Low-distortion Audio-range Oscillator

> Patrick you come up with the nicest looking enclosures. How do you do it?



Finished product from Chinese Ebay.

https://world.taobao.com/item/36032...&spm=a312a.7700824.w4002-5699239201.40.WLEfCO

(You can order blank front plate, but need someone to do it for you from Hong Kong or Singapore.)



> Any boards for sale?



If just you, you can just send me a PM and I'll let you have 2x.

If more than 1 person then better open a new GB thread.

Else they will move this entire thread to the GB forum, like they did e.g. with Scott's ULNA and quite a few of my year-old threads.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/grou...1000-low-noise-measurement-amp-ikoflexer.html



I am sure we don't want that.





Cheers,

Patrick



So can we PM you or should we start a GB? [emoji6]


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Hi Victor,
Just received mine today. Many thanks! Your packing job was exceptionally good.

Now I'll have to build a good power supply and see how pointless it is to measure the THD with the HP 339A.

-Chris

Victor's oscillator works very well supplied from a LM317 setup as a current source.
There are two shunts which form the virtual ground on the oscillator PCB. This is what you are supplying.

You can get the details from Demian.
 
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Use 4 9V cells and the LM317. There is a whole thread on it and a PCB design for it. The current setting for the LM317 is there somewhere as well.

What I discovered is that I can't start the oscillator with a 600 Ohm load with the current setting but once operating its all fine.
 
Hi David,
Thank you.

So just a CCS to feed the board and I can get the voltage compliance from Demian then? That sound right?

-Chris

Victor's oscillator requires 35V. Demian did up a design for the guys on the forum a few years ago. I thought it might save you some time to dup it. But it's not rocket for you.

A 38V raw supply should do. That's only 3V and ripple across the 317. You can play around with the current to find what works best.

I used three 12V gels which worked very well with the 317. So there you go 4-9V or three 12V gel.
 
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CCS for Viktor

Use 4 9V cells and the LM317. There is a whole thread on it and a PCB design for it. The current setting for the LM317 is there somewhere as well.

Since we are on the topic, there are a couple of things I always wanted to ask.

The Viktor has 2x TL431 on board configured to +/-15V, each fed by a 100R resistor.
The LM317 current source uses a 75R current setting resistor, so the CCS is ~17mA.
That means 3.4V drop across the two resistors, plus ~2.5V minimum headroom across the LM317, plus the 1.25V across the 75R current setting resistor.
We run out of voltage with 4x9V.

And then I am not sure how low noise a LM317 CCS is.
Since we only require 17mA or so, why not just use a FET or CRD as CCS ?


Patrick
 
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Strap a cap across the load and noise is gone.
470uF is what I used in my SVO. Zener shunt feed by 317. Works great.
Maybe the input voltage should be higher. 3 x12V gel is more like 39V and rechargeable.

I scored a bunch of 12V gel at work. Retired from the alarm system and a couple out of the emergency lighting.
 
Hi Demian,
Thanks, I'll go look for the thread.

Strap a cap across the load and noise is gone.
David, that is exactly how I envisioned running it. Thanks. I was also thinking of using gel cells. I guess that a charge controller should be used for the series string of unknown gel cells. Either that or charge each one separately (the same thing).

-Chris
 
Hi Demian,
I can't find anything under "1audio" as a thread for this. It is possible that the search only goes so far back. I tried looking for posts > a year ago and still didn't come up with anything.

Could the thread have been started by someone else by chance? I'll hunt given some information.

-Chris
 
Hi Demian,
Thanks, I'll go look for the thread.


David, that is exactly how I envisioned running it. Thanks. I was also thinking of using gel cells. I guess that a charge controller should be used for the series string of unknown gel cells. Either that or charge each one separately (the same thing).

-Chris

Cheep way is to charge the gels from a current source with the batteries in parallel.
It's not the best but it works. For string charging you need to build a balance circuit to maintain quasi voltage across the gels. Like we do in out UPS.
 
I did not start the thread on a PCB for Victor's oscillator. Its starts here: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/equi...-victors-low-thd-oscillators.html#post4164497 I need to open mine to see how i kludged it. Essentially i bypassed the two 100 Ohm resistors. The Lm317 + no resistors maximized battery life. important for 9V batteries which aren't cheap. I bought a pile from China via eBay. Years ago I visited the China factory making them (Only one then, probably still). They had every known brand on display since they made something like 80% of the world's 9V batteries. No good reason to buy premium batteries for this application.

I still get a significant improvement in noises using battery power. I have tried low noise linear and switching supplies but the power line to ground leakage is limiting performance.
 
Hi Demian, Essb,
Many thanks. This will help a lot.

Demain, have you considered using an isolation transformer? Just a thought. I have one here that I can try. I would really like an AC powered instrument since it will only live on my bench. Although I could go both ways with a switch so I can float it for situations where I do need the full performance. That should be a good balance between battery life and convenience.

It's interesting to note that the HP 3580A and 3581C both will run off of batteries. I should refurb one of them and check out the performance. Just curious about them.

-Chris
 
I have even tried ultra isolation transformers and all it takes is a few pF of coupling to show up in the output. All below -140 dBV. I agree that a line powered solution would be preferable but at this level its almost impossible. Even looping the remote DC may cause too much leakage.