1.

Define feedback and its types

Ans A portion of the output signal is taken from the output of the amplifier and is
combined with the input signal. Positive feedback and negative feedback
There are two types.
 Positive Feedback If the feedback signal is in phase with input signal, then the net
effect of the feedback will increase the input signal given to the amplifier. This type of
feedback is said to be positive or regenerative feedback.
 Negative Feedback: If the feedback signal is out of phase with the input signal, then
the input voltage applied to the basic amplifier is decreased and correspondingly the
output is decreased. This type of feedback is known as negative or degenerative
feedback.
2. What is the purpose of mixer network in feedback amplifier?
Ans The mixer network is used to combine feedback signal and input signal at input of an
amplifier
3. Negative feedback stabilizes the gain justify it?
Ans The output of an amplifier is changed due to variations in ambient temperature,
frequency, and signal amplitude. This changes the gain of the amplifier, resulting in
distortion. However, by applying negative voltage feedback, voltage gain of the
amplifier is stabilized or accurately fixed in value.
4. Define Bandwidth?
Ans Bandwidth of an amplifier is the range or band of frequencies for which the gain
remains constant. BW = f2−f1
5. Why do we prefer to express the gain in dB?
Ans It has the advantage that in a multi-stage circuit the decibel gains of each stage may
be added together instead of being multiplied.
Since the dB scale is a logarithmic, it produces in simple numbers for large-scale
variations in signals.
6. What is meant by cascode configuration?
Ans The cascode amplifier is a combination of common-emitter and common-base
configurations. It has wide bandwidth and a moderately high input impedance.
7. Why gain decreases at high frequency in amplifiers?
Ans The gain of a transistor amplifier falls at high frequencies due to the internal
capacitances of the device. This is because the internal capacitances of the transistor
cause the signal to be attenuated as the frequency increases
8. Which configuration is best in cascade for input stage, output stage and intermediate
stages?
Ans Common emitter has high gain and high input impedance - excellent for cascading at
intermediate stages, Common collector as final stage for good output drive. Common
base as input stage for easier RF matching
9. What are the disadvantages of negative feedback?
Ans Reduction in closed loop gain, increase output impedance incase of voltage sampling
and reduce input impedance incase of shunt mixing.
10. Mention two advantages of cascading in amplifiers?
Ans Increased gain and input, and output impedance flexibility.
11. State Barkhausen criterian?
Ans The Barkhausen criterion states that: The loop gain is equal to unity in absolute
magnitude, that is, |βA| = 1 and the phase shift around the loop is zero or an integer
multiple of 2π radian (180°).
12. Why loop gain of an oscillator should be greater than unity for practical case?
Ans Stability is determined by the loop gain, If the magnitude of the gain exceeds one, it is
usually reduced to one by circuit nonlinearities, so oscillation generally results for
 situations where the gain magnitude exceeds one.
13. Write the difference between RC phase shift and wien bridge oscillators?
Ans Wien Bridge Oscillator RC Phase shift Oscillator
Feedback network does not Feedback network provides 180°
provide 180° phase shift. phase shift.
Amplifier gain |A| >= 3 Amplifier gain |A| >=29
14. What are the advantages of push pull power amplifier?
Ans Harmonic distortion is removed, efficiency is improved
15. What is cross over distortion how it can be eliminated?
Ans Crossover distortion is a type of distortion which is caused by switching between
devices driving a load.
The cross-over distortion in the class B power amplifier is eliminated by the Class AB
power amplifier which uses diodes at the bases of transistors to reduce forward bias
voltage at bases i.e. by biasing the transistors slightly above the cut-off.
16. Define power conversion efficiency?
Ans Power conversion efficiency is defined as the ratio of the output power to the input
power. Mathematically, this is expressed as: η = X100
17. What is the need of cascading Amplifier?
Ans The most common reason for using multistage amplifier is to increase the gain of the
amplifier in applications where the input signal is very small, for instance in radio
receivers single stage has insufficient gain by itself.
18. What is the effect of nonlinear distortion in amplifiers?
Ans Nonlinear distortion occurs when an amplifier fails to reproduce the output waveform
as an exact replica of the input waveform. In such cases the non-linearity of the
amplifier results in distortion in the amplitude, frequency, and phase of the output
waveform.
19. Why h-parameter analysis is not used at high frequencies?
Ans The values of h-parameters are constant at high frequencies. So it is necessary to
analyze the transistor at each and every frequency, which is impractical. At high
frequencies h-parameters are complex in nature.
20. What is the main advantage of using Transformer coupling over R-C coupling?
Ans An excellent impedance matching is provided.
Higher gain.
There will be no power loss in collector and base resistors.
21. What is the efficiency of class A power amplifier?
Ans Efficiency of direct coupled class-A power amplifier is 25 %.
Efficiency of transformer coupled power amplifier is 50 %.
22. What are the differences between cascading and cascading?
Ans Cascade amplifier: Transistors amplifiers are connected in series.
Cascode amplifier: Transistors amplifiers are connected in parallel.
23. What are the advantages of Darlington circuit?
Ans Extremely high input impedance (MΩ). Extremely high current gain and very low
output impedance (a few Ω).
24. Define gain bandwidth product of an amplifier?
Ans The gain bandwidth product of an amplifier is the product of bandwidth and gain at
which the bandwidth is measured.
25. What are the advantages of feedback amplifier?
Ans Improves gain stability by negative feedback.
Reduce noise and distortion by negative feedback.
Input resistance can be increased by selective configuration.
 Output resistance can be reduced.
26. Why blocking capacitor is used between two stages of amplifiers for coupling?
Ans The coupling capacitor prevents DC interference between the stages, while allowing
the AC signal to pass from one stage to another and controls the shift of operating
point.
27. What are the merits and demerits of direct coupling?
Ans Advantage
Direct coupled amplifier can amplify very low frequency signals down to zero
frequency.
The circuit cost is low because of the absence of expensive coupling components.
The direct coupled amplifier has a excellent frequency response.
Disadvantage:
The output changes with the time and change in supply voltage.
The direct coupled amplifier cannot amplify high frequency signals.
It has poor temperature stability, due to this its operating point shifts.
28. In feedback amplifiers? Name the amplifier if both input and output is current?
Ans Current shunt feedback Amplifier
29. In feedback amplifiers? Name the amplifier if both input and output is voltage?
Ans Voltage series feedback Amplifier
30. Define the feedback factor?
Ans This is defined as the ratio of feedback signal to the output signal.
β = Xf/XO. Xf and XO may be voltage or current signals.
31. What is meant by frequency stability in oscillator?
Ans The frequency stability of an oscillator can be defined as a measure of its ability to
maintain a constant frequency over a long time interval.
32. What are the applications and advantages of class C push-pull amplifier?
Ans The Class C amplifier is used in applications like RF oscillators, RF amplifier, FM
transmitters, Booster amplifiers, High frequency repeaters and Tuned amplifiers.
The main advantage of the Class C amplifier is, it has a Lowest physical size for a
given power output.
33. What is the need of power amplifier?
Ans The power amplifier is an essential electronic component in nearly all microwave and
millimeter-wave applications, and in any transmitting system, with the aim to
increase the power level of the signal at its input up to a predefined level at its output.
34. Write the principal of class C power amplifier.
Ans Class C power amplifier is a type of amplifier where the active element (transistor)
conducts for less than one-half cycle of the input signal. They are used in high-
frequency oscillators and amplification of Radio Frequency signals. Class C amplifiers
generally contain a tuned load that filters and amplifies input signals of a certain
frequency
35. What is the difference between voltage amplifier and power amplifier?
Ans Voltage amplifiers rise the level of input voltage whereas power amplifier rises the
level of power. But voltage amplifier operates at low input voltage signal (mV) whereas
power amplifier operates at high input voltage (2 to 4V).
36. Why heat sink is necessary in case of power transistor?
Ans Heat sinks are used for power transistors as the power dissipated at their collector
junction is large. If heat dissipation is not done, this will cause large increases in
junction temperature.
37. What are various types of distortion present in power amplifier?
Ans Nonlinear distortion, Frequency, and phase distortion
38. What is an oscillator? How does it differ from an amplifier?
Ans An amplifier is an electronic circuit which gives output as amplified form of
input. Oscillators is an electronic circuit which gives output without application of
input.
39. Comment on the maximum efficiency of class-B amplifier operation.
Ans Class B push-pull amplifier employs two identical transistors with input signals
applied to two stages that are 180° apart from each other. The transistor to be
operated in class B mode is kept at the cut off bias and current in this state will be
equal to zero. The maximum efficiency of the class B amplifier is 78.5%.
40. Define harmonic distortion.
Ans Harmonic distortion is the presence of frequencies in the output of a device that are
not present in the input signal and are multiples of components of the input signal.
41. What is the effect of lower cut-off frequency and upper cut-off frequency with negative
feedback?
Ans Lower cutoff frequency with feedback is less than lower cutoff frequency without
feedback by factor (1+Aβ) and Upper cutoff frequency with feedback is greater than
upper cutoff frequency without feedback by factor (1+Aβ)
42. The distortion in an amplifier is found to be 3%, when the feedback ratio of negative
feedback amplifier is 0.04. When the feedback is removed, the distortion becomes
15%. Find the open and closed loop gain.
Ans β = 0.04 Distortion with feedback = 3%,
Distortion without feedback = 15% D = 15/3 = 5.
Where D = 1+Aβ =5
43. Voltage gain of an amplifier without feedback is 60dB. It decreases to 40dB with
feedback. Calculate the feedback factor.
Ans Av = 60dB and Avf = 40 dB. We know that, Av f = AV /[1+ AVβ] β = (AV- AVf) / ( AVAvf) =
(60-40) / (60*40) β= 0.00833.
44. Give the comparison between RC and LC oscillators.
Ans RC oscillators LC oscillators
Frequency of oscillations is dependent Frequency of oscillations is dependent on
on values of R and C values of L and C
These are used at low and medium These are preferred at high frequencies
frequencies
Phase shift and wein bridge oscillators Hartley, colpitt’s and clapp oscillators are
are the examples of RC oscillators the examples of LC oscillators
45. Write down the comparison of RC oscillators
Ans RC Phase shift oscillator Wein bridge oscillator
Consists of three identical RC sections Uses wien bridge circuit as feedback
connected in cascade network
Phase shift introduced by the feedback Phase shift introduced by the feedback
network: 1800 at frequency of network: 00 at frequency of oscillations.
oscillations.
β = 1/29, and A>29 for sustained β = 1/3, and A> 3 for sustained
oscillations oscillations
46. What are the features of power amplifier?
Ans Impedance matching to deliver maximum power to the load.
Need power transistors to withstand large voltages and current.
Power amplifiers are bulk.
Harmonic distortions occur due to non-linear character of transistors.
47. Comparison of Push Pull & Complementary Symmetry circuits
Ans Push Pull Power Amplifier Complementary Symmetry
 Both should be of NPN or PNP type One is PNP and other is NPN
Transformers used at both i/p & o/p Transformers is not required
circuits
Impedance Matching: is possible due to Impedance Matching is Possible due to
use of two transformers operation of transistors in
Complementary Symmetry configuration
Conduction Angle 1800 Conduction Angle 1800
Both transistors Operates in CE mode Both transistors Operates in CC mode
Zero Power dissipation when no input is Zero Power dissipation when no input is
present present
48. Why do you cascade the amplifiers?
Ans The voltage/power gain or frequency response obtainable from a single stage amplifier
is usually not sufficient to meet the needs of either a composite electronic circuit or
load device, so cascading of amplifiers is required to provide greater voltage or current
amplification or both.
49. How do you improve the gain of an R-C coupled amplifier at low frequencies?
Ans The voltage gain of an R-C coupled amplifier at low frequencies can be improved by (i)
selecting very large coupling and bypass capacitors so that their reactance is small (ii)
making (Rs + RB) ≪ (RC + RL) and (iii) selecting transistor with small h ie.
50. What are the main characteristics of cascode amplifier?
Ans The main characteristics of cascode amplifier are high input impedance. the same
voltage gain as that of a CE amplifier but very low input capacitance so as to provide
good high-frequency operation.