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Unit 4 Transistor Frequency Response

The document discusses the frequency response of transistor amplifiers. It explains that amplifiers have a mid-range bandwidth defined by lower and upper cutoff frequencies, where the gain drops by 3dB. At low frequencies, coupling and bypass capacitors lower the gain. At high frequencies, stray and Miller capacitances lower the gain. Miller capacitance refers to the input and output capacitances between stages that further limit the high frequency response in multistage amplifiers. Bode plots are used to indicate an amplifier's frequency response graphically.

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Shaina Mabborang
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147 views6 pages

Unit 4 Transistor Frequency Response

The document discusses the frequency response of transistor amplifiers. It explains that amplifiers have a mid-range bandwidth defined by lower and upper cutoff frequencies, where the gain drops by 3dB. At low frequencies, coupling and bypass capacitors lower the gain. At high frequencies, stray and Miller capacitances lower the gain. Miller capacitance refers to the input and output capacitances between stages that further limit the high frequency response in multistage amplifiers. Bode plots are used to indicate an amplifier's frequency response graphically.

Uploaded by

Shaina Mabborang
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unit 4

Transistor Frequency Response


General Frequency Considerations

The frequency response of an amplifier refers to the frequency range in which the amplifier will operate
with negligible effects from capacitors and device internal capacitance. This range of frequencies can be
called the mid-range.

• At frequencies above and below the midrange, capacitance and any inductance will
affect the gain of the amplifier.

• At low frequencies the coupling and bypass capacitors lower the gain.

• At high frequencies stray capacitances associated with the active device lower the gain.

• Also, cascading amplifiers limits the gain at high and low frequencies.

• Bode Plot

A Bode plot indicates the frequency response of an amplifier.

The horizontal scale indicates the frequency (in Hz) and the vertical scale indicates the gain (in dB).
Cutoff Frequencies
The mid-range frequency range of an amplifier is called the bandwidth of the amplifier.

The bandwidth is defined by the lower and upper cutoff frequencies.

Cutoff – any frequency at which the gain has dropped by 3 dB.

BJT Amplifier Low-Frequency Response


At low frequencies, coupling capacitor (CS, CC) and bypass capacitor (CE) reactances affect the circuit
impedances.
Coupling Capacitor (CS)

The cutoff frequency due to CS can be calculated by


1
f Ls =
2π(R s + R i )C s

R i = R 1 || R 2 || βre
Bypass Capacitor (CE)
The cutoff frequency due to CE can be calculated with

1
f LE =
2 πR e C E
R′
R e = R E || ( s + re )
β

R ′s = R s || R 1 || R 2

Miller Capacitance
Any p-n junction can develop capacitance. In a BJT amplifier, this capacitance becomes noticeable
across:

• The base-collector junction at high frequencies in common-emitter BJT amplifier


configurations

• The gate-drain junction at high frequencies in common-source FET amplifier


configurations.

These capacitances are represented as separate input and output capacitances, called the Miller
Capacitances.

Miller Input Capacitance (CMi)

C Mi = (1 − A v )C f

Note that the amount of Miller capacitance is dependent on inter-electrode


capacitance from input to output (Cf) and the gain (Av).
Miller Output Capacitance (CMo)

If the gain (Av) is considerably greater than 1, then

CMo ≅ Cf

BJT Amplifier High-Frequency Response


Capacitances that affect the high-frequency response are

Junction capacitances

Cbe, Cbc, Cce

Wiring capacitances

Cwi, Cwo

Coupling capacitors

C S, C C

Bypass capacitor CE
Multistage Frequency Effects
Each stage will have its own frequency response, but the output of one stage will be affected by
capacitances in the subsequent stage. This is especially so when determining the high frequency
response. For example, the output capacitance (Co) will be affected by the input Miller Capacitance
(CMi) of the next stage.

Multistage Amplifier Frequency Response


Once the cutoff frequencies have been determined for each stage (taking into account the shared
capacitances), they can be plotted.

Note the highest lower cutoff frequency (fL) and the lowest upper cutoff frequency (fH) are closest to
the actual response of the amplifier.

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