NAME: Muhammad Usama

REG: 796-FET\BSME\F18

Assignment Week 11

COURSE TITLE: ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING (EE-201)

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY,

ISLAMABAD

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

Application of BJT and Phototransistor As a Switch
Introduction:
As we see in previous study, we can use two regions only. Now, we will see how a transistor
works in these regions.

Cut off region is also known as fully OFF mode. In this mode, it acts as an open switch. To
operate the device in cut off mode, we should connect reverse biasing voltage to both junctions.
Therefore, in this operating condition, the current cannot flow between the collector and emitter
terminal due to open circuit between these terminals.

In the saturation region, the transistor remains in full-on mode. The maximum current can flow
through the collector to emitter according to the rating capacity of the transistor. We provide
forward biased voltage between base and emitter terminal. It works like a short-circuit between
collector and emitter. The biasing voltage is usually greater than 0.7 volt.
BJT as a switch:

1. Lamp Switch ON-OFF

A BJT can be used to switch the light on and off. A square wave is applied at the base of
transistor. When the square wave is at lower level lets say 0V. The transistor is in cutoff mode.
When the square wave is at higher level it forward biases the base-emitter junction and hence the
transistor goes into saturation.

2. Fire Alarm System:

Transistors can be used in fire alarm systems. A thermistor is connected at the base of the
transistor. The resistance of thermistor decreases with increase in temperature. So when there is a
fire in the surroundings the temperature increases which results in decrease of thermistor
resistance. So enough current flows from Vbb to the base of the transistor which forward biases
the base-emitter junction. Hence transistor goes into saturation and the buzzer starts.
3. Automatic Street Light:
Automatic street light is another application of BJT. A light dependent resistor (LDR) is used.
The resistance of LDR is very high. During a day time when LDR has very low resistance.
Almost all voltage drops across LDR. In this case potential at base of NPN transistor is almost
equal to emitter i.e. 0. So BJT will be off.

During Night time When LDR resistance increases, potential drop across LDR is almost zero. So
voltage at the base is equal to +V1. The transistor will be ON and hence lamp starts glowing.

4. Digital logic switches:

This PN junction based device has many applications such as high current load interfacing, relay
interfacing, and motors interfacing through microcontrollers. But in all these applications, the
basic purpose is switching.
This diagram provides an example to control high power loads such as motors, lamps, and
heater.
 In this circuit, we want to control 12 volts load from a digital logic AND gate. But the output
of the AND gate is only 5 volts
 By using a transistor as a switch, we can drive 12v or even high voltage loads with a 5-volt
digital logic signal
 We can also use these devices for faster switching and pulse width modulation control unlike
traditional mechanical switches
5. Motor Controlling:
In this example, we use dc motor control through a switch. A semiconductor device acts as a
switch. In this diagram, we can provide a control signal with any microcontroller such as
Arduino, STM32F4 development boards.
A resistor with a base terminal is a current limiting resistor. Because GPIO pins of any
microcontroller can provide base driving current less than 20mA. Furthermore, D1 is a
freewheeling diode that controls back emf from the motor. It bypasses the back emf effect. We
can use any transistor according to power rating of the motor.
In conclusion, if a control signal at the base input is 0 volts. It will provide an ON signal.
Because we use a PNP switch in this example circuit. Similarly, it will remain off; its control
signal is logic HIGH.
6. Heat-Operated Switch
One important component in the circuit of a heat-operated switch is the thermistor. The
thermistor is a type of resistor that responds depending upon the surrounding temperature. Its
resistance increases when the temperature is low and vice versa. When heat is applied to the
thermistor, its resistance drops and the base current increases followed by a greater increase in
the collector current and the siren will blow. This particular circuit is suitable as a fire alarm
system.

7. Light-Operated Switch:
The circuit is designed by using a transistor as a switch, to light the bulb in a bright environment
and to turn it off in the dark and a Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR) in the potential divider.
When the environment dark LDR’s resistance become high. Then the transistor is switched OFF.
When the LDR is exposed to the bright light, its resistance falls to less value resulting in more
supply voltage and raising the base current of the transistor. Now the transistor is switched ON,
the collector current flows and bulb lights up.
Phototransistor As a Switch:
1) Optical Switch
An object is detected when it enters the gap of the optical switch and blocks the light path
between the emitter and detector.

2) Retro Sensor
The retrosensor detects the presence of an object by generating light and then looking for its
reflectance off of the object to be sensed.
3) Optical Crankshaft Position Sensor:
In a sufficiently clean environment, a shaft position can also be sensed using optical
techniques. Figure 6.17 illustrates such a system. Again, as with the magnetic system, a disk is
directly coupled to the crankshaft. This time the disk has holes in it that correspond to the
number of tabs on the disks of the magnetic systems. Mounted on each side of the disk are fiber-
optic light pipes. The hole in the disk allows transmission of light through the light pipes from
the light-emitting diode (LED) source to the phototransistor used as a light sensor. Light would
not be transmitted from source to sensor when there is no hole because the solid disk blocks the
light. On the other hand, whenever a disk hole is aligned with one of the fiber-optic light pipes,
light from the LED passes through the disk to the phototransistor.
4) Entry Alarm Circuit:
This is an Infrared based Broken beam alarm to protect doors and entry passages. It gives a loud
alarm when somebody crosses the Invisible Infrared barrier. It can protect the doors both day and
night and is free from false triggering. The circuit is too simple and can be a good evening
project for the hobbyists.

The circuit uses Infrared diodes to emit continuous IR rays which are not pulsed as in the case of
remote handsets. The NPN Darlington Photo transistor is used as a light sensor. L14F1 is the
ultra sensitive Darlington photo transistor with high gain. Its collector is connected to the
positive rail through VR1 and the Emitter has a Green LED to indicate standby mode. The base
of T1 is left free without connecting anywhere. This base junction is exposed through the
window of T1 so that light photons will bias the base.
The degree of biasing depends on the intensity of photons.T2 is the alarm driver and its base is
connected to the collector of T1.So that the base bias of T2 depends on the conduction of T1.
When the Infrared rays illuminate the photo transistor, it conducts pulling the base of T1 to
ground level so that it remains off. Red LED and Buzzer connected to the emitter of T2 remains
off in this condition. When a person crosses the IR beam, T1 turns off and its collector voltage
becomes high. T2 then conducts and activates Red LED and buzzer.