Showing posts with label power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label power. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Build Power Amplifier LM3876 Simply and Powerfull Power Amplifier

The chip on which the amplifier is based, a Type LM3876, is a member of the Overture family from National Semiconductor, All members of this family are pin-compatible and mutually interchangeable. They are typified by an internal protection (called SPIKE). In practice, the diftection ference between them is the power output. The series was described on the basis of the LM3886 in an earlier issue*.

The PCB has been designed so what it can accommodate the LM3876 (50W) as well as the LM3886 (150W). Because of this, pin5 of the IC on the board is connected to the positive supply line. This connection is not needed for the LM3876, since its pin5 is not (internally) connected (NC).

The IC is located at the side of the board to facilitate fitting it to a heat sink as shown in the photograph.

An important aspect for optimum performance is the decoupling of the unregulated supply lines by C 7-10. All earth connections go to a single terminal on the board.

Air-cored inductor L1 consists of 13 turns of 1mm dia. enamelled copper wire with an inner diameter of 10mm. The completed inductor is pushed over R7 and its terminals soldered to those of the resistor.

All electrolytic capacitors must be mounted upright. The amplifier can be muted with a single-pole switch connected to the MUTE input (pin8). This function is enabled when the switch is open. If muting is not required, solder a wire bridge across the mute terminals on the board.

Boucherot network R6-C6 is not normally required in this application, but provision has been made for it for use in other applications.

According to the manufacturers, both chips are optimalized for a load of 8 Ohm. The output power is lower when a 4 Ohm load is used or when the supply voltage is reduced. When a 4 Ohm load is used, the SPIKE protection becomes active when the supply voltage is about 27V, resulting a in a reduction of the power output to 10W. This means that it is not advisable to use loudspeaker with an impedance <8 ohm.

For best result you can expand power amplifier using BPA-200 Amplifier



Part listResistor:
R1, R3 = 1 k
R2, R4, R5 = 18k
R6 = see text
R7 = 10R, 5 Watt
R8, R9 = 22k

Capacitors:
C1 = 2.2 uF
C2 = 220 uF, 160 V
C3 = 22 uF, 40 V
C4 = 47 pF
C5 = 100 uF, 40 V
C6 = see text
C7, C8 = 100 nF
C9, C10 = 1000 uF, 40 V

Inductors:
L1 = 0.7 uH - see text

Integrated circuits:
IC1 = LM3876T

Miscellaneous:
Heat sink for IC1 <1.5 k w-1
Single-pole switch - see text



Schematic and PCB Layout LM3876
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Thursday, November 6, 2014

Power Supply Failure Alarm

Most of the power supply failure indicator circuits need a separate power-supply for them-selves. But the alarm circuit presented here needs no additional supply source. It employs an electrolytic capacitor to store adequate charge, to feed power to the alarm circuit which sounds an alarm for a reasonable duration when the mains supply fails. During the presence of mains power supply, the rectified mains voltage is stepped down to a required low level.

Power Supply Failure Alarm Circuit Diagram:

Alarm

A zener is used to limit the filtered voltage to 15-volt level. Mains presence is indicated by an LED. The low-level DC is used for charging capacitor C3 and reverse biasing switching transistor T1. Thus, transistor T1 remains cut-off as long as the mains supply is present. As soon as the mains power fails, the charge stored in the capacitor acts as a power-supply source for transistor T1. Since, in the absence of mains supply, the base of transistor is pulled ‘low’ via resistor R8, it conducts and sounds the buzzer (alarm) to give a warning of the power-failure.

With the value of C3 as shown, a good-quality buzzer would sound for about a minute. By increasing or decreasing the value of capacitor C3, this time can be altered to serve one’s need. Assembly is quite easy. The values of the components are not critical. If the alarm circuit is powered from any external DC power-supply source, the mains supply section up to points ‘P’ and ‘M’can be omitted from the circuit.

Following points may be noted:
1. At a higher  DC voltage level, transistor T1 (BC558) may pass some collector-to-emitter leakage current, causing a continuous murmuring sound from the buzzer. In that case, replace it with some low-gain transistor. 
2. Piezo buzzer must be a continuous tone version, with built-in oscillator. To save space, one may use five small-sized 1000µF capacitors (in parallel) in place of bulky high-value capacitor C3.

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Thursday, October 23, 2014

Power Supply Variable 1 3V 12 2V 1A Circuit

Power supply circuit to generate output below were variations between 1.3V DC to 12.2V DC with 1A current. In addition, the power supply circuit is also equipped with over-current protection or shield against belebih flow. Power supply circuit is very simple, but the quality is quite good, made her basiskan regulator IC LM723 is a pretty legendary.




1.3V


Description:

R2 to set the output voltage. The maximum current is determined by R3, over-current protection circuit inside the LM723 to detect the voltage on R3, if it reaches 0.65 V, the voltage output will be off her. So the current through R3 can not exceed 0.65 / R3 although output short-circuit in his.

C3 and C4 are ceramic capacitors, as much as possible directly soldered to the PCB, this is because the LM723 is prone to oscillation that is not cool.

LM723 works with 9.5V input voltage to 40 V DC and the LM723 can generate its own current of 150mA when the output voltage is not more than 6-7V under input voltage.



Specifications:

Output (value estimated):
Vmin = (R4 + R5) / (R5 * 1.3)
Vmax = (7.15 / R5) * (R4 + R5)
Imax = 0.65/R3
Max. Power on R3: 0.42/R3
Min. DC Input Voltage (pin 12 to pin 7): Vmax + 5



Component List:
B1 40V/2.5A
C1 2200uF (3300uF even better)
C2 4.7uF
C3 100nF
C4 1NF
C5 330nF
C6 100uF
Green LED D1
D2 1N4003
F1 0.2A F
F2 2A M
IC1 LM723 (in a DIL14 plastic package)
R1 1k
R2 Pot. 5k
R3 0.56R/2W
R4 3.3k
R5 4.7k
S1 250V/1A
T1 2N3055 on a heatsink 5K / W
TR1 220V/17V/1.5
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Friday, October 10, 2014

Power Amplifier OCL 50W by 741 2N3055 MJ2955 with PCB

This is old circuit Power amp OCL, But easy circuit and very nice. To use for play music in your home. It low cost too. It use IC 741 or LF351(good) and Transistor x 4 (2N3055+MJ2955+BD139+BD140) and little component. Power supply volt +35V/-35V and 3A for Mono, 5A for Stereo.


Circuit Power Amp OCL by 741+2N3055+MJ2955

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Thursday, September 18, 2014

High Power Amplifier 300W





                                                                             PCB
P

For many application theres no substitute for sheer power- low efficiency speakers, outdoor sound systems, or maybe you like the full flavour of the dynamic range of a high power amp. Whatever your requirement-this super power module should fit the bill. How it works: The amplifier can be divided into three separate parts. These are : the input stage, which consists of Q1-Q9 , a high gain, low power driver; the output or power stage- witch only has a voltage gain of four but enormous power gain; and the power supply. The input stage is a complementary -differential network, each side with its own current source.

Each transistor in this stage is run at a collector currant of about 0.7mA. Emitter resistors are employed to stabilize the gain and improve linearity. The output of Q1-Q5 drives Q7 and Q9. The latter are virtually two constant-current sources run about 7mA collector current. With an input signal these current sources are modulated out of phase - the collector current of one decreases while the other increases. This configuration provides quite an amount of gain. In between the bases of these two transistors is Q8, the thermal sensing-bias transistor. The voltage across Q8 may be adjusted by TR1, thus setting the quiescent bias current for output stage. The output stage, Q10-Q11, Q13-Q14 and Q16-17, has a gain of about five, set by R44 and R28 plus R29. Diodes D4 and D6 prevent reverse biasing of Q10 and Q11 (otherwise the output would be limited).

Protection of the output transistors is provided by Q12 and Q15 which monitor both current and voltage in the output transistors and bypass the base current if the limit is exceeded. Frequency stabilization provided by capacitors C6, C11, C12 and the RC networks R31/C10 plus R46/C15. Frequency response of the amplifier is set by C1 and C7 (lower limit), C6 sets the upper frequency limit. If you want use the Protection DC and Balance/Bridge circuits. All the transistors that are inside the interrupted line are placed on an aluminium corner and he screwed on a suitable heatsink. The transistors Q7,Q10,Q11, Q8, Q9, Q13,Q14,Q16 and Q17 placed on this aluminium corner, with suitable isolation from this.[ETI 4/80].
SPECIFICATIONS
POWER OUTPUT
200W rms/8 ohm

310W rms/4 ohm

800W rms/8 ohm (Bridge mode)
FREQUENCE RESPONSE
20HZ-20KHZ +/-0.5dB
INPUT SENSITIVITY
1V for 200W/300W
HUM AND NOISE
-105dB
THD
<0.1%
DAMPING FACTOR
65
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Saturday, September 13, 2014

New Automatic Load Sensing Power Switch

This schema will automatically switch on several mains-powered "slave" loads when a "master" load is turned on. For example, it will switch on the amplifier and CD player in a stereo system when the receiver is turned on. It works by sensing the current draw of the "master" device through a low value high wattage resistor using a comparator. The output of that comparator then switches on the "slave" relay. The schema can be built into a power bar, extension cord or power center to provide a convenient set of "smart" outlets that switch on when the master appliance is powered (turn on the computer monitor and the computer, printer and other peripherals come on as well).

New Automatic Load Sensing Power Switch Circuit Diagram



New

Parts


Part            


  Total Qty.


Description



C1, C3               2               10uF 35V Electrolytic Capacitor
C2     1               1uF 35V Electrolytic Capacitor
R1     1               0.1 Ohm 10W Resistor
R2     1               27K 1/2W Resistor
R3, R4     1               1K 1/4W Resistor
R5     1               470K 1/4W Resistor
R6     1               4.7K 1/2W Resistor
R7     1               10K 1/4W Resistor
D1, D2, D4     3               1N4004 Rectifier Diode
D3     1               1N4744 15V 1 Watt Zener Diode
U1     1               LM358N Dual Op Amp IC
Q1     1               2N3904 NPN Transistor
K1     1               Relay, 12VDC Coil, 120VAC 10A Contacts
S1     1               SPST Switch 120AVC, 10A
MISC     1               Board, Wire, Socket For U1, Case, Mains Plug, Socket
Notes
  • This schema is designed for 120V operation. For 240V operation, resistors R2 and R6 will need to be changed.
  • A maximum of 5A can be used as the master unless the wattage of R1 is increased         S1 provides a manual bypass switch.
  • THis schema is not isolated from the mains supply. Because of this, you must exercise extreme caution when working around the schema if it is plugged in.
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Monday, September 8, 2014

LM12 High Power Amplifier circuit

LM12This is an amplifier circuit using ic LM12 as the main amplifier. This amplifier has a 150Watt power output and has a 4 ohm impedance. These amplifiers have a classified high output power. The frequency response of 10Hz to 30KHz. Supply Voltage at least 9 Volt and 50 Volt CT.

See schematic Below :

schematic
Schematic High Power amplifier with LM12
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Sunday, September 7, 2014

6 18 Volt audio power amplifier

audio
This time I will post about the audio amplifier based on IC KA2204. In an audio amplifier circuit has a power output that can also be referred to as a low-grade resources that have only 6 Watts output with 4 Ohm impedance. Frequency response 30 Hz to 18 kHz . For the scheme can be seen below.





Supply
Supply voltage and a maximum of at least 6 Volt to 18 Volt

Part List
R1 =  56R
C1 = 1uF
C2 = 220uF
C3 = 100uF
C4 = 47uF
C5 = 1000uF
C6 = 100nF
C7 = 470pF
C8 = 22pF
C9 = 47uF
C10 = 47pF



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Sunday, August 31, 2014

5 Volt power Supply



This is 5 volt power supply schema diagram.This schema regulates 5V.Input voltage is 6V to 12V.






Parts

# LM7805
# 100nF condensators
# 100uF condensator
# 10uF condensator
# N4002 diode
# LED
# 470 Ohm resistor
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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Simple 0 50V 2A Bench Power Supply Circuit Diagram

I use the lm10 IC because it has a reference voltage and that’s useful for dc power supply. With two ICs can take different output voltage and amperage. This circuit is protected from short circuit.P2 is for controlling the current at the range of 0-2A. Stabilize the output voltage with R4 on negative pin on op-amp and with R2 & P1 on positive pin. 

0-50V 2A Bench Power Supply Circuit Diagram

Simple 0-50V 2A Bench Power Supply Circuit Diagram
 
 Op-amp output controls T1 that not let ripple of voltage.T1 increase or decrease ampere of R6 and control the voltage of T5 & T4. Pin 1 is the reference voltage and reference voltage is losing some voltage on R1 that has 100uA . This current passes through P1 too.
Vlose p1=100uA*Rp1

This lose voltage regulate output voltage rate of output current is compare between reference voltage of P3 and lose voltage on R11.T3 is protecting short circuit with R11. For reduce out put voltage to 0v should parallel one resistor 470 ohm in out put. Minimum voltage is 0.4v. The maximum output voltage is fixed with R1b and should not become over of 50v. Therefore your transformer should give 36V, 3A with 4700uF capacitor. T6, T5, T7 need heatsilk.

Simple 0-50V 2A Bench Power Supply Circuit Diagram pcb


R1a = 2,2 K
R1b = read the text
R2 = 10 K
R3, R7 = 3.3 k
R4 = 390 Ohm
R5 = 47 K
R6 = 3.3 K 1Watt
R8 = 180 Ohm
R9, R10 = 0.47 Ohm 3Watt
R11 = 0.075 Ohm 2Watt
R12 = 470 Ohm
P1 = 500K liner potentiometer
P2 = 4.7 K potentiometer
P3 = 10 K potentiometer
C1 = 1nF
C2 = 10nF
C3 = 22nF
C4 = 47mF 63v electrolytic
C5 = 4700mF 80v electrolytic
T1, T2 = BC161
T3, T4 = BD141
T5 = BD241
T6, T7 = 2V3055
D1, D2 = 1N4148
D3, D4 = 1N4001
IC1, IC2 = LM10C
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Friday, December 20, 2013

Medium Power Inverter Circuit Diagram

In this Medium Power Inverter Circuit Diagram, a CMOS inverter, such as the CD4069, is used to convert the open drain Lx output to a signal suitable for driving the gate of an external P MOSFET. The MTP8P03 has a gate threshold voltage of 2.0 V to 4.5 V, so it will have a relatively high resistance if driven with only 5 V of gate drive. 

To increase the gate drive voltage, and thereby increase efficiency and power handling capability, the negative supply pin of the CMOS inverter is connected to the negative output, rather than to ground. Once the circuit is started, the P MOSFET gate drive swings from +5 V to -Vour· At start up, the -Vour is one Schottky diode drop above ground and the gate drive to the power MOSFET is slightly less than 5 V. 

Medium Power Inverter Circuit Diagram

Medium Power Inverter Circuit Diagram
 

The output should be only lightly loaded to ensure start up, since the output power capability of the circuit is very low until -VoUT is a couple of vults. This circuit generates complementary output signals from 50 to 240 Hz. Digital timing control ensures a separation oflO to 15° between the fall time of one output and the rise time of the complementary output. The digital portion of inverter Ul to U4 controls the drive to Q1 and Q2, both MTE60N20 TMOS devices. 

These devices are turned on alternately with 11.25° separation between complementary outputs. A +12-V supply for CMOS gates U1 to U4 is developed by T1, D3, D4, C7, and U6. The power supply for the TMOS frequency generator is derived from the diode bridge, U5, and capacitor C7; it is applied to the center tap of T2.
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Thursday, December 19, 2013

13 8Vdc 2A Regulated Power Supply Circuit Diagram

This 13.8Vdc 2A Regulated Power Supply Circuit Diagram consists of step-down transformer Tl, a full-wave rectifier bridge (D1 through D4), and a filtering regulator circuit made up of Cl, C2, Rl, R2, R8, D5, and Ql, When 120 Vac is provided, the neon-lamp assembly LI lights up, and transformer Tl changes 120 Vac to about 28 Vac. 

The rectifier bridge, )1 through D4, rectifies the ac into pulsating dc, which is then filtered by Cl. Capacitor Cl acts as a storage capacitor. Zener diode 1)5 keeps the voltage constant across the base of Darlington regulator Ql, causing constant voltage across resistor R3 and the (+) and (-) output terminals, where the load is connected. Fuse F2 is used to open (blow), if the current through the output terminals is too high. Make sure to take proper precautions when using projects powered by 120 Vac.

 13.8Vdc 2A Regulated Power Supply Circuit Diagram


13.8Vdc 2A Regulated Power Supply Circuit Diagram

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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Soft Start For Switching Power Supply

Switching power supply whose output voltage is appreciably lower than its input voltage has an interesting property: the current drawn by it is smaller than its output current. However, the input power (UI) is, of course, greater than the output power. There is another aspect that needs to be watched: when the input voltage at switch-on is too low, the regulator will tend to draw the full current.

When the supply cannot cope with this, it fails or the fuse blows. It is, therefore, advisable to disable the regulator at switch-on (via the on/off input). until the relevant capacitor has been charged. When the regulator then starts to draw current, the charging current has already dropped to a level which does not overload the voltage source.

Circuit diagram:

Soft Start Circuit Diagram For Switching Power Supply

Soft Start Circuit For Switching Power Supply

The circuit in the diagram provides an output voltage of 5 V and is supplied by a 24 V source. The regulator need not be disabled until the capacitor is fully charged: when the potential across the capacitor has reached a level of half or more of the input voltage, all is well. This is why the zener diode in the diagram is rated at 15 V. Many regulators produced by National Semiconductor have an integral on/off switch, and this is used in the present circuit.

The input is intended for TTL signals, and usually consists of a transistor whose base is accessible externally. This means that a higher switching voltage may be applied via a series resistor: the value of this in the present circuit is 22 kΩ. When the voltage across the capacitor reaches a level of about 17 V, transistor T1 comes on, whereupon the regulator is enabled.
Source: National Semiconductors
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Saturday, October 5, 2013

Up Down Timer For A Power Antenna

This up/down timer was designed to control a power antenna on a late-model vehicle. Normally, this vehicle uses a body computer to control the antenna. However, the person who owned the vehicle wanted to install his own high-powered audio stereo system. The original stereo system was tied in with the body computer and this meant that a separate antenna controller was required for the after-market sound system. Also, the power antenna fitted did not have limit switches inside, hence the need for a timed control circuit. Heres how the circuit works. first, assume that the radio antenna control output is not switched on - ie, the radio is switched off.

In that case, relay RLYC will be off and so relay RLYA will also be off, as is the motor. Conversely, when the radio is switched on, the radio antenna control output line switches to +12V. And when that happens, RLYC closes its contacts and applies power to the circuit. As a result, C2 (330OF) quickly charges via D4, while Q4 is biased on via D5 and R5. This ensures that Q3 and relay RLYB remain off. At the same time, Q2 is is turned on, thus turning on RLYA and applying power to the motor. This drives the antenna in the up direction. During this time, C1 charges via R2.

Up and down timer for a power antenna circuit schematic

When the voltage across the capacitor reaches +8.1V, Q1 turns on via ZD1 and so Q2 turns off and switches off the relay - ie, this gives the "up" timeout. Using the values shown for C1, R2 and ZD1 gives an "up" duration of approximately 6 seconds - long enough to fully extend the antenna. D1 discharges C1 (via resistor R1) when the +12V supply is later removed. When the radio is switched off (or a CD placed into the stereo unit), the radio antenna control output switches back to 0V. This does several things: first, it turns Q4 off and this allows Q3 to turn on due to the stored charge in C2. Q3 and RLYB now turn on for about six seconds - ie, while C2 discharges via R4 - and this switches power to the motor in the opposite direction to drive the antenna down. Diodes D4 and D5 are there to prevent C2 from discharging back via the circuitry around on Q1 and Q2.
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Thursday, October 3, 2013

Computer Power Supply for Battery Charger

Some workbenches can’t help ending up looking like a rats nest of cables and equipment, so its always an advantage if a piece of mains equipment can be removed from somewhere to free up an extra mains socket. Here we are using the ubiquitous PC as a battery charger. An unused serial interface port can supply enough current to charge (or trickle charge) low-capacity Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) batteries. You could for example, use the batteries in a radio and charge them during use.

PC Battery Charger Circuit Diagram1

The three serial port connections TxD, DTR, and RTS, when not in use, are at –10 V and can supply a current of around 10 to 20mA (they are short-circuit protected). The circuit shown supplies a charging current of approximately 30mA. If it is necessary to alter the polarity of the charging circuit then it is a simple job to reverse the diodes and using software, switch the port signals +10 V. Those interested could also write a software routine to automatically recharge the batteries.

Source : www.extremecircuits.net

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Monday, September 30, 2013

ATX Power Switch Substitute

An additional push-button switch is normally required for the ATX Power Switch/Soft Power Switch signal, but you can do without it if you use this simple circuit. It is an artful design, but it has been repeatedly tested. The zener diode is intended to provide protection against excessive voltages and reverse-polarity connection. In the latter case, the resulting short-circuit current (approximately 1A) will exceed the allowable limit and cause the ATX power supply to shut down after around five seconds. It might be possible to use a smaller capacitor; this must be tested experimentally in actual use.

ATX Power Switch Substitute circuit diagramIf the motherboard documentation is poor, you should verify the earth pin using a continuity tester. The resistor is only needed if you want to be able to switch on the PC within ten seconds after switching it off. It discharges the capacitor quickly enough to make this possible. With a 1-kΩ resistor, the time constant is around 0.5 s. Since the capacitor also tends to stabilize the voltage, this circuit could also help in situations in which the ATX power supply switches off unintentionally due to voltage fluctuations on the PWR Supply On line.
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Friday, September 27, 2013

Variable DC Power Supply Circuit Diagram

Voltage Range: 0.7V to 24V, Current Range: 50mA to 2A

A variable dc power supply is one of the most useful tools on the electronics hobbyists workbench. This circuit is not an absolute novelty, but it is simple, reliable, "rugged" and short-proof, featuring variable voltage up to 24V and variable current limiting up to 2A. You can adapt it to your own requirements as explained in the notes below.

Circuit Diagram :

Variable DC Power Supply Circuit Diagram

Variable DC Power Supply Circuit Diagram

Parts:

P1 = 500R
P2 = 10K
R1 = 2.2K-1/2w
R2 = 2.2K-1/2w
R3 = 330R
R4 = 150R
R5 = 1R-5W
C1 = 35V-3300uF
D1 = 1N5402
D2 = 1N5402
D3 = 5mm Red Led
C2 = 63V-1uF
Q1 = BC182
Q2 = BD139
Q3 = BC212
Q4 = 2N3055
SW1 = SPST Mains Switch
T1 = 36VCT-Transformer

Notes:

  • P1 sets the maximum output current you want to be delivered by the power supply at a given output voltage.
  • P2 sets the output voltage and must be a logarithmic taper type, in order to obtain a more linear scale voltage indication.
  • You can choose the Transformer on the grounds of maximum voltage and current output needed. Best choices are: 36, 40 or 48V center-tapped and 50, 75, 80 or 100VA.
  • Capacitor C1 can be 2200 to 6800µF, 35 to 50V.
  • Q4 must be mounted on a good heatsink in order to withstand sustained output short-circuit. In some cases the rear panel of the metal box in which you will enclose the circuit can do the job.
  • The 2N3055 transistor (Q4) can be replaced with TIP3055 type.

Source : www.redcircuits.com

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Monday, September 23, 2013

Very Low Dropout Adjustable Breadboard Power Supply

This project details the design of a very low dropout adjustable power supply. A good power supply is essential to electronic projects. While there are many existing designs for adjustable power supplies, this one makes improvements that make it more useful for hobby designs

Very Low Dropout Adjustable Breadboard Power SupplyMIC2941 regulator has guaranteed 1.25A output
Low dropout, only 40mV - 400mV compared to 1.25V - 2.0V for LM317. This means you can use a wider range of output voltages including generating 3.3V from as low as 3.7V (such as 3 AAs or a lithium ion battery)!
Short circuit and overheating protection
Input diode to protect circuitry from negative voltages or AC power supplies.
2.1mm DC jack and terminal connector for voltage inputs
Two indicator LEDs for high and low voltages
Output selection switch to select from 3.3v, 5v and Adjustable
On-board potentiometer for adjusting voltage from 1.25V up to within 0.5V of the input voltage. (20V max)
On/Off switch for entire board
Very Low Dropout Adjustable Breadboard Power Supply Circuit Diagram
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Saturday, September 21, 2013

High Power Headphone Amplifier Using BD139 40

Firstly, Id like to stress that the intended use of this circuit is only one of many possible applications. Apart from the obvious usage as a headphone amplifier, the circuit can be used for a range of applications where a wide bandwidth low power amplifier is needed. Some of the options include ...
  • Reverb drive amplifier - ideal for low and medium impedance reverb tanks
  • High current line driver - suitable for very long balanced lines
  • Low power speaker amplifier - better performance than small integrated amps
  • ... and of course, a headphone amp.
In short, the amp can be used anywhere that you need an opamp with more output current than normally available. Since most are rated for around ±20-50mA, general purpose opamps are not suitable for driving long cables or anywhere else that a relatively high output current is needed.

As a headphone amplifier, this design is very similar to others on the ESP site, but the main difference is that this one (and P70) has been built and fully tested. The design is fairly standard, and every variation was checked out before arriving at the final circuit. A photo of the prototype is shown below, and at only 64 x 38mm (2.5 x 1.5 inches) it is very small - naturally, the heatsink is not included in the dimensions.

The amplifier is capable of delivering around 1.5W into 8 ohm headphones, and 2.2W into 32 ohms - this is vastly more than will ever be needed in practice. The use of a 120 Ohm output resistor is recommended, as this is supposed to be the standard source impedance for headphones. Unfortunately, many users have found that their phones perform better when driven from a low impedance source.

High Power Headphone Amplifier circuitPrototype Headphone Amplifier

The circuit is based on an opamp, with its output current boosted by a pair of transistors. Distortion is well below my measurement threshold at all levels below clipping into any impedance. Noise is virtually non-existent - even with a compression driver held to my ear, I could barely hear any, and I couldnt hear any with headphones.

WARNING
Headphones are rated in dB SPL at 1mW, and this amplifier (like many other similar headphone amps) is capable of producing extreme SPLs. The levels obtainable are sufficient to cause almost instantaneous permanent hearing damage! Never operate the amp at very high levels, and never switch the amplifier on with signal while wearing you headphones.

Always start with the volume control at minimum, and gradually increase the level until it is comfortable, but not too loud. Because of the very low distortion, it is easy to increase the level too far without noticing. Your ears are precious - safeguard them at all times.

Note the warning above - this is serious. Most headphones are capable of at least 94dB SPL at 1 mW, with some as high as 107dB SPL. Even 10mW is enough to create sound levels capable of causing hearing damage, so you must be very careful to avoid damaging levels.

Continuous dB SPLMaximum Exposure Time
858 hours
884 hours
912 hours
941 hour
9730 minutes
10015 minutes
1037.5 minutes
106< 4 minutes
109< 2minutes
112~ 1 minute
115~ 30 seconds
Table 1 - Maximum Exposure to SPL

Note that the exposure time is for any 24 hour period, and is halved for each 3dB SPL above 85dB. The above shows the accepted standards for recommended permissible exposure time for continuous time weighted average noise, according to NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control). Although these standards are US based, they apply pretty much equally in most countries - hearing loss does not respect national boundaries.

Description

The amplifier itself is fairly conventional, and is very similar to another shown on this site (see Project 24). This amplifier does not include the active volume control, because in general it is far easier to get a good log pot (or simply fake the pots law as described in Project 01). Likewise, it does not include the cross-feed described in Project 109. If this is desired, it is very easy to implement on a small piece of tag board, or even sky hook the few components off the bypass switch. Full details of how to do this will be included in the construction guide when PCBs are available.

The output transistors are biased using only resistors, rather than constant current sources. Extensive testing showed that using current sources made no discernible difference to performance, but increased the complexity and PCB size. Using separate caps for each biasing diode does make a difference though - and although it is relatively minor, the use of the two caps is justified IMHO.

The bias diodes should be 1N4148 or similar - power diodes are not recommended, as their forward voltage is too low. This may result in distortion around the crossover region, where one transistor turns off and the other on. As shown, crossover distortion is absolutely unmeasurable with the equipment I have available.

Prototype Headphone AmplifierFigure 1 - Headphone Amplifier Circuit Diagram

Above is the schematic of one channel. Resistors and caps use the suffix R for the right channel. The second half of the dual opamp powers the right channel. Note that the volume control shown is optional, and is not on the PCB. If needed, it may be mounted in a convenient location and the output connected to the inputs of the board as shown. D1 and D2 (L and R) are 1N4148 or similar.

One of the reasons the amp is so quiet is that the entire board runs from a regulated supply, so hum (in particular) is eliminated. Although an unregulated supply can be used, this is not recommended. The supply should be separate from that used for your preamp, because of the relatively high current drawn by the amplifier (at least with low impedance phones). A P05 preamp supply can be used, and will ensure optimum performance.

The prototype amplifier has flat frequency response from 10Hz to over 100kHz. Distortion is below my measurement threshold with any level or load impedance, and output impedance is almost immeasurably low. Your headphones may be designed to operate from a 120Ω source impedance (many are), so this may be added if it improves sound quality. Adding any series resistance will reduce the available power, but it is already far greater than you can use. Without series resistance, the minimum power into various load impedances is given below (based on ±15V supplies).

ImpedancePower (Direct)120 Ohm Feed
8 Ohms1.5 W35 mW
32 Ohms2.2 W99 mW
65 Ohms1.1 W136 mW
120 Ohms595 mW149 mW
300 Ohms238 mW121 mW
600 Ohms119 mW82 mW
Table 2 - Output Power Vs. Impedance

This is not especially comprehensive, but will cover the majority of headphones in common use. In all cases, the available power is more than needed ... not so you can damage your hearing, but to allow adequate headroom for transients.

Construction

While it may be possible to build it using Veroboard or similar, there is a high risk that it will oscillate because of the very wide bandwidth of the amplifier. A capacitor may be added in parallel with R4 (L and R) to reduce the bandwidth if stability problems are encountered. Although I used an NE5532 opamp for the prototype, the circuit will also work with a TL072, but at reduced power. You may also substitute an OPA2134 or your favorite device, taking note of the following ...
opamp pinoutThe standard pinout for a dual opamp is shown on the left. If the opamps are installed backwards, they will almost certainly fail, so be careful.

The suggested NE5532 opamp was used for the prototype, and performance is exemplary. Devices such as the TL072 will be quite satisfactory for most work, but if you prefer to use ultra low noise or wide bandwidth devices, that choice is yours.

Construction is fairly critical. Because of the wide bandwidth of the NE5532 and many other audio grade opamps, the amplifier may oscillate (the prototype initially had an oscillation at almost 500kHz), so care is needed to ensure there is adequate separation between inputs and outputs. Even a small capacitive coupling between the two may be enough to cause problems.

As shown in the photo, this amplifier needs a heatsink. While it can operate without one at low power using high impedance headphones, you need to plan for all possibilities (after all, you may purchase low impedance phones sometime in the future). The heatsink does not need to be massive, and the one shown above is fine for normal listening levels. An aluminium bracket may be used to attach to the chassis - I recommend 3mm material. Note that the heatsink should always be earthed (grounded).

The output transistors must be insulated from the heatsink. Sil-Pads™ are quite suitable because of the relatively low dissipation, but greased mica or Kapton can be used if you prefer. If you use the suggested 3mm aluminium, you can drill and tap threads into the heatsink, removing the need for nuts.

Testing

Connect to a suitable power supply - remember that the supply earth (ground) must be connected! When powering up for the first time, use 56 ohm "safety" resistors in series with each supply to limit the current in case you have made a mistake in the wiring. These will reduce the supply voltage considerably because of the bias current of the output transistors.

If the voltage at the amplifier supply pins is greater than ±6V and the output voltage is close to zero, then the amplifier is probably working fine. If you have an oscilloscope, check for oscillation at the outputs ... at all volume control settings. Do this without connecting your headphones - if the amp oscillates, it may damage them.

Once you are sure that all is well, you may remove the safety resistors and permanently wire the amplifier into your chassis.
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Thursday, September 12, 2013

Tracking Battery Charger IC Supports Solar Power Systems

Individual solar-panel systems produce dc power for remote applications while also storing energy in a rechargeable battery supported by a battery-charger IC. In non-utility grid applications solar panels produce dc power for emergency roadside telephones, navigation buoys, and other remote loads. Virtually all 12-V-system solar panels comprise a series of photovoltaic cells that have a maximum output power of less than 25 W.
Power-Tracking Battery-Charger IC Supports Solar-Power Systems
In producing this power the solar-panel system uses a battery to provide power when the panel is “dark.” The rechargeable battery can supply power for long periods of time, requiring a charger that can properly operate a solar panel. Meeting this need is Linear Technology’s LT3652 monolithic buck-charger IC, which operates with a single solar panel.

The IC uses average-current-mode control-loop architecture to provide constant current/constant voltage (CC/CV) charge characteristics with a programmable charge current. The charger can be programmed to produce a 14.4-V float voltage. Housed in a 3- × 3-mm DFN-12 package, the IC can charge a variety of battery configurations, including up to three Li-Ion/Polymer cells in series, up to four Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) cells in series, and sealed lead-acid batteries up to 14.4 V.
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