3rd slide 1

Differential Amplifier
R
4
/R
3
= R
2
/R
1


V
O
= R
2
/R
1
* (V
2
V
1
)
3rd slide 2
Differential Mode and Common-Mode Components
The unique characteristic of the difference amplifier are better
appreciated if we introduce the difference-mode input
component, defines as
V
dm
V
2
V
1


and the common-mode input components, defined as

V
cm
(V
2
+ V
1
) /2

Inverting these equation, we can express the actual input in
terms of the newly defined components:

V
1
= V
cm
V
dm
/2
and
V
2
= V
cm
+ V
dm
/2


3rd slide 3
We can now concisely define a true difference
amplifier as a circuit which responds only to the
differential mode components V
dm
, completely
ignoring the common mode component V
cm
.

In particulary, if V
dm
happens to be zero, the circuit
will ideally yield V
o
= 0 V regardless of the
magnitude and polarity of V
cm
.

3rd slide 4
For instance, if the inputs are tied together so that
V
dm
= 0 and are varied between say, -10 V to
+10V, the ideally the circuit will yield Vo = 0 in
spite of the large common mode variation at the
input.

Conversely, this can serve as a test for
determining how close an actual difference
amplifier is to ideal.

The smaller the output variation due to variations
of V
cm
, the closer the amplifier is to ideal.

3rd slide 5
Effect of Resistance Mismatches
The insensitivity of the difference amplifier to
V
cm
applies only if the op amp is ideal and
the resistors satisfy the balanced bridge
condition.
3rd slide 6
Example
Let the circuit of difference amplifier have R
1
= R
3
= 10k,
and R
2
=R
4
= 100k.
(a) assuming perfectly matched resisotrs and ideal op-amp,
comput V
o
for each of the following input pairs:
(V
1
, V
2
) = (-0.1V, +0.1V), (4.9V, 5.1V), (9.9V, 10.1V)

(b). Repeat, but for the case where the resistors are
mismatched as follows: R
1
=10k, R
2
=98k ,
R
3
=9.9k , R
4
=103k . Comment.
3rd slide 7
a. Vo = (100/10) (V
2
-V
1
) = 10 (V
2
-V
1
)
Since V
2
-V
1
in each of the three cases, the circuit will yield
V
o
=10 x 0.2 = 2V regardless of the common mode component,
which is, respectively V
cm
= 0V, 5V, 10V
b. By superposition principle, Vo = oV
1
+ |V
2
,
where o = -R
2
/R
1
= -98/10 = -9.8, and
| = (1+R
2
/R
1
) R
4
/ (R
3
+R
4
) = (1+98/10)103/(9.9+103) = 9.853.

Thus for (V
1
,V
2
) = (-0.1V,+0.1V) V
o
=-9.8 (-0.1) + 9.853 . 0.1 = 1.965V.

Likewise for (V
1
,V
2
) = (4.9V, 5.1V) V
o
= 2.230V
and for (V
1
,V
2
) = (9.9V, 10.1V) V
o
= 2,495V

As a consequence of mismatched resistor, not only do we have V
o
2V, but
V
o
also changes with the common mode component. Clearly, the circuit
is no longer a true difference amplifier.
3rd slide 8
The effect of bridge imbalance can be
investigated more systematically bo letting
one of the resistance ratios be (1-c) times as
large as the other, where c represents the
fractional difference between the two ratios.
3rd slide 9
c
c
c c
2 1
2
2 1
2 1
1
2
2 1
2
1
2 1
1
2
2
2
1
2
) 1 (
2
) 1 (
R R
R
A
R R
R R
R
R
A
dengan
V A V A V
V
V
R R
R
R
R R V
V
R
R
V
cm
dm
cm cm dm dm o
dm
cm
dm
cm O
+
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+
=
+ =
|
.
|

\
|
+
+
+
+
|
.
|

\
|

=
3rd slide 10
A true difference amplifier ideally has CMRR = since
Acm = 0.

For a sufficeiently small bridge imbalance, the CMRR is as
follow
Ratio A
dm
/ A
cm
represents a figure of merit in the circuit and
is called the common-mode rejection ration (CMRR).
Its value is usually expressed in dB:

Acm
Adm
CMRR
10
log 20 =
c
1 2
10
/ 1
log 20
R R
CMRR
+
=
3rd slide 11
Exercise
Design an IA whose gain can be varied
continously over range 1 A 1000 by
means of a 100 k potentiometer.
We shall implement RG as the series of a
100 k pot and a suitable resistance RGA.
Since AI > 1 we must impose AII <1 in
order to allow A to go down all the way to
unity.
If we arbitratily impose AII=1/2, then R2/R1
= . Use R1=100k and R249.9k, both 1
percent.