Basic Audio NPN amp, BAD Gain

Thread Starter

logans-electronics

Joined Sep 1, 2009
36
Hi everyone,

I amp trying to get a basic NPN audio amp to work in Multisim 8 before buying anything.
I was having trouble with distortion...but after some experimenting I found my input signal too high. As you can see now I have a gain issue (actaully a small loss). I love using MPS A06 and A56 transistors. Any advice on what I should be trying to calculate or determine first before just putting things together?.I would like a gain of 10 or more....max wattage right now is not important.

....any way I am trying to build an audio amplifier capable of handling 4 to 8 ohms. Input would be a CDplayer or Ipod. I know once I load this amp down in Multisim it will crash..I am just trying to take one step at a time. Thanks,
Logan
 

CDRIVE

Joined Jul 1, 2008
2,219
That is not a practical circuit to drive a 4 to 8 Ohm speaker. You need power gain not voltage gain. Therefore you would be better off with an Emitter Follower, as they can present a low output impedance and power gain. That said, a single transistor running class A would waste appreciable power when quiescent. ;)
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
Didn't you calculate anything when you selected the bias resistors?
Your transistor is biased incorrectly and is saturated with its collector and emitter voltages nearly the same. The voltages will actually be a little less than I show.
Also it is missing a very important supply bypass capacitor.
Also its input capacitor had backwards polarity.

I corrected your circuit and if its load is a high impedance its gain is 4.7k/470= 10.
It will not drive a speaker.
 

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hobbyist

Joined Aug 10, 2008
892
Hi everyone,

Any advice on what I should be trying to calculate or determine first before just putting things together?.I would like a gain of 10 or more....max wattage right now is not important.

Logan
first of all the collector resistor should be at least 10 times smaller than the load. So it would not work to design a class A single stage amp for such a load of 4-8 ohms.
Other components or configurations would be involved.

But if your just starting out in learning how to bias a transistor for small signal amplification, then here is one
way to do it, as there are many ways of approaching this, depending on the application.

1. Choose Vc to be 1/2 Vcc
2. choose a value for RC ...(R9)
3. choose RE...(R6) to be around ....RC / V.gain.
4. calculate IC = 1/2Vcc / RC.
5. calculate VE = IC x RE.
6. calculate VB = (VE + Vbe.)
7.choose RB1....(R4) to be 10 to 20 times greater than RE.
8. calculate IRB1 = VB / RB1.
9. calculate RB2...(R10) = (VCC - VB) / IRB1.

Ex. using your schem.

1. VC = 15V. (30V. / 2)
2. RC = 4.7K
3. RE = 470 ( RC / 10 where V.gain = 10)
4. IC = 3.19mA (15V. / 4.7K)
5. VE=1.49V. (3.19mA x 470)
6. VB=2.19V. (1.49V. + 0.7V...assuming 0.7V. Vbe.)
7. RB1 = 4.7K (arbitrary choice)
8. IRB1=465.9uA (2.19V. / 4.7K)
9 RB2=59.69K ((30V - 2.19V) / 465.9uA)

then choose the standard values for all resistors.

RC=4.7k
RE=470
RB1=4.7k
RB2=62K

then prototype it and take key measurements and adjust values where needed.
 
Last edited:

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,408
If you're circuit is trying to drive an 8Ω speaker, then from an AC signal point of view the 8Ω is in parallel with Rc, not a good situation. When designing a circuit like this you can not ignore the impedance of the sourse or load (mostly the load), since it does interact with the design quite a bit.

So instead of having a gain of 470/47, it is actually (470Ω║8Ω) / 47Ω.

You can get around this by using a second emitter follower (AKA common collector) connected to the collector of Q1, and the capactor C2 is connected to it's emitter. Not a great solution, but it will work.

You can also add a large capacitor to ground fromt the emitter of Q1 to ground. A less satisfactory solution, but it will improve your numbers.
 

CDRIVE

Joined Jul 1, 2008
2,219
If your intent is to drive a small speaker, as you said, you would be better off using a LM386. They're available from RS.
 
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