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The Importance of Emitter/Source Degeneration Resistor in Electronic Circuits
As electronics professionals, we know that temperature changes can significantly impact the performance of our circuits. One crucial component that helps mitigate this issue is the emitter/source degeneration resistor. Today, let's dive into its importance, how it makes gain insensitive to temperature, and why it's called degeneration.
Importance of Emitter/Source Degeneration Resistor
The emitter/source degeneration resistor is a vital component in amplifier circuits using BJTs or FETs. Its primary function is to introduce negative feedback, reducing the gain of the amplifier. This reduction in gain improves linearity, reducing distortion and making the amplifier more robust against temperature changes and power supply fluctuations.
Temperature Insensitivity
The emitter/source degeneration resistor makes the gain of the amplifier less sensitive to temperature variations. This is because the voltage drop across the degeneration resistor dominates the total voltage drop in the emitter/source circuit, making the biasing conditions less affected by temperature changes.
Why "Degeneration"?
The term "degeneration" might seem counterintuitive, but it refers to the reduction in gain, which actually improves the overall performance of the amplifier. By "degenerating" the gain, the amplifier operates more linearly and robustly.
Comparison of Gain with and without Emitter Degeneration
Let's compare the gain of a simple CE/CS amplifier with and without emitter degeneration using simulation.
Without Emitter Degeneration:
- Gain: 100
- Temperature Sensitivity: High
With Emitter Degeneration:
- Gain: 50
- Temperature Sensitivity: Low
As shown, the amplifier with emitter degeneration has a reduced gain but is much less sensitive to temperature changes.
Simulation Results:
Check the attached picture to see the simulation results showing the impact of emitter degeneration on the current-voltage characteristics of the amplifier.
In conclusion, the emitter/source degeneration resistor is a crucial component in amplifier design, making gain insensitive to temperature and improving overall performance. By understanding its importance and how it works, we can design more robust and reliable electronic circuits.
#electronics #amplifierdesign #engineering #OAU
Pipeloluwa Olayiwola
Tiny Tapeout
IEEE
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society
IEEE Computer Society
IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS)