ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT DESIGN-II LAB

Experiment No. 2: Common-Base Transistor Amplifier

Name of Student: ……………………………………

Registration No.: ……………………………………..

Date of Experiment: …………………………………

Submitted To: ………………………………………...

Experiment No. 2: Common-Base Transistor Amplifier Page 1

Objectives:
 To measure DC and AC voltages in Common-Base amplifier.
 To obtain measured and calculated values of voltage gain (Av), Input impedance (Zi),
Output impedance (Zo) of Common-Base amplifier.
Equipment Required:
 DMM
 Oscilloscope
 Function Generator
 DC Power Supply: +12V (fixed);
 Resistors: 47-Ω [Qty =1]; 2.2-kΩ [Qty =1]; 2.7-kΩ [Qty =1]; 3.3-kΩ [Qty =1];
10-kΩ [Qty =1]; 56-kΩ [Qty =1];
 Capacitors: 10-uF [Qty =2]; 100-uF [Qty =1];
 Transistor: NPN BJT (2N3904) [Qty=1];
 Connecting wires

Theory:
In Common-Base (CB) amplifier configuration, AC input signal is applied to the
emitter terminal and output signal is taken from the collector terminal whereas base terminal
is common to both input and output signals. The Common-Base amplifier provides high
voltage gain with a maximum current gain of 1. Since Common-Base amplifier has low input
resistance, it is the most appropriate type for certain applications where sources tend to have
very low-resistance outputs. It is also used primarily for higher frequency operations due to
its non-inverting behavior. The AC voltage gain of a Common-Base amplifier under no-load
condition (as shown in Figure 2.1) can be calculated as:

Rc
Av = ……..….
re
(2.1)
The AC input impedance can be obtained as:
Zi = r e ……..…. (2.2)

The AC output impedance can be calculated as:

Zo = Rc ……..…. (2.3)

Experiment No. 2: Common-Base Transistor Amplifier Page 2

Procedure:

Part 1: Common-Base DC bias

Figure 2.1: Common Base Amplifier

a. Record the value of β (beta) for 2N3904 transistor from its datasheet.
β (calculated) =___________
b. Measure the value of the emitter resistor using DMM.
RE (measured) =___________

c. Calculate DC bias values for the circuit of Figure 2.1.

VB (calculated) =___________

VE (calculated) =___________

V E (calculated )
IE (calculated) = = ___________
R E (calculated )

26 mV
re (calculated) = =___________
I E (calculated )

Experiment No. 2: Common-Base Transistor Amplifier Page 3

d. Construct the circuit of Figure 2.1 on the breadboard. Measure the values ofV B , V E∧I E .
VB (measured) =___________
VE (measured) =___________
V E (measured )
IE (measured) = = ___________
R E (measured )

e. Determine the AC dynamic resistance re.

26 mV
re (measured) = =___________
I E (measured )
f. Compare the calculated and measured values of re and comment.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Part 2: AC Voltage Gain

a. Calculate the voltage gain of common base amplifier using equation 2.1.
Av (calculated) = ____________
b. Apply an AC input signal Vsig = 20mV(p-p) at f = 1-kHz. Observe the output waveform
on the oscilloscope and make sure that there is no distortion (if there is distortion, vary
the input signal or check the DC bias). Measure the resulting AC output voltage Vo using
output channel 2 of the oscilloscope. At the same time, measure the input signal Vsig using
output channel 1 of the oscilloscope.
Vo (p-p) [measured] = ____________

Vsig (p-p) [measured] = ____________

c. Calculate the no-load voltage gain using measured values as noted above.
Vo
A v =¿
V sig

Av (measured) =_____________

d. Compare the calculated and measured values of Av and comment.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Experiment No. 2: Common-Base Transistor Amplifier Page 4

Part 3: Waveforms Sketching
 Sketch the waveforms of Vsig and Vo on the graph paper given in Figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2
Part 4: AC Input Impedance
a. Calculate the AC input impedance Zi using equation 2.2.
Zi (calculated) =____________

b. To measure Zi , insert an input measurement resistor Rx = 47-Ω as shown in Figure 2.3.

Before inserting an input measurement resistor Rx, measure its resistance using DMM.
Rx (measured) =___________
c. Apply input signal Vsig = 20mV(p-p) with f = 1-kHz. Observe the output waveform on the
oscilloscope and ensure that no distortion is there in the output signal (adjust input
amplitude if necessary). Record the measured value of Vi.

Figure 2.3

Experiment No. 2: Common-Base Transistor Amplifier Page 5

 Vi (p-p) (measured) =___________
a. Measure and record the value of V sig using oscilloscope under these conditions.
Vsig (p-p) (measured) =___________

Solving for Zi ,
Zi
V i= ¿V
( Z i + R x ) sig

Vi
Zi = ∗R
(V sig −V i ) X

Zi (measured) =___________

b. Compare the calculated and measured values of Zi and comment.

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

Part 5: Output Impedance

a. Calculate the AC output impedance Z o using equation 2.3.
Z o(calculated) = ___________
b. Remove the input measurement resistor R x. For the input signal Vsig = 20mV(p-p),
measure the output voltage V o ( p− p)(unloaded).
V o ( p− p)(unloaded) [measured] =___________

c. Now connect the load resistor R L= 3.3-kΩ as shown in Figure 2.4. Before connecting the
load resistor, measure its resistance using DMM.
RL (measured) =___________
d. Measure V L(p− p )(loaded).

Figure 2.4

Experiment No. 2: Common-Base Transistor Amplifier Page 6

 V L(p− p ) (loaded) [measured] =___________
a. The measured value of output impedance can be obtained as,
RL
V L=
( Z ¿ ¿ o+ R L ) ¿ V o ¿

V o−V L
Z o= ¿ RL
VL
Z o(measured) =____________

b. Compare the calculated and measured values of Z oand comment.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Experiment No. 2: Common-Base Transistor Amplifier Page 7