Today’s topic:

frequency response
Chapter 4

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Small-signal analysis applies when transistors can be adequately characterized by their
operating points and small linear changes about the points.

The use of this technique has led to application of frequency-domain techniques to the
analysis of the linear equivalent circuits derived from small-signal models.

The transfer function of analog circuits to be discussed can be written in rational form
with real-valued coefficients, that is as a ratio of polynomials in Laplace Transform
variable s,
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 4.1.2 First order circuits

It is a first-order low-pass transfer function.

It arises naturally when a resistance and capacitance are combined.
It is often used as a simple model of more complex circuits, such as OpAmp.

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 Step response of first order circuits
Another common means of characterizing linear circuits is to excite the with step inputs
(such a square waveform).

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 4.1.3 second order low-pass H(s) with real
poles

Here, w0 is the resonant or pole frequency and Q the quality factor, K the DC gain of H(s).

Equating yields

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wp1, wp2 are widely-spaced real poles

The step response consists of two first-order terms, and when wp1 <<wp2, the
second settles fast and for t >>1/wp2, the first term dominates.

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4.1.4 Bode plot

Chapter 4 Figure 04
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4.1.5 Second-order low-pass H(s) with
complex poles

Recall

Subt. In

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4.1.5 Second-order low-pass H(s) with
complex poles
1. The step response in this case has sinusoidal term whose envelope
exponentially decays with a time constant equal to the inverse of real parts of
poles, 1/wr=2Q/w0.
2. A system with high Q factor will have oscillation and ringing for some time. The
oscillation frequency is determined by the imaginary parts of the poles.
3. In summary, when Q<0.5, the poles are real-valued and there is no overshoot.
The borderline case Q=0.5 is called maximally-damped response. When Q>0,5,
there are overshoot and ringing.

t
Chapter 4 Figure 10

Chapter 4 Figure 09

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4.2. Frequency response of elementary
circuits
Small-signal analysis is implicitly assumed as only linear circuits can have well-defined
frequency response.

The procedure for small-signal analysis remains the same as that in Chapter 3 for
single-stage amplifiers, however parasitic capacitance are now included.

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4.2.1 High frequency small-signal model

Chapter 4 Figure 11

Chapter 4 Figure 12
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4.2.2 Common-source amplfier
Note: assumed that Q1, Q2 are in active mode.

Chapter 4 Figure 13

Chapter 4 Figure 14

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If

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One more reason why analog design is tough.

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4.2.3 Miller effect

Chapter 4 Figure 15
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Chapter 4 Figure 17

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Miller effect applied to CS amplifier
Miller effect allows one to quickly estimate the 3dB bandwidth in many cases.

Chapter 4 Figure 14

Chapter 4 Figure 18 19
 4.2.4 Zero-value time constant method
Except Miller effect, the most common and powerful technique for frequency response
analysis of complex circuits is the zero-value time constant analysis method.

It is very powerful in estimating a circuit’s 3dB bandwidth with minimal complication and
also in determine which nodes are most important.

Generally, the approach is to calculate a time-constant for each capacitor in the circuit by
assuming all other capacitors are zero, then sum all time constants to estimate the 3dB
bandwidth.
Detailed procedure:

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Example 4.9 (page 174)

Chapter 4 Figure 14

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The same as obtained previously
 Design example 4.11 (page 177)

Chapter 4 Figure 13

In this example, the load capacitance is modest and source resistance is high, so Cgd1 may
become a major limitation of the bandwidth. This means that W1 should be small.
So, given a current, Veff1 has to be relatively large: choose Veff1 to be 0.3V
Then suppose L1<<L2 so that rds2>>rds1 so R2=rds1 and A0=-gm1rds1

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 Design example 4.11 (page 177)
Then solve L1 to be
Then note that increasing drain current of Q1 while keeping Veff1=0.3V will increase gm1
and reduce rds1 roughly in proportion, which results in about the same gain, but a smaller
R2 is achieved which increase 3db bandwidth. So, bandwidth is maximized by maximizing
the drain current of Q1.

Then, we can compute the required gate width

To ensure L2>>L1, we can take L2=3L1=0.72μm

Then, we can arbitrarily and conveniently set W2=3W1
Finally, Q3 is sized to provide the desired current mirror ratio

Then, need to make sure that all transistors are in active region 23
 Design example 4.12 (page 178)

Chapter 4 Figure 13

In this example, the load capacitance is very large and source resistance is small, so C2
may become a major limitation of the bandwidth, so

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Design example 4.12 (page 178)

rds=2rds1

Chapter 4 Figure 13

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 Comments

The above two design examples illustrate the manual analysis to provide an initial design
solution, which thereafter needs to be refined iteratively using simulation. A number of
challenges here:
1. there is no guarantee that the initial solution is valid or good;
2. the refinement may take many many iterations until a good design is achieved;
3. at each iteration, what are not working or good in the circuit, what parameters to
modify, and how to modify them requires in depth understanding of analog circuits.

What about those cases when it is hard to decide which capacitance dominates?

Experience counts here, after you had many designs and were aware of the biasing
conditions, capacitance conditions?

The time domain response of common-source amplifier? (two widely spaced poles)

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4.2.6 Common-gate amplifier

Chapter 3 Figure 09

Chapter 4 Figure 20
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We estimate the time constant associated with Cgs (note that Cgs is connected between
source and ground therefore may need to include Csb).

Superior 3dB bandwidth, but input impedance is too small.

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Chapter 4 Figure 21
 4.3 Cascode gain stage
Compared to CS amplifier, CG amplifier has much better 3dB bandwidth, but much
smaller input impedance.

To achieve a good tradeoff, we can combine a CG amplifier with a CS amplifier.

rin2

Chapter 4 Figure 22
Telescopic Folded-cascode
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Small-signal model for the cascode

rin2

Chapter 4 Figure 23
Cout=Cgd2+Cdb2+ CL+Cbias
Using zero-value time constant method Cs2=Cdb1+Csb2+Cgs2
Please derive Rout
See slides 30 (Ch3)

The total resistance seen at the drain of Q1 is

See Slide 21
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Miller effect
On the Miller effect on Cgd1

Chapter 4 Figure 24

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Example 4.13, 4.14 (page 184-185)

This approximation is valid since Rs is the same order as rds

Recall that a large gain of the cascode amplifier requires the Ibias to have an
output resistance on the order of In this case, and especially when
there is also a large load capacitance CL, the output time constant
would dominate. 32
4.3 Source follower amplifier
The SF amplifier may have complex poles and therefore ringing and overshoot may
happen for a pulse input.

Q1

Chapter 4 Figure 26

Norton equivalent circuit

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Chapter 4 Figure 27
Cs=CL+Csb1

Chapter 4 Figure 28 34
Next we find the admittance Yg looking into the gate of Q1 (but not
including Cgd1 as it is already combined into Cin’).

Recall Q<0.5 if no overshoot

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 If load capacitor Cs is very large compared to other capacitors such that

then

Note τCs = Cs * Rs, where Rs | || rds2

The resistance looking into the source of Q1

As RL = 0 in this case

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 4.5 Differential pair
When using T model for differential pair, the analysis may be simpler compared to the
hybird-pi model.

CL

Vs

Chapter 4 Figure 32

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4.5.2 Symmetric differential pair
In the small-signal model, half circuit is analyzed to allow simpler analysis.

Also note that the Vs node is small-signal ground due to symmetry, so Csb1 and Csb2 can
be neglected.

The half circuit corresponds to that of a CS amplifier, so the 3dB bandwidth is either

Where R2 = RD||rds1

or 1/[R2 * (Cgd1 + Cdb1 + CL)]

Which one is the 3dB bandwidth depends on the CL.

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 Active loaded differential pair
Again note that Vs is at small-signal ground, so half circuit can be used for analysis.

Again the load capacitor will determine which one is the 3dB bandwidth.

Vs
1
f b1 
2 (ro1 // ro 3 )[C L  C gd1  C gd 3  Cdb1  Cdb3 ]
1
fb2 
2 Rs [(1  g m1 (ro1 // ro 3 ))C gd1  C gs1 ]

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Current-mirror loaded differential pair
Capacitance at input node of the current mirror:
Capacitance at the output node:

From Miller effect

Note that Q1 will conduct an current of gmVid/2

flowing through Q3 (the parallel of 1/gm3 and Cm),
where we neglected the effect of rds1 and rds2, so
Chapter 3 Figure 19
Va
Capacitance at input node of the current mirror:
Capacitance at the output node:

Va

-Ix4 Va

-Ix4
Cm
Io

RL
CL -Ix4-Ix3

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Capacitance at input node of the current mirror:
Capacitance at the output node:

We can them multiply Gm with the total load

Cm impedance to obtain the voltage Vo
Io

RL CL

Compared to the fully differential version, the current-mirror differential amplifier

adds one more pole to the transfer function, therefore may significantly affect the
frequency response.
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 Simplified small-signal model for
If output load capacitance is dominated, then the following simple model can be used.

Chapter 4 Figure 37

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Chapter 4 Figure 34

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Chapter 4 Figure 35

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Chapter 4 Figure 36

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