COE-EE 371 Lab Manual
COE-EE 371 Lab Manual
COE-EE 371 Lab Manual
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Contents
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Lab 1: Network Analysis and Bode plots
Objectives:
The purpose of the lab is to investigate the frequency response of a passive filter and learn the fundamentals about
circuit design and analysis in the frequency domain.
a. Protoboard
b. Capacitors
c. Resistors
d. Oscilloscope
e. Function generator
f. Frequency counter
g. Digital Multimeter
Introduction
The frequency response is a representation of the system’s response to sinusoidal inputs at varying frequencies; it is
defined as the magnitude ratio and phase difference between the input and output signals. If the frequency of the
source in a circuit is used as a reference, it is possible to have a complete analysis in the frequency domain and time
domains. Frequency domain analysis is easier than time domain analysis because differential equations used in the
time domain are mapped into linear equations that are function of the frequency variable s (σ+j ω). It is important to
obtain the frequency response of a circuit because we can predict its response to any input signal.
Filters are important blocks in communication and instrumentation systems. They are widely used in radio receivers,
power supply circuits, and noise reduction systems. There are four general types of filters: Low-pass filters (LPF)
that pass low frequency signals and reject high frequency components; Band-pass filters (BPF) that pass signals
within a certain frequency range; High-pass filter (HPF) pass high frequency signals and rejects low frequency
components; and Band-Reject (Stop) filters that reject signals that have frequencies outside a certain band..
In this laboratory experiment we will plot the frequency response of a network by analyzing RC passive filters . We
can characterize the filter by two features of the frequency response:
1. The difference between the magnitude of the output and input signals (given by the amplitude ratio)
2. The time lag or lead between input and output signals (given by the phase shift)
To plot the frequency response, many frequencies are used and the value of the transfer function at these frequencies
is computed. A particularly important method of displaying frequency response data is the Bode plot. A Bode plot is
the representation of the magnitude and phase of H(s). H(s) is the transfer function of a system, and s =σ+ j ω where
ω is the frequency variable in rad/s.
Phase measurement
The phase angle can be calculated by determining the time shift ∆t. To determine ∆t, display the input and output
sine waves on the two channels of the oscilloscope simultaneously and calculate the phase difference as follows,
∆t
Phase difference (in degrees) = 360
T
where ∆t is the time-shift of the zero crossing of the two signals, and T is the signal’s period. This is illustrated in
Fig. 1.
Pre-laboratory exercise
1. For the circuit shown in Fig. 2, derive the transfer function for vo/vin in terms of R, and C, and find the
expressions for the magnitude and phase responses. Express your results in the form
vo 1
=
v in s
1+
ωp
where ωp is the pole frequency location in rad/sec.
Vin(t) C Vo(t)
2. The corner frequency of the low-pass filter is defined as the frequency at which the magnitude of the gain is
1 2 = 0.7 0 7. This is also called the half power frequency (since 0.7072 = 0.5), and the -3dB
frequency since 20log10(0.707) = -3 dB. Find the corner frequency, in terms of R and C, in both rad/s and
Hz.
3. For C = 47 nF, find R so that the -3 dB frequency is 3.3 kHz. Draw the Bode plots.
4. Simulate the low pass filter circuit using the PSpice simulator. Compare the simulation results with your
calculation. Attach the magnitude and phase simulation results.
5. For the circuit shown in Fig. 3, derive the EXACT transfer function for vo/vin in terms of Ri , and Ci, and
find the expressions for the magnitude and phase responses. Express your results in the form
vo 1
= 2
vin as + bs + 1
where a and b are functions of R1, R2, and C. Note, this function has two poles that are coupled, i.e. both a
function of R1, R2, and C.
R1 R2
Vin(t) C C Vo(t)
Lab Measurement:
1. Build the circuit shown in Fig. 2 with the values of R and C you choose in the pre lab. Apply a 6 Vpp
sinusoidal signal from the function generator to the input and use the high Z option on your signal source
(ask you TA for assistance).
2. Connect channel 1 of the oscilloscope across vin(t) and channel 2 across vo(t). Set the oscilloscope to
display both inputs vs. time by pressing CH1 and CH2. Keep the generator voltage constant. Vary the input
frequency and find the -3 dB frequency (first determine the DC gain. Then sweep the frequency until the
output is 3 dB below the input). Your data should include several points above and below the -3 dB
frequency. Also, measure the output with the input frequency several decades above the -3 dB frequency.
3. Use the cursors on the oscilloscope to measure the time shift, ∆t, between the zero crossings of the input
and output signals for at least 10 different frequencies in the range 0.1 f-3dB and 10 f-3dB, including f-3dB, and
get the phase shifts between input and output signals. Measuring the phase shift is an accurate method of
determining the 3-dB frequency. What is the phase shift at f-3dB?
1. Noise is modeled as a high frequency, small amplitude signal that is superimposed onto an ideal sine wave.
A low pass filter can attenuate the high frequency noise while preserving the wanted signal.
2. Start the ArbWave software;
3. Generate a sine wave. Select a sine wave using the Waveforms icon;
4. Add noise to signal. Select the edit icon and use the select all utility, then select the math icon, choose the
add utility. In the add function box, select the standard wave option. Next select the noise waveform and
adjust it to 0.3 V. In the add function box, choose the fit amplitude option;
5. Send the noisy waveform to the signal generator. Use I/O icon and select send waveform. Adjust the
amplitude of the signal to 6 Vpp, and the frequency to 0.25 kHz;
6. Apply this signal to your low-pass filter and observe the input and output signals;
7. Take a screen shot of both the noisy and filtered signals on the oscilloscope.
1. Build the circuit shown in Fig. 3 with R and C you found in the pre lab. Apply a 6 Vpp sinusoid from the
function generator to the input.
2. Find the 3-dB signal-attenuation frequency f-3dB and 40 dB signal-attenuation frequency f-40dB.
Lab Report:
1. Present clearly all your results. Plot the magnitude and phase responses on the semi-log graph; see your
lecture notes or textbook for some examples.
2. Describe and comment on the differences you found in both first- and second-order low pass filters;
consider both magnitude and phase characteristics.
3. Compare the hand-calculated, PSpice simulated and measured results. Comment on possible reasons for
any differences between them.
4. Discuss the noise filtering operation of the low-pass filter.
5. Include some conclusions.
Introduction:
The National Instruments Educational Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Suite (NI ELVIS) is a LabVIEW and
computer based design and prototyping environment. NI ELVIS consists of a custom-designed bench top
workstation, a prototyping board, a multifunction data acquisition device, and LabVIEW based virtual instruments.
This combination provides an integrated, modular instrumentation platform that has comparable functionality to the
DMM, Oscilloscope, Function Generator, and Power Supply found on the laboratory workbench.
The NI ELVIS Workstation can be controlled either via manual dials on the stations or through software
virtual instruments. The NI ELVIS software suite contains virtual instruments that enable the NI ELVIS workstation
to perform functions similar to a number of much more expensive instruments. This environment consists of the
following two components:
The NI Elvis software also includes additional Lab view VIs for custom control and access to the features of NI
Elvis hardware workspace.
Part A. Using Digital Multimeter Soft Panel (SFP) to measure electronic component properties.
Part B. Using Function Generator SFP and Oscilloscope SFP for characterizing a RC high pass filter.
Part C. Using Bode Analyzer SFP for characterizing a RC high pass filter.
Part D. Using NI Elvis to characterize the RC high pass circuits designed in the pre lab.
Pre-laboratory exercise:
No pre-laboratory exercises are required for Parts A, B, and C. Please complete the following pre-laboratory
exercises for Part D.
1. For the circuit shown in Fig. 2A, derive the transfer function for vo/vin in terms of R and C, and find the
expressions for the magnitude and phase responses. Express your results in the form
s
vo ωp s
= =
vin s ωp + s
1+
ωp
where ωp is the pole frequency location in rad/s
Vin(t) R Vo(t)
Lab Measurement:
Complete the following steps to measure the value of a resistor using NI Elvis environment.
1. First ensure that the Power Supply to the prototype board has been switched off. (Refer to Fig. 2). Note that
the system power is switched on. The system power switch is located at the back of the prototyping station.
To V
R
To Com
4. Connect the two terminals of capacitor between DUT+ and DUT- terminals on the proto board. Refer to
Figs. 5 and 6.
To DUT-
DMM/ BASE
Impedance OUT+
Analyzer OUT-
5. Apply power to the proto board by switching the Prototype Board Power switch to the up position. The
three indicator LEDs +15V, -15V and +5V should now be lit as show in Fig. 7.
6. Go to the program menu on your computer and launch NI ElvisSmx Instrument Launcher in the NI
ElvisSmx program. The interface should appear on your screen as shown in Fig. 8. This interface shows all
the Virtual Soft Front Panels (SFP) available in NI Elvis.
7. Click on the Digital Multimeter (DMM). This SFP can be used for a variety of operations.
This section provides an introduction to using NI Elvis for AC characterization of a simple RC low pass filter. We
will characterize the simple RC filter that we designed in Lab 1. The R and C values should for this low pass filter
should be the same as what we used in Lab 1.
AI1+ R
FGEN AI0+
GROUND AI0-
AI1-
Fig. 11. RC Filter connectivity for AC Characterization.
3. Apply power to the proto board by switching the Prototype Board Power switch to the up position.
4. Go to the program menu on your computer and launch the NI Elvis.
5. From NI Elvis instrument launcher, click on "Function Generator" (FGEN). Ensure that the manual mode is
turned off on the workstation so that all the buttons on the function generator window are not disabled. The
initial function generator should appear as shown in Fig. 12.
Fig. 13. Function Generator set to produce a 100 Hz sine wave with 1 V amplitude.
8. The input to the RC circuit is connected to FUNC_OUT port on the prototype board. This input is also
connected the Analog Channel-0 (AI1+/AI1-). So, select AI1 in the source pull down list.
9. Click on Auto scale for the amplitude display setting of the signal.
10. This input signal originates from FUNC_OUT. The corresponding SYNC signal is TRIG. In TRIGGER
section, select TRIG option. The output should now appear as shown in Fig. 15. This is the input signal for
our RC circuit.
11. Now select the output signal on Channel 1 of the oscilloscope SFP. First enable channel 1 by clicking the
ON button under Channel 1. Now select AI0 from the Source drop-down list and click on Auto scale. You
should now be able to see both input and output on the oscilloscope output. Vertical positions of signals on
Channel A and B can be separately adjusted using the vertical position knob.
12. You can change the frequency of the input signal on the FGEN SFP to see the corresponding change on the
oscilloscope.
13. Cursors can also be used on the Oscilloscope SFP by clicking the Cursor button to ON. An example
measurement using two cursors C1 and C2 to measure the phase shift is shown in Fig. 16.
Fig. 16. NI Elvis Oscilloscope showing both input and output on two channels.
14. RMS, Frequency, and Amplitude (Peak-to-peak) measurements are shown at the bottom of the screen.
As explained in this section, we used the function generator (FGEN) and oscilloscope SFP to analyze a RC filter. In
this setup:
The input signal to the filter is provided through the Function generator SFP.
The input signal to the filter is available on Channel-0 of the oscilloscope (through AI1).
The output signal of the filter is available on Channel-1 of the oscilloscope (through AI0).
The trigger source for the oscilloscope is available through TRIG.
By varying the input frequency to the filter, we can obtain the 3-dB bandwidth of the filter using the oscilloscope
measurements.
NI Elvis has a bode analyzer SFP which facilitates automatic bode plot generation of a given circuit. Complete the
following steps to obtain the Magnitude and Phase response of the RC filter:
1. Retain the circuit configuration from the previous section. Note that the circuit should be setup as shown in
Fig. 11.
2. Ensure that the connections are correct and switch the prototype board power to ON position.
3. From the NI Elvis instrument Launcher, select Bode (Bode Analyzer). The initial Bode Analyzer SFP
should appear as shown in Fig. 17.
4. The Bode analyzer controls the input signal to the circuit from the FUNC_OUT ports. The output signal to
be analyzed should be connected to Analog Channel 1 (between AI0+/AI0-). The input signal should also
be connected to Analog channel 0 (between AI1+/AI1-).
Fig. 18. Bode Analyzer output and measuring the 3dB frequency using cursors.
1. Build the second order RC low pass circuit shown in Fig. 3 in Lab 1using the R and C values that were
obtained in Lab 1. Obtain the frequency response of the filter using the bode analyzer SFP as shown in part
C.
2. Build the RC high pass circuit shown in Fig. 2A using the R and C values designed in the pre-laboratory
exercise. Obtain the frequency response of the filter using the bode analyzer SFP as shown in part C.
Introduction
Practical devices are non-ideal. You can find information about the specifications and performance measures from
the manufacture’s data sheet. It is an important skill for an engineer to obtain relevant analytical data from data
sheets. Data sheets are generally arranged in three main sections:
1. A General Descriptive section, which summarizes the important properties of a device, pin-out diagram
and equivalent circuit diagrams;
2. A Maximum Rating section, which defines the safe limits of device operation;
3. An Electrical Characteristics section, which gives information about the ranges of performance for most of
the important device parameters. This section usually includes graphical and tabular presentations. The
graphs often repeat the data from the tables but give more detailed information. Sometimes the vendors
provide test circuits.
Some specifications listed as typical are not verified by tests by the manufacturer. Only minimum and maximum
specifications are binding.
In this lab some specifications of the Opamp will be measured. Before that, please be sure to consult the
manufacturer’s data sheets first.
The time-domain graph of a signal shows how a signal changes with time; a frequency-domain graph shows how
much of the signal lies within each given frequency band. A signal can be converted between the time and frequency
domains using mathematical transforms. The Fourier transform decomposes a function into a sum of sine waves
which have different frequencies. The spectrum of frequency components is the frequency domain representation of
the signal. The fast Fourier Transform (FFT) computes the discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). A DFT decomposes a
sequence of values into components of different frequencies.
Opamp parameters
The Opamp is one of the most widely used devices in electronic instrumentation and analog integrated circuits
design. There are many parameters to be considered for a simple Opamp. In this lab, only a few parameters are
briefly discussed and studied. The information about the parameters below can be found in the data sheet.
Power Supplies: The most frequently used supplies are: ±15 V, ±12 V, ±10 V and ±5 V. In all our labs we will use
±7 V supplies for all the op amp circuits. Never exceed the specified power supply limit.
Input Resistance and Output Resistance: The input resistance looking into the two input terminals of the Opamp is
ideally infinite. For a real 741 Opamp, it is about 2 MΩ. The finite input resistance of the Opamp must be taken into
account, but it is especially critical if the impedances of the components attached to the Opamp inputs are
comparable with its input impedance. The output resistance on the other hand is ideally zero. For a real 741 Opamp,
Output Offset Voltage and Input Offset Voltage: When the Opamp input signal is zero, the output should be zero.
However, in practice, it is not the case. For a real 741, the output voltage is typically around 2 mV when the inputs
are connected to the analog ground (grounded inputs). This offset is called the output offset voltage. This voltage is
divided by the open-loop gain of Opamp to get the equivalent input offset voltage.
Input Offset Current: The ideal Opamp has an infinite input resistance and draws no current from the inputs. In the
real 741, each input draws a small amount of DC current because of the finite input resistance. The difference
between the current drawn into the positive and negative input terminal is called the input offset current.
Open Loop Voltage Gain: The open loop voltage gain is the Opamp’s gain when an input signal is applied and
feedback is not used. The gain is ideally infinite, but in a real case it is finite; for the 741 the DC gain is around
200,000 V/V (around 106 dB). The gain also depends on frequency and other parameters.
Gain Bandwidth Product: The open loop gain of the Opamp depends on the frequency. It decreases as the frequency
increases. So, the Opamp is less efficient at high frequencies. However, the product of open loop DC gain and the -3
dB frequency (bandwidth) is a constant. This is defined as the Gain-Bandwidth product GBW. For a real 741, GBW
is about 1.2 MHz.
Slew Rate: An ideal Opamp is able to follow the input signal no matter how quickly the input changes because the
Opamp has an infinite frequency response. In a real 741, the output rise and fall transients cannot exceed a
maximum slope; the maximum rate of change of the output voltage as a function of time is called the slew rate.
Applying signals with transients that exceed this limit results in distorted output signals. The slew rate can be
measured by applying a large square waveform at the input. The frequency of the input signal should be increased
until the output becomes a triangular waveform. The slope of the triangular waveform is the slew rate.
Handling Opamps: Picking up an IC package by your hand could destroy the circuit inside due to the static voltage
discharge. Always wear a ground-strap so that static voltage does not accumulate.
Pre-laboratory exercise
1. Read the data sheet for 741 Opamp and write down the typical values of the following parameters:
• Supply Voltage
• Power Consumption
• Input Resistance
• Input Offset Voltage
• Output Resistance
• Input Offset Current
• Voltage Gain
• Bandwidth
• Slew Rate
2. For the circuit in Fig. 1, derive the voltage gain expression at low frequencies (DC gain) assuming the
Opamp is ideal.
-7V
-7V
3. Choose R2 for a gain of –5 if R1 = 10 kΩ. Use the uA741 PSpice Opamp model to verify your result using a
DC source of 1 V.
4. For the circuit shown in Fig. 2, derive the equation for the voltage gain at low frequencies (DC gain)
assuming that the Opamp is ideal.
+7V
-7V
+7V
-7V
1. Connect the circuit in Fig. 4 and use the dual power supply ±7 V. Measure the resistor values accurately
before you connect them. Measure the voltages across the two 250 kΩ resistors. Connect the Opamp output
to ground.
+7V
-7V
Fig. 4. Offset Current Measurement Configuration
2. Use Ohm’s law to calculate the DC input currents. The difference between the current into positive and
negative input terminals is the input offset current.
1. Turn the power supplies off. Connect the circuit as shown in Fig. 5 with the values of R1 and R2 you
calculated in the pre lab for Fig. 2. Then make sure that you have powered the chip with the dual power
supply. For this measurement, the non-inverting input of the Opamp is grounded. Use the Digital
Multimeter to measure the output voltage. This is the output offset voltage.
+7V
-7V
2. The input offset voltage of the Opamp can be calculated by dividing the output offset voltage by the
circuit’s gain, which is 1+R2/R1 for the circuit shown in Fig. 5.
3. To minimize the offset voltage, turn off the power supply first and connect a 20 kΩ potentiometer (pot) to
pins 1 and 5 as shown in Fig. 6. Be sure to connect the center tap of the pot to the –7 V supply. Turn on the
power supply and use the pot to zero the Opamp’s output. This is how offset voltage is compensated.
-7V
1. Retain the potentiometer setting and do not change the connections to Pins 1, 5, and 7. Connect the circuit
as shown in Fig. 1 using the component values that were calculated in the pre lab. Turn off the power
supply. Apply a 1 Vpp 1 kHz sine wave to the Opamp inverting terminal through R1 as shown Fig. 1.
Display the input and output on the oscilloscope. Note that you need to verify the peak-to-peak voltage
using the oscilloscope. Measure Vout and compute the closed loop gain. While measuring the output signal
on the scope, make sure that the output signal is displayed completely (not clipped).
2. Increase the input signal by small increments up to 3 Vpp. Measure and record the maximum value of the
input amplitude before distortion occurs at the output. Obtain a screenshot of the distorted output
waveform.
3. With the input at 2.5 Vpp, perform a distortion analysis by activating the mathematical function and
selecting the FFT screen analysis. The FFT analysis can be activated using the “Math Menu” button on the
oscilloscope. Adjust the base-time to have 1 kHz per division and 10 dB/division in the Y-axis. Measure
the difference between the fundamental component at 1 kHz and the ones at 2 kHz and 3 kHz.
4. With the input at 2 Vpp, connect the input to channel 1 of the oscilloscope and the output to channel 2.
Switch the oscilloscope to XY mode. XY mode is in Diplay -> Format. Use DC coupling to both channels
and adjust the volts/divisions knobs to display the transfer characteristic Vout vs. Vin. Be sure that the upper
and lower limits of Vout are displayed on the screen. Disconnect the external trigger input fed from the
function generator to the oscilloscope to obtain the transfer characteristic. To show the upper and lower
limits, increase the input voltage until the Opamp saturates. Explain your results.
5. Measure and record the precise voltage values of the upper and lower limits.
6. The slope of the line around 0 V input is the small signal gain of the inverting amplifier. Take two points
on the line to find y2, y1, x2 and x1, then compute the voltage gain as (y2-y1)/(x2-x1).
Part D. Inverting Amplifier Distortion analysis using NI Elvis Dynamic Signal Analyzer SFP.
In this section we will use the NI Elvis dynamic signal analyzer SFP to perform distortion analysis for the Opamp
inverting amplifier shown in Fig. 1.
1. First ensure that the power supply to the Elvis prototype board has been switched off.
2. Connect the circuit shown in Fig. 1. Do not change the potentiometer setting.
3. Connect the output of the amplifier (Vout in Fig. 1.) to AI0+ on the prototype board.
4. Connect the ground signal to AI0- on the NI Elvis prototype board. The output of the amplifier should be
connected to any one of the NI Elvis Analog Channels. We have picked Analog Channel 0 (AI0+/AI0-) in
this exercise.
5. The input of the amplifier should be connected to the function generator on the bench (as in Part C) not the
NI Elvis FUNC_OUT output. Connect the Elvis ground (pin 53) to circuit ground.
6. Turn on the ±7 V the supplies to the Opamp.
9. On the Dynamic Signal Analyzer SFP, we can make the following changes to the settings:
After completing these steps, the output should appear as shown in Fig. 7.
11. Increase the input signal amplitude up to 3 Vpp to obtain the distortion measurements and screen shots
from the Dynamic signal analyzer.
12. Remember that the op amp is powered by supplies at ±7 V. So, the output would saturate at values below
14 Vpp. You can calculate the input signal level for such outputs and observe the distortion performance
around that input amplitude.
13. More details regarding NI Elvis DSA FFT settings can be obtained using the Help Button shown on the
screen in Fig. 7.
1. Keep the connection between pin 1 and pin 5 untouched and connect the circuit shown in Fig. 2. Use the
values of R1 and R2 you calculated in the pre lab. Do not change the potentiometer setting.
2. Use a 1 Vpp 1 kHz sine wave for your input.
3. Repeat steps 2 through 6 of Part C.
4. Repeat the steps outlined in Part D to obtain the distortion performance of the non-inverting amplifier.
Lab Report:
1. Tabulate all of the parameters measured in the lab. Look up the same parameters on a data sheet for the 741
Opamp. Calculate and list the differences between your measurement and specified values given by the
manufacturer.
2. Provide the plots that you obtained in Parts C, D and E. Discuss the data in each measurement.
3. For parts C and E, compare the following four items: (1) PSpice simulated gain, (2) the theoretical gain,
using the measured value of resistors, (3) the ratio of vout/vin, using the waveform amplitudes and (4) the
slope of the transfer characteristic.
4. Discuss the results of distortion measurements from sections D and E.
5. Explain how using the pot can null the offset voltage (Bonus).
6. Is it possible to get a gain of less than unity using a non-inverting amplifier configuration? If yes, sketch a
circuit. You may use PSpice to verify your design.
7. Conclusion.
Introduction
Summing Amplifier: An inverting amplifier can be modified to accommodate multiple input signals as shown in Fig.
1. Since the circuit is linear, the output voltage can easily be found by applying the superposition principle: the
output voltage is a weighted sum of the two input signals. The weighting factor is determined by applying one of the
input signals while the other is grounded and analyzing the resulting circuit. Since the circuit is linear, the analysis is
repeated for the other input, and the final result is the addition of both signals. The advantage of this approach is that
we can easily recognize the effect of each signal on the circuit’s performance, and the overall output can be obtained
in most of the cases by inspection. For the circuit shown below, the following equation results:
R R
Vout = − 3 Vin1 + 3 Vin 2
R1 R2
+7V
-7 V
The summing amplifier can be extended to have any number of input signals. Consider that a two bit digital signal is
applied to the input in the above circuit. A analog voltage appears at the output that is determined by the binary
input. So a more general configuration based on this circuit can be used to build digital-to-analog converters (DAC).
Differential amplifier: The differential amplifier is designed to amplify the difference of the two inputs. The
simplest configuration is shown in Fig. 2.
-7 V
If the resistor values are chosen such that R2 / R1 = R4 / R3, then the output of the amplifier is given by:
R2
Vout = (Vin 2 − Vin1 )
R1
This expression shows that the amplifier amplifies the difference between the two input signals vin1-vin2 and rejects
the common mode input signals; vout=0 if vin1=vin2. Therefore, the differential amplifier is used in very noisy
environment to reject common noise that appears at both inputs. When the same signal is applied to both inputs, the
voltage gain in this case is denoted as common-mode gain ACM; for the case of the ideal differential amplifier
ACM=0. The common-mode rejection ratio is defined as,
Substituting common-mode gain equal zero in the above expression, the common-mode rejection ratio is given by
CMRR = ∞
In practice, resistors have a tolerance of typically 5%, and the common-mode gain will not be zero, and the CMRR
will not be infinite.
Instrumentation amplifier: The instrumentation amplifier is a differential amplifier that has high input impedance
and the capability of gain adjustment through the variation of a single resistor. A commonly used instrumentation
amplifier is shown in Fig. 3.
The voltage drop across Rgain equals the voltage difference of the two input signals. Therefore, the current through
Rgain caused by the voltage drop must flow through the two “R” resistors above and below Rgain. It has been shown in
class that the output is given by
2R
Vout = (Vin 2 − Vin1 ) 1 +
R
gain
+7 V
+7 V
-7 V
+7 V
-7 V
-7 V
Pre-laboratory exercise
1. For the summing amplifier in Fig. 1 with power supplies ±7 V, choose R2 to have Vout = −(Vin1 + 2Vin 2 )
if R1 = R3 = 10 kΩ .
2. Use PSpice to verify your hand-calculation and confirm that the circuit operates as a summing amplifier.
3. For the differential amplifier in Fig. 2 with power supplies ±7 V, choose R1 to have Vout = Vin 2 − Vin1 if
R 2 = R3 = R 4 = 10 kΩ .
4. Use PSpice to verify your hand-calculations and confirm that the circuit operates as a differential amplifier.
5. Use PSpice to check the common-mode gain and CMRR.
6. For the instrumentation amplifier in Fig. 3 with power supplies ±7 V, choose R to have
Vout = 2(Vin 2 − Vin1 ) if R gain = 20 kΩ .
7. Use PSpice to verify your hand-calculations and confirm that the circuit operates as an instrumentation
amplifier.
Lab Measurement:
1. Connect the circuit in Fig. 1, and use the component values determined in the pre lab. The dual power
supply is ±7 V.
2. Apply a 1k Hz, 2 Vpp sine wave to input 1 and a 2 V DC voltage from the power supply for input 2. Make
accurate sketches of the input and output waveforms on the same axis in time domain. The oscilloscope’s
input should be “DC” coupled.
1. Connect the circuit in Fig. 2, and use the component values determined in the pre lab. The dual power
supply is ±7 V.
2. Apply a 1k Hz, 2 Vpp sine wave to input 1 and a 2 V DC voltage from the power supply for input 2. Make
accurate sketches of the input and output waveforms on the same axis in time domain. The oscilloscope’s
input should be “DC” coupled.
3. Get a hardcopy output from the scope display with input and output waveforms to confirm that the circuit is
a differential amplifier.
4. Apply a 1k Hz, 2 Vpp sine wave to input 1 and connect input 2 to ground. Measure AD=vout/vin. Compare
your results with the theoretical value using actual measured values for the resistors.
5. Apply a 1k Hz, 2 Vpp sine wave to both inputs. Measure Acm=vout/vin. Compare to the theoretical value
using actual measured values for the resistors.
6. Compute the common mode rejection ratio CMRR.
1. Connect the circuit in Fig. 3, and use the component values determined in the pre lab. Use the dual power
supply of ±7 V.
2. Apply a 1k Hz, 1Vpp sine wave to input 1 and a 1 V DC voltage from the power supply for input 2. Make
accurate sketches of the input and output waveforms on the same axis in time domain. The oscilloscope’s
input should be “DC” coupled.
3. Get a hardcopy output from the scope display with input and output waveforms to confirm that the circuit
operates as an instrumentation amplifier where the output voltage is a linear combination of the input
waveforms.
Lab Report:
1. Provide the plots you get in Part A, B, and C. Discuss the data in each measurement.
2. For parts A, B and C compare the following three items: (1) PSpice simulated gain, (2) the theoretical gain,
using the measured value of resistors, (3) the ratio of vout/vin using the waveform amplitudes.
Introduction
This laboratory deals with several amplifier circuits. Each of the circuits in the lab requires some thinking to
understand how the circuit works and its practical limitations.
Integrator: The circuit in Fig. 1 is the lossless inverting integrator. As the name suggests, the circuit generates an
output signal that corresponds to the integral of the input signal over time. The circuit can be analyzed using the
standard Op-amp analysis techniques mentioned in class.
+7 V
-7 V
1
Vout = − Vin
sR1C
The output is directly proportional to the integral (1/s term) of the input signal, and a steadily changing output
voltage is produced for a constant amplitude sinusoidal input voltage. Notice that the DC gain (s=0) at the output is
theoretically infinite; hence any small DC signal at the input will saturate the Opamp output over time. In a real
integrator circuit, a large resistor in parallel with the capacitor is required to prevent the capacitor from storing
charge due to offset currents and voltages at the input. This configuration is known as “lossy” integrator or a first
order low-pass circuit, which is shown in Fig. 2.
-7 V
R 2 / R1
Vout = − Vin
1+ sR 2 C
The DC gain is now finite and determined by the ratio of the two resistors.
Differentiator: As the counterpart of the integrator, the differentiator differentiates the input signal. This
configuration is shown in Fig. 3.
+7 V
-7 V
Using the typical linear circuit analysis techniques, the output can be obtained as
Vout = − sCR1Vin
The output is proportional to the derivative (s term), and the output voltage increases monotonically as the frequency
increases. Fig. 4 shows the circuit configuration for a commonly used pseudo-differentiator or high pass filter.
-7 V
R s
Vout = − 2 Vin
R1 s + 1
R1C
Usually the integrators handle signals “better” than differentiators since important signals for the integrators are
located at low-frequencies while differentiators process the high frequency signals. However, due to the limited high
frequency capabilities of the devices it is hard to process properly the high frequency signals. In most of the
practical systems, integrators are used instead of differentiators.
1. Finite Gain Bandwidth (GBW) Product: The open loop gain of the Opamp is frequency dependent, decreases
when frequency increases following the roll-off of a single pole system, making it less efficient at high frequencies.
However, the product of open loop DC gain and the 3-dB frequency (bandwidth) is a constant, which is defined as
the Gain-Bandwidth product GBW. For a real 741, GBW is about 1.2M Hz. Finite GBW of the Opamp limits the
bandwidth of closed loop inverting or non-inverting amplifier configurations.
Assuming a finite GBW of wt, the frequency dependent gain of the non-inverting amplifier shown in Fig. 5 is given
by
Vout Go
=
Vin s
1 +
ωo
where Go is the DC gain of the amplifier given by (1+R2/R1) and ωo is ωt/Go.
-7V
R1 R2
2. Slew Rate: An ideal Opamp is capable of following the input signal no matter how fast the input changes because
it has an infinite frequency response. In a real 741, the output rise/fall transient cannot exceed a maximum slope; the
maximum rate of change of the output voltage as a function of time is called the slew rate. Applying signals with
transients that exceed this limit results in distorted output signals. To avoid distortion due to slew rate limitations
maximum rate of change of output must be kept less than the slew rate specifications of the Opamp. The slew-rate
can be measured by applying a large square waveform at the input. The frequency of the input signal should be
increased until the output becomes a triangular waveform. The slope of the triangular waveform is the slew rate.
+7V
-7V
Pre-laboratory exercise
1. For the lossy integrator in Fig. 2 with power supplies ±7 V, and assuming the Opamp is ideal, derive the
time-domain equation for the output in terms of the input. Show that the circuit performs as an integrator.
2. Choose R1 to have a low-frequency gain of -20 if R2 = 20 kΩ and C = 0.2 µF.
3. Use PSpice to verify your results and confirm that this circuit is an integrator for ω >> 1/R2C.
4. For the first order high-pass filter shown in Fig. 4 with power supplies ±7V, and assuming the Opamp is
ideal, derive the time-domain equation of the output in terms of the input. Show that the circuit performs
the function of a differentiator.
5. Choose R2 to have a high-frequency gain of -20 if R1 = 1k Ω and C = 33 nF.
6. Use PSpice to verify your results and confirm that this circuit operates as a differentiator for ω << 1/R1C.
Notice that at higher frequencies, the slew-rate limit of the amplifier dominates the circuit performance as
the input amplitude increases. Make transient simulations for f = 1k Hz, 10k Hz and 100k Hz. Set the
amplitude of the input signal to 0.5 Vpp.
Lab Measurement:
1. Connect the circuit in Fig. 2, and use the component values determined in the pre lab. The dual power
supply is ±7 V.
2. Apply a 1k Hz, 0.3Vpp sinusoid to the input. Make accurate sketches of the input and output waveforms on
the same axis in the time domain. The oscilloscope’s input should be “AC” coupled.
3. Get a hardcopy output from the scope display with input and output waveforms to confirm that the circuit is
an integrator.
4. Vary the frequency of the input from about 10 Hz to 10k Hz. Record the magnitude and phase response at
several frequencies. Take three to five points per decade of frequency.
5. Bode plot analyzer can also be used to obtain the frequency response of this integrator circuit. The
procedure to be followed is similar to the procedure outlined in lab-2. Make the settings on the Bode
Analyzer SFP and follow the steps briefly outlined below (for more details refer to Part C of lab-2
exercise):
Input to the integrator circuit should be from FGEN and GROUND ports on the prototype board.
Input should also be connected to analog channel 1 between AI1+/AI1- pins.
Output from the integrator should be connected to analog channel 0 between AI0+/AI0- pins.
On the bode analyzer SFP, set start frequency below the cutoff frequency of the integrator.
Set the end frequency at least much higher (3-4 decades) than the cut off frequency.
Choose 40 steps per decade.
FGEN output peak amplitude should be selected carefully. Remember that the lossy active RC
integrator has a large low frequency gain (-20). Since the op amp outputs saturate near the supply rails
(±7V), input level has to be kept low enough not to saturate the output to obtain correct results from
the bode analyzer.
Set the Y scale to Auto.
Use the cursors in the SFP to obtain the 3-dB frequency.
6. Use the run button on the SFP to obtain the magnitude and phase response for the integrator.
7. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for a 1 kHz square wave. Explain your results.
8. Now change the input back to sinusoid as in step 2. Remove the resistor R2. What happened to the output
signal? Explain what you observe on the oscilloscope.
1. Connect the circuit in Fig. 4, and use the component values determined in the pre lab. The dual power
supply is ±7V.
2. Apply a 1 kHz, 0.3 Vpp sinusoidal signal at the input. Make accurate sketches of the input and output
waveforms on the same axis in time domain. The oscilloscope’s input should be “AC” coupled.
3. Get a hardcopy output from the scope display with input and output waveforms to confirm that the circuit is
a differentiator.
4. Vary the frequency of the input from about 100 Hz to 20 kHz. Record the magnitude and phase response at
several frequencies. Take three to five points per decade of frequency.
5. Use the bode analyzer (as outlined in Part A) to obtain the magnitude and phase response for the high pass
filter.
6. Repeat step 2 and 3 for a 0.5 Vpp, 1 kHz triangular wave.
1. The non-inverting amplifier designed in the pre lab (as shown in Fig. 5) will be used to understand the
finite GBW limitation of the Opamps. Since the gain of the non-inverting amplifier is very large (around 61
or 35 dB), very small DC offsets in the amplifier will produce large DC output offset voltage. Hence we
will use offset calibration scheme (used earlier in Lab 3, Fig. 6) to calibrate the Opamp offsets. So, connect
the circuit as shown in Fig. 7.
2. You would also notice that we have used AC coupling from the NI Elvis signal source to the Opamp input
in Fig. 7. This eliminates the DC offsets coming from the signal source and only the AC voltage swing
generated by the signal generator (from Elvis) will be applied to the Opamp input terminal. The ac coupling
circuit behaves like a high pass circuit with a corner frequency of around 1.6 Hz and will be transparent for
higher frequency (> 1.6 Hz) operation. The potentiometer (20k) as shown in Fig. 7 between terminals 1 and
5 is for offset calibration. Make sure the viper of the potentiometer is connected to -7V supply. We will use
this potentiometer to trim the offsets coming from the Opamp.
Fig. 7. Non inverting amplifier with AC coupled input and offset compensation resistor
3. Connect the inputs of the circuit to function generator (FGEN/GROUND) and to Elvis channel AI1+/AI1-
as shown. Connect the output of the amplifier to Elvis channel AI0+/AI0-.
4. Use the function generator SFP from NI Elvis to generate a 1 KHz sine wave with peak amplitude equal to
100 mV and zero DC offset.
5. Use the oscilloscope SFP from Elvis to observe both the input and the output on channels AI1 and AI0
respectively. Now adjust the 20k potentiometer to balance the output waveform to be around 0 V as close
as possible. As the 20k potentiometer is adjusted the waveform on Channel B should move to be as close as
possible to being symmetric around zero DC voltage. This is shown in Fig. 8. Now we have calibrated the
DC offsets of the Opamp.
Fig. 9. Bode Analyzer output showing amplifiers low frequency gain and finite bandwidth.
6. Keep the same setup and use the bode analyzer SFP to obtain the frequency response of the amplifier.
Choose the following settings on the bode analyzer SFP:
Start frequency to 100 Hz and stop frequency to 200 kHz.
1. Keep the offset calibration potentiometer connection between pins 1 and 5 unchanged.
2. Remove the AC coupling C-R network at the input terminals.
3. Reconnect the circuit as a unity gain buffer as shown in Fig. 6. At the output node, connect a load resistor
of 2k in parallel with 100 pF capacitor.
4. Apply a 1k Hz, 10 Vpp square wave. Make sure the function generator is set to Hi-Z state. Display the
output on the oscilloscope. Gradually increase the frequency and observe output response. Eventually the
output waveform becomes triangular. Measure and record the slope of the output; that value is the Opamp
slew rate for that load.
5. Apply a 1k Hz, 10 Vpp sine wave. Again, make sure the function generator is in Hi-Z state. Display the
output on the oscilloscope. Gradually increase the frequency and observe the output. Eventually the sine
wave output turns into a triangular wave which indicates the slew rate distortion produced by the voltage
follower. Find the frequency beyond which the output is distorted by slew rate limitation of the Opamp.
Lab Report:
1. Provide the plots you get in Part A, B, C and D. Discuss the data in each measurement.
2. For part A, with the experimental observation, explain the function of the resistor R2.
3. For parts A and B, plot the magnitude responses and compare it with the plots generated by using PSpice.
4. For part C, compare the Gain Bandwidth product obtained from the data sheet with the PSpice simulations
and lab measurements.
5. For part D, compare the Slew Rate performance obtained from the data sheet with the PSpice simulations
and lab measurements.
6. Provide conclusions.
Introduction
The objective of this laboratory exercise is to gain familiarity with the characteristics of semiconductor diodes. The
diode functions as a rectifier, allowing current to flow in one direction only, similar to a one-way water valve. A
semiconductor diode consists of a junction formed by contact between p-type and n-type semiconductor material.
The terminal connected to the p-type material is called the anode, and the terminal connected to the n-type is called
the cathode. On most diodes, the cathode is marked by a band on the body of the device. See Fig. 1.
iD
iD
Anode + + + -- -- -- -- -- Cathode
+ + + -----
+
vD + + + -- -- -- -- --
+ vD -
-
When the anode is at a higher voltage than the cathode, the diode is forward biased, and current will flow through
the diode from the anode to the cathode. When the anode is at a lower voltage than the cathode, the diode is reverse
biased, and very little current will flow. The current flowing through the diode can be expressed as
v v
iD = I s ⋅ exp D − 1 ≅ I s exp D
nVT nVT
where iD and vD are the current through the diode and voltage drop across the diode respectively, as shown in Fig 1,
VT is the thermal voltage which is around 26 mV at room temperature, Is is the saturation diffusion current which is a
constant dependent on the diode’s geometry and material, and n is a fitting constant between 1 and 2 (for our study
we will always use n = 1 for simplicity, unless specified otherwise).
The diode’s characteristics will be measured in this lab. The experiment will then go through a sequence of steps
that will lead to the construction of a practical DC power supply. Such a supply is important since most of the active
devices used in electronic circuits require a source of DC power. Although this could be supplied by batteries, it is
often more convenient to obtain power from the AC line (house current, 60 Hz, 115 VRMS). The conversion of AC
to the required DC voltage is done by a power supply (Fig. 2).
The AC voltage is first passed through a transformer to step it down to a lower voltage, then rectified using
diodes. The resulting DC voltage is pulsating and hence is then filtered to remove or reduce the ripple component,
producing a constant DC voltage. Additional circuitry may be added to provide voltage regulation so that the
desired voltage is maintained, independent of the load current drawn.
Diode I-V Characteristics: to examine the I-V characteristics of a diode one can setup a test circuit like that shown
in Fig 3(a). Measure the voltage drop across the diode (VD) and across the resistor (RID) for different values of V1
(note carefully the polarities of the measured voltage drops, and the current now being scaled up by the resistor
value). The resulting measurement points should lie on the line shown in Fig 3(b), which clearly shows the
exponential relationship previously given for the diode current.
(a) (b)
Fig 3. (a) Diode Test Circuit for I-V Characteristic in PSpice and (b) Resulting Waveform
Full Wave Bridge Rectifier: The circuit shown in Fig. 4 is a full wave rectifier. As discussed in class, the resistor
shown in the circuit conducts current during both the positive and negative cycles of the sinusoidal input. Note that
the peak voltage drop across the resistor is Vm – 2VD, where Vm is the maximum amplitude of the sinusoidal input
and VD is the voltage drop across the diode.
To build the circuit shown in Fig. 4, the trigger from the function generator to the oscilloscope must be
disconnected. Also, DC couple the output to the oscilloscope to see the rectified output average and peak-peak
values.
10 kΩ VL(t)
Vac(t)
DC Power Supply: In class experiment you observed the rectification property diodes. Fig. 5 shows how the half
wave rectifier circuit may be modified by the addition of a single-capacitor filter. Analysis of the circuit indicates
that when the diode is conducting, the capacitor will charge up to approximately the source peak voltage. When the
diode shuts off, current from the now discharging capacitor will continue to supply the load so that the load voltage
will be maintained somewhat until the next charging cycle.
+
Vac(t) 10 µF 1 kΩ VL(t)
-
The change in DC (average) load voltage as the load current varies is measured in terms of the quantity called
voltage regulation, defined as:
A good power supply should have a low percent regulation, indicating that the voltage seen by the load is fairly
independent of the current drawn by that load. For the circuit in Fig. 5, the full load situation corresponds to the
current drawn when the load resistance is 1 kΩ. The no load condition is an open circuit (IRL = 0) for RL= ∞.
Pre-laboratory exercise
1. Using PSpice, set up the circuit shown in Fig 3(a). Perform a DC sweet analysis for the source V1 from -1
to 1 V. To do that, in the menu bar go to Analysis --> Setup --> check DC sweep- -> DC sweep --> choose
voltage source as your variable type, and input the source name. Then choose linear sweep and set you start
and end values. Use an increment of at most 5mV. Note: since the added source is an AC source, initialize
its configurable parameters to 0. Otherwise, you will receive error messages and the simulation will not
run.
2. The resulting waveform will have the voltage drop across the resistor on the Y-axis and the swept voltage
on the X-axis. To obtain the waveform in Fig 3(b), you will need to modify the parameter for the X-axis.
To do so, double click on the X-axis --> Axis Variable. In the trace expression, select the node potential
V(D1:1), insert a – sign, then select the node potential V(D1:2) --> OK. Your waveform should now
resemble Fig 3(b). Attach the waveform to your pre-lab report. What is the approximate ON voltage of the
diode?
Lab Measurement:
The I-V characteristics of a diode can be displayed directly on the oscilloscope using XY mode and the circuit
shown in Fig. 6. The voltage across the resistor is used as the Y input, and the voltage across the diode vD is used as
the X input. Thus a voltage 100*ID will be the vertical axis, and vD will be the horizontal axis. It must be noted that
the voltage units of the vertical scale should be divided by 100 to obtain the diode current in amperes.
+ vD -
1 2
Vac(t) 10
0Ω VL(t)
3
On most oscilloscopes the X and Y inputs have a common terminal. If this is the case, vD and vR cannot be
displayed directly as described. However, if the common (ground) terminal of the scope inputs are connected to
node 2, the vertical input connected to node 3 and horizontal connected to node 1, the desired characteristics can be
obtained by inverting the vertical input voltage (a switch on the oscilloscope). Before using the XY mode, the DC
values of the X and Y channels should be aligned to get an accurate I-V curve.
The triangle-wave voltage supply will force the diode to go into the forward and reverse biased states. If the
frequency of the source is fast enough we will observe a continuous graph of ID vs vD being traced on the scope.
1. Construct the circuit shown in Fig. 6, using the 1N4006 or 1N4148 silicon diode.
2. Obtain a screen shot of the I-V characteristics of the diode. Always start these measurements with the input
voltage set to zero, and slowly increase the voltage so that excessive current will not damage the diode.
Also select an input frequency that allows a continuous display of the I-V curve. The maximum value of
the allowable current ID can be found on the data sheet. For this experiment limit the maximum current to
approximately 50 mA.
3. The goal of this step is to plot the I-V characteristics of both the 1N4006/1N4148 silicon diode and the
1N34A/60 germanium diode on the same graph. This may be accomplished by executing the following
procedures:
• Assemble the circuit in step 2, and obtain a plot of the IV characteristic for the diode.
• On the oscilloscope, press the save key and select the “Save Waveform” option, and select Ref A, B, C, or
D.
• Remove the input signal vi(t) from the circuit. This is for your safety.
Be sure to note the significant features distinguishing the characteristics of the silicon and the germanium diodes,
specifically the “turn on” voltage. This measurement can be made with the oscilloscope cursors.
1. Connect the circuit shown in Fig. 4 with a 100 Hz 16 Vpp sinusoidal input. Pay careful attention to the
polarities of the diodes in the bridge. For this circuit the function generator will need to be isolated from
ground because vac(t) and vL(t) are referenced to different places. Disconnect the external trigger input fed
from the function generator to the oscilloscope. In addition note that vac(t) and vL(t) cannot be
simultaneously displayed. Be sure the channel measuring vL is set on the DC coupling with zero DC offset.
2. Observe and obtain oscilloscope plots of vac(t) and vL(t), on the same graph. You are expected to follow
the procedures for plotting two waveforms as discussed in Part A of this experiment. Be sure to preserve
the phase relationship between the two voltages.
3. Find the value of the DC component of the rectified signal (i.e. find the average value of the output.)
4. Find vi,,peak and vo,peak.
CAUTION: electrolytic capacitors are polarized. If not oriented correctly (denoted by the +) they will not work,
and may explode. .
1. Connect the circuit shown in Fig. 5. Set vac(t) to 19 Vpp at 60 Hz. Observe on the oscilloscope
simultaneously the waveforms of vac(t) and vL(t) vs time. Be sure that the channel measuring vL(t) is using
the DC coupling. Obtain screen shots of the waveforms. Find the DC component (average value) of vL(t).
2. The peak-to-peak ripple voltage is the amount of variation from a constant DC value that is present in the
load voltage. Ideally, in a good power supply this voltage should be zero. Measure the peak-to-peak ripple
voltage of the circuit of Fig. 5. To accurately execute this procedure, bear in mind that the ripple voltage
can be considered to be an AC signal. Therefore measure the ripple component using an AC coupling.
Since the ripple component is small, you may need to adjust the volts/div on the oscilloscope (i.e. expand
the scale). Your work should resemble Fig. 8Obtain a screen shot of the resulting waveform.
Lab Report:
1. Attach the oscilloscope plots of the I-V characteristics of the Si diode and the Ge diode obtained in part A.
Discuss significant differences.
2. For part A attach oscilloscope plots of the input voltage and the output voltage. Discuss the constant
voltage drop across the diode when it is forward biased, and how it affects the maximum output voltage.
Also discuss the voltage swing across the diode as the input goes through its negative half cycle.
3. For part A, discuss diode current vs time. In this particular experiment, recall that id(t) = vo(t)/R.
4. For the full wave bridge rectifier given in part B, identify which diodes are forward biased when the input
goes through its positive half cycle, and which diodes are forward biased when the input completes its
negative half cycle.
5. According to your experimental data, what was the average value of Vo(t) in Part B?
6. Is the current flowing in the load resistor in Fig. 6 bidirectional or unidirectional?
7. For Part C, compare the ripple voltages of the following: (1) power supply with C = 100 µF, and (2) power
supply with C = 10 µF.
The symbol of an NPN-BJT transistor is shown in Fig. 1. Because the relationship between iC and vBE is
exponential, the collector current varies drastically as the base-emitter voltage changes. A small current iB flows into
the base terminal because vBE varies; usually it is a small fraction of the collector current iC. The ratio of iC to iB the
current gain of the transistor, and it is called β. The value of β varies significantly with temperature, and it can be
different between two transistors of the same type; see textbooks and/or lecture notes.
Holes
Electrons
----- + + + iC iB iC
- -
E -----
----- + + + - - -
----- C
----- + + + - -
+ iE
B VCE
iB +
VBE -
-
(a) (b)
Fig. 1. (a) NPN Transistor and (b) its symbol.
1. Cutoff Region: If both base-emitter and base-collector junctions are reverse biased, the BJT transistor enters
the cutoff region. All terminal currents are extremely small, and the transistor is off.
2. Active Region: The base-emitter junction must be forward biased, and the base-collector junction must be
reverse biased to make a BJT transistor operate in the active region. The active region is used to design a
linear amplifier.
3. Saturation Region: When both the base-emitter and collector-base junctions are forward biased, the BJT
transistor enters the saturation region.
In this lab, the circuit is designed so that the BJT transistor operates in the Active region. The base-emitter voltage
determines the collector current; it is computed as follows
v
I C = I S exp BE − 1 (1)
nVT
iE = iC + iB (2)
A very useful parameter is the collector-base DC forward current gain defined as follows
IC α
βDC = = >> 1 (3)
IB 1 − α
Where α = IC/IE.
Unless otherwise specified, β will stand for βDC for our lab purposes.
DC Characteristics of the BJT: The transistor’s IC-VBE curve is obtained by sweeping the base-emitter voltage; this
plot is known as the DC input characteristics of the bipolar transistor. If the base-emitter junction is forward biased
then the collector current is determined by (1), as depicted in the following figure.
10 V
iC
RC
IC Linear
1 kΩ
RB v0 ICQ Q Approximation
100 kΩ pot C
B
E
+ VBE
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
Vin
- VBEQ
(a) (b)
Fig. 2. (a) BJT transistor circuit 1 and (b) input characteristics for the BJT if VCE>VCESAT
For base-emitter voltages below 0.5 V, the collector current is very small, typically less than 1 µA. It will be evident
in the next sections that the BJT is often operated with larger collector currents and base-emitter voltages; e.g. VBE >
0.5 V. When a base-emitter voltage is selected, the collector current is fixed; the operating (quiescent) point Q is
therefore determined by VBEQ and ICQ. The derivative of this function evaluated at the operation point Q is defined as
the small signal transconductance, computed from Fig. 2 as:
Δi C IS v I CQ
gm = = exp BE ≅ (6)
Δv be Q
nVth nVT Q nVT
For a given VBEQ, the collector-emitter voltage can also be swept leading to the transistor’s output characteristics
shown in Fig. 3. For small VCE (< 300 mV), the potential is not large enough to attract the carriers traveling from
the emitter to the base terminal, and the collector current is very small. If VBE increases, the collector current
increases following the exponential rule given by (2). The slope of one of the curves determines the output
conductance, obtained as
where the early voltage VA is a fitting parameter. For IC transistors it could be in the range of 30-50V, but for
discrete transistor VA could be in the range of 100 V.
iC
go
VCE
-VA
Pre-laboratory exercise
1. Obtain the value of IS from a simple simulation of the transistor: using the setup of Fig 4, excluding the
resistors, apply VBB = 0.65 V, measure IC while VCE > 0.5 V and use equation 1. Assume that n = 1. Use the
Q2N2222 BJT in the simulation.
1V
R2
IC
100 Ω
R1
100 Ω
Q2N2222
+
VBB
-
2. For the circuit in Fig. 2(a), compute the current IB and IC, and the voltage VC for at least 5 input voltages
within the range VBE(on) < Vin < 1V, use RB = 100 kΩ.
3. For the circuit in Fig. 2(a), if the VBE was set to 0.1 V, what would you expect for the value of VC?
4. Construct the circuit shown in Fig. 4 in PSpice. Place a current marker on the collector of the Q2N2222.
Run a DC Sweep on the VBB voltage source to generate the input characteristics. Do a linear sweep starting
at 0 V and ending at 2 V with a linear increment of 5 mV. Modify the x-axis variable to be the VBE voltage,
not VBB. Comment on your results for all regions of the plot.
5. Repeat step 5 using a current marker at the base of the Q2N2222. Find the input impedance by evaluating
the slope around VBE = 0.65V; Rin = Rbe = ∆vbe/∆ib.
6. Construct the circuit in Fig. 5 in PSpice. Place a current marker on the collector of the Q2N2222. A second
DC Sweep is required to generate the output characteristics. First select DC Sweep and set it up for
sweeping VCE from 0 V to 6 V with linear increments of 5 mV. Then select Nested Sweep and set that up
VCE
R2
IC
100 Ω
R1
100 Ω
Q2N2222
IB
7. Find the output impedance Ro = ∆vce/∆ic from the output characteristics plot.
8. Set VCE shown in Fig. 5 to 5 V and do a linear sweep starting at 0 and ending at 30 µA with a linear
increment of 5 µA. Find the DC and AC current gain βDC and βac of the transistor. Remember, βDC and βac
are defined by (3) and (4), respectively.
Lab Measurement:
1. Measure the actual values of Rc (1 kΩ) and Rb (100 kΩ pot) resistors that will be used in the lab.
2. Connect the circuit in Fig. 2(a). The power supply is 10 V.
3. Set the pot to 10 kΩ. Set Vin to 2 V and adjust the potentiometer so that the voltage across Rc is 5 V.
Measure the voltage across Rb (remember to measure any new values for Rb if changed). Use Ohm’s Law
and the actual values of Rc and Rb to compute IB and IC.
4. Use the equation (3) of the current gain to compute β.
5. The value of β varies with temperature. Keep Vin so that the voltage across Rc is 5 V, and warm the
transistor by putting your thumb on the package while observing VC.
6. Set the potentiometer to its maximum resistance and sweep Vin from 0 V to 4 V. Sweep VBE from 0.4 V to
0.7 V with linear increments of 50 mV (use finer increments if necessary). For every value of VBE, measure
and record VBE, VCE, IB and IC. Use the ammeter to measure IB. To measure the value of Rb, remove the pot
from the circuit. Hint, if Vin reaches 4 V before VBE reaches 0.7 V, fix Vin at 2 V and reduce the
potentiometer resistance. Explain why this works.
Lab Report:
1. Use the data you got in step 1 and 3 of the experiment to compute β.
2. With the experimental observation in step 5, comment on how β is related to the temperature of transistor.
3. Graph the data you collected in step 6 of the experiment. Place Vin on the X-axis, and plot VBE and VC as
function of Vin. If the collected data has enough points, the plot will show the transition between cutoff and
active, and between active and saturation regions. Hint, you might want to use two different Y-axis scales,
one for VBE and the other for VC.
4. Use the voltage measurements from step 6 of the experiment to compute the base current IB and collector
current IC. Plot IC (Y axis) as a function of IB (X axis). .
5. From the previous results, find the input impedance, transconductance and β as function of the collector
current.
6. Compare your measured results with PSpice simulations
7. Conclusion.
Introduction
The most commonly used small signal models of the BJT are shown in Fig. 1. It can be shown that both models are
equivalent and lead to the same results. Once an operating point is fixed, the AC parameters can be found according
to the following expressions:
ic C
C
ib ic
αie
B ib
gmvbe ro ro
vbe rπ B
re
ie ie
E E
Fig. 1. Small signal models for the BJT: (a) π-hybrid model and (b) T-model
∂vbe VT
rπ = =
∂ib Q
I BQ
∂ic I CQ
gm = =
∂vbe Q
VT
1 ∂i I CQ
go = = C =
ro ∂vCE Q
VA
1 ∂i I EQ
ge = = E =
re ∂v BE Q
VT
There are three basic BJT amplifier configurations: common-emitter, common-base and common-collector. Each
configuration exhibits certain characteristics that make it desirable in certain circuit applications. Table 1 shows a
qualitative comparison of the topologies:
Pre-laboratory exercise
1. Assume the transistor you will use has a β of 155 and VBE(on) = 0.65 V. For the circuit in Fig. 2, calculate
the overall resistance (RB and pot) such that IC = 1 mA.
10 V
RC
RB iC
5 kΩ
1 MΩ
v0
C
1 MΩ B
pot Ro
E
NC
- + 2N2222
vin 10 µF
Ri
RB1 RC iC
V0
10 µF C
- + B 2N 2222
vin E
RB2 100 µF
RE
10 V
RB1
10 µF
- + 2N 2222
vin V0
R B2 RL
1 kΩ
Lab Measurement:
Part A.
1. Measure the actual values of Rc (10 kΩ) and Rb (1 MΩ) resistors that will be used in the first part of the lab.
2. Connect the circuit in Fig. 2. The power supply is 10 V.
3. Adjust the potentiometer so that the voltage across Rc is 5 V. Measure the voltage across Rb. Use Ohm’s
Law and the actual values of Rc and Rb to compute IB and IC. Compute the value of β.
4. Adjust the potentiometer to vary IC from 0.6 mA to 1.6 mA in 0.2 mA steps. Add another 1 MΩ resistor in
series with RB if you cannot lower IC to 0.6 mA while adjusting the pot. Add the 1 MΩ resistor in parallel
with RB to raise IC to 1.6 mA while adjusting the pot. Record IC, IB, VC, and VC for each step. Calculate β,
re, rπ and gm.
5. To characterize the amplifier shown in Fig. 3,, apply a sinusoidal signal of 10 kHz and amplitude of 10 mV
at the input of the amplifier. You may have to use a resistive voltage divider to reduce the amplitude of the
signal provided by the signal generator if that cannot be as small as 10 mV. This setup is shown in Fig. 5.
Use R1 = 400 Ω and R2 = 50 Ω. For RB1, RB2, RC and RE use the values computed in the pre-lab. Put the
function generator in the 50 Ω impedance mode (not Hi-Z). The 50 Ω shown in Fig. 5 is internal to the
function generator. Do not place an external 50 Ω resistor.
RB1 RC iC
V0
10 µF C
vx R1 vi B
+
-
2N2222
50 Ω
E
vin
R2 RB2
RE 100 µF
Function
Generator Resistive Divider Z1 << Z2
6. Sweep the frequency of the input signal and find the low and high -3dB frequencies (if possible). Compare
these values with the ones obtained from PSpice and comment on the differences if any.
7. Distortion Analysis of the common emitter amplifier can be performed using the NI Elvis Dynamic signal
analyzer. Specific steps to perform distortion measurements are outlined in Part B (below). It is advisable
to complete the Part B before you disconnect the circuit and proceed to steps 9, 10 and 11.
8. Construct the circuit shown in Fig. 4; use the resistor values computed in the pre lab and be sure you verify
these values using PSpice simulations.
9. Apply a sinusoidal signal of 1 kHz and amplitude of 100 mV at the input of the amplifier. Measure the
input impedance, output impedance and small signal gain. Question: how you can experimentally measure
the output impedance? Hint: disconnect the signal generator and ground the input capacitor. Apply the
signal generator at the output through a blocking capacitor and measure the applied AC voltage and the AC
current.
10. Sweep the frequency of the input signal and find the low and high -3dB frequencies (if possible). Compare
these values with the ones obtained from PSpice and comment on the differences if any.
In this section, the BJT CE amplifier (shown in Fig. 5) is used to perform distortion measurements. The common
emitter amplifier has been designed with a small signal voltage gain of 40 dB, which is 100 V/V. The amplifier is
connected to supply rails between +10V and Ground. Also the voltage swing at the collector terminal is limited
within a certain range (based Quiescent Voltage at the Collector in your design). It can be very easily seen that with
a gain of 100 V/V, a small input amplitude at the base of the transistor can easily saturate the output of the amplifier
and considerably distort the output. So, we attenuate the signal from the function generator using a resistor divider
before connecting it to the base terminal of the transistor. The following steps outline how to measure the distortion
performance of such a configuration.
1. We will use the circuit configuration shown in Fig. 5. The 50 Ω shown in Fig. 5 is internal to the function
generator. Do not place an external 50 Ω resistor. We will use R1 = 400 Ω and R2 = 50 Ω to give us a
division ratio of 0.1 from vx to vi.
2. Output Vo should be connected to one of the analog channels on the NI Elvis proto board. Use Analog
channel 0 (between AI0+/AI0-) for this purpose. Vo is connected to AI0+ while GROUND is connected to
AI0-.
3. Turn the proto board supply to the ON position.
1
Vi = 100 mV * = 10 mV pp = 5 mV peak
10
5. The distortion components produced by a BJT CE amplifier depends on the ratio of peak voltage level at
the base of the transistor to thermal voltage (VT). With Vi set to 5 mV, this ratio is approximately 0.2.
6. Launch NI Elvis and Dynamic Signal Analyzer (DSA) SFP and select AI0 as the input source.
7. Select appropriate range for the output amplitude. For more details on settings and understanding output
amplitude levels (dBVrms) in the DSA SFP, refer to Part D section of Lab 3.
8. Once proper settings are selected in the DSA SFP, output should appear as shown in Fig.Fig. 6. The output
shown in Fig. 6 is for input amplitude level (Vi) of 10 mV peak.
9. Obtain distortion performance results for input Vi increasing up to VT in small increments.
Fig. 6. Output signal distortion measurement of CE Amplifier using NI Elvis DSA. Input signal level Vi = 10 mV
peak. Amplifier gain is approximately 40 dB. The expected output voltage is 1 Vpeak.
Lab Measurement:
Elvis Bode Analyzer should be used to plot the AC magnitude and phase response of the Amplifier. Please check the
upper frequency limit and the bandwidth limitations of the Elvis Bode Analyzer installed on your system before
using Elvis for this purpose. Instructors or TAs may adjust the frequency response specifications of the amplifier to
meet the bandwidth limitations of the Bode Analyzer SFP. Once your design has been approved by the instructor,
construct the circuit and perform the following tests:
• Check the DC bias of ‘Q’ point: IBQ, ICQ, VCEQ and voltage in other nodes.
• Measure the AC voltage gain and determine the low and high -3 dB frequencies.
• Measure the input and output impedances (Hint: see previous experiment).
• Determine how sensitive the above parameters are to change with β. You must use different transistors to
do this.
Lab Report:
1. State the objective of this experiment.
2. Discuss your design procedure in detail. State any and all assumptions, and give the relevant design equations.
3. Give the AC voltage gain of your circuit. Did you have to modify your circuit to meet this specification? Find
the low and high frequency corners, and justify these values.
4. Give the AC input and output resistances of your circuit. Did you have to modify your circuit to meet this
specification? Explain how you measured it.
• Does the input resistance depend on the amplitude of the AC signal?
• How does the calculated theoretical input impedance compare with your measured impedance?
5. Discuss in detail how and why your circuit is insensitive to changes in β.
6. If any part of your design was unable to meet the specifications, explain why.
7. Is the small signal model used for your design equations valid for all input amplitudes? Why or why not?
Procedure:
The objective of this laboratory is to characterize and bias the MOSFET. A MOSFET can be characterized by
several parameters, such as β and Vt. Fig. 1(a) shows the output and transconductance characteristics of an n-
channel MOSFET and illustrates how βn and Vtn characterize the MOSFET. The large signal model for the n-
channel MOSFET is given as follows:
Triode region:
v2
I D = β n (vGS − Vtn )v DS − DS (1 + λn v DS ) , v DS < (vGS − Vtn )
2
where:
β n = k n' W L
where βn is the transconductance gain factor; µn is the mobility of the carriers in the channel, Cox is the capacitance
per square micrometer and W and L are the width and length of the transistor’s gate. λn is the channel modulation
parameter. For a first-order approximation, it can be considered zero.
iD Biquadratic iD Linear
Approximation Linear Approximation
Approximation slope=go
IDQ Q IDQ VGSQ
slope=gm Q
Vtn
VGS VDSQ
VDS
0.0 VGSQ VDSAT
(a) (b)
∂i D
gm =
∂vGS
(
= β n VGSQ − Vtn )
Q
For a given VGSQ, the drain-source voltage can also be swept leading to the transistor’s output characteristics shown
in Fig. 1(b). The slope of the curve determines the transistor’s output conductance, obtained as
∂i D
go = ≅ λ n I DQ
∂v DS Q
Pre-laboratory exercise
A simple biasing scheme for the n-channel MOSFET is shown in Fig. 2. Use VDD = 10 V. Find βn, λn and Vtn. For
PSpice simulations, your TA or instructor will provide you with the necessary model files and a guide on adding
them to PSpice.
1. Set up your circuit in PSpice as shown in Fig. 2(a) using first the CD4007 MOS transistor.
2. To find Vtn and βn, sweep VGS from 0 to 5 V using increments of 1 mV with a nested sweep of VDS from 3
to 5 V using increments of 0.5V. This will generate a series of ID-VGS characteristic plots similar to the one
in Fig. 1(a). Use these plots to find the approximate value Vtn and βn.
3. From the plots you generated in step 2, find the transistor’s gm around VGS = 3 V. Does the gm change for
different values of VDS? Explain.
4. Using the same setup as in step 2. sweep VDS from 0 to 5 V using increments of 1 mV with a nested sweep
of VGS from 1 to 5 V using increments of 0.5 V. This will generate a series of ID-VDS characteristic plots
similar to the one in Fig. 1(b). Use these plots to find an approximate value for λn.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for the 2N7000 MOS transistor.
10 V
1 kΩ ID
ID
CD4007/
2N 7000 CD4007/
D 2N 7000 D +
+ G + + VDS
G
V GS S VDS V GS S -
- - -
(a) (b)
Fig. 2. (a) PSpice simulations setup (b) Schematic used for measuring the n-channel MOS transistor characteristics
and small signal parameters.
Unfortunately, the biasing scheme of Fig. 2 is very sensitive to changes in the MOSFET characteristics because
there is no means of stabilizing the biasing point. A better biasing scheme is shown in Fig. 3. In this circuit, an
increase in the drain current causes an increase in the source voltage. If the gate voltage is constant, then the value of
VGS decreases opposing the original increase in drain current causing the bias point to be stabilized. There is an
inherent feedback mechanism behind the source resistance Rs.
RG1 RD ID
v0
D +
G
VDS
+
VGS - S -
RG2 +
RS VS
-
6. Construct the circuit shown in Fig. 3 in PSpice using the CD4007 MOSFET. Using the parameters found in
the previous steps, find the resistors such that the transistor is biased at ID = 1 mA and VDS = 2 V, and
RD/RS = 10. The parallel combination of RG1 and RG2 should be greater than 100 kΩ. For your calculations
you can ignore λn. Simulate your results. Repeat for the 2N7000 MOSFET with ID = 20 mA and keep all
other requirements the same.
CAUTION: MOSFETs have extremely high input impedances and can be damaged by the accumulation of excess
static charge. To avoid possible damage, the following procedures are suggested:
• Wrap the device in aluminum foil when not being used or stick the leads of the MOSFET in conducting foam.
• Handle the MOSFET by the case and avoid touching the leads.
• Do not insert or remove MOSFETs from a circuit with the power on (this suggestion is good practice for all
types of electronic devices).
Lab Measurement:
NOTE: When you use the CD4007, short the B (bulk) terminal to ground.
WARNING: Handle the 2N7000 power transistor with care; it is very sensitive and capable of delivering large
currents
Part A
1. Using the CD4007, connect the circuit of Fig. 2(b); the 1 kΩ resistor will limit ID to 10 mA and keep the
VDS voltage greater than or equal to VGS for a wide range. Sweep VGS from 0 V up to a voltage such that ID
= 5 mA. Record the results for at least 20 different values with emphasis around the expected Vtn. Plot the
results in the ID-VGS plane.
2. Select the VGS that gives you ID = 1 mA, sweep VDD from 0 to 10 V, and measure VDS. Compute the ID and
VDS for at least 20 different values of VDD with emphasis in the lower range (0 -1V) and plot the results in
the ID-VDS plane.
3. From step 1, find approximate values for Vtn, βn and gm. From step 2, find approximate values for Vtn,
βn and λn.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 using 2N7000. Change the resistor to a tenth of its original value. Try to obtain currents
that are ten times larger than those used for the CD4007N. Compare the results and comment on the
differences.
Part B
1. Using the CD4007, connect the circuit of Fig. 3 and use the values obtained in the pre-lab. Measure the
operating point (ID, VS and VD) and compare these values with PSpice results. Comment on any
Lab Report:
1. Compare the values of β n and Vtn as measured from the output and transconductance characteristics in part
A. Which are more accurate?
2. Compare your measured values of IDQ, VDSQ, and VGSQ for each of the biasing circuits in Part A and B.
3. Compare the change in IDQ between the two different MOSFETs.
4. From your measurements, estimate a value for λn.
5. What happens if the parallel combination of the gate biasing resistors in Fig. 3 was smaller than 100 kΩ?
6. Conclusion
Introduction
The most commonly used small signal models of the MOSFET are shown in Fig. 1. It can be shown that both
models are equivalent and lead to the same results.
iD D
D
iD
G is
+
G
V gs gmvgs ro ro
- 1/gm
is is
S S
Fig. 1. Small signal models for the BJT: (a) π-hybrid model and (b) T-model
Once an operating point is fixed, the AC parameters can be found according to the following expressions:
∂v ds 1
ro = ≅
∂i d Q
λI DQ
∂id 2I DQ
gm = = = 2 βI DQ = β(VGSQ − Vt )
∂v gs (VGSQ − Vt )
Q
β = k'W L
Similar to its BJT counterpart, there are three basic MOS amplifier configurations: common-source, common-gate
and common-drain. Each configuration exhibits certain characteristics that make it desirable in certain circuit
applications. Table 1 shows a qualitative comparison of the topologies:
Pre-laboratory exercise
1. For the circuit in Fig. 2, use the parameters you extracted from the previous lab for the CD4007 and
calculate all resistor values and voltages so that ID = 1 mA and VD = 5 V.
10 V
RG1 RD ID
vD
CD4007 D +
G
+ VDS
V GS - S -
RG2
2. Find the values for the input impedance, output impedance and small signal transconductance.
3. Find the value of the small signal voltage gain.
4. Construct the circuit in Fig. 2 in PSpice and find the small signal parameters ro and gm. Compare PSpice
results and calculations. Explain any differences.
5. Find the value of the resistors for the circuit shown in Fig. 3 (use the CD4007) so that the magnitude of the
small signal voltage gain is 20 dB and ID = 0.5 mA. Make sure the transistor operates in the saturation
region. Select the values of RG1 and RG2 so that RG1||RG2 > 100 kΩ. Check the operating point of your
design and verify that the voltage gain is approximately given by -gmRD. Compute the values for the input
impedance and output impedance.
6. Construct the circuit in Fig. 3 in PSpice and compare the simulated results and calculations. Explain any
differences.
7. Plot the frequency response of the circuit shown in Fig. 3,and find the low and high frequency poles.
8. For the circuit in Fig. 4, use the parameters you extracted in the previous lab for the 2N7000 and find the
values of ID and the resistors so that the magnitude of the small signal voltage gain is greater than -2 dB.
Select the values of RG1 and RG2 so that RG1||RG2 > 100 kΩ. Check the operating point of your design and
verify that the voltage gain is approximately given by gm(RL||1/gm). Compute the values for the input
impedance and output impedance.
9. Construct the circuit in Fig. 4 in PSpice and determine the input impedance, output impedance and voltage
gain. Compare these values with the calculated values. Explain any differences.
10. Measure the frequency response of the circuit in Fig. 4 and find the low and high frequency poles.
RG1 RD ID
v0
10 µF CD4007
D
- + G
vin S
RG2 RS + 100 µF
-
10 V
RG1 ID
10 µF 2N7000
D
- + G
vin S
v0
RG2
1 kΩ RL
Lab Measurement:
1. Connect the circuit in Fig. 2 using the resistor values you calculated in the pre lab.
2. Use a potentiometer to set the voltage across RD to 5 V and ID to 1 mA
3. The value of Vt varies with temperature. Keep the potentiometer setting so that the voltage across RD is 5
V. Warm the transistor by touching the package and observe VD.
4. Adjust the potentiometer to change VGS from 1V to 3V and measure ID. Take at least 20 measurements with
emphasis around and beyond the expected Vt. Plot these results and the gm.
5. Construct the circuit shown in Fig. 3. Use the resistor values computed in the pre-lab. Verify the
component values using PSpice.
6. Apply a sinusoidal input signal with frequency and amplitude of 10 kHz and 10 mV, respectively. Measure
the input impedance and the small signal gain.
7. Remove the capacitor that is connected to the source of the MOSFET and measure the voltage gain.
Explain any differences.
8. Reconnect the capacitor to the source of the MOSFET. Sweep the frequency of the input signal and find the
low and high -3 dB frequencies. Compare these values with the ones obtained from PSpice and comment
on any differences.
Lab Report:
1. Use the results from steps 1, 2 and 4,and comment on the PSpice and experimental approximation for the
small signal transconductance gm.
2. With the experimental observation in step 3, comment on how Vt is related to the temperature of transistor.
3. Use the voltage measurements from steps 6, 7, and 8 to compute the input impedance and small signal
voltage gain. Report the -3 dB frequencies. Compare your experimental results with PSpice results.
4. Use the voltage measurements from steps 10 and 11 to compute the input impedance, output impedance,
and small signal voltage gain. Report the -3 dB frequencies. Compare your measurements with PSpice
results.
5. Conclusion.
Objectives:
The purpose of this experiment is to design a multi-stage CMOS amplifier. Your instructor may provide different
specifications.
Design a multi-stage amplifier for the application shown below. The amplifier must drive a load of 100 Ω.. So, a
low impedance output stage is needed (less than 100 Ω). The maximum input signal is 100 mVpp, and the peak
voltage at the output is 2 V. The amplifier’s low frequency –3 dB corner must be below 50 Hz (audio applications);
the high frequency -3 dB corner frequency must be beyond 20 kHz. In order to meet the specifications, 2or 3 stages
might be necessary. Combine different amplifier topologies as necessary. Avoid large attenuation factors at the
input. In practical applications this is avoided because your circuit would become more sensitive to noise. The 100
kΩ resistor represents the sensor’s (microphone) impedance.
100 kΩ
Amplifier Vout
Vin
100 Ω
Build the circuit that you designed in the pre lab. Use a 100 Ω resistor as a load and the signal generator at the input.
You must include the 100 kΩ resistor in your experiment. Do not complicate your setup unless you are sure that
everything is properly connected and the operating points are correct.
If any of the measurements do not meet the given specifications, you must modify your design until they do.
Lab Report: