Prerequisites
Students should have prior knowledge about Laplace transform, Bode plots, feedback and stability criteria. Students are required to have prior knowledge about the modeling of common electronic devices (diodes, BJTs and MOSFETs), as well as the ability in the analysis of simple circuits with active elements.
Course description
The objective of this course is the analysis, the simulation and the design of single and multistage amplifiers. The design of single, multistage, and op-amp amplifier are covered in detail including analysis of biasing techniques, frequency response compensation, feedback and stability. Students are also trained to the design through the use of the LTSpice simulator.
Program
Bipolar transistor models
The pn junction. BJT forward active region. Large-signal dc models. Operating modes. Small-signal models. Parasitic elements.
MOS transtor models
MOS structure and operating regions. MOSFET operating regions. MOSFET I-V characteristic. Large-signal dc models. Small-signal models.
Basic Bipolar circuits
BJTs' external resistances. Single-transistor circuits (CE, CC and CB). Current mirrors. Differential amplifiers. High-gain stages.
Basic MOSFET circuits
MOSFETs’ external resistances. Single-transistor circuits(CS, CD and CG). Current mirrors. Differential amplifiers. High-gain stages.
Output stages
Output stage characteristics and classification. Class-A Output stage. Class-B Output stage. Class-AB Output stage
Frequency response
General amplifiers' structure. Seeking poles and zeros. Single transistor stages: CE/CS, CC/CD and CB/CG. Current mirrors. Differential pair. High-gain stages.
Amplifiers dc analysis
General amplifiers' structure. Feedback. Two-port theory. Return ratio. Rosenstark method. Blackman method
Amplifiers ac analysis
Feedback amplifiers' general characteristics. Stability analysis. Stability criteria. Compensation techniques. Compensation of three-stage amplifiers.
Voltage and current reference circuits
Voltage/Current reference parameters. Current reference circuits. VBE vs T modeling. Bandgap voltage reference circuits: Widlar, Brokaw, Kuijk and Banba.
Operational Transconductance Amplifiers (OTAs)
Two-stage class-A OTA. Stacked mirrors OTA. Folded cascode OTA
Operational Amplifiers (OpAmps)
Two-stage CMOS OpAmp. Two-stage bipolar OpAmp. Low-offset low-noise bipolar OpAmp
The SPICE simulator
Design of electronic circuits by means of SPICE