TUTORIAL 3: MULTISTAGE BJT AMPLIFIERS - Additional

CASCADE CONFIGURATION
QUESTION
3.

Figure 3 shows an amplifier in cascode configuration where a common-base stage (Q2) is

being driven by a common-emitter stage (Q1).
Draw the circuit under dc condition and determine the quiescent currents ( I CQ1 and
I CQ 2 ) of both transistors.

(a)

(b)
Draw the small-signal equivalent circuit of the complete amplifier and perform an ac
analysis to show that the approximate overall small-signal voltage gain is given by the
expression;
Av

vo
g m1 RC // RL
vi

(c)
If the peak-to-peak value of the input voltage vi is 30 mV, determine the approximate
peak-to-peak value of the output voltage vo .
Assume 1 2 150 , VBE1 active VBE 2 active VBE active 0.7 V , V A1 V A 2 V A
, VT 26 mV and VCC 15 V .

SOLUTION

Figure 3

3.

(a)

The circuit under dc condition and

quiescent currents.

The currents are as labeled in the figure;

Taking the VCCR1R2R3GROUND loop gives us;

I
I
R1 I1 R2 I1 B1 R3 I1 B1 I B1 15
1
1

Substituting values;
150 I B1

76 I1 28 I1

150 1

150 I B1

37 I1
I B1 15 10 3
150 1

Rearranging;
141I1 101.54I B1 15 10 3

Taking the R3B1 E1REGROUND loop;

I B1
R3 I1
I B1 0.7 RE 1 I B1
1

Or;

I B1
R3 I1
I B1 RE 1 I B1 0.7
1

Substituting values;

150 I B1

37 I1
I B1 3151 I B1 0.7 10 3
151

Rearranging;

I1 0.0189 10 3 14.24 I B1

Substituting (2) in (1);

141 0.0189 10 3 14.24 I B1 101.54 I B1 15 10 3

I B1

12.335 10 3
6.47 A
1906.3

I CQ1 I B1 150 6.47 A 0.97 mA

Answer

I E 2 I CQ1 0.97 mA

I B2

IE2
0.97

6.42 A
1 151

I CQ 2 I B 2 150 6.42 A 0.964 mA

(b)

The small-signal equivalent circuit and voltage gain

vo g m2v 2 RC // RL

At node E2;
g m1v 1

v 2
g m 2 v 2
r 2

Thus;
v 2

g m1r 2 v 1
1 r 2 g m 2

Substituting for v 2 in (3)

g r g
vo m1 2 m 2
1 r 2 g m 2

RC // RL v 1

Answer

2
RC // RL vi
1 2

g m1

Where;
2 g m 2 r 2

Av

and

v 1 vi

2
vo
RC // RL
g m1
vi
1 2

When 2 1
Av g m1 RC // RL

(c) The approximate peak-to-peak value of the output voltage.

Av 0.0373 5000 // 5000 93 V/V

vo pp Av vi pp 93 0.03 2.79 V

Answer

QUESTION
4.

Determine the input impedance Ri and output impedance Ro of the two-stage amplifier
shown in Figure 4.
Assume VCC 5 V , VEE 5 V , 1 127 , 2 200 , VBE active for both transistors is
0.7 V and VT 26 mV .

Figure 4

SOLUTION
4.

R2
VEE
R1 R2

VBB VCC VEE

47
5 1.8 V
100 47

5 5

RB

R1 R2
R1 R2

100 47
32 k
100 47

Taking the base-emitter loop of Q1;

VBB RB I B1 VBE1 RE1 I E1 VEE 0

Or;

RB I B1 1 1 RE1 I B1 VBB VEE VBE1

Substituting values;
32 10 3 I B1 127 1 2 10 3 I B1 1.8 5 0.7

2 .6
9 A
288 10 3

I B1

I C1 1 I B1 127 9 10 6 1.15 mA

For the RC1 - collector of Q1 - base of Q2 - RE 2 loop;

RE 2 I E 2 VEB 2 RC 1 I1

I1 I C1 I B 2 and I E 2 2 1 I B 2

2 1 RE 2 I B 2 VEB 2 RC1 I C1 I B 2
Substituting values;

200 1 2 103 I B 2 0.7 5 103 1.15 10 3 I B 2

5.05
12.4 A
407 10 3

I B2

I C 2 2 I B 2 200 12.4 10 6 2.48 mA

g m1

I C1 1.15

44.2 mA/V
VT
26

r 1

1
127

2.87 k
g m1 0.0442

g m2

r 2

I C 2 2.48

95.4 mA/V
VT
26

2
200

2. 1 k
g m 2 0.0954

Rib r 1 1 1 RE1 2.87 1 127 2 258.87 k

The input resistance of the amplifier is;

Ri RB Rib 32 258.87 28.5 k

The output resistance of the amplifier is;

Ro RC 2 1.5 k