RC Coupled Amplifier EXERCISE

7-1

DC Operation
Name: Course/Year/Section:

Procedures:

Figure 1.

2. What circuit component indicates that the amplifier circuit you just connected is RC
coupled?
The circuit components which indicates that the amplifier circuit that was connected is RC
coupled are the capacitor and resistor.

3. Measure and record the supply voltage (VA) with reference to ground.

Figure 2.
4. Measure first stage amplifier (Q1) dc voltages, with reference to the ground. Record your
results in the table below.
VC1 10.08 V
VB1 1.8319 V
VE1 1.0565 V

Figure 3. Figure 4.

Figure 5.

5. Do the measurements taken in step 4 indicate that the base-emitter junction is forward
biased?
Yes, the measurements taken in step 4 indicates that the base-emitter junction is forward biased.

6. Do the measurements taken in step 4 indicate that the base-collector junction is reverse
biased?
Yes, the measurements taken in step 4 indicates that the base-collector junction is reverse biased.

7. Would you conclude that NPN transistor Q1 is biased correctly?

Yes, I would conclude that NPN transistor Q1 is biased correctly.
8. Is the transistor operating in its active region?
Yes, the transistor is operating in its active region.

9) Measure second stage amplifier (Q2) dc voltages, with reference to the ground. Record your
results in the table below.
VC2 10.08 V
VB2 1.8319 V
VE2 1.0565 V

Figure 6. Figure 7.

Figure 8.

10. Do the measurements taken in step 9 indicate that the base-emitter junction is forward
biased?
Yes, the measurements taken in step 9 indicates that the base-emitter junction is forward biased.

11. Do the measurements taken in step 9 indicate that the base-collector junction is reverse
biased?
Yes, the measurements taken in step 9 indicates that the base-collector junction is reverse-biased.
12. Would you conclude that NPN transistor Q2 is biased correctly?
Yes, I would conclude that NPN transistor Q2 is biased correctly.

13. Is the transistor operating in its active region?

Yes, the transistor is operating in its active region.

14. Set CM switch 2 in the ON position to short RC coupling capacitor C2. Did the dc bias of amplifier
Q1 change?
Yes, the dc bias of amplifier Q1 changed.

15. Is amplifier Q1 still operating in the active region?

Yes, the amplifier Q1 is still operating in the active region.

16. Did the dc bias of amplifier Q2 change?

Yes, the dc bias of amplifier Q2 changed.

17. At what point is amplifier Q1 operating?

The point which the amplifier Q1 is operating is its Q-point.

18. Is there dc interaction between the first and second stage amplifiers (Q1 and Q2) while
coupling capacitor C2 is shorted?
Yes, there is dc interaction between the first and second stage amplifiers (Q1 and Q2) while
coupling capacitor C2 is shorted.

Review Questions:
1. C
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. D
RC Coupled Amplifier EXERCISE
7-2

AC Voltage Gain and Phase Relationship

Name: Course/Year/Section:

PROCEDURE

Figure 1.
2. Measure and record the supply voltage (VA) with reference to ground?

Figure 2.
3. While observing the signal on channel 1 of the oscilloscope, adjust the sine wave generator
for a 1 kHz, 100 mVpk-pk ac input signal (Vi1) at base of transistor Q1.
 Figure 3.
4. Connect the channel 2 probe of the oscilloscope to the ac output signal (Vo1) at the collector
of Q1. What is Vo1?

Figure 4.
Vo1 is equal to 142.0175 mV.

5. In comparison to the input signal, is the output waveform distorted?

The output waveform is no distorted.

 6. What is the phase relationship of Vo1 to Vi1?

The phase relationship is 180 degrees.

7. Calculate and record the voltage gain of Q1 (Av1 = -Vo1/Vi1, where the minus sign indicates
phase inversion).

𝑉01
𝐴𝑉1 =−
𝑉𝑖1
142.0175 𝑚𝑉
= −
49.6441 𝑚𝑉
=− 2.8607

8. Connect the channel 1 probe to the second stage ac input (Vi2) at the base of Q2. What is Vi2?

Figure 5.
Vi2 is equal to 142.0175 mV.

9. Is Vi2 equal to Vo1?

Yes, Vi2 equal to Vo1.
 10. Connect the channel 2 probe of the oscilloscope to the ac output signal (Vo2) of Q2 at the
collector of Q2. What is Vo2?

Figure 6.
Vo2 is equal to 644.8791 mV.

11. What is the phase relationship of Vo2 to Vi2?

The phase relationship is 180 degrees.

12. Calculate and record the voltage gain of Q2 (Av2 = -Vo2/Vi2).

𝑉02
𝐴𝑉2 =−
𝑉𝑖2
644.8791mV

142.0175mV
 4.5408

13. Connect the channel 1 probe to the base of Q1 (Vi1). What is the phase relationship of Vo2 to
Vi1?
The phase relationship is 180 degrees.
 14. Calculate and record the overall circuit gain (Avc = -Vo2/Vi1).

𝑉02
𝐴𝑉𝑐 =−
𝑉𝑖1
644.8791mV

49.6441mV
 12.9900

15. Does the measured overall circuit gain (Avc) equal to the product of Av1 (calculated in step 7)
and Av2 (calculated in step 12)?

𝐴𝑉𝑐 = 𝐴𝑣1 × 𝐴𝑣2

12.9900 = 2.8607 × 4.5408
12.9900 ≅ 12.9899

16. At the output of Q2, connect load resistor R12 to C4. For ac signals, R12 is in parallel with
Q2 collector resistor R9. With a 100mVpk-pk input signal (Vi1), measure and record Vo2(L).

Figure 7.
Vo2 is equal to 321.5779 mV.

17. Calculate and record the loaded overall circuit gain [Avc(L) = Vo2(L) / Vi1].

𝑉02 (𝐿)
𝐴𝑉𝑐 (𝐿) =
𝑉𝑖1
321.5779mV

49.6441mV
 6.4777
 18. Is the loaded overall circuit gain [Avc(L)] less than the unloaded overall circuit gain (Avc)
calculated in step 14?
Yes, the loaded overall circuit gain [Avc(L)] is less than the unloaded overall circuit gain (Avc)
calculated in step 14.

19. Bypass emitter resistor R10 by connecting R11 and C5 to the emitter of Q2. Load resistor
R12 should still be connected to C4. With 100 mVpk-pk input signal (Vi1), measure and record Vo2(L).

Figure 8.
Vo2(L) is equal to 1.5759 V.

20. Calculate and record the loaded overall circuit gain (Avc(LB) = Vo2(LB) / Vi1).
𝑉02(𝐿𝐵)
𝐴𝑉𝑐(𝐿𝐵) =
𝑉𝑖1
1.5759 𝑚𝑉
=
49.6441 𝑚𝑉
= 31.7440
2) Did bypassing the emitter resistor greatly increase the gain?
Yes, bypassing the emitter resistor greatly increased the gain.
3) Observe output signal Vo2. Set CM 13 switch in the ON position to change R12 from 4.7k to 1k.
What happened to Vo2?
The value of Vo2 decreased.
4) What caused the result of step 22?
The result of step 22 was due to the decrease in R12.
Review Questions:
 1) C
2) D
3) C
4) A
5) B

RC Coupled Amplifier EXERCISE

7-3

Frequency Response
Name: Course/Year/Section:

Procedures:
Figure 1.
2) Measure and record the supply voltage (VA) with reference to ground?
 Figure 2.
3) While observing the signal on channel 1 of the oscilloscope, adjust the sine wave generator for 1
kHz, 100 mVpk-pk ac input signal (Vi1) at the base of transistor Q1.
4) Connect the channel 2 probe of the oscilloscope to the second stage ac output signal (Vo2) at the
collector of Q2. Measure Vo2 at a frequency of 1kHz. Record your results in the table 1.
Frequency Input signal and Output signal Gain
20 35.6445mV and 150.0736mV 4.1203
50 46.7855mV and 275.2810mV 5.8839
1k 49.6441mV and 321.5779mV 6.4777
50k 50.3529mV and 324.7816mV 6.4501
100k 49.7697mV and 320.8123mV 6.4459
Table 1.
5) Measure and record Vo2 for other input signal frequencies shown in the table below. After
adjusting the sine wave generator for a new frequency, if necessary, adjust the input signal (Vi1)
for 100 mVpk-pk.
6) Calculate the overall loaded circuit gain [Avc(L) = Vo2 / Vi1] for each frequency. Record your
results in the table 1.
Frequency Input signal and Output signal Gain
20 35.6445mV and 150.0736mV 4.1203
50 46.7855mV and 275.2810mV 5.8839
1k 49.6441mV and 321.5779mV 6.4777
50k 50.3529mV and 324.7816mV 6.4501
100k 49.7697mV and 320.8123mV 6.4459
Table 1.
 7) The figure 3 below shows typical form of a frequency response curve for the two-stage RC
coupled amplifier circuit. The points on the curve correspond to the frequencies at which you
calculated the amplifier gains [Avc(L)], recorded in the table above. On the Y-axis of the
frequency response curve in the figure below, record your calculated gains in the boxes next to
the points corresponding to the frequencies. The X-axis of the figure below is a logarithmic scale
for wide range input signal frequencies (10Hz to 1MHz).

Figure 3.
8) Do the gains on the frequency curve increase sharply before a frequency of 20 Hz and decrease
sharply after 100 kHz?
Yes, the gains on the frequency curve increased sharply before a frequency of 20 Hz and decreased
sharply after 100 kHz.
9) Are the gains for frequencies in the audio frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz generally within
the bandwidth of the two-stage RC coupled amplifier?
Yes, the gains for frequencies in the audio frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz is generally within the
bandwidth of the two-stage RC coupled amplifier.
10) Set CM switch 3 in the ON position to change the capacitance of C2 from 1uF to 0.01uF. With
CM switch on, measure and record Vo2 for the frequencies shown in the table below. Calculate
Avc(L) and record your results in the table 2 below.

Frequency Hz Vo2 mVpk-pk Avc(L) = Vo2/Vi1

1k 406.2200 4.0622
10k 638.8866 6.3889
 100k 637.6530 6.3765
Table 2.
11) The figure 4 below shows typical form of a frequency response curve for the two-stage RC
coupled amplifier circuit with C2 equal to 0.01uF. The points on the curve correspond to the
frequencies at which you calculated the amplifier gains [Avc(L)], recorded in the table above. On
the Y-axis of the frequency response curve in the figure below, record your calculated gains at
the points that correspond to the frequency of the gain.

Figure 4.
12) Compare the frequency response curves in figures 3 and 4. At 1 kHz, is the gain with a 0.01uF
capacitor significantly lower than the gain with a 1.0uF capacitor?
Yes, the gain with a 0.01uF capacitor is significantly lower than the gain with a 1.0uF capacitor.
13) Are the gains at the frequencies between 10 kHz ad 50 kHz about the same for the RC coupled
amplifiers with 0.01uF and 1uF capacitors (Compare Figures 3 and 4)?
Yes, comparing figures 3 and 4 the gains at the frequencies between 10 kHz ad 50 kHz is about the same
for the RC coupled amplifiers with 0.01uF and 1uF capacitors.
14) Refer to the Figure 4. What is the low frequency limit of the bandwidth when the amplifier has
0.01uF coupling capacitor (C2)?
The low frequency limit of the bandwidth when the amplifier has 0.01uF coupling capacitor (C2) is 3
kHz.
Review Questions:
1) B
2) A
 3) C
4) D
5) A

Unit Test:
1) B
2) D
3) D
4) D
5) B
6) B
7) C
8) B
9) C
10) A