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Starting at the grid of the first triode, the signal enters here and is inverted and amplified at the plate. This signal then cascades into a Split Load phase splitter whose balanced outputs drive the output tubes. As in the previous design example, a feedback loop can be tied from output to the first tube's cathode. Now in greater detail, the first stage constitutes a Grounded Cathode amplifier. The signal introduced at the grid is amplified at the plate, but phase inverted. Signal introduced at the triode's cathode is also amplified at the plate, but without phase inversion. If the same signal is simultaneously present on both the grid and cathode, the output will diminish to nearly zero. When the first stage's output swings negatively, the phase splitter's cathode will follow, swinging negatively. As the voltage across the cathode resistor decreases, so too the current through this resistor will decrease and as the phase splitter's plate resistor is in the only current path from cathode to B+, it will experience the same amount of current and, consequently, the same amount of voltage across its leads as the cathode resistor. But as the top lead of the plate resistor is effectively grounded at the power supply connection, when the cathode swings closer to ground (thus decreasing the voltage across the cathode resistor), the plate will be pulled up by the collapsing voltage across the plate resistor. When the first stage's output swings positively, the phase splitter's cathode will still follow swinging positively. As the voltage across the cathode resistor increases, so too the current through this resistor will increase and the phase splitter's plate resistor will experience the same amount of voltage across its leads as the cathode resistor. So when the cathode swings further from ground, thus increasing the voltage across the cathode resistor, the plate will be pushed down by the
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