Power

Amp

Chapter 7

Power
Amplifiers
4th
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Spring 2014
Semester Mechatronics
SZABIST, Karachi
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Amp

Course Support
Nasreen.bano@szabist.edu.pk
Office: 100 Campus (304)
Official: ZABdesk

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Chapter Contents

Power
Amp

Introduction
Class A amplifiers
Class AB Amplifiers
Class B Amplifiers
Class C and D Amplifiers

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Introduction

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Introduction

Amplifiers:
In small-signal amplifiers the main factors are:

Amplification

Linearity

Gain

Since large-signal, or power, amplifiers handle relatively large

voltage signals and current levels, the main factors are:

Efficiency

Maximum power handling capability

Impedance matching to the output device

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Introduction

Amplifiers Performance Factors:

Amplifier Efficiency:

The ratio of output to input power

Measure of effectiveness of an amplifier to convert dc power into

ac

Gets higher from A to D

the ac load power

% efficiency of the amplifier the dc input power

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Introduction

Amplifiers Performance Factors:

Amplifier Distortion:

Any undesired change in the shape of a signal

Appears as flat lines b/w the output signal

alterations
Caused by both transistors being in cutoff
for a short duration of time b/w +ve and
ve alteration of the input signal
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Introduction

Amplifiers Performance Factors:

Harmonic Distortion:
If the output of an amplifier is
not a complete AC sine wave,
then it is distorting the output.
The amplifier is non-linear.
This
distortion
can
be
analyzed
using
Fourier
analysis. In Fourier analysis,
any
distorted
periodic
waveform can be broken down
into frequency components.
These
components
are
harmonics of the fundamental
frequency.
According to Fourier analysis,
if a signal is not purely
then it contains
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Introduction

Harmonic Distortion:

Total Harmonic Distortion:

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Introduction

10

Example 12.13:
Calculate the harmonic distortion components for an output signal
having fundamental amplitude of 2.5 V, second harmonic amplitude
of 0.25 V, third harmonic amplitude of 0.1 V, and fourth harmonic
amplitude of 0.05 V.

Example 12.14:
Calculate the total harmonic distortion for the amplitude
components given in Example 12.13.

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Introduction

Class A

Class B
Class C
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Single transistor amplifier

Conducts the entire input cycle
low distortion, high loss
= 25 %
Small signal amplifiers (drive high power
stages)

Two transistor amplifier

Each conducts for of the input cycle
some distortion, lower loss
= 78.5 %
High power amplifiers

11

Single transistor amplifier

Conducts for less than 180o of the input
cycle
high distortion, lowest loss
= 99%
Nearly ideal power amplifier
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Introduction

12

Amplifier Types:
Class A
The amplifier conducts through the full 360 of the input
The Q-point is set near the middle of the load line
Class B
The amplifier conducts through 180 of the input
The Q-point is set at the cutoff point
Class

AB
A compromise between the class A and B amplifiers
The amplifier conducts somewhere between 180 and 360
The Q-point is located between the mid-point and cutoff.

Class C
The amplifier conducts less than 180 of the input
The Q-point is located below the cutoff level
Class D
An amplifier biased especially for digital signals
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Introduction
Power Amplifiers

13

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Introduction
Class A Amplifier

14

The output of a class A

amplifier conducts for the
full 360 of the cycle.
The Q-point is set at the
middle of the load line so
that the AC signal can
swing a full cycle.

Remember that the DC load

line indicates the maximum
and minimum limits set by
the DC power supply.
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Introduction
Class B Amplifier

15

A class B amplifier output

only conducts for 180 or
one-half of the AC input
signal.

The Q-point is at 0V on the

load line, so that the AC signal
can only swing for one-half
cycle.
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Introduction
Class AB Amplifier

16

This amplifier is a
compromise between
the class A and class B
amplifierthe Q-point
is above that of the
Class B but below the
class A.
The output conducts
between
180
and
360 of the AC input
signal.

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Amp

Introduction

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Class C

The output of the class C conducts for less than 180 of

the AC cycle. The Q-point is below cutoff.

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Introduction

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Efficiency Comparison

Efficiency refers to the ratio of output to input power

The lower the amount of conduction of the amplifier the
higher the efficiency

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Class A Power
Amplifiers

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Class A

20

Series-Fed Class A
This is similar to the small-signal amplifier
Amplifier
except that it will handle higher voltages

The

transistor

used

is

high-power

transistor

A small input signal causes the output

voltage to swing to a maximum of Vcc and a
minimum of 0V

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The current can also swing from 0mA to ICSAT

(VCC/RC)

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Class A

21

Series-Fed Class A
Amplifier
Input
Power
The power into the amplifier is from the DC supply. With
no input signal, the DC current drawn is the collector
bias current, ICQ.

Pi(dc) VCC I CQ
Output Power

V 2 C(rms)
Po(ac)
RC

or

V 2 CE(p - p)
Po(ac)
8R C

Efficiency
%

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Po(ac)
Pi(ac)

100

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Example 12.1:

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Class A

22

Calculate the efficiency:

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Class B Power
Amplifiers

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Class B

Class B Amplifier
In class B, the transistor is biased just off. The AC signal turns the
transistor on
The transistor only conducts when it is turned on by one-half of the
AC cycle
In order to get a full AC cycle out of a class B amplifier, you need
An npn transistor
two transistors:
that provides the
negative

half

of

the AC cycle
A

pnp

transistor

that provides the

positive half.

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Class B

25

Class B Amplifier

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Class B

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Class B AmplifierEfficiency
The maximum efficiency of a class B is
78.5%..
%

Po(ac )
Pi(dc )

100

2
VCC
maximum Po(dc)
2R L

For maximum power, VL=VCC

2VCC
2V 2 CC

maximum Pi(dc) VCC (maximum I dc ) VCC
R L
R L

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Class B

27

Example 12.7:
For a class B amplifier providing a 20-V peak signal to a 16- load
(speaker) and a power supply of VCC = 30 V, determine the input
power, output power, and circuit efficiency

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Class C & D Power

Amplifiers

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Class C and D

29

Class C Amplifier
A class C amplifier conducts
for less than 180.
In order to produce a full sine
wave output, the class C uses
a tuned circuit (LC tank) to
provide the full AC sine wave.
Class C amplifiers are used
extensively
in
radio
communications circuits.

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Class C and D

30

Class D Amplifier
A class D amplifier amplifies pulses, and requires a pulsed input.
This circuit has applications in digital circuitry.

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Amp

Home Task

3
1

Reading:
1. Summary
2. Equations
Problems:
3. Relevant

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Amp

1.
2.
3.

References

32

Bolestad
Paynter
Electronics-tutorials

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