ELC2702

Electronic Circuits and Systems

Dr. Mohamed El-Dakroury

mdakroury@h-eng.helwan.edu.eg
 Module 2

Differential Amplifiers
“Humming” Noise in Audio Amplifier
• Consider the amplifier below which amplifies an audio signal
from a microphone.
• If the power supply (VCC) is time-varying, it will result in an
additional (undesirable) voltage signal at the output,
perceived as a “humming” noise by the user.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 3 mdakroury

 Supply Ripple Rejection
• Since node X and Y each see the voltage ripple, their voltage
difference will be free of ripple.

v X = Av vin + vr
vY = vr
v X − vY = Av vin

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 4 mdakroury

 Ripple-Free Differential Output
• If the input signal is to be a voltage difference between two
nodes, an amplifier that senses a differential signal is needed.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 5 mdakroury

Common Inputs to Differential Amp.
• The voltage signals applied to the input nodes of a differential
amplifier cannot be in phase; otherwise, the differential
output signal will be zero.

v X = Av vin + vr
vY = Av vin + vr
v X − vY = 0

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 6 mdakroury

Differential Inputs to Differential Amp.
• When the input voltage signals are 180° out of phase, the
resultant output node voltages are 180° out of phase, so that
their difference is enhanced.

v X = Av vin + vr
vY = − Av vin + vr
v X − vY = 2 Av vin

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 7 mdakroury

 Differential Signals
• Differential signals share the same average DC value and are
equal in magnitude but opposite in phase.
• A pair of differential signals can be generated, among other
ways, by a transformer.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 8 mdakroury

Single-Ended vs. Differential Signals

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 BJT Differential Pair
• With the addition of a “tail current,” an elegant and robust
differential pair is achieved.

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 Common-Mode Response
• Due to the fixed tail current, the input common-mode value
can vary without changing the output common-mode value.

VBE1 = VBE 2
I EE
I C1 = I C 2 =
2
I EE
V X = VY = VCC − RC
2

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 11 mdakroury

 Differential Response

I C1 = I EE
IC2 = 0
V X = VCC − RC I EE
VY = VCC
ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 12 mdakroury
 Differential Response (cont’d)

I C 2 = I EE
I C1 = 0
VY = VCC − RC I EE
V X = VCC
ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 13 mdakroury
 Differential Pair Characteristics
• A differential input signal results in variations in the output
currents and voltages, whereas a common-mode input signal
does not result in any output current/voltage variations.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 14 mdakroury

 Virtual Ground
• For small input voltages (+DV and -DV), the gm values are
~equal, so the increase in IC1 and decrease in IC2 are ~equal in
magnitude. Thus, the voltage at node P is constant and can
be considered as AC ground. I
I C1 = EE
+ DI
2
I EE
IC2 = − DI
2

DVP = 0
DI C1 = g m DV
DI C 2 = − g m DV
ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 15 mdakroury
 Extension of Virtual Ground
• It can be shown that if R1 = R2, and the voltage at node A goes
up by the same amount that the voltage at node B goes down,
then the voltage at node X does not change.

vX = 0

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 16 mdakroury

 Small-Signal Differential Gain
• Since the output signal changes by -2gmDVRC when the input
signal changes by 2DV, the small-signal voltage gain is –gmRC.
• Note that the voltage gain is the same as for a CE stage, but
that the power dissipation is doubled.

− 2 g m DVRC
Av = = − g m RC
2DV

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 17 mdakroury

 Small-Signal Analysis

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 18 mdakroury

 Half Circuits
• Since node P is AC ground, we can treat the differential pair as
two CE “half circuits.”

vout1 − vout 2
= − g m RC
vin1 − vin 2

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 19 mdakroury

 Half Circuit Example 1

vout1 − vout 2
= − g m rO
vin1 − vin 2

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 Half Circuit Example 2
Av = − g m1 (rO1 || rO3 || R1 )

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 Half Circuit Example 3

Av = − g m1 (rO1 || rO3 || R1 )

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 22 mdakroury

 Half Circuit Example 4

RC
Av = −
1
+ RE
gm

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 23 mdakroury

Differential Pair Frequency Response
• Since the differential pair can be analyzed using its half circuit,
its transfer function, I/O impedances, locations of poles/zeros
are the same as that of its half circuit.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 24 mdakroury

 Effect of Finite Tail Impedance
• If the tail current source is not ideal, then when an input
common-mode voltage is applied, the currents in Q1 and Q2
and hence the output common-mode voltage will change.

DVout,CM
=−
(RC / 2) =−
RC
DVin ,CM 1
+ REE
1
+ 2 REE
2gm gm
ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 25 mdakroury
 Effect of Input CM Noise
Ideal Tail Current
• There is no effect of the input CM noise at the output.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 26 mdakroury

 Effect of Input CM Noise
Non-Ideal Tail Current
• The single-ended outputs are corrupted by the input CM noise.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 27 mdakroury

 Comparison
Ideal Tail Current Non-Ideal Tail Current

• The differential output

voltage signal is the same
for both cases.
→ For small input CM
noise, the differential
pair is not affected.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 28 mdakroury

 CM to DM Conversion; gain ACM-DM
• If finite tail impedance and asymmetry (e.g. in load resistance)
are both present, then the differential output signal will
contain a portion of the input common-mode signal.
DI C
DVCM = DVBE + 2DI C REE = + 2DI C REE
gm
DVCM
 DI C =
1
+ 2 REE
gm

DVout1 = −DI C RC
DVout2 = −DI C (RC + DRC )
DVout = DVout1 − DVout2 = −DI C DRC

DVout DRC
=
DVCM (1 / g m ) + 2 REE
ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 29 mdakroury
 Example

DR C
ACM − DM =
+ 2[1 + g m3 ( R1 || r 3 )]rO3 + R1 || r 3 
1
g m1

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 30 mdakroury

 Common-Mode Rejection Ratio
• CMRR is the ratio of the wanted amplified differential input
signal to the unwanted converted input common-mode noise
that appears at the output.
ADM
CMRR 
ACM − DM

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 31 mdakroury

 MOSFET Differential Amplifiers

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 Common-Mode (CM) Response
• Similarly to its BJT counterpart, a MOSFET
differential pair produces zero differential output
as VCM changes.

I SS
V X = VY = VDD − RD
2

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 33 mdakroury

 Equilibrium Overdrive Voltage
• The equilibrium overdrive voltage is defined as
VGS-VTH when M1 and M2 each carry a current of
ISS/2.

I SS
(VGS − VTH )equil =
W
 n Cox
L

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 34 mdakroury

 Minimum CM Output Voltage
• In order to maintain M1 and M2 in saturation, the
common-mode output voltage cannot fall below
VCM-VTH.
• This value usually limits voltage gain.

I SS
VDD − RD  VCM − VTH
2

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 35 mdakroury

 Differential Response

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 36 mdakroury

 Small-Signal Response
• For small input voltages (+DV and -DV), the gm values are
~equal, so the increase in ID1 and decrease in ID2 are ~equal in
magnitude. Thus, the voltage at node P is constant and can
be considered as AC ground.

I EE I EE
I D1 = + DI I D2 = − DI
2 2

DVP = 0
 DI D1 = g m DV ; DI D 2 = − g m DV
ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 37 mdakroury
 Small-Signal Differential Gain
• Since the output signal changes by -2gmDVRD when
the input signal changes by 2DV, the small-signal
voltage gain is –gmRD.
• Note that the voltage gain is the same as for a CS
stage, but that the power dissipation is doubled.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 38 mdakroury

 Virtual Ground and Half Circuit
• Since the voltage at node P does not change for small
input signals, the half circuit can be used to calculate
the voltage gain.

vP = 0
Av = − g m RD

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 39 mdakroury

MOSFET Diff. Pair Frequency Response
• Since the MOSFET differential pair can be analyzed
using its half-circuit, its transfer function, I/O
impedances, locations of poles/zeros are the same as
that of the half circuit’s.

ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 40 mdakroury

 CM to DM Conversion Gain, ACM-DM
• If finite tail impedance and asymmetry are both
present, then the differential output signal will
contain a portion
DI
of the input common-mode signal.
DVCM = DVGS + 2DI D RSS = D
+ 2DI D RSS
gm
DVCM
 DI D =
1
+ 2 RSS
gm

DVout1 = −DI D RD
DVout2 = −DI D (RD + DRD )
DVout = DVout1 − DVout2 = −DI D DRD

DVout DRD
=
DVCM (1 / g m ) + 2 RSS
ELC2702 Fall 2022 Module 2, Slide 41 mdakroury