How to Design Discrete Audio Power Amplifier

Discrete power amplifier deisgn guide and calculation example.

The purpose of this article is to provide design guidelines and calculations for discrete power amplifiers. The design can be modified as desired. The amplifier shown bellow is a typical classic and vintage design very popular in 80's. The design to follow is not a hi-end amplifier, but the performance will be absolutely fine for most home Hi-Fi purposes or as an output stage that can be integrated in instrument/microphone combo/amplifiers. For this example we will use a simple design, therefore making the calculations for the circuit is fairly straight forward and easy to follow. If you are a bit nostalgic about good-old amps and you want to have the satisfaction of designing your own amplifier from scratch this is the guide for you.

Please note that this article is not intended for beginners. Fairly good knowledge of electronics is required! This article does not explain how audio amplifiers work. Before you try to understand the calculations in this article it is recommended to read up on amplifier building blocks. Picture 1 is a schematic diagram of the audio power amplifier. The design consist of a quasi-complementary Darlington output stage and two current sources, first with T10 and T11 in the collector of the VAS driver transistor T3. Second with T9 in the emitters of input deferential pair T1/T2 . The current overload protection is built with transistors T12 and T13.

Picture 1 Discrete Audio Power Amplifier circuit used for calculations. Click to open in a new tab. For the purpose of this design guide we will calculate the amplifier which can be used in a home Hi-Fi system. The output power of 40W rms per channel is more than enough in most cases and such a design will be easy to build even for less advanced DIY'er. The specification of the amplifier used for calculation: Pout= 40W @ RL=4 Frequency response: 10Hz 20kHz @ +/- 1dB Voltage gain= 26dB Input Impedance=10k 1. Maximum amplitude of output current and voltage at given load resistance: - half-peak voltage with given load resistance Uomax= sqrt(2*Pout*RL) - half-peak current Iomax= Uomax / RL

Uomax= sqrt(2*40*4)= 17.88= 18V Iomax= 18/4= 4.5A The output stage of the power amplifier uses quasi-complementary Darlington configuration. This kind of solution was quite popular in older amplifier designs and has at least one advantage it is easier to find matched transistors. There is no major reason against changing the output configuration to be fully complementary. The calculations will still apply. In order to keep the vintage character of the amplifier 2N3055 were chosen as the output transistors T7 and T5. Other good-old transistor which could be used in the output stage is 2N3773. Practically any high power bipolar transistor can be used in the design. Short specification of 2N3055: Ucbomax=100V; Uceomax=60V; Hfe=20 70; Icmax=15A; Pcmax=117W 2. Quiescent current of the output transistors, emitter resistors RE and base resistors RB. RE= ((12) * Ubemax)/Iomax RE=((12)*1.1)/4.5A= 0.24 0.49 RE=0.3 (Note - this symbol means between) The Ubemax is the voltage between the base and the emitter at the collector current equal to Iomax=4.5A. The value of 1.1V was taken from Ic f(Ube) graph in 2N3055 datasheet. If you plan to use different transistors please find correct value for Ubemax. The example how to read the Ubemax voltage from the graph is shown below on picture 2.

Picture 2 Ic f(Ube) 2N3055 The quiescent current: Io=(23)% * Iomax Io=90 135mA Io=100mA Base resistors RB: RB= (1020)* ((Ube@Iomax Ube@Io)/(Iomax/HfeT5(7)) RB=(1020)* ((1.1V-0.6V)/(4.5A/20))= 22 44 RB=30 Ube@Iomax and Ube@Io are the values of Ube voltage for the maximum output current Iomax and for quiescent current Io. Those values of Ube have to be read from the graph

from 2N3055 datasheet like for the Ubemax. The worst case situation for Hfe value of 2N3055 was chosen for calculations. 3. Power supply voltages +VCC and -VCC. Some of the numbers were estimated taking under consideration specific requirements for negative and positive supply rail. +VCC = Uomax + RE*Iomax + UbemaxT7 + UbemaxT6 + UcesatT3 + UR5 +VCC= 18V+ 0.3*4.5A+ 1.1V+ 0.7V+ 0.5V+ 0.2V= 21.85V -VCC= Uomax +RE*Iomax + UbemaxT4 +UcesatT11 + UbeT10 -VCC= 18V+ 0.3*4.5A+ 0.7V+ 0.5V+ 0.6V= 21.15V Further safety margin was added approx. 10% therefore +/-VCC = 25V. 4. Dissipation Power of the output transistors T5 and T7. PcT7(T5) =( VCCtotal^2 / (4*PI^2*Ro))+(0.5VCCtotal * Io) where Ro=RE+RL; VCCtotal=+VCC + -VCC

PcT7(T5)=(50V^2 / 4*3.14^2* (0.3+4)) + 25V*0.1A= 17W 5. Dissipation Power of the output transistors T4 and T6. The dissipation power of T6 is slightly higher than T4. Therefore the results for T6 will be treated as the worst case situation for T4. In order to estimate dissipation power for T6 we need to calculate the load and the quiescent current of T6. Load of T6: RoT6= 0.9*HfeT7*RL RoT6= 0.9*20*4=72 To increase safety margin the Hfe of T7 was decreased by 10%. The quiescent current of T6:

IoT6= (UbeT7@Io/RB)+ (IoT7/HfeT7) IoT6= (0.6V/30)+ (0.1A/20)= 25mA Dissipation power of T6:

PcT6 =( VCCtotal^2 / (4*PI^2*RoT6))+(0.5VCCtotal * IoT6) where VCCtotal=+VCC + -VCC PcT6=(50V^2 / 4*3.14^2* 72) + 25V*0.025A= 1.5W

As the driver transistors T4 BD140 and T6 BD139 were chosen. Small heat sinks should be attached to the drivers transistors. 6. Current source with transistors T10 and T11. For proper functioning of the output stage the current source should deliver: IscrT11= (25)* (Iomax/HfeT4*HfeT5) IscrT11= (25)* (4.5A/20*80)= 5.6 14mA IscrT11= 10mA For calculation HfeT4=80 was chosen. Typical Hfe for BD140 according to datasheet ranges 63 250. In order to reduce the influence of supply rail on the input stage additional regulation circuit with Zener diode D1 was added. 6.8V zener diode and the T10 collector current IT10=3mA was chosen. The current of D1 should be at least equal of 5mA and it should be at least two times greater than current of T10= 3mA to provide proper condition for the current source. Therefore current of D1=Iz= 6mA. Uz zener voltage 6.8V Because the value of Iz current cannot decrease even if the amplifier will be fully driven the value of R9 should be calculated with the 10% supply rail drop. R9= (VCCtotal-(0.1*VCCtotal)-Uz)/(Iz+IcT10) R9= (50V-5V-6.8V)/ (6mA+3mA)= 4.25k R9= 3.9k The dissipation power of zener diode D1 will reach maximum when the amplifier won't be driven. PcD1= Uz*Iz= Uz*((VCCtotal-UZ)/R9)-IcT10) PcD1= 6.8V* ((50V-6.8V)/ 3.9k) -3mA)= 55mW Standard C6V8 zener diode was chosen. R8 can be calculated knowing the value of T10 collector current. R8= (Uz-UbeT11-Ubet10)/ IcT10 R8= (6.8V- 0.65V- 0.65V)/ 3mA= 1833 R8= 1.8k Value of R3 depends from the current of which the current source should provide. IscrT11= 10mA R3= UbeT10/IscrT11 R3= 0.65V/ 10mA = 65 R3= 62 The dissipation power of T10 is very small so any low power transistor like BC546 can be used. The dissipation power of T11. PcT11= IscrT11 * 0.5VCCtotal PcT11= 10mA* 25V= 250mW As transistor T11 BD139 was chosen.

As the transistor T3 BD140 with minimum Hfe of 100 was chosen. The value of resistor R5 in the collector of T3 can be calculated as fallowed: R5= UD2D3/ ((23)*IemaxT3 R5= UD2D3/ ((23)*(IscrT10+ IbmaxT6) We need to know also IbmacT6: IbmaxT6= Iomax/(HfeT6*HfeT7) Ibmax= 4.5A/ (80*20)= 2.8mA Therefore R5: R5= 0.65/ ((23)*(10mA+ 2.8mA)= 15.5 23.4 R5= 18 7. Bias servo of the output stage. Relation between R6 and R7 for the quasi-complementary output stage from picture 1 should be: R6/R7= 2 R6=2kand as the R7 variable 2ktrimmer was chosen. 8. Main feedback loop. The value of Rf2 should the same as the value of the R1=10k? in order to achieve desired input impedance. Rf2= R1= 10k The voltage gain of the amplifier Ku=26dB (20 V/V) therefore: Rf1= Rf2/ (Ku-1) Rf1= 10k/19= 526 Rf1= 510 Cf1= (25)*10^6/ (2*PI*Flow*Rf1) - where Flow=10Hz is low roll-off frequency Cf1= (25)*10^6/ (6.28*10Hz*510)= 63 156uF Cf1= 220uF/ 50V 9. Differential pair input section. Transistor T1 collector is a sum of R4 current and the base current of T3. IcT1= IR4+ IbT3 In order to provide linear condition for T1: Ir4= (510)*IbmaxT3 The maximal base current of T3 is the sum of current from T11 Current source and the current of T6. IbmaxT3= (IscrT11+ IbmaxT6)/ HfeT3

IbmaxT3= (10mA+ 3.5mA)/ 100= 0.135mA Therefore: IR4= (510)*0.135mA= 0.675 1.35mA IR4= 1mA The R4 can be calculated from bellow: R4= (UbeT3+ UR5)/ IR4 where : UR5= IscrT11*R5 R4= (0.7V+(18* 10mA))/ 1mA= 880 R4= 820 The collector current of T1: IcT1= IR4+ IbT3 IcT1= 1mA+ 0.135mA= 1.135 1.1mA The current of T2 collector is assumed to be equal to collector of T1. The value of the R2 in the emitter of T9 controls the current of the current source: R2= (UbeT11+ UbeT10- UbeT9)/ IcT1+ IcT2 R2= (0.65V+ 0.65V- 0.65V)/ 2.2mA= 295 R2= 300 The values of capacitors: C1= 100uF/ 25V C2= 100pF C3= 100nF for better filtering electrolytic capacitor 100uF in parallel can be added. T1, T2, T9 BC546B or other low power NPN transistors D2, D3 1N4148

10. Output protection circuit: R12= R13= 1k Therefore: R10= R11= (Iomax* RE* R12(R13))/ Iomax* RL- UD6 R10= R11= (4.5A* 0.3?*1K?)/ 4.5A* 4?- 0.6V= 78 R10= R11= 82 T12 BC546B, T13 BC556B D6, D7 1N4148 11. Protection from reactance loads: Standard values can be used for L1= 5uH and for C4=100nF. D8, D9 1N4001 or similar. Summary:

The design shown on the picture 1 is fairly simple and it shouldn't be used for output power above 150W. For power 80W and more instead of single power transistor two connected in parallel transistors are required. Increase of output power will cause demand for higher supply voltage which means that components used in the amplifier have to withstand higher voltage.