The Common-Base Amplifier

Basic Circuit
Fig. 1 shows the circuit diagram of a single stage common-base amplifier. The object is to solve
for the small-signal voltage gain, input resistance, and output resistance.

Figure 1: Common-base amplifier.

DC Solution
(a) Replace the capacitors with open circuits. Look out of the 3 BJT terminals and make Thévenin
equivalent circuits as shown in Fig. 2.

V + R2 + V − R1
VBB = RBB = R1 kR2
R1 + R2

VEE = V − REE = RE VCC = V + RCC = RC

(b) Make an “educated guess” for VBE . Write the loop equation between the VBB and the VEE
nodes. To solve for IC , this equation is
IC IC
VBB − VEE = IB RBB + VBE + IE REE = RBB + VBE + REE
β α

(c) Solve the loop equation for the currents.

VBB − VEE − VBE

IC = αIE = βIB =
RBB /β + REE /α

(d) Verify that VCB > 0 for the active mode.

VCB = VC − VB = (VCC − IC RCC ) − (VBB − IB RBB ) = VCC − VBB − IC (RCC − RBB /β)

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 Figure 2: DC bias circuit.

Small-Signal or AC Solutions
(a) Redraw the circuit with V + = V − = 0 and all capacitors replaced with short circuits as shown
in Fig. 3.

Figure 3: Signal circuit.

(b) Calculate gm , rπ , re , and r0 from the DC solution..

IC VT VT VA + VCE
gm = rπ = re = r0 =
VT IB IE IC
(c) Replace the circuits looking out of the base and emitter with Thévenin equivalent circuits
as shown in Fig. 4.
RE
vtb = 0 Rtb = 0 vte = vs Rte = Rs kRE
Rs + RE

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 Figure 4: Signal circuit with Thévenin emitter circuit.

Exact Solution
(a) Replace the BJT in Fig. 4 with the Thévenin emitter circuit and the Norton collector circuit
as shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 5: Emitter and collector equivalent circuits.

(b) Solve for ic(sc) .

RE
ic(sc) = −Gme vte = −Gme vs
Rs + RE
1 αr0 + re0 rx
Gme = re0 = + re
Rte + re0 kr0 r0 + re0 1+β
(c) Solve for vo .
RE
vo = −ic(sc) ric kRC kRL = Gme vs ric kRC kRL
Rs + RE
r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )

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 (d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo RE
Av = = Gme ric kRC kRL
vs Rs + RE
(e) Solve for rin .

r0 + Rtc
rin = R1 kR2 krie rie = re0
re0 + r0 + Rtc / (1 + β)

(f) Solve for rout .

rout = ric kRC

Example 1 For the CB amplifier in Fig. 1, it is given that Rs = 100 Ω, R1 = 120 kΩ, R2 = 100 kΩ,
RC = 4.3 kΩ, RE = 5.6 kΩ, R3 = 100 Ω, RL = 20 kΩ, V + = 15 V, V − = −15 V, VBE = 0.65 V,
β = 99, α = 0.99, rx = 20 Ω, VA = 100 V and VT = 0.025 V. Solve for Av , rin , and rout .

Solution. Because the dc bias circuit is the same as for the common-emitter amplifier example,
the dc bias values, re , gm , rπ , and r0 are the same.
In the signal circuit, the Thévenin voltage and resistance seen looking out of the emitter are
given by
RE
vte = vs = 0.9825vs Rte = Rs kRE = 98.25 Ω
Rs + RE
The Thévenin resistances seen looking out of the base and the collector are

Rtb = 0 Rtc = RC kRL = 3.539 kΩ

Next, we calculate re0 , Gme , ric , and rie .

Rtb + rx 1 αr0 + re0 1

re0 = + re = 12.03 Ω Gme = = S
1+β Rte + re0 kr0 r0 + re0 111.4

r0 + re0 kRte r0 + Rtc

ric = = 442.3 kΩ rie = re0 = 12.83 Ω
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte ) re0 + r0 + Rtc / (1 + β)
The output voltage is given by
RE
vo = Gme (ric kRtc ) vte = Gme (ric kRtc ) vs = 30.97vs
Rs + RE
Thus the voltage gain is
Av = 30.97
The input and output resistances are

rin = R1 kR2 krib = 12.81 Ω rout = ric kRC = 4.259 kΩ

Approximate Solutions
These solutions assume that r0 = ∞ except in calculating ric . In this case, ic(sc) = i0c = αi0e = βib .

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 Figure 6: Simplified T model circuit.

Simplified T Model Solution

(a) After making the Thévenin equivalent circuits looking out of the base and emitter, replace the
BJT with the simplified T model as shown in Fig. 6.
(b) Solve for i0c and ric .
¡ ¢ i0 ¡ ¢ α
0 − vte = i0e re0 + Rte = c re0 + Rte =⇒ i0c = −vte 0
α re + Rte

r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo .
α RE α
vo = −i0c ric kRC kRL = vte ric kRC kRL = vs ric kRC kRL
re0 + Rte Rs + RE re0 + Rte

(d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo Rs α
Av = = 0
ric kRC kRL
vs Rs + RE re + Rte

(e) Solve for rie and rin .

ve
0 − ve = i0e re0 =⇒ i0e = −
re0
ve
rie = = re0
−i0e
rin = re0 kRE
(f) Solve for rout .
rout = ric kRC

Example 2 For Example 1, use the simplified T-model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin ,
and rout .

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 ¡ ¢ ¡ ¢
Av = 0.9825 × 8.978 × 10−3 × 3.511 × 103 = 30.97
rin = 12 Ω rout = 4.259 kΩ

π Model Solution
(a) After making the Thévenin equivalent circuits looking out of the base and emitter, replace the
BJT with the π model as shown in Fig. 7.

Figure 7: Hybrid-π model circuit.

(b) Solve for i0c and ric .

i0c i0 i0 −vte
0 − vte = ib rx + vπ + i0e Rte = rx + c + c Rte =⇒ i0c =
β gm α rx 1 Rte
+ +
β gm α

r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo .

vte RE 1
vo = −i0c ric kRC kRL = r kR kR = vs r kR kR
rx 1 Rte ic C L r
Rs + RE x 1 Rte ic C L
+ + + +
β gm α β gm α

(d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo RE 1
Av = = r kR kR
vs r
Rs + RE x 1 Rte ic C L
+ +
β gm α

(e) Solve for rout .

rout = ric kRC

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 (f) Solve for rie and rin .
i0e 1+β
0 − ve = ib (rx + rπ ) = (rx + rπ ) =⇒ i0e = −ve
1+β rx + rπ
ve rx + rπ
rie = 0
=
−ie 1+β
rin = rie kRE

Example 3 For Example 1, use the π-model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin , and rout .

¡ ¢ ¡ ¢
Av = 0.9825 × 8.978 × 10−3 × 3.539 × 103 = 30.97
rin = 12 Ω rout = 4.259 kΩ

T Model Solution
(a) After making the Thévenin equivalent circuits looking out of the base and emitter, replace the
BJT with the T model as shown in Fig.??.

Figure 8: T model circuit.

(b) Solve for i0c and ric .

i0c i0 −vte
0 − vte = ib rx + i0e (re + Rte ) = rx + c (re + Rte ) =⇒ i0c =
β α rx re + Rte
+
β α
r0 + re0 kRte
ric =
1 − αRte / (re0 + Rte )
(c) Solve for vo .
vte RE 1
vo = −i0c ric kRC kRL = r kR kR = vs ric kRC kRL
rx re + Rte ic C L r
Rs + RE x re + Rte
+ +
β α β α

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 (d) Solve for the voltage gain.

vo RE 1
Av = = ric kRC kRL
vs r
Rs + RE x re + Rte
+
β α

(e) Solve for rie and rin .

µ ¶
i0e rx −ve
0 − ve = ib rx + i0e re = rx + i0e re = i0e + re =⇒ i0e = rx
1+β 1+β + re
1+β
ve rx
rie = = + re
−i0e 1+β
rin = RE krie
(f) Solve for rout .
rout = ric kRC

Example 4 For Example 1, use the T-model solutions to calculate the values of Av , rin , and rout .

¡ ¢ ¡ ¢
Av = 0.9825 × 8.978 × 10−3 × 3.539 × 103 = 30.97
rin = 12 Ω rout = 4.259 kΩ