Bipolar Differential Amplifiers

ac Analysis
Add = differential-mode gain
Acd = common-mode to differential-mode
conversion gain
Acc = common-mode gain
vid v Adc = differential mode to common-mode
v1 = vic + v2 = vic − id conversion gain
2 2
Circuit analysis is done by
superposition of differential-mode For ideal symmetrical amplifier, Acd = Adc = 0.
and common-mode signal portions.
v +v ! v $ ! A 0 $! vid $
vod = vc1 − vc2 voc = c1 c2 Then # od & = # dd &# &
2 #" voc &% #" 0 Acc &%#" vic &%
" v % " A Acd %" vid %
$ od ' = $ dd '$ ' Purely differential-mode input gives purely
$# voc '& $# Adc Acc '&$# vic '& differential-mode output and vice versa.

Jaeger/Blalock Microelectronic Circuit Design, 5E Chap 15-8

5/6/15 McGraw-Hill
 Bipolar Differential Amplifiers
Differential-mode Gain and Input Resistance

v v vid vid
v3 = id − ve v4 = − id − ve ∴ v3 = v4 = −
2 2 2 2
( gm + gπ ) (v3 + v4 ) = GEE ve Emitter node in differential amplifier
represents virtual ground for differential-
(2gm + 2gπ + GEE ) ve = 0 → ve = 0 mode input signals.

Jaeger/Blalock Microelectronic Circuit Design, 5E Chap 15-9

5/6/15 McGraw-Hill
Bipolar Differential Amplifiers
Differential-mode Gain & Input Resistance (cont.)

Output Signal voltages are: Differential-mode gain for

" vid % " vid % balanced output is:
vc1 = −gm RC $ ' vc2 = +gm RC $ '
#2& #2&
vod
vod = −gm RC vid vod = vc1 − vc2 Add = = −gm RC
vid vic =0

Jaeger/Blalock Microelectronic Circuit Design, 5E Chap 15-10

5/6/15 McGraw-Hill
Bipolar Differential Amplifiers
Differential-mode Gain & Input Resistance (cont.)
If vc1 or vc2 is used alone as the output, the output is said to be single-ended.
vc1 gm RC Add vc2 gm RC A
Add1 = =− = Add 2 = =+ = − dd
vid vic =0
2 2 vid vic =0
2 2
Differential-mode input resistance is the small-signal resistance presented
to the differential-mode input voltage applied between the base terminals.
vid 2 vid 2 vid
ib1 = ib2 = − ∴ Rid = = 2rπ
rπ rπ ib1
Differential-mode onput resistance is the small-signal resistance between
the collector terminals with with vid set to zero:
Rout = 2 ( RC ro ) ≅ 2RC
For a single-ended output: Rout ≅ RC

Jaeger/Blalock Microelectronic Circuit Design, 5E Chap 15-11

5/6/15 McGraw-Hill
Bipolar Differential Amplifiers
Common-mode Gain and Input Resistance
Both arms of the differential amplifier
are symmetrical. So terminal currents
and collector voltages are equal.
Characteristics of a differential pair
with common-mode input are similar
to those of a C-E (or C-S) amplifier
with large emitter (or source) resistor.

vic
vic = ib !"rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE #$ ib =
rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE
2 ( βo +1) ib REE
ve = 2 ( βo +1) ib REE = vic ≅ vic
rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE
βo RC R
vc1 = vc2 = −βoib RC = − vic ≅ − C
rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE 2REE

Jaeger/Blalock Microelectronic Circuit Design, 5E Chap 15-12

5/6/15 McGraw-Hill
Bipolar Differential Amplifiers
Common-mode Gain and Input Resistance (cont.)

Both arms of the differential amplifier βo RC

vc1 = vc2 = − vic
are symmetrical. So terminal currents rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE
and collector voltages are equal. vic
Characteristics of a differential pair ib = ve = 2 ( βo +1) ib REE
rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE
with common-mode input are similar
2 ( βo +1) ib REE
to those of a C-E (or C-S) amplifier ve = vic ≅ vic
with large emitter (or source) resistor. rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE

Jaeger/Blalock Microelectronic Circuit Design, 5E Chap 15-13

5/6/15 McGraw-Hill
Bipolar Differential Amplifiers
Common-mode Gain and Input Resistance (cont.)
Common-mode gain is given by:
voc βo RC RC VCC
Acc = =− ≅− ≅
vic vid =0
rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE 2REE 2VEE
For symmetrical power supplies, common-mode gain ≅ 0.5. Thus, common-
mode output voltage and Acc is 0 if REE is infinite. This result is obtained since
output resistances of transistors are neglected. A more complete expression is:
# 1 1 &
Acc ≅ RC % − (
$ βo ro 2REE '
vod = vc1 – vc2 = 0. Therefore, common-mode conversion gain is found to be 0.
vic rπ + 2 ( βo +1) REE rπ
Ric = = = + ( βo +1) REE Roc = Rc/2
2ib 2 2

Jaeger/Blalock Microelectronic Circuit Design, 5E Chap 15-14

5/6/15 McGraw-Hill
 Bipolar Differential Amplifiers
Common-Mode Rejection ratio (CMRR)
• Represents ability of amplifier to amplify desired differential-mode input signal and
reject undesired common-mode input signal.
• For differential outputs, common-mode gain of a balanced amplifier is zero, and
CMRR is infinite. For a single-ended output,
−1
Adm Add 2 ( " 1 1 %+
CMRR = = = *2 $$ − ''-
Acm Acc *) # βoµ f 2gm REE &-,
• For infinite REE , CMRR is limited by boµf . If the term containing REE is dominant,
CMRR ≅ gmREE = 40ICREE ≅ 20VEE
Thus for a differential pair biased by resistor REE , CMRR is limited by available
negative power supply.
• In reality, CMRR is limited by mismatch between the small-signal device
parameters in the two arms of differential pair. Hence gmREE product is maximized.
# Δg & Δg 2 ( g1 − g2 )
CMRR ∝ gm REE % ( where =
$ g ' g g1 + g2
Jaeger/Blalock Microelectronic Circuit Design, 5E Chap 15-15
5/6/15 McGraw-Hill