AMPLIFIER distortion

Amplifier distortion

• Any signal varying over less than the 360˚ cycle.

• If distortion occurs the output will not be an exact duplicate of the signal.
• Distortion occur because the device characteristics is not linear, in which case
amplitude distortion occurs. It can also occur because the circuit elements
respond to the input signal differently at various frequencies.
 Fourier analysis
• A method that describes any periodic waveform in terms of its
fundamental frequency component and frequency components at
integer multiples.
---these components are called harmonic components or
harmonics.
Harmonic Distortion

• A measure of the amount of power contained in the harmonics of a fundamental

signal. Harmonic distortion is inherent to devices and systems that possess
nonlinear characteristics—the more nonlinear the device, the greater its harmonic
distortion.
• If the fundamental frequency has an amplitude, A1 and the nth frequency
component has an amplitude, An a harmonic distortion can be defined as
Total Harmonic distortion
• When an output signal has a number of individual harmonic distortion components,
the signal can be seen to have to have a total harmonic distortion based on the
individual elements as combined by the relationship of the following equation:

% 𝑇𝐻𝐷 = 𝐷22 + 𝐷32 + 𝐷42 + ∙∙∙ + 𝐷𝑁2 𝑥 100%

Calculate the harmonic distortion components
for an output signal having fundamental
amplitude of 2.5V, second harmonic amplitude
of 0.25V, third harmonic amplitude 0.1V, and
fourth harmonic amplitude of 0.05V.