COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET

Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering

1- Course Details

Course Code Course Name

ETE320 Integrated Electronics

2- Student and Assignment Details

Maisara Wisam
Ibrahim Hama
Mraz Sulaiman
A22101365
Student ID A12100542
A22001131
Academic Session Spring 2025
Assignment Title Schmitt Trigger Circuit using PNP Transistors
Assignment Day & Date 26/3/2025
Submission Day & Date 7/4/2025

To be completed by Instructor
Date Submitted Remark Marks/Grade
 On-Time  Turnitin Report (if
 Late Submission any)
 Others:  Lab Report
_________________  Presentation (if
any)
Others:
_________________

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

Feedback from Student (if any)

Feedback from Lab Supervisor (if any)

1. Introduction
The Schmitt Trigger circuit, shown in Figure 1, implemented in this project, is
designed to convert a sinusoidal or triangular input waveform into a clean
square wave output by employing hysteresis, shown in Figure 2, Hysteresis
voltage (Vh). Vh is also known as the dead zone of Schmitt trigger to avoid
false triggering due to noise. The key components of the circuit are carefully
selected to achieve desired upper and lower threshold points (UTP and LTP),
ensuring precise switching behavior. Two NPN transistors (BC107B) form the
core of the bistable multivibrator structure. These transistors function in a
regenerative feedback configuration—when one transistor is ON, the other is
OFF—enabling sharp transitions in the output waveform [1].

Resistors in the circuit fulfill several roles:

 The emitter resistor Re controls the feedback voltage and directly impacts
the hysteresis width, contributing to circuit stability.
 Biasing resistors like R1, Rb2, and others form voltage dividers to set
initial conditions and control transistor base currents, thereby influencing
switching thresholds.
 Load resistors manage collector currents and define output voltage levels
during conduction .

Capacitor C1, a speed-up capacitor, enhances switching speed by bypassing the voltage division
effect during transitions, ensuring rapid change in the base voltage of the second transistor when
the collector of the first switch states [2]. Using precise resistor values (e.g., 3.7 kΩ, 21.5 kΩ, 27
kΩ) ensures accurate setting of the UTP and LTP at 5 V and 3 V, respectively, based on the
design requirements. The chosen DC supply of 12 V powers the circuit adequately to drive both
transistors into full saturation and cutoff modes.

Figure 1: Schmitt trigger circuit

 Figure 2:Hysteresis of Schmitt trigger.

2. Background
The Schmitt Trigger is a wave-shaping circuit that transforms an analog input—
often a sinusoidal or triangular waveform—into a clean digital output
characterized by sharp transitions between high and low voltage levels. It
achieves this through hysteresis, which introduces two distinct threshold
voltages: the Upper Trigger Point (UTP) and the Lower Trigger Point (LTP).
The circuit only changes state when the input crosses these thresholds, ensuring
that small fluctuations or noise around the threshold do not result in false
switching [3]. Fundamentally, the Schmitt Trigger operates using a regenerative
bistable configuration involving two transistors. When one transistor conducts
(ON), the other is in cutoff (OFF), and vice versa. The positive feedback loop
created through shared emitter resistance and base-coupled resistors enforces
this bistable behavior. The circuit remains current until the input voltage crosses
the appropriate threshold, leading to a reliable and deterministic output [4]. One
significant advantage of the Schmitt Trigger is its noise immunity. Unlike basic
comparators, which can rapidly switch output due to small input voltage
fluctuations, the hysteresis in a Schmitt Trigger creates a "dead zone" that
filters out minor variations. This makes the circuit highly suitable for digitizing
noisy analog signals or converting waveforms with slow rising or falling edges
into crisp square waves [5]. Another advantage is its simplicity and low cost. It
requires only basic electronic components—transistors, resistors, and capacitors
—and does not demand complex control logic. Additionally, the speed-up
capacitor enhances switching performance, reducing delay during state
transitions. However, Schmitt Triggers also have limitations. Although
beneficial for noise immunity, the design inherently introduces hysteresis, which
may not be suitable for applications requiring precise threshold detection. The
threshold voltages are also fixed once the resistor network is chosen, making
dynamic reconfiguration difficult. Furthermore, analog input signals close to the
hysteresis boundaries might still result in timing uncertainty if not adequately
conditioned [6]. Despite these trade-offs, Schmitt Triggers remain widely used
in signal conditioning, waveform generation, and digital interfacing
applications.
3. Methodology
3.1 Design Approach
The circuit was implemented on a breadboard with the following components,
designed to convert a sinusoidal input into a square wave output through
regenerative switching behavior using bipolar junction transistors (BJTs):
 Transistors (2): BC107B NPN transistors were used as the active
switching elements of the circuit. These transistors form a bistable
configuration, switching states in response to the input signal crossing
threshold levels .
 Resistors:
o 3.7 kΩ resistor – Used in the base biasing network
o 4.8 kΩ resistor – Forms part of the voltage divider to control
base current.
o 21.5 kΩ resistor – Sets collector-emitter biasing and influences
hysteresis width.
o 27 kΩ resistor – Used for feedback to maintain regenerative
switching.
o 2 kΩ resistor – Acts as the emitter resistor Re, which helps
generate the hysteresis voltage.
o 25 kΩ resistor – Assists in tuning switching thresholds
 Power Supply:

A 12V DC power supply was used to ensure sufficient voltage for proper
transistor switching between cut-off and saturation.
 Test Equipment:

• A Function Generator provided the input sinusoidal waveform shown in

Figure 2 as an example.
• A Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO) was used to observe the input and
output waveforms.

3.2 Design specifications:

Manufacturers specifications:

Initially Q1 is OFF and Q2 is ON:

From equations (1) and (2):

Applying KVL to the output side of the circuit,

According to Ohm’s law:

i.e.

When Q1 is ON and Q2 is OFF:

Applying KVL:
 From equation (9):

The condition for stability is:

We take:

Figure 3: Input and output example.

3.3 Project Flowchart
 If Vin > VTH: Q1 OFF, Q2 ON → Vout HIGH → LED ON
 If Vin < VTL: Q1 ON, Q2 OFF → Vout LOW → LED OFF
 Else: Previous output state is maintained (hysteresis region).
 Shown in Figure 2.
 Figure 4: Schmitt Trigger Circuit using Transistors flow chart & circuit
diagram used.
4. Results

1. Schmitt trigger is used for wave shaping circuits.

2. It can generate a rectangular waveform with sharp edges from a sine wave
or any other waveform Figure 4.
3. It can be used as a voltage comparator.
4. Schmitt trigger is used as an amplitude comparator. It identifies the
moment at which any arbitrary waveform attains a particular reference level.

Figure 5: a rectangular waveform with sharp edges from a waveform.

4.1 Simulations:

Figure 6: Circuit simulation with exact components using Tinkercad.

 Figure 7: Given input waveform .

Figure 8: Output waveform observed using the circuit simulation by

Multisim software .
4.2 Circuit Prototype
The theoretical schematic showed Q1 and Q2 with resistors R1, R2, R3, RL.
The LED connects to Vout, as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 9: the prototype.

4.3 Experimental Operation

 At input > 7V, the LED turned OFF — output LOW.
 At input < 3V, the LED turned ON — output HIGH.
 In the range 3V–7V, the output remained stable, showing apparent
hysteresis behavior [1], [2], [3] .

The circuit reliably rejected minor voltage noise and prevented false
triggering, confirming successful hysteresis implementation. [6]
5. Discussion and Conclusion
The Schmitt Trigger circuit designed and implemented in this project
successfully converted a sine wave input into a square wave output. The
circuit utilized a bistable transistor configuration with regenerative feedback,
which provided reliable switching behavior based on defined upper and lower
threshold voltages. Key components included two BC107B NPN transistors, a
carefully selected set of resistors, and a speed-up capacitor. The resistors
were chosen to control biasing and feedback conditions, while the capacitor
significantly improved switching speed during state transitions. Hysteresis—
achieved through an emitter resistor and regenerative design—enabled the
circuit to ignore small fluctuations or noise near the threshold, producing
clean and stable output transitions [6,7]. The simulation results demonstrated
that the input waveform was accurately reshaped into a square wave,
confirming the effective functioning of the Schmitt Trigger. The oscilloscope
output showed sharp transitions and a clear binary output corresponding to
the designed UTP and LTP levels. In conclusion, the Schmitt Trigger circuit
proved an effective solution for waveform shaping and noise-tolerant signal
processing. Its simplicity, low cost, and reliable performance make it suitable
for a wide range of applications, including signal conditioning, waveform
generators, and digital interface circuits. The theoretical design, practical
implementation, and simulation results are consistent with the expected
behavior of a properly functioning Schmitt Trigger circuit [7].
6. References
[1] C. Cockrill, “Understanding Schmitt Triggers,” Texas Instruments,
Application Brief SCEA046B, Rev. B, Apr. 2025. [Online]. Available:
https://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/scea046 .
[2] E. Abell, “Schmitt trigger uses two transistors,” EDN Network, Nov. 24,
2014. [Online]. Available: https://www.edn.com/schmitt-trigger-uses-two-
transistors/ .
[3] D. Nedelkovski, “Transistor Schmitt Trigger Working Principle,”
HowToMechatronics. [Online]. Available:
https://howtomechatronics.com/how-it-works/electrical-engineering/
transistor-schmitt-trigger/ .
[4] I. Poole, “Transistor Schmitt Trigger Circuit,” Electronics Notes.
[Online]. Available:
https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/analogue_circuits/transistor/
schmitt-trigger.php .
[5] “What is Schmitt Trigger, How it Works and Applications,”
Components101, May 28, 2024. [Online]. Available:
https://components101.com/articles/schmitt-trigger-introduction-working-
applications .
[6] “Schmitt Trigger Basics,” Electronics Tutorials. [Online]. Available:
https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/waveforms/schmitt.html.
[7] R. L. Boylestad and L. Nashelsky, Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory,
11th ed., Pearson Education, 2012.