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I have a question about designing power amplifier.

Question: Find the current of the current source I3. enter image description here

My solution: I supposed that the Vbe of Q1 is 0.6v and with Is=10^(-14) calculated the Ic1, then I supposed that the Vbe of Q3 and Q4 is 0.67 V and found the Ic3 and Ic4, similarly, I calculated the remaining parameters using the information mentioned in the simulation, so I found I3=0.32 mA.

***Problem: I have floating node error in simulation for the source node of M2.

This is my simulation: enter image description here

My guess: I think that the NMOS command has a bug.

This is code of my simulation:

Version 4 SHEET 1 880 712 WIRE -720 -48 -976 -48 WIRE -352 -48 -720 -48 WIRE 48 -48 -352 -48 WIRE 320 -48 48 -48 WIRE 48 0 48 -48 WIRE 320 0 320 -48 WIRE 256 48 192 48 WIRE -720 96 -720 32 WIRE -528 96 -720 96 WIRE -400 96 -528 96 WIRE -160 96 -304 96 WIRE -976 112 -976 -48 WIRE -720 112 -720 96 WIRE 48 176 48 80 WIRE 192 176 192 48 WIRE 192 176 48 176 WIRE -848 192 -928 192 WIRE -768 192 -848 192 WIRE 48 192 48 176 WIRE 320 208 320 96 WIRE 448 208 320 208 WIRE 496 208 448 208 WIRE -848 240 -848 192 WIRE -528 240 -528 96 WIRE -496 240 -528 240 WIRE -352 240 -352 160 WIRE -352 240 -416 240 WIRE -288 240 -352 240 WIRE -160 240 -160 96 WIRE -160 240 -208 240 WIRE -64 240 -160 240 WIRE -16 240 -64 240 WIRE 320 304 320 208 WIRE -976 320 -976 208 WIRE -720 336 -720 208 WIRE -64 336 -64 240 WIRE 192 352 192 176 WIRE 256 352 192 352 WIRE -976 400 -976 320 WIRE -720 400 -720 336 WIRE -64 464 -64 416 WIRE 48 464 48 288 WIRE 48 464 -64 464 WIRE -848 480 -928 480 WIRE -768 480 -848 480 WIRE -976 496 -1104 496 WIRE -528 496 -720 496 WIRE -432 496 -528 496 WIRE 448 496 448 208 WIRE 448 496 -352 496 WIRE -528 512 -528 496 WIRE -848 528 -848 480 WIRE -848 624 -848 608 WIRE -656 624 -848 624 WIRE 48 624 48 464 WIRE 48 624 -656 624 WIRE 320 624 320 400 WIRE 320 624 48 624 FLAG -1632 592 0 FLAG -1744 592 0 FLAG -1904 592 0 FLAG -1504 592 0 FLAG -528 592 0 FLAG 496 288 0 FLAG -352 -48 Vcc FLAG -1632 512 Vcc FLAG -848 240 Vb FLAG -1904 512 Vb FLAG -1184 496 Vin FLAG -1504 512 Vin FLAG 448 208 Vout FLAG 48 176 Ve2 FLAG -64 240 Vb2 FLAG -352 240 Vb1 FLAG -720 96 Vd1 FLAG -976 320 Vd3 FLAG -720 336 Vd4 FLAG -656 624 Vee FLAG 48 624 Vee FLAG 320 624 Vee FLAG -1744 512 Vee FLAG -848 480 Vs3 SYMBOL npn 256 0 R0 SYMATTR InstName Q3 SYMATTR Value mynpn SYMBOL npn -400 160 R270 SYMATTR InstName Q1 SYMATTR Value mynpn SYMBOL pnp 256 400 M180 WINDOW 3 87 65 Left 2 SYMATTR Value mypnp SYMATTR InstName Q4 SYMBOL pnp -16 288 M180 SYMATTR InstName Q2 SYMATTR Value mypnp SYMBOL current -720 -48 R0 WINDOW 123 0 0 Left 0 WINDOW 39 0 0 Left 0 SYMATTR InstName I2 SYMATTR Value 1m SYMBOL res 480 192 R0 SYMATTR InstName R_load SYMATTR Value 100 SYMBOL res -192 224 R90 WINDOW 0 0 56 VBottom 2 WINDOW 3 32 56 VTop 2 SYMATTR InstName R5 SYMATTR Value 10k SYMBOL res -400 224 R90 WINDOW 0 0 56 VBottom 2 WINDOW 3 32 56 VTop 2 SYMATTR InstName R4 SYMATTR Value 100k SYMBOL nmos -768 112 R0 SYMATTR InstName M1 SYMATTR Value mynmos SYMBOL nmos -768 400 R0 SYMATTR InstName M4 SYMATTR Value mynmos SYMBOL nmos -928 400 M0 SYMATTR InstName M3 SYMATTR Value mynmos SYMBOL nmos -928 112 M0 SYMATTR InstName M2 SYMATTR Value mynmos SYMBOL current 48 0 R0 WINDOW 3 37 56 Left 2 WINDOW 123 0 0 Left 0 WINDOW 39 0 0 Left 0 SYMATTR Value 0.2m SYMATTR InstName I4 SYMBOL current -64 336 R0 WINDOW 123 0 0 Left 0 WINDOW 39 0 0 Left 0 SYMATTR InstName I3 SYMATTR Value 0.32m SYMBOL res -544 496 R0 SYMATTR InstName R3 SYMATTR Value 10k SYMBOL res -336 480 R90 WINDOW 0 0 56 VBottom 2 WINDOW 3 32 56 VTop 2 SYMATTR InstName R2 SYMATTR Value 10k SYMBOL res -1088 480 R90 WINDOW 0 0 56 VBottom 2 WINDOW 3 32 56 VTop 2 SYMATTR InstName R1 SYMATTR Value 5k SYMBOL voltage -1904 496 R0 WINDOW 123 0 0 Left 0 WINDOW 39 0 0 Left 0 SYMATTR InstName V1 SYMATTR Value 5 SYMBOL voltage -1744 608 R180 WINDOW 123 0 0 Left 0 WINDOW 39 0 0 Left 0 SYMATTR InstName V2 SYMATTR Value 10 SYMBOL voltage -1632 496 R0 WINDOW 123 0 0 Left 0 WINDOW 39 0 0 Left 0 SYMATTR InstName V3 SYMATTR Value 10 SYMBOL voltage -1504 496 R0 WINDOW 123 24 124 Left 2 WINDOW 39 24 152 Left 2 SYMATTR Value2 AC 0 0 SYMATTR SpiceLine Rser=0 Cpar=0 SYMATTR InstName V4 SYMATTR Value 0 SYMBOL current -848 528 R0 WINDOW 3 36 39 Left 2 WINDOW 123 0 0 Left 0 WINDOW 39 24 28 Left 2 SYMATTR Value 2m SYMATTR SpiceLine load SYMATTR InstName I1 TEXT -1952 -208 Left 2 !.model mynmos NMOS(Kp=250u Vto=0.6 lambda=0.1 W=1000u L=10u phi=0 gamma=0) TEXT -1952 -272 Left 2 !.model mynpn AKO: 2N3904 (bf=200) TEXT -1952 -240 Left 2 !.model mypnp AKO: 2N3906 (bf=150) TEXT -1968 -336 Left 2 ;commands TEXT -1960 -88 Left 2 !.op TEXT -1960 -48 Left 2 !;ac lin 100 1k 100k RECTANGLE Normal -976 -176 -1968 -304 
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    \$\begingroup\$ Right-click on I1 and click Advanced. Then under "Parasitic Properties" check the box that says This is an active load and then try again. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 1 at 4:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ thanks for your advice @Ste Kulov, but it didn't work. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 1 at 5:11
  • \$\begingroup\$ Did the error move to a different current source or did it stay on I1 after you made that change? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 1 at 5:33
  • \$\begingroup\$ Actually, when I ran the simulation, it didn't stop like before, so i used "halt", but in this time it didn't show me anything, so I don't know the error stayed on I1 or moved. @Ste Kulov by using ctrl+L, no error was shown! just said: Direct Newton iteration failed to find .op point. (Use ".option noopiter" to skip.) \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 1 at 5:48
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    \$\begingroup\$ Oh ok. I believe then that the “Error” message is not the source of your problem. It’s attempting to do Gmin stepping so it looks like your simulation is failing to converge. If you open your LTspice .asc file in a text editor you can copy the text and paste it into a code block in your question. Then we can “download” your simulation and troubleshoot it further. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 1 at 5:58

1 Answer 1

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Thank you to everyone who helped me. In the end, the answer was a very simple and unbelievable mistake; instead of connecting the sources of the two differential MOSFETs (I meant M3 & M4), I connected their gates.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I knew it was something like that. That’s why I asked for a reference. Anyway, glad you figured it out. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 1 at 20:19
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    \$\begingroup\$ And I am very grateful that you helped me in finding my mistake. @Ste Kulov \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 2 at 15:44

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