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♦ PDF Cover Page ♦

♦ Verso Filler Page ♦
Conventional Parallel Connection Opposing Parallel Connection
T1 T1
Plt 1 Plt 1
16Ω 16Ω

Srcn 1 8Ω Srcn 1 8Ω
N/C

B+ 4Ω B+ 4Ω

Scrn 2 Scrn 2

0 0

Plt 2 Plt 2

T2 T2
Plt 1 Plt 2
16Ω 0

Scrn 1 8Ω Scrn 2

B+ 4Ω B+ 4Ω

8Ω
Scrn 2 Scrn 1 N/C

0 16Ω

Plt 2 Plt 1
 Plt 1 T1 + T2
16Ω

22k Srcn 1 8Ω
1%
4Ω
N/C N/C 1%
S1 B E S2
B+ 4Ω

A C F D X- Y Recorder
Scrn 2
+10dB

4Ω
1% 0dB

Osc. 22k N/C

2Hz - 200kHz 1% –10dB

0
600Ω –20dB

–30dB

Plt 2
–40dB
200Hz 500Hz 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K 50K 100K 200K

Opposing Parallel Connection

0dB

–3dB

–10dB

Roll Off
Conventional Parallel Connection 24dB/Oct

0dB
–3dB

–10dB S1 S2
DYNACO ST 70 AB DE
Output Transformer AB DF
AC DE
Balance Performance AC DF

–20dB

200Hz 500Hz 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K 50K 100K 200K

A correctly wound shell type push-pull audio output transformer
♦ Verso Filler Page ♦
 AMPLIFIER TRANSFORMERS 163

TABLE XIII. TYPICAL SILICON-STEEL MAGNETIZING CURRENT HARMONIC CoM-

PONENTS WITH ZERO IMPEDANCE SOURCE
Bm Percentage of Percentage of
Gauss 3rd Harmonic 5th Harmonic
100 4 1
500 7 1.5
1 , 000 9 2.0
3 , 000 15 2.5
5 , 000 20 3.0
1 0 , 000 30 5.0

vised to reduce the labor and increase accuracy.l In general, if the

recommended tube load impedances are maintained, harmonic per­
centages will be as given in the tube manuals. If other load imped­
ances obtain at some frequencies, to predict the harmonic output re­
quires harmonic analysis.
68. Push-Pull Amplifier Transformers. The analysis of single-side
amplifiers in Section 67 applies to class A push-pull, except that the
second-harmonic components in the amplifier output are due to unlike
tubes rather than to low-impedance distortion.
The internal tube resistance of a class B amplifier varies so much
with the instantaneous signal voltage on the grids, power output, and
plate voltage that it is not practicable to draw curves similar to Figs.
110 and 113 for class B operation. Qualitatively, the characteristic
curves may be expected to follow the same general trend as for class A
amplifiers. A basis for class B amplifier design is to make the trans­
former constants such that the load impedance does not fall below a
given percentage of the load resistance R 2• This is discussed below.
Usually the decline with frequency response is greater for class B
than for class A amplifiers, because the effect of internal plate im­
pedance is greater. In the extreme, frequency response falls off pro­
portionately with load impedance.
A change in mode of operation occurs in a class B amplifier as the
output passes from one tube to the other in the region of cut-off. This
change-over may cause transient voltages in the amplifier which dis­
tort the output voltage wave form. If the two halves of the trans­
former primary winding are not tightly coupled, primary-to-primary
leakage induc.tance causes nicks in the output voltage wave, in some­
what the same way as leakage inductance in a rectifier plate trans-
For example, "Graphical Harmonic Analysis," by J. A. Hutcheson, Electronics,
9, 16 (January, 1936 ) .
1
164 ELECTRONIC TRANSFORMERS AND CIRCUITS

former. In a class B amplifier, the change from one tube to the other
is less abrupt than in a rectifier, but in triode amplifiers perceptible
nicks in the voltage wave occur if the ratio of primary-to-primary
leakage reactance to average plate resistance is 4 or more. 1

GORE NO LEAKAGE FLUX I N

A '\ � SPACE 8ETWE E N COILS

\
11
A

0
+8
E
-C

r
PI/2
S 12
P2I2
.c

L
I
I
I
P I /2
S /2
P2/2 [�
I
I I

a�
c

FIG. 121. Core-type push-pull balanced windings.

Balanced operation in a push-pull amplifier, i.e., equal plate current

and voltage swing on both sides, is possible only if the tubes are alike
and if transformer winding turns and resistances per side are equal.
Shell-type concentric windings do not fulfill this condition because the
half of the primary nearer to the core tongue has lower resistance than
the other half. B alance is easier to achieve in the core type of arrange­
ment shown in Fig. 1 2 1 . In class A am­
PI/2
A -r:.----,-----:=L­
plifiers close primary-primary coupling
o is not essential, and balance may b e
attained by arranging part coils a s in
Fig. 122.
Because only half of the primary
winding of a class B amplifier carries
FIG. 122. Shell-type push-pull
balanced windings.
current during a half-cycle, the leak-
age flux and therefore the primary-to­
secondary leakage inductance have approximately half the values
with both windings active all the time. With capacitive currents,
both windings are active, at least partially. Transformers with
D > 1.0 have low capacitive currents, low leakage inductance, high
resonance frequency, and extended frequency range, in addition to the
1 See "Quasi Transients in Class B Audio-Frequency Push-Pull Amplifiers," by
A. Pen-Tung Sah, Proc. I.R.E., 24, 1522 ( November, 1936) .
 AMPLIFIER TRANSFORMERS 165

load-impedance advantages given in Section 67. At high frequencies a

class B amplifier transformer presents a circuit to the tubes like that
in Fig. 123. Let L1 be leakage inductance between the halves of the

1.2. I----I--.+---.+---.f.....-I--+f.

1.0
1.4

0.8 1.2.

R;
Z
1.0
0.6
EQUIVALENT CIRCU I T
Lp Lp O.B
0.4 LS
Xc Xc
0.5
R2
-z

0.2

0.1 0.2 0.4 0.6 O.B 1.0

flf,
2.0

FIG. 123. High-frequency load impedance of class B amplifiers.

primary winding, and L2 between each half of the primary and the
secondary. L1 is the inductance of one half of the primary winding,
measured with the other half-primary short-circuited and the sec­
ondary open. L2 is the inductance o f one half of the primary winding,
measured with the other h alf-primary open and the secondary short­
circuited. In Fig. 123, L1 = 2Lp and L2 =
Lp + Ls. Resonant fre­
quency fr is determined by Xc and XL1 = 271}L1• I n this figure D =
XC/R 2 at fr.
First onc tube delivers power into the equivalent circuit at onc end ;
then, during the next half-cycle, this tube is cut off and the other tube
delivers power into the circuit at the other end. Thus the transformer
equivalent impedance Z seen looking into the circuit, first at the end
166 ELECTRONIC TRANSFORMERS AND CIRCUITS

shown and then at the other end, is fed by one of the tubes at all times.
Impedance ratio Z/R 2 varies with frequency as in Fig. 123. For some
values of parameter D, impedance falls more rapidly than for class A
amplifiers (Fig. 1 1 9) , but frequency Ir in Fig. 123 is determined by L
and C having approximately half the values of these elements in class
A amplifiers. Hence class B impedance stays flat at higher frequencies,
although response may droop at lower frequencies, than for class A.
Figure 123 is drawn for a ratio of L1/L2 = 1 .5, which is a practical
design ratio. Lower ratio L1/L2 results in deeper valleys in the im­
pedance curve ; higher Lt!L2 is more likely to cause nicks in the volt­
age wave. Good practice consists in designing class B amplifier trans­
formers so that the highest operating frequency is less than Ir/2 and
L 1/L2 < 1 .5. Then harmonic distortion at high frequencies should not
exceed 5 per cent. ! Class B modulation transformer impedance is in­
fluenced by circuit elements, so that maintenance o f constant imped­
ance over a wide frequency band becomes an overall amplifier problem.
This is discussed further in Chapter 6.
Capacitive currents also cause unbalance at high frequencies, even
with winding arrangements like Figs. 121 and 122. This is evident i f
the secondary winding in these figures i s grounded at one end ; the
effective capacitances to the two primary windings are then unequal.
This problem may be solved by keeping the capacitances small with
liberal spacing, but this practice increases leakage inductance and
cannot be carried very far. Coil mean turn length should be kept a s
small a s possible by the use o f the most suitable core steel. Core-type
designs have smaller mean turns than shell-type. Also, the two
outer coil sections have low capacitance to each other and to the case
if liberal spacing is used, without an increase in leakage inductance.
Flux in the space between the outer sections links all the windings on
one leg and hence is not leakage flux. Consequently, this space is not
part o f the term a in equation 33 (p. 76) . In push-pull amplifiers the
winding arrangement of Fig. 121 is advantageous because of the low
capacitance between the points of greatest potential difference, A and C.
69. Plate Current Increase. In a lightly loaded amplifier the fre­
quency characteristic stays flat at high frequencies, even with a droop
in load impedance, but the plate current rises in inverse proportion to
the impedance. I f the plate current can rise enough to maintain con­
stant output voltage, this plate current rise may be obj ectionable from
! See "The Design of Broad-Band Transformers for Linear Electronic Circuits,"
by H. W. Lord, Trans. AIEE, 69, 1005.
 The PEARL 280 Watt, Class AB Audio-Output Transformer

Specifications
0.375" NC (as of 6/94, subject improvement without notice)
n.
n o t show Output power at 20Hz: 280W into 6Ω.
inals 6b. )
0.75" (Term See Fig. Primary impedance: 1040Ω, centre-tapped.
Secondary impedance: 6Ω, centre-tapped.
Ultra-linear winding: 40% of primary turns, centre-tapped.
Tertiary f/b winding: 2 x secondary turns, centre-tapped.
Turns ratio; pri. to sec: 13.16:1.
Square-wave response: See Fig. 3.
" Frequency response: See Fig. 4.
8.50
Primary inductance: 70H @ 1W delivered into 6Ω
Tolerable DC-unbalance; 4 – 10mA
Leakage inductance: 685µH, pri. to sec., referred to pri.
2750µH, 1⁄2 primary to 1⁄2 primary.
Capacitances:
Pri. to sec: 6000pF.
1
⁄2 pri. to 1⁄2 pri: 1500pF.
DC balance: From the center-tap to either end,
" "
5.16 8.28
any winding’s Rdc is within 0.1%.
AC balance: The 100kHz frequency response
Fig. 2. Overall from any half-section, 'A' to any
dimensions. other section is within .5dB of that
from the the other half-section, 'B’,
to the same section.†
First resonance: 190kHz.
100
Rise time: 1.3µSec.
90%
Winding configuration: Astatic, interleaved, cross-coupled.
Winding DC resistances:
Primary: 42Ω plate-to-plate.
Secondary: 0.16Ω load-to-load.
Screen: 34Ω screen-to-screen.
Tertiary: 8.8Ω end-to-end.
Winding rms current capacity @ 800 circular mils/amp:
Primary: 650 mA (325mA per 1⁄2 primary).
Secondary: 8A. (= 384Wrms. continuous into 6Ω)
Screen: 250mA (125mA per 1⁄2 screen).
10%
Tertiary: 250mA (125mA per 1⁄2 tertiary).
0 Interlayer insulation: Low-loss, low dielectric constant.
Vert. - .2V/div. Insulation Voltage Rating:
Horiz. - 5µSec/div.
Primary to secondary 1500V
Fig. 3. 20kHz. Square-wave response @ 1.5 watts out- Primary to screen 1000V
put into a 6Ω resistor from a 600Ω push-pull source. Primary to tertiary 1500V

0dB

-3dB

-6dB
-8dB
1Hz. 2 5 10 20 50 100Hz. 10kHz. 20 50 100 200 500kHz.

Fig. 4. 1.5 watt primary-to-secondary frequency response from a 600Ω push-pull source into a 6Ω resistor.

AN 2.1 - Page 4
Impregnation: High-temperature, vacuum drying,
followed by vacuum/ pressure, .508 4.00 .508
microcrystalline-wax impregnation.
Potting: Microcrystalline wax .514
Core type: C-core; 4 mil, Silectron (3% Si.) .50 dia., 4 places
Core power-rating at 16kG:
20Hz: 280W.
60Hz: In excess of 2500W.
Enclosure: Deep drawn, aluminum can.
Finish: Textured, black powder-coat. Chassis cut-out area
Termination: Secondary: leads come directly off
the windings. All others: 21 AWG
Polythermaleze insulated, Ohno
Continously Cast, 99.99%-pure (4-
9s) copper. 8.28 6.00 7.00
Dimensions: 8.5”H x 8.28”W x 5.16”D. See Fig. 2.
Mounting: 4 aluminum studs protrude from the
Potting can
bottom of the can. outline
Weight: 38 pounds, 17.3 kgs.
†For example, the response from half-primary 'A' to half-secondary 'B' is within .5dB
.258
at 100kHz of that from the other half-primary 'B' to either half-secondary 'A' or half-sec-
ondary 'B'. The primary and secondary center taps must be connected together and
tied to the common of the measuring system used.
4.50

Fig. 5. Transformer schematic & winding polarities.

1.14
.514

Anode 1 Sec 8Ω
1 9 5.16

10 Fig. 6a. Chassis cut-out.

Sec 4Ω
Half-
Fig. 6b. Lead-out configuration.
Primary 'A'
Half-
Secondary 'A'
11
Sec CT
2
Anode 1: B+ Sec 1 – 8Ω 9
Anode 2: B+
Half- 1 Anode 1
3 Secondary 'B' Sec 1 – 4Ω 10
12 2 Anode 1: B+
Sec 4Ω Sec: CT 11
Half- 3 Anode 2: B+
Primary 'B' Sec 2 – 4Ω 12
13
Sec 8Ω
4 Anode 2
Sec 2 – 8Ω 13
Tertiary: +
4
14
8.28
Anode 2

Screen 1
5
Half- 5 Screen 1
Tertiary 'A' Tertiary: + 14
Half- 6 Screen 1: B+ Tertiary: CT
Twisted pair, the
Screen 'A' section-to-section 15
15 connection is
Tertiary: CT 7 Screen 2: B+ thereby external.
6 16
Tertiary: –
Screen 1: B+
8 Screen 2
Screen 2: B+
7 Half-
Tertiary 'B'
Half-
Screen 'B'
16
Tertiary: –
8 5.16
Screen 2

♦ AN 2.1 - Page 5 ♦