Lab #7

EEE392 Measurements and Analog Circuits Lab

Exp. No #7

Date:
FREQUENCY RESPONSE OF DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the experiment is to design and and analyze the performance of BJT differential amplifier.
Also to plot the frequency response and thereby, determining the CMRR.

EQUIPMENT AND COMPONENTS USED

30 MHz Dual Channel Cathode Ray Oscilloscope
3 MHz Function Generator
0-30 V dc dual regulated power supply
4 digit Digital Multimeter
2N2222
Resistors, W
Breadboard and Connecting wires
BNC Cables and Probes
THEORY

Differential amplifier configuration is the most widely used building block in analog integrated-circuit
design.

The input stage of every op-amp is a differential amplifier.

Differential circuits are much less sensitive to noise and interference than single-ended circuits.

Differential amplifier can be coupled with amplifier stages without the need for bypass and coupling
capacitors.

A differential amplifier responds to a differential input signal and completely rejects a common-mode
signal, and the differential-mode gain will be much larger than the common-mode gain.

A measure of the effectiveness of the differential amplifier in amplifying differential-mode signals and
rejecting common-mode interference is the ratio of the magnitude of its differential gain to the
magnitude of its common-mode gain, termed as common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR).

Constant current source at he emitter terminal provides bias stability.

FURTHER READING
1. Robert Boylstad, Louis Nashelsky, Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, PHI, 2008.
2. James Cox, Fundamentals of Linear Electronics: Integrated and Discrete, Delmar Thomson
Learning, 2nd edition, 2001.
3. Theodore F.Bogart, Jeffrey S.Beasley, Electron Devices and Circuits, PHI.
4. Adel S.Sedra, Kenneth C.Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, Oxford University Press, 2009.

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Lab #7

EEE392 Measurements and Analog Circuits Lab

PRELAB
1. Use SPICE to create a differential amplifier and check for dc operating conditions.
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2. Obtain a plot of the frequency response of the amplifier over the frequency range from 1 Hz through
10 MHz.
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3. Observe the bandwidth and mid-band voltage gain and calculate CMRR.
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4. Analyze the circuit for different values of RE and measure CMRR.

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5. Compare bandwidth and gain with common emitter amplifier.

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Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham, Coimbatore.

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Lab #7

EEE392 Measurements and Analog Circuits Lab

DESIGN
Design a differential amplifier with a current source
Set the DC power supply voltage at 12 V.
Include a base resistance RB1 = RB2 =10 k in each input.
Design the circuit such that VCE = 4.5 V for the two transistors in the differential pair.
Similarly set VCE = 4.5 V for the current source (transistor Q3). Select I C1 = IC2 =2 mA through each transistor
in the differential pair, the constant current source will then have to provide an I C = IE = 4 mA.
Assume the hFE = 175, and VBE = 0.7 V.
Set the voltage VB3 = -6V, using resistors R1 = R2 = 10 k.
For dc biasing of the differential amplifier, VCC = IC1RC1 + VCE1 + VCE3 + IERE + VEE
VB3 = VBE3 + IERE + VEE
From the above two equations, RC1 = RC2 and RE can be calculated.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

Figure 1
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Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham, Coimbatore.

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Lab #7

EEE392 Measurements and Analog Circuits Lab

Figure 2
PRACTICE PROCEDURE
Differential Mode Gain
1. Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 1.
2. Apply the bias voltage VCC, VEE and check the dc bias voltages at test points.
3. Apply an input sine wave signal of 20mV, 1 kHz from the function generator.
4. Observe the output in CRO. Calculate the corresponding gain.
5. Vary the frequency of the input signal and tabulate the output signal gain for different frequencies.
6. Plot the Frequency Vs Gain (dB) using semi-log sheet and calculate the bandwidth of the given
amplifier from the plot.

Volt/div =

Time/div =

Graph 1: Input sine wave

Volt/div =

Time/div =

Graph 2: Output Waveform at Q1

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Lab #7

EEE392 Measurements and Analog Circuits Lab

Volt/div =

Time/div =

Graph 3: Output Waveform at Q2

Table1: Frequency response
Input voltage, V1 =
Input frequency
(Hz)

Output voltage
at Q1, VO1
(volts)

Output voltage
at Q2, VO2
(volts)

Output
voltage, Vo =
VO1 - VO2
(volts)

Gain = Vo
V1

mV

Ad =
20 log Gain
(Gain in dB)

10
20
50
100
200
500
1k
2k
5k
10k
20k
50k
100k
200k
500k
1M

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Lab #7

EEE392 Measurements and Analog Circuits Lab

Inference
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Common Mode Gain

1. Connect the circuit as shown in Figure 2.
2. Apply an input sine wave signal of 20mV, 10 kHz from the function generator.
3. Observe the output in CRO. Calculate the corresponding gain.

Table2:
Input voltage, V1 = V2 =
Input frequency
(Hz)

Output voltage
at Q1, VO1
(volts)

Output voltage
at Q2, VO2
(volts)

Output
voltage, Vo =
VO1 - VO2
(volts)

Gain = Vo
V1

mV

Acm =
20 log Gain
(Gain in dB)

10 kHz

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Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham, Coimbatore.

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Lab #7

EEE392 Measurements and Analog Circuits Lab

Inference
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UNDERSTANDING & LEARNING

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Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham, Coimbatore.

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Lab #7

EEE392 Measurements and Analog Circuits Lab

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RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Prepared by:
Name: __________________________________________
Experiment Date:

Reg. No.: _________________________

ASSESSMENT

Report Submission Date:

Student Task

Submission Delay: ........

Pre-lab Preparation

15

Performance

10

Observation &
Signature

Inference

Max. Marks

Graded Marks

10

Post-lab / Viva-voce

15

Total

50

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Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidhyapeetham, Coimbatore.

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