ELC102.

2 Laboratory Activity 8: Common Emitter

Circuit
Post-laboratory Report; Submitted: 21 October 2015

Sheanne Eric P. Cabantac

Ramon Angelo G. Noel

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering

Ateneo de Manila University
Philippines

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering

Ateneo de Manila University
Philippines

Abstract this experiment aims to study the characteristics of a

common-emitter transistor amplifier particularly its input and
output characteristics namely: input/output current and
input/output voltage. For this experiment we dealt with yet another
BJT, this time in common emitter configuration. The experiment
involved taking the initial readings of the components of the circuit
and measuring their values. This will also deal with measuring
voltages in both DC and AC. The some of the results we acquired
from the experiment are quite similar to the expected values from
the given circuit while some are way off.

The input signal is applied to the base emitter circuit

and the output is taken from the collector emitter circuit. Since
it is an inverting amplifier circuit, resulting output signal is
180o out-of-phase with the input voltage signal. This makes the
emitter common both to the input and the output. It is one of
the most commonly used configurations because it provides a
phase reversal between input and output signals.

I. INTRODUCTION
The common emitter configuration is one of the most
commonly used configurations for amplifier circuits. This
configuration is an example of an inverting amplifier circuit.
The input is fed into the base emitter side and the output is
taken from the collector emitter side of the transistor. This type
if configuration has a greater input impedance, current and
power gain than the common base configuration but the
voltage gain is much lower. The aim of this experiment is to
study the characteristics of the common-emitter configuration
specifically the input and output currents and voltages. The
amplifiers output impedance and voltage gain will also be
studied. This will be done by constructing an actual common
emitter circuit and studying and measuring the input voltages
(both AC and DC), the node voltages at the transistor terminals
and the currents flowing in and out of the transistor using the
DMM (for DC) and the oscilloscope (for AC).
II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
The common-emitter configuration is one of the most
frequently used circuit configuration for practical amplifiers
since it provides good voltage, current and power gain. This is
mainly because the input impedance is low as it is connected to
a forward biased PN-junction, while the output impedance is
high as it is taken from a reverse biased PN-junction.

Figure 1. Common Emitter Configuration

In this type of configuration, the currents flowing into
the transistor should be equal to the current flowing out of the
transistor (by KCL), so IE = IB + IC.
As the load resistance RL is connected in series with
the collector, the current gain of the common emitter circuit
configuration is quite large. The current gain in the common
emitter is defined as the change in collector current divided by
the change in base current with the collector voltage
maintained at a constant value.

IC
IB

(1)
The ratio between the collector current and the emitter
current is called alpha ().

IC
IE

components are measured. Measure the DC quantities listed in

Table 2 and record them in appropriate column.

(2)
Because of the electrical relationship between these
three currents due to the physical construction of the transistor,
a small change in the base current will result in a much larger
change in the collector current.
III. METHODOLOGY
A. Materials
1 unit DMM
1 unit Capacitance Meter
1 unit Power Supply
1 unit Bread board
1 unit Oscilloscope
Assorted Connectors and Wires
1 pc 6.8 k
1 pc 56 k
1 pc 680 k
1 pc 5.6 k
3 pc 10 k
1 pc 2N3904 Bipolar Transistor
B. Procedure
As standard procedure, get all the necessary equipment need
to start the experiment. Once done, proceed with the
experiment.

Then remove the short circuit and engage the Vs signal

generator. You have to set the oscilloscope in ac coupling and
measures the quantities listed in Table 3. Record the data in
appropriate column.
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Under Table 1 are the nominal and measured values of all the
components and sources used in our circuit. All these values
were measured using the DMM.
Quantities

Nominal Value

Measured Value

C1

0.047uf

0.04651 uf

C2

0.047uf

0.04932 uf

R1

6.8k

6.66k

R2
56k
55k
R3
680
669
R4
5.6k
5.55k
R5
10k
9.9k
R6
10k
9.9k
R7
10k
9.87k
Table 1. Nominal and Measured Values of Components
Under Table 2 are the measured DC voltages for the different
nodes of the circuit. All of the measured DC quantities were
measured using the DMM voltmeter.

Set up the circuit shown on the bread board below in Figure 2:

Quantities

Measured Value

Vcc

12V

Vc

8.35V

Vb

10V

Ve
Vin1
Table 2. DC Voltages

Figure 2. Common-Emitter Circuit

Then, look at listed nominal values of component in Table 1
and record the actual measured value on the same table.
Now measure the quantities listed in Table 2 using the
appropriate device needed and record them in appropriate
column. To do this remove Vin and replace it with short circuit
to the ground. Since there is no AC component, only DC

371.6mV
1.066V

The quantities recorded under Table 2 were measured and

interpreted using the oscilloscope. Before anything else, we
made sure we calibrated our oscilloscope before doing the
experiment. The input was a 200mV peak with a period of
1.018 ms-1, giving us a frequency equal to 982 Hertz. This was
obtained by setting the oscilloscope at 0.2ms/div multiplied to
5.05 divs thus giving a period of 1.018.
Quantities
Measured Value
Vin

(0.1V/divs)*(2divs)

200mV
Vin1
Vb
Ve
Vc
Vout
Vout1
Vout1(open)
Vout
Table 3. AC Voltages

(0.8divs)*(0.2mV/divs)
= 0.16mV
(0.8divs)*(0.2mV/divs)
= 0.16mV
(0.05divs)*(0.2mV/divs)
= 0.01 mV
(0.95divs)*(1V/divs) =
0.95V
(0.93divs)*(1V/divs) =
0.93V
(0.5divs)*(1V/divs)
=
0.5V
(12divs)(1V/divs) = 12V
0V

Post Lab Activity

Quantities
Remarks
Computed Value
IR1=Ic
(Vcc-Vc)/R1
0.55mA
IR2
(Vcc-Vin1)/R2
0.1988 mA
IR4
Vin1/R4
0.192mA
IR3=Ie
Ve/R3
0.556mA
IR6=Ib
(Vin1-Vb)/R6
-0.9024mA
hFE
Ic/Ib
0.609
hIE
(Vb-Ve)/Ib
10669.77
Table 4. DC Current Signals Computed from Table 2

Quantities
IR1=ic
IR2
IR4
IR3=ie
IR6=ib
IR5=IR7
hfe
hie
re
ree (estimate)
%diff re vsree
Iout1 (short)
rb
rbe (estimate)
%diff rbvsrbe
Rs+R5
Rs
In
Iout
Ai
Aie1 (estimate)
Aie2 (estimate)

Av
Vout/Vin
Ave1 (estimate)
Use equation 8.19
Ave2 (estimate)
Use equation 8.20
Table 5. AC Current Signals Computed from Table 3
Some of the values above are 0 (zero) due to Vin1 being equal
to Vb. This was the value which we got from using our DMM
and even tried using other groups DMMs but still got Vin1
equal to Vb.

Quantities
% diff Ai and Aie1
% diff Ai and Aie1
% diff Ai and Aie1
% diff Ai and Aie1
Table 6. Percent Differences

%Differences
Remarks
(Aie1-Ai)/Aie1 %
(Aie1-Ai)/Aie1 %
(Aie1-Ai)/Aie1 %
(Aie1-Ai)/Aie1 %

As seen above all the values are 0 due to the previous values
being 0. Using the equations 8.8 and 8.20 to derive H,

H=

( ref Go )out
Goout

X(s)

Y(s)

Go
1+GoH

AC Current Signals Computed from Table 8.3

Input of the block
Output of the block
Remarks
Vc/R1
Figure 2. Basic Block Diagram with feedback transfer
Vin1/R2
function H
Vin1/R4
Ve/R3
(Vin1-Vb)/R6
V. CONCLUSION
Vout/(R5+R7)
ic/ib
This experiment deals with another BJT circuit to create a
(vb-ve)/ib
common emitter configuration. Through the observation we
hie/hfe
were able to see that Common-emitter transistor amplifiers are
26mv/ie
so-called because the input and output voltage points share the
(ree-re)/ree % emitter lead of the transistor in common with each other, not
Vout/R5
considering any power supplies. And through the results and
vb/ib
discussion we were able to observe how the low input
Hie + (hfe+1)*R3 impedance provided good voltage, current, and power gain.
(Rbe-Rb)/Rbe % The amplifier did not work smoothly as seen in the results.
These errors may have been due to unstable probes, loose
Vout (open)/Iout1 (short)
wires and possible defective DMM. The laboratory
(Rs+R5)-R5
IR2+IR4+IR6 experiment was accomplished through the use of a DMM to
Vout/(R5+R7) measure all necessary data. Finally this experiment has further
widened our knowledge of BJTs and can help us in future
Iout/Iin
Use equation 8.21 related experiments.
Use equation 8.22

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

REFERENCES

The authors would like to thank Florencio M. Apolinar

Jr. for preparing the laboratory manual entitled Student
Manual Lab 2, which served as a guide for the
laboratory report.

[1] Storr, Wayne. 'Bipolar Transistor Tutorial, The BJT

Transistor'. Basic Electronics Tutorials. N.p., 2013. Web.
15 Oct. 2015.
[2] [1] Radioelectronics.com, 'Transistor Current Mirror
Circuit | RadioElectronics.Com', 2015. [Online].
Available:

http://www.radio
electronics.com/info/circuits/transistor/current
mirror.php.[Accessed:12Oct2015].