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BME202 Electronics Lecture14

The document discusses different types of power amplifiers including class A, B, AB, C, and D amplifiers. It describes the key characteristics of efficiency, maximum power capability, and impedance matching for power amplifiers. It provides details on biasing, conduction angle, and efficiency calculations for each amplifier class.

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Manchana Padamaja
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34 views26 pages

BME202 Electronics Lecture14

The document discusses different types of power amplifiers including class A, B, AB, C, and D amplifiers. It describes the key characteristics of efficiency, maximum power capability, and impedance matching for power amplifiers. It provides details on biasing, conduction angle, and efficiency calculations for each amplifier class.

Uploaded by

Manchana Padamaja
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 14: Power Amplifiers

Amplifier Primary Characteristics


In small-signal amplifiers the primary characteristics are:

Amplification
Linearity
Gain

Large signal amplifiers, or power amplifiers handle relatively


large voltage signals and current levels. As such, the
primary characteristics are:

Efficiency
Maximum power capability
Impedance matching
Amplifier Types
Class A
The amplifier transistor conducts through the full 360 of
the input. The Q-point is set near the middle of the load
line.
Class B
Each amplifier transistor conducts through 180 of the
input, with the two combining to provide 360 conduction.
The Q-point for each transistor is set at the cutoff point.
Class AB
This is a compromise between the class A and B amplifiers.
The amplifier transistors conduct between 180 and 360.
The Q-point is located between the mid-point and cutoff.
Amplifier Types

Class C
The amplifier conducts for less than 180 of the input. The
Q-point is located below the cutoff level.

Class D
This is an amplifier that is biased especially for digital
signals.
Class A Amplifier
The transistor in 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 minimum & maximum
output voltage and current allowed by
the DC power supply.
Class B Amplifier

Each transistor in a class B


amplifier conducts for 180
(half) of the AC input signal.

The Q-point is at 0 V on the


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

This amplifier is a compromise


between the class A and class B
amplifier—the Q-point for each
transistor is above that of the
Class B but below the class A.

Each transistor conducts for


more than 180 of the AC input
signal.
Class C Amplifier

The output of the class C


conducts for less than
180 of the AC cycle. The
Q-point is below cutoff.
Amplifier Efficiency
Efficiency refers to the ratio of output power to input
power. The lower the degrees of conduction of the
transistor(s) the higher the efficiency.
Series-Fed Class A Amplifier

This is similar to the


small-signal amplifier
except that it will handle
higher voltages and
currents. The transistor
used is a high-power
transistor.
Series-Fed Class A Amplifier

A small input signal causes the output voltage to swing to a


maximum of VCC and a minimum of 0 V. The current can also
swing from 0 mA to ICSAT (VCC/RC)
Series-Fed Class A Amplifier
Input Power
The power into the amplifier comes from the DC supply.
With no input signal, the DC current drawn is the
quiescent collector current, ICQ.
Pi(dc)  VCC I CQ
Output Power
2 2
VC(rms) VCE(p-p)
Po(ac)  or Po(ac) 
RC 8 RC

Efficiency
Po(ac)
%η   100
Pi(ac)
Transformer-Coupled Class A Amplifier
This circuit uses a transformer
to couple to its load. This
improves the efficiency of the
Class A to 50%.
Transformer Action
A transformer improves the efficiency of a class A amplifier
because it is able to transform the voltage, current, and
impedance

Voltage Ratio
V2 N 2

V1 N1

Current Ratio
I 2 N1

I1 N2
Impedance Ratio
2
RL R1  N1 
     a 2
RL R2  N2 
Transformer-Coupled Class A Amplifier

DC Load Line
The Q-point for a transformer-coupled class A amplifier is set
close to the midpoint of the DC load line
Transformer-Coupled Class A Amplifier
AC Load Line
The saturation point (ICmax) is at VCC/RL and the cutoff point is
at V2 (the transformer secondary voltage). This increases the
maximum output swing because the minimum and maximum
values of IC and VCE are spread further apart.
Transformer-Coupled Class A Amplifier

Voltage Swing

VCE(p  p)  VCE max  VCE min

Current Swing

I C max  I C min

AC Power

(VCE max  VCE min )( I C max  I C min )


Po(ac) 
8
Transformer-Coupled Class A Amplifier Efficiency

Power input from the DC source

Pi(dc)  VCC I CQ

Power dissipated as heat across the transistor


Note: The larger the input and output
PQ  Pi(dc)  Po(ac) signal, the lower the heat dissipation.

Maximum efficiency
2
Note: The larger VCEmax and lower
V V  VCEmin, the closer the circuit efficiency
%η  50 CE max CE min 
 VCE max  VCE min  approaches the theoretical maximum
of 50%.
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 two transistors: • An npn transistor that provides
the negative half of the AC cycle
• A pnp transistor that provides the
positive half.
Class B Amplifier: Efficiency
The maximum efficiency of a class B is 78.5%

2
Po(ac ) VCC
%η   100 Po(ac), MAX 
Pi(dc) 2 RL

For maximum power, VL=VCC

 2V  2VCC
2
Pi(dc)MAX  VCC ( I dc , MAX )  VCC  CC  
 πRL  πRL
Transformer-Coupled Push-Pull Class B Amplifier

The center-tapped transformer on the input produces opposite


polarity signals to the two transistor inputs.

The center-tapped transformer on the output combines the two


halves of the AC waveform together.
Class B Amplifier Push-Pull Operation

During the positive half-cycle of the AC input, transistor Q1 (npn) is


conducting and Q2 (pnp) is off.

During the negative half-cycle of the AC input, transistor Q2 (pnp) is


conducting and Q1 (npn) is off.

Each transistor produces one-half of an AC cycle. The


transformer combines the two outputs to form a full AC cycle.
Amplifier Distortion

If the output of an amplifier is not a true replica of the AC input


signal, then it is distorting the output. The amplifier is non-
linear.

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.
Harmonics
Harmonics are integer multiples of a fundamental
frequency.

If the fundamental frequency is 5kHz:

1st harmonic: 1 x 5kHz


2nd harmonic: 2 x 5kHz
3rd harmonic: 3 x 5kHz
4th harmonic: 4 x 5kHz
etc.

Note that the 1st and 3rd harmonics are called odd harmonics and
the 2nd and 4th are called even harmonics.
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.
Class D Amplifier
A class D amplifier amplifies pulses, and requires a pulsed input.

There are many circuits that can convert a sinusoidal waveform to


a pulse, as well as circuits that convert a pulse to a sine wave. This
circuit has applications in digital circuitry.

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