When and Why use resistors between base and emitter

Jun 03, 2010 2 Replies

Hi, I would like to know in your opinion when and why use resistors between the base an the emitter in a transistor.


I'm making a bridge h but not to control a motor, it is for having a



+/- signal at a frequency>100Hz, I just have a resistor as a charge, my signal is 200Vpp Iam considering to use MOSFETs.

my circuit its very similar to this one



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I simulate it but it seems (the signal) better without the resistors.



Thanks in advance.


The base-emitter resistor carries the collector-base leakage current when the transistor is off; without the resistor this current flows into the base and is multiplied by the beta (current gain) of the transistor.

It also speeds up turn-off. The collector-base (Miller) capacitance will discharge much more slowly through the base-emitter junction than through the 10k resistors shown.

-- Bill Sloman, Nijmegen

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So they can drain any charge on the base to force it to turn off sooner?

Other wise, you can run into a problem of hanging transistors which could cause them to be slightly in conductive state. This can cause some heating of the bridge.. Especially as the freq increase..

This is just my guess and a good one I might add ;)

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