Transistor: as a switch and an amplifier
Name: Wei-Chen Au ID: 103202504
Date: November 3 and 17, 2017
Purpose:
(1) To study and plot the transistor characteristics in CE configuration.
(2) To understand working of transistor as a switch. To draw DC load line for given
circuit
(3) To observe input-output waveforms of common emitter (CE) and common collect
(CC) amplifier
(4) To measure gain of amplifier at different frequencies and plot frequency response
Equipment:
2x DC power supply (0-30 V)
Frequency generator (0-1MHz)
Resistor (1x 100 Ω, 2x 1 kΩ, 1x 10 kΩ, 1x 100 kΩ)
10 kΩ potentiometer
Capacitor (3x 10 uF)
LED
Transistor (npn Si Transistor)
Procedure
1. I –V characteristic of a transistor in common emitter configuration
Figure 3-1. Circuit to measure the characteristic for a Common Emitter transistor
a) To find the input characteristics:
i. Construct the circuit as in the figure 3-1. Here 𝑅𝐵=10kΩ and 𝑅𝐶=1kΩ. 𝑉𝐵𝐵 and
𝑉𝐶𝐶 are the DC power supplies (0-30 V). Keep 𝑉𝐵𝐵 and 𝑉𝐶𝐶 in 0 V.
ii. Set 𝑉𝐶𝐸 = 1 V by changing 𝑉𝐶𝐶. Then vary the 𝑉𝐵𝐵 smoothly such that base
current 𝐼𝐵 varies
in steps of 5 μA from zero up to 200 μA, and write down the corresponding voltage
𝑉𝐵𝐸 for each step in the tabular form.
iii. Repeat the experiment for 𝑉CE =2 V and 3 V.
iv. Draw a graph between 𝑉𝐵𝐸 Vs 𝐼𝐵 against 𝑉𝐶𝐸 = constant as shown in Figure 3-2a.
1-a result
The plot of the current in base verse the voltage between base and emitter fit the
theoretical line. But the 2V line and the 3V line are close to each other due to the
change of knee point is not large in the condition above. The plot is shown below.
Figure1. The I-V curve of transistor in VCE=1,2,3 V. The purple line is VCE=1V, the green
line is VCE=2V while the blue line is VCE=3V.
b) To find the output characteristics:
i. Start 𝑉𝐵𝐵 and 𝑉𝐶𝐶 from zero voltage.
ii. Set the 𝐼𝐵 = 20 μA by using 𝑉𝐵𝐵 such that, 𝑉𝐶𝐸 changes in steps of 0.2 V from
zero up to 10
V, note down the corresponding collector current 𝐼𝐶 for each step in the tabular
form.
iii. Repeat the experiment for 𝐼𝐸 = 40 μA and 𝐼𝐸 = 60 μA, tabulate the readings.
iv. Draw a graph between 𝑉𝐶𝐸 Vs 𝐼𝐶 against 𝐼𝐵 = constant as shown in Figure 3-2b.
Figure 3-2. (a). input characteristics and (b). output characteristics
1-b result
The plot of this experiment matches Figure 3-2b well.
Figure1. The I-V curve of transistor in I=20,40,60 uA. The purple line is I=20uA, the
green line is I=40uA while the blue line is I=60uA.
2. Transistor as a switch.
Figure 3-3. Circuit to measure the characteristic for a Common Emitter transistor
a) Connect the circuit as shown in the figure 3-3 and set the input voltage 𝑉𝐵𝐵 at 0-
6V in the form of 500Hz Square wave. Here, 𝑅𝐵=51kΩ, 𝑅𝐶=1kΩ, and 𝑉𝐶𝐶=12V.
b) Acquire the input (𝑉𝐵𝐵) and the output (𝑉𝐶𝐸) waveforms and plot them. Then
compare two signals.
The result shows how the input is inverted. In other words, when the input is 6 V the
output is 0 V. Thus, the switch is off and when the input is 0, the output is 6 V and
the switch is on.
c) As an improvement, you can notice the switching on and off of an LED by
connecting it between the collector and the resistor. Can you identify when the LED
is switched on and when it is switched off?
Result
The result shows that the LED light will be turned off while the input is 6 V the
output is 0 V. And when the input is 0, the output is 6 V and the switch is on.
Figure 2-1(left) turned off LED. 2-2 (right) turned on LED.
3. Common-Emitter amplifier
Figure 3-4. Circuit diagram of a CE transistor amplifier
c) Voltage gain
i. Connect the circuit as per the Fig. 3-4. Apply 𝑉𝐶𝐶 of 12 Volts DC. Here, 𝑅1=100kΩ,
𝑅2=10kΩ,=1kΩ, 𝑅𝐶=4.7kΩ, and 𝑅𝐸=1kΩ. Also, 𝐶𝐵=10uF, 𝐶𝐶=10uF, and 𝐶𝐸=10uF.
ii. Apply Input Voltage of 20mV at 1KHz from the Signal Generator and monitor the
output signal 𝑉𝑂.
iii. Vary the frequency (𝑓) from 50 Hz to 1MHz in appropriate steps and note down
the corresponding output Voltage 𝑉𝑂 in a tabular form.
iv. Calculate the Voltage Gain 𝐴𝑣 = 𝑉𝑂/𝑉𝑆 and note down in the tabular form.
v. Draw the semi-log plot of Gain (𝐴𝑣) as a function of the frequency 𝑓.
vi. Draw a horizontal line on the graph at 𝐴𝑣/√2 and note down the cut off points and
the Bandwidth (BW) is given by 𝐵𝑊 = 𝑓𝐻 – 𝑓𝐿.
d) Input impedance 𝑅𝑖
i. Apply the input voltage of 20mV at 1KHz from the Signal Generator and observe
voltage 𝑉𝑖 across 𝑅2. Without disturbing the setup, write down 𝑉𝑖s.
ii. Find 𝐼𝑖 = (𝑉𝑠 − 𝑉𝑖)/𝑅𝑠 and 𝑅𝑖 = 𝑉𝑖/𝐼𝑖 Ohms.
e) Output impedance 𝑅𝑜
i. Apply the input voltage of 20mV at 1KHz from the Signal Generator and monitor
the output signal 𝑉𝑂.
ii. Connect a Potentiometer across the output terminals and without disturbing 𝑉𝑆
, adjust the potentiometer such that output falls to 𝑉𝑂/2
iii. The Resistance of the potentiometer is equal to 𝑅𝑂.
Figure 3-5. Model graph of the gain vs the frequency of a CE amplifier
Result
In this experiment, the voltage at 1kHz is 5.7V when I adapted the input voltage
0.532V. And the Vi is 0.53V so Ii=(Vs-Vi)/1000=2*10—6A. Then the input impedance is
2.5*105Ω. As for the output impedance, it is equals to the 5.378kΩ. In addition, the
bandwidth can be yielded by the graph below.
Figure 3 The purple line is the frequency response line, while the green line is the
horizontal line of Avm/√ 2. From this plot we can see that the bandwidth is
approximately 470kHz.
4. Common-Collect amplifier
Figure 3-6. Circuit diagram of a CC amplifier
a) Voltage gain
i. Connect the circuit as per the Fig. 3-6. Apply VCC of 12 Volts DC. Here, 𝑅1=100kΩ,
𝑅2=10kΩ,
𝑅𝑆=1kΩ, and 𝑅𝐸=1kΩ. Also, 𝐶𝐵=10uF and 𝐶𝐸=10uF.
ii. Apply the input voltage of 50mV at 1KHz from the Signal Generator and observe
the output signal on the oscilloscope.
iii. Vary the frequency from 50 Hz to 1MHz in appropriate steps and note down the
corresponding output voltage VO in a tabular form.
iv. Calculate the Voltage Gain 𝐴𝑣 = 𝑉𝑂/𝑉𝑆 and note down in the tabular form.
v. Draw the semi-log plot of Gain (𝐴𝑣) as a function of the frequency 𝑓.
vi. Draw a horizontal line on the graph at 𝐴𝑣/√2 and note down the cut off points and
the
Bandwidth (BW) is given by 𝐵𝑊 = 𝑓𝐻 − 𝑓𝐿.
b) Input impedance 𝑅𝑖
i. Apply the input voltage of 50mV at 1kHz from the Signal Generator and observe
voltage 𝑉𝑖 across 𝑅2. Without disturbing the setup, write down 𝑉𝑖s.
ii. Find 𝐼𝑖 = (𝑉𝑠 − 𝑉𝑖)/𝑅𝑠 and 𝑅𝑖 = 𝑉𝑖/𝐼𝑖 Ohms.
c) Output impedance 𝑅𝑜
i. Apply the input voltage of 50mV at 1KHz from the Signal Generator and monitor
the output signal 𝑉𝑂.
ii. Connect a Potentiometer across the output terminals and without disturbing 𝑉𝑆
, adjust the potentiometer such that output falls to 𝑉𝑂/2
iii. The Resistance of the potentiometer is equal to 𝑅𝑂.
Figure 3-7. Model graph of the gain vs the frequency of a CC amplifier
Result
In this experiment, the voltage at 1kHz is 0.46V when I adapted the input voltage
0.537V. And the Vi is 0.2675V so Ii=(Vs-Vi)/1000=2.6*10—4A. Then the input
impedance is 1000Ω. As for the output impedance, it is equals to the 200Ω. In
addition, the bandwidth can be yielded by the graph below.
Figure 4: from this graph the bandwidth cannot be determined due to the limit of
function generator, but it can be predicted by the trend of the line, and it bandwidth
falls between 4MHz to 5MHz.
Question
1. Why the bandwidths of CE and CC amplifiers are quite different?
2. Why CE amplifiers enlarge the gain, while CC amplifiers minimize the gain?
Conclusion
These experiments work quite well with the theoretical prediction, transistors can
work as an amplifier as well as the switch. Furthermore, CE amplifiers enlarge the
amplitude of signal, while CC amplifiers minimize the amplitude of the signal.
However, due to the limit of function generator which can only produce maximum
frequency 3.3MHz, I can’t directly measure the bandwidth, which is a pity.
