İzmir University of Economics

EEE 331 Analog Electronics - Lab

EXPERIMENT 6
Power Amplifiers

A. Background
Class A Stage
The amplifier given in Fig. 6.1 is of type called Class A amplifier.
VCC

RL
R1
C1
+

vO
vS R2
-

Fig. 6. 1. Class A Amplifier

If the input is a sinusoidal, then the output is also sinusoidal over the DC biasing voltage (Fig.
8.2).
volts

vO(t), volts
VCQ+VCP

VCQ

VCQ-VCP

T t
Fig. 6.2

The useful AC power is then

6-1
For the power delivered to the circuit, the power spent over the base circuitry is neglected
and the average power delivered from the power supply is obtained as:

The power efficiency is defined as

or

The maximum efficiency is reached if

i.e.., the 25 percent of the power delivered to the circuit is obtained as useful load power.

Class B Stage
The efficiency of a power amplifier may be increased using the following (Fig. 6.3) Class B
amplifier called push-pull amplifier.
VCC

Q1
npn

+
vS Q2 RL vO
pnp
-

- VCC
Fig. 6.3
During the positive cycles, Q1 conducts, during the negative cycles Q2 conducts; but the
voltage over the load is a continuous sinusoidal (Fig. 6.4). The signal over the load then does
not contain any DC component.

vO(t), volts
VCP

T t
-VCP

Fig. 6.4

6-2
For the Class B amplifier then

and the power from the above power supply proportional to VCC and the average current
through the collector of Q1.

The collector current of Q1 is a half-wave rectified sine wave (Fig. 6.5).

iC1(t), volts ICP= VCP/RL

T t
Fig. 6.5
The average (DC) value of the collector current is then
or
and

The total power from the two sources is therefore

Hence the efficiency is

As it can be seen from the above result, the efficiency is linearly proportional to VCP. The
maximum efficiency is reached when VCP = VCC, then

Class AB Amplifier
Because of the turn-on voltages of base-emitter junctions of the transistors, the output
voltage is distorted and not a pure sine wave (Fig. 6.6). This distortion is called cross-over
distortion.
vO(t), volts
VCP – VBE1(on)

T t
-VCP + VEB1(on)

Fig. 6.6

6-3
The cross-over distortion may be avoided by using an additional circuitry at the input side
(Fig. 6.7).
VCC VCC

R1 R1
Q1 Q1
npn npn
R2
+ +
vS vS R2
Q2 RL vO Q2 RL vO
pnp pnp
- -
R1 R1

- VCC - VCC
(a) (b)
Fig. 6.7
The turn-on voltages of the diodes (Fig. 8.7a) or the DC voltage drop over R2’s (R2 << RL) are
set very close to the base emitter drops of the transistors to cancel out the cross-over
distortion at the output.

B. Preliminary Work
a) Consider the Class A stage given in Fig. 6.8. Assume  = 120 and VBE(on) = 0.6 V for the
transistor. Determine the values of R1 and R2 to set VCQ = 6 V and VBB = 3.5 V.

VCC = 12 V

RL
R1 1K
C1 +

vO
vS R2 RE CE
100
-

Fig. 6.8

6-4
C. Experimental Work
1. Set up the circuit given in Fig. 6.9 with the resistors you have determined in Preliminary
Work. (CE = 100 F, C1 = 10 F. Be careful with the polarities of the capacitors)
VCC = 12 V
IS
A

RL
R1 1K
C1 +
BD 135
vO
vS R2 RE CE
100
-

Fig. 6.9
(a) Measure VCQ. If VCQ ≠ 6V, make necessary modifications to set VCQ = 6 V.
(b) Apply a sinusoidal signal to the input at f = 1 kHz.
(c) Measure IS and calculate PS.
IS = ……. mA => PS = VCC IS = …………… mW
(d) Now adjust VCP = 3 V. Plot vO below. What is the maximum VCP that you can get?

VCP(max) = …………. Volts

6-5
 (e) Calculate the efficiencies for the following VCP values.

VCP PL PS 

3V

VCP(max)(……..V)

2. Now set up the push-pull amplifier given in Fig. 6.10. (VCC = 12 V)

100 
+
vS 100  RL
vO
1K
BD
136
-

- VCC
Fig. 6.10

(a) Apply a sinusoidal signal at 1 kHz to the input. Plot vO(t) for VCP = 6 V.

VCP(max) = …………. Volts

6-6
(b) Calculate the efficiencies for the following VCP values.

VCP PL PS 

6V

VCP(max)(……..V)

(c) Set up the following Class AB Amplifier. Apply a sinusoidal signal at 1 kHz to the
input. Plot vO(t) for VCP = 6 V.
VCC = 12 V

R1
BD
135

100 
+
vS 100  RL
vO
1K
BD
136
-

- VCC
Fig. 6.11

6-7