Power Amplifiers

Rinkee Chopra
Ph.D. Student and Teaching Assistant
Electrical Engineering Department
IIT Bombay, Powai- 400076
rinkee_chopra@iitb.ac.in
rinkee.may10@gmail.com

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 1

 Lecture Outline
Power Amplifier (PA)
• Performance parameters
• Classification
• DC and AC Load line
Class A
Class B
Class AB
Class C
Practical Examples of PA
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 2
 Performance Parameters of PA
Amplifier Efficiency
A figure of merit for the power amplifier is its conversion efficiency.
𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑐 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑃𝑜 (𝑎𝑐)
𝜂= =
𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑑𝑐 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤𝑛 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑃𝑖 (𝑑𝑐)
Distortion
The change in output wave shape from the input wave shape of an
amplifier is known as distortion.
Power dissipation capability
The ability of a power amplifier to dissipate heat is known as power
dissipation capability.
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 3
 Classification of Power Amplifier

Class B

Class A Class AB- Push Pull

Conduction Angle:
Class A > Class AB > Class B > Class C
Efficiency:
0 time
Class A < Class AB < Class B < Class C Class C
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 4
 CE Amplifier DC and AC Load Line
Output Characteristics
AC load line
𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄
𝑖𝑐,𝑠𝑎𝑡 = 𝐼𝐶𝑄 +
𝑟𝑐
𝑉𝐶𝐶
𝐼𝑐,𝑑𝑐𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝑅𝑐

𝐼𝐶𝑄

𝑣𝐶𝐸 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄
𝑟𝑐 = 𝑅𝑐 ||𝑅𝐿 𝑖𝐶 = − + 𝐼𝐶𝑄 +
𝑟𝑐 𝑟𝑐 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄 𝑣𝐶𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄 + 𝐼𝐶𝑄 𝑟𝑐 𝑉𝐶𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶𝐶

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 5

 RC Coupled Class A PA
2𝐼𝐶𝑄

𝑉𝐶𝐶

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amplifier17.gif
𝑉𝑐𝑒(𝑝−𝑝) 𝐼𝑐𝑒(𝑝−𝑝) 𝑉𝐶𝐶 𝐼𝐶𝑄
. .
𝑃𝑜 (𝑎𝑐) 𝑉𝑐𝑒 . 𝐼𝑐𝑒 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
𝜂= = = = → %𝜂 = 25%
𝑃𝑖 (𝑑𝑐) 𝑉𝐶𝐶 . 𝐼𝐶𝑄 𝑉𝐶𝐶 . 𝐼𝐶𝑄 𝑉𝐶𝐶 . 𝐼𝐶𝑄
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 6
 Transformer Coupled Class A PA
DC load
line
2𝐼𝐶𝑄

AC load line
2
′
𝑛𝑝
𝑅𝐿 = 𝑅𝐿
𝑛𝑠

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amp22.gif
𝐶𝐸 𝐶𝐶 𝑉 =𝑉 𝑉𝐶𝐸 = 2𝑉𝐶𝐶
𝑉𝑐𝑒(𝑝−𝑝) 𝐼𝑐𝑒(𝑝−𝑝) 𝑉𝐶𝐶 𝐼𝐶𝑄
. .
𝑃𝑜 (𝑎𝑐) 𝑉𝑐𝑒 . 𝐼𝑐𝑒 2 2 2 2 2 2
𝜂= = = = → %𝜂 = 50%
𝑃𝑖 (𝑑𝑐) 𝑉𝐶𝐶 . 𝐼𝐶𝑄 𝑉𝐶𝐶 . 𝐼𝐶𝑄 𝑉𝐶𝐶 . 𝐼𝐶𝑄
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 7
 Push Pull Class B PA
𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄
𝑖𝑐,𝑠𝑎𝑡 =
𝑟𝑐

𝑣𝐶𝐸 = 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amp24.gif

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 8

Complementary Push Pull Class B PA

𝑉𝐶𝐶 𝐼𝐶𝑄
.
𝑃𝑜 (𝑎𝑐) 𝑉𝑐𝑒 . 𝐼𝑐𝑒 2 2 2 𝜋 𝑉𝐶𝐶
𝜂= = = = → %𝜂 = 78.5% 𝑉𝐶𝐸𝑄 =
𝑃𝑖 (𝑑𝑐) 𝑉𝐶𝐶 . 𝐼𝐷𝐶 𝐼𝐶𝑄 4 2
𝑉𝐶𝐶 . 𝜋
https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amplifier16.gif
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 9
 Harmonic Distortion
A = 𝐴0 + 𝐴1 cos 𝜔𝑡 + 𝐴2 cos 2𝜔𝑡 + 𝐴3 cos 𝜔𝑡 + ⋯

Total Harmonic Distortion(THD)

𝐴22 + 𝐴23 + 𝐴24 + ⋯
%𝑇𝐻𝐷 =
𝐴1
where,
A1 is the amplitude of the fundamental frequency.
An is the amplitude of the nth harmonic
For , Class B power amplifier
𝐴23 + 𝐴25 + ⋯
%𝑇𝐻𝐷 =
𝐴1
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 10
Cross Over Distortion

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amp48.gif
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 11
Resistor Biased Class AB – Push Pull PA

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amp25.gif

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 12

Diode Biased Class AB – Push Pull PA

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amplifier16.gif

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 13

 Class C PA (Tuned Amplifiers)

https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amplifier17.gif

In order to produce a full sine wave output, the

class C uses a tuned circuit (LC tank) to provide
the full AC sine wave.

Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 14

 2W Power Amplifier (SPB2026Z)

Freq. (GHz) Pout(dBm) Ic (Amp) PAE

Class AB , 1.8 32.5 1.02 32.1 %
Supply Voltage - 5 V
P-1dB compression - 33.8 dBm 1.9 33.2 1.02 38.1 %
RF Input- 21.5 dBm 2.0 31.0 1.02 21.9 %
Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 15
 30 W Power Amplifier (MWIC930N)

Freq. (MHz) Pout(dBm) Ic (Amp) PAE

740 42 2.51 23.7 %
Class AB , Supply Voltage - 28 V 850 44.1 2.65 37.5 %
P-1dB - 44.8 dBm, RF Input – 17 dBm 960 43.9 2.14 43.2 %
30 dB attenuator is added at output for
measurement. Microwave Theory and Techniques | Prof. Girish Kumar, IIT Bombay 16