Unch circuit on 2 transistors of different conductivity. Two ULC circuits using transistors

Circuit of a simple transistor audio amplifier, which is implemented on two powerful composite transistors TIP142-TIP147 installed in the output stage, two low-power BC556B in the differential path and one BD241C in the signal pre-amplification circuit - a total of five transistors for the entire circuit! This UMZCH design can be freely used, for example, as part of a home music center or to drive a subwoofer installed in a car or at a disco.

The main attractiveness of this audio power amplifier lies in the ease of its assembly even by novice radio amateurs; there is no need for any special configuration, and there are no problems in purchasing components at an affordable price. The PA circuit presented here has electrical characteristics with high linearity of operation in the frequency range from 20Hz to 20000Hz. p>

When choosing or independently manufacturing a transformer for a power supply, you need to take into account the following factor: - the transformer must have a sufficient power reserve, for example: 300 W per one channel, in the case of a two-channel version, then naturally the power doubles. You can use a separate transformer for each, and if you use a stereo version of the amplifier, then you will generally get a “dual mono” type device, which will naturally increase the efficiency of sound amplification.

The effective voltage in the secondary windings of the transformer should be ~34v AC, then the constant voltage after the rectifier will be in the region of 48v - 50v. In each power supply arm, it is necessary to install a fuse designed for an operating current of 6A, respectively, for stereo when operating on one power supply - 12A.

Readers! Remember this author's nickname and never repeat his schemes.
Moderators! Before you ban me for insulting me, think that you “allowed an ordinary gopnik to the microphone, who should not even be allowed close to radio engineering and, especially, to teaching beginners.

Firstly, with such a connection scheme, a large direct current will flow through the transistor and speaker, even if the variable resistor is in the desired position, that is, music will be heard. And with a large current, the speaker is damaged, that is, sooner or later, it will burn out.

Secondly, in this circuit there must be a current limiter, that is, a constant resistor, at least 1 KOhm, connected in series with an alternating one. Any homemade product will turn the variable resistor knob all the way, it will have zero resistance and a large current will flow to the base of the transistor. As a result, the transistor or speaker will burn out.

A variable capacitor at the input is needed to protect the sound source (the author should explain this, because there was immediately a reader who removed it just like that, considering himself smarter than the author). Without it, only those players that already have similar protection at the output will work normally. And if it is not there, then the player’s output may be damaged, especially, as I said above, if you turn the variable resistor “to zero”. In this case, the output of the expensive laptop will be supplied with voltage from the power source of this cheap trinket and it may burn out. Homemade people love to remove protective resistors and capacitors, because “it works!” As a result, the circuit may work with one sound source, but not with another, and even an expensive phone or laptop can be damaged.

The variable resistor in this circuit should only be tuning, that is, it should be adjusted once and closed in the housing, and not brought out with a convenient handle. This is not a volume control, but a distortion control, that is, it selects the operating mode of the transistor so that there is minimal distortion and so that no smoke comes out of the speaker. Therefore, it should under no circumstances be accessible from the outside. You CANNOT adjust the volume by changing the mode. This is something to kill for. If you really want to regulate the volume, it’s easier to connect another variable resistor in series with the capacitor and now it can be output to the amplifier body.

In general, for the simplest circuits - and to make it work right away and not to damage anything, you need to buy a TDA type microcircuit (for example TDA7052, TDA7056... there are many examples on the Internet), and the author took a random transistor that was lying around in his desk. As a result, gullible amateurs will look for just such a transistor, although its gain is only 15, and the permissible current is as much as 8 amperes (it will burn out any speaker without even noticing).

A low frequency amplifier (LF) is an integral part of most radio devices such as a TV, player, radio and various household appliances. Let's consider two simple two-stage circuits ULF on.

The first version of ULF on transistors

In the first version, the amplifier is built on n-p-n silicon transistors. The input signal comes through variable resistor R1, which in turn is a load resistor for the signal source circuit. connected to the collector circuit of transistor VT2 of the amplifier.

Setting up the amplifier of the first option comes down to selecting resistances R2 and R4. The resistance value must be selected such that the milliammeter connected to the collector circuit of each transistor shows a current in the region of 0.5...0.8 mA. According to the second scheme, it is also necessary to set the collector current of the second transistor by selecting the resistance of resistor R3.

In the first option, it is possible to use transistors of the KT312 brand, or their foreign analogues, however, it will be necessary to set the correct voltage bias of the transistors by selecting resistances R2, R4. In the second option, in turn, it is possible to use silicon transistors of the KT209, KT361 brands, or foreign analogues. In this case, you can set the operating modes of the transistors by changing the resistance R3.

Instead of headphones, it is possible to connect a high-impedance speaker to the collector circuit of transistor VT2 (both amplifiers). If you need to get more powerful sound amplification, you can assemble an amplifier that provides amplification of up to 15 W.

After mastering the basics of electronics, the novice radio amateur is ready to solder his first electronic designs. Audio power amplifiers are typically the most repeatable designs. There are quite a lot of schemes, each with its own parameters and design. This article will discuss several simple and fully working amplifier circuits that can be successfully repeated by any radio amateur. The article does not use complex terms and calculations; everything is simplified as much as possible so that no additional questions arise.

Let's start with a more powerful circuit.
So, the first circuit is made on the well-known TDA2003 microcircuit. This is a mono amplifier with an output power of up to 7 watts into a 4 ohm load. I want to say that the standard circuit for connecting this microcircuit contains a small number of components, but a couple of years ago I came up with a different circuit on this microcircuit. In this circuit, the number of components is reduced to a minimum, but the amplifier has not lost its sound parameters. After developing this circuit, I began making all my amplifiers for low-power speakers using this circuit.

The circuit of the presented amplifier has a wide range of reproducible frequencies, a supply voltage range from 4.5 to 18 volts (typical 12-14 volts). The microcircuit is installed on a small heat sink, since the maximum power reaches up to 10 Watts.

The microcircuit is capable of operating at a load of 2 ohms, which means that 2 heads with a resistance of 4 ohms can be connected to the amplifier output.
The input capacitor can be replaced with any other one, with a capacity from 0.01 to 4.7 μF (preferably from 0.1 to 0.47 μF), you can use both film and ceramic capacitors. It is advisable not to replace all other components.

Volume control from 10 to 47 kOhm.
The output power of the microcircuit allows it to be used in low-power speakers for PCs. It is very convenient to use the chip for stand-alone speakers for a mobile phone, etc.
The amplifier works immediately after switching on and does not require additional adjustment. It is recommended to additionally connect the power supply minus to the heat sink. It is advisable to use all electrolytic capacitors at 25 Volts.

The second circuit is assembled using low-power transistors and is more suitable as a headphone amplifier.

This is probably the highest quality circuit of its kind, the sound is clear, you can feel the entire frequency spectrum. With good headphones, it feels like you have a full-fledged subwoofer.

The amplifier is assembled with only 3 reverse conduction transistors; as the cheapest option, transistors of the KT315 series were used, but their choice is quite wide.

The amplifier can operate at a low-impedance load, up to 4 ohms, which makes it possible to use the circuit to amplify the signal of a player, radio, etc. A 9-volt Krona battery is used as a power source.
The final stage also uses KT315 transistors. To increase the output power, you can use KT815 transistors, but then you will have to increase the supply voltage to 12 volts. In this case, the amplifier power will reach up to 1 Watt. The output capacitor can have a capacity from 220 to 2200 µF.
The transistors in this circuit do not heat up, therefore, no cooling is needed. If you use larger output transistors, you may need small heat sinks for each transistor.

And finally - the third scheme. An equally simple, but proven version of the amplifier structure is presented. The amplifier is capable of operating from reduced voltage to 5 volts, in which case the PA output power will be no more than 0.5 W, and the maximum power with a 12 volt supply reaches up to 2 Watts.

The output stage of the amplifier is built on a domestic complementary pair. The amplifier is regulated by selecting resistor R2. To do this, it is advisable to use a 1 kOhm trimmer. Slowly rotate the regulator until the quiescent current of the output stage is 2-5 mA.

The amplifier does not have high input sensitivity, so it is advisable to use a pre-amplifier before the input.

The diode plays a significant role in the circuit; it is here to stabilize the mode of the output stage.
The output stage transistors can be replaced with any complementary pair of corresponding parameters, for example KT816/817. The amplifier can power low-power stand-alone speakers with a load resistance of 6-8 ohms.

List of radioelements

A simple transistor amplifier can be a good tool for studying the properties of devices. The circuits and designs are quite simple; you can make the device yourself and check its operation, take measurements of all parameters. Thanks to modern field-effect transistors, it is possible to make a miniature microphone amplifier from literally three elements. And connect it to a personal computer to improve sound recording parameters. And the interlocutors during conversations will hear your speech much better and more clearly.

Frequency characteristics

Low (audio) frequency amplifiers are found in almost all household appliances - stereo systems, televisions, radios, tape recorders, and even personal computers. But there are also RF amplifiers based on transistors, lamps and microcircuits. The difference between them is that the ULF allows you to amplify the signal only at the audio frequency that is perceived by the human ear. Transistor audio amplifiers allow you to reproduce signals with frequencies in the range from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

Consequently, even the simplest device can amplify the signal in this range. And it does this as evenly as possible. The gain depends directly on the frequency of the input signal. The graph of these quantities is almost a straight line. If a signal with a frequency outside the range is applied to the amplifier input, the quality of operation and efficiency of the device will quickly decrease. ULF cascades are assembled, as a rule, using transistors operating in the low and mid-frequency ranges.

Classes of operation of audio amplifiers

All amplifying devices are divided into several classes, depending on the degree of current flow through the cascade during the period of operation:

1. Class “A” - current flows non-stop during the entire period of operation of the amplifier stage.
2. In work class "B" current flows for half a period.
3. Class “AB” indicates that current flows through the amplifier stage for a time equal to 50-100% of the period.
4. In mode “C”, electric current flows for less than half the operating time.
5. ULF mode “D” has been used in amateur radio practice quite recently - a little over 50 years. In most cases, these devices are implemented on the basis of digital elements and have a very high efficiency - over 90%.

The presence of distortion in various classes of low-frequency amplifiers

The working area of ​​a class “A” transistor amplifier is characterized by fairly small nonlinear distortions. If the incoming signal spits out higher voltage pulses, this causes the transistors to become saturated. In the output signal, higher ones begin to appear near each harmonic (up to 10 or 11). Because of this, a metallic sound appears, characteristic only of transistor amplifiers.

If the power supply is unstable, the output signal will be modeled in amplitude near the network frequency. The sound will become harsher on the left side of the frequency response. But the better the stabilization of the amplifier's power supply, the more complex the design of the entire device becomes. ULFs operating in class “A” have a relatively low efficiency - less than 20%. The reason is that the transistor is constantly open and current flows through it constantly.

To increase (albeit slightly) efficiency, you can use push-pull circuits. One drawback is that the half-waves of the output signal become asymmetrical. If you transfer from class “A” to “AB”, nonlinear distortions will increase by 3-4 times. But the efficiency of the entire device circuit will still increase. ULF classes “AB” and “B” characterize the increase in distortion as the signal level at the input decreases. But even if you turn up the volume, this will not help completely get rid of the shortcomings.

Work in intermediate classes

Each class has several varieties. For example, there is a class of amplifiers “A+”. In it, the input transistors (low voltage) operate in mode “A”. But high-voltage ones installed in the output stages operate either in “B” or “AB”. Such amplifiers are much more economical than those operating in class “A”. There is a noticeably lower number of nonlinear distortions - no higher than 0.003%. Better results can be achieved using bipolar transistors. The operating principle of amplifiers based on these elements will be discussed below.

But there is still a large number of higher harmonics in the output signal, causing the sound to become characteristically metallic. There are also amplifier circuits operating in class “AA”. In them, nonlinear distortions are even less - up to 0.0005%. But the main drawback of transistor amplifiers still exists - the characteristic metallic sound.

"Alternative" designs

This is not to say that they are alternative, but some specialists involved in the design and assembly of amplifiers for high-quality sound reproduction are increasingly giving preference to tube designs. Tube amplifiers have the following advantages:

1. Very low level of nonlinear distortion in the output signal.
2. There are fewer higher harmonics than in transistor designs.

But there is one huge disadvantage that outweighs all the advantages - you definitely need to install a device for coordination. The fact is that the tube stage has a very high resistance - several thousand Ohms. But the speaker winding resistance is 8 or 4 Ohms. To coordinate them, you need to install a transformer.

Of course, this is not a very big drawback - there are also transistor devices that use transformers to match the output stage and the speaker system. Some experts argue that the most effective circuit is a hybrid one - which uses single-ended amplifiers that are not affected by negative feedback. Moreover, all these cascades operate in ULF class “A” mode. In other words, a power amplifier on a transistor is used as a repeater.

Moreover, the efficiency of such devices is quite high - about 50%. But you should not focus only on efficiency and power indicators - they do not indicate the high quality of sound reproduction by the amplifier. The linearity of the characteristics and their quality are much more important. Therefore, you need to pay attention primarily to them, and not to power.

Single-ended ULF circuit on a transistor

The simplest amplifier, built according to a common emitter circuit, operates in class “A”. The circuit uses a semiconductor element with an n-p-n structure. A resistance R3 is installed in the collector circuit, limiting the flow of current. The collector circuit is connected to the positive power wire, and the emitter circuit is connected to the negative wire. If you use semiconductor transistors with a p-n-p structure, the circuit will be exactly the same, you just need to change the polarity.

Using a decoupling capacitor C1, it is possible to separate the alternating input signal from the direct current source. In this case, the capacitor is not an obstacle to the flow of alternating current along the base-emitter path. The internal resistance of the emitter-base junction together with resistors R1 and R2 represent the simplest supply voltage divider. Typically, resistor R2 has a resistance of 1-1.5 kOhm - the most typical values ​​for such circuits. In this case, the supply voltage is divided exactly in half. And if you power the circuit with a voltage of 20 Volts, you can see that the value of the current gain h21 will be 150. It should be noted that HF ​​amplifiers on transistors are made according to similar circuits, only they work a little differently.

In this case, the emitter voltage is 9 V and the drop in the “E-B” section of the circuit is 0.7 V (which is typical for transistors on silicon crystals). If we consider an amplifier based on germanium transistors, then in this case the voltage drop in the “E-B” section will be equal to 0.3 V. The current in the collector circuit will be equal to that flowing in the emitter. You can calculate it by dividing the emitter voltage by the resistance R2 - 9V/1 kOhm = 9 mA. To calculate the value of the base current, you need to divide 9 mA by the gain h21 - 9 mA/150 = 60 μA. ULF designs usually use bipolar transistors. Its operating principle is different from field ones.

On resistor R1, you can now calculate the drop value - this is the difference between the base and supply voltages. In this case, the base voltage can be found using the formula - the sum of the characteristics of the emitter and the “E-B” transition. When powered from a 20 Volt source: 20 - 9.7 = 10.3. From here you can calculate the resistance value R1 = 10.3 V/60 μA = 172 kOhm. The circuit contains capacitance C2, which is necessary to implement a circuit through which the alternating component of the emitter current can pass.

If you do not install capacitor C2, the variable component will be very limited. Because of this, such a transistor-based audio amplifier will have a very low current gain h21. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that in the above calculations the base and collector currents were assumed to be equal. Moreover, the base current was taken to be the one that flows into the circuit from the emitter. It occurs only if a bias voltage is applied to the base output of the transistor.

But it must be taken into account that collector leakage current absolutely always flows through the base circuit, regardless of the presence of bias. In common emitter circuits, the leakage current is amplified by at least 150 times. But usually this value is taken into account only when calculating amplifiers based on germanium transistors. In the case of using silicon, in which the current of the “K-B” circuit is very small, this value is simply neglected.

Amplifiers based on MOS transistors

The field-effect transistor amplifier shown in the diagram has many analogues. Including using bipolar transistors. Therefore, we can consider, as a similar example, the design of an audio amplifier assembled according to a circuit with a common emitter. The photo shows a circuit made according to a common source circuit. R-C connections are assembled on the input and output circuits so that the device operates in class “A” amplifier mode.

The alternating current from the signal source is separated from the direct supply voltage by capacitor C1. The field-effect transistor amplifier must necessarily have a gate potential that will be lower than the same source characteristic. In the diagram shown, the gate is connected to the common wire via resistor R1. Its resistance is very high - resistors of 100-1000 kOhm are usually used in designs. Such a large resistance is chosen so that the input signal is not shunted.

This resistance almost does not allow electric current to pass through, as a result of which the gate potential (in the absence of a signal at the input) is the same as that of the ground. At the source, the potential turns out to be higher than that of the ground, only due to the voltage drop across resistance R2. From this it is clear that the gate has a lower potential than the source. And this is exactly what is required for the normal functioning of the transistor. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that C2 and R3 in this amplifier circuit have the same purpose as in the design discussed above. And the input signal is shifted relative to the output signal by 180 degrees.

ULF with transformer at the output

You can make such an amplifier with your own hands for home use. It is carried out according to the scheme that works in class “A”. The design is the same as those discussed above - with a common emitter. One feature is that you need to use a transformer for matching. This is a disadvantage of such a transistor-based audio amplifier.

The collector circuit of the transistor is loaded by the primary winding, which develops an output signal transmitted through the secondary to the speakers. A voltage divider is assembled on resistors R1 and R3, which allows you to select the operating point of the transistor. This circuit supplies bias voltage to the base. All other components have the same purpose as the circuits discussed above.

Push-pull audio amplifier

It cannot be said that this is a simple transistor amplifier, since its operation is a little more complicated than those discussed earlier. In push-pull ULFs, the input signal is split into two half-waves, different in phase. And each of these half-waves is amplified by its own cascade, made on a transistor. After each half-wave has been amplified, both signals are combined and sent to the speakers. Such complex transformations can cause signal distortion, since the dynamic and frequency properties of two transistors, even of the same type, will be different.

As a result, the sound quality at the amplifier output is significantly reduced. When a push-pull amplifier operates in class “A”, it is not possible to reproduce a complex signal with high quality. The reason is that increased current constantly flows through the amplifier's shoulders, the half-waves are asymmetrical, and phase distortions occur. The sound becomes less intelligible, and when heated, signal distortion increases even more, especially at low and ultra-low frequencies.

Transformerless ULF

A transistor-based bass amplifier made using a transformer, despite the fact that the design may have small dimensions, is still imperfect. Transformers are still heavy and bulky, so it's better to get rid of them. A circuit made on complementary semiconductor elements with different types of conductivity turns out to be much more effective. Most modern ULFs are made precisely according to such schemes and operate in class “B”.

The two powerful transistors used in the design operate according to an emitter follower circuit (common collector). In this case, the input voltage is transmitted to the output without loss or gain. If there is no signal at the input, then the transistors are on the verge of turning on, but are still turned off. When a harmonic signal is applied to the input, the first transistor opens with a positive half-wave, and the second one is in cutoff mode at this time.

Consequently, only positive half-waves can pass through the load. But the negative ones open the second transistor and completely turn off the first. In this case, only negative half-waves appear in the load. As a result, the signal amplified in power appears at the output of the device. Such an amplifier circuit using transistors is quite effective and can provide stable operation and high-quality sound reproduction.

ULF circuit on one transistor

Having studied all the features described above, you can assemble the amplifier with your own hands using a simple element base. The transistor can be used domestic KT315 or any of its foreign analogues - for example BC107. As a load, you need to use headphones with a resistance of 2000-3000 Ohms. A bias voltage must be applied to the base of the transistor through a 1 MΩ resistor and a 10 μF decoupling capacitor. The circuit can be powered from a source with a voltage of 4.5-9 Volts, a current of 0.3-0.5 A.

If resistance R1 is not connected, then there will be no current in the base and collector. But when connected, the voltage reaches a level of 0.7 V and allows a current of about 4 μA to flow. In this case, the current gain will be about 250. From here you can make a simple calculation of the amplifier using transistors and find out the collector current - it turns out to be equal to 1 mA. Having assembled this transistor amplifier circuit, you can test it. Connect a load to the output - headphones.

Touch the amplifier input with your finger - a characteristic noise should appear. If it is not there, then most likely the structure was assembled incorrectly. Double-check all connections and element ratings. To make the demonstration more clear, connect a sound source to the ULF input - the output from the player or phone. Listen to music and evaluate the sound quality.