Feedback Amplifiers

 Feedback Concepts:
A typical feedback connection is shown in Fig.1. The input signal ,VS ,is applied
to a mixer network, where it is combined with a feedback signal, Vf. The difference
of these signals, Vi, is then the input voltage to the amplifier. A portion of the
amplifier output (sampled signal), Vo, is connected to the feedback network (β),
which provides a reduced portion of the output as feedback signal to the input
mixer network.
There are two basic types of feedback in amplifiers positive feedback and negative
feedback. When the feedback energy (voltage or current) is in phase with the input
signal and thus aids it, it is called positive feedback. Both amplifier and feedback
network introduce a phase shift of 180°. The result is a 360° phase shift around the
loop, When the feedback energy (voltage or current) is out of phase with the input
signal and thus opposes it, it is called negative feedback the amplifier introduces a
phase shift of 180° into the circuit while the feedback network is so designed that it
introduces no phase shift if the feedback signal is of opposite polarity to the input
signal, as shown in Fig.1, negative feedback results. While negative feedback
results in reduced overall voltage gain, a number of improvements are obtained,
among them being:

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1. Higher input impedance.
2. Lower output impedance.
3. Better stabilized voltage gain.
4. Improved frequency response.
5. Reduced noise.
6. More linear operation.

Fig.1
 Feedback Connection Types:
There are four basic ways of connecting the feedback signal. Both voltage and
current can be fed back to the input either in series or parallel. Specifically, there
can be:

1. Voltage-series feedback (Fig.2a).

2. Voltage-shunt feedback (Fig.2b).
3. Current-series feedback (Fig.2c).
4. Current-shunt feedback (Fig.2d).

In the list above, voltage refers to connecting the output voltage as input to the
feedback network; current refers to tapping off some output current through the
feedback network. Series refers to connecting the feedback signal in series with the
input signal voltage; shunt refers to connecting the feedback signal in shunt
(parallel) with an input current source.

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 Generally, series feedback connections tend to increase the input resistance,
while shunt feedback connections tend to decrease the input resistance. Voltage
feedback tends to decrease the output impedance, while current feedback tends to
increase the output impedance.

Fig.2

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  Gain With Feedback:
The gain without feedback, A, is that of the amplifier stage. With feedback, β,
the Overall gain of the circuit is reduced by a factor (1 + βA), as detailed below. A
summary of the gain, feedback factor, and gain with feedback of Fig. 2 is provided
for reference in Table 1.

Table 1

Feedback Types
Parameters Voltage- Voltage- Current- Current-
series shunt series shunt

Gain without feedback A

Feedback β

Gain with feedback Af

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  Voltage-Series Feedback:
From Fig. 2a and Table 1;

The gain with feedback is:

 Voltage-Shunt Feedback:
From Fig. 2b and Table 1;

The gain with feedback is:

 Current-Series Feedback:

From Fig. 2c and Table 1;

The gain with feedback is:

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  Current-Shunt Feedback:
From Fig.2d and Table 1;

The gain with feedback is:

 Input Impedance with Feedback:

The input impedance for the connections of Fig. 2 is dependent on whether series
or shunt feedback is used. For series feedback, the input impedance is increased,
while shunt feedback decreases the input impedance.

 Series Feedback:
From Fig.3 with voltage-series feedback;

( )

( )

The input impedance with series feedback is seen to be the value of the input
impedance without feedback multiplied by the factor (1 + βA) and applies to both
voltage-series (Fig.2a) and current-series (Fig.2c) configurations.

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 Fig.3
 Shunt Feedback:
From Fig.4 with voltage-shunt feedback;

This reduced input impedance applies to the voltage-shunt connection of

Fig.2b and the current-shunt connection of Fig.2d.

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 Fig.4

 Output Impedance with Feedback:

The output impedance for the connections of Fig.2 is dependent on whether
voltage or current feedback is used. For voltage feedback, the output impedance is
decreased, while current feedback increases the output impedance.

 Voltage Feedback:
For the voltage-series feedback circuit of Fig.3, the output impedance is
determined by applying a voltage, V, resulting in a current, I, with Vs shorted out
(Vs = 0). The voltage V is then

( ) ( )

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The above equation shows that with voltage feedback the output impedance is
reduced from that without feedback by the factor (1 +βA).

 Current Feedback:
From Fig.5 with current-series feedback;

( )

( )

Fig.5

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A summary of the effect of feedback on input and output impedance is provided
in Table 2.

Table 2

Feedback Types
Impedances
Voltage-series Voltage- shunt Current-series Current- shunt

( ) ( )
Input ( ) ( )
(increased) (increased)
(decreased) (decreased)

( ) ( )
Output ( ) ( )
(increased) (increased)
(decreased) (decreased)

 Gain Stability (Sensitivity and Desensitivity) with Feedback:

The fractional change in amplification with feedback divided by the fractional
change without feedback is called the sensitivity of the gain. If the equation
Af= A/(1+ βA) is differentiated with respect to A, the absolute value of resulting
equation is:

| | | |
| |

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Hence the sensitivity is 1/| |. This shows that magnitude of the relative
change in gain with feedback is reduced by the | | compared to that without
feedback. The reciprocal of sensitivity is called the desensitivity D, or

The fractional change in gain without feedback is divided by the desensitivity D

when feedback is added.
In particular, if | | >>1, then

and the gain may be made to depend entirely on the feedback network. The worst
offenders with respect to stability are usually the active devices (transistors)
involved. If the feedback network contains only stable passive elements, the
improvement in stability may indeed be pronounced.

 Bandwidth with Feedback:

Fig. 6 shows that the amplifier with negative feedback has more bandwidth (βf )
than the amplifier without feedback (β). The feedback amplifier has a higher upper
3-dB frequency and smaller lower 3-dB frequency.

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 Fig.6

 Method of Analysis of a Feedback Amplifier:

It is desirable to separate the feedback amplifier into two blocks, the basic
amplifier A and the feedback network β, because with a knowledge of A and β, we
can calculate the important parameters of the feedback amplifier, namely, Af, Zif,
and Zof. The basic amplifier configuration without feedback but taking the loading
of the β network into account is obtained by applying the following rules:

To find the input circuit:

1. Set Vo = 0 for voltage feedback (sampling). In other words, short the output
node.
2. Set Io = 0 for current feedback (sampling). In other words, open the output loop.

To find the output circuit:

1. Set Vi = 0 for shunt feedback. In other words, short the input node.
2. Set Ii = 0 for series feedback. In other words, open the input loop.

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 Table 3 summarizes the above procedure and should be referred to when
carrying out the analyses of the feedback circuits discussed in the following
examples.
Table 3
Feedback Types
Parameters
Voltage-series Voltage- shunt Current-series Current- shunt

Sampled signal Xo Voltage ( shunt) Voltage ( shunt) Current ( series) Current ( series)
Feedback signal Xf Voltage ( series) Current ( shunt) Voltage ( series) Current ( shunt)
To find input loop, set Vo = 0 Vo = 0 Io = 0 Io = 0
To find output loop, set Ii = 0 Vi = 0 Ii = 0 Vi = 0
Signal source Thevenin Norton Thevenin Norton
⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄
⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄

Af ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄
Zif ⁄ ⁄
Zof ⁄ ⁄

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Example (1):- Calculate Avf , Zif ,and Zof for the amplifier of Fig.1(a). Assume
hfe = 50, hie = 1.1kΩ , hre = hoe = 0, and identical transistors?

Fig.1(b).
Fig.1 (a).

Solution: this is (voltage-Series feedback) type.

‖ ‖ ‖ ‖ ‖

( )
( )

( )
‖( )

( )( )

( )( )

( ) ( )

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Example (2):- Calculate Avf , Zif ,and Zof for the amplifier of Fig.2(a) Assume
hfe = 120, hie = 900Ω , and identical transistors?

Fig.2 (b).

Solution: this is (Current-Series feedback) type.

( )( )

( )( )

‖( ) ‖( )

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Example (3):- Calculate Avf , Zif ,and Zof for the amplifier of Fig.3(a) ,Assume
hfe = 50, hie = 1.1kΩ , and identical transistors?

Fig.3 (a).

Solution: this is (Current-Shunt feedback) type. Fig.3 (b).

( ‖ ) ( ‖ )

‖( ) ‖( ) ‖

( )( )( )( ) ( )( )( )( )

( )( )

( )( )

‖ ‖

( )( )

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Example (4):- Calculate Avf , Zif ,and Zof for the amplifier of Fig.4(a), has the
following parameters : RC = 4kΩ, RF = 40kΩ, RS = 10kΩ, hfe = 50, hie = 1.1kΩ ,
and identical transistors?

Solution: this is (Voltage-Shunt feedback) type.

‖ ‖

‖ ‖

( )( )( )

( )( )

‖ ‖

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H.W:- Calculate Avf , Zif ,and Zof for the amplifier circuit shown , given : gm = 1mv
, rd = 20k

H.W :- Calculate Avf , Zif ,and Zof for the amplifier circuit ,Assume hfe = 50,
hie = 1.1kΩ , and identical transistors?

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