Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and

Technology

ES – 231L
Electronics I Open ended Lab
Report

Reg # No. Name

2018391 REHMAT ALI

Submitted to: Engr. Shah Fahad

Submitted on: 6th JULY, 2020

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 Problem
The Schmitt Trigger is a logic input type that provides two different threshold voltage levels for
rising and falling edge. This is useful because it can avoid the errors when we have noisy input
signals from which we want to get square wave signals.

Design a Schmitt Trigger using transistors having the following specifications and simulate it
using Proteus:
1) Choose two reference (Threshold) voltages i.e. Upper Threshold Voltage and Lower Threshold Voltage.
2) When input voltage is greater than Upper Threshold Voltage, the output will be logic HIGH and when input
voltage is lower than Lower Threshold Voltage, the output will be logic LOW.

Introduction
In electronics, a Schmitt trigger is a comparator circuit with hysteresis implemented by
applying positive feedback to the noninverting input of a comparator or differential amplifier. It
is an active current which converts an analog input signal to a digital output signal. The circuit is
named a "trigger" because the output retains its value until the input changes sufficiently to
trigger a change. In the non-inverting configuration, when the input is higher than a chosen
threshold, the output is high. When the input is below a different (lower) chosen threshold the
output is low, and when the input is between the two levels the output retains its value. This
dual threshold action is called hysteresis and implies that the Schmitt trigger
possesses memory and can act as a bistable multivibrator (latch or flip-flop). There is a close
relation between the two kinds of circuits:

Application :-
Schmitt trigger can be converted into a latch and a latch can be converted into a Schmitt trigger.
Schmitt trigger devices are typically used in signal conditioning applications to remove noise
from signals used in digital circuits, particularly mechanical contact bonus in switches. They are
also used in closed loop negative feedback configurations to implement relaxation oscillator
used in function generators and switching power supplying.

Working:-
The Schmitt Trigger is a logic input type that provides hysteresis or two different threshold
voltage levels for rising and falling edge. This is useful because it can avoid the errors when we
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have noisy input signals from which we want to get square wave signals. The Transistor Schmitt
Triger circuit contains two transistors and six resistors. For better explanation I will assign
values to the components, and later I will make demonstration and build this circuit on a
Proteus software to see how it really works. The circuit shown in the figure 1.1 is a Schmitt
trigger.

Figure 1.1

Let’s suppose that the Vin input is 0 V. That means that transistor Q1 is cut off and not
conducting. On the other hand the Transistor Q2 is conducting because we have a voltage of
about 1.98 V at the B node as we can consider this part of the circuit as a voltage divider and
calculate the voltage using this expressions which is shown in the figure 1.2.

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 Figure 1.2

First we calculate the value of voltage then we compare with simulation value of the circuit.

220+800 1020
𝑉𝑎 = (5) = (5) = 2.52 𝑉
220+800+1000 2020

800 800
𝑉𝑏 = (5) = (5) = 1.98 𝑉
220+800+1000 2020

So Transistor Q2 is conducting the output voltage will be low and the voltage at the emitter will
be about 0.7 V lower than the voltage at the base of the transistor, or that’s about 1.28 V. The
emitter of the transistor Q1 is connected with the emitter of the transistor Q2 so they are at the
same voltage level of 1.28 V which means that the transistor Q1 will turn on when the voltage
Vin at its base will be 0.7 V above this value of 1.28 V, or about 1.98 V.

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So as we increase the Vin input and we cross this value of 1.98 the transistor Q1 will start
conducting. This will cause the voltage at the base of the transistor Q2 to drop and will cut the
transistor off. As the transistor Q2 is no longer conducting the output voltage will go high.

Figure 1.3

Next, the voltage Vin at the base of the transistor Q1 will start declining and it will turn the
transistor off when the base voltage will be 0.7 V above the voltage of its emitter. This will
happen as the current in the emitter will decline to a point where the transistor will get into
forward-active mode. In this mode the collector voltage will increase, which will also increase
the voltage at the base of the transistor Q2. This will cause small amount of current to flow
through the transistor Q2 which will further drop the voltage at the emitters and will cause the

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transistor Q1 to turn off. In our case the Vin input needs to drop to about 1.3 V to turn off the
transistor Q1.

That’s it. Now the cycle repeats over and over again. So we got two thresholds, the high
threshold at about 1.9 V and the low threshold at about 1.3 V. The waveform as shown in the
figure 1.4.

Figure 1.4

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 Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Score

7.5 5 2.5 0
Design Design Design Design Design
Objectives objectives have objectives have objectives Objectives

been achieved been achieved have been are not met

within 100% of within 75% of achieved
the desired the desired within 50% of
specifications specifications the desired
specifications

Evaluation All the Most of the Some of the Most of the

questions are questions are questions are questions
answered answered answered are not
correctly correctly correctly answered
correctly

Total Score /15

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