Amplifier

Amplification:
Amplification is process through which weak input signal is amplified to a larger level.

Amplifier Gain
The introduction to the amplifier gain can be said to be the relationship that exists between the
signal measured at the output with the signal measured at the input. There are three different kinds
of amplifier gain which can be measured and these are: Voltage Gain (Av), Current Gain (Ai)
and Power Gain (Ap) depending upon the quantity being measured with examples of these
different types of gains are given below.
Amplifier Gain of the Input Signal

Voltage Amplifier Gain

Current Amplifier Gain

Power Amplifier Gain

Amplifier Efficiency
Power Gain can also be found by dividing the power obtained at the output with the power obtained
at the input. Also when calculating the gain of an amplifier, the subscripts v, i and p are used to
denote the type of signal gain being used.
The power gain (Ap) or power level of the amplifier can also be expressed in Decibels, (dB). The
Bel (B) is a logarithmic unit (base 10) of measurement that has no units. Since the Bel is too large
a unit of measure, it is prefixed with deci making it Decibels instead with one decibel being one
tenth (1/10th) of a Bel. To calculate the gain of the amplifier in Decibels or dB

Transistor Amplifier
A transistor acts as an amplifier by raising the strength of a weak signal. The DC bias voltage
applied to the emitter base junction, makes it remain in forward biased condition. This forward
bias is maintained regardless of the polarity of the signal. The below figure shows how a transistor
looks like when connected as an amplifier.

The low resistance in input circuit, lets any small change in input signal to result in an appreciable
change in the output. The emitter current caused by the input signal contributes the collector
current, which when flows through the load resistor RL, results in a large voltage drop across it.
Thus a small input voltage results in a large output voltage, which shows that the transistor works
as an amplifier.
Input Resistance
As the input circuit is forward biased, the input resistance will be low. The input resistance is the
opposition offered by the base-emitter junction to the signal flow.
By definition, it is the ratio of small change in base-emitter voltage (ΔVBE) to the resulting change
in base current (ΔIB) at constant collector-emitter voltage.
Input resistance=Ri=ΔVBE/ΔIB
Where Ri = input resistance, VBE = base-emitter voltage, and IB = base current.
Output Resistance
The output resistance of a transistor amplifier is very high. The collector current changes very
slightly with the change in collector-emitter voltage.
By definition, it is the ratio of change in collector-emitter voltage (ΔVCE) to the resulting change
in collector current (ΔIC) at constant base current.
Output resistance = Ro=ΔVCE/ΔIC
Where Ro = Output resistance, VCE = Collector-emitter voltage, and IC = Collector-emitter voltage.
Current Gain
The gain in terms of current when the changes in input and output currents are observed, is called
as Current gain. By definition, it is the ratio of change in collector current (ΔIC) to the change in
base current (ΔIB).
Current gain, β=ΔIC/ΔIB
The value of β ranges from 20 to 500. The current gain indicates that input current becomes β
times in the collector current.
Voltage Gain
The gain in terms of voltage when the changes in input and output currents are observed, is called
as Voltage gain. By definition, it is the ratio of change in output voltage (ΔVCE) to the change in
input voltage (ΔVBE).
Voltage gain, AV=ΔVCE/ΔVBE
Power Gain
The gain in terms of power when the changes in input and output currents are observed, is called
as Power gain.
By definition, it is the ratio of output signal power to the input signal power.
Power gain = Current gain × Voltage gain
Ap = Av x Ai
BJT Amplifier:
An electronic circuit that consists of a bipolar junction transistor and performs the amplification
of signals is called a BJT amplifier.
The BJT amplifier plays a vital role in a number of electronic applications. BJT amplifier is
basically a bipolar junction transistor operated in the active region. It increases the strength of the
input signal and produces an amplified output. Depending upon the quantity amplified by the
circuit, the BJT amplifier could be a voltage, current, or power amplifier.
When a small voltage is applied to the base of a BJT, it allows a larger current to flow through the
collector-emitter circuit. This is because the base-emitter junction acts like a diode, allowing
current to flow in one direction only. By varying the voltage applied to the base, the current flowing
through the collector-emitter circuit can be controlled, thus amplifying the input signal.

Types of BJT Amplifiers:

Depending upon the configuration of BJT used in the amplifier circuit, they can be of the
following three types namely,
• Common Base (CB) Amplifier
• Common Emitter (CE) Amplifier
• Common Collector (CC) Amplifier

1. Common Base (CB) Amplifier

The BJT amplifier circuit in which the base terminal is common between both input and output
circuits is called a common base (CB) amplifier. The circuit diagram of a common base amplifier
is shown in figure-1.

In this type of BJT amplifier, the input signal is applied at the emitter and the amplified output
signal is obtained at the collector terminal. The common-base amplifier does not introduce any
phase shift between the input and output, i.e. both input and output signals remain in phase with
each other.
The following are some important characteristics of a common base amplifier:
• The common base amplifier has high voltage gain.
• The input impedance of the common base amplifier is low.
• The output impedance of the common base amplifier is high.
• The common base amplifier has a current gain approximately equal to 1.

2. Common Emitter (CE) Amplifier

As the name suggests, a BJT amplifier in which the emitter terminal of a bipolar junction transistor
is common to both the input circuit and output circuit is known as a common emitter (CE)
amplifier.
A common emitter (CE) configuration is one of the most commonly used configurations for bipolar
junction transistor (BJT) amplifiers. In this configuration, the emitter terminal of the transistor is
grounded. The input signal is applied at the base terminal and the output signal is obtained at the
collector terminal. Figure 2 shows the circuit diagram of a common emitter BJT amplifier.

The common emitter amplifier receives a weak signal at the base terminal and produces an
amplified signal at the collector terminal. But it introduces a phase difference of 180° between the
input and output signals.
The CE configuration provides a voltage gain that is approximately equal to the ratio of the
collector resistance to the emitter resistance (Av ≈ Rc/Re), and a current gain that is approximately
equal to the transistor's beta value (Ai ≈ β). The CE configuration also provides an inverted output
with respect to the input signal.
To design a CE amplifier, one must choose appropriate values for the collector and emitter
resistors, as well as the coupling capacitor and input and output impedance matching circuits. The
DC operating point of the transistor must also be properly set, typically through the use of a biasing
circuit.
One common way to bias a CE amplifier is to use a voltage divider network connected between
the power supply and the base-emitter junction of the transistor. The voltage divider provides a
stable voltage source for the base and allows for the transistor to operate in its active region.
The following are the important characteristics of a common emitter amplifier:
• The common emitter amplifier has medium input impedance.
• The output impedance of the common emitter amplifier is also medium.
• It has medium current and voltage gains.
Overall, the CE configuration is a versatile and widely used BJT amplifier configuration that can
be used in a variety of applications, including audio amplification, radio frequency amplification,
and more.

3. Common Collector (CC) Amplifier

The BJT amplifier in which the collector terminal of the bipolar junction transistor is common to
both input and output circuits is known as a common-collector (CC) amplifier.
In the common collector amplifier, the input signal is applied at the base terminal and the output
signal is obtained at the emitter terminal. Figure 3 shows the circuit diagram of a common collector
BJT amplifier.

The common collector amplifier receives a weak signal through the base terminal and produces an
amplified output at the emitter terminal. The most important point to be noted about the common
collector amplifier is that it is the BJT amplifier with the lowest output impedance. The common
collector amplifier does not introduce any phase shift between the input and output signals.
The following are the important characteristics of the common collector (CC) amplifier:
• It has a high input impedance.
• It has low output impedance.
• It is a high current gain.
• The voltage gain of a common collector amplifier is approximately equal to 1.
Comparison of Different Types of BJT Amplifiers

Factor CB Amplifier CE Amplifier CC Amplifier

Input Impedance Low Medium High

Output Impedance High Medium Low

Voltage Gain High Medium Low

Current Gain Low Medium High

Power Gain Medium High Low

Conclusion
The amplifier is an electronic circuit that increases the strength of a weak signal. The amplifier
which uses BJT as an amplifying element is called a BJT amplifier. It is widely used in various
applications like long-distance communication, radio signal amplification, wireless
communication, optical fiber communication, and many more.