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Ece3240lab2common Emitter s25 1 - 1743625704851

The document outlines the objectives and requirements for Lab 2 of the ECE 3240 Electronics II course, focusing on designing and analyzing an NPN Common Emitter Amplifier with emitter resistance using a 2N3904 transistor. It details the equipment needed, circuit design calculations, and measurements to be taken, including small signal parameters and gain. Additionally, it instructs on applying a small signal and measuring frequency response, including adjustments for capacitors and bandwidth determination.

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J.v Krishna
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13 views5 pages

Ece3240lab2common Emitter s25 1 - 1743625704851

The document outlines the objectives and requirements for Lab 2 of the ECE 3240 Electronics II course, focusing on designing and analyzing an NPN Common Emitter Amplifier with emitter resistance using a 2N3904 transistor. It details the equipment needed, circuit design calculations, and measurements to be taken, including small signal parameters and gain. Additionally, it instructs on applying a small signal and measuring frequency response, including adjustments for capacitors and bandwidth determination.

Uploaded by

J.v Krishna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ECE 3240 Electronics II Lab Spring 2025

Lab 2 Ver 1 CE Amplifier


Objectives
NPN Common Emitter Amplifier characteristics

Equipment
Analog Devices ADALP2000 Analog Parts Kit
2 9V batteries with wire harness
Keysight MSOX4024A Oscilloscope
Keysight 34461A DMM
Keysight E36311A Power Supply
PC with Keysight BenchVue

Requirements
NPN Common Emitter Amplifier with Emitter Resistance
Using the 2N3904 transistor, design a common emitter amplifier with emitter resistance, starting from DC for
a circuit like this:

You need to find the values for the resistors, the solution is straightforward. Let IC  IE=0.5mA, and VC=+0.5V.
VBE=0.7V, and VB=0V, so VE=-0.7V. With that you know the voltages on each side of each resistor, and the
current through them. If you have access, you can follow video example VE7.3 Recall that
𝐼 𝐼 𝛽
𝛽 = 𝐼𝐶 𝛼 = 𝐼𝐶 = 1+𝛽 𝛽 = ℎ𝐹𝐸 = datasheet dc current gain
𝐵 𝐸

• What are your value for 𝛽 = ℎ𝐹𝐸 ? What do you expect for IB?
• What are your values for RE and RC? Show your calculations
• What gm and small signal gain do you expect? Show your calculations
𝐼 𝑘𝑇
Use 𝑔𝑚 = 𝑉𝐶 𝑉𝑇 = ~0.026𝑉 and 𝐴𝑣𝑜 = −𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐶 that ignores ro and the effect of RE which
𝑇 𝑞
provides negative feedback to the circuit, this is ballpark, we won’t measure gain yet anyway.
𝑉𝑇 𝛽 𝑉𝑇 𝛼 𝑉𝐴
• Calculate the additional small signal parameters, 𝑟𝜋 = =𝑔 𝑟𝑒 = =𝑔 𝑟𝑜 = 𝑉𝐴 ~1300𝑉
𝐼𝐵 𝑚 𝐼𝐸 𝑚 𝐼𝑐 ′

For reference, so you can see where these odd-sounding resistance go, the small signal hybrid- and T-models
for a BJT look like this, but you don’t need to use the models for this lab.

Build the circuit below using the best fit stock resistor you have for RC and two legs (center and an edge) of a
10k pot for RE for more precise adjustment.

Adjust RE to obtain collector current of IC=0.5mA. Do not try to set VC=0.5V, or VBE=0.7V let those vary
depending on your adjustment of RE.
Measure VBE to ensure you are not in cutoff (VBE ~ 0.7V). Careful! 𝑉𝐵𝐸 = (𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐸 ) ≠ 𝑉𝐵 = 0𝑉
Measure VCE to ensure you are in saturation (VCE>VCEsat=0.3V). Careful! 𝑉𝐶𝐸 = (𝑉𝐶 − 𝑉𝐸 ) ≠ 𝑉𝐶

Find the base current, use a 10K resistor for RB and measure the voltage across it to find IB.
Find the collector current, measure IC by finding the voltage drop across RC or measure current directly using
the lab Keysight 34450A DMM (not your own meter)
Build a table including your design values and measured values, include %error calculations

• What are your exact measured values for RB, RC, RE


• What are your currents IB and IC
• What is Vout VB, VE VBE VCE
• What is your measured 
• What is gm, re, r ro (Based on measured values)
• What small signal gain do you expect?

Your CE amplifier is now DC biased, time (almost) to apply a small signal and see how it works. In the
configuration above, the emitter resistor RE creates negative feedback, which reduces the small signal gain.
The emitter resistor improves the DC performance of the amplifier, stabilizes but degrades the ac gain.
Connecting a capacitor between ground and the emitter bypasses the feedback for the signal. From the
standpoint of the DC bias, it’s a stabilized CE amplifier with emitter resistance, but from the standpoint of the
ac signal, it’s a stabilized CE amplifier with emitter at ground.

Use a nonpolar 0.1F nonpolar capacitor to start. Later you will replace it with a 1F or larger polar capacitor.
Note, polar capacitors must always have the “-“ terminal at the lower voltage, in this case the emitter should
be at a negative voltage (roughly -0.7V), so the polar capacitor negative should be connected to the emitter,
not ground. This may look odd, be careful.
A capacitor on the output is helpful but optional. If you use oscilloscope probes you can use ac coupling to
eliminate the dc offset.

To the input apply a 100kHz sinusoid, 20mV amplitude, with 0V offset. Look for clipping on the output, if you
can’t reduce the input amplitude enough to eliminate distortion, use a 1:2 or 1:4 voltage divider on the input
to reduce the input amplitude to 10mV or 5mV or less.
• What is the small signal gain? Make sure to measure both input and output signals—don’t assume the
value you select for the input signal is what your amplifier sees. Compare to your calculations, and if it
doesn’t match, look for the reason. Make sure to format your plot so that the waveforms reasonably fill
the screen.

• Demo 1: Demo your amplifier at 100kHz, what is your gain?


• Calculate your gain adjusted with the real values you have for IC, IB,  with the capacitor to ground on
the emitter, small signal gain should be 𝐴𝑣𝑜 = −𝑔𝑚 𝑅𝐶
• Make a Bode plot from 10Hz to 10MHz (note, only if the signal generator offset = 0V you can use the
automated FRA option of the scope)

• What is your bandwidth (BW=fL – fH measured from fL=lower -3dB frequency to to fH=upper -3dB
frequency)
• Replace the 0.1F capacitor from emitter to ground with a 1.0F or 4.7F polar capacitor, make sure the
“-“ side of the polar capacitor connects to the emitter terminal, not ground, as shown in the diagram
above
• Repeat the Bode plot from low frequency (100Hz or less if possible) to 1MHz (or higher if possible) and
compare, find the new Bandwidth

• Demo 2: Demo your amplifier’s frequency response. What is the bandwidth?

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