Configuration of a Transistor

A transistor can be configured in three ways based on the terminal which is made
common to both input and output. They are common emitter, common collector and
common base configurations. The characteristics of these configurations are briefly
explained in the following section.
Common Base Configuration:
Here base is made common to both input (emitter) and output (collector. The features of
the configuration can be explained with the help of characteristics. There are two types of
characteristics; namely input characteristics and output characteristics.
Input Characteristics: Input characteristics is plotted with input current (IE) versus input
voltage (VEB) for different values of output voltage (VCB).
Out Put Characteristics: The characteristics shows the variation of output current (IC)
with output voltage (VCB) when input current (IE) is kept as a parameter.
The transistor can be operated in three regions, namely cut off, saturation and active.
Cut off region: The region for IE = 0 is called cut off region. This is a high voltage very
low current region in which the transistor is perfectly OFF. Here both input and output
junctions are reverse based.
Saturation Region: The region to the left side of VCB = 0 is called saturation region. This
is a low voltage high current region in which the transistor is perfectly ON. Here both
input and output junctions are forward biased.
Active Region: The remaining portion of the characteristics is the active region which is
the normal region of operation of a transistor. In active region input junction is forward
based and the output junction is reverse based.
Common Emitter Configuration: In common emitter configuration, the emitter is made
common to both input (base) and output (collector)
Common Collector Configuration: In the CC configuration the collector base circuit is
reverse based and the emitter is forward based with respect to the collector in the output
circuit.
Basic Gates
The basic operation in Boolean algebra are AND, OR and NOT. These operations can be
realized using basic gates AND, Or and NOT.
AND gate: Performs AND operation or MINIMUM operation which gives minimum
among its inputs. It is equivalent to INTERSECTION operation in SETS. The AND
operation between two inputs A and B is denoted by A.B. The truth table and the gate
symbol.
OR gate: It performs OR operation or MAXIMUM operation which gives maximum
among its inputs. It is equivalent to UNION operation in sets. The OR operation between
two inputs A and B is denoted by A + B, read as A or B. The truth table and symbol of
NOT gate: IT performs NOT operation and is equivalent to complement operation in
SETS. The NOT operation on any input A is denoted as A. The truth table and symbol of
NOT gate.
Derived Gates
Basic operations in digital logic AND, OR and NOT are explained already. There are
certain operations which are derived from basic operations, such as NAND, NOR, EX –
OR etc.
NAND gate: It is the combination of AND and NOT. NAND gate perform NAND
operation. NAND gate is also called a universal gate, because all types of Boolean
operations can be realized using it.
NAND gate for NOT operation: If the two inputs of a NAND gate and tied together, it
becomes a NOT gate.
NAND gate for AND operation: Since NAND is AND followed by a NOT,
complementing NAND output gives AND operation.
OR using NAND: OR operation can be realized using NAND.
NOR gate: It is OR gate followed by a NOT gate. The truth table and circuit symbol. Like
NAND gate, NOR gate is also known as universal gate. We will illustrate how NOR can
be used to realize all basic operations.
Liquid Crystal Display
LCD is a passive display which modifies light, and are characterized by very low power
consumption and good contrast ratio. Liquid crystals differ from ordinary liquids in that
they can retain type of crystalline structure even.