The transistor common base configuration is just as simple as the other two (common collector, common emitter) configurations, but far less known and used - which is a regrettable mistake, because it is absolutely awesome and has little-known characteristics which we'll look into right away! Common base configuration Operating principle At first look, the common … Continue reading Transistor Common Base Configuration – a Hidden Champion
Tag: electronics
The improved differential amplifier (based on current mirror)
This circuit is an improved version of the differential amplifier built with a current mirror from last year. The previous circuit suffered from a design flaw which I realised only when trying to actually build the circuit with hardware: the collector resistors are way too small (actually 0Ω) for a sensitive circuit. The current going … Continue reading The improved differential amplifier (based on current mirror)
Voltage comparator with oscillator
Readers of this blog know that I'm fascinated by everything around switched amplifiers. The core piece of every switched amplifier is a voltage comparator. Today I'll write about a comparator design based on an oscillator. The simplest voltage comparator compares two input voltages A and B and outputs a high voltage is A > B … Continue reading Voltage comparator with oscillator
A differential amplifier built with a current mirror
Update October 2020: check out this new, improved design. I've wondered for a long time how differential amplifiers are actually realised on the transistor level. Not having received a formal electronics engineering education nor being part of an assorted online community, that question lingered for quite a while unanswered - until yesterday. The ideal differential … Continue reading A differential amplifier built with a current mirror
A better switching amplifier
Last year I wrote about A switching amplifier electronic design which can drive large power loads with high efficiency and tolerable distortion. The operational principle for this is that a pre-stage converts the input signal into a series of pulses which rapidly switch the end-stage on and off - that is a power-efficient mode of … Continue reading A better switching amplifier
A switching amplifier
update January 2018: there's a follow-up. In this off-topic post I'm picking up an old hobby of mine: electronics. I've built in the past quite a few analogue audio amplifiers, mostly based on pull-push [1] designs, but always wanted to build a pulsed/switching amplifier. Thus, for no good reason at all, in this post I'll … Continue reading A switching amplifier