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Raising a new Generation of Leaders

BJT BIASING

EIE 323
ANALOGUE ELECTRONICS
1 OSHIN, O. I. - EIE 323 LECTURE NOTE 2
 BIASING
• Transistor biasing is purely a dc operation. It involves setting up the DC
voltages and current in an electronic circuit.
• The mode of operation of each transistor is determined by the biasing
condition.
• Biasing establishes the dc operating point (Q-point) for proper linear
operation of an amplifier
• The purpose of biasing is to establish a Q-point about which variations in
current and voltage can occur in response to an ac input signal.

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 DC LOAD LINE
• The dc load line is the locus of IC and VCE at which BJT remains in active
region
• It represents all the possible combinations of IC and VCE for a given
amplifier.
• The load line is drawn based on the DC operating characteristics of the
circuit.
• It gives a graphical representation of the transistor characteristics.
.

• Q-point is the operating point of the transistor (IBQ, ICQ, VCEQ), which

represents the values of IC and VCE when no input signal is applied.

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 DRAWING THE DC LOAD LINE

To draw DC load line, we need to find the

IC(max) saturation current IC(Sat),
and cutoff voltage VCE(cutoff),

To find IC(max), assume VCE = 0

To find VCE(max), assume IC = 0

VCE(max)
The IC(max) and VCE(max) give the end points of the line, these points
are joined together to give the DC load line.
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Example:
Plot the dc load line for the circuit show below;
+12 V
IC

RC
2 k
8 IC(sat)
RB
6

Q1 4
VCE(off)
2

VCE
2 4 6 8 10 12

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Easy Example: Find the Q-point values of the transistor below

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Example: Determine the Q-point for the circuit, and draw the dc load line. Find the
maximum peak value of base current for linear operation. Assume βDC = 200.

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 Base Bias
• This involves setting up a fixed value of base current (IBQ).
• Q point is extremely β-dependent... hence unreliable
• Rarely used in linear operations, but common in switching circuits
KVL across the base
KVL across the collector

Advantage: Circuit simplicity.

Disadvantage: Q-point shift with temp.
Applications: Switching circuits only.

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Example: Determine how much the Q-point (IC and VCE) for the circuit will change
over a temperature range, where βDC increases from 100 to 200

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 Base Bias with Emitter Feedback
(Emitter-Feedback Bias)

• An emitter resistor is added to the base-bias circuit.

• Although better for linear ccts than base bias, it is still β-dependent.

KVL across the base KVL across the collector

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 Base Bias with Collector Feedback
(Collector-Feedback Bias)

• RB is connected to the collector rather than to VCC

• The collector voltage provides the bias for the base-emitter
junction.
• The negative feedback creates an “offsetting” effect that
tends to keep the Q-point stable.

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Example: Calculate the Q-point values for the circuit below.

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 VOLTAGE-DIVIDER BIAS
• VCC is the single bias source
• VB can be developed by a resistive voltage divider
that consists of R1 and R2,
• Voltage-divider bias circuits are designed so that the
base current (IB) is much smaller than (I2)
• Stiff voltage divider: (IB <I2), neglect loading effect

Merits: The circuit Q-point values are

stable against changes in hFE.
Demerits: Requires more components
than most other biasing circuits.
Applications: Used primarily to bias
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 Loading Effects of Voltage-Divider Bias
#DC Input Resistance at the Transistor Base

As long as RIN(BASE) is at least ten times larger than R2, the loading
effect will be 10% or less and the voltage divider is stiff. If RIN(BASE) is less
than ten times R2, it should be combined in parallel with R2

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Easy Example:

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Thevenin’s Theorem Applied to Voltage-Divider Bias

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Example:

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 Emitter Bias
• Uses both a positive and a negative supply voltage.
• It provides excellent bias stability in spite of changes in temperature.

VEE  0.7V
IB 
RB   hFE  1 RE

I C  hFE I B
I E   hFE  1 I B
Merits: The circuit Q-point
values are stable against VCE  VCC  I C RC  I E RE  VEE
changes in hFE.
Demerits: Requires the use of Assume that hFE >> 1.
dual-polarity power supply.
Applications: Used primarily
to bias linear amplifiers. VCE  VCC  I C  RC  RE   VEE

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 Thanks
for
Listening.

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