School of Engineering and Digital Sciences

Electronic Circuits Laboratory ELCE 301L

LAB 8: MOSFET DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIERS (SIMULATION)

Objectives:

• To understand the DC analysis of MOSFET differential amplifiers

• To measure the differential voltage gain of a differential (MOSFET) amplifier.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT AND COMPONENTS

• Computer system
• A working installation of LTspice
• Access to OriginPro, MATLAB, Mathematica or an IDE

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) is by far the most widely used
transistor in both digital and analog circuits, and it is the mainstay of modern electronics. One of
the most common uses of the MOSFET in analog circuits is the design of differential amplifiers.
These amplifiers due to their high input impedance, are usually deployed as input stages in op-
amps, video amplifiers, high-speed comparators, and many other analog electronic circuits.

The MOSFET is a three terminal device (not counting the bulk). These are the source, drain and
gate terminals. Depending on which of the three terminals the input is applied to and the output
take from, MOSFET amplifiers can be categorized as common-source (CS), common-drain (CD)
or common-gate (CG). A differential amplifier setup is basically a pair of matched (common-
source) single stage amplifier; half of the circuit is a mirror image of the other half. The match is
to minimize the imbalances from one side of the differential amplifier to the other. The differential
amplifier offers considerable advantages over the single-stage amplifier in terms of noise
suppression, higher output voltage swing, higher voltage gain, linear performance and simpler
biasing. The schematic of a simple differential amplifier is represented in Fig. 1. M1 and M2
represent the two matched transistors while Vin+ and Vin- are the two input voltages supplied to
the gates of the transistors. Usually to investigate the differential voltage gain (Ad) of the amplifier,
Vin+ and Vin- are equal in magnitude and phase, but for common-mode voltage gain (Ac), a
common input voltage (magnitude and phase) is supplied to both input terminals.

1
 Fig. 1. Schematic of a differential amplifier

DC and AC analysis of a MOSFET differential amplifier

For this analysis, we set the following circuit parameters: (VDD = 5 V, VSS = -5 V, VT = 1 V, Kn =
μnCox = 50μA/V2, RD1 = RD2 = 25 kΩ, RS = 20 kΩ). We also analyze half of the circuit (see Fig. 2.)
since it is made up of two equal halves.

Fig. 2. A Split differential amplifier

Hint: two resistors of resistance 2RS placed in parallel with each other is equivalent to RS.
DC Analysis:

Taking KVL around the gate-source terminal of M1, we have:

𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 = 𝑉𝑉𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 − 2𝐼𝐼𝐷𝐷 𝑅𝑅𝑆𝑆
Substituting the value of VSS, we have:
𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 = 5 − 2𝐼𝐼𝐷𝐷 𝑅𝑅𝑆𝑆 (1)

At saturation, drain current (ID) is given as:

𝐼𝐼𝐷𝐷 = 𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾(𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 − 𝑉𝑉𝑇𝑇 )2
𝐼𝐼𝐷𝐷 = 50 × 10−6 (𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 − 𝑉𝑉𝑇𝑇 )2 (2)

From (1) & (2), we get

𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 = 5 − 2(𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 2 − 2𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 + 1)
𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 = 5 − 2𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 2 + 4𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 − 2
Simplifying further, we obtain VGS = 2.186 V or -0.686 V. However, we choose 2.186 V since VGS
> VT.
Recall that both halves of the circuit are mirrors of each other. Therefore, VGS1 = VGS2 = VGS =
2.186 V.
Also, 𝐼𝐼𝐷𝐷 = 𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾(𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 − 𝑉𝑉𝑇𝑇 )2
𝐼𝐼𝐷𝐷 = 50 × 10−6 (2.186 − 1)2 = 70.33𝜇𝜇𝜇𝜇

AC analysis (small-signal)
Transconductance (gm) is given as 2𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾(𝑉𝑉𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 − 𝑉𝑉𝑇𝑇 )
𝑔𝑔𝑚𝑚 = 2 × 50 × 10−6 (2.186 − 1)
𝑔𝑔𝑚𝑚 = 0.1186 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚/𝑉𝑉
Note that gm1 = gm2 = gm
The differential voltage gain (Ad) is expressed as |𝑔𝑔𝑚𝑚 𝑅𝑅𝐷𝐷 |
𝐴𝐴𝑑𝑑 = 118.6 × 10−6 × 25 × 103
𝐴𝐴𝑑𝑑 = 2.965
SAMPLE SIMULATION

Fig. 3. LTspice illustration of MOSFET differential amplifier

The circuit in Fig. 3. represents the implementation of the analyses discussed above. The results of
the dc operation simulation match the calculated values as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4. DC analysis results

The transient response (Fig. 5.) shows that the input voltage (20 mV) is amplified to a magnitude of
59 mV, which represents a gain of 2.965.

Fig. 5. Transient response of the differential amplifier

For confirmation of the gain, SPICE directives shown in Fig. 6 could be written. Thereafter run the
transient response, click on the view tab, followed by “SPICE Error Log” to reveal the gain.

Fig. 6. SPICE directives to calculate gain

Fig. 7. SPICE Error Log showing gain

 SIMULATIONS
Clearly show all calculations. Ensure not to skip important steps in your DC analysis
calculations. All your graphs should be made using extracted data sets from simulations and
measurements, and plotted using OriginLab, MATLAB, Mathematica or any other software
of your choice. Screenshots of LTspice will not be accepted. Remote access to the computers in
the labs with these software installed, will be provided upon request to the IT department.

All graphs should have:

• A clear, legible and descriptive title
• Labelled axes, stating what quantity is plotted and its unit of measurement
• The scale of the plotted readings where necessary i.e. milli-, micro-, nano-, etc.

PART I: VOLTAGE AMPLIFICATION IN DIFFERENTIAL MODE CONFIGURATION

QUESTION 1A
Refer to Fig. 3. But replace the parameters with the following values; VDD = 12 V, VSS = -12 V, RD1
= RD2 = 15 kΩ, RS = 10 kΩ, VT = 2 V, Kn = μnCox = 50μA/V2. Compute the DC analysis of the
differential amplifier and update the Table 1 below.
Table 1

VGS (V) ID (µA) gm (µA/V)

QUESTION 1B
i. Set up the MOSFET differential amplifier of Fig. 3. in LTspice. (Note: use the parameters
given in 1A).
 For your MOSFET type, go to components folder and pick ‘nmos4’ for this
simulation.
 Input the necessary SPICE directives to ensure proper modelling of the transistors.
Click on .op to reveal the SPICE command tab. Thereafter type in “.model nmos
nmos (Vto=2 KP =100e-6) and hit Enter, before dropping it on your workspace.
(Note: Kp = 2*kn).
 Input source, V1 = V2 = 20 mVp-p (Note: Vpeak -to -peak = 2 * Vpeak). Hence, enter the
peak value in your simulator. Ensure to include a 180o phase difference in V2.
 Frequency of AC voltage source = 20 kHz.
ii. Click on “Simulate” tab, then “Edit Simulation Command”. Choose “DC op pnt” to run the
DC analysis of your circuit. Close the first tab revealed after running the analysis.
iii. Click on “View” and thereafter “SPICE Error Log” on the dropdown to reveal the DC
parameters (ID, VGS, gm) of the MOSFETs as shown in Fig. 4. (Please provide this screenshot
 in your report). The results should match your calculated parameters if you computed them
correctly.
iv. Close the tab in the previous step. Go back to “Edit Simulation Command”, select Transient
simulation option and input ‘2m’ as your stop time. Run your simulation.
v. To accurately measure the input and output voltages of a differential amplifier, right-click on
the plot window and click on “Add Traces”. For differential input voltage Vd, select V(in+)
– V(in-) and hit enter to show the input voltage waveform.
vi. Right-click again on the plot window and select “Add Plot Pane”. On the new plot pane,
repeat step (v), but this time select V(out+) – V(out-) to reveal the output voltage waveform.
vii. Measure the peak – to – peak voltages of the input and output and use the information to
update Table 2.
viii. Repeat procedure for the following peak – to – peak values of V1 and V2 (30 mV, 40 mV,
50 mV and 60 mV). Extract readings for the first measurement and plot the transient
response.
ix. To confirm the calculated DC gain of the amplifier, include the following SPICE directives
to your setup. Run the transient simulation again.

x. Go to SPICE Error Log as in (iii) to reveal Gain. This should be approximately the same as
your calculated gain.

Table 2

V1 (volts) V2 (180o) (volts) Vinp-p = Vd = (V1 - V2)(volts) Vop-p (volts) Gain Ad

(Vop-p/Vip-p)
10m 10m
15m 15m
20m 20m
25m 25m
30m 30m