EXPERIMENT

3 COMPOUND CONFIGURATIONS

OBJECTIVES

1. To measure the bias voltages and currents of multistage systems.

2. To demonstrate the independence of the DC voltages and currents of one stage in a
capacitively coupled system with the DC voltages and currents of any other stage of
the system.
3. To measure the bias voltages and currents of a multistage dc coupled system.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs)

The students shall be able to:
1.1. Determine the beta of each transistor.
1.2. Calculate the bias voltages and currents of a multistage dc coupled system.
1.3. Measure, record, and observe the output voltage with respect to the varying input signal.
1.4. Verify the difference between the computed and measured values.
1.5. Demonstrate the procedure on how to obtain the output voltage with respect to the
varying input signal.
1.6. Construct a graph showing the output voltage in relation with the input frequency.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

Oscilloscope
DMM
Function Generator
DC Supply

COMPONENTS

Resistors Capacitors
(1) 470 Ω (1) 0.1 μF
(2) 1 KΩ
(1) 1.2 KΩ
(1) 2.4 KΩ
(1) 2.7 KΩ
(1) 4.7 KΩ
(2) 15 KΩ
(1) 1 MΩ
 (1) 1 KΩ potentiometer

Transistors
(1) 2N3904 or
(1) 2N5551 or
(1) 2N4401 or
Any Equivalent General
Purpose NPN BJT
RESUME OF THEORY

Typical electronic amplifying systems consist of several transistors stages connected together.
The amplification purpose dictates the nature of the interconnection between the stages. If an
amplifier is required to amplify a signal containing frequencies well above 0 Hz, the method of
coupling most commonly employed is AC coupling. It consists of connecting a capacitor
between the collector of one stage and the base of the next stage. In this fashion, the AC
component of the collector output voltage is connected into the base of the next stage, while the
DC component of the collector voltage is blocked from reaching that base due to the capacitor.
In effect, relative to any DC voltages and currents, coupled stages are isolated from each other.
This makes the DC analysis of even the most complex systems relatively easy since each stage
can be analyzed independently. In this experiment, the DC biasing levels of various stages of an
amplifier are measured. It is then demonstrated that the capacitively coupled stages do not affect
each other’s DC voltages and currents. Both an exchange of position of the stages in the system,
and a change in the biasing network of a transistor are used in that demonstration.

The second coupling system investigated during this experiment is a DC-coupled system. Such
systems are used when very low frequency components of a signal and even its DC component
need to be amplified. A direct connection is made between the collector of a stage and the base
of the next. Here, it will be demonstrated that any change in the dc voltages and currents in one
stage affects the DC voltages and currents in another stage. A technique of changing the bias
network on one stage will be used to show the DC dependences of the two stages used in this
experiment.

PROCEDURE

Part 1: Determining the BJT (β) parameter

This part of the experiment will determine the BJT parameter to be employed in the
analysis of each compound configuration.

a. To determine the β for each BJT transistor, construct the network of Figure 3.1 and
insert the measured resistor values.
 Figure 3.1 Determining 

Energize the network and measure the voltages VBE and VRC. Using the measured
values of RBC and RC, calculate the levels of IB and IC, using the equations IB = (VCC –
VBE)/RB and IC = VRC/RC. Then calculate β from β = IC/IB and insert below.

(measured) β1 = _253.98__

Replace the 2N3904 with the other BJT transistor and determine its level of β. Insert
its level below. Throughout the experiment, be sure you can identify which transistor
has which level of β.
(measured) β2 = __209.36_
Part 2: Capacitive-Coupled Multistage System with Voltage-Divider Bias

In this part, bias voltages and currents of a capacitively coupled two-stage amplifier
system are measured. The DC isolation between the two stages will be demonstrated.

a. Construct the circuit the circuit of Figure 3.2 using a 2N3904 transistor for each
stage.

Figure 3.2 AC-coupled multistage amplifier

b. Using the β values determined in Part 1, calculate the voltage levels V B1, VB2, and VC2
using commercial values. Keep in mind for DC conditions. Insert the results in
Table 3.1.

TABLE 3.1

VB1 VC1 VB2 VC2

Calculated values 2.83 V 6.22 V 1.64 V 9.58 V
Measured values 2.32 V 5.76 V 1.13 V 2.42 V
% Difference 18% 7% 31% 74%

c. Energize the network of Figure 3.2 and measure the voltages VB1, VB2, VB2, and VC2
and insert in Table 3.1.
 d. Calculate the percent difference between the calculated and measured values using
the following equation and insert in Table 3.1.

|Vcalc−Vmeas|
% Difference= ×100 %
Vcalc
e. Even though commercial resistor values were employed, are the percent differences
in general less than 10%? If not, can you comment on why the difference was so
large?
_________The percent differences in general is greater than 10%, because the calculated
values is higher than measured values________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

f. Compare the measured values of V C and VB. Do they confirm the fact that the
capacitor CC assumes an open-circuit state for DC conditions? In other words, for DC
conditions, are the two voltage-divider configurations isolated?

_____________Yes, the two voltage-divider configurations is isolated__________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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Part 3: DC-Coupled Multistage Systems

In this part the bias voltages of a DC-coupled two-stage transistor amplifier will be
calculated, measured and compared. The primary purpose is to demonstrate that the DC
levels of one stage will have a direct effect on the dc levels of the other stage.

a. Construct the network of Figure 3.3 using 2N3904 transistors.

 Figure 3.3 DC-coupled multistage amplifier

b. Using the β values determined in Part 1, calculate the voltage levels VB1, VC1, VB2 and
VC2 using commercial values. In this case, proceed by first finding VB1, then VE1, IE1
and IC1 followed by VC1 assuming I’C = IC1 >>IB2. Once VC1 = VB2 is known, VE2 and
the remaining unknowns can be found. Insert the results in Table 3.2.

TABLE 3.2

VB1 VC1 VB2 VC2

Calculated values 2.83 V 14.14 V 6.2 V 7.45 V
Measured values 2.32 V 5.81 V 5.66 V 4.54 V
% Difference 18% 63% 8.7% 39%

c. Energize the network of Figure 3.3 and measure the voltages VB1, VB2, VB2, and VC2
and insert in Table 3.2.

d. Calculate the percent difference between the calculated and measured values using
the following equation and insert in Table 3.2.

|V calc−V meas|
% Difference= ×100 %
V calc
e. Even though commercial resistor values were employed, are the percent differences
 in general less than 10%? If not, can you comment on why the difference was so
large?
________________ The percent differences in general is not less than 10%, because the
____calculated values is higher than measured values____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

f. Compare the measured values of VC, and VB. Do they confirm the fact that the
capacitor CC assumes an open-circuit state for DC conditions? In other words, for DC
conditions, are the two voltage-divider configurations isolated?

___________ the two voltage-divider configurations is not isolated, the DC levels of one
stage have a direct effect on the dc levels of the other stage________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Solutions for theoretical values
ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

_______ The two voltage-divider configurations is isolated because of capacitor and in DC-
coupled multistage amplifier the two voltage-divider configurations is not isolated, the DC levels
of one stage have a direct effect on the dc levels of the other stage.

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