CAPITOL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Cagayan de Oro City

ELECTRONICS 1 & CIRCUITS 1

Project
Proposal

I.

Introduction
a. Rationale
In our modern world today, audio amplifiers are very common and very
familiar to the public. Amplifiers are used to increase the amplitude of a signal
waveform, without any change to other parameters of the waveform such as
frequency or wave shape. In laymans terms an amplifier picks up a weak signal
and converts it into a strong one, basically making the sound output clearer. Also,
this electronic device are one of the most commonly used circuits in electronics
and perform a variety of functions in a great many electronic systems. Electronic
systems

include

home

audio

systems,

concert

and

theatrical

sound

reinforcement and public address systems. Audio amplifiers are designed

somewhat like loudspeakers. Audio amplifiers has its main purpose to enhance
the volume of the sound output and to improve clarity.
This project is focused on the assessment of audio amplifiers as well as
the outlining the procedures on building an audio amplifier circuit. It is also
meaningful to know how an audio amplifier actually works within the process
itself.

b. Problem Statement
This project is required to reach the task of constructing a circuit
containing of at least two (2) transistors and can be a use in our modern day
world. It is also requires to meet and touch the topics covered in Electronics 1
and Circuits 1.

c. Scope and Limitation

This project has a limited budget due to the lack of members within a
group. It also is limited to circuits that contain at least two (2) transistors and that
encompasses the previous lessons taught in Circuits 1 and Electronics 1. This
project contains capacitors, resistors, semiconductors and transistors namely;
1N4148 diodes, 1K and 100K resistors, 47 uF and 470 uF capacitors, 2N3904,
2N2905A and 2N3053 transistors, a 9 V DC power supply, and a 8 watt speaker.
The following project is only applies to the EcE students that have classes in
Circuits 1 and Electronics 1.

II.

Review of Related Literature

Transistors

Some of the most powerful transistor applications involve amplification:

turning a low power signal into one of higher power. Amplifiers can increase the
voltage of a signal, taking something from the V range and converting it to a
more useful mV or V level. Or they can amplify current, useful for turning the A
of current produced by a photodiode into a current of much higher magnitude.
There are even amplifiers that take a current in, and produce a higher voltage, or
vice-versa. Transistors are a key component to many amplifying circuits.
All types of Transistor Amplifiers operate using AC signal inputs which
alternate between a positive value and a negative value so some way of
presetting the amplifier circuit to operate between these two maximum or peak
values is required. This is achieved using a process known as Biasing. Biasing is
very important in amplifier design as it establishes the correct operating point of
the transistor amplifier ready to receive signals, thereby reducing any distortion to
the output signal.

Capacitors
Most capacitors found in audio equipment aren't used for coupling or
power supplies, but for signal shaping. These smaller caps vary in quality as
much as electrolytic and can benefit just as much from upgrading. A capacitor
blocks DC, so it can be used to pass a signal (e.g. audio, etc) without its DC level
interfering with the DC bias of a transistor. The DC offset of the input signal can
be at any level and the transistor amplifier will treat it the same way.
Capacitors are used to couple each stage of an amplifier to the next, to
help remove ripple voltages from rectified AC power supplies and they are also
used to tune circuits to get the required frequency response, such as a tone
control in an audio amplifier, or an RF or IF amplifier in a radio receiver front-end.
Capacitors are also used to bypass emitter resistors to improve the voltage swing
and lower the AC output impedance of class A amplifier stages, and also used in
negative feedback loops to stabilize an amplifier's open-loop gain.

Diodes

A diode is an electronic component that, in general, will pass current in

only one direction (there are a few exceptions like zener and current regulator
diodes). They are used in virtually every piece of electronic equipment. In head
units, they are virtually always used across the power input terminals to protect
the head unit in case of reverse polarity (hooking the power wires up backwards).
In amplifiers, they are used as rectifiers to convert AC to DC. In a large
percentage of audio equipment, Zener diodes are used as voltage regulators. In
alarm systems, rectifier diodes are commonly used to isolate 2 trigger sources.
For a general purpose rectifier diode... when the voltage on the anode is
more positive than the voltage on the cathode, current will flow through the diode.
If the voltage is reversed, making the cathode more positive, then current will not
flow through a rectifier diode (unless the peak reverse voltage rating is
exceeded).

Speakers

When people refer to "amplifiers," they're usually talking about stereo

components or musical equipment. But this is only a small representation of the
spectrum of audio amplifiers. There are actually amplifiers all around us. You'll
find them in televisions, computers, portable CD players and most other devices
that use a speaker to produce sound.
Powered speakers, also known as self-powered speakers and active
speakers, are loudspeakers that have built-in amplifiers. They can be connected
directly to a mixing console or other low-level audio signal source without the
need for an external amplifier. Active speakers may have greater fidelity, less
intermodulation distortion (IMD), higher dynamic range and greater output sound
pressure level (SPL) with fewer blown drivers.[1] Disadvantages include heavier
loudspeaker enclosures, reduced reliability due to active electronic components
within, and the need of a source of electrical power (other than the audio signal).

Resistors

In high-end audio equipment, careful selection of resistors is one of the

best ways to avoid or minimize noise and distortion in the signal path. This paper
describes the noise generation in resistors manufactured using the various
available resistor technologies and quantifies the noise insertion typical for each
type.
Noise is an unwanted wide spectrum signal that may be superimposed on
any useful signal, including DC. Resistors, like other passive components, are
noise

sources to

various

degrees, depending

upon

resistance

value,

temperature, applied voltage, and resistor type. Resistors come under passive
electronic components and are extensively used in electronic circuits. So
important are these components that it may be virtually impossible to build an
amplifier circuit without involving resistors. Basically the function of a resistor is

always to oppose the flow of current through it and the strength of this opposition
is termed as its resistance.

III.
IV.
V.
VI.

Design and Design Considerations

Data and Data Analysis
Conclusion and Recommendation
Bibliography
http://ezinearticles.com/?Importance-of-Amplifiers&id=3239136
http://www.learnabout-electronics.org/Amplifiers/amplifiers10.php
http://www.ece.umd.edu/class/enee417.S2005/report/report7.pdf
http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/electrical/people/ruihong.chu/UserFiles/File/
elec3404%20Term%20Project%202011.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/damigo88/audio-amplifier-prj