Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B.

Sc (E&C) – III Sem

MUTHAYAMMAL COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE,

RASIPURAM-637408
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION
II YEAR/III SEM
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS - (19UEL03)
UNIT
UNIT-IV (Feedback Amplifiers)
Introduction:
Feedback plays a very important role in electronic circuits and the basic parameters such as
input impedance, current or voltage gain and bandwidth may be altered considerably by the
use of feedback for a given amplifier.
In large signal amplifiers and electronic measuring instruments, the major m problem of
distortion should be avoided as far as possible.
Again, the gain must be independent of external factors such as variation in the voltage of the
DC supply and of the values of the circuit components.
All this can be achieved by means of feedback.
f
A portion of the output signal is taken from the output of the amplifier and is combined with the
normal input signal of the amplifier is called feedback.
feedback

Basic Concept of Feedback:

A block diagram of an amplifier with
feedback is shown in the figure
igure.
The output quantity (either
either voltage or
current)) is sampled by a suitable
sampler which is of two types, namely,
voltage sampler and current sampler,
and fed to the feedback network.
The output of feedback network, Figure 1(Block
(Block diagram of Amplifier with feedback)
which has a fraction of the output
signal, is combined with external source signal V, through of a mixer and fed to the basic
amplifier.
Mixers, also known as comparators, are of two types, namely, series mixer and shunt mixer.

VS - AC signal in the input side (current or voltage)
Vf - feedback signal (current or voltage)
Basically there are two kinds of feedback namely Positive feedback and Negative feedback.

Positive feedback:
Positive feedback If the feedback signal Vf is in phase with input signal VS, then the net Vi = VS+
Vf .
Hence, the input voltage applied to the basic amplifier
amplifier is increased thereby increasing VO
exponentially.
This type of feedback is said to be positive or regenerative feedback.

I. Balakrishnan, Asst.Prof/E&C, | Muthayammal College of Arts and Science.

ience. Rasipuram 1
 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

Gain of the amplifier with positive feedback is

!
1 1
! !

1 1
1 1

1
Here, |Af| > |A|. The product of the open gain and the feedback factor is called the loop gain, i.e.
loop gain = Aβ.
If |Aβ| = 1, then Af = 0. Hence, the gain of the amplifier with positive feedback is infinite and the
amplifier gives an AC output without AC input signal.
Thus, the amplifier acts as an oscillator.
The positive feedback increases the instability of an amplifier, reduces the band-width and
increases the distortion and noise.
The property of the positive feedback is utilized in oscillators.

Negative feedback:
If the feedback signal Vf is out of phase with the input signal VS then Vi = Vs - Vf.
So the input voltage applied to the basic amplifier is decreased and correspondingly the output
is decreased.
Hence, the voltage gain is reduced.
This type of feedback is known as negative or degenerative feedback.
Gain of the amplifier with negative feedback is

! +
1 1
!+ !
+
1 1
1 1+
+

1+
Here, |Af| < |A|. If |Aβ| >> 1, then Af= 1/β, where β is a feedback ratio.
Hence, the gain depends less on the operating potentials and the characteristics of the
transistor.
The gain may be made to depend entirely on the feedback network.
If the feedback network contains only stable passive elements, the gain of the amplifier using
negative feedback is also stable.
The stabilization of the DC operating point of a transistor amplifier is accomplished by the use
of negative feedback as far the DC potential is concerned and the operating point is kept
constant in the case of change in temperature or a change in the hfe or β of a transistor.
Negative feedback is used to improve the performance of an electronic amplifier.

I. Balakrishnan, Asst.Prof/E&C, | Muthayammal College of Arts and Science. Rasipuram 2

 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

Negative feedback always helps to increase the bandwidth, decrease distortion and noise,
modify input and output resistances as desired.
All the above advantages are obtained at the expense of reduction in voltage gain.
The block diagram of a feedback amplifier shown in figure consists of sampling network,
feedback network and mixer network.

Sampling network:
There are two ways of sampling the signal at the output, the output voltage is sampled by
connecting the feedback network in shunt across the output or by series from the output.
The type of connection at the output sampled as shunt across the output is referred to as
voltage or node sampling.
Another feedback connection which samples the output current, where the feedback network is
connected in series with the output.
This type of connection is referred to as current or loop sampling.

Feedback network:
The feedback network is usually a passive two-port network which may contain resistors,
capacitors, and inductors.
Most often it is simply a resistive configuration in amplifier circuits.
It provides a reduced portion of the output as feedback signal to the input mixer network and it
is given as Vf = βVO where β is a feedback factor or feedback ratio which always lies between 0
and 1.

Mixer network:
Like sampling, there are two ways of mixing the feedback signal with the input signal.
The two mixing blocks are as series to the input or shunt to the input.

Transfer ratio or gain:

The symbol A shown in block diagram represents the ratio of the output signal to the input
signal of the basic amplifier.
The transfer ratio V/Vi is the voltage amplification, or the voltage gain, AV.
Similarly, the transfer ratio I/Ii is the current amplification, or current gain, Ai for the amplifier.
The ratio I/V of the basic amplifier is the transconductance GM.
And the ratio V/I is the transresistance RM.
Although GM or RM does not represent amplification in the usual sense of the word, as the ratio
of two signals shows one of these is a current and the other is a voltage signal.
The symbol Af is defined as the ratio of the output signal to the input signal of the amplifier and
is called the transfer gain of the amplifier with feedback.
Effect of Negative-Feedback in Amplifiers:
The positive feedback in amplifier circuit results in oscillations as in various types of oscillators
circuits.
The negative feedback in amplifier circuit results in decreased voltage gain, noise and
distortion, but there will be an increase in bandwidth.
In addition to these characteristics, input and output impedances get varied according to
feedback connections.

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 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

Although there is a reduction in overall voltage gain, there are some improvements in using
negative feedback in amplifier circuits as listed below:
1. Better stabilized voltage gain
2. Enhanced frequency response
3. Higher input impedance
4. Lower output impedance
5. Reduction in noise
6. Increase in linearity
Desensitization or Stabilization of Gain:
The variation due to aging, temperature, replacement, etc., of the circuit components and
transistor or FET characteristics results in unstable amplifier transfer gain.
The closed-loop gain of the amplifier with negative feedback is given by

1+
Differentiating the above equation with respect to A, we have
% &
1+
$ $
'1 + (
'1 + (
$ $
'1 + ()
'1 + (1
'1 + ()
1
'1 + ()

'1 + ()
Dividing both sides by Af, we get
1
×
'1 + ()
'1 + (
×
'1 + ( )

×
'1 + (
+, +,
The term represents the fractional change in amplifier voltage gain with feedback and
, ,
denotes the fractional change in voltage gain without feedback.
The term 1⁄1 + is called sensitivity, Therefore, the sensitivity is defined as the ratio of
percentage change in voltage gain with feedback to the percentage change in voltage gain
without feedback.
% &
1
. / 0
'1 + (
1 2
The reciprocal of the term sensitivity is called desensitivity D, or desensitivity D= (1 + Aβ).

I. Balakrishnan, Asst.Prof/E&C, | Muthayammal College of Arts and Science. Rasipuram 4

 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

Hence, the transfer pain divided by desensitivity is called the closed-loop gain and it can be
written as

'1 + ( 3
In particular, if |βA| >> 1, then
1
≈
'1 + (
Hence the gain depends entirely on the feedback network.
If the feedback network contains only stable passive elements, the improvement in stability
may be high.
Increase in stability shows that the gain is made insensitive to changes in transistor
parameters.

Extension of Bandwidth:
We know that, the gain with feedback for an amplifier is given by

1+
Using the above equation, we can write

5!+
5!+
1+ 5!+

6 7
6 7
1+ 6 7

8!98
8!98
1+ 8!98

The effect of negative feedback on lower cut-off and upper cut-off frequencies of the amplifier
is analyzed here.
Lower cut-off frequency:
We know that, the relation between gain at lower cut-off frequency and gain at mid frequency
for an amplifier is given as
6 7 1
5!+ 1 : % ;&

5!+
∴ 6 7
1 : % ;&

Substituting the Alow in the Aflow equation, we get

5!+ 5!+
;
1 :% & 1 : % ;&
6 7
5!+
1+ 1 : % ;& + 5!+
1 : % ;&
1 : % ;&

I. Balakrishnan, Asst.Prof/E&C, | Muthayammal College of Arts and Science. Rasipuram 5

 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

5!+ 5!+
6 7
1 : % ;& + 5!+ '1 + 5!+ ( : % ; &

Dividing Numerator and denominator by '1 + 5!+ (, we have

5!+ 5!+
'1 + 5!+ ( '1 + 5!+ (
6 7
'1 + 5!+ (
'1 + 5!+ ( : % ;& :% ;
&
'1 + 5!+ ( '1 + 5!+ (

'1 + 5!+ (

5!+
'1 + 5!+ ( 5!+
6 7 ; . 5!+
; 1+
1 :% & 5!+
'1 + 5!+ (

5!+
6 7
;
1 :% &
'1 + 5!+ (

6 7 1
∴
5!+ ;
1 :% &

Where the lower cut-off frequency with feedback is given by

;
;
'1 + 5!+ (
From the above equation, we can say that lower cut-off frequency with feedback is less than
the lower cut-off frequency without feedback by factor (1 + Amidβ).
Therefore, by introducing negative feedback, low frequency response of the amplifier is
improved.

Upper cut-off frequency:

We know that, the relation between gain at upper cutoff frequency and gain at mid frequency
for an amplifier is given as,
8!98 1
5!+ 1+:% &
>

5!+
∴ 8!98
1+:% &
>
Substituting the Ahigh in the Af high equation, we get

5!+ 5!+

1+:% & 1+:% &

> >
8!98
5!+
1+ 1+:% &+ 5!+
1+:% & >
>
1+:% &
>

I. Balakrishnan, Asst.Prof/E&C, | Muthayammal College of Arts and Science. Rasipuram 6

 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

5!+ 5!+
8!98
1 + : % & + 5!+ '1 + 5!+ ( + : % &
> >
Dividing Numerator and denominator by '1 + 5!+ (, we have
5!+ 5!+
'1 + 5!+ ( '1 + 5!+ (
8!98
'1 + 5!+ (
'1 + 5!+ ( + : % & +:% &
> '1 + 5!+ ( '1 + 5!+ ( >

'1 + 5!+ (

5!+
'1 + 5!+ ( 5!+
8!98 ; . 5!+
1+
1+:% & 5!+
'1 + 5!+ ( >

5!+
8!98
1+% &
'1 + 5!+ ( >

8!98 1
∴
5!+ 1+:% &
>

Where the Upper cut-off frequency with feedback is given by

> '1 + 5!+ ( >

From the above equation, we can say that upper cut-off frequency with feedback is greater
than upper cut-off frequency without feedback by factor (1+Amidβ).
Therefore, by introducing negative feedback, high frequency response of the amplifier is
improved.
Bandwidth:

The bandwidth of the amplifier without

feedback is given as
?@ > ;

Therefore, bandwidth of the amplifier

with feedback can be written as
?@ > ;

;
?@ '1 + 5!+ ( >
'1 + 5!+ (
Or, it can also be written as Figure 2(Effect of Negative feedback in gain and Bandwidth)
?@ ?@ '1 + 5!+ (

From the frequency response graph shown in Fig.ure, it is very clear that A > ; B ≫
' > ; ( and hence the bandwidth of the amplifier with feedback is greater than the
bandwidth of the amplifier without feedback.
As the voltage gain of a feedback amplifier reduces by the factor '1 + ( its bandwidth
increases by '1 + (.
This shows that the product of voltage gain and bandwidth of an amplifier without
feedback and with feedback remains the same, i.e. Af X BWf= A X BW.

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 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

Noise Reduction:
Negative feedback reduces the
noise or interference in an
amplifier, more precisely, by
increasing the ratio of signal to
noise; which is possible only
under certain conditions.
Consider the amplifier block
shown in figure with input signal
Vs noise signal Vn and gain A1. Figure 3(Noise Reduction due to Negative feedback)
Assume that the noise is introduced at the input of the amplifier and the signal-to-noise ratio
for this amplifier is given by S/N = D / F
In the above figure an amplifier stage with gain A2, that does not suffer from the noise
problem, is connected before the main amplifier A1 and by applying negative feedback
around the overall cascaded block, the overall gain is maintained constant.
The output voltage of the circuit can be obtained by superposition and it is given by
G ) G
D + F
1+ G ) 1+ G )
Thus the signal to noise ratio at the output becomes
G )
. D1 + G ) D
)
H G F
F1
+ G )
Which is A2 times higher than the original case.
Hence, there is an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), by connecting a noise free
amplifier before the noisy stage, with the application of negative feedback.
Improvement in SNR results in reduction of noise.

Reduction in Nonlinear Distortion:

The transfer characteristics of an amplifier shown in curve (a), indicates that it is piecewise
linear, with the voltage gain changing
from 1000 to 100 and then to 0.
This nonlinear transfer characteristic
of an amplifier generates a large
amount of nonlinear distortion at the
output.
This transfer characteristics can be
considerably linearised (i.e. made
less nonlinear) by applying negative
feedback to the amplifier.

As it is known that, negative feedback Figure 4(Transfer Characteristics of Feedback Amplifier)

reduces the dependence of the overall closed-loop gain on the open-loop gain of the basic
amplifier.
Thus, large changes in open loop gain (1000 to 100 in this case) results in much smaller
changes in closed-loop gain.

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 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

The transfer characteristics of the closed-loop amplifier is shown in curve (b) in which a
negative feedback with β = 0.01 is applied to the amplifier whose open-loop voltage transfer
characteristic is indicated as curve (a).
Here the slope of the steepest segment is given by
1000
G 90.9
1 + 1000 + 0.01
And the slope of the next segment is given by
100
) 50
1 + 100 + 0.01
Thus the order-of-magnitude change in slope with feedback as shown in curve (a) has been
considerably reduced compared to the change in slope without feedback as shown in curve
(b).
This has been achieved at the expense of reduction in voltage gain.
Thus, if the overall gain has to be restored, then a preamplifier should be added.
This preamplifier should not present a severe nonlinear-distortion problem, since it deals with
smaller signals.
Consider an amplifier with an open-loop voltage gain (A) and a total harmonic distortion
without feedback (D).
Then, due to introduction of negative feedback, with the feedback ratio (β), the distortion (D)
is reduced by a factor of 1 + Aβ and the distortion with feedback (D) is given by
3
3
1+
Types of Negative Feedback:

Based on the type of sampling at the output side and the type of mixing to the input side,
feedback amplifiers are classified into four Types as follows as

Voltage-series feedback or Voltage Amplifier

Current-series feedback or transconductance Amplifier
Current-shunt feedback or Current Amplifier
Voltage-shunt feedback or Transresistance amplifier

The series feedback connections tend to increase the input resistance, while the shunt feedback
connections tend to decrease the input resistance.
Also, the voltage feedback tends to decrease the output resistance, while the current feedback
tends to increase the output resistance.
It is desirable that most cascade amplifiers need to have higher input resistance and lower
output resistance.
The voltage-series type of feedback has the high input resistance and low output resistance, but
it suffers the highest decrease in voltage gain.
On the other hand, current-shunt feedback has the least desirable effects since it decreases
input resistance and increases output resistance.

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 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

Voltage-Series Feedback:

A block diagram of a voltage-series feedback

is illustrated in Figure.
Here, the input to the feedback network is in
parallel with the output of the amplifier.
A fraction of the output voltage through the
feedback network is applied in series with
the input voltage of the amplifier.
The shunt connection at the output reduces
the output resistance R.
The series connection at the input increases
the input resistance. Figure 5(Voltage Series Feedback)
In this case, the amplifier is a true voltage amplifier and the voltage feedback factor is given by

The input resistance is given by M!

N
M! M! '1 + (
The input resistance is given by M
N
M
M
1+

Voltage-Shunt Feedback:

A block diagram of a voltage- shunt

feedback is illustrated in Figure.
Here, the input to the feedback network is
in parallel with the output of the amplifier.
A fraction of the output voltage through
the feedback network is applied in parallel
with the input voltage of the amplifier.
In this case, the amplifier is a true

Transresistance amplifier and the voltage Figure 6(Voltage Shunt Feedback)

N
feedback factor is given by
The voltage shunt feedback provides a stabilized overall gain and decreases both the input and
output resistances by the factor '1 + (
The input resistance is given by
M!
M!
'1 + (
The input resistance is given by
M
M
1+

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 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

Current-Series Feedback:
A block diagram of a current-series feedback is
illustrated in Figure.
In current series feedback, a voltage is
developed which is proportional to the output
current.
This is called current feedback even though it is
a voltage that subtracts from the input voltage.
Because of the series connection at the input
and output, the input and output resistances get
increased.

This type of amplifier is called transconductance Figure 7(Current Series Feedback)

amplifier.
The transconductance feedback factor or ratio is given by
N
The current series feedback increases the input resistance and decreases the output resistances
by the factor '1 + (
The input resistance is given by
M! M! '1 + (
The input resistance is given by
M
M
1+
Current-Shunt Feedback:
A current-shunt feedback is illustrated in
Figure.
It is called a series-derived, shunt-fed
feedback.
The shunt connection at the input reduces the
input resistance and the series connection at
the output increases the output resistance.
This is a true current amplifier.
N
The current feedback factor is given by
N

The current series feedback decreases the Figure 8(Current Shunt Feedback)
input resistance and increases the output
resistances by the factor '1 + (
The input resistance is given by
M!
M!
'1 + (
The input resistance is given by
M M '1 + (

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 Electronic Circuits (19UEL03) B. Sc (E&C) – III Sem

Compression of negative feedback amplifier characteristics:

Voltage Series Voltage Shunt Current series Current Shunt
S. No Characteristics
feedback feedback feedback feedback
1 Input resistance Increases Decreases Increases Decreases
2 Output resistance Decreases Decreases Increases Increases
3 Voltage gain Decreases Decreases Decreases Decreases
4 Bandwidth Increases Increases Increases Increases
5 Non Linear Distortion Decreases Decreases Decreases Decreases
6 Noise Decreases Decreases Decreases Decreases

I. Balakrishnan, Asst.Prof/E&C, | Muthayammal College of Arts and Science. Rasipuram 1