Unit 2

Negative Feedback

Feedback
The process of injecting a fraction of output energy of some device back to the input is known as
feedback.

There are two types of feedback:

Positive feedback (REGENERATIVE FEEDBACK)

Negative Feedback (DEGENERATIVE FEEDBACK)

Positive feedback occurs when the feedback signal is in phase with the input signal. This means
that the feedback signal will add to or "regenerate" the input signal. The result is a larger
amplitude output signal than would occur without the feedback.

Negative feedback occurs when the feedback signal is out of phase with the input signal. This
means that the feedback signal will subtract from or "degenerate" the input signal. This results
in a lower amplitude output signal

Affects of Feedback

Characteristics of Positive Feedback

It increases gain of amplifier
Increased distortion and instability
seldom employed in amplifiers
used in Oscillators

Characteristics of Negative Feedback

Reduces the gain

Reduction in distortion, stability, increased bandwidth, improved input and output impedances.
Frequently employed in amplifiers.

Principles of negative voltage feedback in amplifiers

A Feedback amplifier has two parts

Amplifier
Feedback Circuit
Feedback circuit usually consists of resistors and feeds a fraction of output energy back to input.

Refer to figure

Gain of amplifier without Feedback, Av = 10v / 1mv = 10,000

Fraction of output Voltage Feedback, mv = 100 mv / 10v= 0.01
Gain of amplifier with negative feedback, Avf = 10v/101 mv = 100

So following points are applicable on negative feedback

When Negative feedback is applied.

1.Gain of amplifier is reduced.

2. The voltage actually applied to amplifier is very small. In this case it is 1 mv.
3. The Feedback fraction mv is always between 0 and 1.
4. The gain with feedback is called closed loop gain.

Gain of Negative voltage feedback amplifier

Actual input to amplifier = signal voltage – feedback voltage
= eg – mv eo

Output Voltage = input voltage  gain of amplifier

eo = (eg – mv eo)Av
= Av eg – Av mv eo
Av eg = eo (1 + Av mv)
eo / eg = Av / (1 + Av mv) I.e. Voltage gain with negative feedback is

Av f = Av / (1 + Av mv)
Advantages of negative Voltage Feedback

1. Gain Stability: Resultant gain of amplifier can be made independent on transistor parameters.
In following relation
Av f = Av / (1 + Av mv) 1<< Av mv so 1 can be neglected hence
Av f = 1 / ( mv) i.e. gain depends only upon feedback characteristics, Feedback Circuit is usually
Resistive network which is independent on transistor parameters. Hence gain is stable

2. Reduces non Linear Distortion : In Large Signal Amplifiers non linear distortion is reduced by
negative Voltage feedback.It have been proved mathematically
D v f = D / (1 + Av mv) where D is distortion in amplifier without feedback and D v f is distortion in
amplifier with negative feedback 1.e distortion is reduce d by a factor of (1 + Av mv)

3. Improves frequency Response : Voltage gain is independent of frequency as discussed in

point 1,So the gain will be constant over a wide range of signal frequency.Hence improved
frequency response.

4.Increases circuit Stability : Suppose the output of negative feedback amplifier has increased
because of temp change.As feedback is fiven from output it means more negative feedback which
tends to oppose the increase in amplification hence maintains stability.

5.Increases Input impedance :

Referring to figure
eg – mv eo = i1 zin
Eg = eg - mv eo + mv eo
= (eg - mv eo ) + Av mv (eg - mv eo ) [by putting value of eo ]
= (eg - mv eo ) (1+ Av mv )
= i1 zin (1+ Av mv )
Eg / i1 =zin (1+ Av mv ) I.e. z’in = zin (1+ Av mv ) Hence value of z’in is more than zin .So applying
negative coltage feedback will increase input impedance.

6. Decreases Output impedance : On the same line of impedance we can prove that
Z’ out = z out /1+ (1+ Av mv ) . Hence output impedance will decrease by inducing negative feedback
in an amplifier.
The amplifier with low impedance is much better suited to drive low impedance loads.

Feedback Circuit

Principles of Negative Current Feedback

In this method, a fraction of output current is fed back to input of amplifier.The circuit of negative
current feedback is known as current Shunt Feedback Circuit.From the circuit
Feedback current , I f = m i I out
m i = I f / I out
Negative Current Feedback reduces the input current to amplifier hence gain.

Current gain with negative current Feedback :

From figure
I in =I1 + if = > I1 + mi Iout => I1 + mi Ai I1
Aif = I out / Iin => Ai I1 / I1 + mi Ai I1
= Ai / 1+ mi Ai hence comparing with voltage feedback the only difference is that we are now
dealing with current

Principles

1.Current Gain of amplifier is reduced by a factor 1+ mi Ai .

2. It does not effect voltage gain of amplifier.
3. The Feedback fraction mi is always between 0 and 1.

Effects of Negative Current feedback

1.Decreases input impedance : Zin = Vin / i1 and Z’in = Vin / I in

Solve this Equation for the result Z’in = Zin / 1+ mi Ai

2.Increases Output impedance : on the same line it can be proved that

Z’out = Zout 1+ mi Ai
3. Increases Bandwidth : With negative current feedback Bandwith increases
BW’ = BW(1+ mi Ai )