Experiment No.

16

Objective:
To Investigate Efficiency of a Class A Power Amplifier and Investigate Efficiency of a Class-B Push Pull
Power Amplifier.

Apparatus: DC power supply, Oscilloscope, Function Generator, Multimeter, Breadboard, NPN transistor,
Resistors, Capacitors

Circuit Diagram:
+VCC

R1 R
C Cou
t
Ci
n RL

rs

A v
C
s

Theory:

A power amplifier, in contrast to a small signal amplifier, is designed to deliver large power to load. A power
amplifier contains a power transistor having large surface area and a metallic case to dissipate power to
environment. A power transistor can operate at very large values of voltage and current and that is why the
phenomenon is sometimes called large signal operation. Heat sink and cooling fans are generally used with
power amplifiers to dissipate heat to the environment using conduction and convection respectively.

Depending on the operation, power amplifiers can be divided in various classes like Class A, B, AB, C and D.
Unlike all other classes, a class-A amplifier works in both half cycles of input signal but has a disadvantage that
its efficiency is the smallest and hence isn’t very popular.

Efficiency of an amplifier can be calculated using the following expression:

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑

𝜂= 𝑃R
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐷𝐶 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝑠) = 𝑃S

Base and Collector current can be calculated using input loop equation:

𝑉CC − 𝐼B 𝑅B − 𝑉BE = 0

𝐼C = 𝛽𝐼B
Collector to emitter voltage can be calculated using output loop equation:

𝑉CC − 𝐼C𝑅C − 𝑉CE = 0

Average DC power drawn from the source VCC can straightaway be calculated using:

𝑃S = 𝑉CC 𝐼C

Voltage across load resistor will be the minimum of V CE and ICrL:

𝑉L = min(𝑉CE , 𝐼C 𝑅L )

Maximum signal power that is dissipated in load resistor RL is:

𝑉L 2
𝑃R =
2𝑅L
Finally, efficiency is calculated using the equation described above:

𝑃R
𝜂 (%) = × 100
𝑃S

Procedure:

Calculate Efficiency of given amplifier using the formulae given above

Connect the circuit as shown, Use R B=47K, RC=500Ω and VCC=20V
Measure IC & VL and then find out efficiency
Compare measured values with calculated values and find percentage difference

Observation:

Calculated Measured %age Difference

Efficiency 15.4 12.3/1.5 61.0169%

Circuit Diagram:
 +VCC

C1RB

Q
1

D
R
1 C
E
3
vi D
R
2
E RL

Q
2
C
2 R
B

Theory:

A power amplifier, in contrast to a small signal amplifier, is designed to deliver large power to load. A power
amplifier contains a power transistor having large surface area and a metallic case to dissipate power to
environment. A power transistor can operate at very large values of voltage and current and that is why the
phenomenon is sometimes called large signal operation. Heat sink and cooling fans are generally used with
power amplifiers to dissipate heat to the environment using conduction and convection respectively.

Depending on the operation, power amplifiers can be divided in various classes like Class A, B, AB, C and D. A
Both transistors in a Class-B Push Pull amplifier work in only one half cycle of input wave which increases its
efficiency. Efficiency of an amplifier can be calculated using the following expression:

𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑

𝜂= 𝑃R
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤𝑛 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐷𝐶 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝑠) = 𝑃
S

Current in load resistor can be calculated as follows:

𝐼L =
𝑅 𝑉P
E + 𝑅L

Power dissipated in load resistor is:

𝑃 = 𝐼 2𝑅 = ( 𝑉P )2𝑅
R L L L
𝑅E + 𝑅L

Average DC power supplied by the power supply is the product of power supply voltage and current:
𝑉CC 𝑉P
𝑃S = 𝑉CC 𝐼C avg =
(𝑅L + 𝑅E)

Maximum value of VP is VCC/2, finally efficiency is calculated using the equation described above:

𝑃R 𝜋 𝑅L
𝜂= = ×
𝑃S 4 𝑅L + 𝑅E
 Procedure:

Connect the circuit as shown, Use R B=1k, RE=200Ω and VCC=20V

Calculate Efficiency of given amplifier using the formulae given above keeping VCC
𝑉P = 2
Increase magnitude of Vin and measure maximum value of VL without distortion
Find measured value of efficiency
Compare measured values with calculated values and find percentage difference

Observation:

Calculated Measured %age Difference

Efficiency 52.3 22.8/2 121%

Conclusion/ Comments:

Circuit A:

Circuit B: