Electronic Circuits I (ELE 113)

Electrical Department
Prepared by

Dr. Asmaa seliem

 Content
• BJT Circuit Analysis
• BJT DC model
• dc operating point (Q-point)
• The DC load line
BJT Circuit Analysis
Objective: Understand and become familiar with the dc analysis and design techniques of bipolar
transistor circuits.
• Consider the basic transistor bias circuit configuration in Figure. Three transistor
dc currents and three dc voltages can be identified.
BJT Circuit Analysis
• . Keep in mind that the characteristic of the
base-emitter junction is the same as a normal
diode curve like the one in Figure
Since the emitter is at ground (0 V), by
Kirchhoff’s voltage law, the voltage across 𝑅𝐵
is

• 𝑉𝑅𝐵 = 𝑉𝐵𝐵 − 𝑉𝐵𝐸

Collector Characteristic Curves
 Transistor DC Model
The unsaturated BJT as a device with a current input and a dependent current source
in the output circuit, as shown in Figure for an NPN.

• The input circuit is a forward-biased diode through which there is base current.
The output circuit is a dependent current source (diamond-shaped element) with a
value that is dependent on the base current, 𝐼𝐵 , and equal to 𝛽𝐷𝐶 𝐼𝐵 . Recall that
independent current source symbols have a circular shape
THE DC OPERATINGPOINT
DC Bias
• Bias establishes the dc operating point (Q-point) for proper linear operation of an
amplifier. If an amplifier is not biased with correct dc voltages on the input and output, it
can go to saturation or cutoff when an input signal is applied

Part (b) illustrates limiting of the positive portion of the output voltage as a result of a Q-point (dc
operating point) being too close to cutoff. Part (c) shows limiting of the negative portion of the
output voltage as a result of a dc operating point being too close to saturation.
THE DC OPERATING POINT
THE DC OPERATING POINT
First, 𝑉𝐵𝐵 is adjusted to produce an 𝐼𝐵 of 200 𝜇𝐴 as shown in Figure .
Since 𝐼𝐶 = 𝛽𝐷𝐶 𝐼𝐵 the collector current is 20 mA, as indicated, and

𝑉𝐵𝐵 is increased to produce an 𝐼𝐵 of 300 𝜇𝐴 and an 𝐼𝐶 of 30 mA.

𝑉𝐵𝐵 is increased to produce an 𝐼𝐵 of 400 𝜇𝐴 and an 𝐼𝐶 of 40 mA.

DC Load Line
• This is a straight line drawn on the characteristic curves from the saturation value
where 𝐼𝐶 = 𝐼𝐶(𝑠𝑎𝑡) on the y-axis to the cutoff value where 𝑉𝐶𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶𝐶 on the x-
axis, as shown in figure

• The load line is determined by the external circuit (𝑉𝐶𝐶 and 𝑅𝐶 ), not the transistor
itself, which is described by the characteristic curves.
 DC Load Line
The point at which the load line intersects a characteristic curve represents the Q-
point for that particular value of 𝐼𝐵 .
 Linear Operation
The region along the load line including all points between saturation and cutoff is
generally known as the linear region of the transistor’s operation. As long as the
transistor is operated in this region, the output voltage is ideally a linear reproduction of
the input.
Waveform Distortion
• In each case the input signal is too large for the Q-point location and is driving the
transistor into cutoff or saturation during a portion of the input cycle.
• When only the positive peak is limited, the transistor is being driven into cutoff
but not saturation.
• When only the negative peak is limited, the transistor is being driven into
saturation but not cutoff.
Waveform Distortion
Waveform Distortion
Example
• Determine the Q-point for the circuit in Figure and draw the dc load line. Find the
maximum peak value of base current for linear operation. Assume 𝛽𝐷𝐶 = 200
Solution
Solution
• 𝐼𝐶 can increase an amount ideally equal to
Plotting I-V Characteristics
 BJTs are three-terminal devices
 Plot two different I-V characteristics:
🞑 Input I-V characteristic
🞑 Output I-V characteristic

Input I-V Characteristic: Output I-V Characteristic:

 Family of curves:
 Single curve: 🞑 𝑖𝐶 as a function of 𝑣𝐶𝐸
🞑 𝑖𝐵 (or 𝑖𝐶 ) as a function of 𝑣𝐵𝐸 parameterized by 𝑖𝐵 (or 𝑣𝐵𝐸 )
BJT Output I-V Characteristic
IB = 50μA

IB = 40μA

IB = 30μA

Forward-Active Region
IB = 20μA

IB = 10μA

Cutoff Region IB = 0μA

Saturation Region
BJT Amplifier Biasing
 To function as an amplifier, a transistor must be biased in the
forward-active region
 DC operating point set by the bias network
🞑 Resistors and power supply voltages
🞑 Sets the transistor’s DC terminal voltages and currents
– its DC bias
 How a transistor is biased determines:
🞑 Small-signal characteristics
🞑 Small-signal model parameters
🞑 How it will behave as an amplifier
 VOLTAGE-DIVIDER BIAS
• A dc bias voltage at the base of the transistor can be developed
by a resistive voltage divider that consists of 𝑅1 and 𝑅2 , 𝑉𝐶𝐶 is
the dc collector supply voltage. Two current paths are
between point A and ground: one through 𝑅2 and the other
through the base-emitter junction of the transistor and 𝑅𝐸 .
• To analyze a voltage-divider circuit in which 𝐼𝐵 is small
compared to 𝐼2 , first calculate the voltage on the base using
the unloaded voltage-divider rule:

𝑅2
𝑉𝐵 = 𝑉𝐶𝐶
𝑅1 + 𝑅2
 VOLTAGE-DIVIDER BIAS

• Once you know 𝑉𝐶 and 𝑉𝐸 , you can determine 𝑉𝐶𝐸 .

𝑉𝐶𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶 − 𝑉𝐸
Example
Solution
 FIXED-BIAS CONFIGURATION

• Fixed-bias circuit.
Base Bias
This method of biasing is common in switching circuits.
The analysis of this circuit for the linear region shows that it is
directly dependent On 𝛽𝐷𝐶
 Base Bias

• Q-Point Stability of Base Bias

Notice that Equation above shows that IC is dependent on 𝛽𝐷𝐶 . The
disadvantage of this is that a variation in causes IC and, as a result,
VCE to change, thus changing the Q-point of the transistor. This
makes the base bias circuit extremely beta-dependent
Example
• Determine how much the Q-point (𝐼𝐶 , 𝑉𝐶𝐸 ) for the circuit in Figure
will change over a temperature range where 𝛽𝐷𝐶 increases from 100 to
200.
Solution
Solution
 Example
• Determine the following for the fixed-bias configuration of Figure.

a. 𝐼𝐵𝑄 and 𝐼𝐶𝑄 .

b. 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄 .
c. 𝑉𝐵 and 𝑉𝐶 .
d. 𝑉𝐵𝐶 .
Solution
 Emitter Bias
➢Emitter bias provides excellent bias stability in spite of changes in or temperature. It uses
both a positive and a negative supply voltage. To obtain a reasonable estimate of the key dc
values in an emitter-biased circuit
 Emitter Bias
−𝑉𝐸𝐸 − 1
𝐼𝐸 =
𝑅𝐸
You can apply the approximation that 𝐼𝐶 ≅ 𝐼𝐸 to calculate the collector voltage.
Emitter Bias
Exercise
• Determine how much the Q-point (𝐼𝐶 , 𝑉𝐶𝐸 ) for the circuit in Figure ,
will change if 𝛽𝐷𝐶 increases from 100 to 200 when one transistor is
replaced by another.
Collector-Feedback Bias
• The collector voltage provides the bias for the
base-emitter junction. The negative feedback
creates an “offsetting” effect that tends to keep
the Q-point stable. If 𝐼𝐶 tries to increase, it drops
more voltage across 𝑅𝐶 , thereby causing 𝑉𝐶 to
decrease. When 𝑉𝐶 decreases, there is a decrease
in voltage across 𝑅𝐵 , which decreases 𝐼𝐵 . The
decrease in 𝐼𝐵 produces less 𝐼𝐶 which, in turn,
drops less voltage across 𝑅𝐶 and thus offsets the
decrease in 𝑉𝐶 .
Collector-Feedback Bias
Collector-Feedback Bias
 Example
• Calculate the Q-point
values (𝐼𝐶 and 𝑉𝐶𝐸 ) for
the circuit in the Figure.
Solution
Any Question