Class D amplifiers are a special class called a switching amplifier. It is made up of transistor switches rather than a real linear amplifier. This amplifier chops the input analog signal into high-frequency pulses with a varying width. This process is called pulse width modulation (PWM). The square wave audio signal to be amplified is sent to one input of a special amplifier called a comparator along with a higher-frequency triangle wave. The resulting PWM signal is then fed to MOSFET switches to make the signal bigger. The higher amplitude output it then filtered back into an analog signal by a low-pass filter (LPF) made up of a capacitor and inductor. Most class D amplifiers are audio PAs whose load is a speaker or headphone. For low power less than a few watts, all the circuitry is in a single IC. For higher power, the MOSFETs are larger external devices.
Get Answers For Free
Most questions answered within 1 hours.