Power Amplifiers

Unit 4.1
Classification of Power Amplifiers
Power amplifiers are classified based on the Q
point
If the operating point is chosen at the middle of the
load line, it is called Class A amplifier
If the operating point is chosen at the cut-off point
it is called Class B amplifier
If the operating point is chosen beyond the cut-off
point it is called Class C amplifier
It conducts for 360
0
Class A amplifier
The Q point is chosen at the middle of load line
This will give equal swing on either direction
Both halves of the input comes at the output
Hence Class A will give (amplitude) distortionless
output
It can handle only small signals
Its efficiency is less
Ic
Vce
Ib = 60A
Ib = 50A
Ib = 20A
Ib = 30A
Ib = 40A
10mA
2mA
4mA
6mA
8mA
24 V 0 V
Q
A
B
Class A
Class B amplifier
The Q point is chosen at the cut-off point
This will give swing only on one direction
Only one half of the input comes at the output
Hence Class B will give (amplitude) distorted
output
It can handle large signals
Its efficiency is high
It conducts for 180
0
Ic
Vce
Ib = 60A
Ib = 50A
Ib = 20A
Ib = 30A
Ib = 40A
10mA
2mA
4mA
6mA
8mA
24 V 0 V
Q
Class B
Class C amplifier
The Q point is chosen at the beyond the cut-off
point
This will give only a partial swing in one direction
Only a portion of the input comes at the output
Hence Class C will give (amplitude) severely
distorted output
It can handle large signals
It conducts for less than 180
0
Ic
Vce
Ib = 60A
Ib = 50A
Ib = 20A
Ib = 30A
Ib = 40A
10mA
2mA
4mA
6mA
8mA
24 V 0 V
Q`
Class C
Class A
Class B
Class C
Distortionless amplifier
Out of the 3 amplifiers, Class C is unsuitable as the
distortion is very heavy
Class A is the best, as it gives distortionless output
But Class A cannot handle large signals as
required by the Power Amplifier
Though Class B gives heavy distortion, it gives out
one half of the signal perfectly
And Class B can handle large signals
Class A Audio Amplifier
As we have seen out of the 3 classifications, Class
A is the best, as it does not give any distortion
Among the configurations, we know that CE is the
best as it gives maximum power gain
A CE amplifier will have high output impedance
Unfortunately for an audio amplifier, the output
device is the speaker which has a low impedance
Impedance Matching
The speaker impedance is typically about 4
Hence there is a mismatch between the high Zo of
the amplifier and the low impedance of the speaker
This will result in loss of gain
This can be avoided by connecting a transformer at
the output stage
The primary winding will match the high Zo of the
amplifier while the secondary will match the low
impedance of the speaker
Class A Audio Amplifier
270 K 5.6 K
Re
Rb1
Rb2 Ce
Rc
Vcc
270 K
Re
Rb1
Rb2 Ce
Drawback
The drawback of this circuit is that it cannot handle
large signals
In a Class A amplifier, the operating point is
chosen around the middle of the load line
If the signal exceeds the cut-off point, the output
current stops and any signal with a lower
amplitude will not come at the output
Similarly, if the signal exceeds the saturation point,
the output current cannot increase any further,
even if the input signal increases
Ic
Vce
Ib = 60A
Ib = 50A
Ib = 20A
Ib = 30A
Ib = 40A
10mA
2mA
4mA
6mA
8mA
24 V 0 V
Q
A
B
Class A
Class B Push-Pull Amplifier
To avoid this we can use Class B which has a
greater signal handling capacity
But Class B will give only one half of the signal
Hence we can use 2 Class B amplifiers
One for one half and one for the other half
This type of amplifier is called Push-Pull
Amplifier
Class B Push-Pull
Vcc
T1
T2
T3
TR2
TR1
Push-Pull Circuit
TR1 and TR2 are output transistors connected
back to back, with their emitters grounded
The output transformer TR1 couples the push-pull
output to the speaker
In the Push-Pull arrangement T1 conducts for one
half of the signal & T2 conducts for the other half
Both are biased in Class B and each gives one half
of the signal & the combined output is coupled to
the speaker
Push-Pull Circuit
The Driver Transformer TR2 gives 2 out of phase
signals
During one half, the +ve half forward biases T1
while the ve half reverse biases T2
Thus when T1 conducts, T2 is cut-off & vice-
versa
This way both the transistors conduct alternately
to give the full signal output
Class D Amplifier
During the +ve half cycle Q1 gets Forward Bias and it
conducts
During the -ve half cycle Q2 gets Forward Bias and it
conducts
Thus both the transistors conduct alternately
The amplifier works for 360
0

No distortion
100% efficiency
During the first half T1
conducts
Ic flows from the
centre-tapping through
T1 to ground
This half is coupled to
the speaker through
TR1
Working of Push-Pull Circuit
Vcc
T1
T2
T
3
TR2
TR1
During the second half
T2 conducts
Ic flows from the
centre-tapping through
T2 to ground
This half is coupled to
the speaker through
TR1
Working of Push-Pull Circuit
Vcc
T1
T2
T
3
TR2
TR1
Drawbacks
Though this circuit functions well it has a few
drawbacks
Transformer coupling affects the quality of
output
Phase shifting circuit is a must
Both these drawbacks can be avoided if we use
one pair of PNP and NPN transistors at the
output
T1
T2
Vcc
Complementary Symmetry Amplifier
Complementary Symmetry Amplifier
This circuit uses one NPN transistor & one PNP
transistor at the output stage

During the +ve half, T1(NPN) base gets forward bias &
it conducts while T2 (PNP) gets reverse biased and does
not conduct

This gives one half of the signal at the speaker coupled
to the emitter
Complementary Symmetry Amplifier
During the other half, T2 gets forward bias
and conducts while T1 gets reverse biased and
does not conduct

Thus T1 & T2 conduct alternately giving a
distortionless output

This circuit does not require a phase shifter
Cross over distortion
Class B Push-Pull amplifier has one limitation
As the phase of the signal changes from +ve to ve
(or vice-versa) one transistor stops conducting
while the other begins conducting
But the transistor cannot conduct instantaneously
as it requires a minimum Vbe before it starts
conducting
Thus as the signal crosses over zero, a distortion
occurs
This is called Cross over distortion
Cross over distortion
Vbe
-Vbe
Class AB amplifier
This circuit overcomes cross-over distortion
Biasing is done such that even if there is no input
signal, a small current keeps the output transistor
conducting
This circuit uses 2 diodes whose characteristics
matches with that of the BE junction of the output
transistors
Biasing resistors R1 & R2 are also identical values
T1
T2
Vcc
Class AB amplifier
R1
R2
D1
D2
Symmetrical components
Since R1 & D1 are identical to R2 & D2, the diode
junction as well as the output point will be at half
the supply voltage
Because of symmetry both T1 & T2 will conduct
equally
Even when there is no input signal, there will be a
current Icq = (I/2 Vcc 0.6) / R1
This will keep the output transistors conducting
Elimination of cross-over distortion
Normally, during cross-over there will not be any
output till the non-conducting transistor gets the
minimum Vbe
This causes distortion
This has been eliminated here, since the 0.6 V
across the diodes keep the transistors on and gives
a continuous output signal without producing
cross-over distortion
Thermal stability
In addition, the two diodes also provide thermal
stability
They prevent the output transistors going to
Thermal Run Away
When the output current is high, heat dissipation is
more
The increase in temperature produces more charge
carrier in the BE junction of T1 & T2
This increases Ib & hence Ic
This in turn increases the power dissipation &
hence the heat
This chain goes on till too much current flows and
destroys the transistors
This is called Thermal Run Away
This is arrested by the diodes in the output circuit
When the charge carriers increase in the B-E
junction of T1 & T2, a similar increase takes place
in D1 & D2, due to matching characteristics
This increase in the diode current, produces more
drop across R1 & R2 and brings down the forward
bias at the base of T1 & T2
Thus the 2 diodes prevent cross-over distortion as
well as provide thermal stability
End of Unit 4.1