I.

Common Base / Common Gate Amplifiers - Current Buffer

A. Introduction
A current buffer takes the input current which may have a relatively
small Norton resistance and replicates it at the output port, which
has a high output resistance
Input signal is applied to the emitter, output is taken from the
collector
Current gain is about unity
Input resistance is low
Output resistance is high.
V+

V+

iSUP

ISUP
iOUT

IOUT

RL
is

RS

IBIAS

IBIAS

V
(a)

(b)

B. Biasing
IBIAS = ISUP/ ISUP

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

II. Small Signal Two Port Parameters

A. Common Base Current Gain Ai
Small-signal circuit; apply test current and measure the short circuit
output current

iout

ib
+
v

gmv = oib

r
ve

ro
roc

it

Analysis -- see Chapter 8, pp. 507-509.

Result:
o
A i = --------------- 1
1 + o

Intuition: iout = ic = (- ie- ib ) = -it - ib and ib is small

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

B. Common Base Input Resistance Ri

Apply test current, with load resistor RL present at the output
+
v

gmv

ro
roc

+
vt

RL

it

See pages 509-510 and note that the transconductance generator

dominates which yields

1
R i = -----gm
A typical transconductance is around 4 mS, with IC = 100 A
Typical input resistance is 250 -- very small, as desired for a
current amplifier
Ri can be designed arbitrarily small, at the price of current (power
dissipation)

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

C. Common-Base Output Resistance Ro

Apply test current with source resistance of input current source in
place
Note roc as is in parallel with rest of circuit

gmv

ro
+
vt

it

roc

RS

Analysis is on pp. 510-511 of Chapter 8, with the final result boiling

down to:
R

out

||r 1 + g r ||R
oc o
m s

If the RS is much greater than r, then the output resistance is

approximately:
R out = r oc [ o r o ]
Rout is limited to the small-signal resistance of the current source

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

D. Common-Base Two-Port Model

The output resistance depends on the source resistance -- which
means that the CB current buffer is not unilateral
The two-port formal model is not strictly valid
Error in using the model is small
Conceptual simplification for design is huge
iin

iout

1
gm

iin

roc ro[1 + gm(r RS)]

Input resistance << CE Amplifier

Output resistance >> CE Amplifier

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

III. Common-Gate Amplifier

A. Circuit Configuration
V+

V+

iSUP

ISUP
IOUT

iOUT

V
RL
is

RS

IBIAS

IBIAS

V
(a)

(b)

It is sometimes possible to tie the backgate to the source which

shorts the backgate transconductance generator in small signal
model
It is obvious that the current gain for this amplifier must be unity,
since the gate current for a MOSFET is zero
The circuit analysis leading to the two port model is very similar to
the CB amplifier -- see pp. 513 - 518 of the text.

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

B. Common-Gate Two-Port Model

The resulting two port model is shown below:
iin

iout

iin

1
gm + gmb

roc (ro + gmroRS)

The input resistance is the same as for the CB for the case where
source and backgate are shorted.
When this isnt the case, the backgate generator is added in (which
helps!):

1
R i = -----gm

or

1
R i = ----------------------g m + g mb

Ri can be designed to be arbitrarily small, at the price of area, by

increasing (W/L) or current
The output resistance is similar to the CB result with r --> infinity

R o = r oc

ro + g ro RS
m

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

IV. Common Collector/Drain Amplifier - Voltage Buffer

A. Introduction
A voltage buffer takes the input voltage which may have a relatively
large Thevenin resistance and replicates the voltage at the output
port, which has a low output reisistance
Input signal is applied to the base/gate, output is taken from the
emitter/source
Voltage gain is about unity
Input resistance is high
Output resistance is low
V+

V+

RS
vs
VBIAS

+
VBIAS

vOUT
iSUP

+
VOUT

RL

ISUP

B. Biasing
Set VOUT to halfway between power rails-->VBIAS -VBE = VOUT
V

I
SUP
kT
= ------ ln -------------BE
I
q
S

Output voltage maximum VCC /2 -VCE(sat) VCC /2 - 0.2 V

Output voltage minumum set by voltage requirement across ISUP

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

V. Small-Signal Two Port Parameters

A. Common Colletor small-signal model and procedure for
finding Av
+
v
vt

gmv

ro

roc

+
vout

Circuit analysis: current through roc || ro is v / r + gmv -->

v t v out
v out
-------------------- + g m ( v t v out ) = ----------------r oc r o
r
Multiplying by r and recognizing that gm r = ,
v out
v t v out + o ( v t v out ) = ( 1 + o ) ( v t v out ) = ----------------- r
r oc r o
Solving for the open-circuit voltage gain:

1
A v = ------------------------------------------------- 1
r
1 + ---------------------------------------r oc r o ( o + 1 )

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

B. Common-Collector Input Resistance Ri

Procedure: apply pure test source, leave load resistor RL
ib

it

oib

+
vt

ro roc

RL

Note that current through roc || ro ||RL is it + o it -->

R in = r + ( o + 1 ) r oc r o R L

C. Common Collector Output Resistance

Apply pure test current source at the output, leaving source
resistance attached
+
v

gmv

RS
ro roc

it
vt

1 RS
R out ------ + -----gm o

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

D. Common Collector Two-Port Model

Good voltage buffer
Non unilateral network

1/gm + RS /o
+

r + o(ro roc RS)

vin

+
vin

vout

E. Common Drain Amplifier

V+

V+

RS
vs
VBIAS

+
VBIAS

iSUP

vOUT

RL

+
VOUT

ISUP

Analysis: much the same as for CC amplifier

If VSB isnt zero, then the voltage gain is degraded from about 1 to
0.8-0.9

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

F. Common Drain Amplifier Two-Port Model

1
(gm + gmb)
+
vin

+
+

gm
(gm + gmb) vin

vout

If VSB = 0, then the voltage gain is Av 1 and Ro 1 / gm

The CD amplifier is a reasonable voltage buffer
Improve output resistance by increasing gm
Input loading is a non-issue, since the gate is open-circuited for
MOSFETs.

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

VI. Summary
A. Single-Stage Building Blocks
Table 1: Simplified Two-Port Parameters
Amplifier Type

Controlled Source

Input Resistance Ri

Output Resistance Ro

Common
Emitter

Gm = gm

ro || roc

Common
Source

Gm = gm

infinity

ro || roc

Common
Base

Ai = -1

1 / gm

roc ||ro [1+gm(r||RS) ]

1 / gm if vsb = 0,

roc || (ro + gmroRS ), if

vsb=0

Common
Gate

Ai = -1

Common
Collector

Av = 1

Common
Drain

Av = 1 if vsb = 0,
-otherwisegm / (gm + gmb)

-otherwise1 / (gm + gmb)

-otherwiseroc ||[ro+(gm+gmb)roRS]

r + (ro || roc|| RL)

(1 / gm ) + RS /

infinity

1 / gm if vsb = 0,
-otherwise1 / (gm + gmb)

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19

B. Ultra Simplified Two-Port Parameters

gmb = 0, common base used as a current buffer --> RS >> r
Table 2: Ultra Simplified Two-Port Parameters
Amplifier Type

Controlled Source

Input Resistance Ri

Output Resistance Ro

Common
Emitter

Gm = gm

ro || roc

Common
Source

Gm = gm

infinity

ro || roc

Common
Base

Ai = -1

1 / gm

roc || (ro)

Common
Gate

Ai = -1

1 / gm

roc ||(gm RS ro)

Common
Collector

Av = 1

r + (ro || roc|| RL)

(1 / gm ) + RS /

Common
Drain

Av = 1

infinity

1 / gm

This table is adequate for first-cut hand design

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 19