ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS

MULTISTAGE AMPLIFIERS
 Multistage Amplifiers
•Classification of amplifiers
•Methods of coupling
•Cascaded transistor amplifier and its analysis
•Analysis of two stage RC coupled amplifier
•High input resistance transistor amplifier circuits Cascode
amplifier,
•Analysis of multi stage amplifiers using FET
Introduction:
•An amplifier amplifies a weak signal received from a microphone into a
suitable form for the operation of another device such as loud speaker.

•This is achieved by using multi stage amplifier. Multi stage amplifier is

the cascading of number of amplifier stages.
Need for cascading:
•An amplifier should have a desired voltage gain and current gain and its
input impedance should match with the source and output impedance
with load, then only faithful amplification is achieved.

•This is not achieved with single stage amplifier.

•In multi stage amplifiers, input and output stages provides impedance
matching and the middle stages provides sufficient amplification.
Classification of amplifiers:
Amplifiers are classified according to

•Their frequency range

•Method of operation
•Method of inter stage coupling
•Type of load connected
•Application
2. Method of operation
This depends up on the position of operating point
and are classified as
• Class A: If the Q-point and the input signal are selected such
that the output signal is obtained for full input cycle. To achieve
this Q-point must be selected in the middle of the load line.
• Class B: If the Q-point and the input signal are selected such
that the output signal is obtained for one half cycle of full input
cycle.
• Class C: If the Q-point and the input signal are selected such that
the output signal is obtained for less than a half cycle of full
input cycle.
• Class AB: If the Q-point and the input signal are selected such
that the output signal is obtained for more than 1800 but less
than 3600 of full input cycle.
1. According to their frequency range amplifiers are
classified as
•DC amplifiers (amplification from zero frequency)
•Audio amplifier (20 Hz to 20KHz)
•Video or pulse amplifier (amplification up to few MHz)
•Radio frequency amplifier
(a few KHz to hundreds of MHz)
•Ultra high frequency amplifiers
(hundreds or thousands of MHz)
3. According to the method of coupling the
amplifiers are classified as

•RC coupled: Resistors and Capacitors are used as coupling

components. They block dc and gives flat response at mid
frequencies.
•Transformer coupled: Transformer is used as a coupling
component. It blocks dc and gives impedance matching.
•Direct Coupled: Output of first stage directly connected to the input
of next stage. It does not block dc signal.
4. According to the type of load the amplifiers are
classified as

•Amplifiers with resistive load

•Amplifiers with inductive load

5. According to applications amplifiers are classified

as
•Voltage amplifier: amplifies voltage
•Current amplifier: amplifies current
•Power amplifier: amplifies both voltage and current
•Tuned amplifier: Used for impedance matching
 Classification of amplifiers

Frequency range Method of Method of Type of load Type of application

operation coupling •Resistive •Voltage
dio •Class A •RC •Inductive •Current
deo or pulse •Class B •Transformer •Power
dio frequency •Class C •Direct •Tuned
tra high frequency •Class AB
Methods of coupling:
•RC coupled
•Transformer coupled
•Direct Coupled

RC Coupling:
Frequency Response of RC Coupled amplifier:

The frequency response drops at low frequencies due to coupling

capacitors and high frequencies due to shunt & stray capacitors.
Transformer Coupled:

• The frequency response of transformer coupled amplifier is poor when compared with RC.
This coupling doesn’t amplify the signals properly at different frequencies because of its
inductance and inter-winding capacitance.
• Inter-winding capacitance of the transformer gives resonance at a particular frequency.
• By connecting a capacitance in shunt across each winding of the transformer, we can get
the desired RF resonance frequency. Such amplifiers are called Tuned Voltage Amplifiers.
Frequency Response of Transformer Coupled amplifier:

• Power losses are less because of its low transformer resistance, VCC
appears at the collector, means the collector resistance is almost
absence and hence it eliminates the power loss.
Direct Coupled :

• Due to the absence of RC components low frequency response is good but, at

high frequencies shunting (stray) capacitors reduces the gain of the amplifier.
• Because of direct coupling, when transistor parameters VBE and β changes with
temperature, as a result there is a change in the output. This is a major limitation
in direct coupled amplifier.
Frequency Response of Directed Coupled amplifier:
Comparison between various cascading methods:
Parameter RC Coupled Transformer Coupled Direct Coupled
Coupling components Impedance matching
Resistor & Capacitor ---
transformer
Block dc Yes Yes No
Frequency Response
Not uniform Flat at middle frequencies
Flat in the middle frequency High at resonant freq. and and improvement in the low
low at other frequencies frequency response
Impedance matching No Yes No
DC amplification No No Yes
Weight Light Heavy ---
Drift No No Yes
Hum Not present Present Not Present
Applications 1. Used in all audio small signal 1. Used in amplifier where 1. Used in amplification of
amplifiers. impedance matching is an slow varying parameters and
2. Used in record players, tape important criteria. where DC amplification is
recorders, public address 2. Used in the output stage of required.
systems, radio receivers, and the public address system to
television receivers. match the impedance of the
loud speaker.
3. Used in the RF amplifier
stage of the receiver as a
tuned voltage amplifier.
Analysis of Cascaded RC coupled BJT Amplifier:
Two Stage cascaded amplifier:

The overall gain of two stage amplifier is given by

AV = Vo2 / Vi1

Since, Vi2 = Vo1

Analysis:
Let us consider a two stage amplifier (CE+CC) as shown below

The ac equivalent circuit for the above circuit is shown below. It is drawn by short
circuiting the dc supply.
The approximate hybrid model of the above circuit is shown below.
It is always better to start the analysis from the second stage.

Analysis of second stage (CC amplifier):

(a) Current gain (Ai2):

(b) Input Resistance (Ri2):

(c) Voltage gain (Av2):

(d) Output Resistance (Ro2):

Analysis of first stage (CE amplifier):

(a) Current gain (Ai1):

(b) Input Resistance (Ri1):

(c) Voltage gain (Av1):

(d) Output Resistance (Ro1):

Over all voltage gain (AV):

Over all voltage gain (AVS):

Over all Current gain (Ai):
n – Stage Cascaded Amplifier:

•The gain of the amplifier is increased by connecting more number of stages in

cascade.

Voltage gain:
Gain in Decibels:
In many applications two powers are compared by using logarithmic scale rather than linear
scale. The unit of the logarithmic scale is called “decibel (dB)”. The power ratio in dB is given by

The negative values of the power gain in dB represents P2 is less than P1 and vice-versa. For an
amplifier P1 is input power and P2 is output power.

Ri and Ro are the input and output impedances of the amplifier.

In the input and output impedances of an amplifier are same, R i = Ro then

Gain in multi stage amplifier:

Choice of Transistor configuration in cascade amplifier:

• A Multi stage amplifier has input stage, middle stage and output stage.
• Input stage is selected to match with the input impedance.
• Outputs stage is selected to match with the output impedance.
• Middle stage is selected where proper amplification is done.
• Normally source impedance is very small, so its better select the common base
because of its low input impedance.
• Whereas the impedance of loud speaker is low, means that common collector is
preferred in output stage.
• In the middle stage, proper amplification is done by common emitter. Common
emitter provides better voltage gain and current gain when compared with other
configurations.
Two stage RC coupled CE-CE cascade amplifier:
Analysis of second stage:
(a) Current Gain (Ai2):

(b) Input Resistance (Ri2):

(c) Voltage Gain (AV2):

Analysis of first stage:

(b) Current Gain (Ai1):

(b) Input Resistance (Ri1):

(c) Voltage Gain (AV1):

Overall voltage gain without RS (AV):

Overall voltage gain with RS (AVS) :

Output Resistance (Ro):

Cascode Amplifier:
AC equivalent circuit
Simplified h-parameter equivalent circuit for Cascode amplifier
Analysis of second stage:
(a) Current gain (Ai2):

(b) Input Resistance (Ri2):

(c) Voltage gain (AV2):

Analysis of First stage:

(a) Current gain (Ai1):

(b) Input Resistance (Ri1):

(c) Voltage gain (AV1):

Overall voltage gain (AV­):

Overall voltage gain (AVS):

Overall input Resistance (Ri):

Overall current gain (AiS):

Where,

Output Resistance (Ro):

From the circuit Ri’ is given by

The effective load resistance is given by

Since RM2 is very large, it can be neglected

Analysis of multi stage Amplifiers using FET:
The equivalent circuit for the above circuit is shown below

Voltage Gain at Mid frequency:

At mid frequency CC acts a short circuit and Csh is small and it acts as a open
circuit. Then the equivalent circuit is given by
The output voltage Vo is given by

Voltage Gain at low frequency:

At low frequency, CC has reasonable amount of reactance, but shunt
capacitor Csh is open circuited. The equivalent circuit for these
conditions is given by
The current source is converted into voltage source, then the equivalent
circuit is modified as

The output voltage is given by

Voltage gain AV low = Vo / Vi

Since Vi = Vgs
Dividing numerator and denominator by Ro’+Rg, we get

Here,
 let

At fL=f;
Voltage gain at high frequency:
At high frequencies, Cc­ acts as a short circuit and neglected. But Csh cannot be
neglected. Then the equivalent circuit is shown in the following figure.

The output voltage can be given by

From the above equation Voltage gain is given by

Dividing numerator and denominator by

But since,
.

Let
Analysis of Two Stage RC coupled:
(a) At Medium Frequency
(b) At Low Frequency
(c) At High Frequency
 Frequency Response of Multistage Amplifiers:
The bandwidth of multistage amplifier is always less than that of the bandwidth of
.   single stage amplifier.
1. Overall Lower Cut-off Frequency of Multistage Amplifier:
.
2.
. Overall Higher Cut-off Frequency of Multistage Amplifier:
 
Let us consider the upper 3dB frequency of n identical cascaded stages as f H(n). It is the
frequency for which the overall gain falls to 1/√2 (3dB) of its midband value.
 Taking nth root on both the sides,
2  = 1 + [ fH(n)/fH ]
1/n 2

21/n -1 = [ fH(n)/fH ]2
Taking square root on both the sides,
 
√21/n -1 = fH(n)/fH
fH(n) = fH √21/n -1
 
In multistage amplifier fL(n) is always
greater than fL and fH(n) is always less than
fH. So the bandwidth of multistage
amplifier is always less than single stage
amplifier.