Experiment 3

Common Base Amplifier and Emitter Follower

Amplifier
Aim: To observe the frequency response of Common Base Amplifier and
Emitter Follower Amplifier using LT-Spice Simulator
Components Required:
Component Specification Quantity
Transistors BC547C 1 No’s
Resistors 470K 1 No’s
100K 1 No’s
10K 2 No’s
470 Ω 1 No’s
Capacitors 1uF 1 No’s
0.1uF 1 No’s

Theory:
Common Base Amplifier:

The Common Base Amplifier is another type of bipolar junction transistor, (BJT)
configuration where the base terminal of the transistor is a common terminal to
both the input and output signals, hence its name common base (CB). The
common base configuration is less common as an amplifier than compared to the
more popular common emitter, (CE) or common collector, (CC) configurations
but is still used due to its unique input/output characteristics.

For the common base configuration to operate as an amplifier, the input signal is
applied to the emitter terminal and the output is taken from the collector terminal.
Thus the emitter current is also the input current, and the collector current is also
the output current, but as the transistor is a three layer, two pn-junction device, it
must be correctly biased for it to work as a common base amplifier. That is the
base-emitter junction is forward-biased.
Emitter Follower Amplifier:

The Common Collector Amplifier is another type of bipolar junction transistor,

(BJT) configuration where the input signal is applied to the base terminal and the
output signal taken from the emitter terminal. Thus the collector terminal is
common to both the input and output circuits. This type of configuration is called
Common Collector, (CC) because the collector terminal is effectively “grounded”
or “earthed” through the power supply.

In many ways the common collector (CC) configuration is the opposite of the
common emitter (CE) configuration, as the connected load resistor is moved from
the usual collector terminal, labelled RC, to the emitter terminal where its is
labelled RE.

The common collector or grounded collector configuration is generally used

where a high impedance input source needs to be connected to a low impedance
output load requiring a high current gain.

Circuit Diagram:
Common Base Amplifier:
Emitter Follower Amplifier:

Procedure:
1. Apply input by using function generator to the circuit.
2. Observe the output waveform by AC transient analysis
3. Measure the voltage at
a. Output of first stage
b. Output of second stage.
4. From the readings calculate voltage gain of first stage, second stage and
overall gain of two stages through the waveform.
5. Compare it with voltage gain obtained when second stage was connected.
6. Note down various values of gain for different frequencies.
Frequency Response:
Common Base Amplifier:

Emitter Follower Amplifier:

Precautions:
1. All connections should be tight.
2. Transistor terminals and transistor must be identifying properly.
3. Values of other components must be specified accurately.

Result:
Frequency response is of Common Base Amplifier and Emitter Follower
Amplifier is observed.