Amplifier

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This article is about electronic amplifiers. For other uses, see Amplifier (disa
mbiguation).
A 100 watt stereo audio amplifier used in home component audio systems in the 19
70s.
Graph of the input {\displaystyle v_{i}(t)\,} {\displaystyle v_{i}(t)\,} (blue)
and output voltage {\displaystyle v_{o}(t)\,} {\displaystyle v_{o}(t)\,} (red) o
f an ideal linear amplifier with an arbitrary signal applied as input. Amplifica
tion means increasing the amplitude (voltage or current) of a time-varying signa
l by a given factor, as shown here. In this example the amplifier has a voltage
gain of 3; that is at any instant {\displaystyle v_{o}=3v_{i}\,} {\displaystyle
v_{o}=3v_{i}\,}
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device t
hat can increase the power of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). An a
mplifier functions by using electric power from a power supply to increase the a
mplitude of the voltage or current signal. An amplifier is effectively the oppos
ite of an attenuator: while an amplifier provides gain, an attenuator provides l
oss.
An amplifier can either be a separate piece of equipment or an electrical circui
t contained within another device. Amplification is fundamental to modern electr
onics, and amplifiers are widely used in almost all electronic equipment. Amplif
iers can be categorized in different ways. One is by the frequency of the electr
onic signal being amplified; audio amplifiers amplify signals in the audio (soun
d) range of less than 20 kHz, RF amplifiers amplify frequencies in the radio fre
quency range between 20 kHz and 300 GHz. Another is which quantity, voltage or c
urrent is being amplified; amplifiers can be divided into voltage amplifiers, cu
rrent amplifiers, transconductance amplifiers, and transresistance amplifiers. A
further distinction is whether the output is a linear or nonlinear representati
on of the input. Amplifiers can also be categorized by their physical placement
in the signal chain.[1]
The first practical electronic device that could amplify was the triode vacuum t
ube, invented in 1906 by Lee De Forest, which led to the first amplifiers around
1912. Vacuum tubes were used in almost all amplifiers until the 1960s 1970s when
the transistor, invented in 1947, replaced them. Today most amplifiers use trans
istors, but vacuum tubes continue to be used in some applications.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Figures of merit
3 Amplifier categorisation
3.1 Active devices
3.1.1 Transistor amplifiers
3.1.2 Vacuum-tube amplifiers
3.1.3 Magnetic amplifiers
3.1.4 Negative resistance devices
3.2 Amplifier architectures
3.2.1 Power amplifier
3.2.1.1 Power amplifiers by application
3.2.1.2 Power amplifier circuits
3.2.2 Operational amplifiers (op-amps)
3.2.3 Differential amplifiers
3.2.4 Distributed amplifiers
3.2.5 Switched mode amplifiers
3.3 Applications
3.3.1 Video amplifiers
3.3.2 Oscilloscope vertical amplifiers
3.3.3 Microwave amplifiers
3.3.3.1 Travelling wave tube amplifiers
3.3.3.2 Klystrons
3.3.4 Musical instrument amplifiers
4 Classification of amplifier stages and systems
4.1 Input and output variables
4.2 Common terminal
4.3 Unilateral or bilateral
4.4 Inverting or non-inverting
4.5 Function
4.6 Interstage coupling method
4.7 Frequency range
5 Power amplifier classes
5.1 Conduction angle classes
5.2 Class A
5.2.1 Advantages of class-A amplifiers
5.2.2 Disadvantage of class-A amplifiers
5.2.3 Single-ended and triode class-A amplifiers
5.3 Class B