The TDA7052, with its minimal requirement of external components, seems to offer an attractive alternative to the popular LM386 in applications where high power and very high audio quality are not priorities.
Its limitation is in the power dissipation which is already 0.91W with a 6V supply and an 8Ω load. That's about the maximum for a small DIP package and makes it impractical for operation from, say, a 12V supply with an 8Ω load.
Does anyone know of a type with the same minimal requirement for external components but with provision to mount it on a small heatsink, such as one in a TO-220 package?
- No output coupling capacitor
- No Zobel network
- No ripple filter capacitor for the low-power stage
- Potentially twice the output power for the same power supply and load impedance
Its limitation is in the power dissipation which is already 0.91W with a 6V supply and an 8Ω load. That's about the maximum for a small DIP package and makes it impractical for operation from, say, a 12V supply with an 8Ω load.
Does anyone know of a type with the same minimal requirement for external components but with provision to mount it on a small heatsink, such as one in a TO-220 package?
Thanks for the reply.
I'm familiar with the TDA2030. I've built some amplifiers with it and have often come across it in existing products. It's a nice chip, easy to use, cheap and available everywhere. But it still needs several external components, especially for single supply operation.
To reiterate, what I'm looking for is
The TDA7056 matches these requirements exactly except that the peak output current limit is 1A which can be exceeded with 12V/8Ω BTL.
EDIT: Just checked out the TDA7056A and TDA7056B. The maximum current rating has been increased to 1.25A and tha datasheet includes operation at 12V/8Ω whereas the plain TDA7056 is rated for 1A and shown only with 11V/16Ω. This is better. But the A/B versions also have DC volume control which needs an extra couple of components. I guess I can live with that.
I'm familiar with the TDA2030. I've built some amplifiers with it and have often come across it in existing products. It's a nice chip, easy to use, cheap and available everywhere. But it still needs several external components, especially for single supply operation.
To reiterate, what I'm looking for is
- mono IC that can be used at 12V with 8Ω with provision for mounting on a heatsink
- BTL output (to obviate the need for an output capacitor)
- no Zobel network
- fixed internal gain (to obviate the need for a feedback network)
- few or no external parts for biasing.
The TDA7056 matches these requirements exactly except that the peak output current limit is 1A which can be exceeded with 12V/8Ω BTL.
EDIT: Just checked out the TDA7056A and TDA7056B. The maximum current rating has been increased to 1.25A and tha datasheet includes operation at 12V/8Ω whereas the plain TDA7056 is rated for 1A and shown only with 11V/16Ω. This is better. But the A/B versions also have DC volume control which needs an extra couple of components. I guess I can live with that.
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Thanks for your interest.
I'm familiar with the LM1875. It's identical with the TDA2030 as far as the package, pin functions and external parts requirement are concerned.
What I'm looking for - maybe I should say 'wishing for' - is described in my follow-up post above. It's quite frustrating. It's obvious that those big IC makers can make such a chip. For example, a TDA7056 with a slightly higher current rating, a TDA7056A/B without DC volume control, half of a TDA1558, half of a TDA7266 without standby and mute, and so on and so forth.
I think such a chip will be very popular. I can design an audio amplifier from basic components but there are times when I want to use a low power chip with a minimum of external parts. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will welcome such a product.
I'm familiar with the LM1875. It's identical with the TDA2030 as far as the package, pin functions and external parts requirement are concerned.
What I'm looking for - maybe I should say 'wishing for' - is described in my follow-up post above. It's quite frustrating. It's obvious that those big IC makers can make such a chip. For example, a TDA7056 with a slightly higher current rating, a TDA7056A/B without DC volume control, half of a TDA1558, half of a TDA7266 without standby and mute, and so on and so forth.
I think such a chip will be very popular. I can design an audio amplifier from basic components but there are times when I want to use a low power chip with a minimum of external parts. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will welcome such a product.
I doubt there's much market for a 2x11 W Class AB chip, honestly. I'd think the market would be smart speakers and such, and I bet they're using one of the many Class D amps to get better battery life.
Tom
Tom
How about LM4950 or LM4952? They are exactly what you are looking for according to their datasheets. There are slight difference between them, one is capable of BTL output other has dc volume control and both are requires very little external components with heatsink capability.
How about TFA9842J? Its about 3mm wider than a TO220 package : https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/302/nxp_tfa9842j-1189176.pdf. Plenty of listings on Aliexpress.
Thanks for your interest and suggestions, everyone. I probably should have said this at the start but wanted to keep the opening post as brief as possible:
What I'm looking for is a jellybean part, an alternative to the LM386 (great little chip) with fewer external parts and a bit more muscle with provision for mounting on a heatsink. It wouldn't be realistic to expect everything to be priced at the level of the LM386 but it will be nice to keep it down to something like the equivalent of US$0.50 apiece in small quantities.
The LA4425A looks great. Sanyo has always made nice SIP ICs and hybrid packages.
The LM4950/2 is really nice too except for one niggling point - pin 1 & 3 are rated for 9.5V max and cannot be tied to Vcc at, say, 12V for minimal configuration..
The TFA9842J looks good too. The mute pin can be tied to Vcc. Minimum of 3 capacitors but that's OK for what it offers. Maybe a bit pricey for a jellybean part.
The remaining hurdle is to locate a source. I live in a remote part of India. Even in the heydays of the electronic parts retail market, it was almost impossible to buy anything from a distance. Whole streets were filled with parts shops in the major cities and prices were fantastic, but nobody even bothered answering email enquiries. More recently, numerous online shops have belatedly sprung up all over the country, but they are mostly small ones with a very limited range of items, targeted at kids with simple robotics projects.
AliExpress was a godsend for people like me but alas, India and China have been at loggerheads since 2020. The site is blocked and can't be viewed except through a VPN. They no longer ship to India anyway.
What I'm looking for is a jellybean part, an alternative to the LM386 (great little chip) with fewer external parts and a bit more muscle with provision for mounting on a heatsink. It wouldn't be realistic to expect everything to be priced at the level of the LM386 but it will be nice to keep it down to something like the equivalent of US$0.50 apiece in small quantities.
The LA4425A looks great. Sanyo has always made nice SIP ICs and hybrid packages.
The LM4950/2 is really nice too except for one niggling point - pin 1 & 3 are rated for 9.5V max and cannot be tied to Vcc at, say, 12V for minimal configuration..
The TFA9842J looks good too. The mute pin can be tied to Vcc. Minimum of 3 capacitors but that's OK for what it offers. Maybe a bit pricey for a jellybean part.
The remaining hurdle is to locate a source. I live in a remote part of India. Even in the heydays of the electronic parts retail market, it was almost impossible to buy anything from a distance. Whole streets were filled with parts shops in the major cities and prices were fantastic, but nobody even bothered answering email enquiries. More recently, numerous online shops have belatedly sprung up all over the country, but they are mostly small ones with a very limited range of items, targeted at kids with simple robotics projects.
AliExpress was a godsend for people like me but alas, India and China have been at loggerheads since 2020. The site is blocked and can't be viewed except through a VPN. They no longer ship to India anyway.