Class-AB Power Amplifier

Prof.G.Aarthi,AP(SG)
 Class AB Power Amplifier
• Crossover distortion can be virtually eliminated by biasing the
complementary output transistors at a small nonzero current.

• The result is the class AB output stage shown in Figure.

 Class AB Power Amplifier
• A bias voltage VBB is applied between

the bases of QN and QP.

• In the circuit VBB/2 appears across QN

and QP the base emitter junctions; for

vI = 0, vO = 0;

• At that point, iN = iP = IQ = IS eVBB/2VT; -

assuming the devices are matched.

• VBB is so chosen to supply the

required quiescent current IQ.

 Class AB Power Amplifier
• When vI goes positive the voltage at the

base of QN goes up by the same value and

vO = vI + VBB/2 - vBEN;

• This positive vo causes a current iL to flow

into RL.

• This causes iN to increase to iN = iP + iL

causing vBEN to increase.

• As iN increases iP decreases in the same

proportion as IQ is constant.
 Class AB Power Amplifier
• As vBEN raises above the VBB/2, a

reduction in the bias voltage of QP

ensues, leading to a drop in vBEP and iP;

• Taking the loop equation

• vBEN + vBEP = VBB; (1)

• Applying Shockley’s equation, we get

i i i
• VT ln N+ VT ln P= 2VT ln Q;
IS IS IS
• or iNiP = IQ2  (2)

• As iNiP = IQ2 an increase in iN results in a

decrease in iP and vice versa.

 Class AB Power Amplifier
• When vO is at its positive maximum, iP is so

small that it can be ignored.

• From the circuit, we have iP = iN- iL;

• and (2) becomes iN2 - iNiL - IQ2 = 0

• From the equations above, we can see that

for positive input voltages, the load current is

supplied by QN, which acts as the output

emitter follower.

• Meanwhile, QP will be conducting a current

that decreases as vO increases; For large vO

the current in QP can be ignored altogether.

 Class AB Power Amplifier
• For negative input voltages the

opposite occurs: The load current

will be supplied by QP, which acts

as the output emitter follower,

while QN conducts a current that

gets smaller as vI becomes more

negative.
 Class AB Power Amplifier
• The class AB operation is similar to class B, the only difference being
at Q-point both QN and QP conduct a small current.

• As the signal grows positive, QN takes over and for the negative half
QP dominates.

• i.e. for vI = 0, both QN and QP conduct equally. With vI > or < 0 the
scene changes.

• The conversion  of a class AB is slightly less than a class B.

• A small price to reduce distortion!

• The transistors of class AB will have higher capacity.

 Class AB Power Amplifier
• The power relationships in the class AB stage are almost identical to

those derived for the class B circuit

• The only difference is that under quiescent conditions the

class AB circuit dissipates a power of VCCIQ per transistor.

• Since IQ is usually much smaller than the peak load current, the

quiescent power dissipation is usually small.

Transfer characteristic of the class AB stage
Output Resistance
• If we assume that the source supplying vI is ideal,
then the output resistance of the class AB
stage can be determined from the circuit as

• where reN and reP are the small-signal emitter

resistances of QN and QP, respectively.

• At a given input voltage, the currents iN and iP can

be determined, and reN and reP are given by
Output Resistance
• Thus

• Since as iN increases, iP decreases, and vice versa,

the output resistance remains approximately
constant in the region around vI = 0.

• This, in effect, is the reason for the virtual absence

of crossover distortion.

• At larger load currents, either iN or iP will be

significant, and Rout decreases as the load current
increases.
Problem
 Biasing using Diodes

A class AB output stage utilizing diodes for biasing. If the junction area of the output
devices, QN and QP, is n times that of the biasing devices D1 and D2, and a quiescent
current IQ = nIBIAS flows in the output devices.
 Biasing using Diodes
• Figure shows class AB circuit with bias voltage VBB.
• Constant current IBIAS is passed through pair of diodes D1 and D2.
• In circuits that supply large amounts of power, the output transistors are
large-geometry devices.
• Biasing diodes, however, need not be large.
• Thus the quiescent current IQ established in QN and QP will be IQ = nIBIAS,
• where n is the ratio of the emitter–junction area of the output devices to
the junction area of the biasing diodes.
Biasing using Diodes