ET1201 | EEP2 |

ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES

CHAPTER 10:
Bipolar junction transistors
Sections 10.1, 10.3
With tutorial questions review

10 - 1
 OBJECTIVES
Describe transistors and their symbols.
Explain the transistor's cut-off, active and
saturated modes.
Understand the operation of a transistor as a
switch. [Fixed bias and base bias circuits only,
NO voltage-divider bias or emitter bias]

Compare differences between transistor

switching and mechanical switching.
Explain transistor operation as an "open" or
"closed" switch. [cutoff and saturation modes]

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10 - 2
10.1 STRUCTURE of BJTs (pg 430)
BJTs = bipolar junction transistors

A BJT has 3 terminals:

emitter (E), base (B) & collector (C).

NPN type PNP type

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10 - 3
 BJT symbols (npn)
NPN type means:
Collector terminal = n- material
Base terminal = p- material
Emitter terminal = n- material.

n
p
Arrow on E-terminal
always points from P n
to N

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10 - 4
 BJT symbols (pnp)
PNP type means:
Collector terminal = p- material
Base terminal = n- material
Emitter terminal = p- material.

p
n
Arrow on E-terminal
p always points
from P to N

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10 - 5
 Compare a transistor
operation with a tap

Turning this handle

The base current
will control water controls the amount of
flow. emitter current flow.
base
base
water
IE
collector emitter collector emitter

The arrow indicates the

direction of current flow
(one-way only).

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10 - 6
TRANSISTOR uses (pg 431)

When BJT operates BE junction C-B junction

as:

amplifier is forward-biased is reverse-biased

switch is forward-biased is forward-biased

(ON /closed)

switch is reverse-biased is reverse-biased

(OFF /open)

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10 - 7
TRANSISTOR OPERATION(pg 431)
To ensure proper amplifier operation:
B-E junction is forward-biased,
B-C junction is reverse-biased.

n
p
n

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10 - 8
Transistor currents
By KCL: Emitter current (IE) = sum of (IC) & (IB)

I E IC I B
IC
IB If IC =1000 mA, IB = 10 mA
Then,
IE = (1000 + 10 ) mA
= 1010 mA
IE

10 - 9
Current gain of BJT, DC (pg 433)
DC = CURRENT GAIN of a transistor.
IC
DC
IB
DC typically ranges from 20 (power transistors) to 200 (small-
signal transistors).

Again, if IC =1000 mA, IB = 10 mA

Then, current gain, = IC / IB
= 1000 / 10
= 100 (unitless)

10 - 10
BJT terminal voltages
VCE = VCB + VBE

VCB

VBE VCE

10 - 11
BJT circuit voltages (pg 433)
The collector
power supply
voltage is VCC.

VBE Here, VE = 0
VB
VE Hence, VB = VBE
here!!

Apply KVL in
this loop
VB VE VB E
VE 0 .7V
10 - 12
contdBJT circuit voltages
The collector power
supply voltage is
Ic. Rc VCC.

VBE VC
Apply KVL in loop,

Total battery voltage =

sum of individual volt drops

VC C VC IC R C

10 - 13
 Apply KVL to B-E
circuit and C-E
circuit

I E IC I B
IC
VB VC DC
IB

VB B IB.RB VB E VC C VC IC R C
w h e reVB E 0 . 7V

10 - 14
 VB B IB.RB VB E
VB VC
w h e reVB E 0 . 7V

VC C VC IC R C

10 - 15
 Example 10.1 Question on pg 435

+VCC=9V

220 220

9V +
22 k
VBB 22 k
6V =6 V
_

Answers (pg 465)

10 - 16
 SOLUTION to 10.1 example question
VB B IB.RB VB E
220 w h e r eVB E 0 . 7V

9V 6 IB. 22k 0.7

22 k
6 0.7
6V IB 0.241 mA
22k
where VBE 0.7 V VB

IC

IB
IC . IB 90 x 0.241 21.69 mA
IE IC IB 0.241 21.69 21.93 mA
10 - 17
 Contd SOLUTION to 10.1 example question

VCC VC I C R C
220
Here, VC VCE
22 k
9V VCE VCC - IC RC
6V 9 21.69m(220)
4.23 V

VCB = VCE - VBE

= 4.23 - 0.7 = 3.53 V

10 - 18
Base-Emitter Characteristic (pg 435)
The I-V curve for B-E junction is

same as an
ordinary diode during
forward bias.

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10 - 19
 Collector characteristics
Have you observed how water
pressure available and the
water flow from the tap is
controlled by turning handle?

Water flow
(litre/sec)
Base
3 turns

Collector 2 turns

Emitter 1 turn

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Water pressure (PSI)
10 - 20
Collector Characteristic
With IB kept constant,
IC hardly changes with
VCE increases!!

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10 - 21
 Collector Characteristics

But, when IB increases,

IC can change more!!

At cutoff,
Ic = . IB
= . 0 = 0
With IB kept constant, IC hardly
changes with VCE increase!!
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OPERATING MODES in BJT
Cutoff
As a switch
Saturation

Active As an amplifier

Breakdown To be avoided

10 - 23
CUTOFF mode Both B-E and C-B junctions
are REVERSE-BIASED.
3.
also IC 0,
Vcc = IC RC +VCE
2.
then IB 0,

VCE
1. 4.
When VBB = 0, Ic .Rc=0 & Vcc =VCE

10 - 24
SATURATION Both B-E and C-B junctions
mode are FOWARD-BIASED.

When IB is then IC
sufficiently large.. saturates!!

VCE
=0
Hence, when IB saturates,
Whole VCC is dropped
across RC,
Ideally, VCE = 0.
[Practically, VCE(SAT) 0.3 V]
10 - 25
Contd Saturation mode

VC C
IC ( s a t )
RC
VCE
=0
Practically, VCE(SAT) 0.3 V

At saturation,
Further increases in IB have no effect on Ic, and
IC = IB is no longer valid.

10 - 26
 BJT operating regions
saturation

breakdown
active

cutoff

ET1201 10 - 27
 DC LOAD LINE (pg 438)
- is the line representing collector circuit

Vcc = Ic. Rc + VCE (DC LL equation)

IC = 0
ET1201 10 - 28
 Constructing DC L L (pg 438)
Vcc = Ic. Rc + VCE

SATURATION
When IC=0,
Vcc =VCE

CUTOFF
IC =0
VCE =0
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Example: DC load line (Pg 440: figure 10-14)
IC(sat)
= Vcc /Rc

VCE(off)
= Vcc
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10 - 30
 Q-point (Pg 440: figure 10-14)

Q point marks the

actual IC, IB and VCE
values in BJT circuit.

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10 - 31
 Pg 441: Review Qs 1 to 5(Answers on pg 465)

ANSWERS on pg 465

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 BASE BIAS circuit (pg 442)

VRB
By KVL, VCC = VRB + VBE
VBE
Rearranging, VRB = VCC - VBE
or VRB = VCC - 0.7
By Ohms law,
I B = VRB / RB

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10 - 33
 SOLUTION to E.g. 10-3

VRB

VBE

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10 - 34
Example 10-3 question (pg 443)

From the earlier calculations,

IB = 11.3 A.

Hence, = IC / IB
= 2.5 m / 11.3
= 221.23

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10 - 35
 BJT or mechanical switch
A single-pole, single-throw (SPST) switch
operates in either one of two states:
o Switch closed It conducts current.
o Switch open It DOES NOT conduct.

Mechanical switches

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10 - 36
 10.3 BJT as a switch (pg 449)
A BJT acts as a switch when driven back and forth
between cutoff (OFF) and saturation (ON).
Open switch Closed switch

IDEAL SWITCHING ACTION OF A BJT

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10 - 37
 BJT switch operation
We use base current, IB to control the state of
the switch.
Large IB (saturated) Switch CLOSED.
Small IB (=0) Switch OPEN.

C IC
B

IB
E IE

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10 - 38
CUTOFF mode (=open switch)
During cutoff, all currents are zero, hence VCE
is equal to VCC.

VCE(off) VCC

10 - 39
SATURATION mode (=closed switch)
Since VCE is very small at saturation ( 0.1V), the entire
power supply voltage drops across the collector
resistor, Rc.

VCC
I C(sat)
RC

10 - 40
BJT switch circuit (pg 450)
Cutoff mode

VCE=?
Vin=0

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10 - 41
contdBJT switch circuit
From part (b): IB(min) =
0.05 mA

Vin=5 V

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10 - 42
 Pg 452: Review Qs 21 to 24 (Answers on pg 465)

ANSWERS on pg 465

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Mechanical vs BJT switches
Factor BJT switch Mechanical switch
ON Voltage 0.2 V 0V

OFF Current nA pA
Max. ON Current 100A 1000 A

Max. OFF Voltage 200V 1000 V

Switching Speed 106 / sec 102 / sec
Switching Life Indefinite 106 operations
Physical size Small Large
Cost Cheap Expensive

Load Type DC ONLY AC or DC

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10 - 44
 Plastic BJT Packages

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10 - 45
 Typical BJT Cans

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10 - 46
 Typical BJT Integrated Circuits

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10 - 47
 Typical High-Power Transistors

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10 - 48
Pg 457: chapter checkup Qs (Answers on pg 467)
Answers
1. (b)

2. (a)

3. (c)

4. (b)

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10 - 49
contdChapter checkup Qs (Answers on pg 467)

Answers
5. (b)

6. (d)

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10 - 50
 Question discussed
Pg 441: Review Qs 1 to 5
Pg 452: Review Qs: 21 to 24
Pg 457: Chapter 10 checkup Qs 1 to 6

Tutorials for BJTs

Pg 459: Questions Qs 1 to 6
Pg 460: Basic problems: Qs 1 to 8

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