Experiment 3(A)

To Study Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) Emitter Bias configuration

and its stability
Objective

To study and implement Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) emitter bias configuration and its
stability
Equipment:

• NPN Transistor (2N3904, C828)

• Resistors (3.3 kΩ, 1.2 MΩ)
• Power Supply (0- 30V)
• DMM

Theory:

In practical circuits, different circuit elements are used, the resistors being the simplest to use
are more often implied to control the bias. Varying the resistor values would vary the
input/output voltage. Such circuit is known as bias circuit. Transistor parameters are not
constant and vary with temperature and bias conditions, implying to the fact that varying
parameter values varies the bias point of a transistor. A simple relation can prove this argument.
Consider the following relation:

IC = β IB

The parameter β increases with rise in temperature. Therefore, according to the above equation
it causes an increase in the collector current IC.

Of the three biasing circuit configurations namely:

• Common Collector Bias Circuit

• Common Base Bias Circuit
• Common Emitter Bias Circuit

The common emitter bias circuit has the most affected DC bias due to the changing parameters.
It is desirable to make the DC bias as independent as possible of the parameters that affect it
the most. But due to the fact that the Common Emitter circuit obeys the following relations:

IC = β IB

IB= (VCC – VBB)/ RB

Dependent on the value of β, the circuit shows poor performance.

Emitter Bias Design & Stabilization

The common emitter bias design can be made such that it is less sensitive to parameter changes,
especially changes in the value of β. A circuit designed so has the added advantage that
transistors having a wide range of β values can be used. Furthermore, bias circuits that are
relatively unaffected by changes in β alsotend to be independent of changes in temperature.
The present experiment deals with the same fact of biasstability of a common emitter circuit
shown below:

Figure 1

Formulas

We can write loop equations using Figure 1. The input loop equation for the current is given
as:

-VBB + IBRB + VBE + IE RE = 0

Since,

IE = IC + IB

-VBB + IBRB + VBE + (IC + IB) RE = 0

Since, IC = β IB

IB = VBB- VBE / (RB + (β+1) RE) ………Eq.1

The output loop equation gives the following relation:

-VCC + ICRC + VCE + (IB + IC) RE =0

VCC = ICRC + VCE + IB (β + 1) RE= 0

Since, IE = IC + IB

Therefore,

VCE = VCC - ICRC - IERE……………….Eq. 2

 Procedure:

1. Find the value of β using DMM for transistors 2N3904 and C828.
2. Use the following assumptions:
3. VCC = 20 V, VCE = ½ VCC = 10 V, VBB = 10V, RC = 3.3KΩ, VE = 2V
4. Calculate the values of RB, RE, IB, IC and IE using loop equations derived above for
transistor 2N3904 and record them in table 1.
5. Connect the circuit using transistor 2N3904 as shown in figure 1 and measure the values
of VCE, IC, IB, and IE using DMM. Record these values in table 2.
6. Remove the transistor 2N3904 and replace it with C828 transistor in the circuit.
Measure the values of VCE, IC, IB, and IE using DMM. Record these values in table 3.
7. Plot the load line graph of VCE versus IC for tables 2 and 3 for transistors 2N3904 and
C828 respectively. For emitter bias configuration,
IC (SAT) = VCC/ (RC + RE)
VCE SAT = VCC
8. Calculate the stability factor S=∆IC / ∆β for configuration from the plotted graphs and
compare your results.

Observations:

Common Emitter Configuration

Β VCC VBB VCE VBE RB RC RE IC IB IE

(V) (V) (V) (V) (mA) (mA) (mA)

- 20V 10V 10V 5V 430KΩ 2KΩ 1KΩ 3.39mA 0.01mA 420.2mA

Table 1: Calculated Values

For Transistor (2N3904):

Β VCC VBB VCE VBE RB RC RE IC IB IE

(V) (V) (V) (V) (mA) (mA) (mA)

360 20V 10V 10V 5V 430KΩ 2KΩ 1KΩ 433.821nA 953.701nA 424.549nA

Table 2: Measured Values

 For Transistor (C828):

β VCC VBB VCE VBE RB RC RE IC IB IE

(V) (V) (V) (V) (mA) (mA) (mA)

172 20V 10V 10V 5V 430KΩ 2KΩ 1KΩ 14.3mA 0.04mA 14.34mA

Table 3: Measured Values

Graph:

Plot load line graph of VCE vs IC

Post Lab Task

1. Perform the Multisim/ Proteus implementation of the experiment.

2. Briefly explain why emitter biased circuit has more stability than fixed biased
circuit.

An emitter-biased circuit is more stable than a fixed-biased circuit because the biasing voltage
at the emitter is typically larger than the biasing voltage at the base. This means that the emitter
current is less sensitive to variations in the transistor's characteristics, such as changes in
temperature or variations in the transistor's parameters due to manufacturing differences.

In a fixed-biased circuit, the base voltage is used to set the operating point of the transistor.
However, variations in the transistor's parameters can cause the base voltage to change, which
can shift the operating point and affect the circuit's performance. This makes fixed-biased
circuits less stable than emitter-biased circuits.

3. For better stability the value of stability factor should be more or less? Comment.
For an emitter-biased circuit, a higher stability factor is generally preferred for better stability.
This is because a higher stability factor indicates that the circuit has a lower output impedance,
which means that it is less sensitive to changes in the load impedance or variations in the
transistor's parameters.

4. Collector current of BJT is sensitive to which factors when temperature is

increased?

The collector current of a BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor) can be affected by several factors
when the temperature is increased. Some of the key factors that can impact the collector current
of a BJT at higher temperatures are:

• Temperature coefficient of Vbe: The base-emitter voltage (Vbe) is a critical parameter

in determining the collector current of a BJT. At higher temperatures, the Vbe can
decrease, which leads to a decrease in the collector current.
• Carrier lifetime: The lifetime of carriers in the base region can decrease at higher
temperatures, which can cause a decrease in the collector current.
• Diffusion coefficient: The diffusion coefficient of carriers can decrease at higher
temperatures, leading to a decrease in the collector current.
• Mobility: The mobility of carriers can decrease at higher temperatures, which can cause
a decrease in the collector current.
• Saturation current: The saturation current of the transistor can increase with
temperature, which can cause an increase in the collector current.

Conclusion:

It is clearly analyzed that current in fixed bias circuit is about 10% increase than collector
feedback circuit. From the comparison, it is clearly shown that emitter bias circuit and fixed
bias circuit are totally different. The values of Ib, Ic and Ie are very different.
 Experiment 3(B)

To Study Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) Collector Feedback Biasing

Circuit and its stability
Objective

To study and implement Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) Collector Feedback Biasing Circuit
and its stability
Equipment:

• NPN Transistor (2N3904, C828)

• Resistors (1kΩ, 3.3 kΩ, 1.2 MΩ)
• Power Supply (0- 30V)
• DMM

Theory:

When a resistor RB is connected between the collector and the base of the transistor, then from
AC signal point of view (to be discussed later) a portion of the input signal is feedback to the
input side. This arrangement is called collector feedback configuration as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1

DC voltages and currents are determined from input and output equations which are found by
using Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL) for input side and output side of figure 1.

Formulas:

-VCC + (IC + IB) RC + IBRB + VBE + IERE = 0 ………..Eq 1

RB = (VCC - IERC – VBE – VE)/ IB……………………Eq 2

IB = (VCC – VBE)/ (RB + (1 + β) (RC + RE))…………Eq 3

Once IB is found, the values of IC and IE are found using IC = βIB and IE = (1 + β) IB
 From figure 1 the equation for output is given by:

-VCC + (IC + IB) RC + VCE + IERE = 0

VCE = VCC – (IC + IB) RC – I=RE……………………Eq 4

Procedure:

1. Find β from DMM for transistors 2N3904 and C828.

2. Use the following assumptions:
VCC = 20 V, VCE = ½ VCC = 10 V, VBB = 10V, RC = 3.3KΩ, VE = 2V
3. Calculate the values of RB, RE, IB, IC and IE using loop equations derived above for
transistor 2N3904 and record them in table 1.
4. Connect the circuit using transistor 2N3904 as shown in figure 1 and measure the values
of VCE, IC, IB, and IE using DMM. Record these values in table 2.
5. Remove the transistor 2N3904 and replace it with C828 transistor in the circuit.
Measure the values of VCE, IC, IB, and IE using DMM. Record these values in table 3.
6. Plot the load line graph of VCE versus IC for tables 2 and 3 for transistors 2N3904 and
C828 respectively for collector feedback configuration.
7. Calculate the stability factor S=∆IC / ∆β for both configurations from the plotted graphs
and compare your results.

Observations:

Common Collector Feedback Configuration

β VCC VBB VCE VBE RB RC RE IC IB IE

(V) (V) (V) (V) (mA) (mA) (mA)

- 20V 10V 10V 0.72.81V 3.3KΩ 1.2KΩ 1KΩ 8.33mA 2.81mA 11.15mA

Table 1: Calculated Values

For Transistor (2N3904):

β VCC VBB VCE VBE RB RC RE IC IB IE

(V) (V) (V) (V) (mA) (mA) (mA)

357 20V 10V 10V 0.7V 3.3KΩ 1.2KΩ 1KΩ 8.54mA 2.65mA 11.10mA

Table 2: Measured Values

 For Transistor (C828):

β VCC VBB VCE VBE RB RC RE IC IB IE

(V) (V) (V) (V) (mA) (mA) (mA)

170 20 10 10 0.7 3.3kΩ 220kΩ 1kΩ 3.46mA 19.76mA 3.476mA

Table 3: Measured Values

Graph:

Plot load line graph of VCE vs IC

Post Lab Task

1. Perform the Multisim/ Proteus implementation of the experiment.

 2. What values of VCE are present when BJT is in cutoff and saturation region?

In a BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor), the voltage values of VCE (voltage between collector
and emitter) depend on the operating region of the transistor.

• Cutoff Region: When the transistor is in the cutoff region, it is effectively an open
circuit, and no current flows through it. In this region, the transistor is fully turned off,
and VCE is at its maximum value, which is equal to the supply voltage VCC (assuming
a common-emitter configuration).
• Saturation Region: When the transistor is in the saturation region, it is fully turned on
and acts like a short circuit between collector and emitter. In this region, the voltage
drop across the collector-emitter junction is very small, typically around 0.2V to 0.3V.
Therefore, VCE is also small, typically a few tens of millivolts.

3. How the values of RC effect the load line?

The load line is defined as a straight line on a voltage-current graph, with a slope equal to -
1/RC. This slope is determined by Ohm's law, which states that the current flowing through a
resistor is directly proportional to the voltage across it and inversely proportional to its
resistance.

Therefore, increasing the value of RC will decrease the slope of the load line, and decreasing
the value of RC will increase the slope of the load line.

4. Distinguish between DC and AC load line.

DC Load Line: A DC load line is used to analyze the performance of a transistor amplifier for
a constant DC input voltage. It represents the possible combinations of collector current (IC)
and collector-emitter voltage (VCE) for a given circuit and load resistance. The DC load line
is a straight line that shows the maximum collector current and voltage that the transistor can
handle without being damaged. The DC load line is a horizontal line drawn on the characteristic
curves of the transistor, and its slope is zero.

AC Load Line: An AC load line is used to analyze the performance of a transistor amplifier
for varying AC input signals. It represents the possible combinations of collector current (IC)
and collector-emitter voltage (VCE) for a given circuit and load resistance, but for an AC input
signal. The AC load line is a straight line that shows the maximum collector current and voltage
that the transistor can handle without being damaged, but for an AC input signal. The AC load
line is drawn on the same characteristic curves of the transistor as the DC load line, but it has
a slope that depends on the load resistance and the signal voltage.

Conclusion:

From this experiment, it is concluded that experimental and theoretical calculations are
approximately same. The value of current Ie and Ic are gradually increasing.
 Experiment 3(C)

To Study Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) Voltage Divider Biasing

Circuit and its stability
Objective

To study and implement Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) Voltage Divider Biasing Circuit
and its stability
Equipment:

• NPN Transistor (2N3904, C828)

• Resistors (1kΩ, 10 kΩ, 4.4 kΩ)
• Power Supply (0- 30V)
• DMM

Theory:

The addition of another resistor R2 as shown in figure 1 from base to ground forms a
combination of R1 and R2 which is known as voltage divider network and the circuit is known
as voltage divider bias configuration.

Figure 1

Formulas:

Vth = R2/ (R1+R2) * VCC

Rth= R1 || R2

By applying Kirchhoff’s laws, two loop equations are written for the input and output side.

Input Equation:
- Vth + IBRth + VBE + IERE = 0

Since, IE = (1 + β) IB

Therefore,

IB = Vth – VBE / [Rth + (1 + β) RE]…..Eq 1

Output Equation:

VCE = VCC – ICRC – IERE…………….Eq 2

Procedure:

1. Find the β of 2N3904 and C828 using DMM.

2. Using figure1 , calculate the values of IC, IB, I1, I2, VB, VC, VE and VCE using loop
equations for2N3904. Record these values in table 1.
3. Repeat the above step for transistor C828. Record the values in table 2.
4. Implement the circuit as shown in figure 1 using 2N3904 and measure the values of
IC, IB, I1, I2, VB, VC, VE and VCE using DMM. Record them in table 1.
5. Repeat the above step for C828 keeping the rest of the parameters same. Record the
measured values intable 2.
6. Plot the load line graph of VCE versus IC using measured values from tables 1 and 2.
7. Calculate the stability factor S=∆IC / ∆β from the plotted graph.

Observations:

For Transistor (2N3904):

β (measured) =

Parameter Calculated value Measured value

IC (mA) 5.56mA 5.55mA
IB (mA) 15.53µA 32.045 µA
I1 (mA) 1.36mA 1.371mA
I2 (mA) 1.36mA 1.372mA
VB (V) 6.33V 6.292V
VC (V) 5.63V 5.583V
VCE (V) 8.75V 8.866V

Table 1
For Transistor (C828):
β (measured) =

Parameter Calculated value Measured value

IC (mA) 5.56mA 5.901mA
IB (mA) 31.75 µA 40.63 µA
I1 (mA) 1.36mA 1.371mA
I2 (mA) 1.36mA 1.37mA
VB (V) 6.288V 6.06V
VC (V) 5.588V 5.583V
VCE (V) 8.852V 8.876V
Table 2

Graph:

Plot load line graph of VCE vs IC

Post Lab Task

1. Perform the Multisim/ Proteus implementation of the experiment.

Conclusion:

From the comparison, it is clearly shown that emitter bias circuit and collector bias circuit are
totally different. The values of Ib, Ic and Ie are very different. Collector feedback Ib=
10.83uA Ic= 3.92mA Ie= 4mA Emitter bias Ib= 33.1uA Ic= 11.9mA Ie= 12.0Ma
 Analysis Report
The stability of the emitter bias configuration depends on the value of the emitter resistor. If
the emitter resistor is too large, the bias current will decrease, causing the transistor to operate
in the saturation region. On the other hand, if the emitter resistor is too small, the bias current
will increase, causing the transistor to operate in the active region.

To analyze the stability of the emitter bias configuration, we can use the small-signal model of
the BJT. The small-signal model consists of two resistors, rπ and ro, and a current source,
gmVbe, where gm is the transconductance of the transistor and Vbe is the voltage across the
base-emitter junction.

In conclusion, the emitter bias configuration is a simple and widely used configuration for BJT
amplifiers. The stability of the circuit depends on the value of the emitter resistor and the
collector resistor. The optimal values of these resistors can be determined by analyzing the
small-signal model of the BJT.

To analyze the stability of the collector feedback biasing circuit, we can use the small-signal
model of the BJT. The small-signal model consists of two resistors, rπ and ro, and a current
source, gmVbe, where gm is the transconductance of the transistor and Vbe is the voltage
across the base-emitter junction.

In conclusion, the collector feedback biasing circuit is a widely used configuration for BJT
amplifiers. The stability of the circuit depends on the value of the feedback resistor and the
other resistors in the circuit. The optimal values of these resistors can be determined by
analyzing the small-signal model of the BJT.

To analyze the stability of the voltage divider biasing circuit, we can use the small-signal model
of the BJT. The small-signal model consists of two resistors, rπ and ro, and a current source,
gmVbe, where gm is the transconductance of the transistor and Vbe is the voltage across the
base-emitter junction.

In conclusion, the voltage divider biasing circuit is a simple and widely used configuration for
BJT amplifiers. The stability of the circuit depends on the ratio of the two resistors in the
voltage divider, and the optimal values of these resistors can be determined by analyzing the
small-signal model of the BJT.