LAB REPORT

Experiment No: 08
Experiment Name: Study of Class A Power Amplifier
Course Title: Electronic Circuits II Lab
Course Code: EEE 2104
Section: 01

Submitted to:
Md. Shahjalal, PhD
Assistant Professor
School of Science & Engineering
ULAB

Submitted by:
Name: Md. Shahriyer Islam Ohim
ID: 231016009
Department: EEE
Semester: 4th (Spring 2024)

Submission Date: 1st April, 2024

OBJECTIVE:
To Design and study of Class A power amplifier.

THEORY:
An amplifier receives a signal from some pickup transducer or other input source and
provides a larger version of the signal to some output device or to another amplifier stage. An
input transducer signal is generally small (a few millivolts from a cassette or CD input, or a
few microvolts from an antenna) and needs to be amplified sufficiently to operate an output
device (speaker or other power-handling device). In small-signal amplifiers, the main factors
are usually amplification linearity and magnitude of gain. Since signal voltage and current are
small in a small-signal amplifier, the amount of power-handling capacity and power
efficiency are of little concern. A voltage amplifier provides voltage amplification primarily
to increase the voltage of the input signal. Large signal or power amplifiers, on the other
hand, primarily provide sufficient power to an output load to drive a speaker or other power
device, typically a few watts to tens of watts. We concentrate on amplifier circuits used to
handle large-voltage signals at moderate to high current levels. The main features of a large-
signal amplifier are the circuit’s power efficiency, the maximum amount of power that the
circuit is capable of handling, and the impedance matching to the output device. One method
used to categorize amplifiers is by class. Amplifier classes represent the amount the output
signal varies over one cycle of operation for a full cycle of the input signal.
Class A: The output signal varies for a
full 360° of the input signal. Figure 1 shows
that this requires 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, or 0 V in this
description.
The power efficiency of an amplifier, defined as the ratio of power output to power input,
improves (gets higher) going from class A to class D. In general terms, we see that a class A
amplifier, with DC bias at one-half the supply voltage level, uses a good amount of power to
maintain bias, even with no input signal applied. This results in very poor efficiency,
especially with small input signals, when very little AC power is delivered to the load. The
maximum efficiency of a class A circuit, occurring for the largest output voltage and current
swing, is only 25% with a direct or series-fed load connection and 50% with a transformer
connection to the load. Class B operation, with no DC bias power for no input signal, can be
shown to provide a maximum efficiency that reaches 78.5%. Class D operation can achieve
power efficiency of over 90% and provides the most efficient operation of all the operating
classes. Since class AB falls between class A and class B in bias, it also falls between their
efficiency ratings—between 25% (or 50%) and 78.5%. In class B operation, a push-pull
connection is obtained using either a transformer coupling or by using complementary (or
quasi-complementary) operation with npn and pnp transistors to provide operation on
opposite-polarity cycles. Although transformer operation can provide opposite-cycle signals,
the transformer itself is quite large in many applications. A transformerless circuit using
complementary transistors provides the same operation in a much smaller package.
The power into an amplifier is provided by the supply voltage. With no input signal, the DC
drawn is the collector bias current ICQ. The power then drawn from the supply is
PI (dc) = VCC ICQ
Even with an AC signal applied, the average current drawn from the supply remains equal to
the quiescent current ICQ, so this equation represents the input power supplied to the class A
series-fed amplifier.
The output voltage and current varying around the bias point provide AC power to the load.
This AC power is delivered to the load RC in the circuit. The AC signal Vi causes the base
current to vary around the DC bias current and the collector current around its quiescent level
ICQ. The AC input signal results in AC and AC voltage signals. The larger the input signal, the
larger the output swing, up to the maximum set by the circuit. The AC power delivered to the
load (RC) can be expressed in several ways.
Using RMS signals. The AC power delivered to the load (RC) may be expressed using
2
V ( rms)

Po (ac) = C
RC

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
Po (ac)

%η = ×100%
Pi( dc)

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%.

APPARATUS:
 Breadboard,
 Transistor BD 135
 Resistors (1 KΩ, 470 Ω, 10 KΩ, 2.2 KΩ)
 Capacitors (10 μF)
 Potentiometer (10 KΩ)
 Power supply,
 Multimeter,
 Signal generator,
 Oscilloscope.
 Wires
CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:

Figure 02: Class A power amplifier

PROCEDURES:
1. Recognize Figure 1's circuit.
2. Measure VCE, IC, and IB without any AC input. To choose the Q point at which the
circuit operates as a Class A power amplifier, adjust the pot resistance.
3. Apply a signal at the input of 1 KHz and 10 mV(p-p).
4. Use a multimeter to measure the RL and VCE.
5. Use an oscilloscope to observe the IC and VCE and record the highest and lowest
values. Sketch the wave forms.
6. Observe IB and VCE at the same time and record their phase relationship. Sketch the
wave forms.

Figure 03: Implemented Circuit

CALCULATIONS:
ICQ = 3.3mA
VCC = 10V
Pi (dc) = VCC × ICQ
= 10 × 3.3 mA
= 33 mW
VL(p-p) = 1.8
1.8
VL (rms) =
2 √2
= 0.64
2
V L (rms)
PO (ac) =
RL

( 0.64 )2
=
2.2 k
= 0.184 mW
P O (ac )
Efficiency, η = ×100%
Pi (dc )

0.184
=
33
= 0.56%

OUTPUT WAVEFORM:
DISCUSSION:
Class A power amplifiers are a fundamental aspect of linear amplification in electronic
circuits. They are known for their simplicity and linearity, but they are less efficient
compared to other amplifier classes. Class A amplifiers have the lowest distortion among all
amplifier classes but are also the least efficient in terms of power consumption. They have
exceptional linearity, as the output device is always conducting, ensuring high fidelity in
signal reproduction.
However, Class A amplifiers are not very efficient, as they continuously draw current from
the power supply even when there is no input signal, leading to significant heat dissipation.
This inefficiency is a primary drawback, especially in applications where power efficiency is
important. Class A amplifiers are widely used in high-fidelity audio applications, particularly
in audio preamplifiers and low-power output stages, providing excellent sound quality with
minimal distortion.

Designing Class A amplifiers requires careful consideration of thermal management and

power dissipation. The continuous current flow through the output device leads to heat
generation, necessitating adequate heat sinking and cooling measures. The power supply
must be capable of providing the required continuous current to maintain operation.
Class A amplifiers contrast with other classes like Class AB and Class B in terms of
efficiency and linearity. Class AB amplifiers offer better efficiency by utilizing both halves of
the input signal cycle, while Class D amplifiers are highly efficient but introduce more
complex modulation techniques and may have higher distortion.