Chapter 9

Audio Power Amplifiers

Dang Nguyen Chau Click to edit Master subtitle style
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
Email: chaudn@hcmut.edu.vn
Introduction

The input stage and intermediate stages operate in a small signal

class.
The final stage is an output stage feeds a load such as a loud
speaker => the output stage must be capable of transfer maximum
power.

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Introduction
Output stage must be an amplifier with a low output resistance Rout
so that it can deliver the output signal to the load without loss of gain.
The requirements for the power amplifiers:
Linearity must be high.
Efficiency must be high.
The term audio means the range of frequencies which our ears can
hear : 20Hz to 20KHz.

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Introduction

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Power Transistors

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Review

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Review
The instantaneous power P(t):
P t V t I t
V(t) is the voltage across the device: V(t) = Vav + v(t)
I(t) is the voltage across the device: I(t) = Iav + i(t)

The average power:

1 1
Pav V t I t dt Vav I av v t i t dt
TT TT
the average power is the sum of power in the dc terms and the power
in the ac terms
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Review
The instantaneous power dissipation in a BJT:

P t vCE t iC t vBE t iB t vCE t iC t

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Review
The total power supplied
PCC VCC I CC VEE I EE
The power efficiency
PL

PCC

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Power Amp. Classifications
The power amplifiers are classified according to the portion of the
input sine-wave cycle during which load current flows:
Class A power amplifier
Class B power amplifier
Class A-B power amplifier
Class C power amplifier

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Power Amp. Classifications

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Power Amp. Classifications
Class A: The output signal of the transistor is biased at IC DC
current and conduct for the entire cycle of the input signal wave
(conduction angle = 360o)

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Power Amp. Classifications
Class B: The output signal of the transistor is biased at IC = 0 DC
current and conduct for the half cycle of the input signal wave
(conduction angle = 180o)

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Power Amp. Classifications
Class AB: The output signal of the transistor is biased at IC DC
current which is much smaller than the peak of current and conduct
for more than the half cycle of the input signal wave (180o <
conduction angle < 360o)

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Power Amp. Classifications
Class C: The output conduct for the interval shorter than half cycle
(conduction angle < 180o)

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Power Amp. Classifications
To archive low-distortion amplification of audio-frequency signals,
only class A would seem to apply.
Class AB and class B amplifiers can also yield essentially linear
amplification if one uses a Push-Pull arrangement.
Class C power amplifiers are used extensively at radio frequencies
where tuned circuits remove the distortion resulting from the
nonlinear operation of the circuit.
Q-point placement and power relations in the most commonly used
classes A and B audio-frequency circuits.

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Review - Coupling

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Review - Coupling

V2 N 2

V1 N1

I 2 N1

I1 N 2

2
' N1
R
L RL
N2

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Review DCLL, ACLL

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Review DCLL, ACLL

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Review DCLL, ACLL

Maximum Peak Output = min VCEQ , I CQ rac

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Review DCLL, ACLL
When Q-point is at the center of the ACLL:

I CQ rac VCEQ

VCC
I CQ
RDC rac

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Class A
The most common type of amplifier class due mainly to their
simple design.
The best class of amplifier due mainly to their low signal
distortion levels and are probably the best sounding of all the
amplifier classes mentioned here.
The highest linearity over the other amplifier classes and as such
operates in the linear portion of the characteristics curve.
The transistor never turns OFF which is one of its main
disadvantages

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Class A

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Class A Power Calculation
The average output power:
2
1 2 2 I P RC
PL iC t RC dt I C RMS RC
TT 2
2
1 2 1 1 V
vo t dt Vo2 RMS o
TT RC RC 2 RC
VRMS, IRMS: the R.M.S value of the output signal vo and iC

VP, IP: the peak value of the output signal vo and iC

VCEQ
I P min I CQ ,
rac

VP min VCEQ , I C rac

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Class A Power Calculation
For the maximum output power, the IC is chosen for the max-
swing:
VCC
I CQ IP
2 RC

The maximum average output power:

I P2 RC VC2C
PL
2 8 RC

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Class A Power Calculation
The power supply PCC:

1
PCC iC t VCC dt VCC I CQ
TT

For the max-swing condition (maximum output power):

2
V CC
PCC VCC I P
2 RC

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Class A Power Calculation
The power dissipated in the collector PC:
1 1 1
PC iC t vCE t dt iC t VCC vce t dt VCC I CQ iC t RC ic t dt
TT TT TT
1 1 2
PCC
TT I CQ ic
t RC c
i t dt PCC R I 2
C CQ RC
TT
ic t dt

2 I P2
PCC R I C CQ RC
2

The maximum PCmax when no signal is present

2
PC PCC RC I CQ

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Class A Power Calculation
The power dissipated in the collector PC:
1 1 1
PC iC t vCE t dt iC t VCC vce t dt VCC I CQ iC t RC ic t dt
TT TT TT
1 1 2
PCC
TT I CQ ic
t RC c
i t dt PCC R I 2
C CQ RC
TT
ic t dt

2 I P2
PCC R I C CQ RC
2

The maximum PCmax when no signal is present

2
PC PCC RC I CQ
2
2 V CC
PC PCC R I C CQ For the max-swing condition
4 RC
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Class A Power Calculation
In low-power amplifier circuit, input signal is small => PC
represents the total dissipation internal to the transistor.
PCmax is specified by the manufacturer. We must keep the PCmax
within safe limits.
PCmax = 2PLmax => To obtain 1W in the load we lost 2W of collector
dissipation power => very inefficient power amplifier.
Ideally, we would like no power to be dissipated if there were no
signal present.

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Class A Power Calculation
The efficiency of the power amplifier class A:

1 2
I P RC
PL
*100% 2 *100%
PCC VCC I CQ

When signal is maximum, the supply power is constant, PL

increase to the maximum PLmax => the maximum efficiency:

2
VCC / 8 RC
2 *100% 25%
VCC / 2 RC

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Class A Power Calculation
2
VCC / 8RC
2 *100% 25%
VCC / 2 RC

This means 75% of the power supplied by the source is dissipated in

the transistor => wasting power and leads to the heating problem =>
an inefficient power amplifier.

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Class A Power Calculation
Example: For VCC = 9V, RE = 0.5K, RC = 3K, RL = 1K. Find the
maximum output power, maximum power supplied by the source and
power dissipated in the transistor.

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Class A Power Calculation
Example: For VCC = 9V, RE = 0.08K, RC = 0.3K, RL = 0.1K, R1 =
7.5K, R2 = 1.5K. Find the maximum output power, maximum power
supplied by the source and power dissipated in the transistor.

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Class A Inductor Coupled
In CE Power Amplifier, a large amount of power was dissipated in
the collector resistor RC max = 25 %

Replacing RC with a large

inductor (called a choke)
eliminates some of this dissipation
and increase the maximum
efficiency to 50 %.

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Class A Inductor Coupled
The inductor is a short circuit to a dc current, but acts as an open
circuit to an ac signal.

We must meet the condition

L RL
at the lowest signal frequency =>
this makes it is difficult to design
the circuit, choosing RL.

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Class A Inductor Coupled
The DCLL
VCE VCC I C RE

The ACLL

vce ic RL

For the maximum symmetric swing

VCEQ VCC VCC
I CQ ==> I CQ (RE << RL)
RL RL RE RL
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Class A Inductor Coupled
Supplied Power
2
VCC
PCC VCC I CQ
RL

The power transfer to load

2
I P2 RL I CQ RL VCC2
PL
2 2 2 RL

Efficiency
PL I P2 RL / 2 max 50%

PCC VCC I CQ
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Class A Inductor Coupled
The power dissipated in the transistor
I P2 RL
PC PCC PL VCC I CQ
2
2
VCC
PC min I P =ICQ
2 RL
2
VCC
PC max I P =0
RL

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Class A Transformer Coupled Load
The inductor coupled class A power amplifiers is difficult to
design because of the RL.
The effective load resistance can be optimized using a transformer.

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Class A Transformer Coupled Load
' 2
R a RL
L

VCEQ
I CQ
RL'
VCC VCC
I CQ ' '
RL RE RL
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Class A Transformer Coupled Load
Supplied Power
2
VCC
PCC VCC I CQ '
RL

The power transfer to load

2 '
I P2 RL 2 a 2
R I CQ RL V 2
PL I CQ L
CC'
2 1 2 2 2 RL

Efficiency
PL I P2 RL / 2 max 50%

PCC VCC I CQ
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Class A Transformer Coupled Load
The power dissipated in the transistor
I P2 RL'
PC PCC PL VCC I CQ
2
2
VCC
PC min I P =ICQ
2 RL'
2
VCC
PC max ' I P =0
RL

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Class A Transformer Coupled Load
Example: For VCC = 18V, a = 10, beta = 100, RE = 0.5K. Find R1
and R2 for the maximum output power,. Find maximum power
supplied, load power, efficiency and power dissipated.

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Class A Transformer Coupled Load
Example: For VCC = 18V, a = 10, beta = 100. Find R1 and R2 for
the maximum output power,. Find maximum power supplied, load
power, efficiency and power dissipated.

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Class B
The collector current flows for only 180 of the ac cycle (half cycle
of the input signal wave.
The Q point is located at cutoff on both the DC & AC LL (ICQ = 0).
The advantage of class B amplifiers is lower current drain & higher
stage efficiency.
Transistor cut off (iC = 0) if: vI +VB < 0.7 V

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Class B

IP
I av

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Class B Push-Pull Amplifiers
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 => Complementary symmetry amplifier.

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Class B Push-Pull Amplifiers
Opposite of class A: both output devices are never allowed to be on
at the same time. Each output device is on for exactly one half of a
complete sinusoidal signal cycle
Class B designs show high efficiency but poor linearity around the
crossover region (due to the time it takes to turn one device off and
the other device on, which translates into extreme crossover
distortion)
Class B designs restricted to low power applications, e.g., battery
operated equipment, such as communications audio

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Class B Push-Pull Amplifiers
vi 0.7 vi 0.7

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Class B Push-Pull Amplifiers

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Class B Push-Pull Amplifiers

Crossover distortion on output waveform

Crossover distortion in audio power

amplifiers produces unpleasant sound

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Class B Push-Pull Amps. Power Cal.

The average collector current of a transistor

2
1 IP
I C1 I C 2
2 0 iC t dt

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Class B Push-Pull Amps. Power Cal.
The average sullied power
2VCC I P
PCC 2VCC I C1

The output power

I P2 RL VP2 I PVP
PL
2 2 RL 2

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Class B Push-Pull Amps. Power Cal.
The power efficiency
PL VP

PCC 4 VCC

max 78.5% VP =VCC

The maximum output power

2
VCC
PL
2 RL
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Class B Push-Pull Amps. Power Cal.
The average power dissipation of both transistor

2VCC I P I P2 RL 2VCCVP VP2

2 PC PCC PL
2 RL 2 RL

The maximum power dissipation

PC VCC VP
0 VP 2 50%
VP 4 VCC
2
2VCC
2 PC max 2
RL
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Class B Push-Pull Amps. Power Cal.

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Class AB
Intermediate case: both devices are allowed to be on at the same
time, but just barely
Output bias is set so that current flows in a specific output device
appreciably more than a half cycle but less than the entire cycle.
The inherent non-linearity of class B designs is eliminated, without
the gross inefficiencies of the class A design
Combination of good efficiency (around 50%) with excellent
linearity that makes class AB the most popular consumer audio
amplifier design.

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Class AB

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Trans. Coupled Load Push-Pull Amps.

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Trans. Coupled Load Push-Pull Amps.
The effective load resistance is
2
' np
R RL
L
ns

The average collector current of a transistor

2
1 IP
I C1 I C 2
2 0 iC t dt

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Trans. Coupled Load Push-Pull Amps.
The average sullied power
2VCC I P
PCC 2VCC I C1

The output power

2 ' 2
I R
P V
L I PVP
P
PL '
2 2R 2
L

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Trans. Coupled Load Push-Pull Amps.
The power efficiency

PL VP
max 78.5% VP =VCC
PCC 4 VCC

The average power dissipation of both transistor

2VCC I P I P2 RL 2VCCVP VP2

2 PC PCC PL
2 RL 2 RL
2
2VCC VP
2 PC max 2 50%
RL 4 VCC

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Trans. Coupled Load Push-Pull Amps.

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Complementary-Symmetry Class AB

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Biasing

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Quasi-Complementary
Because pnp transistor have limited current-carrying capacity, the
complementary output stage is suitable only for delivering load power
on the order of a few hundred milli-watts or less. If output power of
several watts or more is required, npn transistors should be used.

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Biasing

R1
VBB VBE1 1
R2

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Biasing

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