Differential Amplifier

Chapter 2

ECEG 2113 – Applied Electronics II

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DMU ECEG2113 CH_ 2 – Differential Amplifier @ 2010
 Introduction
What is a Differential Amplifier?
A differential amplifier is an amplifier that amplifies the difference between
two voltages and rejects the average or common mode value of the two voltages.
These amplifier circuits are extensively used in the electronics industry.
The differential amplifier can be considered as an analog circuit which
consists of two inputs and one output. The differential amplifier circuit can be
represented as shown in the figure below.

 The output voltage of a differential amplifier is proportional to the difference

between the two input voltages. This can be represented in equation form as
follows:

Where, A= gain of the amplifier.

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DMU ECEG2113 CH_ 2 – Differential Amplifier @ 2010
 Such Differential Amplifier circuits can be of two types
1. Differential amplifiers built using Op-Amps.
2. Differential amplifiers built using transistors, either Bipolar Junction
Transistors (BJTs) or Field Effect Transistors (FETs)

Differential and common mode voltages:

 v1 and v2 are called single-ended voltages. They are voltages referenced
to ac ground.
 The differential-mode input voltage, VID, is the voltage difference
between v1 and v2.
 The common-mode input voltage, VIC, is the average value of v1 and v2
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DMU ECEG2113 CH_ 2 – Differential Amplifier @ 2010
 +Cont’d…

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DMU ECEG2113 CH_ 2 – Differential Amplifier @ 2010
 Cont’d…
 consider two emitter-biased circuits as shown

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DMU ECEG2113 CH_ 2 – Differential Amplifier @ 2010
 Cont’d…
 The two transistors Q1 and Q2 have identical characteristics. The resistances
of the circuits are equal, i.e. RE1 = R E2, RC1 = R C2 and the magnitude of
+VCC is equal to the magnitude of -VEE. These voltages are measured with
respect to ground.
 The two +VCC and –VEE supply terminals are made common because they
are same. The two emitters are also connected and the parallel combination
of RE1 and RE2 is replaced by a resistance RE. The two input signals v1 &
v2 are applied at the base of Q1 and at the base of Q2. The output voltage is
taken between two collectors. The collector resistances are equal and
therefore denoted by RC = RC1 = RC2.
 Ideally, the output voltage is zero when the two inputs are equal. When v1 is
and v2 are different in magnitude, the output voltage may take the polarity
of v1 or v2.

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DMU ECEG2113 CH_ 2 – Differential Amplifier @ 2010
 configurations of differential amplifiers.
 The configuration is based on number of input signals used and the way
an output voltage is measured.
 The four differential amplifier configurations are following:
1. Dual input, balanced output differential amplifier.
2. Dual input, unbalanced output differential amplifier.
3. Single input balanced output differential amplifier.
4. Single input unbalanced output differential amplifier.

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DMU ECEG2113 CH_ 2 – Differential Amplifier @ 2010
 Cont’d…

 If use two input signals, the configuration is said to be dual input, otherwise
it is a single input configuration.
 if the output voltage is measured between two collectors, it is referred to as a
balanced output because both the collectors are at the same dc potential w.r.t.
ground.
 If the output is measured at one of the collectors w.r.t. ground, the
configuration is called an unbalanced output.

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DMU ECEG2113 CH_ 2 – Differential Amplifier @ 2010
 Basic Operation Of Differential Amplifier

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 In this case, if the V1 at Q1 is sinusoidal, then as V1 goes on increasing, the

transistor starts to conduct and this results in a heavy collector current IC1
increasing the voltage drop across RC1, causing a decrease in Vo1. Due to the
same effect, even IE1 increases which increases the common emitter current,
IE resulting in an increase of voltage drop across RE. This means that the
emitters of both transistors are driven towards positive which inturn implies
that the base of Q2 would start to become more and more negative. This
results in a decrease of collector current, IC2 which inturn decreases the
voltage drop across the collector resistor RC2, resulting in an increase in the
output voltage Vo2. This indicates that the changes in the sinusoidal signal
observed at the input of transistor Q1 is reflected as such across the collector
terminal of Q2 and appear with a phase difference of 180o across the collector
terminal of Q1. The differential amplification can be driven by considering
the output in-between the collector terminals of the transistors, Q1 and Q2.
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 Cont’d…
 Thus, if the voltage drop across emitter resistance increases, then the
emitter of both the transistors goes in a positive direction. If the
transistor Q2 emitter is positive, then the base of Q2 will be negative
and in this condition, current conduction is less.
 Thus, there will be less voltage drop across resistor connected at the
collector terminal of transistor Q2. Hence, for the given positive
input signal collector of Q2 will go in a positive direction. Thus, we
can say that the non-inverting output appearing across collector
terminal of transistor Q2 is based on the input signal applied at the
base of Q1.
 The output voltage, vout, is the difference between vo1 and vo2, or

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 DC Analysis
 To determine the operating point values (ICQ and VCEQ) for the
differential amplifier, the dc equivalent circuit can be obtained by
reducing the input signals vin1 and vin2 to zero.

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 Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law to the base-emitter loop of the
transistor Q1,

 by selecting a proper value of RE, we can obtain a desired value of

emitter current for a known value of –VEE. Notice that the emitter
current in transistors Q1 and Q2 is independent of collector
resistance RC.

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  Next we shall determine the collector to emitter voltage VCE. The
voltage at the emitter of transistor Q1 is approximately equal to
VBE if we assume the voltage drop across Rin to be negligible.
Knowing the value of emitter current IE(=IC),we can obtain the
voltage at the collector VCC as follows:

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 AC Analysis:
 To find the voltage gain Ad and the input resistance Ri of the
differential amplifier, the ac equivalent circuit is drawn using
r-parameters as shown in fig. below. The dc voltages are reduced to zero
and the ac equivalent of CE configuration is used.

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 Since the two dc emitter currents are equal. Therefore, resistance
r'e1 and r'e2 are also equal and designated by r'e .
 This voltage across each collector resistance is shown 180° out of
phase with respect to the input voltages v1 and v2. This is same as in
CE configuration. The polarity of the output voltage is shown in
Figure.
 The collector C2 is assumed to be more positive with respect to
collector C1 even though both are negative with respect to to
ground.
 Applying KVL in two loops 1 & 2.

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 Neglecting and

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 This is for dual input, unbalanced out put differential amplifier.
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 What is CMRR?
 The voltage gain for the difference signal is Ad and for the common
mode signal is AC.
 The ability of a differential amplifier to reject a common mode
signal is expressed by its common mode rejection ratio (CMRR). It
is the ratio of differential gain Ad to the common mode gain AC.
Adm
CMRR 
Ac m
CMR dB   20 log 10 CMRR 

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 Ways Of Improving CMRR?
 To get high CMRR, the value of emitter resistance should be very high for the
better is the differential amplifier.
 Some of the ways are
1. Constant Current Source
 The CMRR of a DA can be improved by making the common mode gain as small
as possible (high RE) using Constant current source circuit.
 The internal resistance of constant current source is very high (ideally infinite)
hence we get very high RE without physically increasing the value of RE.
2. Modified Constant Current Source
 If temperature changes, VBE changes and current IE also changes.
 To improve thermal stability, a diode is placed in series with resistance R1. This
helps to hold the current IE3 constant even though the temperature changes.
3. Current Mirror
 The circuit in which the output current is forced to equal the input current is said
to be a current mirror circuit. Thus in a current mirror circuit, the output current is
a mirror image of the input current.
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 Examples
1. Estimate dc emitter current in each transistor of differential
amplifier shown in fig. How much is dc voltage from each collector to
ground? How much is Vout?

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2. Differential gain Ad, of an op amp measures 100. In the measurement of common-
mode gain experiment when 1.0V is applied common to both the inputs, output
voltage measured is 0.01V. How much is common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR)?

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EX. Determine the output voltage of an op-amp for input voltages of Vi1=150 µV,
Vi2=140 µV. The amplifier has a differential gain of Ad =4000 and the value of
CMRR is 100.

Or u can use this formula

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The following specifications are given for the dual input, balanced-output
differential amplifier :
RC = 2.2 k , RB = 4.7 k , Rin 1 = Rin 2 = 50 , +VCC = 10V, -VEE = -10 V,
dc =100 and VBE = 0.715V.
Determine the operating points (ICQ and VCEQ) of the two transistors.

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