ENGIN 366 Lab 2: Biasing the Basic Gain Cell and Cascoding

Objective: The purpose of this laboratory is to investigate the BJT basic gain cell and biasing
schemes. Biasing of the basic gain cell will be done with passive resistors, active loads, and
cascode active loads in the collector of a common-emitter amplifier circuit.
List of Equipment:
1. Tektronix AFG3022C Dual Channel Arbitrary Function Generator
2. Tektronix DPO 2004B Digital Oscilloscope
3. Tektronix DMM 4020 Digital Multimeter
4. Keithley 2230 Triple Channel DC Power Supply
5. Proto-board
6. Lab Component Kit
7. 2N3904 NPN BJT (from component kit)
8. 2N3906 NPN BJT (from component kit)
Introduction:
The basic gain cell made up of a common-emitter BJT transistor is commonly used as the high
gain amplification stage in a multi-stage amplifier. The maximum gain of the basic gain cell when
no load resistance is attached is called the intrinsic gain, and is limited by the output resistance of
the transistor. Since the transconductance is proportional, and the output resistance is inversely
proportional to the collector current, the intrinsic gain of the BJT basic gain cell is VA/VT, a process-
dependent parameter. In this laboratory we will introduce how to bias the basic gain cell with
passive and active loads. We will also introduce the concept of cascoding to transform the load
resistance in order to achieve maximum signal gain.
Pre-laboratory Exercise:
Design the common-emitter basic gain cell utilizing an NPN 3904 BJT, as shown in Figure 1,
with a collector current of 5 mA and a collector voltage, VC, of 5 V DC. Assume β = 200.
Coupling capacitor C1 (47 µF) is used to couple a < 5 mV amplitude, 1 kHz sine wave to the
input. The output of the basic gain cell will be the collector of the NPN BJT.
1. Determine R1 and R2 such that IC = 5 mA and VC = 5 V DC.
2. Calculate VB, IB, and IE. Verify active mode of operation for the BJT.
3. Sketch the small-signal circuit model of the common-emitter circuit shown in Figure 1.
4. Determine gm, ro, and rπ. Assume VA = 74 V.
5. Determine the output resistance and the small-signal gain of the common-emitter
amplifier.
6. Simulate the basic gain cell in LTSpice. Compare VB, VC, IB, IC, IE, and the gain to the
values that you calculated above.
 Figure 1. Basic gain cell (common-emitter NPN BJT amplifier circuit).
Design the common-emitter basic gain cell utilizing an active load, Q2, as shown in Figure 2,
with a collector current of 5 mA and a collector voltage of 5 V DC. Assume β = 200 for both
transistors, VAnpn = 74 V, and VApnp = 45 V. Coupling capacitor C1 (47 µF) is used to couple a < 5
mV amplitude, 1 kHz sine wave to the input. The output of the basic gain cell will be the
collector of the NPN BJT.
1. Use the same R1 from the previous pre-lab step to bias Q1.
2. Determine R2 (suggestion: R2 > 10 kΩ for stability reasons) and V1 such that IC1,2 = 5 mA
and VC1 = 5 V DC.
3. Calculate VB1, IB1, IE1, VB2, and IE2. Verify active mode of operation for both transistors.
4. Determine the output resistance and the small-signal gain of the active load common-
emitter amplifier. How have the gain and output resistance changed in comparison with
the basic gain cell loaded with a resistor shown in Figure 1?
5. Simulate the active load basic gain cell in LTSpice. Compare VB1, VC1, IB1, IC1, IE1, VB2,
VC2, IB2, IC2, IE2, and the gain to the values that you calculated above.
 Figure 2. Basic gain cell (common-emitter NPN BJT amplifier circuit with active load).
Design the common-emitter basic gain cell utilizing the cascode active load shown in Figure 3,
with a collector current of 5 mA and an NPN collector voltage of 5 V DC. Assume β = 200 for
all transistors, VAnpn = 74 V, and VApnp = 45 V. Coupling capacitor C1 (47 µF) is used to couple a
< 2 mV amplitude, 1 kHz sine wave to the input in order to avoid clipping. The output of the
basic gain cell will be the collector of the NPN BJT.
1. Use the same R1 from the previous pre-lab step to bias Q1.
2. Determine R1, R2, V1 and V2 such that 5 mA flows through the collectors of each of the
transistors, and that there is a minimum voltage drop across the cascode active load (VCE
of Q2 is at the edge of saturation). VC of the NPN transistor should be 5 V DC.
3. Determine the maximum output voltage swing.
4. Calculate the output resistance, gain, and transconductance of the common-emitter
amplifier with cascode active load.
Figure 3. Basic gain cell (common-emitter NPN BJT amplifier circuit with cascode active load).

Lab Measurements:
1. Assemble the circuit in Figure 1 utilizing the NPN 3904 BJT and the parameters that were
calculated during the pre-lab. Use a 10 V DC supply to bias the transistor. Couple a < 5
mV amplitude, 1 kHz sine wave to the base of the NPN with a 47 µF capacitor C1.
a. Measure the DC voltages VC, VB, and VE, and the collector current, IC. Confirm
active mode of operation, VC = 5 V, and IC = 5 mA. Make small adjustments to the
circuit, if necessary, to set VC = 5 V and IC = 5 mA.
b. Use an oscilloscope to measure the output of the amplifier at the collector of the
NPN transistor. Determine the gain (don’t forget to take into account the input
impedance of the common-emitter amplifier and the generator impedance).
c. Use a potentiometer as a load resistor and determine the output resistance of the
amplifier. (Vary the potentiometer until the output waveform amplitude becomes
½ the open circuit value.)
d. From the gain and output resistance measurements determine the transconductance
and the Early voltage of the NPN BJT. Compare with the value calculated in the
pre-lab. Compare the output resistance with the calculated values from the pre-lab.
e. Discuss measurement results in the lab report.
2. Assemble the circuit in Figure 2 utilizing the NPN 3904 and PNP 3906 BJTs from your kit
and the parameters that were calculated during the pre-lab. Use a 10 V DC supply and a
second DC supply to bias the active load transistor. Couple a < 5 mV amplitude, 1 kHz
sine wave to the base of the NPN BJT with a 47 µF capacitor, C1.
a. Measure the DC voltages VB1, VC1, VE1, VB2, VC2, and VE2 to confirm active-mode
operation for both transistors, and VC1,2 = 5 V (IC1 = 5 mA). Make the necessary
adjustments such that VC1,2 = 5 V and IC1,2 = 5 mA.
b. Use the oscilloscope to measure the output of the amplifier at the collector of the
NPN transistor. Determine the gain (don’t forget to take into account the input
impedance of the common-emitter amplifier and the generator impedance).
c. Use a potentiometer as a load resistor and determine the output resistance of the
amplifier.
d. From the gain and output resistance measurements determine the transconductance
and the Early voltages of the NPN and PNP BJTs. Compare with the values
calculated in the pre-lab. Compare the output resistance with the calculated values
from the pre-lab.
e. Discuss measurement results in the lab report.
3. Assemble the circuit in Figure 3 utilizing the NPN 3904 and PNP 3906 BJTs from your kit
and the parameters that were calculated during the pre-lab. Use a 10 V DC supply and two
additional supplies to bias the two transistors in the cascode active load. Couple a < 2 mV
amplitude, 1 kHz sine wave to the base of the NPN with a 47 µF capacitor, C1 (you may
need to attenuate the generator output by a factor of 10). Note the 1 kΩ resistor in the
voltage divider at the input in Figure 3.
a. Measure DC voltages on all the terminals of the transistors to confirm active mode
of operation and VC1 = 5 V. Make the necessary adjustments such that VC1 = 5 V
and IC1 = 5 mA (adjust VBE of Q2).
b. Use the oscilloscope to measure the output of the amplifier at the collector of the
NPN transistor. Determine the gain (don’t forget to take into account the input
impedance of the common-emitter amplifier and the generator impedance).
c. Use a potentiometer as a load resistor and determine the output resistance of the
amplifier.
d. Compare the gain and output resistance of the common-emitter amplifier with a
resistive load, active load, and cascode active load in the collector of Q1. Discuss
measurement results in the lab report.