Chap9 Power Amplifiers

Chapter 9
Power Amplifiers
Lecturer: Dr. Tran Vu Hoang

Power Amplifiers
• Concentrate on amplifier circuits used to handle large-voltage signals at

moderate to high current levels
• The main features:
• power efficiency: the ratio of power output to power input
• the maximum amount of power that the circuit is capable of handling
• the impedance matching to the output device
• Amplifier classes
• Class A A AB B C D
• Class B
Operating 360o 180-360o 180o Less than Pulse
• Class AB cycle 180o operation
• Class C Power 25% to 50% Between 25% 78.5% Typically
• Class D efficiency (50%) and over 90%
78.5%
Outline
Ø Class A
Ø Class B
Ø Class AB
Ø Class C and D
Series-Fed Class A Amplifier
• the Q-point to be biased at a level so that at least half the

signal swing of the output may vary up and down
without going to a high enough voltage to be limited by
the supply voltage level or too low to approach the
lower supply level
• the signals handled by the large-signal circuit are in the
range of volts
• the transistor used is a power transistor that is capable of
operating in the range of a few to tens of watts
• Input Power:
• The power into an amplifier is provided by the
supply voltage VCC
• With no input signal, the dc current drawn is ICQ
• The power:
• Even with an ac signal applied, the average current

drawn from the supply remains equal to ICQ
• Output Power:
• the ac input signal results in ac current and ac
voltage signals
• The ac power delivered to the load (RC) can be
expressed in a number of ways:
• Efficiency:
• the amount of ac power delivered (transferred) from
the dc source
• Maximum Efficiency:
• can be determined using the maximum voltage and
current swings
Example
Calculate the input power, output power, and

efficiency of the amplifier circuit for an input
voltage that results in a base current of 10 mA
peak.
Example
Example
• When the input ac base current increases from its dc bias level, the collector
current rises by:
• Output power:
• The amplifier’s power efficiency:

Transformer-coupled Class A Amplifier
• A form of class A amplifier having maximum efficiency

of 50% uses a transformer to couple the output signal to
the load
• assumes ideal (100%) power transfer from primary to secondary, that is, no power losses
are considered.
the load resistance reflected

to the primary side:
• dc resistance (transformer winding

resistance) is small (ideally 0Ω) and dc
load line is a straight vertical line
• AC load line:
• based on the reflected load
resistance (𝑅!" )
• pass through the operating point
• Has a slope equal to -1/𝑅!"
• AC power developed across the transformer:

&!"# .(!# &!"$%& *&!"$'( . (!$%& *(!$'(
𝑃# 𝑎𝑐 = 𝑉$% 𝑟𝑚𝑠 . 𝐼$ 𝑟𝑚𝑠 = )
= )
Example
Calculate the ac power delivered to the 8Ω speaker.

The circuit component values result in a dc base
current of 6 mA, and the input signal (Vi) results in a
peak base current swing of 4 mA.
Example
• Dc load line is drawn vertically from the

voltage point: VCEQ = VCC = 10
• For IB = 6 mA: ICQ = 140 mA
+) )
• 𝑅!" = (+ ) . 𝑅! = 72Ω
*
• The ac load line can then be drawn of
slope -1/72 going through the indicated
operating point.
Point A: (ICEQ + VCEQ/𝑅!" ,0) = (279mA,0)
• Base current swing of 4mA peak:
• VCEmin = 1.7V ICmin = 25mA
• VCEmax = 18.3V ICmax = 255mA
à Po(ac) = 0.477 W
• Efficiency:
• The input (dc) power:
• Power loss dissipated by the power transistor:
• Maximum Theoretical Efficiency:

Outline
Ø Class A
Ø Class B
Ø Class AB
Ø Class C and D
Class B Amplifier Operation
• the transistor conducts current for only one-half of the signal cycle
• use two transistors and have each conduct on opposite half-cycles (push-pull circuit)
• one part of the circuit pushes the signal high during one half-cycle
• the other part pulls the signal low during the other half-cycle
• provides greater efficiency
• DC bias leaves the transistor biased just off
• The transistor turning on when the ac signal
is applied
• Input (DC) Power:
Idc: the average or dc current drawn from the power supplies
I(p): the peak value of the output current waveform

• Output (AC) power:
• Efficiency:
• Maximum efficiency: (VL(p) = VCC)
• Power Dissipated by Output Transistors:
• The dissipated power handled by each transistor:

Transformer-Coupled Push-Pull Circuits
• First half-cycle:
• Q1: ON, Q2: OFF
• I1 through the transformer results in the first half
cycle of signal to the load
• Second half-cycle:
• Q2: ON, Q1: OFF
• I2 through the transformer
results in the second half
cycle of signal to the load
Complementary-Symmetry Circuits
• Using complementary transistors (npn and pnp)
• Disadvantage:
• Need two separate voltage
• Crossover distortion
Outline
Ø Class A
Ø Class B
Ø Class AB
Ø Class C and D
Class AB
More than 1800 input cycle operation:

Maximum Efficiency: 25.00% - 78%
Transformer-Coupled Push-Pull Circuits (AB)
• Class AB Amplifier:
• R1 and R2: biasing the transistors to be on for more than half a cycle
• Disadvantage of transformer
• cumbersome
• Expensive
• Signal distortion
OTL and OCL
• Don’t use transformer in output
• OCL (Output Capacitor Less): use two voltage supplies
• OTL (Output Transformer Less): use one voltage supply and one capacitor in output
Quasi-Complementary Push-Pull Amplifier (OTL)
• Push-pull operation is achieved by using

complementary transistors (Q1 and Q2)
• Q1 and Q3 form a Darlington
connection: provides output from a low-
impedance emitter-follower
• Q2 and Q4 form a feedback pair:
provides a low-impedance drive to the
load
• R2 can be adjusted to minimize
crossover distortion by adjusting the dc
bias condition
Quasi-Complementary Push-Pull Amplifier (OTL)
• Disadvantages:
• capacitor causes signal loss
especially the subwoofer signal
Output Capacitor Less (OCL)
• The load is coupled directly to the output

• Use two sources of symmetry
• Two transistors must operate
symmetrically (R1 = R2)
• Disadvantages:
• Use two sources
• Difficult to design
• Need: Over-power protection circuit, 0V
offset protection circuit, …
Outline
Ø Class A
Ø Class B
Ø Class AB
Ø Class C and D
Class C and Class D Amplifiers
• Class C Amplifier (not used as audio amplifiers):

• is biased to operate for less than 180° of the input
signal cycle
• provide a full cycle of output signal for the fundamental
or resonant frequency of the tuned circuit (L and C tank
circuit) of the output
• limited to use at one fixed frequency (communications
circuit)
• Operation of a class C circuit is not intended primarily
for large-signal or power amplifiers
• Class D Amplifier:
• operate with digital or pulse-
type signals
• efficiency of over 90%
• Necessary to convert any input
signal into a pulse-type
waveform before using it and to
convert the signal back into a
sinusoidal-type signal to
recover the original signal
• Class D Amplifier
• Class D Amplifier
Comparison of Amplifiers
Class A B C AB
Conduction
360o 180o Less than 90o 180 to 360o
Angle
In between the
Position of Centre Point of Exactly on the Below the X-axis and the
the Q-point the Load Line X-axis X-axis Centre Load
Line
Better than A
Overall Better, 70 to Higher than
Poor, 25 to 30% but less than B
Efficiency 80% 80%
50 to 70%
None if
Signal At the X-axis
Correctly Large Amounts Small Amounts
Distortion Crossover Point
Biased

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Chapter 9

Lecturer: Dr. Tran Vu Hoang

• Concentrate on amplifier circuits used to handle large-voltage signals at

• the Q-point to be biased at a level so that at least half the

• Even with an ac signal applied, the average current

Calculate the input power, output power, and

• The amplifier’s power efficiency:

• A form of class A amplifier having maximum efficiency

the load resistance reflected

• dc resistance (transformer winding

• AC power developed across the transformer:

Calculate the ac power delivered to the 8Ω speaker.

• Dc load line is drawn vertically from the

• Power loss dissipated by the power transistor:

• Maximum Theoretical Efficiency:

• Input (DC) Power:

Idc: the average or dc current drawn from the power supplies

I(p): the peak value of the output current waveform

• Maximum efficiency: (VL(p) = VCC)

• Power Dissipated by Output Transistors:

• The dissipated power handled by each transistor:

• Using complementary transistors (npn and pnp)

More than 1800 input cycle operation:

• Push-pull operation is achieved by using

• The load is coupled directly to the output

• Class C Amplifier (not used as audio amplifiers):

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