Palestine Polytechnic University

College of Engineering
Electrical Engineering Department
Electronics Lab

Experiment #3
BJT Transistor Characteristics

Objectives

1. Investigate the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT).

2. Analyze the behavior of the BJT under different biasing conditions.
3. Understand the operating regions of the transistor.
4. Evaluate the DC current gain of the BJT.
5. Identify any deviations from ideal transistor behavior.
6. Gain hands-on experience with transistor testing techniques.
7. Enhance understanding of BJT operation in practical electronic circuits.

A. Testing a BJT Transistor

Here are the steps to test an NPN BJT transistor using a digital multimeter (DMM):

1.1 Set up the transistor: Identify the pin configuration of the NPN BJT transistor by referring to its
datasheet or markings on the device. The transistor typically has three pins: the emitter (E), the base
(B), and the collector (C). Ensure that the transistor is not connected to any external circuit.

1.2 Set the DMM to the diode testing mode.

1.3 Testing the base-emitter junction:

Connect the DMM leads. The red lead (Positive) of the DMM to the base terminal and the black lead
(Negative) to the emitter terminal. Note the polarity of the DMM leads for accurate readings.

1.4 Read the DMM display. If the base-emitter junction is functioning properly, the DMM should
display a voltage drop around 0.5 to 0.7 volts. Record your reading in table 1.

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1.5 Reverse the probes' connections, with the red probe on the emitter terminal and the black probe on
the base terminal.

1.6 If the base-emitter junction is functioning correctly, the multimeter should display "OL" or a high
resistance reading, indicating that the base-emitter junction is Reverse-Biased and blocking the
current flow. Record your reading in table 1.

1.7 Testing the base-collector junction:

Connect the red lead to the base terminal and the black lead to the collector terminal. Ensure correct
polarity.

1.8 Repeat the steps from 1.4 to 1.6. Record your results in table 1.

1.9 Repeat the above steps for a PNP transistor. Modify the DMM connection with each junction
according to its polarity.

Table 1: BJT transistors testing measurements.

Forward-Biased Revers-Biased
Transistor Status
Reading Reading

Base-Emitter Junction
NPN
Base-Collector Junction

Base-Emitter Junction
PNP
Base-Collector Junction

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B. BJT transistor input characteristics

2.1 Connect the circuit shown in Figure 1. Set the voltage sources at zero volt.

Figure 1: BJT transistor input characteristics circuit.

2.2 Set the collector emitter voltage (𝑉𝐶𝐸 ) according to table 2.

2.3 For each value of 𝑉𝐶𝐸 , gradually raise the base supply voltage (𝑉𝐵𝐵 ) until the base current (𝐼𝐵 )
matches the value specified in the first row in table 2.

2.4 For each value of 𝐼𝐵 , measure the corresponding base-emitter voltage (𝑉𝐵𝐸 ) and record your results.

Ensure that the value of 𝑽𝑪𝑬 remains constant throughout the measurements.

2.5 Plot the I-V input characteristics of the BJT Base-Emitter junction on a gridded paper, incorporating
the data obtained from table 2.

2.6 From the obtained data, calculate the input resistance (𝑅𝐼𝑁 ) of the transistor.

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Table 2: BJT input characteristics.

𝐼𝐵 (𝜇𝐴) 0 1 3 5 10 15 20 50 100 120 150

𝑉𝐶𝐸 (𝑉) 𝑉𝐵𝐸 (𝑉)

0.5

10

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C. BJT transistor output characteristics

3.1 Connect the circuit shown in Figure 2. Set the voltage sources at zero volt.

Figure 2: BJT transistor output characteristics circuit.

3.2 Adjust the base current according the values listed in table 3.

3.3 For each value of 𝐼𝐵 , vary the value of 𝑉𝐶𝐸 according to the values listed in table 3.

3.4 Measure and record the collector current (𝐼𝐶 ) obtained for each corresponding value of 𝑉𝐶𝐸 .
Ensure that the base current remains constant during the measurements.

3.5 Plot the I-V output characteristics of the BJT Collector-Emitter on a gridded paper, incorporating
the data obtained from table 3.

3.6 From the obtained output characteristics, calculate the transistor output resistance (𝑅𝑂 ) and the
transistor DC current gain (𝛽𝐷𝐶 )

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Table 3: BJT input characteristics.

𝐼𝐵 (𝜇𝐴) 0 50 100 150

𝑉𝐶𝐸 (𝑉) 𝐼𝐶 (𝑚𝐴)

0.5

10

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