Electronics

Duong Quang Ha, Ph.D

Transistor Bias Circuit
 DC bias
 Bias establishes the dc operating point (Q-point) for proper
linear operation of an amplifier. If an amplifier is not biased
with correct dc voltages on the input and output, it can go
into saturation or cutoff when an input signal is applied.
 DC bias
 Graphical analysis :
 DC bias
 If IB = 200 μA→ IC = 20 mA :
VCE  VCC  I C R  10  0, 02  220  5, 6(V )
 DC bias
 If IB = 300 μA→ IC = 30 mA :
VCE  VCC  I C R  10  0, 03  220  3, 4(V )
 DC bias
 If IB = 400 μA→ IC = 40 mA :
VCE  VCC  I C R  10  0, 04  220  1, 2(V )
 DC bias
 DC load line:
 DC bias
 The DC operating point between saturation and cut-off is
called Q-point. The goal is to set the Q-point such that it does
not go into saturation or cut-off regions when AC signal is
applied.
 DC bias
 Linear operation: As long as the transistor is operated in this
region, the output voltage is ideally a linear reproduction of
the input.
 DC bias
 Waveform distortion :
 Example
 Determine the Q-point for the circuit in the figure and draw
the DC load line. Find the maximum peak value of base
current for linear operation. Assume βDC = 200.
 DC bias
 Factors affecting the operating point :
 The main factor that affect the operating point is the
temperature. The operating point shifts due to change in
temperature. As temperature increases, the values of ICE, β,
VBE gets affected.
 ICBO gets doubled (for every 100 rise)
 VBE decreases by 2.5mV (for every 10 rise)
 Bias Stabilization
 Stabilization : the process of making the operating point
independent of temperature changes or variations in transistor
parameters.
 Stabilization of the operating point has to be achieved due to
the following reasons :
 Temperature dependence of IC
 Individual variations
 Thermal runaway
 Bias Stabilization
 Temperature dependence of IC :
I C   .I B  I CEO   .I B  (   1).I CBO
 The collector leakage current ICBO is greatly influenced by
temperature variations. To come out of this, the biasing
conditions are set so that zero signal collector current IC = 1
mA. Therefore, the operating point needs to be stabilized i.e.
it is necessary to keep IC constant.
 Bias Stabilization
 Individual variation : As the value of β and the value of VBE
are not same for every transistor, whenever a transistor is
replaced, the operating point tends to change.
 Thermal runaway :
I C   .I B  I CEO   .I B  (   1).I CBO
 The flow of collector current and also the collector leakage
current causes heat dissipation. If the operating point is not
stabilized, there occurs a cumulative effect which increases
this heat dissipation. The self-destruction of such an
unstabilized transistor is known as thermal runaway.
 Bias Stabilization
 Stability Factor : It is understood that IC should be kept
constant in spite of variations of VBE, ICO, or β. The extent to
which a biasing circuit is successful in maintaining this is
measured by Stability factor. It denoted by S.
dI C dI C dI C
S ( I CO )  , S (VBE )  , S ( ) 
dI CO dVBE d
 The higher the stability factor, the more sensitive is the
network to variations in that parameter.
 Bias Stabilization
 In practice, the effect of Ico on Ic is much more considerable
than other factors. Hence, the factor S(ICO) is examined when
the temperature changes.
 We know that :
I C   .I B  (1   ).I CO
 Take the differential (β = const):
dI B dI CO dI B 1   1 
1  .  (1   ). 1  .   S ( I CO ) 
dI C dI C dI C S ( I CO ) dI B
1 .
dI C
 Base Biasing
 One of the most frequently used biasing circuits for a
transistor circuit is with the self-bias where one or more
biasing resistors are used to set up the initial DC values of
transistor currents.
 The two most common forms of transistor biasing are: β-
dependent and β-Independent. Transistor bias voltages are
largely dependent on β so the biasing set up for one transistor
may not necessarily be the same for another transistor.
 Base Biasing
 Fixed Base Biasing :
 In this method, a resistor RB of high resistance is
connected in base.
 Base Biasing
 Fixed Base Biasing :
 Stability Factor :
 1 dI B
S ( I CO )  S ( I CO )    1 (  0)
dI B
1   .( ) dI C
dI C
 It means that IC changes (β+1) times as much as
any change in ICO.
 Base Biasing
 Fixed base biasing
Advantages :
 The circuit is simple.
 Only one resistor RB is required.
 Biasing conditions are set easily.
 No loading effect as no resistor is present at
base-emitter junction.
 Base Biasing
 Fixed base biasing
 Disadvantages :
 The stabilization is poor as heat development
can’t be stopped.
 The stability factor is very high. So, there are
strong chances of thermal runaway.
Example
 Base Biasing
 Emitter-Feedback Biasing :
 The DC bias network contains an emitter
resistor to improve the stability level over that
of the fixed-bias configuration.
VCC  VBE  I E RE
IB 
RB
 Because IC >> IB :
VCC  VBE  I C RE dI R
IB   B  E
RB dI C RB
 Base Biasing
 Emitter-Feedback Biasing :
 Bias stability : more stable than fixed base
biasing.
 Stability Factor :
RB
(   1)(1  )
RE
S ( I CO ) 
RB

RE
Base Biasing
 Base Biasing
 Emitter-Feedback Biasing :
 Stability Factor : quite the same with fixed base
biasing.
 Advantage : the simple circuit with relatively
stable Q-point.
 Disadvantage : requires more components than
fixed base biasing configuration.
 Example
 Determine all parameters of the emitter-feedback bias
circuit.
 Base Biasing
 Collector-Feedback Biasing :
 The collector to base bias circuit is same as base
bias circuit except that the base resistor RB is
returned to collector, rather than to VCC supply.
 This circuit helps in improving the stability
considerably. If the value of IC increases, the
voltage across RC increases and hence the VCE
also increases. This in turn reduces the base
current IB.
 Base Biasing
 Collector-Feedback Biasing :
VCC  ( I B  I C ) RC  I B RB  VBE  0

VCC  VBE  I C RC
IB 
RC  RB

dI B RC

dI C RC  RB
 Base Biasing
 Collector-Feedback Biasing :
 Stability Factor : since VBE is almost independent
of collector current IC
dI B RC 1 
 S  1 
dI C RC  RB RC
1   .( )
RC  RB
 This circuit provides a negative feedback which reduces
the gain of the amplifier, so the increased stability of the
collector to base bias circuit is obtained.
 Base Biasing
 Collector-Feedback Biasing
 Advantages :
 The circuit is simple as it needs only one resistor.
 This circuit provides some stabilization, for
lesser changes.
 Disadvantages :
 The circuit doesn’t provide good stabilization.
 The circuit provides negative feedback.
Example
 Emitter Biasing
 Emitter bias provides excellent bias stability in spite of
changes in β or temperature. It uses both a positive and a
negative supply voltage.
VCC  VEE  VCE
IC  I E  IC 
RC  RE
 If the circuit is symmetric through RB :
VCC  VEE  2VBE
VCE  2VBE  I C 
RC  RE
 Example
 Determine all parameters of the emitter-follower bias
circuit.
 Voltage-divider bias
 A DC bias voltage at the base of the
transistor can be developed by a resistive
voltage divider that consists of R1 and R2.
 Generally, voltage-divider bias circuits are
designed so that the base current is much
smaller than the current (I2) through R2.
 Voltage-divider bias
 A voltage divider in which the base current is
small compared to the current in R2 is said to
be a stiff voltage divider because the base
voltage is relatively independent of different
transistors and temperature effects.
 Ideally, a voltage-divider circuit is stiff,
which means that the transistor does not
appear as a significant load.
 Voltage-divider bias
 The stiff voltage dividers
require smaller resistors, which
are not always desirable because
of potential loading effects on
other circuits and added power
requirements.
If the circuit designer wanted to
raise the input resistance, the
divider string may not be stiff.
Example
 Voltage-divider bias
 Loading effect : The dc input resistance of the transistor is
proportional to βDC, so it will change for different transistors.

 As long as RIN(BASE) is at least ten times larger than R2, the

loading effect will be 10% or less and the voltage divider is
stiff. If RIN(BASE) is less than ten times R2, it should be
combined in parallel with R2.
 Voltage-divider bias
 Apply Thevenin’s theorem to the circuit left of point A, with
VCC replaced by a short to ground and the transistor
disconnected from the circuit.
 Voltage-divider bias
 Apply Kirchhoff’s voltage law around the equivalent base-
emitter loop :

 If RTH/βDCis small compared to RE, the result is

the same as for an unloaded voltage divider.
 Voltage-divider bias
 Stability Factor :
(1   )( RTH  RE )
S
RTH  RE   .RE
 If the ratio RTH/RE is very small :
S 1
 This is the smallest possible value of S and
leads to the maximum possible thermal
stability.
Example
Summary
Summary
 Summary
 Other stabilization factor :
 Fixed base biasing :

 Emitter-feedback biasing :
 Summary
 Base biasing :

 Voltage-divider bias :
 Exercise
 Determine all parameters of the following circuit :
 Multiple BJT Network
 The R–C coupling is probably the most common. The
collector output of one stage is fed directly into the base of
the next stage using a coupling capacitor CC. The capacitor is
chosen to ensure that it will block DC between the stages and
act like a short circuit to any ac signal.
 Multiple BJT Network
 Darlington configuration :
feeds the output of one stage
directly into the input of the
succeeding stage.
 Multiple BJT Network
 Cascade configuration : ties the
collector of one transistor to the
emitter of the other.
 Example
 Determine the dc levels for the currents and voltages of the
direct- coupled amplifier.
 Troubleshooting
 For an “on” transistor, the voltage VBE should be in the
neighborhood of 0.7 V.
 Troubleshooting
 For the typical transistor amplifier in the active region, VCE
is usually about 25% to 75% of VCC.
 Troubleshooting
 Voltage-divider biasing :
THE END!!!