Linear vs. AE Techron Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode Amplifiers
AE Techron introducted the 8700 Series Switch-Mode Ultra-Wide-Bandwidth, High-Power Switch-Mode Amplifiers.
Unlike traditional switch-mode amplifiers with a ripple frequency between 80 kHz and 100 kHz, the 8700 series has an effective switch frequency of 1 MHz.This ultra-high-frequency switching gives the 8700 amplifier many benefits over both linear (dissipative) amplifiers and traditional switch-mode amplifiers. The most obvious benefit from a higher switching frequency is wider bandwidth. The AE Techron 8700 series amplifiers are the only high-power switch-mode amplifiers with a bandwidth that extends to 250 kHz.
Linear vs. AE Techron Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode Amplifiers |
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Linear Amplifiers Linear amplifiers tend to be good at producing power at lower frequencies, but at higher frequencies can run into slew-rate limits and/or shoot-through currents that reduce long-term power as frequency increases. |
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Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode AmplifiersSwitch-mode amplifiers provide full power at all frequencies. But before now, frequencies were typically limited to only a few kHz. With the wide-band AE Techron amplifiers, switch-mode benefits are available up to 250 kHz. |
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Linear Amplifiers Linear amplifiers work best when driving loads that are resistive. When loads become inductive or capacitive, returned power is turned into heat, causing long-term power to be reduced. Depending on the load, power ratings can be reduced by 60% or more. |
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Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode AmplifiersSwitch-mode amplifiers work well into all loads. When loads become inductive or capacitive, the returned power is reused. This characteristic allows AE Techron switch-mode amplifiers to have apparent power ratings that are as much as 4X greater than rated power. |
Linear AmplifiersLinear amplifiers tend to be best at driving loads that have a narrow range of impedances. But even at their optimum impedance, linear amplifiers are not as energy efficient as switch-mode amplifiers. |
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Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode AmplifiersSwitch-mode amplifiers are power converters, highly efficient at moving power from one voltage level to a different one. This characteristic makes them a good choice when load impenances are varied. |
Linear AmplifiersWhen the lowest possible noise is needed, there is no substitute for a linear amplifier. AE Techron linear amplifiers are leaders in this category, able to achieve THD+N performance as low as 0.01%. |
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Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode AmplifiersTraditionally, switch-mode amplifiers are a trade-off between efficiency and a much higher THD and ripple noise in the output signal. AE Techron switch-mode amplifiers, while still having greater THD+N than a linear amplifier, have dramatically reduced this difference between the topologies. |
Linear AmplifiersUntil now, linear amplifiers have been the only option at frequencies above 10 kHz.Large, energy hungry, expensive, heat producing—but the only option. |
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Wide-Bandwidth Switch-Mode AmplifiersWith the introduction of the 8000 Series, there is an alternative to linear amplifiers at frequencies above 10 kHz. 8000 Series amplifiers offer switch-mode efficiency, linear amplifier bandwidth and fidelity, and they are more cost-effective than any other option.
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