Common Base and Common
Collector Amplifiers
Reminder: BJT Small Signal
Model
B C
ic
ib
ie
E
Definition of input and output
voltage and current directions
iin iout
vin Amplifier vout
Common Base Amplifiers
• Uses the same stabilised bias scheme as CE
configuration.
Common Base Amplifiers
• Uses the same stabilised bias scheme as CE
configuration.
• The base is grounded for a.c. signals using a
large capacitor.
• Signal input at the emitter (between the
emitter and the common base)
• Signal output at the collector (between the
collector and the common base)
Common Base Amplifiers
+VCC
R1 RC
RL vout
R2 CB R
E vin
GND
Common Base Amplifiers
• We will ignore the a.c. coupled load RL
+VCC
R1 RC
vout
R2 CB R vin
E
GND
CB Amplifier,
i
a.c. equivalent.
in
E C ic= iout
ie
ib
vout
vin RC
RE
ib r
B
Common Base Amplifier
iout ic
Current gain 1
iin - ie
Common Base Amplifier
vout - ic RC
i
vin - rπ ib - rπ β c
vout β Rc
Voltage gain
vin rπ
Common Base Amplifier
• Input impedance to transistor
vin - ib r r
- ie - ie (1 )
Common
i
Base Amplifier
in
E C ic= iout
ie
ib
vout
vin RC
RE vin
ib r
B
Common Base Amplifier
• Input impedance to stage (whole amplifier)
r
RE //
(1 )
Common
i
Base Amplifier
in
E C ic= iout
ie
ib
vout
vin RC
RE
ib r
B
Common Collector Amplifier
• Signal input between base and common
collector.
• Signal output between emitter and common
collector.
Common Collector Amplifier
VCC
R1
R2
vin RE vout
CC Amplifier, a.c. equivalent
circuit
ie
E
B ib io
r
RS
RB = R1//R2 ib
vin vout RE
vs
C
Common Collector Amplifier
ie ib ic (1 )ib
vin ib rπ ieRE ib [rπ (1 β)RE]
Common Collector Amplifier
• Transistor input impedance =
Rib vin
[rπ (1 β)RE]
ib
Common Collector Amplifier
vout ie RE ib (1 β)RE
vin ib [rπ (1 β)R E]
vout (1 β) ib RE
Voltage gain
vin ib [rπ (1 ) RE]
Common Collector Amplifier
(1 β) RE
Voltage gain 1
[rπ (1 β) RE]
iout ie
Current gain (1 )
iin ib
Common Collector Amplifier
• To find the output impedance we note that:
vout - ib RS // RB - ib rπ
• Hence
vout (RS // RB rπ)
Rout low
ie (1 β)
Common Collector Amplifier
• The voltage gain is slightly less than unity.
• The CC circuit is sometimes known as an
emitter follower since the output voltage at
the emitter follows the input voltage at the
base.
Common Collector Amplifier
• The prime function of this circuit is to
connect a high resistance source to a low
resistance load (“a buffer amplifier”).
• Since voltage gain is approximately one this
is achievable as the current gain is high.
