FEED BACK AMPLIFIER

Ns represent signals voltage or current. If a fraction of output voltage or current (N0) is fed back to the input and added with externally applied input signal (Ns), the resulting amplifier configuration is called feed-back amplifier. Feed back modifies amplifier characteristics.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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Gain with Feedback



A = N0 / Ni = transfer gain of the basic amplifier. It may represent voltage gain ( v0 / vi ), current gain (I0 /Ii), trans-resistance (v0/Ii) or transconductance ( I0 / vi ). B = Nf /N0 = feed back ratio or factor of the feed back network. It may represent vf /v0 , If /I0, vf /I0, If /v0. We note that N0 = A Ni ; Nf = B N0 and Ni = Ns + Nf = Ns + B N0 @Gain with feed back ( Af ) = N0 / Ns = A Ni / (Ni - BN0) @ Af = A / ( 1 BA ) B = feed back function, AB = loop gain / loop transmission function, 1-AB = Return difference / feed back factor
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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There are two types of feed back : 1) Positive Feedback 2) Negative Feedback 1) Positive Feed back If the feed back signal Nf is in phase with the input signal Ns , the feed back is called positive. @ Ni= Ns + Nf = Ns + B N0 which gives, Af= A / { 1 BA }

It shows that if BA < 1, i.e, 1  BA  << 1 Af> A Here, AB p + ve, i.e, Ap -ve, B p  ve positive feed back in controlled amount increases the amplifier gain. BA p 1, Afp w, this phenomenon is utilized in making electronic oscillators to be discussed later.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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2. Negative Feed back

Here feed back signal Nf is out of phase with the input signal Ns , @ Ni= Ns - Nf = Ns - B N0 which results in, Af= A / { 1 + BA }

Thus the gain with negative feed back is always less than gain of the basic amplifier without feed back.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur

Feedback Topologies

Voltage-series (series-shunt)

Voltage-shunt (shunt-shunt)

Current-series (series-series)

Current-shunt (shunt-series)
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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General Features of Negative Feed Back - Amplifier

1)

Gain Stability : Transistors are much more affected by the environmental conditions, manufacturing tolerance etc. The gain of an amplifier changes slowly with aging, temperature, humidity etc. Negative feed back makes the amplifier less sensitive to these parameters. For ve feed back, Af= A / { 1 + BA } Differentiating (1) with respect to A, dAf= dA / { 1 + BA }2 Dividing (2) by (1) : dAf /Af= 1/ { 1 + BA }ydA/A
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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.. (1)

.. (2)

Gain Stability We define D = 1 + BA  as the de-sensitivity factor. Since D > 1, dAf /Af< dA/A


The fractional or percentage change in the gain of a negative feed back amplifier due to aging or other reasons is less than that of the corresponding amplifier without feed back. If D >> 1, dAf /Af< < dA/A ; Af} 1 / B

Thus increasing negative feed back leads to a greater stability of the amplifier gain with respect to variation of external parameters.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur

2. Negative Feed Back Reduces Noise and Distortion

 Negative feed back reduces distortion due to non-linearity of active devices, power supply ripple voltage and disturbances due to noise generated inside the amplifier active devices etc. Any noise is treated as a signal by it.

Distortion introduced at the output of the first as well as the second stage of amplifier is designated by Nd1 and Nd2 respectively.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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A1 A2 A2 1 N2 = N1 . + Nd1 . + Nd2 . 1 A1A2B 1 A1A2 B 1 A1A2B Assuming A1A2B >> 1, N2 = - N1/B - Nd1/ A1B - Nd2/ A1A2B


Thus, Nd2 is reduced by a factor of A1A2B while Nd1 is reduced by A1B. The amount of reduction in the distortion / noise depends very much on the origin of the distortion signal. Since in most of the amplifier non-linear distortion is introduced when the signal level is high, the distortion is predominantly be contributed by the last stage at the output of the amplifier. Thus, distortion is reduced by a factor D in a negative feed back amplifier.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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3. Effect of Feed Back on Frequency Response of an Amplifier (Bandwidth Improvement }

The use of negative feed back increases the overall bandwidth of an amplifier The gain of an amplifier as a function of frequency is given by A =  A0 / ( 1 + j [/[H ) .. ( 1 )

A0 p mid-freq. gain, [ p frequency, [H p upper 3 dB cut off frequency In case of a feed back amplifier, Af = A / ( 1 AB ) Substituting value of A from (1), we get  A0/ ( 1 + j [/[H ) Af = = 1 + [A0B / ( 1 + j [/[H )]  A0 [H j[ + [H ( 1 + A0B )
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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Assuming B is frequency independent, ie B = B0  A0 [H @ Af = j[ + ( 1 + A0 B0) [H  A0 [H = j[ + D [H . (2)

Comparing eqn. (1) and (2), the new upper 3 dB frequency is at ( 1 + A0B0) [H or D [H .


Thus, upper 3 dB cut off frequency increases by a factor of D over the previous value. It can be similarly shown that the lower 3 dB frequency is reduced by application of feed back by a factor of D. Thus, the bandwidth of the amplifier is increased.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur

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Effect of Negative Feedback on Frequency Response

We have seen before, Gain x Bandwidth } Constant



Since in a negative feed back amplifier, gain is reduced by a factor D, bandwidth will be increased by the same factor D.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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4.

Improvement in Linearity and Signal Handling Capacity

Input-output characteristic of an amplifier is called linearity characteristic. Slope of this characteristic, (v0/(vi is the gain. With negative feedback, gain decreases and slope decreases, but the input S.H.C. increases. It reduces non-linear distortion.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur

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5.

Input and Output Impedances

Depending on the four configurations of negative feed back amplifier as defined below, Zi and Z0 either increase or decrease with feed back.

S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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Voltage-Series Feed Back Circuit

A part of output voltage is fed back in series with the input signal, resulting in an overall gain reduction.

If there is no feed back, ( vf = 0 ), voltage gain of amplifier stage is A = v0/vs = v0/vi

With feedback, vi= vs vf, and vf = Bv0
@V 0 =

Avi = A ( vs vf ) = Avs ABv0

or, v0 [ 1 + AB ] = Avs
@Overall

gain with feedback is Af = v0/vs = A/ (1+AB) Thus gain is reduced by a factor of ( 1 + AB )

S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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Voltage-Series Feed Back Circuit

Input Impedance ( Zi )
Ii = vi /Zi = ( vsvf) /Zi = (vs Bv0) /Zi = (vs BAvi)/Zi @Ii Zi = vs ABvi @ vs = Ii Zi + ABvi = Ii Zi + ABIiZi

Zif = vs/Ii = Zi ( 1 + AB )


Thus input impedance with series feed back is seen to be the value of the input impedance without feedback multiplied by the factor (1 + AB) and applies to both voltage series and current series configuration.
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur

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Voltage-Series Feed Back Circuit

Output Impedance ( Z0 ):
The output impedance is determined by applying a voltage v, resulting a current I, at the output with vs shorted ( vs = 0 ). The voltage, v = IZ0 + Avi , for vs = 0, so that v = IZ0 Avf = IZ0 A (Bv) or, v + ABv = IZ0 @ Zof = V / I = Z0 / ( 1 + AB ) Thus, with voltage series feed back, the output impedance is reduced from that without feedback by the factor ( 1 + AB )
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur

vi = - vf,

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Emitter Follower Circuit [ voltage series feed back ]

The signal voltage vs is input voltage vi . The output voltage v0 is also feed back voltage in series with the input voltage. This amplifier provides the operation with feedback. The operation of the circuit without feedback provides vf = 0, so that, Av = v0 /vs = hfe Ib RE / Vs or, Av = hfeRE (vs/hie)/ vs = hfeRE / hie Here, B = vf / v0 = 1 ( as vf = v0 )
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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The voltage gain with feedback, Avf =v0/vs = A / (1+AB) hfe RE /hie Avf = = 1 + (1). hfeRE/hie for hfe RE >> hie Input Impedance : Zi = hie + ( 1 + hfe ) RE Output Impedance : Z0 = ( Rs + hie) / ( 1 + hfe ) As ( 1 + hfe ) >> ( Rs + hie ) , Z0 is small
S. Kal, IIT-Kharagpur
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hfe RE hie + hfe RE

Avf } 1

thus, Zi >> hie