Common Emitter Amplifier

Louis WY Liu
 Basic CE Stage
• For this amplifier to
work, junction BE
must be forward
biased. Junction CB
must be reverse
biased.
• In other word, VCE >=
VBE
 Small Signal Model Analysis
We are interested three things:
Voltage gain, input impedance and
•output impedance.
The voltage gain can be easily
determined using the following
analysis:

Vout = -gm vin RL

Av = Vout/ vin = - gm RL = -IC RL/ VT

<= This gain depends on the

characteristics of the BJT

The input impedance, Zin = rπ = β/ IC

 Justification of using CE stage.
• Applications of Common Emitter Amplifier
• The common emitter amplifiers are used in the low-frequency voltage amplifiers.
• These amplifiers are used typically in the RF circuits.
• In general, the amplifiers are used in the Low noise amplifiers
• Advantages of Common Emitter Amplifier
• The common emitter amplifier has a low input impedance and it is an inverting amplifier
• The output impedance of this amplifier is high
• This amplifier has highest power gain when combined with medium voltage and current gain
• The current gain of the common emitter amplifier is high
• Disadvantages of Common Emitter Amplifier
• In the high frequencies, the common emitter amplifier does not respond well.
• The voltage gain of this amplifier is unstable because it depends on R L.
• The output resistance is very high in these amplifiers
• In these amplifiers, there is a high thermal instability
• High output resistance
 Example 1
• Determine the voltage gain of the following amplifier:
• gm = 1mA/26 mV= 1/26
• RL = 1 kohm
• Av = -1000/26 = -38

• Can we raise RL to raise the gain?

• Ans: No, raising RL will decrease VCE. The transistor will trend towards
saturation.
• How about decreasing IC?
• Ans: Also no. Increasing IC will decrease the VCE.
• VCC = VCE + IC RL
 Inclusion of Early Effect
• The voltage gain will become:
• AV = - gm ( ro // RL) where ro= VA/IC
Common Emitter Configuration in Practice
 DC Analysis
• Replace all the capacitors with open circuits so that we end up with
an equivalent circuit as shown on the right.
AC-Analysis of CE Circuit
Example 2 (Taken from Youtube)
 Example 2 (Answer)
First, we need to determine the DC biasing
conditions.
VBB = IB + VBE = IC/ β + VBE
3 = IC/100 + 0.7
IC= 2.3mA
 Example 2 (Answer, Cont)
Next, resolve the voltage gain using the small signal
model:

gm = IC/VT = 2.3m/26m = 0.088462

vo = gm vπ* 3k = 23/260*3000 vπ = 265.38 vπ
rπ = β/gm = 100/ 23*260 = 1130.4
vo = 265.38 vi * r π/(r π+100k)
Av = vo/vi = 265.38 r π/(r π+100k) = 2.967
 Example 3 (Taken from Youtube)
Determine the voltage gain and input impedance of the
following amplifier (β =150):
 Example 3 (cont)
• First, we need a DC analysis.
 Example 3 (cont)
• Now, we can do AC analysis:
• Step 1: Short all the capacitors
• Step 2: Short all the independent voltage source.
• Step 3. Open-circuit all the independent current
source.
• Step 4: Redraw the circuit
• Step 5: Replace the BJT with an appropriate ac model
(in this case, we use the pi-equivalent model as shown
as follows).
 Example 3 (con’t)

gm = IC / VT = 1.25m/26m = 125/2600
rπ = β/gm = 150/ 125*2600 = 3120
rx = rπ // 130k // 30k = 2766
vo = gm v π ( 8k// 12k)
= gm vi rx /(rx + 600) (8k// 12k)
Av = vo/vi = /gm rx /(rx + 600) (8k// 12k) = 190
Zin = 600+rx = 600+2766 = 3366
 Homework Q1
Find the operating point if VCC=VEE=10V, RC=8
kΩ, RB=100 kΩ, I=1mA & β=100. (Ans: Q or
operating point is, IC=0.99 mA ; VCE=0.3 v (as
VB= -1v, VC = 2v, VE = -1.7v)
 Homework Q2
Find Rin ,Rout ,Av & Gv; if Rsig=RL=5kΩ, RB=100k, RC=8k; IC=1mA,
IB=0.01mA, VA=100V, VT=25mV
Solution: Ri=2.43 kΩ; Rout=7.4 kΩ, Av=-119 V/V, Gv=-39 V/V (as
rπ=2.5K, gm=40 mA/V, r0=100k)
Homework Q3
Homework Q4