Chapter 7

DC Biasing Circuits
Pictures are redrawn (with some modifications) from
Introductory Electronic Devices and Circuits
By
Robert T. Paynter

Objectives
State the purpose of dc biasing circuits.
Plot the dc load line given the value of VCC and
the total collector-emitter circuit resistance.
Describe the Q-point of an amplifier.
Describe and analyze the operations of various
bias circuits:

base-bias circuits
voltage-divider bias circuits
emitter-bias circuits
collector-feedback bias circuits
emitter-feedback bias circuits
2

Fig 7.1 Typical amplifier operation.

Fig 7.2 A generic dc load line.

VCC VCE
IC
RC

Fig 7.3 Example 7.1.

Plot the dc load line for the circuit
shown in Fig. 7.3a.

Fig 7.4 Example 7.2.

Plot the dc load line for the circuit shown in
Fig. 7.4. Then, find the values of VCE for IC =
1, 2, 5 mA respectively.

VCE VCC I C RC
IC (mA)

VCE (V)

Fig 7.6-8 Optimum Q-point with

amplifier operation.

I C I B

VCE VCC I C RC

Fig 7.9 Base bias (fixed bias).

VCC VBE
IB
RB

I C I B
VCE VCC I C RC
= dc current gain = hFE

Fig 7.10 Example 7.3.

VCC 0.7V 8V 0.7V
IB

RB
360k
20.28A

I C hFE I B 100 20.28A

2.028mA
VCE VCC I C RC

8V 2.028mA 2k
3.94V

The circuit is midpoint biased.

9

Fig 7.11 Example 7.4.

Construct the dc load line for the circuit shown in Fig. 7.10,
and plot the Q-point from the values obtained in Example
7.3. Determine whether the circuit is midpoint biased.

I C (sat )

VCC
8V

4mA
RC 2k

VCE off VCC 8V

10

Fig 7.12 Example 7.6. (Q-point shift.)

The transistor in Fig. 7.12 has values of hFE = 100 when T =
25 C and hFE = 150 when T = 100 C. Determine the Qpoint values of IC and VCE at both of these temperatures.

Temp(C)

IB (A)

IC (mA)

VCE (V)

25

20.28

2.028

3.94

100

20.28

3.04

1.92

11

Fig 7.13 Base bias characteristics. (1)

Circuit recognition: A single resistor
(RB) between the base terminal and VCC.
No emitter resistor.

Advantage: Circuit simplicity.

Disadvantage: Q-point shift with temp.
Applications: Switching circuits only.

12

Fig 7.13 Base bias characteristics. (2)

Load line equations:
I C (sat )

VCC

RC

VCE (off ) VCC

Q-point equations:

VCC VBE
IB
RB
I C hFE I B
VCE VCC I C RC

13

Fig 7.14 Voltage divider bias. (1)

Assume that

VB

I2 > 10IB.

R2
VCC
R1 R2

VE VB 0.7V

IE

VE
RE

Assume that ICQ IE (or

hFE >> 1). Then

VCEQ VCC I CQ RC RE
14

Fig 7.15 Example 7.7. (1)

Determine the values of ICQ and VCEQ for the circuit shown in Fig. 7.15.

VB VCC

R2
R1 R2

4.7k
2.07V
22.7k
VE VB 0.7V
2.07V 0.7V 1.37V
10V

Because ICQ IE (or hFE >> 1),

I CQ

VE 1.37V

1.25mA
RE 1.1k

VCEQ VCC I CQ RC RE
10V 1.25mA 4.1k 4.87V
15

Fig 7.15 Example 7.7. (2)

Verify that I2 > 10 IB.
VB 2.07V
I2

440.4A
R2 4.7k

IE
1.25mA
IB

hFE 1
50+1
24.51A

I 2 10 I B

16

Which value of hFE do I use?

Transistor specification sheet may list any
combination of the following hFE: max. hFE,
min. hFE, or typ. hFE. Use typical value if there
is one. Otherwise, use

hFE (ave) hFE (min) hFE (max)

17

Example 7.9
A voltage-divider bias circuit has the following values:
R1 = 1.5 k, R2 = 680 , RC = 260 , RE = 240 and
VCC = 10 V. Assuming the transistor is a 2N3904,
determine the value of IB for the circuit.

VB VCC

R2
680
10V
3.12V
R1 R2
2180

VE VB 0.7V 3.12V 0.7V 2.42V

I CQ

VE 2.42V
IE

10mA
RE 240

hFE ( ave ) hFE (min) hFE (max) 100 300 173

IB

IE

10mA
57.5A
hFE (ave) 1 174

18

Stability of Voltage Divider

Bias Circuit
The Q-point of voltage divider bias circuit is less
dependent on hFE than that of the base bias (fixed
bias).
For example, if IE is exactly 10 mA, the range of hFE is
100 to 300. Then

At hFE 100, I B
At hFE

IE
10mA

100A and I CQ I E I B 9.90mA

hFE 1
101

IE
10mA
300, I B

33A and I CQ I E I B 9.97mA

hFE 1
301

ICQ hardly changes over the entire range of hFE.

19

Fig 7.18 Load line for voltage

divider bias circuit.
I C (sat )

VCC
10V

20mA
RC RE 260+240
Circuit values are from
Example 7.9.

VCE (off ) VCC 10V

20

Fig 7.19-20 Base input resistance. (1)

VE I E RE I B (hFE 1) RE

RIN (base)

VE

(hFE 1) RE
IB
hFE RE
May be ignored.

21

Fig 7.19-20 Base input resistance. (2)

VB

R2 // RIN (base)
R1 R2 // RIN (base)
R2 // hFE RE

R1 R2 // hFE RE
REQ
R1 REQ

VCC

VCC
VCC

REQ R2 // hFE RE

22

Fig 7.21 Example 7.11.

REQ R2 // hFE RE
10k// 50 1.1k 8.46k
VB VCC

REQ
R1 REQ

8.46k
20V
2.21V
68k 8.46k
I CQ I E

VE VB 0.7V

RE
RE

2.21V 0.7V
1.37mA
1.1k

VCEQ VCC I CQ RC RE
20V 1.37mA 7.3k 9.99V
23

Fig 7.24 Voltage-divider bias

characteristics. (1)
Circuit recognition: The
voltage divider in the base
circuit.
Advantages: The circuit Qpoint values are stable
against changes in hFE.
Disadvantages: Requires
more components than most
other biasing circuits.
Applications: Used primarily
to bias linear amplifier.

24

Fig 7.24 Voltage-divider bias

characteristics. (2)
VCC
Load line I

equations: C (sat ) RC RE
VCE (off ) VCC
Q-point equations (assume
that hFERE > 10R2):

VB VCC

R2
R1 R2

VE VB 0.7V
I CQ I E

VE
RE

VCEQ VCC I CQ RC RE
25

Other Transistor Biasing

Circuits
Emitter-bias circuits
Feedback-bias circuits
Collector-feedback bias
Emitter-feedback bias

26

Fig 7.25-6 Emitter bias.

Assume that the transistor
operation is in active region.

VEE 0.7V
IB
RB hFE 1 RE
I C hFE I B

I E hFE 1 I B
VCE VCC I C RC I E RE VEE
Assume that hFE >> 1.

VCE VCC I C RC RE VEE

27

Fig 7.27 Example 7.12.

Determine the
values of ICQ and
VCEQ for the
amplifier shown in
Fig.7.27.

IB

12V 0.7V
RB (hFE 1) RE
11.3V
37.47A
100+2011.5k

I CQ hFE I B 200 37.47A

7.49mA
VCEQ VCC I C RC RE (VEE )
24V 7.49mA 750 1.5k
7.14V

28

Load Line for

Emitter-Bias Circuit
I C (sat )

VCC (VEE ) VCC VEE

RC RE
RC RE

VCE ( off ) VCC VEE VCC VEE

29

Fig 7.28 Emitter-bias

characteristics. (1)
Circuit recognition: A split (dualpolairty) power supply and the base
resistor is connected to ground.
Advantage: The circuit Q-point
values are stable against changes in
hFE.
Disadvantage: Requires the use of
dual-polarity power supply.
Applications: Used primarily to bias
linear amplifiers.

30

Fig 7.28 Emitter-bias

characteristics. (2)
Load line equations:

I C (sat )

VCC VEE

RC RE

VCE (off ) VCC VEE

Q-point equations:

I CQ hFE

VBE VEE
RB hFE 1 RE

VCEQ VCC I CQ RC RE VEE

31

Fig 7.29 Collector-feedback

bias.
VCC I C I B RC I B RB VBE
VCC VBE
IB
(hFE 1) RC RB
I CQ hFE I B

VCEQ VCC hFE 1 I B RC

VCC I CQ RC

32

Fig 7.30 Example 7.14.

Determine the values of ICQ and VCEQ for the
amplifier shown in Fig. 7.30.

VCC VBE
IB
RB hFE 1 RC
10V 0.7V

28.05A
180k 1011.5k
I CQ hFE I B 100 28.05A
2.805mA
VCEQ VCC (hFE 1) I B RC

10V 101 28.05A 1.5k

5.75V

33

Circuit Stability of
Collector-Feedback Bias
hFE increases

IC increases (if IB is the same)

VCE decreases

IB decreases

IC does not increase that much.

Good Stability. Less dependent
on hFE and temperature.

34

Collector-Feedback
Characteristics (1)
Circuit recognition: The base
resistor is connected between
the base and the collector
terminals of the transistor.
Advantage: A simple circuit
with relatively stable Q-point.
Disadvantage: Relatively poor
ac characteristics.
Applications: Used primarily to
bias linear amplifiers.

35

Collector-Feedback
Characteristics (2)
Q-point relationships:

IB

VCC VBE
(hFE 1) RC RB

I CQ hFE I B

VCEQ VCC I CQ RC

36

Fig 7.31 Emitter-feedback bias.

VCC VBE
IB
RB hFE 1 RE
I CQ hFE I B
I E hFE 1 I B
VCEQ VCC I C RC I E RE
VCC I CQ RC RE

37

Fig 7.32 Example 7.15.

IB

VCC VBE
16V 0.7V

RB hFE 1 RE 680k 511.6k

20.09A
I CQ hFE I B 50 20.09A 1mA
VCEQ VCC I CQ RC RE
16V 1mA 7.8k 8.2V

38

Circuit Stability of
Emitter-Feedback Bias
hFE increases

IC increases (if IB is the same)

VE increases

IB decreases

IC does not increase that much.

IC is less dependent on hFE and
temperature.

39

Emitter-Feedback
Characteristics (1)
Circuit recognition: Similar to
voltage divider bias with R2
missing (or base bias with RE
added).
Advantage: A simple circuit
with relatively stable Q-point.
Disadvantage: Requires more
components than collectorfeedback bias.
Applications: Used primarily to
bias linear amplifiers.
40

Emitter-Feedback
Characteristics (2)
Q-point relationships:

IB

VCC VBE
RB ( hFE 1) RE

I CQ hFE I B

VCEQ VCC I CQ RC RE

41

Summary
DC Biasing and the dc load line
Base bias circuits
Voltage-divider bias circuits
Emitter-bias circuits
Feedback-bias circuits
Collector-feedback bias circuits
Emitter-feedback bias circuits
42