UNIT - II
Four Terminal Network:
A transistor has three terminals viz. emitter, base and collector. Whenever a transistor is used, one
of these terminal is common between the input and output circuit. A transistor can therefore be said to have
two input terminals and two output terminals. A transistor is thus also said to be a two port network.
A two port (Four terminal) network is shown
in adjacent fig where the transistor has been
represented by a black box. As a matter of
convention, currents flowing into the box are
taken to be positive whereas those flowing out of it
are considered to be negative. Similarly, the
voltages from upper to lower terminals are taken to
be positive and negative the other way around. This circuit deals with two signal currents i1 , i2 and two
signal voltages v1 , v2 i.e. total four variables. Out of these four variables, choosing any two of them as
dependent variables, two functional relations can be written in terms of chosen independent variables. This
leads to various parameters but the following three are generally used:
i. Impedance parameters or Z parameters.
ii. Admittance parameters or Y parameters and
iii. Hybrid parameters or h-parameters.
Linear circuit: A linear circuit is one in which resistances, inductances and capacitances remain fixed when
voltage across them changes.
Hybrid Parameter:
Every linear circuit having input and output terminals can be analyzed by four parameters (one
measured in ohm, one in mho and two dimensionless) called hybrid or h Parameters. There are total four
hybrid parameters viz. h11 , h12 , h21 , h22 . Out of these parameters, two are found by short circuiting the output
terminals and the other two by open circuiting the input terminals.
Let us consider a linear circuit as shown in
adjacent Fig. This circuit has input voltage, input current,
output voltage and output current represented as
v1 , i1 , v2 and i2 respectively. Here both input and
output currents i1 , i2 are assumed to flow into the box;
input and output voltages v1 , v2 are assumed positive from the upper to the lower terminals. In order to get
the hybrid model out of these four variables, input current (i1) and output voltage (v2) are assumed to be
independent variables and rest two i.e. input voltage (v1) and output current (i2) are chosen as dependent
variables. Thus, the functional relation between these variables can be expressed as
v1 h11 i1 h12 v2 (1)
i2 h21 i1 h22 v2 (2)
Now the h-parameters h11 , h12 , h21 , h22 can be found from above two equations by applying
appropriate conditions of open circuit and short circuit as follows:
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v1
h11 i.e. when output is short circuited.
i1 v 0
2
Thus, h11 has the dimension of impedance and is called input impedance with output short
circuited. h11 is also denoted by hi.
v1
h12 i.e. when input is open circuited.
v2 i 0
1
Thus, h12 has no dimension and is called reverse voltage gain with input open circuited. h12 is
also denoted by hr.
i2
h21 i.e. when output is short circuited.
i1 v 0
2
Thus, h21 has no dimension and is called forward current gain with output short circuited. h21 is
also denoted by hf.
i2
h22 i.e. when input is open circuited.
v2 i 0
1
Thus, h22 has the dimension of admittance and is called output admittance with input open
circuited. h22 is also denoted by h0.
From the above formulas we see that h11 has the dimension of ohm and h12 & h21 is dimensionless
and h22 has the dimension of mho i.e. all the h-parameters are not having same dimension i.e. they are of
mixed dimension. Moreover, both open and short-circuited conditions are required to define them. Hence
these parameters are called hybrid (or mixed) parameters.
The hybrid parameters have the following advantages:
a. At audio frequencies they are real numbers.
b. h-parameters can be readily measured.
c. They offer simple mathematical expressions for the performance quantities like current gain,
voltage gain, power gain etc.
d. The equivalent circuit of h parameters isolates the input and output circuits.
e. The transistor manufacturers usually supply these parameters.
Nomenclature for Transistor h Parameters:
The numerical subscript notation for h parameters (viz. h11, h21, h12 and h22) is used in general circuit
analysis. However, this nomenclature has been modified for a transistor to indicate the nature of parameter
and the transistor configuration used.
The h parameters of a transistor are represented by the following notation:
i. The numerical subscripts are replaced by letter subscripts.
ii. The first letter indicates whether the particular parameter is input, output, forward transfer or
reverse transfer and the second describes the transistor configuration.
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Table below shows the h parameter nomenclature of a transistor:
Sl. No. h parameter Notation in CB Notation in CE Notation in CC
1 h11 hi hib hie hic
2 h12 hr hrb hre hrc
3 h21 h f h fb h fe h fc
4 h22 h0 h0b h0e h0c
h-parameter equivalent circuit:
Fig. i shows a linear circuit. It is required to
draw the h parameter equivalent circuit of Fig. i. We
know that voltages and currents of the circuit in Fig. i.
can be expressed in terms of h parameters as under:
v1 h11i1 h12 v2 (1)
i2 h21i1 h22v2 (2)
The pair of Eq.s (1) & (2) suggests the h-parameter equivalent circuit as shown in fig. ii below.
OR
In the h-parameter equivalent circuit, the input circuit consists of a resistance hi in series with a
voltage generator hr v2 . The output circuit involves two components; a current generator h f i1 and shunt
resistance 1/h0 . Application of KVL and KCL to the input and output ports yields Eq.s (1) & (2).
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Transistor amplifier parameters using h-parameter:
Consider a linear circuit with a load resistance RL across its terminals as shown in Fig. below.
Now in terms of the h-parameter the above circuit can be described by the two equations
v1 h11i1 h12 v2 (1)
i2 h21i1 h22 v2 (2)
Also from the above fig. we find that v2 i2 RL (3)
where RL is the load resistance across which output voltage v2 is measured. The negative sign is
due to the reason that actual load current is opposite to the assigned direction of i2 .
Current gain (Ai):
i2
The current gain (Ai) is defined as the ratio of output current to the input current i.e. Ai
i1
Using Eq. (3) in (2), we can write
i2 h21i1 h22 i2 RL
i2 i
h21 h22 RL 2 h21 h22 RL Ai
i1 i1
h21 hf
Ai (4)
1 h22 RL 1 h0 RL
Input impedance (Zi):
The Input impedance (Zi) is defined as the ratio of input voltage to the input current i.e.
v1
Zi (5)
i1
Substituting the value of v1 from Eq.(1), we get
v1 h11i1 h12 v2 v i
Zi h11 h12 2 h11 h12 2 RL , Using Eq. (3),
i1 i1 i1 i1
i2
Putting the value of from Eq. (4) in above Eq., we get
i1
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h21 h h hr h f
Z i h11 h12 RL h11 12 21 hi (6)
1 h22 RL 1 1
h22 h0
RL RL
The above Eq. can also be simplified as
hr h f RL hi h0 RL 1 hr h f RL hi hi h0 hr h f RL hi hRL
Z i hi
h0 RL 1 h0 RL 1 h0 RL 1 h0 RL 1
where h hi h0 hr h f .
Voltage gain (Av):
v2
The voltage gain (Av) is defined as the ratio of output voltage to the input voltage i.e. Av
v1
Now from Eq. (5), we have v1 i1Zi
v2 i2 RL i R
Av 2 L
v1 i1 Z i i1 Z i
Using Eq. (4), we get
i2 RL h21 RL h f RL 1
Av
i1 Zi 1 h22 RL Z i 1 h0 RL Zi
Output impedance (Z0):
The output impedance is obtained by setting v1 to zero, RL to infinity and driving the output by a
generator of voltage v2 .The output impedance (Z0) is defined as the ratio of output voltage to the output
current i.e.
v2
Z0 (8)
i2 v 0, R
1 L
i2 i
We have from Eq. (2) h21 1 h22 (9)
v2 v2
and from Eq. (1) 0 h11i1 h12 v2
i1 h
12
v2 h11
i1
Substituting this value of in Eq. (9), we get
v2
i2 h h h h h h
12 21 h22 11 22 12 21
v2 h11 h11
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v2 h11 hi
Z0 (10)
i2 h11h22 h12 h21 hi h0 hr h f
Power gain (Ap):
i R h0 RL 1 RL
2 2 2
2 R hf RL hf
Ap 2 2 L Ai L h hR
i1 Zi Zi 1 h0 RL i L 1 h0 RL hi hRL
h0 RL 1
h f 2 RL
1 h0 RL hi hRL
h parameter equivalence of a transistor in C-E mode:
A CE transistor
amplifier is shown in fig.i.
below.
Here v1 is the
applied input voltage, iL is
the load current, v2 is the
output voltage, ib is the base
current and iC is the collector
current.
The h parameter
equivalent circuit of the
above mentioned CE
transistor amplifier in is
shown in fig. ii. Below.
From the above equivalent circuit we can write two following relations connecting all the h-parameters.
v1 hie ib hre v2 (1)
ic h feib hoev2 (2)
Also from the above fig. we find that v2 ic RL (3)
and v2 iL RL (4)
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where RL is the load resistance across which output voltage v2 is measured. The negative sign is
due to the reason that actual load current is opposite to the assigned direction of ic .
Current gain (Ai):
The current gain (Ai) is defined as the ratio of output current to the input current i.e.
iL i
Ai c (5)
ib ib
Now using Eq. (3) in (2), we can write ic h feib iC hoe RL
ic h feib iC hoe RL i
h fe hoe RL c
ib ib i
b
ic h fe
ib 1 hoe RL
i h fe
Ai c (6)
ib 1 hoe RL
This is the expression of current gain of a transistor amplifier in CE mode.
Input impedance (Zi):
The Input impedance (Zi) is defined as the ratio of input voltage to the input current i.e.
v1
Zi (7)
ib
Now from Eq.(1), we have
v1 hieib hre v2 hieib hre ic RL hieib hre Ai ib RL ib hre Ai RL hie
v1
Zi hre Ai RL hie (8)
ib
Substituting the value of Ai from Eq. (6) in Eq. (8), we get
h fe h fe hre RL
Zi hre RL hie hie (9)
1 h R 1 hoe RL
oe L
This is the expression of input impedance of a transistor amplifier in CE mode.
Voltage gain (AV):
The voltage gain (AV) is defined as the ratio of output voltage to the input voltage i.e.
v2
Av (10)
v1
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Now v2 ic RL Ai ib RL
ib Ai RL
Av Ai RL
v1 Zi
Substituting the value of Ai from Eq. (6) and Z i from Eq. (9) in Eq. (10), we get
h fe h fe
Ai RL 1 hoe RL 1 hoe RL h fe RL
Av RL RL
Zi h h R
hie fe re L
hie hie hoe RL h fe hre RL
hie hie hoe h fe hre RL
1 hoe RL 1 hoe RL
h fe RL
Av (11)
hie h RL
where h hie hoe h fe hre . This is the expression of voltage gain of a CE transistor amplifier.
Output impedance (Z0):
The output impedance is obtained by setting v1 to zero, RL to infinity and driving the output by a
generator of voltage v2 .The output impedance (Zi) is defined as the ratio of output voltage to the output
current i.e.
v2
Z0 (10)
ic v 0, R
1 L
ic i
We have from Eq. (2) h fe b hoe (11)
v2 v2
and from Eq. (1) 0 hieib hre v2
ib h
re (12)
v2 hie
ib
Substituting the value of from Eq. (12) and in Eq. (11), we get
v2
ic h hoe hie h fe hre
h fe re
oeh
v2 hie hie
v2 hie
Z0 (13)
ic hoe hie h fe hre
Power gain (Ap):
i R
2
2 R
Ap c 2 L Ai L (14)
ib Zi Zi
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