Editing Line driver (section)

{{short description|Type of electrical circuit}}
{{distinguish|text = [[line drive]], a type of batted ball in baseball or softball}}
[[File:Philips BDP3280-12 - Texas Instruments DRV632-1777.jpg|thumb|Texas Instruments DRV632 - DirectPath, 2-VRMS Audio Line Driver with Adjustable Gain]]

A '''line driver''' is an electronic [[amplifier]] circuit designed for driving a load such as a [[transmission line]].  The amplifier's [[output impedance]] may be matched to the [[characteristic impedance]] of the transmission line.

Line drivers are commonly used within [[Digital electronics|digital]] systems, e.g. to communicate digital signals across circuit-board traces and cables.<ref name=bishop>{{cite book|last1=Bishop|first1=Owen|title=Electronics - Circuits and Systems|date=2011|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781136440434|page=250|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PdEsBgAAQBAJ&q=%22line+driver%22+termination+characteristic+impedance&pg=PA250|accessdate=18 April 2016}}</ref>

In [[Analogue electronics|analog]] [[Sound recording and reproduction|audio]], a line driver is typically used to drive [[line-level]] analog signal outputs, for example to connect a [[CD player]] to an amplified speaker system.<ref name=bishop/>