Basic Electronics Notes by Sowmya Sunkara, Asst. Prof. Dept.

of E&C, BMSCE

Biasing of BJT
Purpose of biasing a BJT circuit
 Transistors are used in the different kinds of circuits that are designed to serve
different purposes.
 In case of transistor amplifier, we need to use the active region of the transistor
output characteristics.
 The transistor parameters are not absolute constant, but changes with both
temperature and bias conditions.
 For example, transistor β increases with temperature as well as with collector current
and an increase of β in turn further increases in collector current.
 The bias point thus shifts with temperature.
 Another parameter that affects the bias point is the collector to base leakage current,
which approximately doubles for every 10∙c rise in temperature.
 The purpose of dc biasing of a transistor is to obtain the most appropriate values of
Ic, IB, and VCE.
 The particular values of Ic, IB, and VCE represents a particular point in the output
characteristics of the transistor, called the quiescent point or Q-point or operating
point.
 To obtain a suitable operating point we make use of some circuits and these circuits
are called biasing circuit.
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Basic Electronics Notes by Sowmya Sunkara, Asst. Prof. Dept. of E&C, BMSCE
DC load line and Bias point

DC load line

 Dc load line for a transistor is o straight line drawn on output characteristics.

 For common emitter, the load line is line drawn on graph of Ic Vs VCE.
 The load line shows all corresponding levels of Ic and VCE that can exist in a particular
circuit.

Consider the common emitter circuit as shown in the fig note that the polarities of the terminal
voltages are such that base-emitter junction is forward biased and collector-base junction is
reverse biased.
Applying KVL to output loop, we get

VCE= Vcc –Ic Rc----------------------(1)

Substitute Ic=0 in eq 1,
VCE= 20v –0* Rc = 20v (point A)
Plot point A on the C-E characteristics as shown at Ic=0 and Vcc=20v,one point of dc load
line

If Vce=0v in eq 1, then
0= 20v –Ic* 10
Ic=Vcc/Rc=20/10=2mA (point B)

Plot point B on the C-E characteristics as

shown at Ic=2mA and Vcc=0v, another
point of dc load line.
The Straight line drawn through A and B
is dc load line for Rc=10KΩ and
Vcc=20v.
If either of these 2 quantities changed,
anew load line must be drawn.

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Basic Electronics Notes by Sowmya Sunkara, Asst. Prof. Dept. of E&C, BMSCE
Operating point (Q)

A point on the d.c. load line which represent the signal values of VCE and IC in a transistor is called
as operating point or silent point or quiescent point or Q-point.

The Q-point is selected where the DC load line intersects the curve of output characteristics for
particular value of signal current.

i.e. Q-point = (VCE ,IC)

Transistor as a switch

A transistor acts as a switch as explained below

1. When the base emitter junction is open or reverse biased (i.e., IB=0) no collector current(IC)
flows, the transistor is said to be OFF.
Even if IB=0, IC= ICEO, which is very small and thus for practical purposes, the transistor is
said to be non-conducting and is in OFF region.

Cut-off Characteristics
• The input and Base are grounded ( 0v )
• Base-Emitter voltage VBE < 0.7v
• Base-Emitter junction is reverse biased
• Base-Collector junction is reverse biased
• Transistor is “fully-OFF” ( Cut-off region )
• No Collector current flows ( IC = 0 )
• VOUT = VCE = VCC = ”1″
• Transistor operates as an “open switch”

2.When the base emitter junction is forward biased and IB flows, as a result of which IC flows and
at some value of IB , IC becomes saturated, i.e., it does not increase further and becomes
independent of IB.at this point, the may be treated as fully ON as it is conducting in saturation
region.
Saturation Characteristics
• The input and Base are connected to VCC
• Base-Emitter voltage VBE > 0.7v
• Base-Emitter junction is forward biased
• Base-Collector junction is forward biased
• Transistor is “fully-ON” (saturation region)
• Max Collector current flows ( IC = Vcc/RL )
• VCE = 0 (ideal saturation)
• VOUT = VCE = ”0″
• Transistor operates as a “closed switch”

The transistor can be made OFF, if IB is reduced to zero.

The areas of operation for a Transistor Switch are known as the Saturation Region and the Cut-
off Region. The transistor as a switch by driving it back and forth between its “fully-OFF” (cut-
off) and “fully-ON” (saturation) regions as shown below.

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Basic Electronics Notes by Sowmya Sunkara, Asst. Prof. Dept. of E&C, BMSCE
Operating Regions

The shaded area at the bottom of the curves represents the “Cut-off” region while the
shaded area to the left represents the “Saturation” region of the transistor.

FEEDBACK

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