Electrical – How to calculate the input and output capacitors of a common emitter amplifier using BJT

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Sorry if the question is stupid, but my head is still hard as a coconut and I am learning…

I am dealing with this circuit that I have calculated from scratch.

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This circuit was designed to have

  • Vc = 4.5V
  • Ve = 0.5 V
  • Ic = 10 mA
  • Ib = 44.44 uA

Now I am trying to calculate C1 and C2.

The documentation about this is vague and conflicting but as far as I have researched you calculate these capacitors like this:

C1


Several authors say to calculate this capacitor equal to the input impedance at the cut frequency.

Some authors say the frequency must be the lowest frequency, below which, I want to remove from the signal. Some say it must be the highest frequency the amplifier must amplify. I am considering the first hypothesis.

The input impedance of this circuit, I found to be

\$ Z_{IN} = R_1 \ // \ R_2 // \ (r_{\pi} + R_E) \$

where

\$ r_{\pi} = \frac{kT}{qi_B} = \frac{26 mV}{i_B} \$

So, for iB = 44.44 uA, we have

\$ r_{\pi} = \frac{26 mV}{44.44 uA} \approx 581.6746\$ Ω

So,

\$ \frac{1}{Z_{IN}} = \frac{1}{R_1} + \frac{1}{R_2} + \frac{1}{r_{\pi} + R_E} \$

\$ Z_{IN} = 268.82 \$ Ω

If C1's reactance must be equal to ZIN at the cut frequency, lets say 80Hz, then

\$ C_1 = \frac{1}{2 \pi f Z_{IN}} \$

\$ C_1 = 7.4 \mu F \$

C2

For C2 we have the same calculation but now C2's reactance must be equal to the load impedance (8 Ω) for speakers.

then,

\$ C_2 = \frac{1}{2 \pi f Z_{LOAD}} \$

\$ C_2 = \frac{1}{2 \pi (80) (8)} \$

\$ C_2 = 248 \mu F \$

Is this the correct way to calculate these capacitors?

Best Answer

Zin is increased by hFE*Re

So change to \$ Z_{IN} = R_1 \ // \ R_2 // \ (r_{\pi} + h_{FE}*R_E) \$

Since Zout=450 Ohms , it cannot drive any AC coupled load < 450 Ohms. So you need to reduce Zout to about 1% to 5% of Rload =8 or 80mOhms Thus hFE=>450/80m=5626 which you can easily achieve with a Darlington driver then AC couple to 8 Ohms or even 4 Ohms

Then C2/C1=Zin/Zload

So Zin is closer to 500 Ohms and choose 2/3 *f(-3dB) HPF breakpoint to get closer with cascaded effects of -3dB on each.

But as I said in comments, a Diff power Amp DC coupled is better.