Introduction to concepts in dc bias

circuit design of the amplifier

(BJT CE amplifier design-Voltage
divider bias )
Outline
Concept of faithful amplification

Identification of dc circuits

What is Q point?

How to measure and locate Q point?

Interpret location of Q point



Concept of faithful amplification

The major goal of amplifier is to amplify
applied input signal faithfully.
When is applied to the amplifier


then different types of output waveforms are
possible .
Let us find out what are the possibilities
Faithful amplification-key specification
The waveforms shown below are possible
outputs of the amplifier




Can you identify which of the above waveform
represents faithful amplification of applied
input signal( )?
(click on the waveform to select answer)

Try again
Look at upper part of waveform it is
clipped which shows distortion in
output waveform and output is not
faithful amplification of input signal
Look at lower part of
waveform ,it is clipped which
shows distortion in output
waveform and output is not
faithful amplification of input
signal
Try again
Look at both lower and upper
part of waveform ,it is clipped
which shows distortion in
output waveform and output is
not faithful amplification of
input signal
Try again
You are right! This is perfect sine wave
with no clippings at extremities and known
as faithful amplification
Next
Go back to
question
Essential components to decide
faithful amplification

For BJT amplifier circuit faithful amplification
can be predicted from
a)Amplitude of input signal and dc bias
circuit

b)Dc bias circuit and ac circuit


c)Ac circuit and amplitude of input signal

This combination of ac and dc circuit helps to
decide only one parameter required to predict
faithful amplification and thus not sufficient.

Try again
For this combination, amplitude of input signal
is partially useful to decide faithful
amplification but not complete specification
and ac circuit alone is not sufficient ,it needs
dc circuit to decide other parameter required to
predict faithful amplification.



Try again
You are right !
Faithful amplification of the amplifier can be
predicted from dc bias circuit and input signal
amplitude.


Go back
to
question
Next
Identification of dc circuits
We will study effect of dc bias circuit on amplifier design
Let us find what is dc bias circuit
For the given CE amplifier circuit identify which is
appropriate dc circuit?
V
cc
V
cc
Select option by clicking on the circuit below
In the selected circuit capacitors are present
,but for dc condition you need to open circuit
capacitors and only resistors in the circuit will
remain.



Try again
You are right! . For dc condition all capacitors
open circuited and only resistors in the circuit
will remain. The circuit for dc conditions is








V
cc
Go back to
question
Next
Dc circuit parameter
Let us find what are important parameters of dc circuit to
decide faithful amplification


Q . Which of the following do you think is useful to
predict faithful amplification?
(click the box to select option)

Value of
dc
Q point location
Resistor values
The values are helpful in calculating current
and voltage values of the dc circuit but are
not useful to predict faithful amplification
Try again
You are right!
Faithful amplification depends on
location of Q point

Next
Go back to
question



How to locate Q point?



To locate Q point which of the following
characteristics are important?





(Select options by clicking the buttons)
Only a only b only c a&b both a & c both
b&c both
c)Input characteristics
a)Output characteristics
b)Load Line
I
c
= V
cc
/R
c
+ R
E
V
cc

You are right partially. One of the important
characteristics to locate Q point is output characteristics
,but not sufficient to locate Q point.
Select other options
Input characteristics are useful to locate Q
point partially (i.e. value of IBQ)but are not
useful to find other values of Q point(V
CEQ
,I
CQ
)
Try again
You are right partially. One of the
important characteristics to locate Q point
is load line ,but not sufficient to locate Q
point.
Select other options
This combination cannot fix Q point since ,it
is only set of characteristics .
Try again
Load line is useful and with input
characteristics it can locate only I
BQ
value
.Other values(V
CEQ
and I
CQ
can not be
calculated.
Try again
You are right! you need both output
characteristics and load line to locate Q point
Go back
to
question
Next
1.To locate Q point we need to draw
Output characteristics
Output characteristics This is a set of
characteristics . For each fixed value of base
current(I
B
) the relation between collector to emitter
voltage(V
CE
) and collector current(I
C
) is plotted .
2.Superimpose load line on the output
characteristics
Load LineThe line joining voltage
V
cc
and current I
c
= V
cc
/R
c
+ R
E
3.Mark I
BQ
characteristics
I
BQ
Base current of the given circuit
under no signal condition. This is also
known as dc bias current. I
BQ

characteristics are output characteristics
for I
BQ





Output
characteristics
C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

I
B1
=
I
B3
=
I
B2
=
I
B4
=
I
B5
=
I
B6
=
I
B8
=
I
B7
=
V
cc

I
c
= V
cc
/R
c
+ R
E
I
BQ

Q point
The point of intersection of I
BQ
characteristics and load line is Qpoint
Q point is thus point on the load line representing dc bias conditions of the amplifier
circuit
Animation below will show how Q point is located
Find V
CEQ
and I
CQ
Output
characteristics
C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

I
B1
=
I
B3
=
I
B2
=
I
B4
=
I
B5
=
I
B6
=
I
B8
=
I
B7
=
I
BQ

Load line
Q point
I
CQ
V
CEQ
Collector to emitter voltage under
no signal condition also known
as dc bias voltage(Q point voltage)
Collector current under
no signal condition also known
as dc bias current(Q point
current)
How to measure Q point
To measure Q point, we measure value of base current
,collector current and collector voltage under dc conditions(no
signal condition).
I
CQ
V
CEQ
Connect
voltmeter here
to measure
V
CEQ
Connect ammeter
here to measure
currents

I
BQ
Locate Q point

C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

I
B1
=
I
B3
=
I
B2
=
I
B4
=
I
B5
=
I
B6
=
I
B8
=
I
B7
=
I
BQ

Q point
. Once we measure values of currents and voltage we can locate Q point by two
methods
In the first method we fix output characteristics for IBQ(measured value) then
draw load line(by joiningV
CC
and I
c.
) .Fix point as intersection of the two
I
c
= V
cc
/R
c
+
R
E
(4.08mA
)
V
cc
=20V
In the second method we use V
CEQ
and I
CQ
values and load
line as shown
C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

I
B1
=
I
B3
=
I
B2

=
I
B4
=
I
B5
=
I
B6
=
I
B8
=
I
B7
=
V
cc=
20V
I
c
=
V
cc
/R
c
+
R
E=
4.08
mA
V
CEQ
I
CQ
Q point
Interpretation of Q point
Once we locate Q point by any of the two
methods ,we need to interpret the location of
Q point.
First we will study different regions of load
line which will help us in interpretation of Q
point.
Remember load line is essential characteristics
to locate and interpret Q point location.
1mA

2mA

3mA

4mA

C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

10 A

20 A

40 A
30 A

Cut off region
In the output
characteristics
the region
below(slashed)
this point is cut
off region(here
both transistor
junctions are
reverse biased)
and transistor is
switched off


In the output characteristics the region
beyond this point (slashed) is saturation region
and transistor saturates(both junctions of
transistor are forward biased) .Output current
is constant and there is no relation between
input and output current

This diagram explains
Important regions of load
line
V
BE
<0.7V
V
CE
=0.1V
Interpretation of Q point(contd)
In the process of interpretation of Q point
Second important aspect is how to draw
output waveforms for applied input voltage for
given location of Q point.
In the next slide Q point is already located and
we will observe how can we draw output
waveform?
10 A

20 A

30 A

40 A

1mA

2mA

3mA

4mA

Colle
ctor
Curre
nt( I
C
)
FIG.1
Q
output current
waveform
output voltage
waveform
Input voltage
Cut off region
Apply input
voltage
Why Q point location is important?



If we change location of Q point will the shape of
output waveform change?
Let us vary location of Q point on the load line and
observe the output waveform
1mA

2mA

3mA

4mA

C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

10 A

20 A

40 A
30 A

Go to
design
tip
Cut off region
Change the
location of Q
point by
selecting
value of I
BQ
Click on
the box to
select value
of I
BQ

10 A

20 A

30 A

40 A

1mA

2mA

3mA

4mA

C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

FIG.1
Q
This is output waveform in
which upper part of waveform
is clipped ,hence does not
represent faithful amplification
Q point is at
lower
extremity and
input goes to
cut off region)
output voltage
waveform
output current
waveform
Vary Q point

Input voltage
Cut off region
Base
voltage< 0.7V
10 A

20 A

30 A

40 A

1mA

2mA

3mA

4mA

Colle
ctor
Curre
nt( I
C
)
FIG.1
Q
This is perfect sine wave
with no clippings at
extremities and known as
faithful amplification
Vary Q
point

Q point
at the
centre of
load line
output current
waveform
output voltage
waveform
Input voltage
Cut off region
10 A

20 A

30 A

40 A

1mA

2mA

3mA

4mA

C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r

C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

FIG.1
Q
This is output waveform in
which only upper portion of
the waveform is present and
lower portion is clipped ,hence
does not represent faithful
amplification
Q point at upper extremity and upper
portion of input voltage saturates
transistor
Vary Q
point

output voltage
waveform
output
current
waveform
Input voltage
Cut off region
V
CEQ
= 0.1V
10 A

20 A

30 A

40 A

1mA

2mA

3mA

4mA

C
o
l
l
e
c
t
o
r


C
u
r
r
e
n
t
(

I
C
)

FIG.1
Q
output current
waveform
output voltage
waveform
Input voltage
Vary Q
point

This is output waveform
in which small part of
lower portion of the
waveform is clipped ,hence
does not represent faithful
amplification
Cut off region
For this location of
Q point upper
portion of the
input just reaches
to saturation
Design tip1

If Q point is located at the extremities then
output waveforms are clipped at upper
extremity or lower extremity.
It is important to decide Q point location near
centre to get faithful amplification
Practical value of V
CEQ=
Supply(V
CC
)/2(approx.)

You can go back to find
effect of Q point location