UNIT-3

Small Signal and Low Frequency Amplifiers

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 Small Signal Operation
&
Model of BJT

Reference: Sedra & Smith, “Microelectronic Circuits”, 6th edition.

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Separating dc and ac quantities
dc

ac

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Input resistance at the base

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Input resistance at emitter

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 Hybrid π Model

Fig. 6.60

It is important to note that the small-signal equivalent circuits of Fig.6.60 model the
operation of the BJT at a given bias point. This should be obvious from the fact that
the model parameters gm and rπ depend on the value of the dc bias current IC.

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T Model

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Application of the Small-Signal Equivalent Circuits

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Input Signal

Base Current

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Base Emitter voltage

Collector Current

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INPUT

OUTPUT

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 Augmenting the Small-Signal Models to Account for the Early
Effect

The Early effect or base-width modulation effect , causes the collector current to
depend not only on vBE but also on vCE. The dependence on vCE can be modeled by
assigning a finite output resistance to the controlled current source in the hybrid-π
model, as shown in Fig. 6.47.

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17
Summary

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Basic BJT Amplifier
Configurations

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 The Three Basic Configurations
There are three basic configurations for connecting the BJT as an amplifier. Each of these
configurations is obtained by connecting one of the three BJT terminals to ground, thus
creating a two-port network with the grounded terminal being common to the input and output
ports. Figure 6.48 shows the resulting three configurations with the biasing arrangements
omitted.

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Characterizing Amplifiers

Amplifier block replaced by

its equivalent circuit model

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 The input resistance Rin represents the loading effect of the amplifier input on
1 the signal source. It is found from

and together with the resistance Rsig forms a voltage divider that reduces vsig to the
value vi that appears at the input of the amplifier proper,

The second parameter for characterizing amplifier performance is the Overall

2 voltage gain Gv defined as
𝒗𝒐
𝑮𝒗 =
𝒗𝒔𝒊𝒈

3 The third and final parameter is the output resistance Ro

Ro is the resistance seen looking back into the amplifier output terminal with vi set to
zero. Thus Ro can be determined, at least conceptually, as indicated in Fig. 6.49(c)
with

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 The Common-Emitter (CE) Amplifier

Figure 6.50(a) shows a common-emitter amplifier (with the biasing arrangement omitted)
fed with a signal source vsig having a source resistance Rsig . We wish to analyze the
circuit to determine Rin, Ro and Av. For this purpose we shall assume that RC is part of the
amplifier; thus if a load resistance RL is connected to the amplifier output, it appears in
parallel with RC.

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 Characteristic Parameters of the CE Amplifier
Replacing the BJT with its hybrid model, we obtain the CE amplifier equivalent circuit shown
in Fig. 6.50(b).

The input resistance Rin is found by inspection to be

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Output resistance

Overall voltage

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Conclusion

Alternate gain Expression

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The Common-Emitter Amplifier with an Emitter Resistance

Fig. 6.52(a)

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Input Resistance

where

and

Thus,

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 Output Resistance

Overall Voltage gain

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The Common-Base (CB) Amplifier

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 Input Resistance

Output Resistance

Overall Voltage gain

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 EXERCISE

Analysis of CE with emitter resistance Configuration

Analysis of Common Base Configuration Using Hybrid 𝝅 Model
Analysis of Common Collector Configuration

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The Common-Collector Amplifier or Emitter Follower

Fig. 6.54
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Characteristic Parameters of the Emitter Follower

Fig.6.55

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Input Resistance

Output Resistance

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Overall Voltage gain

Summary and Comparisons

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Complete Amplifier Circuits
(Biasing + Signal)

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The Common-Emitter (CE) Amplifier

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The Common-Emitter Amplifier with an Emitter Resistance

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The Common-Base (CB) Amplifier

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The Common-Collector Amplifier or Emitter Follower

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 Exercise
Determine the voltage gain of the following amplifier configurations

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Small Signal Operation
&
Models of MOSFET
Output Resistance
Show that:

Overall Voltage gain

Find expression for GV
Find expression for GV
Show that: