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Transconductance
Behavior of Three-terminal Devices
Circuit analysis reduces to input and output sources
iOUT
vOUT
iIN
vIN

The sources can be either voltage or current sources and the sources
can be separated into DC and AC components.
i IN = IIN + i in
v IN = VIN + v in
i OUT = IOUT + i out
v OUT = V OUT + v out

Capital variables are pure DC, small variables are pure AC.

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There are two loops for Kirchoffs law, so the problem can be
expressed with only two variables.
Use a Taylors expansion at the DC operating point to find the AC
variables, eg. find iIN and iOUT in terms of vIN and vOUT.
i IN
i IN = -----------
v IN

VOUT

i OUT
i OUT = ---------------
v IN

i IN
v IN + ----------------
v OUT

VOUT

V IN

i OUT
v IN + ----------------
v OUT

v OUT

v OUT
V IN

These equations can be expressed in terms of the AC quantities only.

i in = y i v in + y r v out
i out = y f v in + y o v out

The y-parameters correspond to the partial derivatives at a specific DC

level in the circuit. In this case all have units of conductance.
The subscripts have the following meaning:
yi is an input conductance; related to the Thevenin input resistance.
yr is a reverse transconductance; the input changes with the output.
yf is a forward transconductance; the output changes with the input.
yo is an output conductance; related to the Thevenin output resistance.
Other choices of fixed variables will give different sets of parameters.

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Transconductance in a FET
Consider a transistor as driven by a DC and AC current source
vDS
vGS
ib

IG

id

ID

There are four variables: iG, iD, vGS, vDS.

The two equations for transconductance are.
i g = y is v gs + y rs v ds
i d = y fs v gs + y os v ds

The extra s in the subscript indicates that the circuit has the FET
source common for both the input and output.

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The input impedance is very high and the gate current is very small so
the first equation is generally neglected.
The second equation is often rewritten
i d = g m v gs + v ds r os

The relation of output current to voltage:

i D
1
------- = -----------
r os
v DS V
GS

This is the conductance of the channel in the ohmic region. In the

pinch-off region, at high VDS, ros becomes large.

The forward conductance:

i D
g m = ------------
v GS

VDS

This is the transconductance for the transistor - typically 1-10 mS.

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Transconductance in a BJT
Consider a transistor as driven by a DC and AC current source at the
input and a DC and AC voltage source at the output.
iC
vce
vBE
ib

IB
VCE

There are four variables: iB, iC, vBE, vCE.

Other variables are: iE = iB + iC, and vCB = vCE - vBE.
Find small changes in vBE and iC in terms of vCE and iB.
v BE
v BE = ------------
i B
i C
i C = --------
i B

VCE

V CE

v BE
i B + ------------ v CE
v CE

IB

i C
i B + ------------ v CE
v CE

IB

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The small changes are equivalent to the AC components:

v be = h ie i b + h re v ce
i c = h fe i b + h oe v ce

The emitter is common to both input and output

The relation of input voltage to current:

v BE
h ie = ------------
i B

VCE

This is the input impedance. hie goes up as IC goes down.

C
The relation of output voltage to current: h oe = -----------

v CE I

This is the inverse of an impedance - approximately equal to 0.

The reverse voltage characteristic:

v BE
h re = ------------
v CE

IB

This is rate of change of two voltages - approximately equal to 0.

The forward current characteristic:

i C
h fe = --------
i B

VCE

This is for the transistor - the base to collector current gain

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Parameters from Transistor Curves

Typical values:
IC
(mA)

IB = 60 A

IB = 40 A

IB = 20 A

2
5
IB (A)
60

10

15

VCE = 5 V

20

VCE (V)

VCE = 10 V

40
20
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8

VBE (V)

hfe = 100, from the graph: IC / IB at constant VCE.

hie = 2 k at 60 A, from the graph: VBE / IB at constant VCE.
hoe = 50 mho, from the graph: IC / VCE at constant IB.
hre = 10-4, VBE / VCE at constant IB.

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Transconductance Equivalent Circuit

Replace the base-emitter diode with a resistor and voltage source:
B

ib

hie

ic

hrevce

hfeib

1/hoe
vce

vbe
E

The input is a Thevenin equivalent circuit that depends on the output.

The output is a Norton equivalent circuit that depends on the input.
A simpler equivalent treats the input as a voltage divider:
B

ib

ic
rb

rc
re

ib

vbe

vce

rc >> re
hfe = , hie = (+1)re+rb,
hoe = 1 / (rc+re) 1 / rc, hre = re / (rc+re) re / rc

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Load Lines
Diode Load Lines
Consider a diode circuit

+1V

1 k
Vout

What is Vout? Its not easy to solve except by iteration.

Try looking at the V-I graph for the diode and remaining circuit
I
Isc = 1 mA

V
Vth = 1 V

The operating point is where these lines cross.

The diagonal line is called the load line, defined by the Thevenin
parameters for the circuit feeding the diode.

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Transistor Load Line

The load-line equation comes from VCC = ICRC + VCE + ICRE .
IC

RC

VCC = 15 V

IB

RE

IC (max) = 6 mA
At IC = 0, VCE = VCC .
V

CC
At VCE = 0: I C = ------------------RC + RE

Pick IC max; a load line for the circuit is:

= 100

IC
(mA)
6

IB = 60 A

IB = 40 A

IB = 20 A
5

10

15

20

VCE (V)

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RC + RE = 15 V / 6 mA = 2.5 k
For good performance operate at IC > 0.5 mA, VCE > 2 V.
VCE = VCC / 2 works well
Base Biasing
Replace current source with battery and resistors
RC

R1
VCC

IC
VC

IB
VB

VE
R2

RE

IE

The three voltages VB, VC, VE:

R2
V B = ------------------- V CC
R1 + R2
V C = V CC I C RC
V E = IE R E I C R E

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Base Biasing
The base current is IB = IC / , using VCE = VCC /2 :
IC
V CC
V CC VCE
I B = ----- = ----------------------------- = -------------------------------( RC + RE )

2 ( R C + R E )

The base-emitter junction is like a diode, so VBE = 0.6 V.

VB > ICRE + 0.6 V.
For good performance operate at VB / R2 < 1 mA, VB / R2 >= 10 IB.
10IB R 2 = I C RE + 0.6V
R E ( 0.06V )
--------- + ----------------------R2 =
10
IC
V CC
R 1 + R 2 = -------------10IC

Status for the whole circuit:

VCC = 15 V

VCE = 7.5 V

RC + RE = 2.5 k
IC = 3 mA

IB = 30 A

R2 = 10RE + 2 k

R1 = 48 k 10RE

The unknowns are RC and RE, select a pair appropriate for the rest of
the circuit.

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