EKT 104

Analog Electronic Circuits 1

DC Biasing - BJTs
Chapter 1 – Revision Part 2
 Biasing

Biasing: Applying DC voltages to a transistor in order

to turn it on so that it can amplify AC signals.
 Operating Point

The DC input
establishes an
operating or
quiescent point
called the Q-point.
The Three Operating Regions
Active or Linear Region Operation
• Base–Emitter junction is forward biased
• Base–Collector junction is reverse biased

Cutoff Region Operation

• Base–Emitter junction is reverse biased

Saturation Region Operation

• Base–Emitter junction is forward biased
• Base–Collector junction is forward biased
 DC Biasing Circuits
Fixed-bias circuit
Emitter-stabilized bias circuit
Collector-emitter loop
Voltage divider bias circuit
DC bias with voltage feedback
Fixed Bias
 The Base-Emitter Loop
From Kirchhoff’s voltage
law:

+VCC – IBRB – VBE = 0

Solving for base current:

VCC  VBE
IB 
RB
 Collector-Emitter Loop

Collector current:
IC  IB

From Kirchhoff’s voltage law:

VCE  VCC  IC RC
Example: Fixed-Bias Configuration
 Example: Fixed-Bias Configuration
𝑉𝐶𝐶 − 𝑉𝐵𝐸 12.0 𝑉 − 0.7 𝑉
a 𝐼𝐵𝑄 = = = 47.08 𝜇𝐴 * Remember VBE = 0.7 V
𝑅𝐵 240 𝑘Ω
when the transistor is in
𝐼𝐶𝑄 = 𝛽𝐼𝐵𝑄 = (50) 47.08 𝜇𝐴 = 2.35 𝑚𝐴 ACTIVE state (ON).

(b) 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄 = 𝑉𝐶𝐶 − 𝐼𝐶 𝑅𝐶 = 12.0 𝑉 − (2.35 𝑚𝐴)(2.2𝑘Ω)

= 6.83 V
c 𝑉𝐵𝐸 = 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐸 = 𝑉𝐵 = 0.7 V
𝑉𝐶𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶 − 𝑉𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶 = 6.83 V

d 𝑉𝐵𝐶 = 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐶 = 0.7 V − 6.83 V = −6.13 V

 Saturation

When the transistor is operating in saturation, current

through the transistor is at its maximum possible value.

V
ICsat  CC
R
C

VCE  0 V
 Load Line Analysis

The load line end points are:

ICsat
IC = VCC / RC
VCE = 0 V
VCEcutoff
VCE = VCC
IC = 0 mA

The Q-point is the operating point where the value of RB sets the
value of IB that controls the values of VCE and IC .
The Effect of VCC on the Q-Point
The Effect of RC on the Q-Point
The Effect of IB on the Q-Point
 Emitter-Stabilized Bias Circuit

Adding a resistor
(RE) to the emitter
circuit stabilizes
the bias circuit.
 Base-Emitter Loop
From Kirchhoff’s voltage law:
 VCC  IE RE  VBE  IE RE  0

Since IE = ( + 1)IB:

VCC  IBRB  (β  1)I BRE  0

Solving for IB:

VCC  VBE
IB 
RB  (β  1)RE
 Collector-Emitter Loop
From Kirchhoff’s voltage law:
I E RE  VCE  IC RC  VCC  0

Since IE  IC:
VCE  VCC – I C(RC  RE )

Also:
VE  I E RE
VC  VCE  VE  VCC  IC RC
VB  VCC – I R RB  VBE  VE
Example: Emitter-Bias Configuration
 Example: Emitter-Bias Configuration
𝑉𝐶𝐶 − 𝑉𝐵𝐸 20.0 𝑉 − 0.7 𝑉
a 𝐼𝐵𝑄 = = = 40.1 𝜇𝐴
𝑅𝐵 + 𝛽 + 1 𝑅𝐸 430 𝑘Ω + (51)(1 𝑘Ω)

b 𝐼𝐶𝑄 = 𝛽𝐼𝐵𝑄 = 50 40.1 𝜇𝐴 = 2. 01 𝑚𝐴

(c) 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄 = 𝑉𝐶𝐶 − 𝐼𝐶 (𝑅𝐶 + 𝑅𝐸 ) = 20.0 𝑉 − (2.01 𝑚𝐴)(2 𝑘Ω + 1 𝑘Ω)

= 13.97 V
d 𝑉𝐶 = 𝑉𝐶𝐶 − 𝐼𝐶 𝑅𝐶 = 20.0 𝑉 − 2.01 𝑚𝐴 2 𝑘Ω
= 15.98 𝑉
(e) 𝑉𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶 − 𝑉𝐶𝐸 = 15.98 V − 13.97 V = 2.01 V

(f) 𝑉𝐵 = 𝑉𝐵𝐸 + 𝑉𝐸 = 0.7 V + 2.01 V = 2.71 V

g 𝑉𝐵𝐶 = 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐶 = 2.71 V − 15.98 V

= −13.27 V
 Improved Biased Stability

Stability refers to a condition in which the currents and

voltages remain fairly constant over a wide range of
temperatures and transistor Beta () values.

Adding RE to the emitter improves

the stability of a transistor.
 Saturation Level

The endpoints can be determined from the load line.

VCE  0 V
VCEcutoff: VCE  VCC ICsat: VCC
IC  0 mA IC 
RC  RE
 Voltage Divider Bias
This is a very stable bias circuit.

The currents and

voltages are nearly
independent of any
variations in .
 Approximate Analysis
Where IB << I1 and I1  I2 :

R2VCC
VB 
R1  R2

Where RE > 10R2:

VE
IE 
RE
VE  VB  VBE
VCE  VCC  IC RC  IE RE
From Kirchhoff’s voltage law: IE  IC
VCE  V CC IC (RC  RE )
 Voltage Divider Bias Analysis
Transistor Saturation Level
V CC
I Csat  ICmax 
RC  RE

Load Line Analysis

Cutoff: Saturation:
V
VCE  VCC I  CC
C R R
IC  0 mA C E
VCE  0 V
 DC Bias With Voltage Feedback
Another way to improve
the stability of a bias
circuit is to add a
feedback path from
collector to base.

In this bias circuit the

Q-point is only slightly
dependent on the
transistor beta, .
 Base-Emitter Loop
From Kirchhoff’s voltage law:
VCC – IC RC –IBRB –VBE –IE RE  0

Where IB << IC: I' C  IC  IB  IC

Knowing IC = IB and IE  IC, the

loop equation becomes:
VCC – β–BRC  IBRB  VBE  βIBRE  0

VCC  VBE
Solving for IB: IB 
RB  β(RC  RE )
 Collector-Emitter Loop
Applying Kirchoff’s voltage law:

IE + VCE + I’CRC – VCC = 0

Since IC  IC and IC = IB:

IC(RC + RE) + VCE – VCC =0

Solving for VCE:

VCE = VCC – IC(RC + RE)

 Base-Emitter Bias Analysis

Transistor Saturation Level

V CC
I Csat  ICmax 
RC  RE

Load Line Analysis

Cutoff Saturation
V
VCE  VCC I  CC
C R R
IC  0 mA C E
VCE  0 V
Transistor Switching Networks

Transistors with only the DC source applied can be

used as electronic switches.
 Switching Circuit Calculations
Saturation current:
VCC
ICsat 
RC

To ensure saturation:
ICsat
IB 
βdc

Emitter-collector
resistance at VCEsat VCC
Rsat  Rcutoff 
saturation and cutoff: ICsat ICEO
 Switching Time

Transistor switching times:

t on  t r  t d

t off  t s  t f
 Troubleshooting Hints
Approximate voltages VBE  .7 V for silicon transistors
VCE  25% to 75% of VCC

Test for opens and shorts with an ohmmeter.

Test the solder joints.
Test the transistor with a transistor tester or a curve tracer.
Note that the load or the next stage affects the transistor
operation.
 PNP Transistors

The analysis for pnp transistor biasing circuits is

the same as that for npn transistor circuits. The
only difference is that the currents are flowing in
the opposite direction.