Islamic University of Technology (IUT)

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering(EEE)
Name: …………… Student No………… Section …….. Group………… and Date …………….

Course: EEE 4304 Electronics II lab

Experiment no.: 04

Name of the experiment:

a. Study the conversion efficiency and the figure of merit in a Class A amplifier with
dc current flowing through the load.
b. Study the characteristics of a complementary symmetry push-pull amplifier.

Theory:
The definition of the power amplification classes is directly related to the selection of the quiescent
point Q for the BJTs composing the circuit.

Fig.: 1(a)

If the point Q is in the middle of the active area, as shown in Fig.: 1(a), the BJT can process a signal
during both the negative and the positive half waves. The output is a sine wave centred about the point
Q: in this case, the amplifier is said to be operating in A class.

If, on the other hand, the point Q is selected at the boundary of the cut-off area as in Fig.: 1(b), the BJT
is able to process the signal only during the positive half wave of the base current. An output negative
voltage half wave is obtained. In this case the amplifier is said to be operating in B class. The operation
in B class would presumes the polarization along the Vce voltage axis, i.e. with static base and collector
currents exactly equal to zero. As we will see in the following, the amplifier in pure B class is not
feasible in practice, as this would lead to significant cross distortions that would make unusable its
operation.

Finally, a power amplifier is said to be of C class when each active component processes the signal for
less than a half wave. Being this amplification class used in telecommunications, we have preferred not
to include practical realizations of it in this section.

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 Fig.: 1(b)

TYPICAL PARAMETERS OF A POWER AMPLIFIER

Conversion efficiency, is the ratio between the useful output power Po on the
load and the power Pcc supplied by the dc power supply.

Figure of merit, is the ratio between the power Pd dissipated by the active
device and the useful output power Po on the load.

AMPLIFIER WITH DC CURRENT FLOWING THROUGH THE LOAD

The common emitter amplifier shown in fig. 2.1 is the most classical type of amplifier where
also the continuous component ICQ flows through the load RC.

Fig. 2.1
In this situation the output from the BJT's collector is dynamically loaded by the parallel of RC and RL,
because the coupling capacitor Co blocks dc voltage but freely passes signal voltage.

The common emitter amplifier shown in fig. 2.1 is the most classical type of amplifier where also the
continuous component ICQ flows through the load RC.

In this situation the output from the BJT's collector is dynamically loaded by the parallel of RC and RL,
because the coupling capacitor Co blocks dc voltage but freely passes signal voltage.

In this situation, the power Po supplied to the load, the power Pd dissipated by the active device and the
power Pcc supplied by the battery have the following expressions:

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since: Vmax = VCEQ = Vcc/2
Imax = ICQ

and where the base current, which is anyway much smaller than the collector current, has been
neglected.

From the above calculations the following typical quantities of the amplifier result:

Conversion Efficiency

ηc = 0.25
Figure of Merit

F=2

NOTES:

1. During the performance of the experiments, make sure that the output terminals of the two
configurations in B class (APT3 and APT4) will not be short circuited, because this would lead to an
excessive overheating of the components with possible burning of the same.

2. The power supplying must be only through the external terminals, while the internal terminals must
be used only for the reading of the circuit measurements.

3. In the description of the experiments sometimes there are numerical values which can be different
from those obtained during the experiment. Such differences are mainly due to the tolerance of the
components.

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Task 1:

Objectives:

To study the conversion efficiency and the figure of merit in a Class A amplifier with dc current flowing
through the load.

Circuit Diagram:
The purpose of this exercise is to experimentally check the typical parameters of the amplifier in
APT 1 module.

Apparatus Required:
S. NAME OF THE TYPE / RANGE QUANTITY
NO. EQUIPMENT (NO.S)
1. Resistor • R1 15 kΩ,1/2 W 9
• R2 3.3 kΩ,1/2 W
• R3 470 Ω,1/2 W
• R4 100 Ω,1/2 W
• R5 680 Ω,1/2 W
• R6 100 Ω,1/2 W
• R7 22 Ω, 7 W
• R8 2.7 Ω,1/2 W
• R9 22 Ω, 2 W
2. Capacitor • C1 10 μF 5
• C2 2200 pF
• C3 220 μF
• C4 1000 pF
• C5 470 μF
3. BJT V1 BC 337 1
4. Signal generator Digital 1
5. Digital multimeter Digital 1
6. Double trace oscilloscope Digital 1

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Procedure:

Measurements on the Single-Stage Amplifier

The collector of the transistor V1 MUST NOT be connected to the condenser C3.

To perform the measurement proceed as follows:

1-1.a Measurement of Pcc

1. Supply with +15 V the board DL 2155APT.

2. Measure the collector current reading the voltage VR3 at the resistance R3. You have

3. Calculate the power provided by the battery

Pcc = Vcc • ICQ

4. Actual Measured values Lab. Measured values

• Vcc = 14 V • Vcc = ……….. V
• VR3 = 8.13 V • VR3 = ………..V
• ICQ = 17.2 mA • ICQ = ……….mA
• Pcc = 242 mW • Pcc = ………..mW

1-1.b Measurement of Pd

1. Measure the voltage collector-emitter VCEQ of the transistor V1 and calculate the
dissipated power

Pd = VCEQ • ICQ

2. Actual Measured values Lab. Measured values

• VCEQ = 4.1 V • VCEQ = ……. V
• Pd = 70 mW • Pd = ……mW

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1-1.c Measurement of Po

1. Connect the probe of the oscilloscope to the collector of the transistor V1.
2. Supply the input Vi of the amplifier through a signal generator with frequency 10 kHz.
3. Increase the amplitude of the input signal until the signal on the collector starts to
square.
4. Measure with the oscilloscope the peak to peak voltage on the collector of the
transistor which is equal to that on the dynamic load R3.
5. Calculate the maximum current on the load

6. Calculate the useful power as follows

7. Actual Measured values Lab. Measured values

• Vpp = 6 V • Vpp = ……… V
• Po = 9.5 mW • Po = ……….mW

1-1.d Calculation of ηc and F

Using the results obtained at points 1-1.a/b/c above it is possible to calculate the
conversion efficiency

and the figure of merit

1. Actual Measured values Lab. Measured values

 C  0.039 C 
F  7.37 F
Discussion:

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Task 2:

Theory:

PUSH - PULL B - CLASS AMPLIFIER:

The basic circuit used for the study of the PUSH-PULL amplifier in complementary symmetry is the
one shown in fig. 3.

Fig.:3

In the diagram shown in the figure, the output wave form Vo(t) is undistorted only when we assume that
ideal transistors are used. In the reality this amplifier would give rise to a wave form affected by cross-
distortions generated by the threshold voltage of the base-emitter diodes of the transistors. Assuming
therefore that ideal BJTs are used, the wave form is processed as follows.

The positive half wave of Vi(t) switches V1 on. The output signal from the emitter is therefore in phase
with Vi(t). Its half wave is positive.

The negative half wave of Vi(t) switches the transistor V2 on. The output signal, from the emitter,
follows therefore the negative half wave. The full input signal is therefore reconstructed.

3-a) CONVERSION EFFICIENCY AND FIGURE OF MERIT

Again, for ηc and F to be calculated, it is necessary to calculate the supplied, dissipated and useful
powers.

3-a.1) Measurement of Pcc

Since each transistor works in a single half wave, the power supplied by the battery can be calculated as
the double of the power required to each BJT. Knowing that in a dual half wave pulsating signal the
mean value is given by:

the power supplied by the battery is:

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3-a.2) Measurement of Po

Being the full wave form reconstructed across the load, the useful power across RL is:

In the case of maximum output dynamic power (Vmax = Vcc):

3-a.3) Measurement of Pd

In the relationship Pcc = Po + 2Pd, after replacing the calculated values to Pcc and Po we can write:

3-a.4) Measurement of ηc and F

When the required powers have been calculated, we obtain:

Besides an improvement of the theoretical maximum efficiency, a sharp decrease of the figure of merit
can be noted, because the BJT does not dissipate power in dc.

Objective:

To study the characteristics of a complementary symmetry push-pull amplifier

Circuit Diagram:
Scope of this exercise is to experimentally verify the typical parameters of the amplifier proposed in
module APT3, with the components set as in the following figure

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Apparatus Required:
S. NAME OF THE TYPE / RANGE QUANTITY
NO. EQUIPMENT (NO.S)
1. Resistor • R1 = R4 2.7 kΩ,1/2 W 8
• R2 1 kΩ,1/2 W
• R3 180 Ω, 2 W
• R5 47 Ω,1/2 W
• R6 = R7 1.5 Ω,1/2 W
• R8 8.2 Ω, 7 W
2. Capacitor • C1 100 μF 1
3. BJT • V1 BD 137 3
• V2 BD 136
• V3 2N1711
4. Diode V4 = V5 1N4007 2
5. Signal generator Digital 1
6. Digital multimeter Digital 1
7. Double trace oscilloscope Digital 1

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It can be noted that the proposed amplifier is composed of a double load driver amplifier realized by the
transistor V3, whose collector is loaded by the final power stage in complementary symmetry push-pull
configuration.

The final power stage is biased in real B class, as the resistances R3, R4, R5 and the diodes V4 and V5
are used to supply the transistors V1 and V2 with the static VBE required for the BJTs to be biased at
the boundary of cut-off.

The input wave form is phase inverted on the collector of V3. Then, its positive half wave switches V1
on and repeats across R6 the same positive half wave. The negative half wave switches V2 on to repeat
the same negative half-wave across R7.

To make the measurement it is possible to proceed as follows.

3.1 Cross distortion

1. Connect the load resistance R8 to the output V0 of the amplifier.

2. Supply with ±15 V the board DL 2155APT.
3. Connect the probe of the oscilloscope to the load R8.
4. Supply the input Vi of the amplifier through a signal generator with frequency equal to 10 kHz.
5. Increase the amplitude of the input signal until the signal at the load will start to square.
6. Verify through the oscilloscope the output wave form is sinusoidal and does not present cross
distortion.
7. Connect through a lead the bases of the transistors V1 and V2 (in this way a short circuit is
established in the series of the diodes V4 and V5): on the oscilloscope it can be noted a cross
distortion on the output wave form.

3.2 Measurement of Pcc

1. Measure through the oscilloscope the peak-to-peak voltage at the load R8.
2. Calculate the maximum current on the load

3. Calculate the battery power

4. Actual Measured values Lab. Measured values

• Vcc = 14 V • Vcc = ……. V
• Vopp = 12 V • Vopp = ……V
• Imax = 0,73 A • Imax = …… A
• Pcc = 6,5 W • Pcc = ……... W

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Measurement of Po

1. The useful power is calculated with the following formula

2. Actual Measured values Lab. Measured values

• Vopp = 12 V • Vopp = …… V
• Po = 2.2 W • Po = ……. W

Measurement of Pd:

Knowing Po and Pcc, being

Pcc = Po + 2Pd

the dissipated power can be calculated

1. Actual Measured values Lab. Measured values

• Pd = 2.15 W • Pd = …… W
Measurement of ηc and F
After the above results the conversion efficiency can be calculated

and the figure of merit

1. Actual Measured values Lab. Measured values

• ηc = 0,34 • ηc = …….
• F = 0,97 • F = …….

It can be seen that both the efficiency and the figure of merit are rather far from the theoretical values.
In fact, upstream the B class final stage a double A class load is connected, affecting the overall
performances of the amplifier.

Discussion:

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