ECE 027

Fundamentals of Electronic
Circuits

Bipolar Junction Transistors

(BJT) – AC Analysis

Engr. Raymart Aurora

 Bipolar Junction Transistors
1
(BJT) – AC Analysis
Introduction
The biasing of a transistor deals specifically with dc voltages
and currents. The purpose of the dc bias is to establish the
desired Q point so that the correct
variations in base and collector currents are possible
when an ac signal is applied as an input to the amplifier.
The ac signal driving the amplifier forces
1 the operating point to swing above and below the designated
Q point, thereby producing an ac output voltage. The ac
output voltage is typically much larger than the ac signal
driving the input to the amplifier. The input signal applied to
the amplifier should not be so large that it shifts the
instantaneous operating point to either saturation or cutoff.
AC Resistance of a Diode

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AC Resistance of a Diode
*DC source in series with an AC source. Together, both
sources supply current to the diode, D 1 .

*The dc source provides the forward bias for D1 and sets the
Q - point , while the ac source produces fluctuations in the
diode current.
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AC Resistance of a Diode

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AC Resistance of a Diode
*The graph in illustrates how the diode current varies with
the ac voltage.

* The ac source can produce fluctuations in diode current

because its alternating voltage is actually producing slight
variations in the amount of forward bias for the diode, D 1 .
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AC Resistance of a Diode
For small ac signals, the diode acts like a resistance. (The
term small signal is generally meant to be a signal that has a
peak-to-peak current equal to or less than one-tenth the dc
diode current.) The ac resistance for a diode is calculated
using :

where represents the ac resistance of the diode to small

ac signals and Id represents the dc diode current.

- The variation of Id based on the variation of Vd

AC Resistance of Emitter Diode

Equivalent circuit showing

the ac resistance of an base -
emitter diode.
AC Resistance of Emitter Diode
Since the emitter-base junction of a transistor is forward-
biased, it too will act like a small ac resistance. The
resistance of the emitter diode is represented as r‘e , rather
than rac . The dc current through the diode equals the DC
emitter current, Ie.

where r’e represents the ac resistance of the emitter diode

and Ie is the dc emitter current.
Small Signal Amplifier Operation

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Small Signal Amplifier Operation
• Cin is an input coupling capacitor that couples the AC generator voltage
to the base of the transistor.
• CE is called an emitter bypass capacitor. It provides a low-impedance
path for ac signals between the emitter terminal and ground and ac signal
voltage zero.
• The AC source driving the base of the transistor produces sinusoidal
variations in the base current, Ib . This, in turn, provides variations in the
1 collector current, Ic.
• Notice that the ac base voltage is riding on a dc axis, which is actually
the dc base voltage to ground.
Small Signal Amplifier Operation
• When the AC signal voltage driving the base goes positive, the forward
bias for the transistor increases. This causes the base current, Ib , and the
collector current, Ic , to increase. Likewise, when the ac signal voltage
driving the base goes negative, the forward bias for the transistor
decreases, causing IB and IC to decrease.

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Small Signal Amplifier Operation
• Amplification of AC signal can be only done in active region of
transistor. To operate transistor in active region Q-point need to be fixed
at the center of DC load line. Fixing Q-point at center of DC load line
gives maximum amplification. To fix Q-point at the center of DC load
line, designing of CE amplifier with correct choosing of bias resistor
values must be done.

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Amplifying the Input Signal
Graph of IE versus VBE for the common-emitter amplifier circuit

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Amplifying the Input Signal
Amplification of the current Ie results to amplification of Ic as well.

• When Vin (AC) is zero, VBE = 0.7 V and Ie = Ic = 7.5 mA.

• When VBE is increased to 0.705 V by the ac source, Ie increases to 9 mA.
• Likewise, when the ac source decreases VBE to 0.695V, Ie decreases to 6
mA.
1 • At the instant Ic equals 9mA, Vc equals 15V - (9mA * 600ohms) = 6.6V
• When Ic equals 6 mA, Vc equals 15V - (6 mA – 600ohms) = 8.4 V.
Voltage Gain, Av

Notice how a very small ac voltage BE junction produces a very large

change in the collector current, Ic. This in turn produces very large changes
in the ac voltage at the collector.
Voltage Gain, Av

We can relate output voltage and input voltage then with Voltage Gain, Av.
Voltage Gain, Av

 
𝒗 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌
¿
𝒗 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌

1
 
where:
= voltage gain

= peak to peak output voltage

= peak to peak input voltage

Voltage Gain, Av

What is the voltage gain?

Voltage Gain, Av
Solution:
  𝒗 𝒐𝒖𝒕
𝑨 𝒗= 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌

𝒗 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌

 
=
= 8.4V-6.6V
1 = 1.8Vpp
 
= 10mVpp
 
=

 
𝑨 𝒗 =𝟏𝟖𝟎
Voltage Gain, Av
 
Assume Av still equals 300. If vin = 5 mVp-p,
calculate vout.

Solution:
1

* = 300 * 5 mVpp

1.5Vpp
 BJT AC Analysis
The ac equivalent circuit is used to help understand the AC
operation of the amplifier circuit.

What we can calculate in the AC equivalent circuit would be the

Voltage Gain, Av, and the Input and Output Impedances of
1 our Amplifier.
 BJT AC Analysis
The AC equivalent of a transistor network is obtained by:
1. Setting all dc sources to zero and replacing them by a short-
circuit equivalent
2. Replacing all capacitors by a short-circuit equivalent
3. Removing all elements bypassed by the short-circuit
1 equivalents introduced by steps 1 and 2
4. Redrawing the network in a more convenient and logical form
BJT AC Analysis

2
 BJT AC Analysis

2
 BJT AC Analysis

2
 BJT AC Analysis
1. To Calculate for the Voltage gain:

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 BJT AC Analysis
To Calculate for the Voltage gain:

1
 BJT AC Analysis
 
For the sample circuit:
R1 = 18kohms
R2 = 3.6kohms

1
-*

=7.06mA
 BJT AC Analysis
 
For the sample circuit:

=3.54 (somewhat the same as with the illustration)

 BJT AC Analysis
For the sample circuit:

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Calculating the Input and Output
Impedances in a CE Amplifi er
Input voltage, vin, is directly across the emitter resistance, r’e.
This is shown as

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Calculating the Input and Output
Impedances in a CE Amplifi er
But since:

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Calculating the Input and Output
Impedances in a CE Amplifi er
The input impedance of an amplifier is the input impedance seen
by the ac source driving the amplifier.

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Calculating the Input and Output
Impedances in a CE Amplifier
The output impedance, Zout , of a CE amplifier equals the value
of the collector resistor, Rc , but does not include the load resistor,
RL .

Therefore:
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Calculating the Input and Output
Impedances in a CE Amplifier
So from the sample circuit :

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Calculating the Input and Output
Impedances in a CE Amplifier
So from the sample circuit :

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References:
Boylestad, Robert L., and Louis Nashelsky. 1978. Electronic devices and
circuit theory. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Solids/pnjun.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor
END

ECE 027 Fundamentals of Electronic Circuits –

Module 6