Designing a Class A Amplifier for Good Speakers, Inc.

In summary, the project is to design a power amplifier for Good Speakers, Inc. There are two options for the design - a Class A amplifier or a Class B amplifier. The design must meet certain requirements, including a sinusoidal input voltage, a speaker with varying resistance, a 12V DC power supply, and a USB connector for charging. The design must also have high power gain, efficiency, and minimum cost, as well as be a 1-layer PCD with minimal PCB area. The design requirements are subject to change and the winning groups will be announced at the "After the Presentations" Party. The suggested design for the Class A amplifier includes a CE Amplifier VDB with a cascading CE and CC, using a
  • #1
carmen77
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1. Homework Statement
EE3350 Electronics I Term Project
"Power Amplifier Design"
Objective:
You will be designing a proper power amplifier for Good Speakers, Inc. The company will accept only two designs. One of
them is Class A amplifier and the other one will be a Class B amplifier. Your design should satisfy the minimum design
requirements that are given in Section A. After carefully reading the design requirements, you need to follow the process and
deadline sections carefully in order to get full credit. If you miss the deadline you will get zero for that section of the project and
that can impact on your overall grade. You need to present your work to company executives. You must use a PowerPoint
presentation and each group member should be familiar with the project. The company executives will ask questions to
individual group members. The answers provided by group members can impact your overall grade. After completion of the
presentations, the winning groups will be announced during our "After the Presentations" Party. Donuts and soft drinks will be
supplied by Good Speakers, Inc. We thank them for their generosity.
Section A - Design Requirements:
Your amplifier should have the following specifications.
• Input comes from a voltage source with 50 Ohms source resistance. The collected data shows that input voltage is
sinusoidal and ranges between 0 volts to 2 mV peak-peak values.
• Output is a speaker with resistance values that change between 2 Ohms to 16 Ohms.
• Onboard 12 V DC power supply (You may consider -12 Volt DC Power supply if desired).
• USB connector for charging purposes (Even though this is not part of the original project, the company wants to
know if this is possible. You need to show the details and cost analysis during your presentation).
• High power gain
• High efficiency required
• Minimum cost per design
• 1 layer PCD
• Minimum PCB area
You may suggest changing any of these design requirements to the company with written alternative design specifications
that explain why your suggestions can improve the design.
These design requirements are subject to change by the company at any given time. You will be notified by the company
via e-mail. Please check your e-mail regularly.

Homework Equations


DC values
Vb=(R2/(R1+2))Vs
Ve=Vb -0.7V
Ie=Ve/Re
Av=Vout/Vin
Ie=Ic
Vc=Vcc-IcRc
Vce=Vc-Ve



The Attempt at a Solution



I only have thought of some general ideas based on what little I know. One of my ideas was just a simple CE Amplifier VDB with a cascading CE and CC and maybe use a zener diode for voltage regulation at the base. I haven't had time to work out the values for my compenents either just kind of fleshed it out in multisim real quick and wanted to get an idea of what some of you guys would do.
 

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In a class A amplifier the output voltage needs to swing equally + and- .
This means that V at the collector of the transistor... with no input should be Vsupply/2
With Rc = 2.2k and Vs = 15V this means a collector current of 3.4mA
The potential divider R1 and R2 should provide a voltage at the base which will produce an emitter current of about 3.4mA (Ic≈Ie)
Check your calculations, I get the same values as you. You seem to have the class A amplifier sorted out
sorry... I did not include that there is a Vce across the transistor...it is not much but may make a slight difference to your numbers.
Hope you can cope with it
 
Last edited:

1. What is a Class A amplifier?

A Class A amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier that operates by using transistors or vacuum tubes to amplify electrical signals. In this type of amplifier, the output devices are always conducting, regardless of whether there is an input signal or not. This results in a high-quality, low-distortion amplification of the input signal.

2. How does a Class A amplifier work?

In a Class A amplifier, the input signal is applied to the base or grid of the amplifying device, which then modulates the current flowing through the device. This modulated current is then passed through a load resistor, resulting in an amplified output signal. The amplifying device is always conducting, and the current through it is never cut off, which ensures a continuous and linear amplification of the input signal.

3. What are the advantages of a Class A amplifier?

Class A amplifiers are known for their high fidelity and low distortion, making them ideal for audio applications. They also have a relatively simple design and are less prone to oscillations compared to other amplifier classes. Additionally, Class A amplifiers have a low output impedance, which allows them to drive low-impedance loads with ease.

4. What are the disadvantages of a Class A amplifier?

A major disadvantage of Class A amplifiers is their low efficiency. As the amplifying device is always conducting, a large amount of power is dissipated as heat, making them energy-inefficient. This also leads to the need for larger heat sinks and power supplies, making Class A amplifiers bulkier and more expensive compared to other classes of amplifiers. They also have a lower power output compared to other amplifier classes.

5. How can I improve the performance of a Class A amplifier?

One way to improve the performance of a Class A amplifier is by using negative feedback. This involves feeding a portion of the output signal back to the input, which helps to reduce distortion and improve linearity. Another way is by using a push-pull configuration, where two amplifying devices are used in opposite phases to increase efficiency. Additionally, careful selection of components and proper biasing can also improve the performance of a Class A amplifier.

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