Instruction

An amplifier is an important electronic circuit which can be designed to achieve certain

objectives. There are various amplifier designs available in the market to suit specific
requirement. Your team have been assigned to investigate and evaluate the frequency
response of an amplifier. Complete the tasks below and present your results as specified.

Keywords: Magnitude vs frequency, phase vs frequency, pole and zero at the origin, break
frequency, 2nd order slope, zeta correction

Tasks (100 marks)

1. Form a small discussion group.

2. Investigate one (1) type of an amplifier.
3. Obtain all the information about the design of the selected amplifier.
4. Evaluate the performance of the amplifier at suitable range of frequency.
5. Use Matlab to explain the operation of the amplifier.
6. Prepare a 10-15 minutes video presentation where each student present his/her
contribution.
7. Submit a copy of the powerpoint presentation.
Control System Presentation Rubric
Grade 1 2 3 4 5
Poor Fair Satisfactory Good Excellent
Checklist
Demonstration & Presentation
Assessment Criteria
1 2 3 4 5

a. Acceptable design of an amplifier and its components (30%)

Explain the figure or circuit diagram of

1.
the amplifier (10)

Explain the function of each

2. components and their values or
specifications (10)
Explain the transfer function of the
3. amplifier and how it is derived/obtained
(10)
Mark

b. Line-by-line matlab coding to produce desired results (30%)

Explain the matlab code line-by-line

1.
(15)

Explain how the simulation results are

2.
obtained (15)
Mark
c. Bode plots within suitable frequency range (both magnitude and phase) (40%)
Explain the amplification part of the
1. circuit at suitable frequencies (at least 2
frequencies) (10)
Explain the attenuation part of the
2. circuit at suitable frequencies (at least 2
frequencies) (10)
Explain the slopes of magnitude and
3.
phase plots (10)
Explain the zeta correction at the
4.
related frequency (10)
 Power Electronics

1. Introduction

An amplifier is an electronic device used to increase the magnitude of

voltage/current/power of an input signal. It takes in a weak electrical signal/waveform and
reproduces a similar stronger waveform at the output by using an external power source.
Depending on the changes it makes to the input signal, amplifiers are broadly classified
into current, voltage and power amplifiers. In this article we will learn about power
amplifiers in detail. For more information on different types of amplifiers.

A power amplifier is an electronic amplifier designed to increase the magnitude of

the power of a given input signal. Thus, the power of the input signal is increased to a
level high enough to drive loads of output devices like speakers, headphones, RF

transmitters, etc. The input signal to a power amplifier needs to be above a certain
threshold. So, instead of directly passing the raw audio/RF signal to the power amplifier,
it is first pre-amplified using current/voltage amplifiers and is sent as input to the power
amp after making necessary modifications.

A magnitude of signal from the microphone is not enough for the power amplifier.
So, first it is pre-amplified, where its voltage and current are increased slightly. Then the
signal is passed through a tone and volume control circuit, which makes aesthetic
adjustments to the audio waveform. Finally, the signal is passed through a power
amplifier and the output from power amp is to a speaker.

The first specification of a power amplifier is its maximum power. This parameter
specifies the peak power that the amplifier can deliver into a specified load at a specified
output level and very short time. As such, it defines the absolute maximum capacity of
this particular design. However, it tells you nothing about how much average power an
amplifier can handle without overheating or other power supply problems. Another power
rating of power amplifiers is the output power, sometimes called RMS power (Root Mean
 Square). The output power should be regarded as the power that the amplifier can
constantly deliver over a long period without overheating or power supply interruptions.

2. Types of Power Amplifiers

Power amplifiers are divided into classes based on the amplifier’s characteristics.
Classes A, AB, B, and C depend on their conduction angle, which is the number of
degrees in a cycle during which the amplifying device conducts. Classes D and E are
switching amplifiers. Classes D, DG, and H are also common audio amplifiers that
are similar to Class AB but use different techniques to improve efficiency.

2.1 Class A Power Amplifier

A Class a amplifier has a 360o conduction angle (100% of the input signal is used). It
is the most linear, meaning the output signal is the best representation of the input. It
is, however, the least efficient. Subsequent classes are increasingly efficient and
decreasingly linear.

Class Conduction angle Input Signal Used Efficiency Linearity

A 360o 100% Lowest Highest

AB 180o-360o 50-100% Medium low Medium high

B 180o 50% Medium high Medium low

C <180o <50% Highest Lowest

 Figure 1 : Class A Power Amplifier

 Low signal distortion levels

 Simple design

 The device is always conducting due to amplifying element bias

 No turn on time or charge storage problems

 Quite stable

 Highest linearity

 Low efficiency due to being on all the time, around the vicinity of 25-50%

 High heat output during operation

2.2 Class B Power Amplifier

Class B power amplifiers are designed to reduce the efficiency and heating problems
present in the class A amplifiers. Instead of a single transistor to amplify the entire
waveform, this class of amplifiers use two complementary transistors. One transistor
amplifies the positive half of the waveform and the other amplifies the negative half
of the waveform. So, each active device conducts for one half (180°) of the
waveform and two of them, when combined, amplify the entire signal.
 Figure 2: Class B Power Amplifier

 Uses 2 complementary transistors, one each for the positive and negative
cycle

 Much higher efficiency, around 75-78.5%

 Lesser heat output

 Stable and reliable

 Requires at least 0.7 V to start conducting, which means anything under it

doesn’t register, so cannot be used for precise applications

 Combines 2 half cycles to form one full cycle.

2.3 Class AB Power Amplifier

A Class AB Power Amplifier is, as the name suggests, a mix of Class A and
Class B power amplifiers. Like the Class B amplifier, it also uses 2 conducting
elements (transistors), but they both run at the same time. This eliminates the
‘dead zone’ from -0.7 V to + 0.7 V seen in the Class B power amplifier. But in this
case, while each transistor conducts for more than a half cycle, they conduct less
than a full cycle completely. So, the conduction angle is somewhere around 180
degrees and 360 degrees, commonly shown as 270 degrees in some cases.
Here are its characteristics.
 Figure 3: Class AB Power Rectifier

 Uses 2 transistors that work together.

 Each transistor is active for slightly less than a full cycle but more than a half
cycle.
 Combines Class A and Class B characteristics.
 No crossover distortion.
 Fairly efficient, at around 50-60%.
 Most common audio amplifier design.

2.4 Class C Power Amplifier

A Class C Power Amplifier is something of an oddity compared to the other 3

types listed above. It’s the most efficient but has the lowest operating cycle and
linearity. Since it’s heavily biased, it stays on for less than half of an input cycle,
and thus has a conducting angle somewhere around the vicinity of 90 degrees.
This results in the high efficiency mentioned above, but also causes high
distortion in the output signal, so Class C amplifiers are usually not used as audio
amplifiers. They’re used in certain radio frequency applications where efficiency
is key.

3.
 Figure 5: Class C Power Amplifier

Figure 6: Class C amplifiers conduct for up to half of a period and Class B for exactly
half. Class AB amplifiers conduct for 50-100% of the cycle and Class A amplifiers for
the whole cycle.

 Least linear among power amplifiers.

 Very high efficiency of around 80-90%.
 High output distortion.
 Two operating modes tuned and untuned.
 Low power dissipation.
2.5 Class D

Class D Power Amplifiers, which sometimes aren’t considered among the 4 mentioned
above. It’s a non-linear switching amplifier in which the two transistors function as
switches instead of linear gain devices. It converts the analog signal into digital via
pulse width modulation, pulse density modulation or something similar before being
amplified. The result is a cycled output with high efficiency and gain, without too much
distortion. Although originally used to control motors, they are now used as audio
power amplifiers as well. Contrary to popular belief, the ‘D’ in the name doesn’t stand
for digital, because the converted signal is pulse width modulated analog, and not
pulse width modulated digital.

Figure 7: Class D Power Amplifier

 High efficiency, can theoretically be 100%

 Low power dissipation
 Low power consumption
 More complex than other types of power amplifiers
 Precise and accurate output