TRANSISTOR CURRENT CONFIGURATIONS

5.1 5.2 There are three basic configuration for transistor circuits. The three configurations are called the common emitter, the common base, and the common collector circuit. The input signal to a transistor is applied between two elements. The output signal is taken between two elements. ~ Since there are only three elements in a transistor, one of the elements has to be part of both the input and output circuits. The type of configuration derives its name from the element that is common to both input and output. The most widely used transistor circuit is the common emitter. It is called thus because the emitter is common to both the input and output circuits. This is shown in figure. Figure A shows the input circuit and figure B shows the output circuit. An important point should be mentioned concerning the illustration is figure 5.3. The emitter is shown as grounded. Ground is the reference point in the circuit from which voltages are measured.

5.3

5.4 It will be noticed in Figure that both the input and output signals are measured with reference to ground. This reference point is called ground because quite often it is connected to the actual earth or ground. -Because the common element, the emitter in this case, is grounded this circuit is sometimes referred to as a grounded emitter circuit. Common emitter or grounded emitter refer to the same type of circuit. The drawing shows a common emitter stage. Figure does not show all the components usually needed for a working circuit, but is intended to show that emitter is common to both the input and output.

5.5 The example shown above is for the NPN type transistor. Every thing would still be valid for the PNP type, except that the power supply polarity would be reversed. 5.6 Figure shows the common base configuration. The input signal is applied to the emitter base circuit. Thus the base of the transistor is the common element. As was the case for the

common emitter, figure is only intended to show' why this circuit is called the common base and does not represent a complete working circuit. In PNP transistor except that the polarity of the power supply would be reversed and naturally, the arrow on the emitter lead would point in the opposite direction.

5.7 The third and final type of configuration is called is common collector and is illustrated in figure A and B. The input signal is applied between the base and collector, and the output signal is taken between the emitter and collector. Figure A shows the circuit as is normally drawn, but it does not clearly illustrate why it is called a common collector. The identical circuit is redrawn in figure B. The transistor has been turned around and this shows clearly that the collector is common to both the input and output signals.

5.8 As in the case of the other two configurations, another name for the common collector is the grounded collector. The most popular name for this circuit is the emitter follower.