Institute of Industrial Electronics

Engineering

Third-Year

Integrated Circuits
(IE-303)

Assignment

Log and Antilog Amplifiers

Dated: Roll No.:

21-07-10 1936
 Log and Antilog Amplifiers
Background:
A logarithmic scale is a scale of measurement that uses the logarithm of
a physical quantity instead of the quantity itself. It is used in conjunction with
units such as with Bel which a logarithmic unit of measurement that expresses
the magnitude of a physical quantity (power or intensity) relative to a
specified or implied reference level.
B = log (Power Ratio)

Since it expresses a ratio of two quantities with the same unit, it is a

dimensionless unit. The Bel unit is quite large, instead we use decibel (dB)
which is one-tenth of a Bel.
dB = 10 log (Power Ratio)

One may ask, if one dB is one tenth of a Bel, should the scaling factor in above
equation be 0.1 instead of 10? That is not correct though, because to achieve a
finer unit step we need to have a power ratio of 10:1 show as ten steps. Thus
we get the above equation.

Why do we use Logarithmic Scale?

• The decibel's logarithmic nature means that a very large range of ratios
can be represented by a convenient number, in a similar manner to
scientific notation. This allows one to clearly visualize huge changes of
some quantity.
• The mathematical properties of logarithms mean that the overall decibel
gain of a multi-component system (such as cascaded amplifiers) can be
calculated simply by summing the decibel gains of the individual
components, rather than needing to multiply amplification factors.

Operational Amplifiers for Log-Antilog Functions:

1.1. Fundamentals of Log Amplifiers:
1.2. Basic Logarithmic Amplifier:

1.3. Basic Log Amplifier Using Diode:

1.4. Basic Log Amplifier Using Transistor:

1.5. Disadvantages of Basic Circuit:

1.6. Temperature Compensated Log Amplifier:
1.7. Frequency Compensation for Log Amplifier:
2. Antilog Amplifier:

2.1. Basic Antilog Amplifier Using Diode:

2.2. Basic Antilog Amplifier Using Transistor:
2.3 Temperature Compensated Antilog Amplifier:
Why the Use of Transistor is Preferred Over Diode in Log-
Antilog Amplifiers?
Both log amplifiers and antilog amplifiers are practically obtained by
using transistors as compared to diodes because the transistors give high
accuracy, reduced bulk resistance and high range of operations.
A practical problem with a simple diode is the inherent internal
resistance of any semiconductor material. This resistance is also subject to
change with temperature, and may actually cause some internal heating in
some applications.
Operation of diode log converters is not practical over two decades for
true log characteristics. For the case of transistors, their reverse saturation
current of the emitter-base junction (IS) < 10-14 A, which is orders of magnitude
better than the reverse saturation current (I0) of diodes. Thus an expanded
range of logarithmic operation (6 to 8 decades) can be achieved by using a
transistor.