The point, Nigel, is that he does not have much voltage to play with. So the voltage dropped across the base resistor further reduces it.Nigel Goodwin said:ljcox said:When the resistor is on the emitter side, you do not need a base resistor.
But there's a difference between 'need' and 'good practice', while the base resistor won't affect the performance of the circuit, it's there to protect the PIC if the transistor goes S/C.
As an added bonus, the resistors also probably simplify PCB layout, avoiding the need for wire links or double sided boards.
I really think that a PNP common emitter driver would be better anyway.