Power bandwidth


The power bandwidth of an amplifier is sometimes taken as the frequency range for which the rated power output of an amplifier can be maintained to at least half of the full rated power.
It should not be confused with "half-power" bandwidth, only used in conjunction with filter frequency response curves, where it refers to -3dB points in the frequency response of a band-pass filter.
Data sheets for operational amplifiers often use the term power bandwidth to indicate the highest frequency at which the achievable peak-to-peak output voltage swing is still equal to the DC output voltage range. This is also sometimes described as the slew-rate-limited bandwidth. The full-power bandwidth is then related to the slew rate in volts per micro second and the voltage swing by
where is expressed in hertz. In data sheets for commonly available operational amplifiers, slew rate is usually given in volts per microsecond.

Specifying power bandwidth

Power bandwidth may be specified as a frequency range or as a graph.