ANALOGUE

ELECTRONICS

Basic BJT Amplifiers (Part 2)

Basic Common-Emitter
Amplifier

The basic common-emitter circuit used in

previous analysis causes a serious defect :

If BJT with VBE=0.7 V is used, IB=9.5 A & IC=0.95 mA

But, if new BJT with VBE=0.6 V is used, IB=26 A & BJT
goes into saturation; which is not acceptable Previous
circuit is not practical
So, the emitter resistor is included: Q-point is stabilized
against variations in , as will the voltage gain, AV

Assumptions

CC acts as a short circuit

Early voltage = ==> ro neglected due to open circuit

Common-Emitter Amplifier
with Emitter Resistor
inside
transistor

CE amplifier with emitter resistor

Small-signal equivalent circuit

(with current gain parameter, )

Common-Emitter Amplifier
with Emitter Resistor

ac output voltage

Input voltage loop

Input resistance, Rib

Vo I b RC

Vin I b r I b I b RE
Vin
Rib
r 1 RE
Ib

Input resistance to amplifier, Ri

Ri R1 R2 Rib

Remember: Assume VA is infinite,

ro is neglected

Voltage divider equation of Vin to Vs

Ri
Vin
Ri RS

Vs

Common-Emitter Amplifier
with Emitter Resistor
Cont..

So, small-signal voltage gain, AV

Av

Remember: Assume VA is infinite,

ro is neglected

Vo I b RC

Vs
Vs

Vin 1

RC
Rib Vs
Ri
RC

Av
r 1 RE Ri RS

If Ri >> Rs and (1 + )RE >> r

Av

RC
R
C
1 RE
RE

Common-Emitter Amplifier
with Emitter Bypass Capacitor
VCC

Emitter bypass capacitor, CE

provides a short circuit to
ground for the ac signals

RC

R1

vO

RS

Emitter bypass capacitor is used to

short out a portion or all of emitter
resistance by the ac signal. Hence
no RE appear in the hybrid-
equivalent circuit

CC
vs

R2

RS

Vs

R1|| R2

RE

CE

gmV

ro

Vo
RC

Small-signal hybrid-
equivalent circuit

DC & AC LOAD LINE

ANALYSIS

DC load line

Visualized the relationship between Q-point & transistor

characteristics

AC load line

Visualized the relationship between small-signal response &

transistor characteristics
Occurs when capacitors added in transistor circuit

Common Emitter Amplifier with

emitter bypass capacitor
Example 1

Common-emitter
amplifier with
emitter bypass
capacitor

DC Load Line
Solution...

KVL on C-E loop

V I C RC VCE I E ( RE1 RE 2 ) V
1
1

I C ( RE1 RE 2 ) V , when I E
I C
I C RC VCE


1
I C ( RE1 RE 2 )
V V VCE I C RC

1
1
For Q - point, when 1,

So, V V VCEQ I CQ ( RC RE1 RE 2 )
-1
Slope
RC RE1 RE 2

AC Load Line
Solution...

KVL on C-E loop

ic RC vce ie RE1 0
Assumingic ie
vce ic RC ic RE1 ic ( RC RE1 )
-1
Slope
RC RE1

AC equivalent circuit

DC & AC Load Lines

Full
solution

AC LOAD LINE ANALYSIS

Determine the dc and ac load line. VBE=0.7V, =150,
VA=
Example 2

DC Load Line

To determine dc Q-point, KVL around B-E loop

V I BQ RB VEB I E RE I BQ RB VEB (1 ) I BQ RE
I BQ

V VEB

5.96A
RB (1 ) RE

Then I CQ I BQ 0.894mA & I EQ (1 ) I BQ 0.9mA

For Q - point,VCEQ (V V ) I CQ RC I EQ RE 6.53
-1
1
Slope

RC RE 15k

AC Load Line

Small signal
hybrid-
equivalent
circuit

I CQ 0.894mA ;VECQ 6.53V

r

VT

gm

I CQ
I CQ
VT

4.36k
34.4mA / V

VA
ro

I CQ
vo ve ( g m v )( RC // RL ) ic ( RC // RL )

DC & AC Load lines

Full
solution

Maximum Symmetrical Swing

When symmetrical sinusoidal signal applied to the

input of an amplifier, the output generated is also a
symmetrical sinusoidal signal

AC load line is used to determine maximum output

symmetrical swing

If output is out of limit, portion of the output signal will be

clipped & signal distortion will occur

Maximum Symmetrical Swing

Steps to design a BJT amplifier for

maximum symmetrical swing:

Write DC load line equation (relates of ICQ & VCEQ)

Write AC load line equation (relates ic, vce ; vce = - icReq,
Req = effective ac resistance in C-E circuit)
Generally, ic = ICQ IC(min), where IC(min) = 0 or some
other specified min collector current
Generally, vce = VCEQ VCE(min), where VCE(min) is
some specified min C-E voltage
Combination of the above equations produce optimum
ICQ & VCEQ values to obtain maximum symmetrical
swing in output signal

Maximum Symmetrical Swing

Example 3
Determine the maximum symmetrical swing in the output voltage of
the circuit given in Example 2.

Solution:

From the dc & ac load line, the maximum negative swing in the Ic
is from 0.894 mA to zero (ICQ). So, the maximum possible peak-topeak ac collector current:

ic 2( I CQ I C (min)) 2(0.894) 1.79 mA

The max. symmetrical peak-to-peak output voltage:

| vce || ic | Req | ic | ( RC || RL ) (1.79)(5 || 2) 2.56 V

Maximum instantaneous collector current:

1
iC I CQ | ic | 0.894 0.894 1.79 mA
2

Self-Reading
Textbook: Donald A. Neamen,
MICROELECTRONICS Circuit Analysis &
Design,3rd Edition, McGraw Hill
International Edition, 2007
Chapter 6: Basic BJT Amplifiers
Page: 397-413, 415-424.

Exercise
Textbook: Donald A. Neamen,
MICROELECTRONICS Circuit Analysis &
Design,3rd Edition, McGraw Hill
International Edition, 2007
Exercise 6.5, 6.6, 6.7,6.9
Exercise 6.10 , 6.11