Unit 5

Q1 What do you mean by Power Amplifier ?

Ans
4.11. Power Amplifier:
A power amplifier is an electronic amplifier designed to increase the magnitude of power of a given
input signal. The power of the input signal is increased to a level high enough to drive loads of output
devices like speakers, headphones, RF transmitters etc. Unlike voltage/current amplifiers, a power
amplifier is designed to drive loads directly and is used as a final block in an amplifier chain. The
input signal to a power amplifier needs to be above a certain threshold. So instead of directly passing
the raw audio/RF signal to the power amplifier, it is first pre-amplified using current/voltage
amplifiers and is sent as input to the power amp after making necessary modifications.

Figure.4.17. Power amplifiers efficiency and output

A Power amplifier is large signal amplifier and this is generally a last stage of a multistage amplifier. The
function of a practical power amplifier is to amplify a weak signal until sufficient power is achieved to
operate a loudspeaker or output device. Typical output power rating of a power amplifier will be 1W or
higher.

SIGNAL VOLTAGE VOLTAGE Driver Output

SPEAKER
AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER stage stage

Figure.4.18.Stages of Power amplifier

The driver stage operates as a class A power amplifier and supplies the drive for the output stage. The last output
stage is essentially a power amplifier and its purpose is to transfer maximum power to the output device. The output
stage generally employ class B amplifiers in push-pull arrangement. A large signal amplifier means much larger portion
of load line is used during signal operation compared to small signal amplifier. A small signal amplifier operate over a
linear portion of load line. In case of power amplifier, we cannot use small signal approximation directly to calculate
voltage gain, current gain and input/output impedance. Ideal power amplifier will deliver 100% of the power it draws
from the supply to load.

 Class A,
Classification of power amplifier:

 Class B,
 Class A B,
 C amplifiers
 Q2 What do you mean by Class A Amplifier ?
Ans
Class A amplifier
The power amplifiers are classified according the conduction angle they produced. Conduction angle
measures the portion of the input cycle that is reproduced at the output of a power amplifier. Class A
amplifier as long as the output signal is not clipped. With this kind of amplifier, collector current flows
throughout the cycle. Stated another way, no clipping of the output signal occurs at any time during the
cycle. Now, we discuss a few equations that are useful in the analysis of class A amplifiers.

Besides voltage gain, any amplifier has a power gain, defined as

�
�=
��

In words, the power gain equals the ac output power divided by the ac input power.

+VCC IC
RC A
R1
Q

VO B

VIN R2 VCE
RE
CE

Figure.4.19. Class A power Amplifier

Figure 4.19 shows the output characteristics with operating point Q. here at point A (I CQ) and point B (V CEQ)
Represent no signal collector current and collector –emitter voltage respectively. It may be observed that
when an a.c input signal is applied, the operating point Q shifts up and down causing output current and
voltage to vary about it. The output current is increased to I Cmax and ICmin . In the same fashion, the
collector emitter voltage increases to V ce max and falls to Vce min.
The Class A amplifier is the simplest form of power amplifier that uses a single switching transistor in the
standard common emitter circuit configuration as seen previously to produce an inverted output. The
t a sisto is al ays iased ON so that it o du ts du i g o e o plete y le of the i put sig al a efo
producing minimum distortion and maximum amplitude of the output signal.

Efficiency
The efficiency of an amplifier represents the amount of ac power delivered (transferred) from the dc
source. The efficiency of the amplifier is calculated using
��
%� = %
�
Maximum efficiency:
For the class A series-fed amplifier, the maximum efficiency can be determined using the maximum voltage
and current swings. For the voltage swing it is maximum VCE( p-p) =VCC
For the current swing it is
Maximum IC(p-p)= ��
�
���
�� �
Using the maximum voltage swing �� = �

� / �
The maximum power input can be calculated using the dc bias current set to one-half the maximum value:
���
��
Maximum � = VCC maximum Ic = VCC

� / �
 But we know that:
��
%� = %
�
2
��/8��
2 x100% =25%
��/2��
The maximum efficiency of a class A series-fed amplifier is thus seen to be 25%.Since this maximum
efficiency will occur only for ideal conditions of both voltage swing and current swing, most series-fed
circuits will provide efficiencies of much less than 25%.

Q3 What do you mean by Class B Amplifier ?

Ans
Class B amplifier:
Class A is the common way to run a transistor in linear circuits because it leads to the simplest and most
stable biasing circuits. But class A is not the most efficient way to operate a transistor. In some
applications, like battery-powered systems, current drain and stage efficiency become important
considerations in the design. Figure.4.14. shows a basic class B amplifier. When a transistor operates as
class B, it clips off half a cycle. To avoid the resulting distortion, we can use two transistors in a push-pull
arrangement like that of Figure 4.14.Push-pullmeans that one transistor conducts for half a cycle while the
other is off, and vice versa. Here is how the circuit works: On the positive half cycle of input voltage, the
secondary winding of T1 has voltage V1 and V2, as shown. Therefore, the upper transistor conducts and the
lower one cuts off. The collector current through Q1 flows through the upper half of the output primary
winding. This produces an amplified and inverted voltage, which is transformer-coupled to the
loudspeaker. On the next half cycle of input voltage, the polarities reverse. Now, the lower transistor turns
on and the upper transistor turns off. The lower transistor amplifies the signal, and the alternate half cycle
appears across the loudspeaker. Since each transistor amplifies one-half of the input cycle, the loudspeaker
receives a complete cycle of the amplified signal.

T1 Q1 T2
+VCC
V2
VIN SPEAKER

Q2

Figure.4.20. Class B push Pull amplfier

Maximum efficiency:
The efficiency of the class B amplifier can be calculated using the basic equation

�� �� � / �� � �� �
%� = % = %= %
� 4 �
��� [ � � � ]
Using � � = �� � /� shows that the larger the peak voltage, the higher the circuit efficiency, up to a
maximum value when VL(p) = VCC, this maximum efficiency then being
�
� � � ��� � � =4 %=78.5%

Power Dissipation:
The power dissipated (as heat) by the output power transistors is the difference between the input power
delivered by the supplies and the output power delivered to the load.

� = � − ��
WhereP2Q is the power dissipated by the two output power transistors. The dissipated power handled by
each transistor is then
�
� =
Advantage and Disadvantages class B amplifier: Since there is no bias in Fig. class B amplifier, each transistor is at
cutoff when there is no input signal, an advantage because there is no current drain when the signal is zero.
Another advantage is improved efficiency where there is an input signal. The maximum efficiency of a
class B push-pull amplifier is 78.5 percent, so a class B push-pull power amplifier is more commonly used
for an output stage than a class A power amplifier. The main disadvantage is the use of
transformers.Audiotransformersarebulkyandexpensive.Althoughwidelyused at one time, a transformer-
coupled amplifier like Fig. class B amplifier is no longer popular.

Crossover Distortion
In the push-pull configuration, the two identical transistors get into conduction, one after the
other and the output produced will be the combination of both. When the signal changes or
crosses over from one transistor to the other at the zero voltage point, it produces an amount of
distortion to the output wave shape. For a transistor in order to conduct, the base emitter
junction should cross 0.7v, the cut off voltage. The time taken for a transistor to get ON from OFF
or to get OFF from ON state is called the transition period. At the zero voltage point, the
transition period of switching over the transistors from one to the other, has its effect which leads
to the instances where both the transistors are OFF at a time. Such instances can be called as Flat
spot or Dead band on the output wave shape.

Figure.4.21. Crossover distortion

Q4 What do you mean by Class C Amplifier ?
Ans
Class C amplifier:
A class C amplifier can produce more power than a class B amplifier. Consider the case of a radio
transmitter in which the audio signals are raised in their frequency to the medium or short wave band to
that they can be easily transmitted. The high frequency introduced is in radio frequency range and it serves
as the carrier of the audio signal. The process of raising the audio signal to radio frequency called
modulation.
The modulated wave has a relatively narrow band of frequencies centered on the carrier frequencies. At
any instant, there are several transmitters transmitting simultaneously. The radio receiver selects the
signals of desired frequencies to which it is tuned, amplifies it and converts it back to audio range.
Therefore, tuned voltage amplifiers are used. In short, the tuned voltage amplifiers selects the desired
radio frequency signal out of a number of RF signals present at that instant and then amplifies the selected
RF signal to the desired level as shown in fig.4.22.
Class C operation means that the collector current flows for less than 180° of the ac cycle. This implies that
the collector current of a class C amplifier is highly non-sinusoidal because current flows in pulses. To avoid
distortion, class C amplifier makes use of a resonant tank circuit. This results in a sinusoidal output voltage.
The resonant tank circuit is tuned to the frequency of the input signal.
When the circuit has a high quality factor (Q) parallel resonance occurs at approximately
�=
���

Figure.4.22. Class C Amplifier Output

At the resonance frequency, the impedance of the parallel resonant circuit is very high and is purely resistive. When
the circuit is tuned to the resonant frequency, the voltage across RL is maximum and sinusoidal. The higher the Q of
the circuit, the faster the gain drops off on either side of resonance.

Q5 What do you mean by Class AB Amplifier ?

Ans
Class AB amplifier:
Class AB is another type of push pull amplifier which is almost similar to that of a Class A push pull amplifier
and the only difference is that the value of biasing resistors R1 and R2 are so selected that the transistors
are biased just at the cut in voltage (0.7V). This reduces the time for which both transistors are
simultaneously OFF (the time for which input signal is between (-0.7V an d +0.7V) and so the cross over
distortion gets reduced. Of the above said classes Class A has least distortion, then Class AB and then Class
B. Any way Class AB configuration has reduced efficiency and wastes a reasonable amount of power during
zero input condition. Class B has the highest efficiency (78.5%), then Class B (between 78.5 to 50%) and
then Class A (50%).
 Figure.4.23. Class AB amplifier

During the first half-cycle of operation, transistor Q1 is driven into conduction whereas transistor Q2 is driven off.
The current I1 through the transformer results in the first half-cycle of signal to the load. During the second half-cycle
of the input signal, Q2 conducts whereas Q1 stays off, the current I2 through the transformer resulting in the second
half-cycle to the load. The overall signal developed across the load then varies over the full cycle of signal operation.
The small bias voltage given using diodes D1 and D2, as shown in the above figure, helps the operating point to be
above the cut off point. Hence the output waveform of class AB results as seen in the above figure. The crossover
distortion created by class B is o e o e y this lass AB, as ell the i effi ie ies of lass A a d B do t affe t the
circuit.

Class D Power Amplifier:

A Class D audio amplifier is basically a non-linear switching amplifier or PWM amplifier. Class-D amplifiers
theoretically can reach 100% efficiency, as there is no period during a cycle were the voltage and current
waveforms overlap as current is drawn only through the transistor that is on.

Figure.4.24Class D power Amplifier