Lab 5 Differential Amplifiers Objective: This project will focus on single stage differential amplifiers. Both B T and !

"T amplifiers will be e#amined as will the use of resistor and current source biasing. $omponents: %&%%%% B T' %&())) !"T *ntroduction: The operational amplifier has had a dramatic impact on electronic circuit design' both analog and digital' over the last %5 +ears. ,hile the comple#it+' speed and capabilit+ of the Op-Amp have changed dramaticall+ over this time' the basic operation still depends heavil+ on the input differential amplifier stage. *t is this differential amplifier stage that will be e#amined in this project. The differential amplifier is designed to effectivel+ shift a constant current between two branches as a function of the difference between the two input signals. *deall+' as a result of the changing current' the amplifier output reflects onl+ the difference between the inputs. The .ualit+ for the amplifier design is determined' in part' b+ e#amining the output of the differential amplifier under two specific input conditions. The ratio of the differential mode voltage gain /AD01 2inputs are e.ual in magnitude and opposite in sign3 to the common mode voltage gain /A$01 2both inputs are e.ual3 is used to determine the $ommon 0ode 4ejection 4atio 2$0443. The higher the ratio' the better the differential amplifier stage is able to discriminate between the actual difference in the signals present at the two input terminals. The input impedance is another important measure of the .ualit+ of the differential amplifier stage. These two items' $044 and 5in' will be the primar+ focus of this project. !igure 6(-6 illustrates a B T based differential amplifier and !igure 6(-% shows an !"T based stage. The differential output versions 2!igures 6(-6 2A3 and 6(-% 2B33 have a resistor in each branch and the output is measured between the two collectors 2drains3. 0an+ differential amplifiers are designed as single ended outputs since the information contained in either of the collector 2drain3 terminals is sufficient to determine the differential input. !igures 6(-6 2B3 and 6(-% 2B3 illustrate the single ended designs. *n the single ended case one of the branch resistors 246 for e#ample3 is removed and replaced b+ a short circuit. The determination of the non-inverting 2783 and inverting 27&3 input terminal is made b+ loo9ing at the relationship between a change on the input terminal and the corresponding change in the output voltage. The non-inverting terminal causes an increase in the output voltage for an increase in the input signal. There is a 6:); phase shift between the inverting input signal change and the output signal change. The current source illustrated between each diagram is generall+ implemented using an appropriate B T or !"T current mirror. A discussion of current mirrors can be found in 8rojects : and 6<. The use of a resistor in place of the current mirror is also used to provide an appro#imatel+ constant current source. Both t+pes of current supplies will be investigated in this project.

!igure 6( - 6: B T Differential Amplifier

!igure 6( - %: !"T Differential Amplifier Design: 6. Design a single ended B T differential amplifier capable of providing a = 6) 7 output swing across a 6 9 resistor using = 65 7 D$ power supplies. The switching current should be supplied b+ a B T current mirror. *ndicate the value of 7out when both inputs are grounded. 7erif+ +our design 8>8*$"?. %. 4epeat step 6 using a single resistor to provide the switching current. <. Design a single ended !"T differential amplifier capable of providing a = 5 7 output swing across a 6 9 resistor using = 65 7 D$ power supplies. The switching current should be supplied b+ an !"T current mirror. *ndicate the value of 7out when both inputs are grounded. 7erif+ +our design 8>8*$"?.

@. 4epeat step < using a single resistor to provide the switching current . Lab 8rocedure: 6. $onstruct the differential amplifier designed in step 6 of the design procedures. 7erif+ the circuit operation with both inputs grounded. Be careful in ma9ing voltage measurements so as not to effectivel+ b+-pass +our current source. %. Appl+ a differential voltage signal 27A3 to each input. The individual input voltages should be e.ual in magnitude but opposite in polarit+. 0easure the output voltage and determine the differential mode voltage gain 2AD03. 0easure the input current for terminal and determine the effective input impedance as seen b+ the total differential input voltage 2%7A3. Be careful not to over drive the amplifier. <. Appl+ a common mode signal 2e.ual magnitude and same polarit+3 to the two inputs. Adjust +our common mode voltage to the total differential voltage used in step % 2% 7A3. 0easure the output voltage and determine the common mode voltage gain 2A$03. Again' be careful not to overdrive the amplifier. Determine the input impedance for this input condition. $ompare this input impedance with the impedance determined in step %. Discuss possible causes for an+ differences between the two values. @. Determine the $044 2AD0BA$03 for the amplifier. 5. 4everse the polarities on the inputs for steps % and < and determine the differential mode gain' common mode gain' and $044 for the revised inputs. $omment on an+ similarities andBor differences. C. 4epeat steps % - 5 for each of the other three differential amplifier designs. (. 8repare a summar+ of the various measurements and results for all the tests. Anal+De the summar+ data and provide a brief discussion of the differencesBsimilarities between the various designs. Euestions: 6. $ould an+' or all' of these circuits be designed using a single D$ power suppl+F "#plain +our answer. %. ,hat' if an+' limitations are there on the value of the common mode signalF Are the+ different for the amplifiers designed using a current source when compared to those using a single resistor for the current suppl+F <. Are the two voltage gains' AD0 and A$0 affected b+ the value of the input voltages usedF "#plain +our answer. @. *s the input impedance affected b+ the decision to use a current mirror versus the single resistorF *f so' how can the difference be e#plainedF 5. $omment on the benefitBdisadvantage of using an !"T current mirror for the B T based differential amplifier. 4epeat for the reversed situation. C. Discuss the benefitsBdisadvantages of the single ended output versus the differential output designs.