Feedback Amplifiers

Todays Agenda
1. Feedback Concepts
2. The Four Basic Feedback Topologies
1. Series - Shunt Feedback or Voltage Amplifiers
2. shunt-series feedback or Current Amplifiers
3. Series-Series Feedback or Transconductance
Amplifiers
4. Shunt - Shunt Feedback or Transresistance Amplifiers
5. Summary of Feedback Topologies
3. Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers
1. Gain Calculation
2. Bandwidth Extension
3. Input and output Impedance
4. Noise Reduction
5. Advantages and Disadvantages of negative feedback
 Feedback
• Most physical systems
Concepts incorporate some form of feedback. A typical
feedback connection is shown in Fig.1. The input signal, Vs, is applied to
a mixer network, where it is combined with a feedback signal, Vf. The sum
or difference of these signals, Vi, is then the input voltage to the amplifier.
A portion of the amplifier output, Vo, is connected to the feedback network
(), which provides a reduced portion of the output as feedback signal
to the input mixer network.

(a) (b)
Fig. 1 Block diagram (a) Positive feedback (b) Negative feedback amplifier.
 Feedback Concepts
• Depending on the relative polarity of the signal being fed back into a circuit,
(Continued)
one may have negative or positive feedback.
• Negative feedback results in decreased voltage gain, for which a number of
circuit features are improved as summarized below.
• Positive feedback drives a circuit into oscillation as in various types
of oscillator circuits that will be discussed in The next chapters.
• Negative feedback results in reduced overall voltage gain, a number
of improvements are obtained, among them being:
1. Better stabilized voltage gain or desensitize the gain: that is, make
the value of the gain less sensitive to variations in the value of
circuit components, such as might be caused by changes in temperature.
2. Improved frequency response or extend the bandwidth of the amplifier.
3. Control the input and output impedances or higher input impedance
and lower output impedance.
4. Reduce the effect of noise: that is, minimize the contribution to the output of
unwanted electric signals generated, either by the circuit
components themselves, or by extraneous interference.
5. More linear operation or Reduce nonlinear distortion: that is, make
the output proportional to the input (in other words, make the gain
constant, independent of signal level).
 The Four Basic Feedback Topologies

1. Series-Shunt Feedback (Voltage amplifiers)

i/p mixing o/p sampling

2. Shunt- Series Feedback (Current amplifiers)

3. Series-Series Feedback (Transconductance

amplifiers)

4. Shunt-Shunt Feedback (Transresistance amplifiers)

The Four Basic Feedback Topologies
• Based on the quantity to be amplified (voltage or current) and on the
desired form of output (voltage or current), amplifiers can be classified into
four categories. These categories Classified as follows:
Series - Shunt Feedback or Voltage Amplifiers
• Voltage amplifiers are intended to amplify an input voltage signal and
provide an output voltage signal. The voltage amplifier is essentially
a voltage-controlled voltage source. A suitable feedback topology is
the voltage-mixing (series connection at the input ) and voltage
sampling (parallel or shunt connection at the output) as shown in Fig. 2.2.
• Because of the Thevenin representation of the source, the feedback
signal Vf should be a voltage that can be mixed with the source voltage in
series.
• This topology not only stabilizes
the voltage gain but also results
in a higher input resistance
(intuitively, a result of the series
connection at the input) and a lower
output resistance (intuitively, a
result of the parallel connection at
the output), which are desirable
properties for a voltage amplifier.
Fig. 2.2 Series - shunt feedback or
voltage amplifier topology.
 The Four Basic Feedback Topologies (Continued)
shunt-series feedback or Current Amplifiers
• The input signal in a current amplifier is essentially a current, and thus the
signal source is most conveniently represented by its Norton equivalent.
• The output quantity of interest is current; hence the feedback
network should sample the output current.
• The feedback signal should be in current form so that it may be mixed
in shunt with the source current.
• Thus the feedback topology suitable for a current amplifier is the
current- mixing current-sampling topology, illustrated in Fig. 2.3.
• Because of the parallel (or shunt)
connection at the input, and
the series connection at the
output, this feedback topology is
also known as shunt series
feedback.
• This topology not only stabilizes
the current gain but also results
in a lower input resistance, and a
higher output resistance, both
desirable properties for a current
amplifier.
Fig. 2.3 shunt-
series feedback or
The Four Basic Feedback Topologies (Continued)
Series-Series Feedback or Transconductance Amplifiers
• In transconductance amplifiers the input signal is a voltage and the
output signal is a current.
• It follows that the appropriate feedback topology is the voltage-
mixing current-sampling topology, illustrated in Fig. 2.4.

Fig. 2.4 Series-series feedback or transconductance amplifier

topology.
The Four Basic Feedback Topologies (Continued)
Shunt - Shunt Feedback or Transresistance Amplifiers
• In Transresistance amplifiers the input signal is current and the
output signal is voltage.
• It follows that the appropriate feedback topology is of the current -
mixing voltage-sampling type, shown in Fig. 2.5. The presence of the
parallel (or shunt) connection at both the input and the output makes
this feedback topology also known as shunt - shunt feedback.

Fig. 2.5 Shunt - shunt feedback or Transresistance amplifier

topology.
The Four Basic Feedback Topologies (Continued)
Summary of Feedback Topologies
• A summary of the gain, feedback factor, and gain with feedback of Figs. 2.2
to 2,5 is provided for reference in Table 2.1.
2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers
2.3.1 Gain Calculation
• Fig. 2.6 shows the basic structure or signal-flow diagram of a
negative feedback amplifier. Ao is the Gain of the open-loop amplifier
and  is the feedback factor.
• Thus its output voltage Vo is related to the input voltage Vi by:
Vo  AoVi (2.1)
• The output Vo is fed to the load as well as to a feedback network,
which produces a sample of the output.

Fig. 2.6 General structure of negative feedback

amplifier
2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers (Continued)
2.3.1 Gain Calculation
• This sample Vf is related to Vo by the feedback factor 
as: (2.2)
• V f Vf subtracted from 
The feedback signal Vosource signal Vs, which is the
the
input to the complete feedback amplifier, to produce the signal Vi which is
the input to the basic amplifier which is given by:
V  V V (2.3)
i s f
• Here we note that it is this subtraction that makes the feedback negative.
In essence, negative feedback reduces the signal that appears at the input
of the basic amplifier.
• The gain of the feedback amplifier can be obtained by combining Eqs. (2.1)
through (2.3) as: V A
Af  o  o
 o (2.4)
A
Vs 1 A0 1
• T the feedback gain or closed loop gain, a name that
The quantity Af is called
follows from Fig. 2.6, A0 is the open loop gain or gain without
feedback, T = A0 is the loop gain, and (1+ A0) is the amount of feedback.
2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers (Continued)
2.3.1 Gain Calculation
• For the feedback to be negative, the loop gain Ao should be positive; that
is, the feedback signal Vf should have the same sign as Vs .
• Thus this resulting in a smaller difference signal Vi. Equation (2.4) indicates
• that for positive Ao the gain-with-feedback, Af will be smaller than the open-
loop gain Ao by the quantity 1+ Ao, which is called the amount of feedback.
• In other words, the overall gain will have very little dependence on the gain
of the basic amplifier, Ao, a desirable property because the gain Ao is
usually a function of many manufacturing and application parameters, some
of which might have wide tolerances.
• Therefore, the closed-loop gain is almost entirely determined by
the feedback elements.
 2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers (Continued)
2. Bandwidth Extension
Example 2.2:
Consider the noninverting op-amp circuit of Fig.2.8. Let the open-loop gain,
Ao has a low-frequency value of 104 and a uniform 20 dB/decade rolloff at
high frequencies with a 3-dB frequency, fb of 100 Hz. If R1 = 1 kΩ and R2 =
9 kΩ, for the closed-loop amplifier find:
(a) The low-frequency gain Af.
(b) The upper 3-dB frequency, fbf .
Solution R
 1  
1
0.1 R1  R2 1
The amount of 9FB  (1 Ao )  (1 T ) 
1001

A f (a)
 AFrom
/(1Eq. (2.12a) A , is given by:
Ao )  A f/(1 T )  10 /1001 
4 Fig. 2.8 An Op Amp
9.99 V /V
(b) From Eq. (2.12a) fbf ) is given by: circuit
f bf  f (1 Ao )  f (1 T )  100x1001  100.1
b b

kHz
2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers (Continued)
2.3.3 Input and output Impedances
Input Impedance
• Consider the series-shunt feedback amplifier connection shown in Fig.
2.9, the input impedance can be determined as follows:

• The input impedance with series feedback is increased and has the value
of the input impedance without feedback multiplied by a factor equal
to the amount of feedback (1 +  Ao) = (1 + T).
2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers (Continued)

Fig. 2.9 Voltage amplifier feedback connection

model
2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers (Continued)
2.3.3 Input and output Impedances
Output Impedance
• The series-shunt feedback amplifier connection shown in Fig. 2.9,
provides sufficient circuit detail to determine the output impedance with
feedback. The output impedance is determined by applying a voltage, V,
resulting in a current, I, with Vs shorted out (Vs = 0). The voltage V is then
given by:

• The output impedance with series feedback is reduced and has the value
of the output impedance without feedback divided by a factor equal
to the amount of feedback (1 +  Ao) or (1 +T).
 2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers (Continued)
2.3.3 Input and output Impedances
Example 2.3:
Determine the voltage gain, Af, breakdown frequency, fbf, input impedance Zi and
output impedance, Zo with feedback for voltage amplifier, shown in Fig. 2.9, having
Ao = 100, fb = 200 Hz, Ri = 10 kΩ and Ro = 20 kΩ for:(a)  = 0.1 (b)  = 0.5
2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers
2.3.4 Noise Reduction
• Negative feedback can be employed to reduce the noise or interference in
an amplifier or, more precisely, to increase the ratio of signal to noise.
• From Fig. 2.10 (a),the output voltage Vo is related to the input voltage Vi by:
Vo  AoVi  D
where D is the distortion generated by the amplifier.
• With the negative feedback amplifier of Fig. 2.10 (b), when Vs =0, to study
the effect of noise, the output voltage Vo is related to the input voltage Vi by:
D
d  AoVi  D    Ao d  D  d  (2.15)
(1D (1
• 
Feedback distortion < open loop distortion
A) T)
The distortion with feedback is reducedo
and has the value of distortion without
feedback, D, divided by a factor equal to the
amount of feedback (1 +  Ao) or (1 + T).

(a) (b)
Fig. 2.10 Voltage amplifier noise model: (a) Open loop; (b) With
feedback
2.3 Negative Feedback Voltage Amplifiers (Continued)
2.3.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of negative feedback