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<table style="width:100%" class="tblblue"><tr><td class="hdrl">&nbsp;Elliott Sound Products</td>
<td align="right" class="hdrr">Amplifier Basics - How Amps Work (Part 6)&nbsp;</td></tr></table>
<h1>Amplifier Basics - How Amps Work (Part 6)</h1>
<div align="center" class="t_11">&copy; 1999 - Rod Elliott (ESP)
<br />Page Last Updated 06 Apr 2005</div>
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<hr><a id="contents"></a><b>Contents</b>
<ul>
<li><a href="amp-basics.htm"><b>Introduction</b></a>
<li><a href="amp-basics1.htm"><b>Part 1 - Valves (Vacuum Tubes)</b></a>
<li><a href="amp-basics2.htm"><b>Part 2 - Bipolar Transistors</b></a>
<li><a href="amp-basics3.htm"><b>Part 3 - Field Effect Transistors and MOSFETs</b></a>
<li><a href="amp-basics4.htm"><b>Part 4 - Operational Amplifiers (Opamps)</b></a>
<li><a href="amp-basics5.htm"><b>Part 5 - Some Basic Linear Circuit Building Blocks</b></a>
<li><b>Conclusions</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="amp-basics6.htm#references">References</a></li>
<li><a href="amp-basics6.htm#copyright">Copyright Info</a></li>
<li><a href="amp-basics6.htm#updates">Update Info</a></li>
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<hr /><a id="conclusion"></a><b>Conclusions</b>
<p>Section 5 is the last of the technical pages in this series, and this page finalises the topic at this level - at least until such time as I find (or someone points out) a mistake or major omission that I will then have to fix, otherwise there will be no further updates.</p>
<p>The articles in this series describe the essential building blocks of nearly all circuits in common use today.&nbsp; There are others (of course) but they are most often combinations of the above - for example, a LTP (long-tailed pair) stage can be built using two cascode circuits, a current source and a current mirror.&nbsp; The resulting circuit looks complex, but is simply a combination of common circuits such as those shown.</p>
<p>Other circuits are modification of the basic stages to exploit what might otherwise be seen as a deficiency - for example circuits that deliberately exploit the temperature dependency of a BJT can be used as high gain thermal sensors, or to stabilise the quiescent current in a power amplifier.</p>
<p>There are also some bizarre combinations possible.&nbsp; A valve and BJT operating in cascode would be interesting, and would no doubt have some desirable characteristics (and I have seen this particular combination used in a power amplifier).&nbsp; Likewise, a valve with a transistor current source instead of the load resistor has far better linearity and more gain than a simple resistor loaded version.</p>
<p>In many cases, ICs are available to accomplish the functions described.&nbsp; Opamps are an obvious one, but there are also IC current sources, transistor arrays (ideal for current mirror applications because of the excellent thermal tracking), plus quite a few others.</p>
<p>There are countless different IC power amplifiers, many of which have very high performance.&nbsp; There are several ESP projects that use 'power opamps'&nbsp;... my terminology, because most are used just like any other opamp, but with higher voltages and the ability to drive loudspeaker loads.&nbsp; Complete ICs are even available for Class-D amplifiers, which combine just about every technique described in this series, but with even more circuit concepts.&nbsp; As you'd expect, these are also covered in separate articles.</p>
<p>None of the techniques described here is just for audio.&nbsp; The same (or very similar) circuitry is used in industrial control systems, radio frequency amplifiers and any number of diverse fields.&nbsp; While you could be forgiven for thinking that <i>everything</i> is now 'digital', that's not the case.&nbsp; Analogue circuitry will be around for a very long time yet, and will probably never go away.&nbsp; Even the most sophisticated digital process controller still has to interface with the 'real world', which is 100% analogue!</p>
<p>I hope that I have shed some light on the subject, and that you get some benefit from the information presented.&nbsp; Please be aware that this series is intended as a <i>very</i> basic introduction only, and (almost) every configuration discussed here is fully explained elsewhere on the ESP site.&nbsp; There are whole articles on designing with opamps, current sources, sinks and mirrors, and there's even a section dedicated to valves (vacuum tubes).</p>
<hr><a id="references"></a><b>References</b>
<ol><li>Philips 'Miniwatt' Technical Data, 7th Edition, 1972</li>
<li>RCA Receiving Tube Manual, 1968</li>
<li>Basic Electronics - Grob, McGraw Hill, 1971</li>
<li>Radiotron Designer's Handbook - Langford-Smith, AWV Pty. Ltd, 1957</li>
<li>Analysis and Design of Electronic Circuits - P.M. Chirlean, McGraw Hill, 1965</li>
<li>Data Sheets, various</li>
</ol>
<hr><p align="right" class="t_12b"><a href="amp-basics5.htm">Previous (Part 5 - Building Blocks)</a></p>
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<tr><td class="t-wht"><a id="copyright"></a><b>Copyright Notice.</b> This article, including but not limited to all text and diagrams, is the intellectual property of Rod Elliott, and is Copyright (c) 1999, 2005.&nbsp; Reproduction or re-publication by any means whatsoever, whether electronic, mechanical or electro-mechanical, is strictly prohibited under International Copyright laws.&nbsp; The author (Rod Elliott) grants the reader the right to use this information for personal use only, and further allows that one (1) copy may be made for reference.&nbsp; Commercial use is prohibited without express written authorisation from Rod Elliott.</td>
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<div class="t-sml"><a id="updates"></a>Page created and copyright (c) 20 Dec 1999./ Various updates up to 06 Apr 05./ Dec 2018 - minor format changes, additional info in various sections.</div><br />
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