The Common-Base Amplifier

Basic Circuit
Fig. 1 shows the circuit diagram of a single stage common-base amplifier. The object is to solve
for the small-signal voltage gain, input resistance, and output resistance.

Figure 1: Common-base amplifier.

DC Solution
(a) Replace the capacitors with open circuits. Look out of the 3 BJT terminals and make Thvenin
equivalent circuits as shown in Fig. 2.

V + R2 + V R1
VBB = RBB = R1 kR2
R1 + R2

VEE = V REE = RE VCC = V + RCC = RC

(b) Make an educated guess for VBE . Write the loop equation between the VBB and the VEE
nodes. To solve for IC , this equation is
IC IC
VBB VEE = IB RBB + VBE + IE REE = RBB + VBE + REE

(c) Solve the loop equation for the currents.

VBB VEE VBE

IC = IE = IB =
RBB / + REE /

(d) Verify that VCB > 0 for the active mode.

VCB = VC VB = (VCC IC RCC ) (VBB IB RBB ) = VCC VBB IC (RCC RBB /)

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 Figure 2: DC bias circuit.

Small-Signal or AC Solutions
(a) Redraw the circuit with V + = V = 0 and all capacitors replaced with short circuits as shown
in Fig. 3.

Figure 3: Signal circuit.

(b) Calculate gm , r , re , and r0 from the DC solution..

IC VT VT VA + VCE
gm = r = re = r0 =
VT IB IE IC
(c) Replace the circuits looking out of the base and emitter with Thvenin equivalent circuits
as shown in Fig. 4.
RE
vtb = 0 Rtb = 0 vte = vs Rte = Rs kRE
Rs + RE

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 Figure 4: Signal circuit with Thvenin emitter circuit.

Exact Solution
(a) Replace the BJT in Fig. 4 with the Thvenin emitter circuit and the Norton collector circuit
as shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 5: Emitter and collector equivalent circuits.

(b) Solve for ic(sc) .

RE
ic(sc) = Gme vte = Gme vs
Rs + RE
1 r0 + re0 rx
Gme = re0 = + re
Rte + re0 kr0 r0 + re0 1+
(c) Solve for vo .
RE
vo = ic(sc) ric kRC kRL = Gme vs ric kRC kRL
Rs + RE
r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 Rte / (re0 + Rte )

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 (d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo RE
Av = = Gme ric kRC kRL
vs Rs + RE
(e) Solve for rin .

r0 + Rtc
rin = R1 kR2 krie rie = re0
re0 + r0 + Rtc / (1 + )

(f) Solve for rout .

rout = ric kRC

Example 1 For the CB amplifier in Fig. 1, it is given that Rs = 100 , R1 = 120 k, R2 = 100 k,
RC = 4.3 k, RE = 5.6 k, R3 = 100 , RL = 20 k, V + = 15 V, V = 15 V, VBE = 0.65 V,
= 99, = 0.99, rx = 20 , VA = 100 V and VT = 0.025 V. Solve for Av , rin , and rout .

Solution. Because the dc bias circuit is the same as for the common-emitter amplifier example,
the dc bias values, re , gm , r , and r0 are the same.
In the signal circuit, the Thvenin voltage and resistance seen looking out of the emitter are
given by
RE
vte = vs = 0.9825vs Rte = Rs kRE = 98.25
Rs + RE
The Thvenin resistances seen looking out of the base and the collector are

Rtb = 0 Rtc = RC kRL = 3.539 k

Next, we calculate re0 , Gme , ric , and rie .

Rtb + rx 1 r0 + re0 1
re0 = + re = 12.03 Gme = = S
1+ Rte + re0 kr0 r0 + re0 111.4

r0 + re0 kRte r0 + Rtc

ric = = 442.3 k rie = re0 = 12.83
1 Rte / (re0 + Rte ) re0 + r0 + Rtc / (1 + )
The output voltage is given by
RE
vo = Gme (ric kRtc ) vte = Gme (ric kRtc ) vs = 30.97vs
Rs + RE
Thus the voltage gain is
Av = 30.97
The input and output resistances are

rin = R1 kR2 krib = 12.81 rout = ric kRC = 4.259 k

Approximate Solutions
These solutions assume that r0 = except in calculating ric . In this case, ic(sc) = i0c = i0e = ib .

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 Figure 6: Simplified T model circuit.

Simplified T Model Solution

(a) After making the Thvenin equivalent circuits looking out of the base and emitter, replace the
BJT with the simplified T model as shown in Fig. 6.
(b) Solve for i0c and ric .
i0
0 vte = i0e re0 + Rte = c re0 + Rte = i0c = vte 0
re + Rte

r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 Rte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo .
RE
vo = i0c ric kRC kRL = vte ric kRC kRL = vs ric kRC kRL
re0 + Rte Rs + RE re0 + Rte

(d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo Rs
Av = = 0
ric kRC kRL
vs Rs + RE re + Rte

(e) Solve for rie and rin .

ve
0 ve = i0e re0 = i0e =
re0
ve
rie = = re0
i0e
rin = re0 kRE
(f) Solve for rout .
rout = ric kRC

Example 2 For Example 1, use the simplified T-model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin ,
and rout .

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Av = 0.9825 8.978 103 3.511 103 = 30.97
rin = 12 rout = 4.259 k

Model Solution
(a) After making the Thvenin equivalent circuits looking out of the base and emitter, replace the
BJT with the model as shown in Fig. 7.

Figure 7: Hybrid- model circuit.

(b) Solve for i0c and ric .

i0c i0 i0 vte
0 vte = ib rx + v + i0e Rte = rx + c + c Rte = i0c =
gm rx 1 Rte
+ +
gm

r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 Rte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo .

vte RE 1
vo = i0c ric kRC kRL = r kR kR = vs r kR kR
rx 1 Rte ic C L r
Rs + RE x 1 Rte ic C L
+ + + +
gm gm

(d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo RE 1
Av = = r kR kR
vs r
Rs + RE x 1 Rte ic C L
+ +
gm

(e) Solve for rout .

rout = ric kRC

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 (f) Solve for rie and rin .
i0e 1+
0 ve = ib (rx + r ) = (rx + r ) = i0e = ve
1+ rx + r
ve rx + r
rie = 0
=
ie 1+
rin = rie kRE

Example 3 For Example 1, use the -model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin , and rout .

Av = 0.9825 8.978 103 3.539 103 = 30.97
rin = 12 rout = 4.259 k

T Model Solution
(a) After making the Thvenin equivalent circuits looking out of the base and emitter, replace the
BJT with the T model as shown in Fig.??.

Figure 8: T model circuit.

(b) Solve for i0c and ric .

i0c i0 vte
0 vte = ib rx + i0e (re + Rte ) = rx + c (re + Rte ) = i0c =
rx re + Rte
+

r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 Rte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo .
vte RE 1
vo = i0c ric kRC kRL = r kR kR = vs ric kRC kRL
rx re + Rte ic C L r
Rs + RE x re + Rte
+ +

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 (d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo RE 1
Av = = ric kRC kRL
vs r
Rs + RE x re + Rte
+

(e) Solve for rie and rin .

i0e rx ve
0 ve = ib rx + i0e re = rx + i0e re = i0e + re = i0e = rx
1+ 1+ + re
1+
ve rx
rie = = + re
i0e 1+
rin = RE krie
(f) Solve for rout .
rout = ric kRC

Example 4 For Example 1, use the T-model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin , and rout .

Av = 0.9825 8.978 103 3.539 103 = 30.97
rin = 12 rout = 4.259 k