Pdf on jan 1, 2011, bill slade and others published amplifier alphabet soup. The class a, b and ab amplifiers are called as linear amplifiers because the output signal amplitude and phase are linearly related to the input signal amplitude and phase. Class a amplifier design introduction to amplifier design basic design process. What are the different types of audio amplifier classes. Understanding amplifier operating classes electronic design. Power scales for power amplifiers james buckwalter 7. Classa efficiency vs rf power construct efficiency in terms of minimum device output voltage and d. The classes are based on the proportion of each input cycle conduction angle during which an amplifying device passes current. The most commonly constructed amplifier classes are those that are used as audio amplifiers, mainly class a, b, ab and c and to keep things simple, it is these. Amplifiers are given a classification according to the way in which they are biassed and they operate. As they amplify narrow band of frequencies near the resonant frequency, they are used as tuned amplifiers. The class c amplifiers are never used for power amplification.
The class c amplifier is used in the applications like rf oscillators, rf amplifier, fm transmitters, booster amplifiers, high frequency repeaters and tuned amplifiers. Class a amplifier design produces a good linear amplifier, but most of the power produced by the amplifier goes wastage in the form of heat. Class c operation for completeness, we will briefly introduce the class c amplifier. This circuit will look very strange if you are accustomed to analyzing audio. Like the class a amplifier circuit, one way to greatly boost the current gain a i of a class b pushpull amplifier is to use darlington transistors pairs instead of single transistors in its output circuitry.
The previous classes, a, b and ab are considered linear amplifiers, as the output signals amplitude and phase are linearly related to the input signals amplitude and phase. The difference between class a and class ab tube amps. Class c class c amplifiers conduct less than 50% of the input signal and the distortion at the output is high, but high efficiencies up to 90% are possible. During a class c amplifier operation, the collector flows for less than half cycle of ac signal. Hence the complete signal present at the input is amplified at the output. To achieve this, the power amplifier must be biased in such a way that no part of the signal is cut off. Class ab amplifier vs class d ultimate guide with comparison. Class b push pull amplifier switch on the power supply and signal. They have high fidelity and are totally immune to crossover distortion. Amplifier class a operation in this class a, amplifier operates in active region at all the times2.
Class a amps are highly linear, but they are biased in such a way as to increase current consumption. In class b and ab modes, the output stage operates in a pushpull configuration, where one set of output devices delivers positive voltage and current and another set. Small signal common emitter class a amplifier direct current dc large signal common base class b amplifier audio frequencies af common collector class ab amplifier radio frequencies rf class c amplifier vhf, uhf and shf frequencies generally, amplifiers can be subdivided into two distinct types depending upon their power. This performance is achieved by biasing both transistors to conduct a near zero signal output, i. Apart from the class a, b, and ab amplifier, there is another amplifier class c. Class ab may pass up to 98% of the signal as stated earlier, some of the signal is lost. These amplifiers are usually employed in rf radiofrequency power amplification. This page provides comparison between amplifier classes viz. The efficiency of class c amplifier is much more than the a, b, and ab. The primary purpose of this tuned circuit is to form the complete ac sine wave output. Compare class a amplifier, class b amplifier and class c amplifier class a amplifier.
This module shows how to simply calculate the values needed to make a working amplifier that has correct class a bias as described in amplifier. But average resistance is the same for class a i max 2. The class ab configuration is a compromise the efficiency of the class a and the linearity of the class b stage have been significantly although not perfectly improved. The benefit of the doherty is increased efficiency. The operation of class b power amplifier in terms of a. Time scales for power amplifiers carrier t 1ns, period t s 100ns, control 1ms james buckwalter 6. Stage efficiency p lmax p s x 100 % where p s is dc input power. A singletransistor class c amplifier 50 watts output for. Class c amplifier vhf, uhf and shf frequencies generally, amplifiers can be subdivided into two distinct types depending upon their power or voltage gain. Transistor audio power amplifiers questions and answers pdf free download. Mar 07, 2018 class b push pull amplifier experiment, class b push pull amplifier ppt, class b complementary symmetry power amplifier experiment, you can find handwritten notes on my website in the form of.
The class ab amplifiers have their transistors slightly biased to the conduction angle, a little bit more than 180 degrees and much less than 360 degrees. Class c power amplifier circuit diagram and theory. The detailed explanation and some examples the difference between class a and class ab tube amps read more. Amplifier classes class a,class b,class ab,class c.
Class c power amplifier is a type of amplifier where the active element transistor conduct for less than one half cycle of the input signal. Its a traditional amplifier which works differently than the other amplifiers classes. Also shown are the dc and ac load lines that result. Power amplifier circuits output stages are classified as a, b, ab and c for analog. Wes hayward and jeff damm publish stable hexfet rf power amplifiers showing examples of singledevice cw amplifiers. This is done by biasing both transistors to conduct a little at and near to zero signal output the point where class b amplifiers introduce gross nonlinearities. Class b power amplifier if the collector current flows during the half cycle of the signal only, the power amplifier is known as class b amplifier. Designing a selfbiasing class c amplifier technical articles. Doug demaw publishes go class b or c with power mosfetsshowing how inexpensive transistors can be used in rf power amplifiers qst, nov. Youve seen various tube amp descriptions that read class a or class ab amplifier, but what does any of that mean. The class of an amplifier is selected to meet the overall requirements. They come in an affordable range and you can easily switch to a or b mode when you need. Class ab a combination of class a and class b, the class ab amplifier has a much higher efficiency than class a but much less distortion than class b.
Understanding amplifier operating classes electronic. The technical response is in the definition of the amp classes. Class c has very good efficiency because whenever the. The usual application for class c amplifiers is in rf transmitters operating at a single fixed carrier frequency, where the distortion is controlled by a tuned load on the amplifier. Whats the difference between class a and class ab tube amps. Class a amplifiers have a fixed forward bias base current, i b, and collector current, i c, flow over the full rf cycle. Amplifier classa operation in this classa, amplifier operates in active region at all the times2.
Posted on august 19, 2018 november 18, 2019 by engineer leave a comment posted in transistor audio power amplifiers questions. A class ab amp provides the sound quality of the class a topology with the efficiency of class b. The image of the conduction angle derives from amplifying a sinusoidal signal. Class ab and class c power amplifiers tutorialspoint. They are sometimes used as mediumpower, lowefficiency, and highcost audio power amplifiers. One type is called the small signal amplifier which include pre amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers etc. Small signal amplifies are designed to amplify very small. Complementary symmetry class b and class ab power amplifiers the circuit for a typical pushpull power amplifier is shown to the right figure 8. However, it provides higher power output and hence collector efficiency. Check out this break down of the differences for the quick answer. The output of a class c amplifier is biased for operation at less than 180 of. Oct 06, 2015 the operation of class b power amplifier in terms of a.
The maximum collector efficiency of class c power amplifier is nearly 100%. In class b amplifier, the negative halfcycle of the signal is cut off and hence severe distortion occurs. The classes a, b, ab and c refer to the way the amplifiers are biased, although class c is mainly used in oscillator circuits. One way to realize a practical class b amplifier is to use a pair of active devices transistors arranged in pushpull mode where one transistor conducts one half. With a class b amplifier, the audio signal is separated into a negative and positive halfwave. Most audio power amplifiers use class a circuitry except in the drive and output stages, where they use class b or ab operating modes to achieve high efficiency. Thanks to this combination of strengths, class ab amplifiers largely dominate the consumer market. Uses class a low power amplifiers where efficiency is not important class b output power amplifiers class c tuned rf amplifiers but cannot be used as audio amplifiers. Since the transistors in class a amplifier, are forward biased all the time, few current will flow through them even though there is no input signal and this is the main reason for its poor efficiency. Class d amplifier is the highest power efficient amplifier class in the a, b, ab, and c and d segment. A parallel tuned circuit will ring or oscillate at its resonant frequency whenever it receives a dc pulse. Jan 18, 2018 its important to understand that power amplifiers exhibit a fundamental tradeoff between linearity and efficiency. Anyway, class c amplifiers are more often used in rf power amplifier applications.
Learn about the different power amplifier classes such as class a amplifier, class b amplifier, class ab amplifier, class c amplifier, class d. Class a, class b and class c amplifier introduction. Class a power amplifier is a type of power amplifier where the output transistor is on full time and the output current flows for the entire cycle of the input wave form. This is similar to class b but a tuned circuit brings only the intended frequency out of the device. Amplifier classes including class a, class b, class ab, class c and the like are widely seen when dealing with amplifier specifications and their design. The classes and classification of amplifiers and its applications. Bias point amplifiers class a class b class c switching amplifier class e class f james buckwalter 22. These classes are defined as class a, class b, class ab and class c. Class c amplifier class c amplifier operates for less than half of the input cycle. In the previous amplifiers, we have discussed the class a, b and ab are the linear amplifiers. Oct 14, 2017 class c amplifier the class c amplifier design has the greatest efficiency but the poorest linearity of the classes of amplifiers mentioned here.
A compromise between class a and class b amplifier topologies is the class ab audio amp. Class b amplifier and the classb transistor amplifier. Class c amplifier the class c amplifier design has the greatest efficiency but the poorest linearity of the classes of amplifiers mentioned here. The class c amplifier is a deeply biased hence the output current is zero for more than the onehalf of the input signal and the transistor idling at the cut off point.
From the above figure, it can be observed that the transformer is present at the. The basic class b amplifier uses two complimentary transistors either bipolar of fet for each half of the waveform with its output stage configured in a pushpull type arrangement, so that each transistor device amplifies only half of the output waveform. Explain what this means, contrasting it against the class a and class b operations common in audiofrequency amplifier circuits. The circuit diagram of a class a power amplifier is shown in fig.
When the collector current flows for less than half cycle of the input signal, the power amplifier is known as class c power amplifier. Class e amplifiers use lc tank circuits, like class c amplifiers, but in a class e amplifier, the active device becomes a switch. A class c amplifier is bias for operation for less than 180 of the input signal cycle and its value is 80 to 120. Complementary symmetry class b and class ab power amplifiers. The circuit requires various switching components like mosfets which has low on resistance. Class b amplifiers were invented as a solution to the efficiency and heating problems associated with the previous class a amplifier. Classes of amplifiers university of north carolina at. Its efficiency is about 75% because the active device is biased beyond cutoff.
A common class of operation used in radiofrequency rf amplifier circuits is class c. Though the efficiency of class b power amplifier is higher than class a, as only one half cycle of the input is used, the distortion is high. Class a, class b, class ab and class c amplifier scary. If the collector current flows all the time during full cycle of input signal, the power amplifier is called as class a amplifier. Class ab, as one might deduce, combines the best of class a and class b in order to create an amplifier without the drawbacks of either. Part i, class a,ab, b and c find, read and cite all the research you need on. If the collector current flows all at all times during the full cycle of the signal, the power amplifier is known as class a power amplifier. It is a widely used topology in digital audio players or controlling the motors as well.
Class c power amplifier lab manual this project will introduce two common power amplifier topologies, and also this lab introduces two amplifier topologies. The main advantage of the class c amplifier is, it has a lowest physical size for a given power output. Class a amplifiers may be used in output stages of opamps although the accuracy of the bias in low cost opamps such as the 741 may result in class a or class ab or class b performance, varying from device to device or with temperature. Class c amplifier is tuned amplifier which works in two different operating modes, tuned or untuned. Somewhat like a class g or h amp, the class b amp sustains the output most of the time, but the class c amp cuts in on high signal peaks. During the past few years a number of excellent designs have been published for domestic audio amplifiers. As you can see, the operating point q is located at collector cut off voltage. It is commonly used in rf circuits where a resonant circuit must be placed at the output in order to keep the sine wave going during the nonconducting portion of the input. Jul 30, 2017 if you do not like background music then please go to this link. Your author notes that complementary symmetry amplifiers may also be used in class c operation, especially for highefficiency, highpower radio frequency rf amplifier applications. In addition, when operated below compression, the rf signal swing is uniformly above and below the quiescent dc bias set point and well within the linear region of the transistor. To have this kind of operation, q point must be located at cutoff. Compare class a amplifier, class b amplifier and class c.
The reason for this is a very low quiescent current characteristic of this type of amplifier. A class a amplifier is conducting through all the period of the signal. Thus the class c amplifier model is implemented using theactivate tool. Have a look at the class b schematic shown in figure 2. The limitations due to the efficiency of class a power amplifiers. Output characteristics of a single ended class b power amplifier is shown in the figure below. Power amplifier circuits output stages are classified as a, b, ab and c for analog designsand class d and e for switching designs. For a class c amplifier, there is collector current for. Simple class a amplifier a 10w design giving subjectively better results than class b transistor amplifiers by j. Power amplifier classes are, in electronics, letter symbols applied to different power amplifier. Here, the main function of the transistor is to generate a current pulse in series according to the ip and make it flow through the resonant circuit. Class b amplifiers are greatly preferred over class a designs for highpower applications such as audio power amplifiers and pa systems.
Class a power amplifier is the simplest of all power amplifier configurations. However, some of these designs are now rendered obsolescent by changes in the availability. The following figure shows the circuit diagram for class a power amplifier. Classes of power amplifiers class a, b, ab, c, d amplifiers. Although the circuit would produce severe distortion as only half of the signal wave form produces a current in the load, because the load in this case is a tuned circuit resonating at the signal frequency, the resonating effect of the tuned circuit fills in the missing half cycles. Class ab amplifiers are a little bit less efficient than that of class b amplifiers. Compared to class a, class b amplifiers use very little electricity, making them markedly more efficient. Difference between class a amplifier and class b amplifier. This page compares class a amplifier vs class b amplifier and mentions difference between class a amplifier and class b amplifier. In order to compensate these problems, the pushpull configuration is introduced in class b amplifier. As shown in figure 5, it can be observed that the operating point is placed some way below the cutoff point in the dc loadline and so only a fraction of the input waveform is available at the output.
Class ab as its name indicates, class ab amplifiers are midway between class a and class b. In the above circuit, a tank circuit can be formed by using a capacitor c1 and an inductor l1 which help in the removal of the necessary signal from the pulsed op of the transistor. Know all about classc power amplifier circuit and tutorial. Class c power amplifier when the collector current flows for less than half cycle of the input signal, the power amplifier is known as class c power amplifier. Classes of amplifiers university of north carolina at charlotte.
The class b amplifier circuit above uses complimentary transistors for each half of the waveform and while class b amplifiers have a much high gain than the class a types, one of the main disadvantages of class b type pushpull amplifiers is that they suffer from an effect known commonly as crossover distortion hopefully we remember from our tutorials about transistors that it takes. If you slightly change the transistors biasing, it will enable a small current to continuously flow through the transistors when no input is present. Amplifier classes and the classification of amplifiers. Class c bjt amplifiers worksheet discrete semiconductor. A class a power amplifier is one in which the output current flows for the entire cycle of the ac input supply. Introduction amplifier types class a class b class ab class c. James buckwalter p r f, a v d 2 2r p r f,b v d 2r kk ab %. All class c amplifiers have some form of tuned circuit connected in the collector as shown in fig.
Efficiency at peak output comparing power of classa and b comparing efficiency of classa and b what is the cost of classb amplifier. Switches up to more efficient operation when ya need more power. It has smaller heat dissipation, so small heatsink is needed. We will be investigating each of the classifications in the remainder of this section of. Class a amplifier the main role of class a bias is to keep amplifier free from distortion by keeping signal waveform out of the non. Class c amps are even less linear than class bs, but they offer high efficiency. Class a amplifier circuit operation and applications. Class a amplifier the main role of class a bias is to keep amplifier free from distortion by keeping signal waveform out of the nonlinear region which exists between 0v and 0.