Lorenzo Arlan D.
Sacriz
ECE 2263
Experiment #6: BJT Biasing: Fixed Bias
Materials: Module EL-1-H, power supply, two multimeters
For any transistor, the “common emitter characteristics” reflect the relation between
the base, emitter and collector currents and voltages at the time of manufacture, although the
actual values do vary from unit to unit. In use, the transistor is incorporated into an external
circuit, involving fixed DC voltages and currents, as well as time-varying AC voltages and
currents. The Principle of Superposition allows us to treat separately the DC and the AC areas.
Biasing refers to the DC area.
The DC voltages are used to bias the transistor, that is, maintain the quiescent values of
currents and voltages with no AC or signal components present. The Q-point on the
common emitter output characteristics represents a set of values for VCE, IC, and IB. The
same transistor may be used with different external circuits (different bias configurations). The
challenge to the electronic engineer is to select the correct external components for each
configuration to maintain the desired Q-point.
Fixed Bias
For each bias configuration to be studied, there is given a value for the supply voltage,
VCC , and also the Q-point, VCE, and IC . The usual analysis tool is Kirchoff’s mesh method,
for writing separate equations for the input and output sides of the circuit. For the basic fixed
bias configuration, shown above, these are:
Input side: VCC = IB RB + VBE Output side: VCC = IC RC + VCE
For the output side the only unknown is RC which may be determined at once. For the
input side both RB and IB are unknown. If the full common-emitter output characteristics are
available, we can determine IB by noting which IB=constant curve passes through the Q-point.
6: BJT Bias: Fixed Biasing 1
Otherwise we can determine directly the IB current that gives the desired Q-point values of VCE,
and IC. You can use Module EL-1-H in the
6: BJT Bias: Fixed Biasing 2
configuration shown here to determine the desired IB. From this value you can also determine
for this Q-point: DC = IC / IB.
The fact that differs from transistor to
transistor poses a problem for the design
engineer. For a fixed VCC and RB the value of
IB does not change; it is independent of
However, if the original transistor is replaced
by one with a different value, both IC and
VCE will be different, since DC = IC / IB. The
Q-point has shifted! The emitter stabilized
fixed bias provides a partial solution to this
difficulty.
Procedure:
1: Determine the value of the transistor in your module.
2: Given VCC = 12.00 volts, IC = 20.0 mA, VCE = 6.00. Determine RB and RC. Then configure
Module EL1-H with these values of VCC, RB and RC, and measure IC and VCE and compare these
with the desired Q-point values. For RB use either R1 or R2 or both in series. In measuring IC
with the multimeter, remember that on the milliampere range the meter has a certain input
resistance which must be considered when setting the value for RC.
3: Repeat step #2 for: VCC = 12.00 volts, IC = 25.0 mA, VCE = 5.00.
6: BJT Bias: Fixed Biasing 3
Data Sheet: Experiment # 6
1: Value of 38.85
2, 3: Fixed Bias, VCC = 12.0 volts
Calculated Measured Given Q-point
RB RC IC VCE IC VCE
29.73 kΩ 297 Ω 20.2 mA 6.01 V 20.0 mA 6.00 V
18.23 kΩ 277 Ω 25.3 mA 5.28 V 25.0 mA 5.00 V
Write your computations here:
6: BJT Bias: Fixed Biasing 4
6: BJT Bias: Fixed Biasing 5
Results and Analysis:
-The base and collector currents are observed to be affected by VCE, as you can
see from the data that was solved above. The base to collector resistors are also
shown by this effect. Resistance changes too.
Conclusion:
- This experiment demonstrates that VCE has an impact on the base and collector
currents. In addition, VCE is connected to the base and collector resistance.
Base-to-collector resistance and currents alter when the VCE does.
6: BJT Bias: Fixed Biasing 6
