Amplifiers

An amplifier or simply amp, is any device that changes, usually increases, the amplitude of a signal. The relationship of the input to the output of an amplifierusually expressed as a function of the input frequencyis called the transfer function of the amplifier, and the magnitude of the transfer function is termed the gain. In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to make the human voice louder or play recorded music. Amplifiers may be classified according to the input (source) they are designed to amplify (such as a guitar amplifier, to perform with an electric guitar), the device they are intended to drive (such as a headphone amplifier), the frequency range of the signals (Audio, IF, RF, and VHF amplifiers, for example), whether they invert the signal (inverting amplifiers and non-inverting amplifiers), or the type of device used in the amplification (valve or tube amplifiers, FET amplifiers, etc.).

Terms related to Amps: 1.Gain: The gain of an amplifier is the ratio of output to input power or amplitude, and is usually measured in decibels. (When measured in decibels it is logarithmically related to the power ratio: G(dB)=10 log(Pout /(Pin)). 2. Bandwidth: The bandwidth of an amplifier is the range of frequencies for which the amplifier gives "satisfactory performance". The definition of "satisfactory performance" may be different for different applications. However, a common and well-accepted metric is the half power points (i.e. frequency where the power goes down by half its peak value) on the output vs. frequency curve. Therefore bandwidth can be defined as the difference between the lower and upper half power points. This is therefore also known as the 3 dB bandwidth.

3.Efficiency: Efficiency is a measure of how much of the power source is usefully applied to the amplifier's output. 4.Noise: This is a measure of how much noise is introduced in the amplification process. The metric for noise performance of a circuit is noise figure or noise factor. Noise figure is a comparison between the output signal to noise ratio and the thermal noise of the input signal. 5.Slew rate: Slew rate is the maximum rate of change of the output, usually quoted in volts per second (or microsecond). 6.Rise time: The rise time, tr, of an amplifier is the time taken for the output to change from 10% to 90% of its final level when driven by a step input.

Different Types of Amplifiers: 1.Power Amplifiers: The term "power amplifier" is a relative term with respect to the amount of power delivered to the load and/or sourced by the supply circuit. In general a power amplifier is designated as the last amplifier in a transmission chain (the output stage) and is the amplifier stage that typically requires most attention to power efficiency. These are generally used to power large loudspeaker systems. Efficiency considerations lead to various classes of power amplifier with Class D being the most efficient. 2. Valve amps: A valve amplifier or tube amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier that makes use of vacuum tubes to increase the power and/or amplitude of a signal. Its advantages include its electrical robustness, ease of use and maintenance and softer clipping. They gained widespread use amongst audiophiles because of its more natural sound. However, their easy overheating lead to limited usage.

3.transistor Amps: they are of two types:

a. BJT transistor:The common-emitter amplifier is designed so that a small change in voltage in (Vin) changes the small current through the base of the transistor and the transistor's current amplification combined with the properties of the circuit mean that small swings in Vin produce large changes in Vout.

b. MOSFET: The metaloxidesemiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or MOS FET) is a device used for amplifying or switching electronic signals. The basic principle of the device was first proposed by Julius Edgar Lilienfeld in 1925. In MOSFETs, a voltage on the oxide-insulated gate electrode can induce a conducting channel between the two other contacts called source and drain. The channel can be of n-type or p-type (see article on semiconductor devices), and is accordingly called an nMOSFET or a pMOSFET (also commonly nMOS, pMOS). It is by far the most common transistor in both digital and analog circuits

3.Operational Amps(Opamp): An Operational amplifier ("op-amp") is a DC-coupled high-gain electronic voltage amplifier with a differential input and, usually, a single-ended output.[1] An opamp produces an output voltage that is typically hundreds of thousands times larger than the voltage difference between its input terminals.[2] Operational amplifiers are important building blocks for a wide range of electronic circuits. They had their origins in analog computers where they were used in many linear, non-linear and frequencydependent circuits. Their popularity in circuit design largely stems from the fact the characteristics of the final elements (such as their gain) are set by external components with little dependence on temperature changes and manufacturing variations in the op-amp itself.

4.instrumentation Amps: is a differential amplifier that has been outfitted with input buffers, which eliminate the need for input impedance matching and thus make the amplifier particularly suitable for use in measurement and test equipment. Additional characteristics include very low DC offset, low drift, low noise, very high open-loop gain, very high common-mode rejection ratio, and very high input impedances. Instrumentation amplifiers are used where great accuracy and stability of the circuit both short- and long-term are required.

Common Uses of Amps: Amps have a widespread use. Theyre used not only in audio applications but also as parts of circuits involving power and video signals. Following are some common applications of amps: 1. Uses of Op-amp: As a comparator

As an inverter

Summing Amp

2. Amps are commonly used in public address systems, theatrical and concert sound reinforcement, and domestic sound systems. The sound card in a personal computer contains several audio amplifiers (depending on number of channels), as does every stereo or home-theatre system. 3. Instrument Amplifier: Many instruments need an amplifier to be audible. An instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, or an electric keyboard into an electronic signal capable of driving a loudspeaker that can be heard by the performers and audience. Combination ("combo") amplifiers include a preamplifier, a power amplifier, tone controls, and one or more speakers in a cabinet, a housing usually made of hardwood, plywood, particleboard, or, less commonly, moulded plastic. Instrument amplifiers for some instruments are also available without an internal speaker; these amplifiers have to be plugged into an external speaker cabinet. Theyre of two types: a. Tube Amplifiers Vacuum tubes were the dominant active electronic components in amplifiers manufactured from the 1930s through the early 1970s, and tube amplifiers continue to be preferred by some professional musicians. Some musicians believe that tube amplifiers produce a "warmer" or more "natural" sound than solid state units. b. Solid-state amps By the 1960s and 1970s, semiconductor transistor-based amplifiers began to become more popular because they are less expensive, lighter-weight, and require less maintenance. In some cases, tube and solid-state technologies are used together in amplifiers. A common setup is the use of a tube preamplifier with a solid-state power amplifier. There are also an increasing range of products that use digital signal processing and digital modeling technology to simulate many different combinations of amp and cabinets.