Article: Amplifier Alphabet Soup: Part I, Basics Of Power Amplifier Classes A, AB, B And C

By Bill Slade, Orban Microwave Products

Modern RF and microwave engineers have many more types of amplifiers at their disposal to suit specific system needs than their predecessors ever dreamed of. Some are optimized for linearity, others for efficiency. Still other types compromise between the two. Classes of amplifiers can more or less be lumped into two groups: the classical controlled conduction angle amplifiers and the so-called "switching" amplifiers. The first group consists of the high-fidelity Class-A and AB operating modes, the class-B and the reduced conduction-angle Class-C amplifier. The switchers include Class-D, E, F and inverse F.