Date.

Roll No. .

EXPERIMENT 5

Darlington and Cascode Amplifier Circuits

Objective
1. To calculate and measure DC and AC voltages in Darlington and cascade
connection circuits.
Equipment
1.
2.
3.
4.

Oscilloscope
DMM
Function generator
DC supply

Components
1. Resistors [100, (1); 51-1W, (1); 1k, (1); 1.8k, (1); 4.7k, (1); 5.6k, (1);
6.8k, (1); 50k pot, (1); 100k, (1)]
2. Capacitors [0.001F, (1); 10F, (4)]
3. Transistors [2N3904,(or equivalent general purpose npn), (2); TIP120 (npn
Darlington), (1)]
Discussion
Darlington Circuit: A Darlington connection (as shown in Fig. 23.1) provides a
pair of BJT transistors in a single IC package with effective beta (
equals to
the product of the individual transistor betas:
23.1
The Darlington emitter-follower has higher input impedance than that of an
emitter-follower. The Darlington emitter-follower input impedance is:

23.2

 The output impedance of the Darlington emitter-follower is

The voltage gain of a Darlington emitter-follower circuit is:

23.3
23.4

Cascode Circuit: A Cascode circuit , as shown in Fig. 23.2, provides a commonemitter amplifier using Q1 directly connected to a common-base amplifier using
Q2. The voltage gain of stage Q1 is approximately 1, with the voltage Vo1 being
opposite in polarity to that applied as Vi.
23.5
The Voltage gain of Q2 is non-inverted and of magnitude

23.6
Resulting in an overall gain:

23.7

Procedure:
The students are expected to conduct the following instructions first in PROTEUS and
then experimentally in the lab during the same lab session.
Part 1. Darlington Emitter-Follower Circuit
a. For the circuit of Fig. 23.1 calculate the DC bias voltages and currents.
+Vcc ( 10V )
RB(variable)
2M

Vi

C
B

C1
0.001 F

TIP 120
E

Figure 23-1

RE
390
1/2W

C2
10 F

(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
Calculate the theoretical values of voltage gain, input and output impedance.

(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
b. Construct the Darlington circuit of Fig. 23.1. Adjust the 2M potentiometer (
to provide an emitter voltage,
= 5V. Using a DMM, measure and record the DC
bias values:

(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
Calculate the base and emitter DC currents:

(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
Calculate the value of transistor beta at this Q-point:

(calculated) = __________

c. Apply an input signal

= 1V, peak at
10 kHz. Using the oscilloscope
observe and record the output voltage to assure that signal is not clipped or
distorted. (Reduce the input signal amplitude if necessary.)

(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
Calculate and record the AC voltage gain:

__________
Part 2. Darlington input and Output Impedance
a. Calculate the input impedance:

(calculated) = __________
Calculate the circuit output impedance:

(calculated) = __________
b. Connect a measurement resistor
record input voltage .

= 100 k, in series with

. Measure and

(measured) = __________
Calculate the circuit input impedance using

(calculated) = __________
Remove measurement resistor,
c. Measure the output voltage,

.
with no load connected.

(measured) = _________
Connect load resistor,

100. Measure and record resulting output voltage.

(measured) =

_________

Calculate the output impedance using:

(calculated) = _________
Compare the calculated and measured values of

and

Part 3. Cascode Amplifier

a. Calculate DC bias voltages and currents in the cascode amplifier of Fig. 23.2
(assuming base currents are much less than the voltage divider current).

+Vcc ( 10V )
RB1
6.8 k

RC
1.8 k

C3

C2

Vo
10 F

10 F

RB2
5.6 k

00

C1

Figure 23-2

Vi

10 F
RB3
4.7 k

00
RE
1 k

CE
10 F

(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________

Calculate the DC bias emitter currents:

(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
Calculate the transistor dynamic resistances:

(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
b. Connect the cascode circuit of Fig. 23.2. Measure and record DC bias voltages.

(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
Calculate the values of emitter currents:

= __________
= __________

Calculate the transistor dynamic resistances:

= __________
= __________

c. Using Eqs. 23.5 and 23.6 calculate the AC voltage gain of each transistor
stage:

(calculated) = __________
(calculated) = __________
d. Apply an input signal
= 10mV, peak at
10 kHz. Using the
oscilloscope observe the output waveform to assure that signal is not clipped or
distorted. (Reduce the input signal amplitude if necessary.)
Using the DMM measure, record the AC signals.

(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
(measured) = __________
Calculate and record the AC voltage gain:

__________

__________
__________
Compare the measured voltage gains with those calculated in steps 3(c) and
3(d).

e. Using the oscilloscope, observe and record waveform for the input signal, ,
output of stage 1, , and output of stage 2, . Show amplitude and phase
relations clearly.