit with its

Norton equivalent, the relationship
between Vout and Vin can be expressed by
Equivalent Circuit
the product of GNorton
m and Rout.

Computation of
short-circuit
output current:

EE105 Fall 2007

vout iout Rout Gm vin Rout

vout vin Gm Rout
Lecture 11, Slide 16

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Example: Determination of
Voltage Gain
Determination of Gm

iout
Gm
vin

g m1
vout 0

Determination of Rout

Rout

vx
ro1
ix

Av g m1rO1
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 17

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Comparison of CE and
Cascode Stages

Since the output impedance of the

cascode is higher than that of a CE stage,
its voltage gain is also higher.

vout g m1vin rO1

VA
Av g m1rO1
VT
EE105 Fall 2007

Av g m1rO 2 g m 2 rO1 r 2
Lecture 11, Slide 18

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Voltage Gain of Cascode

Amplifier

Since rO is much larger than 1/gm, most of IC,Q1

flows into diode-connected Q2. Using Rout as
before, AV is easily calculated.

iout g m1vin Gm g m1

Av Gm Rout

g m1 1 g m 2 rO1 || r 2 rO 2 rO1 || r 2
g m1 g m 2 rO1 || r 2 rO 2
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 19

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Practical Cascode Stage

No current source is ideal; the output
impedance is finite.

Rout rO 3 || g m 2 rO 2 (rO1 || r 2 )
EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 20

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley

Improved Cascode Stage

In order to preserve the high output
impedance, a cascode PNP current source
is used.
Rout g m 3 rO 3 (rO 4 || r 3 ) || g m 2 rO 2 (rO1 || r 2 )
Av g m1 Rout

EE105 Fall 2007

Lecture 11, Slide 21

Prof. Liu, UC Berkeley