Team No 7

Date 3/31/2024

Experiment 2 Amplifier Frequency Response

Key Objectives

Compute and measure the three upper critical frequencies for a CE

amplifier and use them to compute the overall upper critical frequency, fcu;
then measure fcu.

Components Needed

High-Frequency Response:

Resistors: one 10 Ω, one 47 Ω, one 560 Ω, one 1.0 kΩ, one 3.9 kΩ,

two 10 kΩ, one 68 kΩ One

2N3904 npn transistor
Capacitors: one 0.22 µF, one 1.0 µF, one 100 µF, two 1000 µF, one to be
determined by student
Three 100 pF capacitors

Evaluation Criteria

Simulation File 40 %

Questions 20 %

Report 40 %
Part 2: High-Frequency Response

1. Essentially, the circuit for this part is figure 10-3.βac, you can assume a typical
value; for the 2N3904 a value of 200 is reasonable.

2. Calculate the ac and dc parameters listed in Table 10-6 for the CE amplifier
shown in Figure 10-3. The purpose of C4, C5, and C6 is to reduce the high-
frequency response to make it easier to measure; they do not affect any other
parameter. Record the computed values in Table 10-6.
Table 10-6
Comput Measur
Parameter ed ed
Value Value
VB 1.837 V
VE 1.137 V
IE 1.994 mA
VC 7.262 V
VCE 6.125 V
re 12.54 
Av 123.6 V/V
Vout -2.488 Vpp

3. Construct the amplifier shown in Figure 10-3. Then measure and record the
parameters listed in Table 10-6 and confirm your calculations. Recheck your work
if the calculated and measured values differ significantly.
4. In this step, and in steps 5 and 6, you will compute the upper critical frequency
due to the input network. Capacitors C4, C5, and C6 are included in this circuit to
significantly reduce the upper frequency response and make it simple to measure.
If these capacitors were not present, the input capacitance, Cin, would be
composed of just the transistor’s internal base-emitter capacitance, Cbe, and the
Miller capacitance, Cin(Miller) which is calculated from the internal base-collector
capacitance. That is,

Cin = Cbe + Cin(Miller).

In the circuit in Figure 10-3, C6 “swamps” Cbe, so the base-emitter

capacitance will be assumed to be just C6 alone. Likewise, C4 is much larger than
the internal Cbc capacitance, so C4 acting alone will be used to determine the input
Miller capacitance. (In a small-signal transistor such as the 2N3904, the internal
base-collector capacitance is typically between 3 pF and 5 pF).
By substitution,
Cin = C6 + C4 (|Av| + 1) (use absolute value of gain)
Record the input capacitance on the first line (Step 4) of Table 10-7.

Table 10-7

Comput Measur
St Paramete ed ed
ep r Value Value
4 Cin 12.56 nF
5 Req(in) 44.22 
5. Compute the equivalent resistance, Req(in), which
is the discharge path for the input capacitors 6 fc(in) 286.57
composed of Cin(Miller) and Cbe. (see Figure 10-4). kHz
7 Cout 200.81 pF
Req(in) is composed of four parallel paths, which
8 Rc 2.8 k
are (RA+Rth) || RB || R1 || R2 || (βac(RE1+re)). Enter
9 fc(out) 283.1 kHz
the computed value of Req(in) in Table 10-7.
10 Fcu 142.4 kHz
6. Compute the upper critical frequency due to the
input network, fc(in). The frequency can be calculated using a simple RC circuit
with R and C composed of the equivalent values found in steps 4 and 5. Enter
the computed critical frequency in Table 10-7.

7. In this step, and in steps 8 and 9, you will compute the upper critical frequency
due to the output network. Start by finding the equivalent output capacitance, Cout,
as illustrated in Figure 10-4. Assume Cce is equal to C5 since the added capacitor
is much larger than the actual collector-emitter capacitance. This capacitance is in
parallel with the output Miller capacitance. The total output capacitance, Cout, is
found from:
Cout = Cce + Cout(Miller)
 = C5 ⎛ Av + 1 ⎞
(use absolute value of gain)
+ C4 ⎜ A ⎟
⎝ v ⎠
Record the output capacitance in Table 10-7.

8. Compute the equivalent resistance, Rc, seen by Cout(Miller)|| Cce. The transistor looks
like a current source, so the discharge path is only through RC||RL. Enter the
computed value in Table 10-7.
9. Compute the upper critical frequency due to the output network, fc(out). Again the
circuit has been simplified to a basic RC circuit. Enter the computed value in
Table 10-7.
10. The overall upper critical frequency of the amplifier will be less than the lowest
frequency determined from the input and output networks. One way to estimate
the combined effect is to use the product-over-sum rule with the two frequencies.
Enter the computed overall frequency, fcu, in Table 10-7. Then, observe the output
signal in midband (about 1 kHz) and adjust the signal for 5.0 vertical divisions on
the scope face. The output should appear undistorted. Increase the generator
frequency until the output falls to 70.7% (approximately 3.5 divisions) of the
voltage observed in midband. This frequency is the upper critical frequency, fcu.
Measure and record this frequency in Table 10-7.

� You can check dc parameters with a meter, ac parameters with the

oscilloscope, and the frequency response with the Bode plotter. The Bode
plotter is a virtual instrument that generates a graph of the frequency
response. It is similar in function to a spectrum analyzer.