Power

Amplifie
r
Analogue Electronics (ECD1223)

Outcomes
State the biasing conditions of class A, B,
AB and C operations
Define and compute the efficiency of a
power amp
Determine the voltage/current gain, power
dissipation and efficiency by using load
line

Outcomes
Use the transformer couple load to
achieve higher efficiency
Define the amplitude distortion
Explain the principles of operation for
audio frequency power amplifier

Signal Amplification
Receives a signal from an input signal
source
Provides a larger version of the signal to
some output device

Why Power Amplifier ?

A circuit that is capable of delivering large
amount of power to a low impedance load
Output power >1W
Load range from 300 (transmission antenna) to 4
(audio speaker)

Must handle large voltage and current

swings
Very important to have a good EFFICIENCY
power amplifier or low losses
Efficient power amplifier delivers the most
signal power for the dc power it takes
from
the supply

The Importance of Power

Conversion Efficiency
Ideal power amplifier deliver 100% of
the power it draws from the supply to load
Practical Never happen
Reason the components in the amplifier
will dissipate some of the power from the
supply
Power conversion efficiency measure
of the
active device capability to convert
the dc
power of the supply into the
ac power
delivered to the load

 Given:

Power Amplifier
Efficiency

acoutput pow
er
Efficiency
,
100%
dcinput powe
r

E.g: signal power output: 8W

power supply: 16V
amplifier draws: 1A
The dc power input:

P V I 16V 1 A 16W
Efficiency

8W
100% 50%
16W

Power Amplifier
Efficiency

Given:

acoutput pow
er
Efficiency
,
100%
dcinput powe
r

Lower dc input power

results in higher amplifier
efficiency
dc input power varies
according to the position of
the Q-point on the load line

Can the transistor operate with

DC signals?
Can the transistor operate with
AC signals?
Is that means that the transistor
can operate with both DC & AC
signals?

Transistor with DC & AC

Operation?
Confusion:
Transistors are not AC components
Transistors can only operate with DC signals
Input signal is higher than 0.7V amplified
normally
What if input signal is less than 0.7V?
What if the signal becomes negative (AC
signal)?

Transistor with DC & AC

Operation?
Negative signal at the base of NPN
transistor base-emitter diode is
reverse-biased
Diode acts like open circuit (cut-off)
Amplifier does not work at all
If the negative voltage becomes too high
the base-emitter diode is destroyed
Similar circumstances if using PNP
transistor

How to amplify and AC signal?

By biasing the transistor with DC voltage
Eg: amplifying an 1Vpp AC signal
The signal has +0.5V & -0.5V period
If bias with 1.5V DC
Input vary from 2V (1.5+0.5) to 1V (1.5-0.5)

Considered as DC signal
The transistor can amplify the complete
period normally

How to amplify and AC signal?

AC signal fed into the
base of the transistor
will not be amplified
correctly since it has a
negative period as well

Biasing the
transistor with DC
voltage causes the
AC signal to be
shifted upwards
no more negative
period

How to amplify and AC signal?

Coupling and Bypassing Capacitors
Previous slide output is DC voltage
If amplify an AC voltage AC voltage
output
Solution coupling capacitor
Operates as a resistor in AC
Open circuit in DC

How to amplify and AC signal?

Bypassing capacitor
connected in parallel
Removes any
unwanted AC signal
grounded

AC & DC Equivalent for CE

Amplifier

Load Line
dc load line all possible combinations of VCE
and IC
ac load line all possible ac combination of
Vce and Ic
ac load line will not follow the plot of dc load
line
Reason Different value of IC(sat) and VCE(off)

AC load line illustrates the compliance

of an amplifier

AC Load Line
ac load line the maximum possible
output voltage swing for a given
common-emitter amplifier
Tells the maximum possible peak-to-peak
output voltage (Vpp ) from a given
amplifier
This maximum Vpp is referred to as the
compliance of the amplifier

Example
Draw the DC and AC load line

Example
First draw the DC load line
DC equivalent circuit is required

Q point VCEQ = 6.2V, ICQ = 1.93mA

Example
DC load line

Example
Secondly, draw the AC load line
AC equivalent circuit is required

Example
AC load line

Classification of
Amplifiers
Classified according
to the:
percent of time that
collector current is
nonzero
relationship
between the output
voltage swing and
the input voltage
swing

P
A

A
B

Classification of
Amplifiers
Input
Sign
al
Class
A

Class
B

Class
AB

Class
C

Class A Amplifier
Used as linear
amplifier
Conduction angle of
360
Conduct continuously
for the entire cycle of
signal swing
Q point is one half of
the maximum value of
that at saturation
Key ingredient of class
A amplifier: The

Class A Amplifier
Waste power
especially at very low
signal levels
Reason about half
of the supply voltage
is dropped across the
transistor
Low distortion
Low power efficiency
25% (high loss in
terms of heat)

Class A Amplifier
Q-point at the center
maximum class A
output
Q-point closer to
cutoff output is
clipped from the
negative cycle
Q-point closer to
saturation clipped
from the positive
cycle

Class A Amplifier

Class A Amplifier

Example
Given R1 = 10 k,
R2 = 2.2k,
RC = 3.6 k,
RE = 1.1 k,
Vcc = 10V,
Vout(p-p) =
2V,
RL= 200,
Find input d.c power,
output a.c power
and efficiency

Transformer-coupled Class A Amplifier

Transformer-coupled class A amplifier
increase the amplifier efficiency from 25%
to 50%

Example

Class A Amplifier
Advantages:
Most linear
Least amount of distortion

Disadvantages:
Low efficiency
Constantly operating at full
power
Large, heavy and run very
hot

Class B Amplifier
To improve the low
efficiency rating of
class A amplifier
The bias is set so
that current flow in
a specific output
device is zero
The output device
is zero when not
stimulated with an
input signal

Class B Amplifier
Single transistor
corresponds to half
wave rectification of
the input signal
Q-point is at cutoff
running the common
emitter transistor
with zero bias
Zero bias only half
the input signal will
be amplified

Class B Amplifier
The transistor
conducts for half of
the input cycle
Conduction angle
180
Biasing an amplifier at
cut-off saves power
Has higher efficiency
(78.5%)
Lower current drain

Class B Push-Pull Amplifier

Reduce the distortion (half-wave clip off)
Conduct both the positive and negative
cycle
two class B amplifier npn & pnp
transistor
both at cutoff

Class B Push-Pull Amplifier

Input signal goes to phase splitter before
applying to the transistors
Generates two signals, V1 & V2 in opposite
phase

Class B Push-Pull Amplifier

During quiescent state (no signal input)
both transistors are biased at cutoff
When signal goes positive Q1 is biased
above cutoff
The transistor conducts
During this time Q2
still biased at cutoff

Class B Push-Pull Amplifier

When the input goes into negative halfcycle
Q1 is driven back into cutoff
Q2 is biased above cutoff
The conduction through
Q2 starts to increase
Q1 remains off

Standard Class B Push-Pull Amplifier

Uses a center-tapped transformer
Contains two identical transistors with
the emitter tight together

Standard Class B Push-Pull Amplifier

Disadvantages:
The centre-tapped transformer makes
the standard push-pull circuit much
larger and more expensive to
construct

Class B Complementary-Symmetry Amplifier

The most commonly

used class B amplifier
No transformer loses
higher efficiency
Contains
complementary
transistors
A pair, one npn and
one pnp with mathced
characteristics

Class B Complementary-Symmetry Amplifier

Designers
select
biasing resistors to
set the Q point at
cutoff
This
biases
the
emitter diode of each
transistor
between
0.6 and 0.7V

Class B Complementary-Symmetry Amplifier

Ideally: ICQ = 0
Biasing resistors are
equal each emitter
diode is biased with
the same value of
voltage
Therefore, half of the
supply is dropped
across
each
transistors collectorVCC
emitterVterminal:
CEQ
2

DC & AC Load Lines

The ideal ic(sat) :
Vcc
ic ( sat )
2 RL

Since the voltage

drops half the supply
voltage when both
are in cutoff:
V
vce (off ) cc
2

Compliance:

PP Vcc

Power Calculation
The output power:
PL

V pp 2

I1

8 RL

e)

The maximum load

power:
PP 2
PL(max)

8 RL

The total power that

the amplifier draws
from its dc power
supply:
Ps Vcc I cc
I cc I c1( ave) I1

I c1( ave)

Ic1(av

I pk

Power Calculation
Since the maximum
current through either
transistor in class B
V
amplifier:
ic ( sat ) cc
2 RL

Substitute into
I pk

Ic1( ave)

Hence:

Vcc
I c1( ave)
2RL
(maximum)
V pp (out )
I c1( ave)
2RL

I1

Ic1(av
e)

Example

Class B Push-Pull Amplifier Crossover

Distortion

Base voltage =
0 both
transistors are
off
Input signal
voltage must
exceed VBE for
conduction
Between
positive and
negative cycle
no transistor

Class B Push-Pull Amplifier Crossover

Distortion

Solution:
Biasing both
transistors at a
level that is
slightly above
cutoff
Known as diode
bias

Eliminating Thermal Runaway

The collector current is very sensitive to
the changes in VBE
VBE decreases approximately 2mV per
degree rise
temperature increase the collector
current
As the collector current increases, the
junction temperature increases even
more further reducing the correct VBE
This escalating situation means that the
collector current may run away by
using
until excessive power

Eliminating Thermal Runaway

Diode bias will eliminate this problem
When the transistors are in thermal
contact with the diodes, all the
components experience the same
operating temperature
Two condition must meet:
The diode and the transistor base-emitter
junction must be very perfectly matched
The diodes and the transistors must be
thermal contact

Class AB Amplifier
The characteristics lie in between class A
and B
Current flows for more than 180 but less
than 360
Often used to eliminate the crossover
distortion & thermal runaway encountered
by class B amplifier when voltage divider
bias is used

Class AB Amplifier
Overcome the crossover distortion
Both transistors in the class B
operation biased slightly above
cutoff where there is no signal
That is: there is some measurable
value of ICQ when diode bias is used
As soon as the signal crosses its zero
level the appropriate transistor
conducts
Undistorted full cycle of signal is
generated
at the output

Class AB Amplifier

Example
The bias current
through the
compensating
diode
: 1.4V
20V
V 2V
Ibias
I
2R
2(470)
bias

CC

BE

19mA

The collector
saturation current VisCEQ
: 10V
IC (SAT )

0.2A
RL
50
The average value of
the half wave
0.2is
A:
collectorICcurrent
( SAT )
I ( ave)

Find the maximum

efficiency of the amplifier
circuit shown in circuit
above.

0.064A

The total current

drain is:
Idc = 19 mA + 0.064 A
= 83 mA

Example
The dc input power P
is:dc 20Vx83mA 1.66 W
The maximum ac output
power is :
2

Pout (max)

Vpp

20

1W
8R L 8(50)

The efficiency of the stage

is :

Efficiency

Pout
1W
X100%
X100% 60.2%
Pdc
1.66W

Class C Amplifier
The transistor is biased beyond cutoff with
the negative VBB supply
The ac source has a peak value that is
slightly greater than VBB+VBE
Base voltage exceeds the barrier potential
of the base emitter junction for a short
time near the positive peak
of
each cycle

Class C Amplifier
Collector current, IC
flows for less than
one half of the input
signal distorts the
output waveform
IC flows for less than
180 of the input
cycle
Has very high
efficiency
Severe distortion of
the input signal

Example

Summary of Different Amplifiers