University of San Carlos

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

EE413NL-Electronics 2
4:30-7:30pm/W

Large Signal Amplifiers

Experiment no.3

Submitted to:
Engr. Gene Fe P. Palencia
(Instructor)

Submitted by:
Neil John R. Perez

I.

Introduction:
Large Signal Amplifiers, also known as Power Amplifiers, are amplifiers that
can handle larger input voltage signals. These types of amplifiers use a larger
portion of the load line than in a small-signal amplifier. The main features of a
large signal amplifier will include the amplifier circuits power efficiency, the
maximum power capacity of the circuit and the impedance matching to the
output device. Large Signal Amplifiers are divided into four common classes
depending on their amplifier operation:
1. Class A Amplifiers- Amplifiers are considered to be class A if they operate
in the linear region at all times. These amplifiers aim to provide power
rather than voltage to our load. Class A amplifiers are distinguished for
their ability to generate a complete cycle AC signal. This means that our
transistor is forward biased throughout the input signal. Since the
transistor is active for both the positive and negative cycles of the AC, it
will have a conduction angle of 360
2. Class B Amplifiers-Class B amplifiers are amplifiers that conduct only half
of the input AC signal. This means that our transistor in Forward-biased
only for a half cycle and reversed bias at the other half. These amplifiers
are biased at the cut-off and operate only in the linear region when the
transistor is conducting or in forward bias condition. Since Class B
transistors are active only for half of the cycle, it will have a conduction
angle of 180
3. Class AB Amplifiers-These amplifier is a combination of Class A and Class
B. Class AB amplifiers conducts AC signal more than half of the cycle but
also less than 1 whole cycle. It means that the transistor is forward biased
only between the half and whole cycle. Because of this characteristic,
Class AB amplifiers are usually used to correct distortions in Class B
amplifiers. They have a conduction angle that is greater than 180 but less
than but less than 360
4. Class C Amplifiers-Class C amplifiers generate less than half of the input
AC signal which means that the transistor is forward biased until before
the half cycle. Class C Amplifiers have a conduction angle of less than
180
5. Class D Amplifiers-these are special kinds of amplifier in which they are on
for a short duration of time and off for a longer duration of time.

II.

Circuit Diagram

Class A Amplifier

Class B Amplifier

Class AB Amplifier

Class C Amplifier
III.

Data and Results:

Table 1: VBE and conduction angle in different classes of amplifiers
VBE
Conduction Angle

Class A
0.531 V
360

Class AB
0.350 V
230.4

Class B
0.285 V
180

Class C
0.147 V
108

Chart 1: Input-Output waveforms of Class A Amplifier

Chart 2: Input-Output waveforms of Class B Amplifier

Chart 3:
Output

Input-

waveforms
Class AB
Amplifier

of

Chart 4: Input-Output waveforms of Class C Amplifier

From Table 1, it can be observed that VBE decreases as the conduction

angle decreases. It means tha our VBE is directly proportional to our conduction
angle. We can also observe that the conduction angle really corresponds to its
class. Class A has a 360 conduction angle, Class AB has a 230.4 conduction
angle (180<<360), so on and so forth. From Chart 1, we can see that our
output is a complete cycle, =360. Since Chart 1 is data from Class A amplifier,
we can see that out transistor is forward biased for the whole cycle. In Chart 2,
since only half of the cycle, =180, was conducted, we can say that it is a Class
B amplifier where the transistor is forward biased only until the half cycle. Chart 3
shows the input/output waveforms of a Class AB amplifier as we can see that the
transistor is forward bias when 180<<360. Class C amplifiers, which is
exhibited in Chart 4, shows that the transistor is forward bias when <180.
IV.

Conclusion:
From the experiment, we were able to know about large signal amplifiers and its
different classes according to its respective amplifier operation. Class A
Amplifiers is when transistor is forward bias for the whole cycle of the AC signal
thus resulting to a 360 conduction angle. Class B, on the other hand, conducts
only during half of the cycle resulting to a 180 conduction angle. Class AB is a
combination of Class A and Class B and conducts at angles between 180 and
360. Class C conducts less than half of the AC signal, thus having a conduction
angle of less than 180.