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5.0 Introduction
– Transistors must be properly biased to work as amplifiers.
– DC biasing is used to establish a steady level of transistor current and voltage.
– That point of operation is called the dc point or quiescent point (Q-point).
– We have three possible states in a transistor:
i) Cutoff: Emitter and collector diodes are OFF.
ii) Active: Emitter diode is ON, collector diode is OFF.
iii) Saturation: Emitter and collector diodes are OFF.
– When we want to amplify a signal, we should operate in the active region.
– In general we want to amplify voltage rather than current.
– For example, the heads on a tape player (or VCR) pick up the magnetic traces on
a tape and provide a small voltage output.
– Speakers used to convert the electrical signal to an ac acoustic (sound) signal need
large voltages!
– The stereo amplifier, with tape head input and speaker output, provides the
voltage amplification necessary
– That is, the output voltage from amplifier is greater than the input voltage to
amplifier.
– Amplification is an example of linear applications.
– Amplifiers are the most common linear devices.
– In general, we need to amplify AC signals (time varying signals).
– However, proper operation depends on its DC bias voltages and currents.
– We will not deal with cutoff and saturation.
A) DC Bias
– If an amplifier is not properly biased, it will go either into cutoff or saturation.
– For example, the inverting amplifier:
Linear Operation
– All points along the dc load line, between saturation and cutoff form the
linear region of operation.
– This means that as long as we operate in this region, the output voltage is a
linear reproduction of the input.
– Look at the following example.
– A sinusoidal wave, Vin, is superimposed to the base voltage.
– Vin causes a ±100 µA variation in the base current (IB) with respect to the Q-
point value of 300 µA.
– This causes the collector current to vary 10 mA above and below its Q-point
value of 30 mA.
– In result, the collector-to-emitter voltage varies 2.2 V above and below its Q-
point value of 3.4 V.
– Note that VCEQ, ICQ, and IBQ are the dc Q-point values with no input sinusoidal
voltage applied.
Reading: Chapter 5
Chapter Summary
– BJTs have three regions: base, collector, and emitter.
– BJTs have two pn junctions: base-emitter, and base-collector.
– Current in a BJT consists of both free electrons and holes, thus the term bipolar.
– Base is lightly doped compared to emitter and collector.
– There are two types of BJTs: npn and pnp.
– To operate as amplifier, the BE junction must be forward-biased and BC junction
must be reverse-biased (forward-reverse bias).
Tech 408 Notes
Chapter 5 – Transistor Bias Circuits
Page 4 out of 14
Waveform distortion
– If we operate to close to cutoff or too close to saturation, waveform distortion
may occur.
– The top or the bottom of the output wave will appear clipped.
– When the positive peak is clipped, transistor is being driven into cutoff.
– If the negative peak is clipped, transistor is going into saturation.
Example:
Determine the Q-point in the following circuit. Assume βDC = 200. Find the
maximum peak value of the base current for linear operation.
Tech 408 Notes
Chapter 5 – Transistor Bias Circuits
Page 5 out of 14
Solution:
The Q-point is defined by IC and VCE. We find these values as follows:
IB = (VBB – VBE)/RB = (10 V – 0.7 V)/47 kΩ = 198 µA
IC = βDCIB = (200)(198 µA)= 39.6 mA
VCE = VCC – ICRC = 20 V – 13.07V = 6.93 V
Thus the Q-point is at IC = 39.6 mA and VCE = 6.93 V. Since IC(cutoff) = 0, we need
to know IC(sat) to determine how much variation in collector current can occur and
still maintain linear operation.
IC(sat)=VCC/RC = 20 V/330 Ω = 60.6 mA
And it can decrease by 39.6 mA before cutoff (IC = 0) is reached. The limiting
value is, then, 21 mA. Thus we can see that we are closer to saturation than to
cutoff.
– If IB is much smaller than current through R2, we can view the circuit just as a
voltage divider consisting of R1 and R2.
– If IB is NOT small enough to neglect, compared to I2, then the dc input resistance,
RIN(base) must be considered.
– The input current is the base current, IIN = IB. Substituting we get
RIN(base) = VIN/IIN = βDCIBRE/IB = βDCRE
– Thus, the resistance seen by looking into the base of the transistor is the gain, βDC,
times the emitter resistance, RE.
– Knowing the base voltage, we can find the emitter voltage: VE = VB – VBE.
– Ohm’s law gives us the emitter current: IE = VE/RE and the rest of the values:
IC ≈ IE
VC = VCC - ICRC
VCE = VC - VE
Tech 408 Notes
Chapter 5 – Transistor Bias Circuits
Page 8 out of 14
Example:
Determine VCE and IC in the voltage-divider biased transistor circuit shown below.
Assume βDC = 100.
Solution:
Determine the dc input resistance at the base:
RIN(base) = βDCRE = (100)(560 Ω) = 56 kΩ
Thus,
IC ≈ 5.16 mA
and
VCE ≈ VCC – IC(RC + RE) = 10V–5.16mA(1.56kΩ) = 1.95 V
– Note that the expression for IE is independent of βDC. Thus, varying βDC’s will not
affect IE.
– Thus, IC will also be unaffected by βDC.
– Remember that for this type of biasing (voltage-divider) we must make sure RE is
at least ten times RTH/βDC.
– This is not an unreasonable assumption, since βDC is generally large.
– Or
VCC – IBRB – VBE = 0
– Which results in:
IB = (VCC – VBE)/RB
IC = βDC(VCC – VBE)/RB
Example:
Determine how much the Q-point (IC, VCE) in the circuit below will change over a
temperature range where βDC increases from 85 to 100 and VBE decreases from
0.7 V to 0.6 V (both changes happen at the same time).
Tech 408 Notes
Chapter 5 – Transistor Bias Circuits
Page 11 out of 14
Solution:
Before the temperature rises, we have βDC = 85 and VBE = 0.7 V. Thus
IC(1) = βDC(VCC – VBE)/RB = 85(12 V – 0.7 V)/100 kΩ
= 9.61 mA
VCE(1) = VCC – ICRC = 12 V – (9.61mA)(560 Ω) = 6.62 V
After the temperature rise, we have βDC = 100 and VBE = 0.6 V. Thus
IC(2) = βDC(VCC – VBE)/RB = 100(12 V – 0.6 V)/100 kΩ
= 11.4 mA
VCE(2) = VCC – ICRC = 12 V – (11.4 mA)(560 Ω) = 5.62 V
The percent change in IC and VCE after the temperature change is:
%∆ IC = (IC(2) – IC(1))/IC(1) 100% = 18.6%
%∆ VCE = (VCE(2) – VCE(1))/VCE(1) 100% = -15.1%
This shows that the Q-point is very dependent on βDC. Thus, the bias arrangement
becomes very unstable.
– KVL yields:
VEE + VR(B) + VBE + VR(E) = 0
VEE + IBRB + VBE + IERE = 0
-VEE = IBRB + VBE + IERE
Q-point stability
– Assuming RE >> RB/βDC and VEE >> VBE, we end up with
IC ≈ –VEE/RE
– Which shows that the collector (and the emitter) current are essentially
independent of βDC and VBE.
Example:
Determine the variation in Q-points in the following circuit if βDC changes from
85 to 100 and VBE from 0.7 V to 0.6 V.
Solution:
For the lower temperature (βDC = 85 and VBE = 0.7 V):
IC(1) ≈ IE = (-VEE – VBE)/(RE - RB/βDC) = 1.73 mA
VC = VCC – ICRC = 11.9 V
VE = VEE + IERE = -2.7 V
Thus VCE(1) = VC – VE = 11.9 V – (–2.7 V) = 14.6 V
For the higher temperature case (βDC = 100 and VBE = 0.6 V):
IC(2) ≈ IE = (-VEE – VBE)/(RE - RB/βDC) = 1.85 mA
VC = VCC – ICRC = 11.3 V
VE = VEE + IERE = -1.5 V
Thus VCE(2) = VC – VE = 11.3 V – (–1.5 V) = 12.8 V
Q-point Stability
– By making VCC >> VBE and RC >> RB/βDC, we are eliminating the VBE and the βDC
dependency.
Tech 408 Notes
Chapter 5 – Transistor Bias Circuits
Page 14 out of 14
Circuit A split(dual polarity) The voltage divider The base resistor is Base resistor
power supply and the in the base circuit. connected between connected to power,
Recognition base resistor the base and emitter to ground.
connected to ground. collector terminals
of the transistor.
Advantages β-independent output β-independent (like- A simple circuit that Simple.
values. emitter bias), but is relatively β
does not require a independent.
dual-polarity power
supply.
Disadvantages Requires the use of a None (as compared Poor ac β dependent.
dual-polarity power to other biasing characteristics.
supply. circuits) in terms of
dc operation.
Applications Used primarily to set Used primarily to Linear amplifiers Switching
the dc biasing for bias linear applications.
linear amplifiers. amplifiers.