Electrical Sciences

Dr. Sudeep Baudha

Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department
BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus
 BJT amplifiers
• The amplitude of a signal, if too small, is
enlarged or amplified to utilize their
information content.
• The circuit used to increase the amplitude of a
signal is called Amplifier.
• Small signal amplifier
• Large signal amplifier (or Power amplifier)
 BJT amplifiers
• In active region, transistor exhibits amplification
property
• In cut-off and saturation
region, transistor is used
in digital logic circuits.
 BJT amplifiers
• Load line equation
𝑉𝐶𝐶 −𝑉𝐶𝐸 1 𝑉𝐶𝐶
𝑖𝑐 = =− 𝑉𝐶𝐸 +
𝑅𝐶 𝑅𝐶 𝑅𝐶
If transistor is biased in active region
For iB = 40μA, VCE = 6V, => iC = 4mA

If AC component is added in iB
iB = iBQ+ib = 40μ + 10μ.sinωt
iC = iCQ + ic = 4m + 1m.sinωt
VCE = VCEQ + vce = 6-2.sinωt
Δ𝑖 𝑖
AC current gain ℎ𝑓𝑒 = 𝐶 = 𝑐 = 100 (here)
Δ𝑖𝐵 𝑖𝑏
𝐼𝐶𝑄
DC current gain ℎ𝐹𝐸 = = 100
𝐼𝐵𝑄
In this case hfe = hFE, but they need not be equal always.
 BJT amplifiers
• If Q-point is located too close to cutoff or
saturation region, the ac-component of iB can
drive the BJT into cutoff or saturation.
• Even if Q-point is located centrally and ac
amplitude is too large, then BJT may also go
into cutoff or saturation.
 BJT Biasing
• Fix biasing:
𝑉𝐶𝐶 −𝑉𝐵𝐸
𝑖𝐵 =
𝑅𝐵
Since VBE = 0.7 V, and if VCC and
RB is fixed, then iB is also fixed.
Thererfore, it is called fix bias circuit.
 BJT Biasing
• Voltage divider bias: Thevnin equivalent of voltage
divider bias is just another form of fix bias. Where,
• RB = R1R2 / (R1+R2)
• VBB = R2VCC / (R1+R2)
• In active region, iC = hfeiB
• VCE = -iCRC+VCC
= -hfe iB RC + VCC
𝑉𝐶𝐶 −𝑉𝐶𝐸
• 𝑖𝐵 =
ℎ𝑓𝑒 𝑅𝐶
 BJT Biasing: Voltage divider bias
• For two transistors hfe can be different
• hfe can also change with temperature for same
transistor
• For slight temp change, Q-point may shift to
undesired location
• With increase in temperature, IC increases. iC
across CB junction will cause temp rise and this
will further cause ICO to rise and iC rise.
• This cumulative process is called thermal runaway
and can damage the transistor or can cause Q-
point to saturation.
 BJT Biasing
• Self biasing : Emitter resistance RE will keep the
increase in iC , in control.
• RB = R1R2 / (R1+R2) and VBB = R2VCC / (R1+R2)
• Also VBB = iBRB+VBE+iERE
• VBB = iBRB+VBE+RE (iB +iC) = iBRB+VBE+RE (1+hfe)iB
𝑉𝐵𝐵 −𝑉𝐵𝐸
• 𝑖𝐵 =
𝑅𝐵 +(1+ℎ𝑓𝑒 )𝑅𝐸

• Base current is
dependent on hfe
• If ICO or hfe due to
temp. rise, : iC
But, hfe iB iC
 BJT: Small signal AC model
• Given a BJT in active region, how AC
signal/component can be added to existing
operating (DC) conditions?
• Coupling capacitor
– blocks DC (Q-point not affected)
– It short circuits the AC component
• Superposition can be used for analysis
– When Vs=0, VCC ≠ 0 (DC case), Capacitor =open
– When Vs ≠ 0, VCC = 0, Capacitor = short circuited (AC
equivalent)

AC equivalent of the above circuit

 BJT: Small signal AC model

• To replace transistor in AC circuit analysis, AC

model is required.
• Assumption: The amplitude of AC signal should
be small, such that BJT remain in active region
• Sinusoidal ib will produce distorted sinusoidal ic
signal due to non-linearity of BE junction
• If AC signal is small, non-linear distortions
become insignificant and transistor can be
modeled as linear circuit, which is called “ small
signal (ac) model”
 BJT: Small signal AC model

• rπ = ac base resistance
• ic= hfeib = hfevbe/rπ = gmvbe
• gm= transconcudctance
• hfe = β (current gain)
 BJT: Small signal AC model

• Relation between different models

𝑣𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝜋 𝑟𝜋 1
• 𝑟𝑒 = = ≈ =
𝑖𝑏 +ℎ𝑓𝑒 𝑖𝑏 1+ℎ𝑓𝑒 ℎ𝑓𝑒 𝑔𝑚

• 𝑟𝜋 = ℎ𝑓𝑒 𝑟𝑒
 BJT: Small signal AC model
• For an npn-transistor in active region
𝑉𝐵𝐸 𝑉𝐵𝐸
𝑖𝑐 = 𝐼𝑠 (𝑒 𝑉𝑇 − 1) ≈ 𝐼𝑠 𝑒 𝑉𝑇

1 𝑉𝐵𝐸 𝑖𝐶
𝑉
𝑑𝑖𝑐 = (𝐼𝑠 𝑒 𝑇 )𝑑𝑉𝐵𝐸 = 𝑑𝑉𝐵𝐸
𝑉𝑇 𝑉𝑇
Now gm = diC/dVBE = iC/VT
Hence for BJT biased at iC = ICQ , we have
gm= ICQ /VT = ICQ /0.026
re = 1/gm = 0.026/ ICQ
And rπ = hfere = 0.026 hfe/ICQ
• Small signal model can be used for npn or pnp BJT
by using |ICQ| in place of ICQ
 Example 9.2
• AC analysis of Common-Emitter amplifier

Rp = R1||R2 = R1R2 /(R1+R2)

Rb=vb/ib (Resistance between base and reference)
Vb= base voltage with respect to reference
Example 9.2
 Additional Amplifier Principles
• CE amplifier circuit is externally loaded (RL) and RL is
capacitively coupled.
• There is also a bypass capacitor CE to bypass the ac
component from RE
• DC load line:
• 𝑉𝐶𝐶 = 𝑖𝐶 𝑅𝐶 +𝑣𝐶𝐸 +𝑅𝐸 (𝑖𝐵 +𝑖𝐶 )
• 𝑉𝐶𝐶 ≈ 𝑖𝐶 𝑅𝐶 +𝑣𝐶𝐸 +𝑅𝐸 (𝑖𝐶 ) (𝑖𝐸 ≈ 𝑖𝐶 )
−1 𝑉𝐶𝐶
• 𝑖𝐶 = 𝑣 + (DC load line Eqn)
𝑅𝐶 +𝑅𝐸 𝐶𝐸 𝑅𝐶 +𝑅𝐸
• AC equivalent circuit : C1, C2 and CE behave as
short circuit
• RP = R1 || R2 and RT = RC || RL
• In this case transistor operates on other line with
slope -1/RT (called AC load line) , but passes
through same Q-point
• For AC load line equation
𝑣𝐶𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄 + 𝑣𝑐𝑒 = 𝑣𝐶𝐸𝑄 − 𝑖𝐶 𝑅𝑇
Amplifier circuit incorporating small signal model : Using some results from Example 9.2,
Rin = Rp || Rb , where Rb = (1+hfe) re ≈ ℎ𝑓𝑒 𝑟𝑒
ℎ𝑓𝑒 𝑅𝑇 𝑅𝑇
and voltage gain 𝐴𝑣 = − ≈
1+ℎ𝑓𝑒 𝑅𝑇 𝑟𝑒
• Another important parameter is output (thevenin
equivalent) resistance (RO)
• Short the source vs and apply external source vO to find
RO = vO/iO
• R=RS||Rp