NAME OLABINJO ebenezer

DEPARTMENT Electrical Electronics

MATRIC NUMBER EEE/13/1114
COURSE COORDINATOR ENGR EZEA
DATE 21/12/2015

EMITTER BIASED CONFIGURATION

All types of Transistor Amplifiers operate using AC signal inputs which alternate between a
positive value and a negative value so some way of presetting the amplifier circuit to operate
between these two maximum or peak values is required. This is achieved using a process
known as Biasing. Biasing is very important in amplifier design as it establishes the correct
operating point of the transistor amplifier ready to receive signals, thereby reducing any
distortion to the output signal.
We also saw that a static or DC load line can be drawn onto these output characteristics curves
to show all the possible operating points of the transistor from fully ON to fully OFF, and to
which the quiescent operating point or Q-point of the amplifier can be found.
The aim of any small signal amplifier is to amplify all of the input signal with the minimum
amount of distortion possible to the output signal, in other words, the output signal must be an
exact reproduction of the input signal but only bigger (amplified).
To obtain low distortion when used as an amplifier the operating quiescent point needs to be
correctly selected. This is in fact the DC operating point of the amplifier and its position may be
established at any point along the load line by a suitable biasing arrangement. The best possible
position for this Q-point is as close to the center position of the load line as reasonably possible,
thereby producing a Class A type amplifier operation, ie. Vce = 1/2Vcc. Consider the Common
Emitter Amplifier circuit shown below.

The Common Emitter Amplifier Circuit

The single stage common emitter amplifier circuit shown above uses what is commonly called
Voltage Divider Biasing. This type of biasing arrangement uses two resistors as a potential
divider network across the supply with their center point supplying the required Base bias
voltage to the transistor. Voltage divider biasing is commonly used in the design of bipolar
transistor amplifier circuits.

This method of biasing the transistor greatly reduces the effects of varying Beta, ( ) by holding
the Base bias at a constant steady voltage level allowing for best stability. The quiescent Base
voltage (Vb) is determined by the potential divider network formed by the two resistors, R1, R2
and the power supply voltage Vcc as shown with the current flowing through both resistors.

Then the total resistance RT will be equal to R1 + R2 giving the current as i = Vcc/RT. The
voltage level generated at the junction of resistors R1 and R2 holds the Base voltage (Vb)
constant at a value below the supply voltage.
Then the potential divider network used in the common emitter amplifier circuit divides the
input signal in proportion to the resistance. This bias reference voltage can be easily calculated
using the simple voltage divider formula below:

Bias Voltage

The same supply voltage, (Vcc) also determines the maximum Collector current, Ic when the
transistor is switched fully ON (saturation), Vce = 0. The Base current Ib for the transistor is
found from the Collector current, Ic and the DC current gain Beta, of the transistor.

Beta Value

Beta is sometimes referred to as hFE which is the transistors forward current gain in the
common emitter configuration. Beta has no units as it is a fixed ratio of the two currents, Ic and
Ib so a small change in the Base current will cause a large change in the Collector current.
One final point about Beta. Transistors of the same type and part number will have large
variations in their Beta value for example, the BC107 NPN Bipolar transistor has a DC current
gain Beta value of between 110 and 450 (data sheet value) this is because Beta is a
characteristic of their construction and not their operation.
As the Base/Emitter junction is forward-biased, the Emitter voltage, Ve will be one junction
voltage drop different to the Base voltage. If the voltage across the Emitter resistor is known
then the Emitter current, Ie can be easily calculated using Ohms Law. The Collector current, Ic
can be approximated, since it is almost the same value as the Emitter current.

Common Emitter Amplifier Summary

Then to summarise. The Common Emitter Amplifier circuit has a resistor in its Collector circuit.
The current flowing through this resistor produces the voltage output of the amplifier. The
value of this resistor is chosen so that at the amplifiers quiescent operating point, Q-point this
output voltage lies half way along the transistors load line.
The Base of the transistor used in a common emitter amplifier is biased using two resistors as a
potential divider network. This type of biasing arrangement is commonly used in the design of
bipolar transistor amplifier circuits and greatly reduces the effects of varying Beta, ( ) by
holding the Base bias at a constant steady voltage. This type of biasing produces the greatest
stability.
A resistor can be included in the emitter leg in which case the voltage gain becomes -RL/RE. If
there is no external Emitter resistance, the voltage gain of the amplifier is not infinite as there is
a very small internal resistance, Re in the Emitter leg. The value of this internal resistance is
equal to 25mV/IE

VOLTAGE BIASING CONFIGURATION

Voltage-divider bias configuration

Exact Analysis

he voltage divider is formed using external resistors R1 and R2. The voltage across R2 forward
biases the emitter junction. By proper selection of resistors R1 and R2, the operating point of
the transistor can be made independent of . In this circuit, the voltage divider holds the base
voltage fixed independent of base current provided the divider current is large compared to the
base current. However, even with a fixed base voltage, collector current varies with
temperature (for example) so an emitter resistor is added to stabilize the Q-point, similar to the
above circuits with emitter resistor.
provided
.
Also
For the given circuit,

Merits:

Unlike above circuits, only one dc supply is necessary.

Operating point is almost independent of variation.
Operating point stabilized against shift in temperature.

Demerits:

In this circuit, to keep IC independent of the following condition must be met:

which is approximately the case if

where R1 || R2 denotes the equivalent resistance of R1 and R2 connected in parallel.

As -value is fixed for a given transistor, this relation can be satisfied either by keeping
RE fairly large, or making R1||R2 very low.
o If RE is of large value, high VCC is necessary. This increases cost as well as
precautions necessary while handling.
o If R1 || R2 is low, either R1 is low, or R2 is low, or both are low. A low R1 raises VB
closer to VC, reducing the available swing in collector voltage, and limiting how
large RC can be made without driving the transistor out of active mode. A low R2
lowers Vbe, reducing the allowed collector current. Lowering both resistor values
draws more current from the power supply and lowers the input resistance of
the amplifier as seen from the base.

AC as well as DC feedback is caused by RE, which reduces the AC voltage gain of the
amplifier. A method to avoid AC feedback while retaining DC feedback is discussed
below.

Usage:
The circuit's stability and merits as above make it widely used for linear circuits.

Physical impact
In a fixed bias circuit, IC increases due to increase in IC0. [IC = I
B+(
+1)
C0] I
IB is fixed by VCC and RB. Thus level of IC would continue to rise with temperature a very unstable
situation.
In emitter bias circuit, as IC increases, IE increases, VE increases. Increase in VE reduces IB. IB = [VCC
VBE VE] / RB. A drop in IB reduces IC.Thus, this configuration is such that there is a reaction to an
increase in IC that will tend to oppose the change in bias conditions.
In the DC bias with voltage feedback, as IC increases, voltage across RC increases, thus reducing IB
and causing IC to reduce.
The most stable configuration is the voltage divider network. If the condition ER
>>10R2, the
voltage VB will remain fairly constant for changing levels of IC. VBE = VB VE, as IC increases, VE
increases, since VB is constant, VBE drops making IB to fall, which will try to offset the increases
level of IC.
S(VBE)
S(VBE) = CI
/ BE
V
For an emitter bias circuit, S(VBE) = - / [ R
B+(

E] + 1)R
If RE =0 in the above equation, we get S(VBE) for a fixed bias circuit as, S(VBE) = - / R
B.
For an emitter bias,
S(VBE) = - / [ R
B+(

E] can
+ 1)R
be rewritten as,
S(VBE) = - ( E/
)/ R[RB/RE + (
+ 1)]
If (

B
/R+E,1)>>
thenR
S(VBE) = - ( E/
)/ R(
-1/+R1)
E=
The larger the RE, lower the S(VBE) and more stable is the system.
Total effect of all the three parameters on IC can be written as,

IC = S(ICO) ICO + S(VBE)

VBE + S(
)General conclusion:
The ratio RB / RE or Rth / RE should be as small as possible considering all aspects of design.