c Copyright 2009. W. Marshall Leach, Jr.

, Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of

°
Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The Common-Emitter Amplifier

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

Figure 1: Single-stage common-emitter amplifier.

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

V + R2 + V − R1
VBB = RBB = R1 kR2 VEE = V − REE = RE
R1 + R2
(b) Make an “educated guess” for VBE . Write the loop equation between the VBB and the VEE
nodes.
IC IC
VBB − VEE = IB RBB + VBE + IE REE = RBB + VBE + REE
β α
(c) Solve the loop equation for the currents.

VBB − VEE − VBE

IC = αIE = βIB =
RBB /β + REE /α

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

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

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Figure 2: Bias circuit.

Figure 3: Signal circuit.

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

IC VT VT VA + VCE
gm = rπ = re = r0 =
VT IB IE IC
(c) Replace the circuits looking out of the base and emitter with Thévenin equivalent circuits
as shown in Fig. 4.

R1 kR2
vtb = vs Rtb = R1 kR2 vte = 0 Rte = RE kR3
Rs + R1 kR2

Figure 4: Signal circuit with Thévenin base circuit.

Exact Solution
This solution is based on the exact equivalent circuits developed in the more advanced notes on
the BJT. It treats r0 as a resistor from collector to emitter without the r0 approximations.
(a) Replace the BJT in Fig. 4 with the Thévenin base circuit and the Norton collector circuit
as shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 5: Base and collector equivalent circuits.

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 (b) Solve for ic(sc) .
R1 kR2
ic(sc) = Gmb vtb = Gmb vs
Rs + R1 kR2
α r0 − Rte /β Rtb + rx
Gmb = re0 = + re
re0 + Rte kr0 r0 + Rte 1+β
(c) Solve for vo .

R1 kR2
vo = −ic(sc) ric kRC kRL = −Gmb vs ric kRC kRL
Rs + R1 kR2
r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )
(d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo R1 kR2
Av = = −Gmb ric kRC kRL
vs Rs + R1 kR2

(e) Solve for rin .

(1 + β) r0 + Rtc
rin = R1 kR2 krib rib = rx + rπ + Rte
r0 + Rte + Rtc
(f) Solve for rout .
rout = ric kRC
(g) Special Case for Rte = 0.
α
Gmb = ric = r0 rib = rx + rπ
re0
(h) Special Case for r0 = ∞.
α
Gmb = ric = ∞ rib = rx + rπ + (1 + β) Rte
re0 + Rte

Example 1 For the CE amplifier of Fig. 1, it is given that Rs = 5 kΩ, R1 = 120 kΩ, R2 = 100 kΩ,
RC = 4.3 kΩ, RE = 5.6 kΩ, R3 = 100 Ω, RL = 20 kΩ, V + = 15 V, V − = −15 V, VBE = 0.65 V,
β = 99, α = 0.99, rx = 20 Ω, VA = 100 V and VT = 0.025 V. Solve for the gain Av = vo /vs , the
input resistance rin , and the output resistance rout . The capacitors can be assumed to be ac short
circuits at the operating frequency.

Solution. For the dc bias solution, replace all capacitors with open circuits. The Thévenin
voltage and resistance seen looking out of the base are

V + R2 + V − R1
VBB = = −1.364 V RBB = R1 kR2 = 54.55 kΩ
R1 + R2

The Thévenin voltage and resistance seen looking out of the emitter are VEE = V − and REE = RE .
The bias equation for IE is
VBB − VEE − VBE
IE = = 2.113 mA
RBB / (1 + β) + REE

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To test for the active mode, we calculate the collector-base voltage
µ ¶
¡ + ¢ IE
VCB = VC − VB = V − αIE RC − VBB − RBB = 8.521 V
1+β

Because this is positive, the BJT is biased in its active mode.

For the small-signal ac analysis, we need r0 and re . To calculate r0 , we first calculate the
collector-emitter voltage
VCE = VCB + VBE = 9.171 V
It follows that r0 and re have the values
VA + VCE VT
r0 = = 52.18 kΩ re = = 11.83 Ω
αIE IE

For the small-signal analysis, V + and V − are zeroed and the three capacitors are replaced with
ac short circuits. The Thévenin voltage and resistance seen looking out of the base are given by

R1 kR2
vtb = vs = 0.916vs Rtb = Rs kR1 kR2 = 4.58 kΩ
Rs + R1 kR2

The Thévenin resistances seen looking out of the emitter and the collector are

Rte = RE kR3 = 98.25 Ω Rtc = RC kRL = 3.539 kΩ

Next, we calculate re0 , Gmb , ric , and rib .

Rtb + rx
re0 = + re = 57.83 Ω
1+β

α r0 − Rte /β 1
Gmb = = S
re0 + Rte kr0 r0 + Rte 157.8
r0 + re0 kRte
ric = = 138.6 kΩ
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )
(1 + β) r0 + Rtc
rib = rx + (1 + β) re + Rte = 10.39 kΩ
r0 + Rte + Rtc
The output voltage is given by

vo = −Gmb × (ric kRtc ) vtb = −Gmb × (ric kRtc ) × 0.916vs = −20.04vs

Thus the voltage gain is

Av = −20.04
The input and output resistances are given by

rin = R1 kR2 krib = 8.73 kΩ rout = ric kRC = 3.539 kΩ

Approximate Solutions
These solutions use the r0 approximations. That is, it is assumed that r0 = ∞ except in calculating
ric . In this case, ic(sc) = i0c = αi0e = βib .

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 Figure 6: Simplified T model circuit.

Simplified T Model Solution

(a) After making the Thévenin 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 i0e .
vtb R1 kR2 1
i0e = 0 = vs 0
re + Rte Rs + R1 kR2 re + Rte
(b) Solve for i0c and ric .

R1 kR2 α
i0c = αi0e = vs 0
Rs + R1 kR2 re + Rte
r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo and Av = vo /vs .
R1 kR2 α
vo = −ic(sc) ric kRC kRL = vs 0
× −ric kRC kRL
Rs + R1 kR2 re + Rte
vo R1 kR2 α
Av = = × −ric kRC kRL
vs Rs + R1 kR2 re0 + Rte
Note that this is of the form
vo vtb i0 i0 vo
Av = = × e × 0c × 0
vs vs vtb ie ic
(d) Solve for rout .
rout = ric kRC
(d) Solve for rib and rin . Because the base node is absorbed, use the formula for rib .
rib = rx + (1 + β) (re + Rte ) rin = R1 kR2 krib
Example 2 Use the simplified T-model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin , and rout for
Example 1.

¡ ¢ ¡ ¢
Av = 0.916 × 6.343 × 10−3 × −3.451 × 103 = −20.05
rib = 1.103 kΩ rin = 9.173 kΩ
ric = 138.6 kΩ rout = 4.171 kΩ

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

Figure 7: Hybrid π model circuit.

(b) Solve for i0c and ric .

i0c i0 i0 vtb
vtb = ib (Rtb + rx ) + vπ + i0e Rte = (Rtb + rx ) + c + c Rte =⇒ i0c =
β gm α Rtb + rx 1 Rte
+ +
β gm α

r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo .
vtb
vo = i0c RC kRL = × −ric kRC kRL
Rtb + rx 1 Rte
+ +
β gm α
R1 kR2 1
= vs × −ric kRC kRL
Rs + R1 kR2 Rtb + rx 1 Rte
+ +
β gm α
(d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo R1 kR2 1
Av = = × −ric kRC kRL
vs Rs + R1 kR2 Rtb + rx 1 Rte
+ +
β gm α
This is of the form
vo vtb i0 vo
Av = = × c × 0
vs vs vtb ic
(e) Solve for rib and rin .

vb = ib (rx + rπ ) + i0e Rte = ib (rx + rπ ) + (1 + β) ib Rte = ib [rx + rπ + (1 + β) Rte ]

vb
rib = = rx + rπ + (1 + β) Rte
ib

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 rin = R1 kR2 krib
(f) Solve for rout .
rout = ric kRC

Example 3 Use the π-model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin , and rout for Example 1.

gm = 0.0837 rπ = 1.183 kΩ
¡ ¢ ¡ ¢
Av = 0.916 × 6.343 × 10−3 × −3.451 × 103 = −20.05 = −20.05
rib = 11.03 kΩ rin = 9.173 kΩ
ric = 138.6 kΩ rout = 4.171 kΩ

T Model Solution
(a) After making the Thévenin equivalent circuits looking out of the base and emitter, replace the
BJT with the T model as shown in Fig. 8.

Figure 8: T model circuit.

(b) Solve for i0c and ric .

i0c i0 vtb
vtb = ib (Rtb + rx ) + i0e (re + Rte ) = (Rtb + rx ) + c (re + Rte ) =⇒ i0c =
β α Rtb + rx re + Rte
+
β α

r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo .
vtb
vo = −i0c RC kRL = × −ric kRC kRL
Rtb + rx re + Rte
+
β α
R1 kR2 1
= vs × −ric kRC kRL
Rs + R1 kR2 Rtb + rx re + Rte
+
β α

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 (d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo R1 kR2 1
Av = = × −ric kRC kRL
vs Rs + R1 kR2 Rtb + rx re + Rte
+
β α
Note that this is of the form
vo vtb i0 vo
Av = = × c × 0
vs vs vtb ic
(e) Solve for rib and rin .

vb = ib rx + i0e (re + Rte ) = ib rx + (1 + β) ib (re + Rte ) = ib [rx + (1 + β) (re + Rte )]

vb
rib = = rx + (1 + β) (re + Rte )
ib

rin = R1 kR2 krib

(f) Solve for rout .
rout = ric kRC

Example 4 Use the T-model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin , and rout for Example 1.
¡ ¢ ¡ ¢
Av = 0.916 × 6.343 × 10−3 × −3.451 × 103 = −20.05 = −20.05

rib = 11.03 kΩ rin = 9.173 kΩ

ric = 138.6 kΩ rout = 4.171 kΩ