Introduction to Amplifiers

Outline
• Amplifier Properties
• BJT Amplifier Configurations
• Amplifier Classifications
• Decibels
 Amplification
Amplification
the process of increasing the power
of an ac signal
BJT amplifier, JFET amplifier, OP-
AMP amplifier
What is
amplification?
 Part 1.

Amplifier Properties
 Amplifier Properties
• Three Fundamental Properties
– Gain
– Input impedance
– Output impedance
Zout

input Zin A output

General amplifier model

 Amplifier Gain
• Gain
– A multiplier that exists between the input and output
of a circuit.
– For example, if the gain of an amplifier is 100, then
the output signal is 100 times as great as the input
signal under normal operating conditions.
• Types of Gain:
– Voltage gain, AV
– Current gain, Ai
– Power gain, Ap
 Gain as a Ratio
• Gain
– Ratio of an output value to its corresponding input
signal

Av = vout Ai = iout Ap = Pout

vin iin Pin

Where
Vout = the ac output voltage from the amplifier
Vin = the ac input voltage to the amplifier
 The General Voltage Amplifier
Model
Zout

input Zin Avvin output

Voltage source

RS Zout

RL
vS Zin Avvin

voltage amplifier model

 Amplifier Input Impedance (Zin)
• Input impedance (Zin)
– The load that an amplifier places on its source.
– “When an amplifier is connected to a signal source,
the source sees the amplifier as a load. The input
impedance of the amplifier is the value of this load.”

vin = vs Zin RS 100Ω Zout

RS + Zin

Example. vin Zin

vS Avvin
Calculate vin.
2 mV 1.5kΩ
vin = 2mV (1.5kΩ)/ 1.6kΩ
= 1.88 mV Amplifier input circuit
 Amplifier Output Impedance (Zout)
• Output impedance (Zout)
– The source impedance that an amplifier presents to its load.
– “When a load is connected to an amplifier, the amplifier acts as
the source for that load. As with any source, there is some
measurable value of source impedance, in this casr, the output
impedance of the amplifier.”

vL = vout RL
Zout + RL Zout 300Ω

RL
Example. Zin vL
Avvin
Calculate vL. 1.2kΩ
300 mV
vL = 300mV (1.2kΩ)/ 1.5kΩ
= 240 mV Amplifier output circuit
 Combined Effects of the Input and
Output Circuits
• The combination of the input and output circuits can cause a fairly
significant reduction in the effective voltage gain of an amplifier.
RS 20Ω Zout 250Ω

Zin RL
vS vout = Avvin
15 mV 980Ω 1.2kΩ

AV = 340

vin = 15mV (980Ω)/ 1kΩ = 14.7 mV Av (eff) = vL

vout = 340(14.7) mV = 5 v
vS reduction
vL = 5v ( 1.2kΩ)/ 1.45kΩ = 4.14 v AV(eff) = 4.14V/15 mV = 276 of voltage
vS = 15mv  vL = 4.14v gain!
AV = 340  Av(eff) = 276
 How do you reduce the effects of the input and
output circuits on an amplifier voltage gain?
• 1. Increasing the value of Zin
• 2. Decreasing the value of Zout.
RS 20Ω Zout 20Ω

Zin RL
vS vout = Avvin
15 mV 8 kΩ 1.2kΩ

AV = 340

vin = 15mV (8kΩ)/ 8.02kΩ = 15 mV Av (eff) = vL increased

significantly!
vout = 340(15) mV = 5.1 v
vS
vL = 5.1v ( 1.2kΩ)/ 1.22kΩ = 5 v AV(eff) = 5 V/15 mV = 333
vS = 15mv  vL = 5v
Zin and Zout are affected by the choice of active components used as well as the type of biasing circuit and
 The Ideal Voltage Amplifier
• 1. Infinite gain (if needed).
• 2. Infinite input impedance.
• 3. Zero output impedance
RS Zout 0 Ω

vin Zin RL
vS vout vL
∞Ω 1.2kΩ

no current in no voltage divider in

input circuit Av = AV(eff) output circuit
vin = vS (ideal) vL = vout (ideal)
 The Current Amplifier Model
• Current Amplifier – a circuit designed to provide a
specific value of current gain.

Zin Aiiin Zout

RS Zin Aiiin Zout RL

iS
 The Current Amplifier Model
-Input Circuit-
iin = is RS || Zin • where:
iin = amplifier input current
Zin
iS =the source current
RS|| Zin = the parallel combination of RS and Zin
iin < iS

iS Zin Aiiin Zout

Did we just use

the current
divider formula?
 The Current Amplifier Model
-Output Circuit-
iL = iout RL || Zout • where:
iL = amplifier load current
RL
RL|| Zout = the parallel combination of RL and Zout
iout = Ai iin
iL < iout

Zin Aiiin Zout RL

Combination of Input and Output circuit Effect  reduced effective current gain

Ai(eff) = iL / iS solution: Decreasing the value of Zin

Increasing the value of Zout
 The Ideal Current Amplifier

• Infinite gain (if needed).

• Zero input impedance (Zin = 0Ω).
• Infinite output impedance (Zout = ∞Ω)
iin = iS (for ideal current amplifier)
iL = iout (for ideal current amplifier)
 Part 2.

BJT Amplifier Configurations

 BJT Amplifier Configurations
• common- emitter amplifier
• common-collector amplifier
• common-base amplifier
 Common-Emitter Amplifier
• CE amplifier – is the most widely used BJT amplifier
• The emitter terminal of the transistor is common to both input and
output circuits.
• The emitter terminal of the transistor is normally returned to ac
ground (or ac common) provided by the “bypass capacitor” (CB).
• The CE amplifier is unique  it produces a 180° voltage phase shift
from its input to its output.
 Common-Collector Amplifier
• CC amplifier – is also known as emitter-follower
• This circuit is most commonly used for its current
gain and impedance characteristics.
 Common-Base Amplifier
• CB amplifier – least often used BJT amplifier
configuration
• The low input impedance and high output impedance of
the circuit are the exact opposites of the impedance
characteristics of the ideal voltage amplifier.
 Comparing the BJT Amplifier
Configurations
AP = AV A i

Common Emitter Common

Emitter Follower Base
Av Midrange Less than 1 Midrange

Ai Midrange Midrange Less than 1

AP High Midrange Midrange

Zin Midrange High Low

Zout Midrange Low High

 Part 3.

Amplifier Classifications
 Amplifier Classifications
• Class A amplifier – an amplifier with a single transistor
that conducts during the entire input cycle.
• Class B amplifier – an amplifier with two transistors that
each conduct for approximately half the input cycle.
• Class C amplifier – an amplifier with one transistor that
conducts for less than 180° of the input cycle.
• Class AB amplifier – an amplifier with two transistors that
each conduct for slightly 180° of the input cycle.

Amplifier Efficiency
Efficiency (η) – the percentage of the power drawn from the dc power
supply than an amplifier actually delivers to its load.
where: η = (eta) efficiency of the amplifier, in %
η = (PL / Pdc ) x 100
PL = ac load power
 Distortion
• One of the goals in amplification is to produce an output waveform
that has the same shape as the input waveform.
• Distortion – any undesired change in the shape of a waveform
• Two types of Distortion:
– Nonlinear distortion
– Crossover distortion
 Class A Amplifiers
• Characteristics:
– An active device that conducts during the entire 360° of the input cycle.
– An output that contains little or no distortion.
– A maximum theoretical efficiency of 25%.
• Class A operation is achieved in a BJT amplifier by midpoint biasing
the transistor.
• Because of their relatively poor efficiency ratings, class A amps are
generally used as small-signal (low power) amplifiers.
 Class B Amplifiers
• Characteristics:
– Two transistors that are biased at cutoff (each conducts during one
alternation of the ac input cycle).
– An output that contains little or no distortion.
– A maximum theoretical efficiency of approximately 78.5%.
• The relatively high efficiency rating makes it very useful as a high-
power amplifier.
 Class AB Amplifiers
• One variation of the class B amplifier.
• Class B amplifier – an amplifier with two transistors that each
conduct for slightly more than 180° of the input cycle.
• Also known as diode-biased amplifier.
• This is used to prevent a specific type of distortion that can be
produced by a standard class B amplifier.
 Class C Amplifiers
• The BJT in the class C amp is biased deeply into cutoff. The ac input to the
amp causes the transistor to conduct for a brief time during the input cycle.
• The output waveform is produced by the LC tank in the collector circuit.
• Tuned amplifier – an amplifier designed to have a specific value of gain over
a specified range of frequencies.
• Characteristics:
– A single transistor that conducts for less than 180° of the ac input cycle.
– An output that may contain a significant amount of distortion.
– A maximum theoretical efficiency rating of approximately 99%.
Circuit:
Conduction:

Maximum
theoretical
efficiency:

Distortion:
Part 4.

Decibels
 Decibels
• Decibel (dB) – a logarithmic unit used to express the
ratio of one value to another.
• Writing numbers in dB form allows us to easily represent
very large gain values as relatively small numbers.
• dB Power Gain – the ratio of circuit output power to input
power, equal to 10 times the common log of that ratio.

Ap(dB) = 10 log AP = 10 log (Pout / Pin)

Ap =log -1 (Ap(dB) / 10) Inverse log =

antilog=(log-
1
)
 Positive versus negative dB values
• Positive dB values represent a power gain, while
negative dB values represent a power loss.
• Positive and negative decibels of equal magnitude
represent reciprocal gains and losses.

Try this examples and compare.

1. Pin = 50 mW and Ap(dB) = 3 dB; Pout?
2. Ap(dB) = -3 dB and Pout = 50 mW, Pin?

Say what?
 The dBm Reference
• This rating tells you that the maximum output power from
the amplifier is a certain value above 1 mW.
• dBm values represent actual power levels, while dB
values represent power ratios.

Try this example.

1. An amplifier has a rating of Ap = 50 dB. Calculate the output power
of the amplifier. Pout?
2. The output rating of an amplifier is given as 50 dBm. Calculate the
output power for the circuit.

Number 1.
….How can
this be?
 dB Voltage Gain

Av(dB) = 20 log Av = 20 log (vout / vin)

Ap =log -1 (Av(dB) / 20)

 One Final Note on Decibels
1. Decibels are logarithmic representations of gain
values.
2. Decibel power gain is found as 10 log AP.
3. Decibel voltage gain is found as 20 lof AV.
4. When AV changes by a given number of
decibels, AP changes by the same number of
decibels.
5. You cannot use dB voltage and power gain
values as multipliers. For example, if you want to
determine vout, given vin and Av(dB), you must
convert Av(dB) to standard numeric form before
multiplying to find vout.