Common Base and Common

Collector Amplifiers
Reminder: BJT Small Signal
Model

B C
ic
ib

ie
E
Definition of input and output
voltage and current directions

iin iout

vin Amplifier vout

 Common Base Amplifiers
• Uses the same stabilised bias scheme as CE
configuration.
 Common Base Amplifiers
• Uses the same stabilised bias scheme as CE
configuration.
• The base is grounded for a.c. signals using a
large capacitor.
• Signal input at the emitter (between the
emitter and the common base)
• Signal output at the collector (between the
collector and the common base)
Common Base Amplifiers
+VCC

R1 RC

RL vout
R2 CB R
E vin
GND
 Common Base Amplifiers
• We will ignore the a.c. coupled load RL
+VCC
R1 RC

vout
R2 CB R vin
E

GND
 CB Amplifier,
i
a.c. equivalent.
in

E C ic= iout
ie

ib
vout
vin RC
RE
ib r

B
Common Base Amplifier

iout ic
Current gain    1
iin - ie
Common Base Amplifier

vout  - ic RC
i
vin  - rπ ib  - rπ β c

vout β Rc
Voltage gain  
vin rπ
 Common Base Amplifier
• Input impedance to transistor

vin - ib r r
  
- ie - ie (1   )
 Common
i
Base Amplifier
in

E C ic= iout
ie

ib
vout
vin RC
RE vin
ib r

B
 Common Base Amplifier
• Input impedance to stage (whole amplifier)

r
 RE //
(1   )
 Common
i
Base Amplifier
in

E C ic= iout
ie

ib
vout
vin RC
RE
ib r

B
 Common Collector Amplifier
• Signal input between base and common
collector.
• Signal output between emitter and common
collector.
 Common Collector Amplifier

VCC

R1

R2
vin RE vout
 CC Amplifier, a.c. equivalent
circuit
ie
E
B ib io
r
RS
RB = R1//R2 ib
vin vout RE
vs

C
 Common Collector Amplifier

ie  ib  ic  (1   )ib

vin  ib rπ  ieRE  ib [rπ  (1  β)RE]

 Common Collector Amplifier
• Transistor input impedance =

Rib  vin
 [rπ  (1  β)RE]
ib
 Common Collector Amplifier

vout  ie RE  ib (1  β)RE
vin  ib [rπ  (1  β)R E]
vout (1  β) ib RE
Voltage gain  
vin ib [rπ  (1   ) RE]
 Common Collector Amplifier

(1  β) RE
Voltage gain  1
[rπ  (1  β) RE]

iout  ie
Current gain    (1   )
iin ib
 Common Collector Amplifier
• To find the output impedance we note that:

vout  - ib RS // RB - ib rπ
• Hence
vout (RS // RB  rπ)
Rout    low
 ie (1  β)
 Common Collector Amplifier
• The voltage gain is slightly less than unity.

• The CC circuit is sometimes known as an

emitter follower since the output voltage at
the emitter follows the input voltage at the
base.
 Common Collector Amplifier
• The prime function of this circuit is to
connect a high resistance source to a low
resistance load (“a buffer amplifier”).

• Since voltage gain is approximately one this

is achievable as the current gain is high.