Power Amplifier Design

Building power amplifiers to drive speakers with efficiency and low distortion.

Power amplifiers deliver substantial current to drive loudspeakers. Class A, B, AB, and D topologies offer different tradeoffs between efficiency, distortion, and complexity.

Objectives

  • Understand Class A, B, AB, and D operation
  • Design push-pull output stages
  • Calculate power dissipation and heatsink requirements
  • Implement protection circuits
  • Match amplifier to speaker load

Key Takeaways

  • Class A: lowest distortion, lowest efficiency
  • Class AB: good balance for most applications
  • Class D: highest efficiency, needs filtering
  • Thermal management critical for reliability