In this part of the “Electronic Circuits” course, you will get familiar with one of the most widely used nonlinear components which is the Transistor. You will get familiar with the characteristics and applications of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). The bipolar junction transistor enables you to amplify current and voltages, when used in conjunction with other electronic components like resistors and capacitors. It can also be used as a switch to turn various components of your electronic circuits on and off. After finishing this course you will understand two crucial transistor functions—amplification and switching—that are essential to the creation of electronic circuits.
For this purpose, I will start with the physical structure of the BJT. After you get familiar with transistor currents and carrier distribution inside the transistor, you will learn how to model the BJT in cutoff, saturation, and forward active regions (all these models are derived from the Ebers-Moll model). Next, you will learn how to perform DC and ac analysis. You will get familiar with stability factors and maximum output symmetrical swing, and learn how to design a BJT circuit for maximum stability, maximum output symmetrical swing, and maximum gain. In this course, you will learn different types of BJT amplifier configurations (CE, CB, and CC). I will show you some special techniques such as the Miller theorem and Bootstrap technique, and also, special BJT arrangements such as a Darlington pair. You will get familiar with multistage amplifier circuits which are followed by some practical BJT circuit experiments. Finally, I’ll demonstrate how to perform simulations in Multisim. Finally, you will learn how to create SPICE netlists, then create and simulate your own BJT models in Multisim.