DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH

Name of the faculty : T.Madhavi Kumari.

Designation : Lecturer.
Branch : Electronics & Communication Engg.
Institute : Govt.Polytechnic ,Vijayawada.
Semester : III Semester.
Subject : Electronics –I.
Subject Code : EE-305.
Topic : Small Signal Amplifiers
Duration : 50 Minutes.
Sub Topic : Gain , Decibel gain , Frequency
Response and band width of an
amplifier.
Teaching aids : PPT, Animations, WaveformsS.
EE305.75 1
 Recap

• Already we discussed about the

• Multistage amplifiers and

• Their necessity

EE-305.75 2
Objectives
After the completion of the period student will be
able to know

• Gain and band width of an amplifier.

• Decibel gain

• Why the gain is expressed in decibels.

• Gain of a multistage amplifier

• Frequency response of an amplifier.

EE305.75 3
GAIN

• Def: The ratio of the output electrical quantity to the

input of the amplifier is called gain Electrical quantities
are voltage, current and power accordingly gain can be
voltage gain, current gain or power gain.

Voltage gain Current gain Power gain

Vout Iout Pout

AV = AI = AP =
Vin Iin Pin
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Block diagram of 2- Stage CE cascade amplifier

FIRST V2 SECOND V3
V1
STAGE STAGE

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Voltage Gain of a Multi Stage Amplifier

• voltage gain of the first stage V2

AV 1 = Eq no.1
is V1

V3 Eq no.2
• voltage gain of the second AV 2 =
stage V2

• voltage gain of the multi stage V3 V3 V2

AV = = X
amplifier is V1 V 2 V1

• From equation 1 & 2

AV = AV 1 XAV 2 From Eqno.1&2

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Voltage gain continued

• Voltage gain of the multi stage amplifier is equal to the

product of the voltage gains of the individual stages.

• For n stage cascaded amplifier.

• Magnitude of the total voltage gain.
AV=AV1XAV2X……AVn

• Total phase shift

θ= θ1 + θ2 +------------- θn

• Due to loading effect above condition is not satisfied

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Decibel Gain

• Def: Ten times the common logarithm of the ratio of output

power to the input power is known as decibel gain

Pout
Powergain =10 log10
Pin
Vout
VolatgegainindB = 20 log 10
Vin
Iout
CurrentgainindB = 20 log 10
Iin
1 bel =10 Decibels
EE305.75 8
Properties of power gain and voltage gain

Factor Power gain in Voltage gain in

decibels decibels
X1 0 dB 0 dB

X2 +3 +6

X 10 +10 +20

X 0.5 -3 -6

X 0.1 -10 -20

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Gain of multi stage amplifier in dB

• Gain of multi stage (n stage) amplifier is the product of

the gains of the individual stages
A = A1 X A2 X A3-----An
• Taking logarithm on both sides
10log10A = 10log10 (A = A1 X A2 X A3----An )
= 10log10 (A1) + 10log10 (A2) ----+ 10log10 (An)

• AdB = AdB1 +AdB2 + AdB3 +----+AdBn

• The over all gain in dB of a multi stage amplifier is the

sum of the decibel voltage gains of the individual stages.10
EE305.75
Why dB is used?
• It permits gains to be directly added when a number of

stages are cascaded

• Use of logarithms changes multiplication in to an
addition
• It permits us to denote, both very small as well as very
• large quantities of linear scale by conveniently small
figures
Ex: Voltage Gain = 0.000001 = -120dB
Voltage Gain = 456000 = 56dB

• It tallies with the natural response of our ears

EE305.75 11
Frequency Response

• The curve between Gain and signal frequency of an

amplifier is known as frequency response.
Voltage gain

Maximum gain

fr Frequency
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Band Width
• The range of frequencies over which the gain is equal to or
greater than 70.7% of the maximum gain is known as band
width
Voltage gain

Am

0.707 Am
f1-lower cut-off
frequency

f2-upper cut-off
frequency
The gain bandwidth f1 fr f2
Frequency
product is consant BAND WIDTH=f2-f1
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3 dB frequencies

• Lower cut off frequency:

f1 – Frequency at which the magnitude of the low
frequency range falls to 0.707 times of the maximum

gain .
• Upper cut off frequency
f2 – Frequency at which the magnitude of the voltage
gain in the high frequency range falls to 0.707 times
of the maximum gain .

• f1 and f2 are also known as 3dB frequencies or half

power frequencies. EE305.75 14

 QUIZ

1. A gain of 1,000,000 of times in power is

expressed by

(a) 30dB

(b) 60dB

(c) 20dB

(d) 600dB

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1. 1dB corresponds to -----------change in power
level

(a) 50%

(b) 35%

(c) 26%

(d) 22%

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1. The band width of a single stage amplifier is
--------that of a multi stage amplifier

(a) more than

(b) the same as

(c) less than

(d) data

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1. The upper or lower cut off frequency is also
called--------- frequency

(a) Resonant

(b) Side Band

(c) 3dB

(d) none of the above

EE305.75 18
Assignment Problems

1. The input power to an amplifier is 15mW while output

power is 2W. Find the decibel gain of the amplifier

3. A multi stage amplifier consists of three stages. The

voltage gains of the stages are 30, 50, and 60. calculate
the over all gain in dB.

EE305.75 19
EE305.75
Frequently asked questions

1. Define gain and bandwidth of an amplifier ?

3. Define decibel gain and frequency response of an

amplifier?

5. Define lower and upper cutoff frequencies?

EE305.75 20
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