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Description
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Switch-mode audio power amplifiers are becoming increasingly popular due to their smaller size, lower weight, and improved efficiency. Their advantages are obvious in low power battery operated personal audio players and laptop computers. However they are also progressively displacing more traditional linear designs in mainstream applications such as home entertainment systems, automotive sound systems, and professional installations where high quality audio is important. Measuring the performance of switch-mode amplifiers presents some new and unique challenges. They inherently generate ultra-sonic artifacts and spurious signals with slew rates that can provoke non-linear behavior within the input stages of high quality audio test and measurement equipment. Absolutely worthless and inaccurate results can result unless effective measures are taken to prevent this non-linear behavior. Written by Bruce Hofer. |
