University of Hawaii, Manoa

School of Engineering
EE326L
Microelectronics Laboratory
Lab #3
BJT Op-amp and Feedback
Assigned:
Prelab:
PCB milling:
Final Report Due:

I.

Thursday, Nov 06, 2014

Thursday, Nov 13, 2014
Thursday, Nov 20, 2014
Thursday, Dec 11, 2014

Introduction:
In Lab #3, you will be analyzing the inner workings of an actual BJT op-amp. Then you
will build using PCB milling and test your op-amp in a unique closed-loop 2nd-order
circuit configuration.
Consider the BJT op-amp circuit and its simple equivalent circuit both shown in Figure 1
below. All five BJT transistors, Q1-Q5, are contained within a single CA3096 chip. The
output buffer stage is simply a 741 op-amp configured in its unity-gain mode.
+15V

R2
70 k

R1
71.5 k

+
LM741

Q1

Q2

v-

v+
Cc
500pF
Q5
Q3

Q4

-15V

Above circuit is equivalent to this:

+15 V

V+

+
A(s)
BJT
Op Amp

V-

V+

-15 V

Figure 1: Block representation of amplifier

vout

II. Pre-Lab Exercises:

A. Hand Calculations
1. Assumptions
a. VBE-on=0.7V for all transistors
b. The 741 is an ideal op-amp
c. The dc value of VC5 = 0V.
2. Consider the BJT op-amp in its open-loop configuration as shown in
Figure 1.
a. Determine the op-amps transfer function.
i. A(s)t/s, and SR using hand calculations.
ii. Record t and SR in your Summary Table.
3. Next, consider the BJT op-amp in the closed-loop 2nd-order low pass
feedback configuration shown in Figure 2.
a. Set R1=R2=1k,
b. Set C1=1nF and C2=100nF.

C2

+15 V

+
R1
Vin

R2

A(s)
BJT
Op Amp

C1

Vout

-15 V

Figure 3.
BIG HINT: For this circuit

1
A
s

2
R
R
C
C
s
CR
21
CR
12
C
1
R
s
1212
11

R
C
s

12

4. Sketch the classic feedback diagram of this circuit (use the BIG HINT
above).
a. Include in your final report.
5. Determine Af(s) and LG(s).
a. Include in your final report.
6. Use Matlab
a. Command: bode(Af) to plot the Af(s) Bode Plot.
i. Determine MP, p, and H
ii. Record in your Summary Table d

b. Command: margin(LG) to calculate the Gain Margin and Phase

Margin
i. Record in your Summary Table.
c. Command: step(Af) to plot the Step Response.
i. Determine tr, tp and P0
ii. Record in your Summary Table.
7. Change C2 to 1nF.
a. Repeat Parts 1 through 5.
b. Note:
i. That since this is now an over damped system
ii. You will not need to calculate MP, p, tp or P0
8. Include all your above annotated Matlab plots in your final report.
III. Laboratory Experimentation
A. Build the Circuit
1. Using PCB milling complete building the circuit
2. Choose standard resistor and capacitor values which are as "close as
possible" to those in Figure 1.
3. Use a CA3096 chip for the five BJT transistors.
a. Make sure to connect Pin #16 on the CA3096 to 15V.
4. Use a standard 741 op-amp for the output buffer as shown.
5. The pin-out diagrams for both the CA3096 and the 741 are attached to
this document for your reference.
B. DC Analysis
1. Verify the DC functionality of your op-amp
a. Begin by placing it in a simple unity-gain configuration
b. Connect the inputs to Ground.
c. Proceed to check all DC levels of your op-amp circuit.
C. AC Analysis
1. Disconnect your input from Ground
2. Reconnect it to your Function Generator.
3. Slew Rate
a. You will now experimentally determine your op-amps SR.
b. Set your square wave input such that the output voltage is
500mV with a frequency of approximately 5kHz.
c. Measure SR.
d. Record your measurement in your Summary Table.
D. 2nd-order low-pass circuit
1. Setup your BJT op-amp into the 2nd-order low-pass circuit configuration
shown in Figure 2.
a. Set R1=R2=1k
b. C1=1nF.
c. C2=100nF.
2. Verify your DC levels
3. Disconnect your input from Ground and reconnect it to your Function
Generator.
4. Frequency Response.
a. While monitoring the output voltage
i. Set the input sine wave amplitude
ii. Output voltage:
100mV p-p
Vary the frequency from 100Hz to 25kHz.
b. Measure Mp, p and H
c. Record in your Summary Table.
5. Step Response.

a. While monitoring the output voltage

i. Set the input square wave amplitude
ii. Until output voltage:
500mV p-p
Frequency of approximately 500Hz.
iii. Zoom-in on a positive edge
Measure tr, tp and P0
Using V-Bars
Record in your Summary Table.
6. Change C2 to 1nF
a. Repeat Steps 1 through 5.
b. In Step 4
i. Vary your sine wave frequency range from 100Hz to
250kHz
ii. Note: no need to measure Mp and p.
c. In Part 5
i. Set your square wave frequency to approximately 25kHz
ii. Note: no need to measure tp and P0.
IV. Lab Notebook and Check-Off:
A. Please record all your Pre-Lab Exercise calculations and lab data in your Lab
Notebook and Summary Table.
B. Get your lab checked-off by the Instructor.
V. Lab Report:
A. Please type-up and hand-in your Final Lab Report for this Experiment.
B. Use the same Lab Report format as in Labs 1 and 2.
C. Include your Pre-Lab Exercise hand-calculations (in summarized form)
D. Your annotated Matlab print-outs
E. Your experimental results
F. Your Summary Table
G. Xerox copy of your signed Check-Off page from your Lab Notebook.

Summary Table

Parameter

Hand or Matlab

t
SR
Mp

Lab
N/A

p
H
GM
PM
tr
tp
P0

N/A
N/A

H
GM
PM
tr

N/A
N/A