MULTI STAGE AMPLIFIERS

CASCADED AMPLIFIERS
"Cascaded": Output of previous stage is connected as input to the next stage.
Note that in the cascaded pairs of ac-coupled stages pairs of series connected capacitors are created. Series connection
of two capacitors results in a capacitance smaller than the smallest value of the two, therefore degrades the low cut-off
frequency of the amplifier. SPICE analysis of the circuit containing such pairs of capacitors may not converge, either.
It is recommended that the smaller valued capacitor be eliminated from the series connected pairs.
The Equivalent Circuit:
Two-Port Equivalent Circuit of the Multistage Amplifier:

Note that for an ideal amplifier Avo z large constant independent of amplitude and frequency, Zin z , Zout z 0.
Observations : Z
in
= Z
in1
Z
out
= Z
out3
V
in
= V
in1
V
out
= V
out3
and A
vo
.V
in
= A
vo3
.V
in3
A
vo
.V
in
= A
vo3
.V
in3
= A
vo3

i
k
j
jj
Z
in3

Z
in3
+ Z
out2
.A
vo2
.V
in2
y
{
z
zz
A
vo
.V
in
= A
vo3
.
Z
in3

Z
in3
+Z
out2
.A
vo2
.
Z
in2

Z
out1
+Z
in2
A
vo1
.V
in1
A
vo
= A
vo1
.A
vo2
.A
vo3
.
Z
in2

Z
in2
+ Z
out1
.
Z
in3

Z
in3
+ Z
out2
Conclusion: Maximum A
vo
of the cascaded amplifier is
i
A
voi
; but it is reduced by interstage loading.
For high overall amplification, each stage should provide some gain and show low output impedance compared to the
input impedance of the next stage it is seeing as its load.
Note: Frequency response of the overall amplifier will not only be equal to
i
A
voi
but will be influenced by Z
in
Z
out
2 9. Multi Stage Amps.
combinations of cascaded stages if interstage loading is significant. It is therefore preferred that cascaded stages do not
load each other.
For a "good" amplifier:
First Stage Input Inpedance should be high.
Last Stage Output Impedance should be low.
Middle Stage (s) High Amplification
Reasonable Inpedance levels (not critical)
Therefore;
First Stage JFET / MOSFET Input or, if BJT, Common-Collector
Last Stage Common-Collector
Middle Stage (s) Common-Emitter or Common-Base.
(The latter has the disadvantage of having too low input impedance, ~ 10 W .)
AC COUPLED SMALL SIGNAL AMPLIFIERS
ADVANTAGES:
1. Signal, load and the amplifier bias are separate.
One can work on the bias calculations stage by stage w/o worrying about an interaction with the signal source or the
load.
2. No dc current flows through the load or through the signal source.
(Magnetic saturation of the load or the signal source is prevented. Also, their dc resistances do not interfere with the
bias.)
3. Stages can easily be cascaded. Design of a stage involves only the ac loading effects of its neighbors, dc condi-
tions of the adjacent stages are completely independent of each other.
DISADVANTAGES:
For dc isolation and stability AC coupled amplifiers depend on the isolating capability of capacitors while expecting
the capacitors to be fully transparent (almost like a short circuit) at the signal frequency.
a. At low frequencies capacitors fail to act like short circuit.
Therefore, the AC coupled amplifier behaves like a high pass filter and becomes useful only above a certain cut-
off frequency.
b. 3 capacitors are needed for each amplifier stage. Capacitors are bulky and costly and cannot be integrated on a
silicon chip.
c. "DC-like" slowly varying signals cannot be amplified because of impractically high values of capacitors required.
9. Multi Stage Amps.nb