GOA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Expt No: 7 Date:

BJT BIASING CIRCUITS (Fixed Bias and Voltage Divider Bias)

Aim : To study the operation of BJT biasing circuits.

Objective: To determine the quiescent operating conditions of the fixed- and voltage-
divider-bias BJT configurations.

Components:
Sr Component Specification Quantity
No

1 Transistors 2N3904 / 2N4401 / 1

CL 100 / BC 107
2. Resistors 680 , 1.8 k, 2.7 k, 1 each (As per
6.8 k, 33 k, 1 M design)

3. DC Power Supply 0-30 V 1

4. Digital Multimeter - 2/3

(DMM)
(Students Note: The specifications may differ according to the circuit design and operation)

Operation:

Transistor Biasing is the process of setting a transistors DC operating voltage or

current conditions to the correct level so that any AC input signal can be amplified
correctly by the transistor. A transistor is biased in order to make the emitter base
junction forward biased and collector base junction reverse biased, so that it maintains in
active region, to work as an amplifier.

A biasing is required to activate the transistor and prevents it to either to

saturation mode or cut-off mode. The two most common forms of bipolar transistor
biasing are: Beta Dependent and Beta Independent. Transistor bias voltages are largely
dependent on transistor beta, ( β ) so the biasing set up for one transistor may not
necessarily be the same for another transistor as their beta values may be different. The
five common biasing circuits used with class-A bipolar transistor amplifiers are:

 Fixed bias.
 Collector-to-base bias.
 Fixed bias with emitter resistor.
 Voltage divider bias or potential divider.
 Emitter bias.

pg. 1 Lab. Write-Up for EDC – 1 (RC 2016-17) Compiled by Dr. Samarth Borker, Dept. of E&TC, GEC Farmagudi Goa. 2019
 GOA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Circuit Diagram:

Fig. 7.1 Fixed Bias Circuit

Fig 7.2 Voltage Divider Bias Circuit

Procedure:

Part A : Fixed-Bias Configuration

1. Verify all resistor values (RB and RC) from circuit in Fig. 7.1 using color code.
Record them.
2. Construct circuit as of Fig. 7.1 using 2N3904 transistor and set VCC = 20 V.
3. Measure the voltages VBE and VRC. Record them.
4. Calculate the resulting base current, IB and collector current, IC. Using the values
obtained, find β.
pg. 2 Lab. Write-Up for EDC – 1 (RC 2016-17) Compiled by Dr. Samarth Borker, Dept. of E&TC, GEC Farmagudi Goa. 2019
 GOA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
5. By using the values obtained in Step 4, calculate the values of VB, VC, VE and VCE.
6. Measure VB, VC, VE and VCE.
7. How do the measured values (Step 6) compare to the calculated values (Step 5)?
8. Simply remove the 2N3904 transistor and replace with 2N4401 transistor.
9. Then, measure the voltages VBE and VRC. Using the same equations, calculate the
values of IB and IC. From the values obtained, determine the β value for 2N4401
transistor.
10.Compile all the data needed for both transistors in Table 7.1.

Part B : Voltage-Divider-Bias Configuration

1. Verify all resistor values (R1, R2, RE and RC) from circuit in Fig. 7.2 using
color codes. Record them.
2. Using the β determined for 2N3904 transistor in Part A, calculate the
theoretical values of VB, VE, IE, IC, VC, VCE and IB for the network shown in
Fig. 7.2. Record them in Table 7.2.
3. Construct the network of Fig. 7.2 and measure VB, VE, VC and VCE. Record
them in Table 7.2.
4. Measure the voltages VR1 and VR2. Calculate the currents IE and IC and the
currents I1 and I2. Using Kirchoff’s current law, calculate the current IB.
Record IE, IC and IB values in Table 7.2.
5. How do the calculated and measured values of Table 7.2 differ?
6. Simply remove the 2N3904 transistor and replace with 2N4401 transistor.
7. Then, measure the voltages VCE, also, measure the voltages VR1 and VR2
(take readings to the hundredth or thousandth place). Calculate the current IC
and the currents I1 and I2. Using Kirchoff’s current law, calculate the current
IB.
8. Complete Table 7.3 with the values of VCE, IC, IB and β.

Results and Calculations:

Part A

1. RB (measured) = ______________, RC (measured) = ______________

2. VBE (measured) = ______________, VRC (measured) = ______________
3. IB = __________________, IC = _________________,
4. β = _____________

VRB VCC  VBE

IB   
RB RB

pg. 3 Lab. Write-Up for EDC – 1 (RC 2016-17) Compiled by Dr. Samarth Borker, Dept. of E&TC, GEC Farmagudi Goa. 2019
 GOA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
VRC IC
IC    
RC IB

5. VB (calculated) = _____________, VC (calculated) = _______________

VE (calculated) = _____________, VCE (calculated) = ______________

6. VB (measured) = _____________, VC (measured) = _______________

VE (measured) = _____________, VCE (measured) = ______________

7. Comparison of results from Step 5 & Step 6 :

8. VBE (measured) = ______________, VRC (measured) = ______________

9. IB = __________________, IC = _________________, β = _____________

VRB VCC  VBE

IB   
RB RB

VRC IC
IC    
RC IB

10.

Trans.
VCE (V) IC (mA) IB (μA) β
Type
2N3904
2N4401

Table 7.1

Part B

1. R1 (measured) = ____________, R2 (measured) = ___________,

RC (measured) = ___________, RE (measured) = ___________

2. VB (calculated) = ___________, VE (calculated) = ___________

IE (calculated) = ___________, IC (calculated) = ___________

3. VC (calculated) = ___________, VCE (calculated) = __________

pg. 4 Lab. Write-Up for EDC – 1 (RC 2016-17) Compiled by Dr. Samarth Borker, Dept. of E&TC, GEC Farmagudi Goa. 2019
 GOA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
IB (calculated) = ____________

2N3904 VB(V) VE(V) VC(V) VCE(V) IE(mA) IC(mA) IB(μA)

Calculated
(Step 2)

Measured
(Step
3&4)

Table 7.2

4. Show your works for calculating IE and IC (using measured values recorded in

Table 7.3).

I1 = _______________, I2 = ________________

VR1
I1  
R1

VR 2
I2  
R2

Using KCL, IB = _______________

(Currents calculated from measured values; considered as measured IE, IC & IB)

5. Comparison of calculated and measured values of Table 7.3:

Trans.
VCE (V) IC (mA) IB (μA) β
Type
2N3904
2N4401

Table 7.3

6. VCE (measured) = _______________

VCC  VCE
IC  
RC  RE
pg. 5 Lab. Write-Up for EDC – 1 (RC 2016-17) Compiled by Dr. Samarth Borker, Dept. of E&TC, GEC Farmagudi Goa. 2019
 GOA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
I1 = _______________, I2 = ________________

VR1
I1  
R1

VR 2
I2  
R2
Using KCL, IB = _______________

7. Complete Table 7.3 using the values obtained for 2N4401 transistor.

Precautions:

1. While doing the experiment do not exceed the ratings of the transistor. This
may lead to damage the transistor. Download Datasheet prior to assembly.
2. Connect voltmeter and Ammeter in correct polarities as shown in the circuit
diagram.
3. Do not switch ON the power supply unless you have checked the circuit
connections as per the circuit diagram.
4. Make sure while selecting the emitter, base and collector terminals of the
transistor.
Conclusion:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
************************************************************************

Viva Questions:

1. What is a “load-line”? What is its significance? Differentiate between a.c.

load line and d.c. load line.
2. What is meant by Q- point?
3. What is Biasing and why it is needed for transistor?
4. What are the methods of transistor biasing, which type is best and why?
5. What is thermal Runaway?

Outcomes of this Practical Session:

Students are able to

1. Analyze the operation of BJT for various biasing networks.
2. Understand the importance of setting up of operating point.
pg. 6 Lab. Write-Up for EDC – 1 (RC 2016-17) Compiled by Dr. Samarth Borker, Dept. of E&TC, GEC Farmagudi Goa. 2019