De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology

Engineering Program

ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

ECET321La

Experiment №. 3

FREQUENCY EFFECTS IN BJT AMPLIFIERS

Gargar, Genessa T.
EEE31

March 10, 2018

ENG’R PHOEBE FAITH S. SAPITAN

INSTRUCTOR
INTRODUCTION

The frequency of the applied signal can have a pronounced effect on the response of a
single-stage or multistage network. The analysis thus far has been for the mid frequency
spectrum. At frequencies, we shall find that the coupling and bypass capacitors can no longer be
replaced by short-circuit approximation because of the increase in reactance of these elements.
The frequency-dependent parameters of the small-signal equivalent circuits and the stray
capacitive elements associated with the active device and the network will limit the high-
frequency response of the system. An increase in the number of stages of a cascaded system will
also limit both the high- and low-frequency responses.

Bandwidth is the range of frequencies that a circuit operates at in between its upper and
lower cut-off frequency points. These cut-off or corner frequency points indicate the frequencies
at which the power associated with the output falls to half its maximum value. These half power
points corresponds to a fall in gain of 3dB (0.7071) relative to its maximum dB value.

Most amplifiers and filters have a flat frequency response characteristic in which the
bandwidth or passband section of the circuit is flat and constant over a wide range of
frequencies. Resonant circuits are designed to pass a range of frequencies and block others. They
are constructed using resistors, inductors, and capacitors whose reactance vary with the
frequency, their frequency response curves can look like a sharp rise or point as their bandwidth
is affected by resonance which depends on the Q of the circuit, as a higher Q provides a narrower
bandwidth.

In this experimentation, both low and high corner (critical) frequencies were measured
for a typical common emitter amplifier. From the measured data, a Bode plot will be made for
the amplifier and, through circuit calculation, the capacitors that control the frequency limits
were identify for the amplifier.
OBJECTIVES

 Determine the bandwidth of a small signal amplifier.

 Verify the effect of the coupling and the bypass capacitors on the amplifier frequency limits

 Calculate and draw the Bode plot of a small-signal amplifier

DISCUSSION

In the first section, functional experiment, the circuit was built as show in figure 3.1.
With a DC supply of 12 V, DC voltages were measured in Vb, Vc and Ve with values of 2.07V,
7.52V and 1.44V respectively. Thereafter, using the measured values, the voltage gain was
calculated with the formula Av= -(Rc||RL) /re and resulted to a gain of -79.97V. Subsequently,
Miller capacitance values were also calculated using the formula (1-Av)Cf for the input (Cin)
1
and (1- 𝐴𝑣 )Cf for Cout where Cf is 4μF; the group then obtained 32.88μF and 4.05μF respectively

for Cin and Cout.

However, the critical frequencies for Cs (input), CE(bypass) And Cc (output) were also
calculated by solving for other parameters first like the input and output impedances. Equations
1 1
used were: Cs(input)=2𝜋 (𝑅𝑠+𝑍𝑖)𝐶𝑠 where Zi=R1||R2||where Zi=R1 ||R2 ||βre; CE(Bypass)=2𝜋𝑅𝑒𝐶𝑒 where

𝑅𝑠′ 1
Re=RE|| ( 𝛽 + 𝑟𝑒) ; and Cc(output)=2𝜋 (𝑍𝑜+𝑅𝐿) 𝐶𝑐 where Zo=Rc. The group obtained 555.84Hz,

841.64Hz and 1.21Hz for critical frequencies in Cs, Ce and Cc respectively. Consequently, the
midpoint of the dominant frequencies (555.84Hz and 841.64Hz) was also obtained with
698.74Hz – this was used as an input signal in the generator in order to obtain an output of
approximately 3Vpp measured with the oscilloscope. Then, the mid-voltage (Vmid) was measured
in the resistive load giving us a result of 3.20V. Moreover, the frequencies in the high and low
band were obtained from the oscilloscope which gives us frequencies of 570 KHz and 859 KHz
respectively.

Finally, the amplifier bandwidth was calculated by getting the difference of the high
band and low band frequency which gave us a result of 289 KHz.
DATA AND RESULTS

 DC voltages of your circuit with a DMM: VB = 2.07V VC = 7.52V VE = 1.44V

 Expected amplifier gain. AV = -79.97

 Miller capacitance values: Cin(Miller) = (1 - AV)Cf = 323.88μF

Cout(Miller) = (1 - 1/AV)Cf = 4.05μF
 Critical frequencies :
Critical low frequency for the bypass capacitor = 841.64Hz
Critical frequency for the input terminal = 555.84 Hz
Critical frequency for the output terminal = 1.21 Hz

 Vmid = 3.20 V
 BW= Fhigh – Flow = 289 Khz

Table 3.1 Band Frequencies

Low Band High Band
Vout Freq. Vout Freq
0.707Vmid 570 KHz 0.707Vmid 859 Khz
0.5Vmid 632 KHz 0.5Vmid 763 KHz
0.025Vmid 15Khz 0.025Vmid 90 Khz
CONCLUSION

As a whole the experimentation enable us to determine the frequency effects in BJT

amplifiers. The frequency response of a device or a circuit describes its operation over a
specified range of signal frequencies by showing how its gain, or the amount of signal it lets
through changes with frequency. Meanwhile, bandwidth is the range of frequencies that a circuit
operates at in between its upper and lower cut-off frequency points. These cut-off or corner
frequency points indicate the frequencies at which the power associated with the output falls to
half its maximum value. In the experimentation, the group obtained a bandwidth of 289 Khz. The
data shows that in a small signal amplifier, signal bandwidth can be much larger because it
requires less power (current) to fasten the amplifier internal capacitances. Thus higher power op
amps usually have a faster slew rate.

Moreover, capacitive coupling acts like a high-pass filter on the input of an amplifier. This
tends to make the amplifier’s voltage gain decrease at lower signal frequencies. Multi-stage
amplifiers often make use of capacitive coupling between stages to eliminate problems with the
bias from one stage affecting the bias of another. While Bypass capacitors are usually used to
shunt high frequency signals to ground while not interfering with low frequency signals,
especially DC. The other use of bypass is to bypass desirable signals to ground, usually to
increase gain. In this experimentation, the group obtained an expected voltage gain of -79.97;
Critical low frequency for the bypass capacitor = 841.64Hz; Critical frequency for the input
terminal = 555.84 Hz and Critical frequency for the output terminal = 1.21 Hz.

This verified the said theories that Coupling capacitors are used to block ac and dc signals so
as not to disturb the quiescent point of the circuit when ac signals are injected at the input and
that Bypass capacitors are used to force signal currents around elements by providing a low
impedance path at the frequency.
Answers to Questions

1. Discuss what effect the input and output coupling capacitors and the emitter bypass capacitor
have on the output frequency response.

 Coupling capacitors are in series with the signal and are part of a high-pass filter network.
They affect the low-frequency response of the amplifier. While a bypass capacitor causes
reduced gain at low-frequencies and has a high-pass filter response.

2. Discuss what determined the dominant frequency in your BJT amplifier for both lower and
upper critical frequencies. What component values could you change to increase the amplifier
bandwidth? Also, what one parameter change would increase the high frequency response?

 The lower and upper cut off frequencies must be changed in order to increase the
amplifier bandwidth.
 At high frequency response, the smaller capacitors of a system will have an important
impact in order to increase the frequency.

REFERENCE

 Boylestad, R.L.(2014) Electronic devices and Circuit Theory 7 th edition. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall

 Basic Electronics Tutorials (2018). Frequency Response Analysis of Amplifiers and

Filters. Retrieved from www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/frequency-response.html

 All About Circuits (2018). Input and Output Coupling. Retrieved from
www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/semiconductors/chpt-4/input-and-output-coupling/

 http://www.ece.mcmaster.ca/~mbakr/ece2ei4/Lecture30_Web.pdf