BJT AC Analysis

Topic 5 (Chapter 5)
 5.2 AC Amplification
• After a transistor has been biased with the Q point near
the middle of the load line, we can couple a small ac
voltage into the base (input).
– This will produce an ac collector voltage (output).
– The ac collector voltage looks like the ac base
voltage, except that it's a lot bigger.
• In other words, the ac collector voltage is an amplified
version of the ac base voltage.
• The invention of amplifying devices, first vacuum tubes
and later transistors, was crucial to the evolution of
electronics.
– Without amplification, there would be no radio, no
television, and no computers.
 BJT amplifier biased at a point Q
• A small signal
voltage vbe is
applied
• The output signal
vce appears
superimposed on
the dc collector
voltage VCE 𝑣 𝑐𝑒 =𝑣 𝑜𝑢𝑡

𝑣 𝑖𝑛

• The amplitude of vce is larger than that of vbe by the

voltage gain Av
 Base-biased amplifier
• AC input is applied into base

• Coupling capacitors are used to block DC

– The reactance of a coupling capacitor is small for
AC signal
• Amplified and inverted output at the
collector.
• AC output coupled to the load ()
• Voltage Gain:
A base-biased amplifier with capacitive coupling
+30 V
Coupling
capacitors
are used
5 kW
to block 1 MW
+ 15.35 V 0

DC
0 bdc = 100
+0.7 V 100 kW
100mV

DC analysis gives: IB = 29.3 mA, IC = 2.93 mA and VC = 15.35 V

 𝑖𝐵
(Only AC)

29.3 mA Base current

(Only DC)

Waveforms t
𝑖𝐶
Only DC

Only AC 2.93 mA Collector current

DC + AC
t
𝑣𝐶

15.35 V Collector voltage

t
 The coupling capacitor
Capacitor current, 𝑂𝑝𝑒𝑛
𝑆h𝑜𝑟𝑡
DC Analysis: is 𝐴𝐶 𝐷𝐶
fixed. R R
Open

AC Analysis:

{
Reactance SHORT OPEN

. Short
Large
1. For ac analysis, the capacitor is a short.
2. For dc analysis, the capacitor is open.
 BJT Amplifier Analysis
• Superposition Theorem (DC + AC analysis)
• DC voltages and currents are calculated mentally
by opening capacitors: DC Analysis (Chapter 4)
• The AC signal is coupled via a coupling capacitor
• Coupling capacitor: couples between BJT &
input AND BJT & output
• The bypass capacitor causes an AC signal to
appear across the base-emitter junction and
provides higher gain
• Bypass capacitor: Need in DC. Not need in AC.
 VDB Amplifier
+10 V Coupling Capacitors

3.6 kW +6.04 V
10 kW
0
+1.8 V

0 100 kW
+1.1 V

100 mV 2.2 kW 1 kW
Bypass Capacitor
 The dc current gain is given as:

IC
bDC =
IB

The ac current gain is given as:

ic
bac =
ib

Use CAPITAL letters for dc quantities

and lowercase letters for ac.
Formula for ac emitter resistance
Derived by using solid-state physics and
calculus:
Diode AC Resistance, Chapter 1

26 mV
re’ =
IE

is AC emitter resistance
is DC emitter current
5.3 BJT TRANSISTOR MODELING
Transistor Circuit

AC Equivalent Circuit:
After the removal of the
dc supply and insertion
of the short-circuit
equivalent for the
capacitors.
Redrawn for small-signal ac analysis
 Transistor AC models
• AC equivalent circuit for a transistor
• Simulates how a transistor behaves when
an ac signal is present
• There are two models commonly used in
small signal AC analysis of a transistor:
• re model
– T model and p type models are widely used
• Hybrid equivalent model (h parameter
model)
 5.4 The Transistor Model
(The Input Equivalent Circuit)

BJT similar to two diodes, emitter-base (FB) and collector-base (RB)

Transistor Model: Diode between Emitter and Base
 The re Transistor Model
(The BJT Equivalent Circuit – T Model)
𝐶

𝐸
• BJT similar to two diodes, emitter-base (FB) and collector-base
(RB)
• Transistor Model: AC resistance () between Emitter and Base
(input/ base side)
• Output/ collector side: ; output current = input current
• Output side: Current dependent current source ( diamond shape)
 Deriving p model from T model

vbe = iere
ic
= (b+1) ibre
≅ ib×b r e zin(base)
ib re’

ie
 The p model of a transistor
is based on zin(base) = bre:
ib
zin(base)
bre Ic=bib

ie
Overview of re Transistor Models
(T and p Model)

e
T Model p Model
 BJT Amplifier AC analysis
• Superposition theorem (DC + AC analysis)
• Perform a complete DC analysis (Chapter 4)
• Short all coupling and bypass capacitors for ac
signals
• Visualize all DC supply voltages as grounds
• Replace the transistor by its p or T model
• Draw the AC equivalent circuit
5.5 Common-Emitter
Fixed-Bias
Configuration
AC equivalent

re model
Common-Emitter Fixed-Bias Calculations

Input Zi  RB||β| e
Zi  βre RE 10 βr e Io βRB ro
impedance: Ai  
I i (ro  RC )(R B  βre )
Zo  RC||rO Current gain:
Output Ai  β ro 10 RC , RB 10 βr e
Zo  RC ro 10 RC

impedance:
Vo (R ||r )
Av   C o
Vi re
Voltage gain: RC
Av   ro 10 RC
re
1. Short all coupling and bypass
capacitors for ac signals
2. DC supply voltages as
grounds
3. Replace the transistor by its p
or T model
p Model: CE
T model: CB
4. Draw the AC equivalent
circuit
 OUTPUT

INPUT
5.6 Common-Emitter Voltage-Divider Bias

re model requires you to

determine , re, and ro.
5.6 Common-Emitter Io
Current gain
 R ro
Ai  
Voltage-Divider Bias I i (ro  RC )(R    re )
I R 
Ai  o 
Input impedance r 10R
I i R    re o C
R   R1 || R2 Voltage gain Io
Ai    ro 10RC , R 10 re
Zi  R  || βre Ii
Vo  RC || ro
Av  
Vi re
Output impedance Vo R
Av   C ro 10RC
Zo  RC || ro Vi re

Zo  RC ro 10RC
 Example 5.8: Common Base BJT Amplifier
• Common base PNP: T model
• Input: emitter; output: collector
• Output Current: input current
Example 5.8: Common Base BJT Amplifier