DC Biasing of BJTs

Biasing
Biasing
Biasing:
Biasing:
T
The DC voltages applied to
a transistor in order to turn it on so
that it can amplify the AC signal.
Operating Point
Operating Point
The DC input
establishes an
operating or
quiescent point
called the
Q
Q
-
-
point
point.
The Three States of Operation
The Three States of Operation

Active or Linear Region Operation

Active or Linear Region Operation
BaseEmitter junction is forward biased
BaseCollector junction is reverse biased

Cutoff Region Operation

Cutoff Region Operation
BaseEmitter junction is reverse biased

Saturation Region Operation

Saturation Region Operation
BaseEmitter junction is forward biased
BaseCollector junction is forward biased
No matter what type of configuration a transistor
is used in, the basic relationships between the
currents are always the same, and the base-to-
emitter voltage is the threshold value if the
transistor is in the onstate
B C
C B E
BE
I I
I I I
V V

=
+ =
=
) 1 (
7 . 0
The operating point defines where the
transistor will operate on its characteristics
curves under dc conditions.
For linear (minimum distortion)
amplification, the dc operating point should
not be too close to the maximum power,
voltage, or current rating and should avoid
the regions of saturation and cutoff
DC Biasing Circuits
DC Biasing Circuits
Fixed-bias circuit
Emitter-stabilized bias circuit
I. Fixed Bias
I. Fixed Bias
The fixed-bias configuration is the
simplest of transistor biasing
arrangements, but it is also quite unstable
For most configurations the dc analysis
begins with a determination of the base
current
For the dc analysis of a transistor
network, all capacitors are replaced by an
open-circuit equivalent
Fixed-bias circuit
The dc equivalent circuit of the fixed bias circuit
where the capacitor is replaced with an open-circuit
The Base
The Base
-
-
Emitter Loop
Emitter Loop
From Kirchhoffs voltage
law:
+V
CC
I
B
R
B
V
BE
= 0
Solving for base current:
B
BE CC
B
R
V V
I

=
Collector
Collector
-
-
Emitter Loop
Emitter Loop
Collector current:
B
I I
C
=
C C CC CE
R I V V =
From Kirchhoffs voltage law:
0 = +
CC C C CE
V R I V
Example: Determine the following for the fixed-bias
configuration of the figure shown:
(a) I
BQ
and I
CQ
(b) V
CEQ
(c) V
B
and V
C
(d) V
BC
= 75
Saturation
Saturation
Saturation conditions are normally avoided because
the base-collector junction is no longer reverse-
biased and the output amplified signal will be
distorted
For a transistor operating in the saturation region,
the current is a maximum value for the particular
design. Change the design and the corresponding
saturation level may rise or drop
The highest saturation level is defined by the
maximum collector current as provided by the
specification sheet
Saturation
Saturation
= = = 0
0
sat
C C
CE
CE
I
V
I
V
R
C
CC
C
R
V
I
sat
=
Saturation
Saturation
When the transistor is operating in saturation, current
through the transistor is at its maximum possible value.
C
R
CC
V
Csat
I =
V 0
CE
V
In the previous example, the saturation level for the network is
given by:
mA
k
V
R
V
I
C
CC
C
sat
45 . 5
2 . 2
12
=

= =
Load Line Analysis
Load Line Analysis
C C CC CE
R I V V =
The variables I
C
and V
CE
are related by the equation:
Load Line Analysis
Load Line Analysis
I
I
Csat Csat
I
C C
= V
CC CC
/ R
C C
V
CE CE
= 0 V
V
V
CEcutoff CEcutoff
V
CE CE
= V
CC CC
I
C C
= 0 mA
The Q-point is the operating point:
where the value of R
B
sets the value of I
B
that sets the values of V
CE
and I
C
The end points of the load line are:
Circuit Values Affect the Q
Circuit Values Affect the Q
-
-
Point
Point
[Movement of the Q-point with increasing level of I
B
]
Circuit Values Affect the Q
Circuit Values Affect the Q
-
-
Point
Point
[Effect of an increasing level of R
C
on the load line the
Q-point]
Circuit Values Affect the Q
Circuit Values Affect the Q
-
-
Point
Point
[Effect of lower values of V
CC
on the load line the Q-
point]
II. Emitter
II. Emitter
-
-
Stabilized Bias Circuit
Stabilized Bias Circuit
Adding a resistor
(R
E
) to the emitter
circuit stabilizes
the bias circuit.
Base
Base
-
-
Emitter Loop
Emitter Loop
From Kirchhoffs voltage law:
0 R I - V - R I -
E E BE B B CC
= +V
0 R 1)I ( - V - R I - V
E B BE B B CC
= +
Since I
E
= ( + 1)I
B
:
E B
BE CC
B
1)R ( R
V - V
I
+ +
=
Solving for I
B
:
Collector
Collector
-
-
Emitter Loop
Emitter Loop
From Kirchhoffs voltage law:
0
CC
V
C
R
C
I
CE
V
E
R
E
I = + +
Since I
E
I
C
:
) R (R I V V
E C C CC CE
+ =
Also:
E BE B R CC B
C C CC E CE C
E E E
V V R I V V
R I - V V V V
R I V
+ = =
= + =
=
Example: Determine the following for the emitter bias network
of the figure shown:
(a) I
B
(b) I
C
(c) V
CE
(d) V
C
(e) V
E
(f) V
B
(g) V
BC
+16 V
= 75
Improved Biased Stability
Improved Biased Stability
Stability refers to a circuit condition in which the currents
and voltages will remain fairly constant over a wide range
of temperatures and transistor Beta () values
Adding R
E
to the emitter improves the stability of a transistor
I
B
(A) I
C
(mA) V
CE
(V)
75 30.24 2.27 9.91
100 28.81 3.63 9.11
[For Emitter Bias Case]
I
B
(A) I
C
(mA) V
CE
(V)
75 47.08 3.53 4.23
100 47.08 4.71 1.64
[For Fixed Bias Case]
Saturation Level
Saturation Level
E C
CC
C
R R
V
I
sat
+
=
Load
Load
-
-
line Analysis
line Analysis
V
CEcutoff
: :
I
Csat
:
The endpoints can be determined from the load line.
mA 0 I
V V
C
CC CE
=
=
E
R
C
R
CC
V
C
I
CE
V 0 V
+
=
=
) (
E C C CC CE
R R I V V + =
Bias Stabilization
Bias Stabilization
The stability of a system is a measure of the
sensitivity of a network to variations in its parameters
In any amplifier employing a transistor the collector
current I
C
is sensitive to each of the following
parameters:
: increase with increase in temperature
|V
BE
| : decrease about 2.5 mV per
o
C
increase in temperature
I
CO
(reverse saturation current): doubles in
value for every 10
0
increase in tempearture
Shift in dc-bias point (Q-point) due to change in
temperature: (a) 25
0
C; (b) 100
0
C
A better bias circuit is one that will stabilize or maintain
the dc-bias initially set, so that the amplifier can be used
in a changing-temperature environment
Stability Factors: S(I
CO
), S(V
BE
), and S()
CO
C
CO
I
I
I S

= ) (
BE
C
BE
V
I
V S

= ) (

=
C
I
S ) (
Networks that are quite stable and relatively insensitive to
temperature variations have low stability factors
The higher the stability factor, the more sensitive is the
network to variations in that parameter