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EEE3033 Flipped Class Notes and Guidance

This flipped class will introduce why we need to use solid state transistors for RF amplifiers and it
will provide in some ways a revision of how transistor circuits are biased but also it will be
important to learn about how to implement transistor circuits to work at radio frequencies. In this
module, we will focus on the bipolar junction transistor as it is a useful circuit from which we can
learn about the fundamentals of RF electronics. We will also learn in other classes about how they
can be designed for low noise amplifiers as well as appreciate how low noise amplifiers work.

In preparing for your flipped class it should take approximately two hours and you may find that
completing the work in two parts will be easier going. Everything is provided in small chunks to
enable you to take on the tasks as you find best. Some of it will involve reading notes, some will
involve watching small video clips while some will involve looking through one or two examples
giving important formative feedback.

Task 1 Read this introductory note to RF Amplifiers


In any radio system, the signal arriving at the receiver will undergo significant levels of
attenuation due to the path loss that it will be subjected to both in free space and due to objects
in space that will both attenuate and scatter the radio signals. It is therefore necessary to
transmit the radio frequency (RF) signal with some significant power so that a strong signal can
easily be received, but it cannot be exceedingly high due to reasons including safety, cost, energy
resource and radio spectrum licensing. Therefore it is necessary that the transmit power is
restricted and that the receiver must be able to recover the transmitted data at some distance
away. To do this a low noise amplifier is required which will ensure the signal to noise ratio is as
high as possible to best receive transmitted data, or recover a radar pulse. It will be learned in
future classes how this signal to noise ratio can be optimised but first it is important to consider
how RF amplifiers can be implemented both at the transistor or receiver. There are the following
ways in which we could amplify an RF signal:

Tubes and accelerators - These were first used before solid state technologies and still
are used for certain applications, usually where the transmission of very high power is
required such as broadcasting. For receivers, however, they are not so useful because they
simply are not compact enough and many receivers need to be portable and mobile.
Operational amplifiers As you will know from basic electronics, the operational
amplifier can be designed and built from relatively simple circuitry and substantially high
gain values can be reached. One big disadvantage is that for high RF frequencies the
operational amplifier cannot be used. Therefore this is only an option for some applications
such as the high frequency (HF) band, which is less than about 80MHz. Though there are
some operational amplifiers going as high as 1GHz on the market, they come with
limitations.
Solid state transistor amplifiers - For most RF applications therefore it is necessary to
use a suitable transistor amplifier circuit. This can be achieved with either field effect
transistors (FETs) or bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) but for the purposes of this module
only BJTs will be focussed on.

Task 2 Refresher on the Bipolar Junction Transistor


Watch the short video to refresh your knowledge of the basic properties of the BJT. You will find
the video on SurreyLearn in the same directory as these notes.

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Task 3 Function of a By-Pass Capacitor
Watch the short video to learn about the function of the by-pass capacitor. You will find the video
on SurreyLearn in the same directory as these notes.

You may wish to watch the video more than once in order to absorb the information properly.
Make sure you are able to derive the impedance as specified in the video. Ensure you understand
how the circuit enables current to by-pass the resistor when the frequency is high.

Task 4 Function of a DC Blocking Capacitor


Having understood the by-pass capacitor take a look at the DC blocking capacitor, C used in
series with the input to an amplifier that has impedance, Zamplifier. These are illustrated in Figure 1.
Write down an expression for the total input impedance Zin. When you have done so, clarify that
regardless of the value of Zamplifier, it is impossible for DC current to enter the amplifier.

C
ZAmplifier

Figure 1 - Illustration of a DC Blocking Capacitor at an Amplifier Input

Does this circuit remind you of a filter? If so what form of filter is it and therefore does the value
of capacitance matter when we wish to enable the RF frequencies to enter the amplifier?

Task 5 Introduction to an RF Choke


Watch the short video on the introduction of the RF Choke. You will find the video on SurreyLearn
in the same directory as these notes.

You may wish to watch the video more than once in order to absorb the information properly.
Check that you understand why the RF choke is needed and think what would happen to the RF
current if there was no choke present?

Task 6 Constructing a BJT Amplifier Circuit


Watch the short video on the construction of a BJT amplifier. You should find that now you have
understood the functions of the RF choke, the DC blocking capacitor and the by-pass capacitor
that the circuit will be very easy to understand.

You may wish to watch the video more than once in order to absorb the information properly.
Check specifically about the regulator capacitor and ensure you are happy with why that is
required.

Task 7 Transistor biasing Setting the Emitter Resistance


The BJT amplifier circuit we have now arrived at is illustrated in Figure 2. The task now is set to
bias the transistor and the first variable to set is the emitter resistor Re. By inspection of the
circuit, it is possible, for DC only, to make the following equation true based on Ohms law and
potential dividers:

Vcc = vce + ic R e

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Where vce is the voltage across the collector to emitter. Therefore as expected, the RF choke plays
no part at DC and we can see the above equation holds because no DC flows through the DC
blocking capacitor or to the base of the transistor. It is clear from this equation that if a value of
collector current and supply voltage are given, then the value of Re will determine the value of vce.
Vcc

vo
R1

vin

R2

Re Ce

Figure 2 - Illustration of a simple BJT RF amplifier


It is now necessary to determine what value vce has in order that the value of Re can be resolved.
To do this, it is necessary to use a bias curve for the transistor, which would normally be obtained
from a data sheet. Such a bias curve is illustrated in Figure 3. It illustrates the characteristic of
collector current, ic versus vce which is clearly a non linear curve. However, after the knee voltage,
vk, is passed then ic becomes reasonably constant. This therefore means that a suitably high
supply voltage above the knee voltage must be applied in order for the transistor to operate. It
should be also noted that this curve assumes the base current is set such that the constant
collector current, or quiescent current, icQ is half of the maximum possible collector current the
transistor can draw, termed as ic|max. Therefore the base current is assumed to be icQ/. The values
of R1 and R2 will need to be set later to make this the case.

Given that the supply voltage and collector current are known, the desired quiescent collector to
emitter voltage, vceQ needs to be determined. By inspection of Figure 3, it can be seen it is
halfway between the knee voltage and the maximum allowable voltage so therefore:

vk + Vcc
vceQ =
2

Therefore it is left as an exercise for the student to derive that:

Vcc vk
Re =
2icQ

3
ic

ic|max

Q
icQ

vce
vk vce,Q Vcc

Figure 3 - Illustration of BJT transistor characteristic curve

Task 8 Transistor biasing Understanding the emitter follower


It is now important to understand the function of the emitter follower in a transistor from which
we can realise how to derive the other two resistors R1 and R2. Watch the short video on the
construction emitter follower, which you will find in the same directory as these notes on
SurreyLearn.

You may wish to watch the video more than once in order to absorb the information properly.
This is an important feature to understand how the voltage at the base is determined.

Task 9 Completing the Biasing


From understanding the emitter follower, it should be possible to readily determine the following
relation to determine the values of R1 and R2 in Figure 2:

R 2Vcc
vbe + R eicQ
R1 + R 2

It is assumed the base emitter voltage, vbe, is usually around 0.6v found on a datasheet. There
are an infinite range of values of R1 and R2 that will satisfy the above equation, it is clearly the
ratio of the two resistors that is more critical.

Task 10 RF Oscillations in a Transistor


Watch the final video on the construction emitter follower. You should possibly watch this two or
three times to ensure you understand exactly what the transistor is doing when it amplifies an
oscillating RF signal.

Refer back to Figure 2 and ensure that you understand from this how a small alternating current
forms a large alternating current, which will then form a large alternating voltage across the load
resistor.

Tim Brown
November 2016
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