Product Design Track Event PD5

Selecting
Power Supplies and Amplifiers
for Audio Products
 About Me
Gordon Wanlass
➔ President and Founder PowerPhysics, Inc
➔ Electrical Engineer

➔ Background in Audio Electronics

➔ Started career in Aerospace

 Goal
Are you ready for production?
Which sample system will last?
Prove it with simple
➔ Tests
➔ Calculations

➔ Feature Comparision
 Reliability
➔ Thermal Environment
➔ Measurement
➔ Component Lifetime
➔ Electrolytic Capacitors
 Thermal Environment
Measure it!
➔ Run at idle

➔ Run at 1/8th power

➔ Let temperature

stabilize
 Thermal Concerns
For 25C ambient temperature:
➔ PCB > 35C at idle
➔ PCB > 50C at 1/8th power

➔ Hot spots (FETs) > 75C to 90C at full power (clipping)

pink noise or music

➔ FET case temp is typically a few degrees below the

junction temp
 Electrolytic Capacitor Lifetime
A tale of two capacitors:

1,000
20,000

➔ One Year is 8760 Hours

➔ 1000 Hours is 41 Days 16 Hours
 Evidence
Difference between
a dry and new
elctrolytic capacitor

Dry cap measured

zero uF
 Capacitor Lifetime Calculation
Nippon Chemicon CAT. No. E1001L
 Simple Capacitor Lifetime
Lifetime doubles for every 10 C below rating

Rated: 1000 Hour 85C

Run: 75C
Lifetime = 2000 Hour
 Increasing E Cap Lifetime
➔ Increase temperature rating
➔ 10C double lifetime
➔ Increase voltage rating
➔ Only on larger capacitors
➔ Increase capacitance
➔ Use more capacitance than needed in circuit

15 Year Maximum
 Capacitor Data

Price difference is 2.6 cents

 Measuring Power
Start with the bus voltage
Measure at
➔Idle (typically maximum)
➔Full Power (to check droop)

It only goes down from there

 Power Calculation

Peak Power P = (Vb)2/R

RMS Power Sinewave P = ½(Vb)2/R
Class D P = ½(DCVb)2/R
DC is max Duty Cycle, typically 0.9
Distortion Games

Marketing Power
 Dynamic or Pulse Power
EIA/CEA-490-A(2004) chapter 5.2.
This is a 1kHz sine wave test that
utilizes a 20 ms burst at full power
with a THD+N <1% followed by
480 ms with a lower level (-20dB).
This is repeated every 500 ms it
corresponds to 120BPM (beats
per minute) with a 16dB Crest
factor for at least one (1) hour.

Too complex to be useful

 Clipping
➔ Voltage
➔ Current
 Does it matter how clipping sounds?

Only in the complete system

➔ Limiters

➔ Driver response

Test with program material

 Power Factor Correction?
Power Supply AC Input Option:
1. PFC
2. Universal Input, No PFC
3. 110/220 Switch
4. None of the above
 What About Test Data
It should be 1200

available 1000

800

for review 600

400

200

0
46.5 47 47.5 48 48.5 49 49.5
 Manufacturer Testing
PowerPhysics philosophy
➔ Own the test equipment

➔ Receive data in real time

➔ Only release shipment after data review

Production Testing
PowerPhysics production
test rack
➔ Prism dScope
➔ LabView software

➔ HP power supplies

➔ Custom loads
 A-1214 Functional Test
➔Visually inspect POST ➔ Maximum Power
➔ DC Offset ➔ 200Hz
➔ 1kHz
➔ Idle Noise

➔ 1V input
➔ Full Power THD + Noise
➔ 200Hz
➔ Amplitude (Gain)
➔ 1kHz
➔ THD + Noise ➔ Over-current protection
➔ Standby ➔ Frequency response
 Necessary Protection
Hardware should save itself
➔Thermal

➔ Over Current

➔ Over Voltage

➔ Corrosion
 Thermal Protection

Measurements are
100
➔

delayed
80

60
➔ Test with program
40

material (music) 20 Temperature

Threshold
Measurement
0
Time
 Over Current Protection
➔ Amplifier Output
➔ Supplements thermal protection
➔ Test with small load (1 ohm)

➔ Power Supply Primary Side

➔ Often used to pass safety testing
 Over Voltage Protection
➔ Transient Protection
➔ Power supply AC input
➔ Zobel Protection
➔ Typically under-sized components
 Corrosion Protection
IF THEN
➔ Outdoors
➔ Conformal Coat PCBA
➔ Near Swimming Pool
➔ Finish Everything
➔Alodyne (Chem Film)

➔ Anodize

➔Paint
 Corrosion of Dissimilar Metals
Galvanic potential
➔ The greater the

difference the
faster it corrodes
 Vibration
➔ Short spans between mounts
➔ Mounts near heavy components

➔ Epoxy or silicone

➔ Capacitor forests not trees

 In Conclusion
Calculate
Test
Compare
 Questions?
Now: Please ask
Later today: Booth 1324
Next month or next year:
gwanlass@powerphysics.com