55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Homework Assignment 01

In this homework set students review some basic circuit analysis techniques, as well as review
how to analyze ideal op-amp circuits. Numerical answers must be supplied using engineering
notation. For example, 𝐼𝑜 = 19 mA, and not 𝐼𝑜 = 0.019 A,or 𝐼𝑜 = 1.9 × 10−2 A.

Question 1 (2 points each unless noted otherwise)

1. What is the voltage gain 𝐴𝑣 = 𝑣𝑜 ⁄𝑣𝑠 of the amplifier below if 𝑔𝑚 = 0.04 S and 𝑟𝑜 = 100K?

(a) −400
(b) 400
(c) Need additional information (i.e., 𝑟𝜋 )
(d) ≈ 364
(e) ≈ −364

Answer: 𝐴𝑣 = −𝑔𝑚 (𝑟𝑜 ‖10K) = −0.04(100K‖10K) = −363.6 ≈ −364 so (e) is the

correct answer.

2. An engineer designs an amplifier to deliver 6.25 W (sinusoidal) signal power to a 4 Ω

resistive load. What is the required peak-to-peak voltage swing across the load?

2 ⁄
Answer: 𝑃 = 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑅, so that 𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 = 5 V, so that 𝑉𝑝𝑝 = 14.14 V

3. The output voltage of a three-terminal voltage regulator is 5 V @ 5 mA load, and 4.96 V @

1.5 A load. What is the regulator’s output resistance?

(a) ≈ 27 mΩ
(b) ≈ 1K
(c) ≈ 3.3 Ω

Answer: 𝑅 = Δ𝑉⁄Δ𝐼 = 0.04⁄1.495 = 27 mΩ, so (a)

4. A current source supplies a nominal current 𝐼𝑅𝐸𝐹 = 1 mA. When connected to a 5K load,
only 0.95 mA flows through the load. What is the internal resistance of the current source?

Answer: The voltage across the load is (5 × 103 )(0.95 × 10−3 ) = 4.750 V. A current
0.05 mA flows through the current source’s internal resistance, which has value
4.75⁄(0.05 × 10−3 ) = 95K

1
 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

5. A bench power supply is set to an output voltage of 5 V. When it is connected to a circuit

that draws 𝐼𝑂 = 2.5 A, the output voltage drops to 4.95 V. What is the output resistance 𝑅𝑂
of the power supply?

(a) ≈ 20 mΩ
(b) ≈ 1.98 Ω
(c) Need additional information

Answer: 𝑅𝑂 = Δ𝑉⁄Δ𝐼 = 0.05⁄2.5 = 20 mΩ, so (a)

6. An AAA cell has a no-load voltage of 1.605 V. When a 100 Ω resistor is connected across
its terminals, the voltage drops to 1.595 V. What is the cell’s internal resistance?

a) ≈ 620 mΩ
b) ≈ 10 mΩ
c) Need additional information

Answer: The current flowing through the load resistance is 𝐼𝐿 = 1.595⁄100 = 15.95 mA.
The internal resistance is 𝑅𝑂 = Δ𝑉⁄Δ𝐼 = (1.605 − 1.595)⁄(15.95 × 10−3 ) = 0.627 Ω.
Thus, (a) is the answer.

7. What is the impedance of a 0.1 𝜇𝐹 capacitor at 𝑓 = 1 kHz?

a) ≈ −𝑗1.6 × 103 Ω
b) 𝑗10 × 103 Ω
c) ≈ +𝑗1.6 × 103 Ω
d) −1.6 × 103 Ω
a) 10K

Answer: 𝑍𝐶 = −𝑗⁄(2𝜋𝑓𝐶) = −𝑗⁄(2𝜋 × 1 × 103 × 0.1 × 10−6 ) = − 𝑗1.592K. Thus, (a) is

the answer.

8. A 𝐼𝑅𝐸𝐹 = 1 mA current source has an output resistance 𝑅𝑜 = 100 kΩ and drives a 1 kΩ load.
What current flows through the load?

Answer: 𝐼𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 = 𝐼𝑅𝐸𝐹 [100⁄(100 + 1)] = 0.99 mA.

2
 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 2 (Principles) For the circuit shown, 𝑅1 = 20 Ω,

𝑅2 = 10 Ω, and 𝐶 = 10 𝜇F . Determine the equivalent resistance
the capacitor sees. In other words, determine the Thevenin
resistance of the network to the left of the capacitor. (8 points)

Solution To determine the Thevenin equivalent resistance, inject a current 𝐼𝑥 and determine the
voltage 𝑉𝑥 , see below. Then, 𝑅𝑇𝐻 = 𝑉𝑥 ⁄𝐼𝑥

KCL at 𝐴, using the convention that currents flowing away from the node is positive, gives

𝐼1 − 1.5𝐼1 − 𝐼𝑥 = 0
⇒ 𝐼𝑥 = −0.5𝐼1

Further, Ohm’s law gives 𝐼1 = 𝑉𝑥 ⁄30, so that

0.5𝑉𝑥 𝑉𝑥
𝐼𝑥 = − ⇒ 𝑅𝑇𝐻 = = −60 Ω
30 𝐼𝑥

3
 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 3 For the following circuit, determine 𝐼𝐷 and 𝑉𝑜 . Make reasonable assumptions.
(6 points)

Solution Assume the diodes’ internal resistance is negligible and that 𝑉𝛾 = 0.7 V. Assume that
both diodes are forward-biased. Replace the diodes with linear models as shown below. This is
now a linear circuit that one can solve using nodal analysis, KCL, KVL, superposition, Thevenin
or Norton equivalent circuits, etc.

A KCL equation for the output node is

𝑉𝑂 𝑉𝑂 − (10 − 0.7) 𝑉𝑂 − (10 − 0.7)

+ + =0
2K 2K 2K
Solving yields 𝑉𝑂 = 6.2 V. The sign of the voltage is consistent with our assumption: the diodes
are forward biased.

The current through the output resistor is 𝑉𝑂 ⁄2K = 3.1 mA. By symmetry, half of this current
flows through each diode, so that

𝐼𝐷 = 1.55 mA

4
 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 4 (Op-Amps) The input voltage is 𝑣𝐼 for each ideal op-amp below. Determine each
output voltage. Assume 𝑣𝐼 = 6 V. (2 points each)

Solution

(a) This is a follower where 𝑣𝑂 = 𝑣+ . Thus

20
𝑣𝑂 = 𝑣+ = 6= 2V
20 + 40
(b) Same answer as (a)
(c) This is a noninverting amplifier where 𝑣𝑂 = (1 + 10⁄10)𝑣+ = 2𝑣+ . Thus

6
𝑣𝑂 = 2𝑣+ = 2 � 6� = 1.333 V
6 + 48

5
 55:041 Electronic Circuits. The University of Iowa. Fall 2013.

Question 5 (Op-Amps) In the circuit below, the offset voltage for each op-amp is 𝑉𝑂𝑆 =
10 mV. Find the worst case output voltage 𝑣02 for 𝑣𝐼 = 0. (4 points)

Solution The equivalent circuit with 𝑣𝐼 = 0 and the offset voltages indicated, is shown below.

With respect to its offset voltage, the first amplifier is a noninverting amplifier with gain 11, so
that the worst-case |𝑣01 | is |𝑣01 | = 110 mV. This is then amplified by the second amplifier by a
factor 5. With respect to its offset voltage, the gain of the second amplifier is 6, so that the
worst-case |𝑣02 | (using superposition) is

|𝑣𝑜2 | = 5 × 110 + 6 × 10 = 610 mV