DC-coupling of tube stages

revintage · 6th May 2009, 11:38 AM

Below are four of many possible solutions of DC-coupling a driver to an output tube in a SE-poweramp.

The anode is DC-connected to the grid of the presceding stage.

To keep bias potential OK (no need to bother about tube-aging) a CVS(gyrator) is used instead of a CCS.

But are they really DC-connected

? One must take a close look at the PSU´s to determine.

What do you think?

revintage · 7th May 2009, 06:23 AM

Hey MJK,
Want your comment on this as it concerns the same topology we are both building

.

Shoog · 7th May 2009, 07:14 AM

I hate to see such awful wastefullness on the cathode of the output stage. I tend to use a negative rail for theinput stage and DC couple without the huge cathode in the output.

Shoog

revintage · 7th May 2009, 09:46 AM

Hey Shoog,

Check again, there is only waste in ONE of the circuits

.

The others are a smart way to get rid of the input transformer you use, by just moving the ground connection.

But the question isn´t about waste, it is about if DC-connections really are DC, as the other pole through the PSU must be taken in account.

Shoog · 7th May 2009, 10:02 AM

I see what you mean - clever work. Still needs two power supplies which is a bit of a pain.
I am not really qualified to answer your question, but I think they are DC coupled because the two +B in your circuit are effectively at AC ground.

One observation I would make is that those CCS can take a brutal burst of voltage on switch on and many are not up to the job. I had to use the IXY 900V chips in my Tabor clone.

Shoog

revintage · 7th May 2009, 10:17 AM

Quote:

One observation I would make is that those CCS can take a brutal burst of voltage on switch on and many are not up to the job.

Sorry my mistake, there should be a RC link added from B+ to CVS. In this particular case the CVS only needs to be fed by 250-300V. DN2540 is what I stock and they can take 400V.

jueic · 7th May 2009, 10:42 AM

OldEurope has an interesting circuit for DC coupling.

http://coupling-triode.blogspot.com/

OldEurope's circuits surprise me from time to time.. this is one of
them.

revintage · 7th May 2009, 10:46 AM

Quote:

OldEurope has an interesting circuit for DC coupling.

Hi Jueic,

Sorry, that one had nothing to do with the subject. It is still about the PSU pole, not the DC-coupling between tubes.

jueic · 7th May 2009, 12:02 PM

Hi, Revintage

Are we reading the same thing ?? or my english reading is out of wack ?

By looking at T3, the input feeds thru PLATE, and the output taken from CATHODE.. the coupling tube works as a diode which
has an adjustable plate voltage set by cathode resistor (sort of auto-bias).

Maybe you are right, the OldEurope's circuit adds one more tube stage in-between..it is not pure DC-coupled. but it does not need
the coupling cap we normally have.

To me, it is really an interesting circuit.

revintage · 7th May 2009, 12:14 PM

Hi,
OK, get your point. Still it is not about what I want to discuss here

.

My question and idea is that there seldom are such things as DC-coupling as the pole through the PSU in fact mostly is cap-coupled. In other words we are fooling ourselves

!

One have to use a cap-free, lowZ series- or shunt-regulated PSU to achieve this.

7th May 2009, 06:23 AM	#2
revintage diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	Hey MJK, Want your comment on this as it concerns the same topology we are both building.

7th May 2009, 12:14 PM	#10
revintage diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	Hi, OK, get your point. Still it is not about what I want to discuss here. My question and idea is that there seldom are such things as DC-coupling as the pole through the PSU in fact mostly is cap-coupled. In other words we are fooling ourselves! One have to use a cap-free, lowZ series- or shunt-regulated PSU to achieve this.

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7th May 2009, 07:14 AM	#3
Shoog diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Eire	I hate to see such awful wastefullness on the cathode of the output stage. I tend to use a negative rail for theinput stage and DC couple without the huge cathode in the output. Shoog

7th May 2009, 09:46 AM	#4
revintage diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	Hey Shoog, Check again, there is only waste in ONE of the circuits . The others are a smart way to get rid of the input transformer you use, by just moving the ground connection. But the question isn´t about waste, it is about if DC-connections really are DC, as the other pole through the PSU must be taken in account.

7th May 2009, 10:02 AM	#5
Shoog diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Eire	I see what you mean - clever work. Still needs two power supplies which is a bit of a pain. I am not really qualified to answer your question, but I think they are DC coupled because the two +B in your circuit are effectively at AC ground. One observation I would make is that those CCS can take a brutal burst of voltage on switch on and many are not up to the job. I had to use the IXY 900V chips in my Tabor clone. Shoog

7th May 2009, 10:42 AM	#7
jueic diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Taipei	OldEurope has an interesting circuit for DC coupling. http://coupling-triode.blogspot.com/ OldEurope's circuits surprise me from time to time.. this is one of them.

7th May 2009, 12:02 PM	#9
jueic diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Taipei	Hi, Revintage Are we reading the same thing ?? or my english reading is out of wack ? By looking at T3, the input feeds thru PLATE, and the output taken from CATHODE.. the coupling tube works as a diode which has an adjustable plate voltage set by cathode resistor (sort of auto-bias). Maybe you are right, the OldEurope's circuit adds one more tube stage in-between..it is not pure DC-coupled. but it does not need the coupling cap we normally have. To me, it is really an interesting circuit.