Feedback

MODULE2_PART1

In electronics, feedback is defined as the process of returning part of the signal output from a
circuit or device back to the input of that circuit or device.

Feedback Systems process signals and as such are signal processors. The processing part of a
feedback system may be electrical or electronic, ranging from a very simple to a highly complex
circuits.

A feedback system is one in which the output signal is sampled and then fed back to the input to
form an error signal that drives the system.

Feedback Systems are very useful and widely used in amplifier circuits, oscillators, process
control systems as well as other types of electronic systems.

The basic model of a feedback system is given as:

Feedback System Block Diagram Model

Benefits of feed back system

• Circuit characteristics such as the systems gain and response can be precisely controlled.

• Circuit characteristics can be made independent of operating conditions such as supply

voltages or temperature variations.

• Signal distortion due to the non-linear nature of the components used can be greatly reduced.

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• The Frequency Response, Gain and Bandwidth of a circuit or system can be easily controlled
to within tight limits.

Depending upon whether the feedback signal aids or opposes the input signal, there are
two types of feedbacks used.

Negative Feedback and Positive Feedback.

Positive Feedback Systems

If the feedback signal is in such a way that it causes the overall output to increases then the feed
back is referred to as positive feedback or regenerative feed back .

Though the positive feedback increases the gain of the amplifier, it has the disadvantages such
as

• Increasing distortion

• Instability

It is because of these disadvantages the positive feedback is not recommended for the amplifiers.
If the positive feedback is sufficiently large, it leads to oscillations, by which oscillator circuits
are formed.

Negative Feedback Systems

If the feedback signal results in decreases of overall outputthen the feed back is referred to as
negaitive feedback or degenerative feed back .

In negative feedback, the amplifier introduces a phase shift of 180 o into the circuit while the
feedback network is so designed that it produces no phase shift or zero phase shift. Thus the
resultant feedback voltage Vf is 180o out of phase with the input signal Vin.

Though the gain of negative feedback amplifier is reduced, there are many advantages of
negative feedback such as

• Stability of gain is improved

• Reduction in distortion

• Reduction in noise

• Increase in input impedance

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 • Decrease in output impedance

• Increase in the range of uniform application

It is because of these advantages negative feedback is frequently employed in amplifiers.

Principle of Feedback Amplifier

A feedback amplifier generally consists of two parts. They are the amplifier and the feedback
circuit. The feedback circuit usually consists of resistors. The concept of feedback amplifier can
be understood from the following figure.

From the above figure, the gain of the amplifier is represented as A. the gain of the amplifier is
the ratio of output voltage Vo to the input voltage Vi. the feedback network extracts a voltage Vf =
β Vo from the output Vo of the amplifier.

This voltage is added for positive feedback and subtracted for negative feedback, from the signal
voltage Vs. Now,

Vi=Vs+Vf=Vs+βVo

Vi=Vs−Vf=Vs−βVo

The quantity β = Vf/Vo is called as feedback ratio or feedback fraction.

consider the case of negative feedback. The output Vo must be equal to the input voltage (Vs -
βVo) multiplied by the gain A of the amplifier.

Hence,

Vo= (Vs−βVo)AOr

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 Vo= AVs−AβVo

Or

Vo(1+Aβ)= AVs

Therefore,

Vo/Vs=A/(1+Aβ)

Let Af be the overall gain (gain with the feedback) of the amplifier. This is defined as the ratio of
output voltage Vo to the applied signal voltage Vs, i.e.,

Af=Outputvoltage/Inputsignalvoltage=Vo/Vs

rom the above two equations

The equation of gain of the feedback amplifier, with negative feedback is given by

Af=A/(1+Aβ)

The equation of gain of the feedback amplifier, with positive feedback is given by

Af=A/(1−Aβ)

These are the standard equations to calculate the gain of feedback amplifiers.

Advantages of Negative Voltage Feedback

(i) Gain stability. An important advantage of negative voltage feedback is that the resultant
gain of the amplifier can be made independent of transistor parameters or the supply
voltage variations.
Af=A/(1+Aβ)

For negative voltage feedback in an amplifier to be effective, the designer deliberately makes the
product Aβ much greater than unity. Therefore, in the above relation, 1 can be neglected as
compared to Aβ and the expression becomes :

Af= A/Aβ =1/β

Now the gain depends only upon feedback fraction β i.e., on the characteristics of feedback
circuit. As feedback circuit is usually a voltage divider (a resistive network), therefore, it is

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unaffected by changes in temperature, variations in transistor parameters and frequency. Hence,
the gain of the amplifier is extremely stable.

(ii) Reduces non-linear distortion. A large signal stage has non-linear distortion because its
voltage gain changes at various points in the cycle. The negative voltage feedback reduces
the nonlinear distortion in large signal amplifiers.
Df =D/(1+Aβ)

D = distortion in amplifier without feedback Df = distortion in amplifier with negative feedback

It is clear that by applying negative voltage feedback to an amplifier, distortion is reduced by a
factor 1 + Aβ

(iii) Improves frequency response. As feedback is usually obtained through a resistive

network, therefore, voltage gain of the amplifier is *independent of signal frequency. The
result is that voltage gain of the amplifier will be substantially constant over a wide range
of signal frequency. The negative voltage feedback, therefore, improves the frequency
response of the amplifier.
(iv) increased bandwidth: Consider an amplifier whose bandwidth is required to be found out
when it is subject to negative feedback.
BW = bandwidth and of an amplifier without feedback
BW’ =bandwidth with feedback
Since negative feedback increases the bandwidth of the amplifier by a factor 1 + Aβ then
BW’ =(1 + Aβ) BW
it may be noted that the voltage gain of the feedback amplifier reduces by the same
factor by which bandwidth is increased thus the product of voltage gain and bandwidth
of an amplifier without feedback and with feedback remains same.
Ie Af x BW’=AxBW
Fig shows gainVS freq of an amplifier with and without feedback

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(v) Increases circuit stability. The output of an ordinary amplifier is easily changed due to
variations in ambient temperature, frequency and signal amplitude. This changes the gain
of the amplifier, resulting in distortion. However, by applying negative voltage feedback,
voltage gain of the amplifier is stabilised or accurately fixed in value. This can be easily
explained. Suppose the output of a negative voltage feedback amplifier has increased
because of temperature change or due to some other reason. This means more negative
feedback since feedback is being given from the output. This tends to oppose the increase
in amplification and maintains it stable. The same is true should the output voltage
decrease. Consequently, the circuit stability is considerably increased.
(vi) Increases input impedance and decreases output impedance. The negative voltage
feedback increases the input impedance and decreases the output impedance of amplifier.
Such a change is profitable in practice as the amplifier can then serve the purpose of
impedance matching.
Input impedance with feedback is Zinf’ = Zin(1+Aβ)
Output impedence with feed back is Z of ‘= Zo/(1+Aβ)

Types of feed back connection

Based on the input quantity being amplified, and on the desired output condition, the input

and output variables can be modelled as either a voltage or a current.

Thus Both the current as well as voltage can be feedback toward the input in series otherwise in
parallel. As a result, there are four basic classifications of single-loop feedback system in which
the output signal is fed back to the input and these are:

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 • Voltage Series Feedback Amplifier

• Voltage Shunt Feedback Amplifier

• Current Series Feedback Amplifier

• Current Shunt Feedback Amplifier

Series feed back connection tend to increase the input impedance while shuntfeed abck
connection tend to decrease the input impedance.

Voltage feedback connection tend to decrese the output impedance while current
feedback connection tend to increase the output impedance.

Voltage-Series Feedback

• In the voltage series feedback circuit, a fraction of the output voltage is applied in series
with the input voltage through the feedback circuit. This is also known as shunt-driven
series-fed feedback, i.e., a parallel-series circuit. Or Voltage Controlled Voltage
Source (VCVS).

The following figure shows the block diagram of voltage series feedback, by which it is evident
that the feedback circuit is placed in shunt with the output but in series with the input.

As the feedback circuit is connected in shunt with the output, the output impedance is decreased
and due to the series connection with the input, the input impedance is increased.

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Voltage-Shunt Feedback

In the voltage shunt feedback circuit, a fraction of the output voltage is applied in parallel with
the input voltage through the feedback network. This is also known as shunt-driven shunt-
fed feedback i.e., a parallel-parallel proto type.

The below figure shows the block diagram of voltage shunt feedback, by which it is evident that
the feedback circuit is placed in shunt with the output and also with the input.

As the feedback circuit is connected in shunt with the output and the input as well, both the output
impedance and the input impedance are decreased.

Current-Series Feedback

In the current series feedback circuit, a fraction of the output voltage is applied in series with the
input voltage through the feedback circuit. This is also known as series-driven series-
fed feedback i.e., a series-series circuit.

The following figure shows the block diagram of current series feedback, by which it is evident
that the feedback circuit is placed in series with the output and also with the input.

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As the feedback circuit is connected in series with the output and the input as well, both the output
impedance and the input impedance are increased.

Current-Shunt Feedback

In the current shunt feedback circuit, a fraction of the output voltage is applied in series with the
input voltage through the feedback circuit. This is also known as series-driven shunt-
fed feedback i.e., a series-parallel circuit.

The below figure shows the block diagram of current shunt feedback, by which it is evident that
the feedback circuit is placed in series with the output but in parallel with the input.

As the feedback circuit is connected in series with the output, the output impedance is increased
and due to the parallel connection with the input, the input impedance is decreased.

The amplifier characteristics which are affected by various negative feedback are listed in the
following table.

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 Feedback Topology Input Resistance Output Resistance

Increases Decreases

Voltage Series Rif = Ri*(1+A*β) Rof=Ro/(1+A*β)

Increases Increases

Current Series Rif = Ri*(1+A*β) Rof = Ro*(1+A*β)

Decreases Increases

Current Shunt Rif = Ri/(1+A*β) Rof = Ro*(1+A*β)

Decreases Decreases

Voltage Shunt Rif = Ri*(1+A*β) Rof=Ro/(1+A*β)

Transistor amplifier with negative feed back

1. common emitter amplifier without emitter bypass capacitor

Fig shows a common emitter amplifier without emitter bypass capacitor.

This circuit has a current series feedback. The current through resistor R E results in voltage
which is in opposite phase to that of the input signal. As a result of this output voltage is reduced.

In amplifiers in order to remove negative feed back the emitter resister is bypassed by a
capacitor.

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The voltage gain of an amplifier without feedback is

Av =Rc/re’

And the voltage gain of a common emitter feedback amplifier is Av’ = Rc/(re’+RE)

And feedback ratio is β=RE/Rc

2. Emitter Follower

In this configuration, the input signal is applied to the transistors base terminal, the amplifiers
output signal is taken from the emitter emitter terminal. However, as there is only one forward
biased pn-junction between the transistors base and its emitter terminal, any input signal applied
to the base passes directly through the junction to the emitter. Therefore the output signal present
at the emitter is in-phase with the applied input signal at the base.

As the amplifiers output signal is taken from across the emitter load this type of transistor
configuration known as an Emitter Follower circuit as the emitter output “follows” or tracks any
voltage changes to the base input signal, except that it remains about 0.7 volts (V BE) below the
base voltage. Thus VIN and VOUT are in-phase producing zero phase difference between the input
and output signals. This circuit is also called common collector circuit.

It is a negative current feedback circuit. Also a current series feedback. The emitter
follower is a current amplifier that has no voltage [Link] current through resistor RE results in
voltage which is in opposite phase to that of the input signal. As a result of this output voltage is
reduced.

Its most important characteristic is that it has high input impedance and low output impedance.
This makes it an ideal circuit for impedance matching.

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In an emitter follower feedback ratio is unity(β=1). Therefore overall voltage gain is unity.

Collector feedback biased common emitter amplifier

This circuit is an example of voltage shunt feedback.

The feedback is obtained by coupling a portion of the output voltage to the base through the resister R B.
the voltage shunt feedback connection provides a stabilized amplifier overall gain. But reduces input
and output resistances.

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