c Copyright 2008. W. Marshall Leach, Jr., Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Frequency Response of the CE Amplier

Midband Voltage Gain
The gure shows the signal circuit of the common-emitter amplier. There are three capacitors in the circuit. At the mid frequency band, these are considered to be short circuits. When r0 is neglected except in calculating the collector output impedance ric , the midband voltage gain from vs to vo is given by any one of the three equivalent expressions. Av = = R1 kR2 (ric kRC kRL ) 0 Rs + R1 kR2 re + Rte R1 kR2 1 (ric kRC kRL ) Rte 1 Rs + R1 kR2 Rtb + rx + + gm R1 kR2 1 (ric kRC kRL ) re + Rte Rs + R1 kR2 Rtb + rx + Rte = RE kR3
0 re =

Rtb = RS kR1 kR2

Rtb + rx + re 1+

ric =

0 r0 + re kRte Rte 1 0 re + Rte

The rst expression for Av is derived from the simplied T model, the second is derived from the model, and the third is derived from the T model.

Eect of C1
At low frequencies, C1 is an open circuit and the gain is zero. Thus C1 has a high pass eect on the gain, i.e. it aects the lower cuto frequency of the amplier. To account for C1 , Av is multiplied by the high-pass transfer function 1s T1 (s) = 1 + 1s where 1 is the time constant for C1 . The worst case time constant for the calculation of the lower cuto frequency is the smallest value, i.e. the value which predicts the highest pole frequency. For this to be the case, the base input resistance rib must be calculated with C3 a short circuit. This makes rib its smallest

possible value. Imagine C1 being replaced with an ohmmeter with the source zeroed. The time constant is given by the resistance measured by the ohmmeter multiplied by C1 . 1 = (RS + R1 kR2 krib ) C1 The pole frequency is given by f1 = 1 2 1 rib = rx + r + (1 + ) Rte

Eect of C2
Capacitor C2 also has a high pass eect on the gain. To account for C2 , Av is multiplied by the high-pass transfer function 2s T2 (s) = 1 + 2s where 2 is the time constant for C2 . The worst case time constant for the calculation of the lower cuto frequency is the smallest value, i.e. the value which predicts the highest pole frequency. For this to be the case, the collector input resistance ric must be calculated with C1 and C3 short circuits. This makes ric its smallest possible value. Imagine C2 being replaced with an ohmmeter with the source zeroed. The time constant is given by the resistance measured by the ohmmeter multiplied by C2 . 2 = (RC kric + RL ) C2 The pole frequency is given by f2 = 1 2 2 ric =
0 r0 + re kRte Rte 1 0 re + Rte

Eect of C3
When capacitor C3 is an open circuit or a short circuit, the gain is not zero. Thus C3 must have the eect of a shelving transfer function. The gain is the highest when Rte is has the smallest value. This occurs when C3 is a short circuit. Thus C3 must have a high pass shelving eect on the gain. To account for C3 , Av is multiplied by the shelving transfer function T3 (s) = 3p 1 + 3z s 3z 1 + 3p s

The gain constant 3p / 3z is necessary to make the high-frequency asymptotic value of T3 (j) unity. Imagine C3 being replaced with an ohmmeter with the source zeroed. The pole time constant is given by the resistance measured by the ohmmeter multiplied by C3 . 3p = (rie kRE + R3 ) C3 rie = Rtb + rx + re 1+

The zero time constant is given by the resistance measured by the ohmmeter with the emitter of the transistor open circuited. 3z = (RE + R3 ) C3 The pole and zero frequencies are given by f3p = 1 2 3p f3z = 1 2 3z

Worst-Case Lower Cuto Frequency fL

The lower cuto frequency of the amplier is approximately given by sX X 2 2 fL ' fpi 2 fzi
i i

where fpi are the pole frequencies and fzi are the zero frequencies. This equation gives the worst case value for fL . That is, the actual lower cuto frequency cannot be larger than the value predicted by this equation. The frequency that dominates is the highest pole frequency.

High-Frequency Circuit
The gure shows that high-frequency equivalent circuit. The internal capacitors c and c cause the highfrequency gain to roll o. Each has a low-pass eect on the voltage gain. Note that both connect to the internal base node (the B node). At high frequencies, C1 through C3 are all short circuits. The time constant for c is calculated with c an open circuit and the time constant for c is calculated with c an open circuit. Because c connects the collector output back into the base circuit, it must be replaced by separate capacitors from base to ground and from collector to ground using the Miller theorem.

Eect of c
In applying the Miller theorem, a capacitor cb is placed from the B node to ground and a capacitor cc is placed from collector node to ground. These are given by cb = (1 K) c cc = c

where K is the voltage gain from the B node to the collector node. This is given by the equation for Av with Rtb = 0 and rx = 0. ric kRC kRL ric kRC kRL K= = 1 re + Rte Rte + gm Because K is negative, 1 K is a positive number. The equivalent circuit is shown in the gure.

The pole time constant for c is given by the sum of the time constants for cb and cc . Imagine cb being replaced with an ohmmeter. The time constant for cb is given by the resistance measured by the ohmmeter multiplied by cb .
0 b = [(Rtb + rx ) k (rib )] cb 0 rib = r + (1 + ) Rte

Imagine cc being replaced with an ohmmeter. The time constant for cc is given by the resistance measured by the ohmmeter multiplied by cc . c = (ric kRC kRL ) cc The time constant for c is the sum of these two time constants. = [(Rtb + rx ) k (rib rx )] cb + (ric kRC kRL ) cc The pole frequency caused by c is given by f = 1 2

Eect of c
In the model, c is in parallel with r . The collector current is proportional to the voltage v across this parallel combination. When c becomes a short circuit at high frequencies, the voltage v is zero. Thus c must have a low-pass lter eect. To calculate the time constant, it will be assumed that r0 is an open circuit in the small-signal model. Looking out of the emitter in the model, the Thvenin voltage and resistance are given by vth = gm v Rte Rth = Rte The gure shows the model of the base-emitter circuit with the Thvenin equivalent emitter circuit.

The voltage divider theorem can be used to write the equation by inspection for v as a function of the dierence voltage (vtb gm v Rte ). The pole time constant is the time constant for c with the sources shorted. It is [r k (Rtb + rx + Rte )] c . The zero time constant is the time constant for c with v shorted which is zero. Thus the equation for v is v = (vtb gm v Rte ) r 1 Rtb + rx + r + Rte 1 + [r k (Rtb + rx + Rte )] c s

Note that v occurs on both sides of the equal sign. The equation can be solved for v to obtain r 1 Rtb + rx + r + Rte v = vtb r 1 + s 1 + gm Rte Rtb + rx + r + Rte where = (Rtb + rx + Rte ) r (Rtb + rx + Rte ) re c = c Rtb + rx Rtb + rx + r + (1 + ) Rte + re + Rte 1+ f = 1 2

The pole frequency caused by c is

For the case Rte = 0, the time constant for c can be written by inspection from the above gure. With vtb = 0, the pole time constant is given by = [(Rtb + rx ) kr ] c

Worst-Case Upper Cuto Frequency fU

The upper cuto frequency of the amplier is approximately given by 1 sX X 2 2 fU ' fpi 2 fzi
i i

where fpi are the pole frequencies and fzi are the zero frequencies. Note that there are no zero frequencies predicted by the analysis. This equation gives the worst case value for fU . That is, the actual upper cuto frequency cannot be smaller than the value predicted by the equation. The frequency that dominates is the lowest pole frequency.