Scribd
Upload
22 views6 pages

Transistors

A transistor is a semiconductor device that can amplify or switch electrical signals and power and is a basic building block of modern electronics. It consists of three terminals - emitter, base, and collector - and uses small base current to control larger collector current. Transistors are used for amplification, power control, digital logic, oscillation, communication, and switching in computers and electronics.

Uploaded by

shuvrobhattacharya01
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
22 views6 pages

Transistors

A transistor is a semiconductor device that can amplify or switch electrical signals and power and is a basic building block of modern electronics. It consists of three terminals - emitter, base, and collector - and uses small base current to control larger collector current. Transistors are used for amplification, power control, digital logic, oscillation, communication, and switching in computers and electronics.

Uploaded by

shuvrobhattacharya01
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Definition: A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electrical signals

and power. It is one of the basic building blocks of modern electronics.


History:
 Invention of the point-contact transistor by John Bardeen and Walter Brattain in 1947.
 The first successful junction transistor by William Shockley in 1948.
 Rapid advancements and miniaturization in transistor technology.

Types: There are many types of transistors in use. Each transistor is specialized in its application.
The main classification is as follows.
The primary transistor is the BJT and FET is the modern version of transistor.

Symbol: The symbol of a NPN and a PNP transistor is given below:


Fig: NPN transistor Fig: PNP transistor

Biasing: Biasing is the process of providing DC voltage which helps in the functioning of the
circuit. A transistor is based in order to make the emitter base junction forward biased and
collector base junction reverse biased, so that it maintains in active region, to work as an
amplifier.
The below figure shows a transistor amplifier that is provided with DC biasing on both input and
output circuits.

Fig: Transistor Biasing

Working Principle: We know that BJT consists of three terminals (Emitter, Base and Collector). It is a
current-driven device where two P-N junctions exist within a BJT.

One P-N junction exists between the emitter and base region, and the second junction exists
between the collector and base region. A very small amount of current flow through the emitter
to the base can control a reasonably large amount of current flow through the device from the
emitter to the collector.
In the usual operation of BJT, the base-emitter junction is forward biased, and the base-collector
junction is reverse-biased. When a current flows through the base-emitter junction, the current
will flow in the collector circuit.

Applications:
 Audio and radio frequency amplification.
 Power regulation and control in electronic devices.
 Digital logic circuits and microprocessors.
 Oscillators and signal generators.
 Communication systems: transmitters, receivers, and modulators.
 Switching applications in computers, telecommunications, and industrial control systems.

Connection Types: Any transistor circuit can be designed using three types of configuration. Three
configurations of the transistor are based on the connection of the transistor terminal. The three types
of transistor circuit configurations are:

 Common Emitter Transistor


 Common Base Transistor
 Common Collector Transistor

Common Emitter (CE) Configuration of Transistor


The configuration in which the emitter is connected between the collector and base is known as a
common emitter configuration.

Fig: Common Emitter (CE) Configuration

Common Base (CB) Configuration of Transistor


In CB Configuration, the base terminal of the transistor will be connected common between the
output and the input terminals.
Fig: Common Base (CB) Configuration
Common Collector (CC) Configuration of Transistor
In CE Configuration, the Collector terminal of the transistor will be connected common between
the output and the input terminals.

Fig: Common Collector (CC) Configuration

Input and output characteristics of CE connection:

1. Input Characteristics:
The transistor characteristic under Common Emitter configuration is as follows: The Input
characteristic of a Transistor is obtained between the Input's Current IB and the Input Voltage V B
by having a constant Output Voltage VCE. By keeping the Output Voltage VCE constant and
changing the Input Voltage VBE of different points, we can examine the values of the Input
Current of each of the points. Now, using the values obtained from different points, a graph is
drawn by plotting the values of IB and VBE at constant VCE.
Rin = VBE/IB (at a constant VCE)
This is the required equation to calculate the Input resistance Rin.
Fig: Characteristics Curve

2. Output Characteristics:
The Output characteristic of a common emitter is obtained between the Output Voltage V CE and
Output Current IC at a constant Input Current IB. By keeping the base Current IB constant and
changing the value of Output Voltage VCE at different points, we can calculate the value of
collector IC for each point. Now, if we plot a graph between IC and VCE, we get the Output
characteristics of a common-emitter configuration. Rout = VCE/IC (at a constant IB) This is the
equation to calculate Output resistance.

Fig: Characteristics Curve

Use of transistor as an amplifier:


Signal Amplification:
Transistors amplify signals by controlling the flow of current or voltage through their terminals.
The input signal is applied to the base (for BJTs) or gate (for FETs) terminal, and the amplified
output signal is obtained from the collector (for BJTs) or drain (for FETs) terminal.
Voltage Gain:
Transistors can provide voltage amplification, where the output voltage is a magnified version of
the input voltage. The amount of voltage amplification is determined by the transistor's
characteristics and the configuration used.
Current Gain:
Transistors can also provide current amplification, increasing the current level of the input signal.
This is particularly useful in applications where a high-power output is required.
Biasing:
To operate a transistor as an amplifier, it needs to be properly biased. Biasing involves applying a
DC voltage or current to establish the operating point of the transistor within its active region.
This ensures linear amplification and avoids distortion.
Audio Amplification:
Transistors are extensively used in audio amplifiers, such as those found in stereo systems,
radios, and musical instruments. They amplify the weak audio signals from sources like
microphones or CD players to produce louder and clearer sound.
Radio Frequency (RF) Amplification:
Transistors are crucial in RF amplification for communication systems. They amplify the weak
signals received by antennas in transmitters and receivers, enabling long-distance transmission
and improved signal quality.

You might also like