Common Collector (Emitter Follower) Amplifier

Gain is never better than unity, however, has some desirable input and output

impedance characteristics --- acts as a buffer

VCC

RC
RS

C3

C1
C2

vs

RB

RE

RL

-VEE

Lecture 15-1

Common Collector (Emitter Follower) Amplifier

Without RC there is no need for C3

VCC

RS

C1
C2

vs

RB

RE

RL

-VEE

Lecture 15-2

Emitter FollowerExample
Calculate the voltage gain, current gain, input resistance and output resistance
Assume capacitors are infinite
1) Calculate dc operating point
+10V

10k

vs

= 100
VA = 100

100k

10k

10k

-10V

Lecture 15-3

Emitter Follower Example

2) Establish small signal model

10k

vs

100k

ib

10k

ro

10k

Lecture 15-4

Amplifier Input Resistance, Rib

3) Calculate input resistance

10k

vs

100k

i b

10k

ro

10k

Lecture 15-5

Transistors Input Resistance, Rib

Reflect impedances into base from emitter for simplified input resistance

calcuation

100k

Rib

3k

ib

10k

119k

10k

Lecture 15-6

Amplifier Input Resistance, Ri

RB is part of the amplifier circuit, and adds to the input resistance to the

transistor

Ri

100k

3k

ib

10k

119k

10k

Amplifier input resistance is limited by RB in this circuit. Why not make it

bigger?
Lecture 15-7

Emitter Follower --- Buffer

Even though the load resistance is 10k, the input resistance is much higher
This is a desirable feature of a buffer amplifier, especially if RS is large, or RL

is small
Is Rin big enough for our example? What is vi?

RS

vs

100k

vi

ib

10k

ro

RL

Lecture 15-8

Emitter Follower --- Buffer

Further voltage division for the amplifier stage
Most easily seen using other small signal model

ie

vi

re

10k

ro

RL

Lecture 15-9

Analysis by Inspection
Experienced analog designers just analyze the circuit directly by inspection
+10V

10k

vs

100k

10k

10k

-10V

Lecture 15-10

Analysis by Inspection
What if RL is much less than RE?
+10V

10k

vs

10k

RL

-10V

Lecture 15-11

Emitter Follower Current Gain

No voltage gain, but acts as a buffer to drive small impedance loads
Provides good current amplification

10k

vs

100k

i b

10k

119k

10k

Lecture 15-12

Current Gain
10k

vs

100k

i b

10k

119k

10k

Lecture 15-13

Output Resistance, Ro
4) Calculate output resistance

10k

100k

i b

10k

ro

Ro

Lecture 15-14

Output Resistance, Ro

Lecture 15-15

SPICE Results

dc solution

VCC
10V

+-

IC
839.882 A
RS
10E3

C2
1E-6F
+

Q1
Custom

IIN
0.000 pA

VINAC
+
0.000 pV
-

VSSIN
SIN

VIN
+
-758.300 mV
-

C1
1E-6F
+

RB
100E3

IO
0.000 pA

RE
10E3

VOUT
+
0.000 pV
-

RL
10E3

VEE
-10V

Lecture 15-16

SPICE Results
voltage gain

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

time
0.6 ms

10
mV

-10
VINAC

VOUT

Lecture 15-17

SPICE Results
current gain
0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

time
0.6 ms

1
uA

-1
IO

IIN

Lecture 15-18

Common Base Amplifier

Gain is close to unity
Very low input impedance --- great for impedance matching (e.g. 50

ohms)
Large output impedance -- approximately RC
Great high frequency behavior -- more on this later...
VCC

RC

vo

RS

C1
I

vs
-VEE

Lecture 15-19

Current Source Biasing

Instead of resistors, a current source is used to bias the transistor in this

example
Current sources can be used to bias other amplifier types too
Building a current source is less expensive than building a resistor on an

IC --- well be addressing IC issues such as this much more extensively

beginning with the next lecture
VCC

RC

vo

RS

C1
I

vs
-VEE

Lecture 15-20

Current Buffer
Can be used as a current buffer
Macromodel:

ii

vi

io

Ri

i i

Ro

vo

Lecture 15-21

Small Signal Equivalent Circuit

Since the base is grounded, we would probably select the T-model from

Lecture 13
ic

i e
ib

ie

re
E

What parameters are being ignored in this simplified T-model? And what is

the potential impact?

Lecture 15-22

Common Base Small Signal Analysis

Lecture 15-23

Common Base Small Signal Analysis

Lecture 15-24