Hi, I am thinking to use this LT3045 board (LT3045 Dual Channel Positive Voltage DC Power Supply Low Noise High Precision Linear Stabilizer Upgrade DAC - AliExpress) to build regulated power supply with batteries.
Target usage:
5v DAC (powered by USB type C, 3W max) by using one LT3045 board with parallel output
12v Tube preamp (should be less than 1A) by using another LT3045 board with parallel output
Before go ahead, I would like to seek some advices here. I hope you can share your valuable advice as I am pretty new to DIY hifi stuffs.
Questions:
1. Does it make sense to you at all for the target usage?
2. Which battery type is better (i.e. having lower noise)? NiMH or Li ion?
3. Can NiMH provide enough current for LT3045?
4. For 5V output, what would be the ideal DC input voltage?
5. For 12V output, what would be the ideal DC input voltage?
6. Any linear regulaor that is bette than LT3045 for my target usages?
Thanks a lot for your advice.
Target usage:
5v DAC (powered by USB type C, 3W max) by using one LT3045 board with parallel output
12v Tube preamp (should be less than 1A) by using another LT3045 board with parallel output
Before go ahead, I would like to seek some advices here. I hope you can share your valuable advice as I am pretty new to DIY hifi stuffs.
Questions:
1. Does it make sense to you at all for the target usage?
2. Which battery type is better (i.e. having lower noise)? NiMH or Li ion?
3. Can NiMH provide enough current for LT3045?
4. For 5V output, what would be the ideal DC input voltage?
5. For 12V output, what would be the ideal DC input voltage?
6. Any linear regulaor that is bette than LT3045 for my target usages?
Thanks a lot for your advice.
The Ampere rating is often at the board's lowest voltage. What matters is how much power is drawn... P=U*I but not every often specified.... and how many volts are dropped over the regulator - also missing in specs... all this adds to losses = heat. Input voltage extra compared to out need to be so high (> 0,3V?) that the regulator can do a really good job (> 1V) but not too high (< 2V) as it increases losses.
1) DAC 3W=5V*0,6A - 0,3A/LT: OK, 12W=12V*1A - 0,5A/LT a little to much I think. Both are near the limit - not a really ideal situation.
I dont think this is a good idea. The regulators are so good that you dont need any batteries - a really good SMPS that has perhaps some passive filtering or even a course regulator to get to the ideal voltage for the final ones is a much better alternative from many perspectives.
2) Doesn't matter really here
3) Yes, by far - but check specs...
4) 7V (if higher, loss increases and heat build up even more than from the load current)
5) 14V (if higher, loss increases and heat build up even more than from the load current)
6) No, maybe...
Are you sure that the output can be parallel connected for double current capacity?
Batteries are cumbersome as they need to be charged - the load need to be removed as you charge at higher voltage and would increase the loss/heating situation even further if you choose to keep the load connected during charging - your charger is probably very noisy so while charging, the performance would degrade.
How to get batteries that output 7V and 14V?
If you go ahead, it will/could work but it will get hot and you will hate when the batteries run out... so:
Which batteries are you looking at?
Complete automatic charging solutions that don't degrade performance (double battery banks that are switched, one charging, one connected to load) are not simple...
//
1) DAC 3W=5V*0,6A - 0,3A/LT: OK, 12W=12V*1A - 0,5A/LT a little to much I think. Both are near the limit - not a really ideal situation.
I dont think this is a good idea. The regulators are so good that you dont need any batteries - a really good SMPS that has perhaps some passive filtering or even a course regulator to get to the ideal voltage for the final ones is a much better alternative from many perspectives.
2) Doesn't matter really here
3) Yes, by far - but check specs...
4) 7V (if higher, loss increases and heat build up even more than from the load current)
5) 14V (if higher, loss increases and heat build up even more than from the load current)
6) No, maybe...
Are you sure that the output can be parallel connected for double current capacity?
Batteries are cumbersome as they need to be charged - the load need to be removed as you charge at higher voltage and would increase the loss/heating situation even further if you choose to keep the load connected during charging - your charger is probably very noisy so while charging, the performance would degrade.
How to get batteries that output 7V and 14V?
If you go ahead, it will/could work but it will get hot and you will hate when the batteries run out... so:
- I'd skip the batteries
- Get LT3045 boards that meet the current requirmemet at the voltages by a factor 2, so: 12V/2A and 5V/1A - check with supplier!
Which batteries are you looking at?
Complete automatic charging solutions that don't degrade performance (double battery banks that are switched, one charging, one connected to load) are not simple...
//
Thanks a lot for your reply. Looks like it should work.
I am thinking to use these for the input:
Charging will be using standard external charger. I am not going to build any internal charger. I will replace the batteries with a different set of fully charged ones when it runs out of power.
In terms of input voltage setup, it would be either multiples of 1.2v (for NiMH batteries) or multiples of 3.7v (for Li ion batteries) depends what type I picked.
Standard 1.2v AA type NiMH or 3.7v 18650 Li ion
The reasons I am thinking of using batteries are:
1) I don't want to deal with high voltage transformer (yet) as I think it is a bit dangerous. I need to find a very good box for the high voltage transformer for me to feel comfortable.
2) I want the most stable power supply for my DAC (mainly). Looks like battery should be ideal (and I only need small power supply).
Thanks again for your reply. Hmm.. I need to think again before I proceed as I don't want the battery to run hot.
Yes, if you do it as in the datasheet by using common SET pin resistor and ballast resistors. Connecting the outputs of 2 independent LT3045 regulators most likely does not work as expected.
Looks like someone already built it. Assembeld 4X LT3045 In Parallel battery regulator DC5V linear power supply for Audio - AliExpress
They said they use 4 chips and it supports 2A.
They said they use 4 chips and it supports 2A.
You could use two 1A LT3045 regs, and then parallel them together as per below, for a total of close to 2A. I installed this combo inside the Roland Super UA-S10 used as a DAC & headphone amp combo for my HD650... with brilliant results. So, yeah... go ahead and try the LT3045.
Side note: I also replaced the 5532 driver OPAmp (in front of TPA6120A2), with my favourite - the AD8066 (see the photos below)
Anyway... the overall audio quality is 99% power supply quality...1% everything else.
Good luck.
That was designed according to datasheet: common SET resistor and output ballast resistors.
Wow... nice work. You really make me feel positive about my plan.
In your case, did you change the power input source in order to fit the input voltage for the LT3045? I am still thinking if I should use batteries or not.
Yes.
The USB interface came with a 9V Roland SMPS. It was one of a better-performing SMPSs. Roland did a good job here... as far as the SMPS go.
I am now using a 14V linear power supply, with LT3045 regulators set for 9.4V exactly. So, a fair bit of drop across LT3045 (and heat dissipation) - hence why I decided to use the 2A combo. But the sound is just sublime. Unbelievable difference between the SMPS, and what I implemented.
The USB interface came with a 9V Roland SMPS. It was one of a better-performing SMPSs. Roland did a good job here... as far as the SMPS go.
I am now using a 14V linear power supply, with LT3045 regulators set for 9.4V exactly. So, a fair bit of drop across LT3045 (and heat dissipation) - hence why I decided to use the 2A combo. But the sound is just sublime. Unbelievable difference between the SMPS, and what I implemented.