Chapter 29

Transistor Amplifiers
 Use of Capacitors in Amplifier
Circuits
• Capacitor review
– Store electrical charge
– Impedance:
1
XC  []
2 fC
– ∞ impedance at dc
– Impedance decreases at higher frequencies
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 Use of Capacitors in Amplifier
Circuits
• Capacitors
– Block dc between stages
– Can be designed to readily pass ac

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 Use of Capacitors in Amplifier
Circuits
• Coupling capacitors
– At “high” frequencies
 Rin 
Vin   VS
 Rin  RS 
– For R = Rin + RS, select capacitor so XC ≤ 0.1 R
– Referred to as “stiff coupling”
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 Use of Capacitors in Amplifier
Circuits
• Bypass capacitors
– Emitter resistor, Re used for biasing
– Ce is a short circuit at high frequencies
– Re has no effect on amplification when Ce is
present
– Select XC ≤ 0.1R

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Use of Capacitors in Amplifier
Circuits

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 Use of Capacitors in Amplifier
Circuits
• Capacitors
– Couple desired ac signals between stages
– Bypass unwanted ac signals to ground

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 Use of Capacitors in Amplifier
Circuits
• Circuit analysis
– If XC ≤ 0.1R
– Replace C with O.C. to determine dc I and V
– Replace C with S.C. to determine ac i and v

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 BJT Small-Signal Models
• T-Equivalent Model
– ie = ib + ic
– ie = (β + 1)ib
–
26 mv
re  at 25o C
I EQ
– Simple
– Good enough for most applications

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BJT Small-Signal Models
ib βacib

B
ie iC
rc

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 BJT Small-Signal Models
• Models
– T-equivalent model simpler
– h-parameter model more accurate
– hfe (h-model) = βac (T-model) [βac ≈ βdc]
– h-parameters dependent on Q-point
– BJT is a current amplifier (current source in
both models)
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 BJT Small-Signal Models
• h-parameter model
– More complex
ib iC
– Better for ac operation B
– Common Emitter model hie
hfeib 1/hoe
• hie = input impedance (Ω)
hreVce
• hre = reverse voltage
transfer ratio (unitless) ie
• hfe = forward current
E
transfer ratio (unitless)
• hoe = output admittance (S)
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 Calculating Av, zin, zout, and Ai of a
Transistor Amplifier
• Voltage Gain, Av vout
Av 
– Output voltage divided vin
by input voltage
• Input Impedance, zin
vin
– Input voltage divided zin 
by input current iin

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 Calculating Av, zin, zout, and Ai of a
Transistor Amplifier
vout(OC)
• Output Impedance, zout z out 
iout(SC)
• Current Gain, Ai iout
Ai 
iin
• Power Gain, Ap
Pout
Ap 
Pin
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 Common-Emitter Amplifier
• General BJT circuit analysis
– Find operating point
– Determine ac parameters (T- or h- models)
– Remove dc V sources & replace with S.C.’s
– Replace coupling & bypass C’s with S.C.’s
– Replace BJT with circuit model
– Solve resulting circuit
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 Common-Emitter Amplifier
• ac equivalent of fixed-bias CE amplifier
using h-parameter model

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 Common-Emitter Amplifier
• Equations for h-parameter model for
fixed-bias CE amplifier
– Circuit voltage gain a function of
• Model forward current transfer ratio, hfe
• Model input impedance, hie
• Circuit collector resistance, RC
• Circuit load resistance, RL

hfe RC RL 
Av  
hie 17
 Common-Emitter Amplifier
• Circuit current gain a function of
– Same parameters, plus
– Fixed bias resistance, RB

hfe RB RC
Ai 
RC  RL RB  hie 
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 Common-Emitter Amplifier
• Equations for h-parameter model for fixed-
bias CE amplifier
– Circuit input impedance a function of
• Model forward current transfer ratio, hfe
• Model input impedance, hie

zin  RB hie
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 Common-Emitter Amplifier
• Circuit output impedance a function of
– Collector resistance (model output
admittance), hoe very low zout  RC

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 ac Load Line
• Q-point is on dc load line
• ac load line determines maximum
undistorted output
• Can calculate maximum power
• Q-point also on ac load line
• ac load line has different slope
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 ac Load Line

• CE amplifier circuit

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 ac Load Line
• dc and ac load lines

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 ac Load Line
• Equations of ac vCE  iC (rC  rE )
load line
VCE
• Consider IC 
rC  rE
– CE amplifier circuit
– dc load line iC  OCQ  ic
vCE  VCEQ  vce
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 Common-Collector Amplifier
• Important characteristics
– High input impedance
– Low output impedance
– vout in-phase with vin
– vout ≈ vin

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 Common-Collector Amplifier
• Important characteristics
– Large current gain
– Input voltage measured at base
– Output voltage measured at emitter

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Common-Collector
Amplifier
• Common-
Collector circuit

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 Common-Collector Amplifier
• Circuit gains and impedances
– Av ≈ 1
– zin = RB||zin(Q)
– A   AV zin close to hfe
i
RL
RS || RB
zout (Q )   re
– h fe  1 very small
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 FET Small-Signal Model
• Voltage controlled
amplifier ig=0 id
• Small-signal model G D
same for JFETs & Vgs+ ∞ rd
- gmvgs
MOSFETs
• High input impedance is
• is = id S

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FET Small-Signal
Model
• gm is
transconductance
• gm is slope of transfer
curve

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 FET Small-Signal Model
• Equations
I D
– Definition gm 
VGS
2 I DSS
– Maximum g mo 
VGs (OFF )
 VGSQ 
g m  g mo 1  
– Measured  V
 GS ( OFF ) 

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 Common-Source Amplifier
• Analysis
– Similar to BJT using h-parameter model
– First determine bias
– Find dc operating point (Q-point)
– Determine gm

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 Common-Source
Amplifier
• A common-
source circuit

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 Common-Source Amplifier
• Equations
– No current input AV   g m RD
– Voltage gain dependent on
gm and RD
– Input impedance is RG || ∞
zin  RG
– Output impedance
approximately drain
zout  RD
resistance

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 Common-Source Amplifier
• D-MOSFETs
– Analysis same as JFETs
– Except operation in enhancement region

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 Common-Source Amplifier
• E-MOSFETs
– Find IDSQ, VGSQ, and VDSQ at Q-point
– Solve for gm of amplifier
– Sketch ac equivalent circuit
– Determine Av, zin, and zout of amplifier

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 Common-Drain (Source
Follower) Amplifier
• Av < 1
• vout in phase with vin
• Input impedance very high
• Output impedance low
• Main application: Buffer
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 Troubleshooting a Transistor
Amplifier Circuit
• Incorrect placement of electrolytic
capacitors
– Noisy output signal
– Capacitor as an antenna
– Generally 60 Hz added

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 Troubleshooting a Transistor
Amplifier Circuit
• Correct placement
– Check proper polarity
– Replace faulty capacitors

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 Troubleshooting a Transistor
Amplifier Circuit
• Faulty or incorrectly placed capacitor
– Measured Av different from theoretical Av
– Faulty capacitor behaves like an open circuit
– Faulty capacitor can develop internal short

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 Troubleshooting a Transistor
Amplifier Circuit
• Troubleshooting steps
– Remove ac signal sources from circuit
– Calculate theoretical Q-point
– Measure to determine actual Q-point
– Verify capacitors are correctly placed
– Ensure connections, especially ground wires,
as short as possible
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 Troubleshooting a Transistor
Amplifier Circuit
• Distorted output signal usually the result of
too large an input signal

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