Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
P1 P2 P3
AP1 AP2
i/p o/p
power power
Fig. 1
Pout Po
Ap or
Pin Pi
For the system shown, if the input power P1 is 1 mW, and the gains of
the two amplifier stages are 10 times and 100 times respectively, then
the final output power, P3, may be determined as follows.
P2
Ap1 ; so P2 Ap1 P1 watt
P1
therefore, P2 10 103 10 mW
P
Ap 2 3 ; so P3 Ap 2 P2 watt
P2
therefore, P3 100 10 103 1 W
From these results it may be seen that the output power of the system is
1000 times that of the input. 1
2 The Decibel and its Usage
P3 1
Ap 3 1000
P1 10
Ap Ap1 Ap 2
In general, when amplifiers (or other devices) are cascaded in this way,
the overall gain (or loss) is given by the product of the individual stage
gains (or losses).
Note: The efficiency of any machine or device is defined as the ratio
of its output power to its input power. However, this does NOT mean
that an amplifier is more than 100% efficient! The reason is that only
the signal input and output powers are considered when quoting the
power gain. No account is taken of the comparatively large amount of
power injected from the d.c. power supply, without which the amplifier
cannot function. In practice, small signal voltage amplifiers will have
an efficiency figure of less than 25%. Power amplifiers may have an
efficiency in the order of 70%.
It is often more convenient to express power gain ratios in a
logarithmic form, known as the Bel (named after Alexander Graham
Bell). Thus a power gain expressed in this way is:
Po
Ap log Bel
Pi
Po
Hence, Ap 10 log decibel (1)
Pi
The unit symbol for the decibel is dB. For the two-stage amplifier
system considered, the power gains would be expressed as follows:
Ap1 10 log 10 10 dB
Ap 2 10 log 100 20 dB
and Ap 10 log 1000 30 dB
Note that the overall system gain, Ap, when expressed in dB is simply
the sum of the individual stage gains, also expressed in dB.
The Decibel and its Usage 3
Worked Example 1
Q A communications system, involving transmission lines and amplifiers, is illustrated in Fig. 2. Each
section of transmission line attenuates (reduces) the signal power by a factor of 35.5%, and each
amplifier has a gain ratio of 5 times. Calculate the overall power gain of the system as (a) a power
ratio, and (b) in decibels.
i/p A A A o/p
Fig. 2
Po
(a) For each line, 0.355
Pi
so, total loss 0.355 0.355 0.355 0.355
0.0159
Po
For each amplifier, 5
Pi
so, total gain 5 5 5 125
therefore, overall gain 125 0.0159
2 times Ans
Worked Example 2
Q
(a) Convert the following gain ratios into dB.
(i) 250, (ii) 50, (iii) 0.4
(b) Convert the following gains and losses into ratios.
(i) 25 dB, (ii) 8 dB, (iii) ⴚ15 dB
V12 V2
P1 watt and P2 2 watt
R R
⎛V 2 ⎞
gain 10 log ⎜⎜⎜ 2 2 ⎟⎟⎟
R
⎜⎝ R V1 ⎟⎠
⎛ V ⎞⎟2
10 log ⎜⎜⎜ 2 ⎟⎟
⎜⎝ V ⎟⎠
1
V2
hence, voltage gain, Av 20 log V1
dB
Also, using the fact that P1 I12 R watt and P2 I 22 R watt it is left to
the reader to verify that:
I2
current gain, Ai 20 log dB (2)
I1
or, Ap Av Ai
gain
Avm
Avm
−
√2
Bandwidth
f1 f2 f(Hz)
Fig. 3
6 The Decibel and its Usage
The cut-off frequencies, f1 and f2, define the bandwidth, and at these
frequencies, the current and voltage gains will be:
Avm Aim
Av and Ai respectively
2 2
Avm Aim Apm
thus Ap
2 2 2
These points on the response curve are therefore referred to as either
the cut-off points, the half-power points, or the 3 dB points.
Worked Example 3
Q An amplifier is fed with a 50 mV, 200 µA signal. The amplifier has a voltage gain of 75 times and a current
gain of 150 times. Determine (a) the voltage, current and power gains, expressed in dB, and (b) the output
voltage, current and power. You may assume that input and output resistances are the same value.
A
V1 50 103 V; I1 200 106 A; Av 75; Ai 150
Worked Example 4
Q An amplifier has a voltage gain of 10 times at a frequency of 150 Hz; 60 times between 2 kHz and
12 kHz; and 15 times at 35 kHz; Determine (a) the voltage gain, expressed in decibel, for each case,
and (b) the voltage gain at the limits of its bandwidth.
A
(a) at 150 Hz: A v 20 log 10 20 dB Ans
at mid-frequencies: A v 20 log 60 35.6 dB Ans
at 35 kHz: A v 20 log 1 5 23.5 dB Ans
(b) The limits of the bandwidth occur when Av is 3 dB down on the mid-
frequency value, or A v A vm / 2 .
P2
10 log 20 dBm
P1
P
log 2 2
P1
P2
antilog 2 100
P1
A
Vi 8.5 V; Vo 2.4 V
VO
attenuation 20 log decibel
Vi
2.4
20 log 20 log 0.2824
8.5
so, attenuation 11 dB Ans
A R1 C
270 Ω
r
40 Ω
Vi R2 VO RL
330 Ω R3 100 Ω
E1 25 V 330 Ω
B D
Fig. 4
A
(a) Using Thévenin’s theorem and looking in at terminals CD the circuit will
appear as shown in Fig. 5.
E
C
R1
270 Ω
R3
Ro
330 Ω
r R2
40 Ω
330 Ω
D
F
Fig. 5
rR2
REF R1 ohm
r R2
40 330
270
40 330
REF 305.68
REF R3 305.68 330
RO ohm
REF R3 305.68 330
RO 158.7
A I R1 C
270 Ω
r 40 Ω
R2 R3
VAB Eo
330 Ω 330 Ω
E1 25 V
B D
Fig. 6
R2 (R1 R3 )
Rr ohm
R2 (R1 R3 )
Total resistance,
330 600
40
330 600
R 252.9
E1 25
I amp 0.0989 A
R 252.9
VAB E1 I r volt 25 (0.0989 40 )
VAB 21.05 V
Resistors R1 and R3 act as a potential divider with VAB applied across them, so
R3 330
EO VAB volt 21.05
R3 R1 600
Ro 158.7 Ω
Vo RL 100 Ω
Eo 11.575 V
Fig. 7
RL 100
VO EO volt 11.575
RL RO 258.7
VO 4.474 V Ans
10 The Decibel and its Usage
R3RL
RGH R1 ohm
R3 RL
330 100
270
330 100
RGH 346.744
RGH R2 346.7 330
Ri ohm
RGH R2 346.7 330
Ri 169.08
A G
Ri
270 Ω
Ri
R2
330 Ω
R3 RL
330 Ω 100 Ω
B
H
Fig. 8
So the circuit is equivalent to that shown in Fig. 9, from which:
r
40 Ω
Ri
Vi 169.08 Ω
E1 25 V
Fig. 9
Ri 169.08
Vi E1 volt 25
Ri r 209.08
so , Vi 20.217 V Ans
VO
(b) attenuation 20 log decibel
Vi
4.474
20 log
20.217
attenuation 13 dB Ans
VO2 4.474 2
(c) PO watt
RL 100
PO 0.2 W Ans