MALVINO & BATES

Electronic
PRINCIPLES

SEVENTH EDITION

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 Chapter
10
Voltage Amplifiers

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 Topics Covered in Chapter 10

• Voltage gain
• The loading effect of input impedance
• Multistage amplifiers
• Swamped amplifier
• Two-stage feedback
• Troubleshooting

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 Voltage gain
• Ac output voltage divided by ac input
voltage
• Can be derived by using the π model of a
transistor
• Ac collector resistance divided by the ac
resistance of the emitter diode

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 A VDB common-emitter amplifier
+VCC

RC
R1

RL vout

vin
R2 RE

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 π model of the common-emitter amplifier

This model best illustrates that zin(stage) = R1 R2 βre’

ib

R1 R2 βre’ ic RC RL vout
vin

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 T model of the common-emitter amplifier
rc
This model best illustrates that AV = r ’
e

ic RC RL vout

ic ≅ ie
R1 R2 re’ rc = RC RL
vin ie
vout
AV = v
in

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 Calculating voltage gain
• Solve the dc circuit to find the
emitter current.
• Use the emitter current to find re’.
• Combine RC and RL to find rc.
• Divide rc by re’.

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Loading effect of input impedance

• An ideal ac voltage source has zero

source resistance
• The input impedance of a stage includes
biasing resistors and base input
impedance
• When the ac source is not stiff, the input
voltage is less than the source voltage

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 Real signal sources are not ideal.
Rg

vg zin(stage) vin

When a source is not stiff, use:

zin(stage)
vin = vg
Rg + zin(stage)

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 Multistage amplifier
• Two or more amplifiers cascaded
• Provides increased gain
• Two CE stages produce an amplified in-
phase signal

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To get more gain, a cascade amplifier can be used.

Stage 1 Stage 2
AV1 AV2

vin RL vout
zin(stage 2)

The overall voltage gain: AV = AV1AV2

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 Ac equivalent circuit for the two-stage amplifier

Rg
zin(stage 2)

RC RL
zin(stage 1) ic RC ic
vg

The 2nd stage loads the 1st stage:

Rc1 = Rc1 ║ Zin (stage 2)

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 Swamped amplifier
• Some of the emitter resistance is
unbypassed to get negative feedback
• Voltage gain is stabilized
• Input impedance is increased
• Large-signal distortion is decreased

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 +VCC
Swamped
amplifier
RC
circuit R1

RL vout

vin
R2 rE
ac feedback resistor

RE

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T model of the swamped common-emitter amplifier
Emitter feedback
decreases the gain
and increases the ic RC RL vout
impedance.

R1 R2 re’ rc
vin AV = r ’ + r
e e

zin(base) = β(re’ + re)

re

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Large signals produce distortion since re’ is non-linear.
vbe IE
re’ =
ie

VBE

Input signal
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 ic RC RL vout

R1 R2 re’
vin

This resistor is linear

re and can swamp re’.

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 vb versus ie in a swamped amplifier
ie

re’ + re
Q

vb

Input signal
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 Emitter ac feedback
• A swamped amplifier is an example of
single-stage feedback
• Decreases voltage gain (but the gain is
more stable)
• Increases the base input impedance
• Decreases large-signal distortion

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 Two-stage feedback

Stage 1 Stage 2

vin RL vout
rf

The feedback signal can be connected to

the emitter end of resistor re in stage 1.

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 +VCC
Stage 1
RC
R1
To stage 2

Feedback
vin from stage 2
R2 rE

RE

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 Voltage gain with two-stage feedback:

Stage 1 Stage 2

vin RL vout
rf

rf
AV = +1
re(stage 1)

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 Troubleshooting
• Open coupling or bypass capacitors will
not cause dc error.
• Shorted coupling or bypass capacitors
will cause dc error.
• An open coupling capacitor will cause a
loss of signal.
• An open emitter bypass capacitor will
cause the gain to decrease.

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 More troubleshooting
• The supply line is normally an ac ground.
• The supply line will not be an ac ground
if a bypass or filter capacitor opens.
• An open bypass may allow other signals
to affect the amplifier.
• An open filter capacitor will allow power
supply ripple to get into the amplifier.

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