Michael Lance Mioza

BS EE III

SO12

ACTIVITY 6
BJT DC CHARACTERISTICS (NPN and PNP)
I.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this activity are to know what a transistor is and what its functions are on
different regions of operation along with its different types.
II.

BASIC CONCEPTS

Transistor
A transistor is a three layered semiconductor device consisting of either two n- and one p-type layers
of material (NPN transistor) or two p-type and one n-type layers of material (PNP transistor). Its basic
construction consists of two PN junctions producing three connecting terminals. Its three terminals are
named as the emitter, the base and the collector [1].
The transistor can act as either an insulator or a conductor by the application of a small signal voltage.
The transistors ability to change between these two states enables it to have two basic functions:
switching (digital electronics) or amplification (analogue electronics) [5].
BJT, an abbreviation derived from bipolar junction transistor, is often applied to this three terminal
device. There are two types of BJT constructions, PNP and NPN, which basically describes the physical
arrangement of the P-type and N-type semiconductor material from which they are made. As was
mentioned before it contained two PN-junctions, namely the base-emitter junction and the base collector
junction [5].

Figure 6-1
Figure 6-2
Figures 6-1 and 6-2. The schematic and physical diagram of a transistor

Figure 6-3. Examples of actual transistors

The schematic and physical diagrams of a BJT are given by Figure 6-1 and Figure 6-2 respectively. The
conventional current flow can be made by looking at the direction of the arrow in the emitter. For the
PNP transistor, emitter current goes in to the transistor while base and collector current goes out. For the
NPN transistor, emitter current goes out of the transistor while base and collector current goes in.
Operating Regions
The BJT has multiple operating regions when DC biasing is applied. DC biasing refers to applying a DC
voltage and current to various points of a circuit. These operating regions can be distinguished by looking
at the current versus voltage characteristics of the device. As for the operating regions of the BJT, they
are the cut-off region, the saturation region and the active region. For the cut-off region, the transistor is
essentially inactive. The base-emitter junction of the transistor is reverse-biased and all currents in the
system are essentially zero. In this region the transistor appears as an open circuit between the collector
and emitter terminals. For the saturation region, both junctions are in forward bias. In this region the
transistor appears as short circuit between the collector and emitter terminals.
Using the two states of cut-off and saturation, the transistor may be used as a switch. The collector
and emitter form the switch terminals and the base is the switch handle. In other words, the small base
current can be made to control a much larger current between the collector and emitter.
Finally, for the active region, the base-emitter junction is in forward bias while the base-collector
junction is in reverse bias. It is in this region the transistor can act as a linear amplifier. The transistor is
on and the collector to emitter voltage is greater than the base to emitter voltage but less than the input
voltage. In this state, the transistor is able to amplify small variations in the voltage present on the base.
III. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENTS
BJT: 2N3904 NPN transistor, 2N3906 NPN transistor. (see Table 6-1 and 6-2 for Data Sheet)
Resistors: 1K, 100K
Connectors
Breadboard
DC Power Supply
Multitester
IV. PROCEDURE
NPN Transistor [2]
1. Construct the circuit shown in Figure 6-4 by using 2N3904 NPN Transistor. (Make sure
the transistor is connected with the correct polarity).

Figure 6-4. Circuit setup for NPN transistor

2. Set the DC power supplies output adjustment potentiometers fully CCW, then switch
the supplies ON.
3. Adjust the DC power supply of Vcc according to Table 6-3.
4. Adjust the DC power supply VBB to obtain the approximate values according to Table 6-3.
5. Use the multitester to measure VBE, VCE, IC and IB and record the readings in Table 6-3.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all values of IB.
7. Repeat steps 3 to 6.
8. From the data in Table 6-3, plot the experimental output characteristics(IC vs. VCE) at all
values of IB.
9. Compute for Ic at saturation condition (VCE= 0). Compute for VCE at cut-off condition(IC =
0). Draw the load line.
PNP Transistor [2]
1. Construct the circuit shown in Figure 6-5 by using 2N3906 PNP Transistor. (Make sure
the transistor is connected with the correct polarity).
2. Set the DC power supplies output adjustment potentiometers fully CCW, then switch
the supplies ON.
3. Adjust the DC power supply of Vcc according to Table 6-34.
4. Adjust the DC power supply VBB to obtain the approximate values according to Table 6-4.
5. Use the multitester to measure VBE, VCE, IC and IB and record the readings in Table 6-4.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all values of IB.
7. Repeat steps 3 to 6.
8. From the data in Table 6-4, Plot the experimental output collector characteristics(IC vs.
VCE) at all values of IB.
9. Compute for Ic at saturation condition (VCE= 0). Compute for VCE at cut-off condition(IC =
0). Draw the load line.

Figure 6-5 Circuit Setup for PNP Transistor

V.

Tables and Observations

A simulation of the given procedure was made for the activity using NI Multisim 13.0, as
software capable of creating circuit designs

Table 6-1. 2N3904 NPN Transistor Datasheet

Table 6-2. 2N3906 PNP Transistor Datasheet

Vcc, V

12

15

Vbb, V
Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

0
0
0
0
0

3
12.748
-0.012748
57.857
24.203

6
17.005
-0.017005
599.111
53.957

9
18.678
-0.018678
612.476
83.933

12
19.562
-0.019562
621.555
113.798

15
20.108
-0.02011
628.448
143.663

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

3000
0
0
0

181.611
2.819
693.679
23.093

127.835
2.872
694.969
52.958

112.032
2.888
695.877
83.045

102.6
2.898
696.713
113.021

95.922
2.904
697.515
142.997

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

6000
0
0
0

2421
3.579
699.261
22.982

169.76
5.831
713.951
52.847

142.475
5.858
714.626
82.934

129.688
5.871
715.223
112.91

121.308
5.879
715.795
142.886

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

9000
0
0.00122
0

5286
3.714
699.261
22.982

602.83
8.399
724.004
52.736

170.331
8.83
726.065
82.823

151.305
8.85
726.592
112.799

140.574
8.86
727.088
142.775

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

12000
0.0018
0.0016
0

8151
3.852
699.261
22.982

3297
8.704
724.004
52.736

212.533
11.788
734.413
82.712

173.148
11.829
734.948
112.688

158.281
11.843
735.411
142.664

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

15000
11015
5991
1697
0.0018
3.968
9.011
13.303
0.002
699.261
724.004
737.403
0
22.982
52.736
82.712
Table 6-3. 2N3904 NPN transistor data points

201.635
14.799
741.61
112.688

176.805
14.824
742.068
142.664

Vcc, V

Vbb, V
Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

0
0
0
0
0

3
4.075
-0.00408
635.722
23.537

6
4.507
-0.00451
675.634
53.291

9
4.653
-0.00465
687.596
83.489

12
4.73
-0.00473
695.921
113.687

15
4.78
-0.00478
702.345
142.109

12

15

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

3000
0
0
0

129.938
2.87
735.351
22.649

84.446
2.916
737.564
53.291

70.112
2.93
739.366
83.489

61.727
2.939
741.035
113.687

55.94
2.944
742.614
142.109

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

6000
0
0
0

1876
4.125
742.357
22.649

129.606
5.871
755.265
52.403

103.634
5.897
756.442
83.489

91.494
5.909
757.514
113.687

83.644
5.917
758.54
142.109

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

9000
0
0
0

4360
4.642
742.357
22.649

556.901
8.443
764.411
52.403

136.902
8.864
767.171
83.489

117.601
8.884
768.04
113.687

107.001
8.894
768.859
142.109

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

12000
0.001776
0
0

6843
5.159
742.357
22.649

2617
9.384
764.411
52.403

197.437
11.804
775.009
83.489

145.709
11.855
775.879
113.687

129.825
11.871
776.601
142.109

Vce, mV
Ic, mA
Vbe, mV
Ib, uA

15000
9327
4676
1629
0.001776
5.674
10.326
13.372
0
742.357
764.411
776.388
0
22.649
52.403
83.489
Table 6-4. 2N3906 PNP transistor data points

188.19
14.813
782.133
113.687

155.131
14.847
782.842
142.109

16

Ic, mV

14
12

ib 0

10

Ib 23 uA

Ib 53 uA

Ib 83

Ib 113 uA

Ib 143
Load Line

0
-2

2000

4000

6000

8000 10000
Vce, mV

12000

14000

16000

Figure 6-6. 2N3904 NPN Transistor Output Characteristics Curve (IC V.s. VCE)

16

Ic, mA

14
12

Ib 0 uA

10

Ib 23 uA

Ib 53 uA

Ib 83.4 uA

Ib 113.6 uA
Ib 142 uA

Load Line

0
-2

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000 12000 14000 16000

Vce, mV

Figure 6-7. 2N3906 PNP Transistor Output Characteristics Curve (IC V.s. VCE)
VI. CONCLUSION
After the activity was conducted, we were able to see the different regions of operation of both the
NPN and PNP type BJTs. The cut-off region is where current is nearly zero as the voltage increases and the
saturation region is where there is current but voltage is close to zero. The active region can be seen in
the middle of the graph, where the curves become constant along a certain current and voltage. The
regions of operation of a BJT can be further generalized by the following figure:

Looking at the data that was gathered, we could see that the values for NPN and PNP has the
same polarity. This is because as the transistors were switched, the polarity of the measuring devices was
also switched which will give a positive reading for all values of the other transistor. In reality, the NPN
and PNP transistors would have opposite polarities for all values since the current that flows across the
NPN transistor would be opposite to that of the PNP transistor.
The circuit that was used during this experiment was a common emitter which will be discussed
further in the next activity.

REFERENCES
1. Boylestad, R. &Nashelsky L. (1998). Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory. Prentince Hall, Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey.
2. Awad N., Al-Khawaldeh S., Electronics Lab. Electrical Engineering Department, University of
Jordan.
3. Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation (October, 2011). 2N3904 NPN General Purpose Amplifier.
https://www.fairchildsemi.com/datasheets/2N/2N3904.pdf
4. Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation (October, 2011). 2N3906 PNP General Purpose Amplifier.
https://www.fairchildsemi.com/datasheets/2N/2N3906.pdf
5. Storr, Wayne (2014). Bipolar Transistor. http://www.electronicstutorials.ws/transistor/tran_1.html
6. Shores, Justin & Stephen Portz. How does a transistor work?.
http://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae430.cfm