Coupling and Bypass Capacitors

Coupling capacitors (or dc blocking capacitors) are use to decouple ac and dc signals so
as not to disturb the quiescent point of the circuit when ac signals are injected at the
input.

Bypass capacitors are used to force signal currents around elements by providing a low
impedance path at the frequency.

Circuit Analysis - dc & ac Equivalent Circuits

DC Analysis
1. Find dc equivalent circuit. C’s replaced by open circuits and L’s replaced by short circuits.
2. Find Q-point from dc equivalent circuit using appropriate large-signal model for transis-
tor.
AC Analysis
3. Find ac equivalent circuit. C’s replaced by short circuits and L’s replaced by open circuits.
DC voltage sources are replaced by ground connections and dc current sources by open
circuits in ac equivalent circuit.
4. Replace transistor by small-signal model.
5. Analyze ac characteristics from small-signal ac equivalent circuit.
6. Combine results from #2 and #5 to get total voltages and currents in complete network.

Lecture 21 21 - 1
The Common-Source Amplifier

VDD

R2 RD 4.3 kΩ
560 kΩ C2 → ∞
RSO
R3 +
1kΩ C → ∞ 100 kΩ vO
1 -
+
v
- s R1
1.3 kΩ
430 kΩ RS C3 → ∞

DC Analysis
for VDD=12.0 v, Kn=0.5 mA/V2, VTN=1.0v find the Q-point?

Lecture 21 21 - 2
AC Analysis

Rth

+
RD R3 vO
+ -
ac equivalent circuit
v
- th

G D
Rth +
+ ro RD R3 +
simplified ac
equivalent circuit - vth vgs vO
gmvgs -
- S

RG
RG || ||
= R 1 R 2 ; R th = R SO R G ; v th = ------------------------ v s = v gs
R SO + R G

The load resistance is R L = r o || R D || R 3

vo – g m v gs R L
Voltage Gain A V, th = ------- = ------------------------- = – g m R L
v th v gs
Lecture 21 21 - 3
 vo  1 RG 
Voltage Gain A V = ----
- = – g m v gs R L •  ------
- ⋅ - .
-----------------------
vs  v gs R SO + R G 

Since R G » R SO , then A V = – g m R L = – g m ( r o || R D || R 3 )

Rule-of-Thumb for the Common-Source Amplifier

Generally r o » R 3 and R 3 » R D , so ( r o || R D || R 3 ) ≈ R D .

ID
Therefore, A V ≈ – g m R D or A V ≈ – --------------------------------------- R D .
( V GS – V TN ) ⁄ 2

V DD
Assuming that I D R D = - , ( V GS – V TN ) = 1V , then
----------
2

V DD ⁄ 2
A V ≈ – --------------------------------------- ≈ – V DD .
( V GS – V TN ) ⁄ 2

Lecture 21 21 - 4
CS Voltage Gain - Upper Bound

If R D || R 3 » r o and letting R 3, R D → ∞ , then A V ≈ – g m r o = – µ f

Voltage gain of CS stage cannot exceed the amplification factor of the tran-
sistor itself.
Input Resistance of CS Amplifier

VDD

IDS
R2 RD 4.3 kΩ
560 kΩ C2 → ∞
RSO
R3 +
1kΩ C1 → ∞ 100 kΩ vO
-
+
v
- s RIN R1
1.3 kΩ
430 kΩ RS C3 → ∞
signal
source

Lecture 21 21 - 5
vx = ix RG

R IN = R G
ix +
R G = R 1 || R 2 + ro RD R3 +
- RG vgs
gmvgs vO
vx
R G = 243kΩ -
-
R IN = 243kΩ

Input Resistance

R IN = R G .

Lecture 21 21 - 6
Output Resistance of CS Amplifier (p. 625)

VDD

IDS
R2 RD 4.3 kΩ
560 kΩ C2 → ∞
RSO
R3
1kΩ C 1 → ∞ ROUT 100 kΩ
+
v
- s R1
1.3 kΩ
430 kΩ RS C3 → ∞
signal
source

Lecture 21 21 - 7
v x = i x R OUT

R OUT = R D || r o
+ ix
vx
1 + λV DS RS ro RD +
I D r o = I D ----------------------- vgs -
λI D RG gmvgs
ROUT
-
1
I D r o ≈ --- and
λ
V DD
I D R D ≈ -----------
2

Output resistance R OUT = ( R D || r o ) ≈ R D since R D « r o .

Verify Results in PSpice!

Lecture 21 21 - 8