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    Nuts and Volts 2022-02

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    Al K

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    PROJECTS @ THEORY @ APPLICATIONS © CIRCUITS @ TECHNOLOGY uae eau EVERYTHING FOR ELECTRONICS ont = Ty The BIRTH ——— 6 Sa fm Sis TSAO a nf a eS iaann B Best Test & Measurement Products e From ygaelig Seeli Difference? } wus: 'aelig.com/values.htm SIGLENT SDSI104X-U 100MHz 4 CH $399 Popular 100 MHz 4 CH scope with IGSa/s sample rate, [4Mpts memory, 400,000 frames!sec waveform capture. RIGOL DS1202Z-E 2 CH 200MHz $339 This UltraVision affordable 200MHz 2-channel scope offers deep 24Mpts standard memory. OWON TAO3000 2/4 CH8/I4bit from $539 OWON HDS200 from $209 Handy portable 70/100/120MHr scopes with 8" touchscreen | | The HDS200 series handheld 2 CH 40/70MHz oscilloscopes in or 14-bit versions withl GSals sample rate. include a multimeter as well x a waveform generator PICOSCOPE 3000D from $639 SENSEPEEK from $132 Small light, portable high-performance PC oscilloscopes. Professional yet affordable PCB testing system of 2 or 4 analog +16 digital channels + AWG. 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Call us at 1-800-783-4624 or visit our website at www.servomagazine.com (else rr cs emake ale Learn > Be ih 10 MAG eS AGAZINI VAN SY Ve C1 WSN TAAOWN) cee pe te LACT 08 Vintage Tek The isolation transformer is designed to isolate you from a potentially hot {i., 125 VAC) chassis that is connected directly to the power mains. This article reviews the proper configuration of the isolation transformer for working with vintage electronic gear. bby Bryan Bergeron 12 Finding the Outside Foil Lead In years past, non-polarized capacitors would often have a striped end on the capacitor tube or a stripe marking on the capacitor body indexing with one of the leads. The purpose of the stripe is evident if we look at some of the Old “waxies” that were actually marked "Outside Foil End” (on one end of the capacitor tube. So, why did that matter? And does it still matter today? bby Chris Poli ADZCS 18 Build a DIY Heart Sound Analyzer Using Your Laptop Listening to the heart (cardiac auscultation) is a frequent first step in diagnosing heart disorders. Here, we describe a very inexpensive system for digital cardiac auscultation (digital phonocardiography) using a Windows laptop computer, freely downloadable software, and a low-priced USB microphone. ‘by D. John Doyle 25 Build a Three-Way Antenna Switch and Display This article describes a homebrew project in which a two- channel DC wireless receiver and transmitter are used to 4 MISWOS 2022!ssu0-2 remotely select one of three antennas (two dipoles and a wideband vertical}; switch a balun between the dipoles; and perform all this from the comfort of a ham shack. A second wireless receiver is used in a display to indicate the selected antenna. bby Stan Ekiert K3KKH 32 Build an Electronic Tic-Tac- Game ‘The game ofTic-Tac-Toe has been around for centuries. With all the electronic games kids play with today, unlikely that you'll see “gamers” stampeding to play an old pencil and paper version. So, let's update the old classic a bit to make ita little more attractive to the "blue screen” generation - young and old, by Roger Secura CONDENSER Of CAPACITY 06 DEVELOPING PERSPECTIVES, Vintage Instruments for Vintage Repair? 22 NV WEBSTORE 40 Turn a Typewriter Into a Printer | bought a Smith-Corona PWP 7808 typewriter from Good Will for under $20.The daisy wheel print quality was perfect and it included a self-contained word processor. However, there was no way to use it as a printer. | decided to emulate » membrane keyboard with an Arduino Nano Every, so that either an added serial port or the existing keyboard could input text. 1 by Lee Schafer 50 Build an LED Amusement Park at Home While brainstorming project ideas for our microcontroller class at Cornell University, we realized that we all particularly missed visiting amusement parks during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, we decided to build something that would bring some of the excitement of those parks into the lab. In particular, we thought that using LEDs on an LED strip would be a creative and exciting way to, visually simulate different rides. 1 by Jenny Wen, Jasmin An, and Aratrika Ghatak 24 NEW PRODUCTS 82 TECH FORUM 85 AD INDEX 86 BENCH & BUILDER 56 The Birth of the Integrated cuit The creation of the integrated circuit (IC) stands as one of Raisin nse maa wi i } Subscription Information 2279 Eagle Glen Parkway #112481 Corona, CA 92883 Call (800) 783-4624 or go to www.nutsvolts.com Subscribe + Gift « Renewal + Change of Info Formore details on subscribing, see our ad on Page 85, CL ltt eaesaaqion the most important inventions of mankind. Today, nearly all modern products use this chip technology. In this article, ‘we'll look back on this period that launched the serious, development of integrated circuits. I by George R. Steber G65 Adventures in Battery-Land — Part2 In Part 1 of this series, we discussed measuring project power needs and battery options, and showed ways to define and estimate battery service-hour life. While it's no surprise that bigger batteries provide longer service life, Part 2 explores some ways to more efficiently use battery power to maximize that battery life 1 by Edward Andrews 72 Restoration of a Vintage Telefunken Gavotte 8U AM/SW/FM Receiver This is the second Telefunken receiver we've covered in our restoration series, in part because it's a classic and in part because refurbishing it isn’t a task for beginners. Because of the density of components, use of point-to-point wiring, and “hidden” capacitors, recapping is a significant — but well worth it — challenge. B by Bryan Bergeron 2o22issue2 MUBNVOLTS 5 by Bryan Bergeron, Editor DEVELOPING PERSPECTIVES Vintage Instruments for Vintage Repairs? — f you've been following my series of refurbishing tube- type receivers, you may have noticed that | don’t rely on digital oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and other modern equipment when it comes to diagnosing and tuning the receivers, The only exception is the signal source. | use a modern digitally synthesized waveform generator to create IF and signal frequencies for tuning the signal chain. That's only out of necessity because I haven't found a suitable analog source to refurbish and add to my classic tool arsenal For my receiver refurbishing projects, the majority of diagnostic and alignment tools consists of a few vintage instruments: © MUTBIVOUS 2022/8402 + Simpson 260 Analog Volt Ohmmeter (VOM), citca 1950 + Hickok 600A Tube Checker, circa 1960 t Signal Tracer, circa 1955 + Heathkit 11 or Sprague T0-6 Capacitor Checker and Reformer, Circa 1962 and 1964, respectively Why not pull out a modem scope digital multimeter and save time checking the signal path? One reason is that time isn’t the issue. '™m not running a repair shop where time on the bench is lost income. For me, refurbishing a vintage radio is about the process, not the end result. As such, !'m not in any rush to get things up and running. Without the pressure of profit or unit NUTS VOLTS PUBLISHED BY T&L Publications, In. CONTACT 2279 Eagle Glen Pkwy #112-481 Corona, CA92883 OFFICE: 961) 371-8497 Fax: (961) 371-3052 www.nutsvolts.com SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES/ WEBSTORE ORDERS TOLL FREE: (800) 783-4624 subscribe@nutsvolts.com store.nutsvolts.com PUBLISHER Larry Lernieux Publisher@nutsvolts.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ ADVERTISING SALES Robin Lemioux. robin@nutsvolts.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ PRODUCTION Sean Lemieux ‘seaninutsvolts.com EDITOR Bryan Bergeron tochedit-nutsvolts@yahoo.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Edward Andrews George Steber Christopher Pri John Doyle Jenny Wen amine An Aatika Ghatak ‘Roger Secura Stan Ekion Lee Schater Copyright © 2022 byT&L Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved [Al atvorising Is subect 10 publaners spooal fara thalragencie gre 1 Incarinty ad protect expense osing tom adoring placed in Nts & M2481 Coronn,CAS2883. turnover, | enjoy the hunt for spare tubes, the hours of sanding and then applying lacquer to the cabinet, and using the tools specified in the user ‘manual for maintaining and repairing the electronics. ’m not looking for the quick fix. 'd rather spend a day pouring over an ld schematic, becoming intimately acquainted with the underlying design philosophy. Why triple conversion and not dual conversion? Why isolate ne part of the chassis from another? Why use a selenium rectifier over a tube? Sometimes, it simply makes sense to use a particular piece of Vintage gear because it’s the best or only option. For example, consider my Knight signal tracer (shown in the photo) which was designed to support the repair of tube-type receivers. ‘The assembled kit, which | purchased on eBay and refurbished = the focus of an upcoming article — is essentially a receiver without the tuned circuits. The five-tube 13 Ib device provides the following: + AF and RF Amplifier Noise Locator Wattmeter Audio Amp Output Transformer Output Speaker Output Indicator B+ Source Demodulator/Preamp for Scope ‘and Vacuum Tube Voltmeter (VTVM) Monitoring Most of these functions are linked to the green fluorescent magic eye display in the upper left of the device The Knight signal tracer seamlessly supports the diagnosis and maintenance of a tube-type receiver. Think there’s a problem with the audio circuit in your receiver? Simply touch the probe of the signal tracer to the demodulator out. A nice, clear audio tells you that, in fact, there’s, something wrong in the audio amp circuit — probably a defective tube or capacitor. Need a speaker for the radio audio output but it’s connected to the ‘cabinet which is stored elsewhere? Simply use the speaker terminals ‘on the signal tracer. Think there's a problem with the HV power supply? Disconnect the internal HV power in the receiver and use the HV (B+) source in the signal tracer. The common denominator in all my vintage gear — whether an instrument or an end-use appliance is the use of high voltage tube circuitry. I’s assumed that you'll be working with and around high voltage. You can forget about using ESD straps and floor mats, miniature lead sets designed for 3.5 VDC solid state circuits, and scantily clad wire wrap connections. The dance with vintage electronics is one of respect, with no or very little direct contact. Assume every circuit is alive and lethal, stay on your toes, and enjoy the ride, NW ER te Spring is here... Don't spend your time trying to find tools for your inl-yausg@]5 9 DL -t-1[¢] 0) We've got it right here. Now get outside! Free PCB Design SOFTWARE 2or2iissve2 MISIVONS 7 Vintage Tek AIM ELC CM CNY Ce a) ye 1. Line isolation transformers from my workbench, If you've been following along with my vintage tube-type radio restoration series, you've read me repeatedly referring to a power input system composed of an isolation transformer, Variac™, and current limiter. The Variac (or variable autotransformer) and current limiter are used to protect the radio or other electronics under test from overvoltage and overcurrent. The isolation transformer is designed to isolate you from a potentially hot (i.e., 125 VAC) chassis that is connected directly to the power mains. This article reviews the proper configuration of the isolation transformer for working with vintage electronic gear. & mmBveES 2072R0s.02 Post comments on this article at www.nutsvolts.com/maga: The Hardware IN ouT Let's start with concrete examples of line isolation transformers. From left to right in Figure Hot bot ) Neutra i | Neutral ‘a modified 15 amp Xentek boat anchor; and a Lv Tare an unmodified one amp BK Precision unit modified, newly purchased 2.1 amp Tripp-Lite unit An ordinary 3-to-2 prong adapter (which doesn’t round provide line isolation) is shown at the bottom center ee eer minis rece )- Schematic ofa typical commercial line isolation ‘The BK Precision unit weighs about 3 Ib, the (rameformnes, large white Xentek about 55 Ib, and the black Tripp- IN OUT, Lite unit about 12 Ib When used specifically to isolate the technician cs cat from a potentially hot radio chassis, the BK Precision ») will work asis because the input and output circuits sar sou ate completely isolated, You can see the non- L_ polarized two-pin output plug in Figure 1. Both the Xentek boat anchor and the somewhat Geund flimsy Tipp-Lite required minor modifications to serve as isolation transformers, as Ill describe below. Before we make the mods, let's review the science. Houre 3. schemai sf modified line isolation transformer. Note the input ground pin does not extend to the output. The Science The schematic of a typical line isolation transformer that you can purchase from Amazon is shown in Figure 2. It consists of a 1:1 transformer with 120 VAC across hot and neutral. More importantly, the ground lead of the input is connected to the ground lead of the output. In addition, the neutral lead on the output winding as well as an electromagnetic Faraday shield between primary and secondary are tied to ground, While this configuration may minimize noise transfer from the mains to the output, there is a shock hazard for someone who is grounded that touches the hot lead. Figure 3 shows a modified line isolation transformer that provides true isolation between input and output Regardless of how the primary circuit is configured relative to ground, the secondary circuit is completely isolated from the primary and, by extension, from ground. You could touch the hot or neutral line from the transformer secondary, or the chassis of a radio connected directly to one of the secondary leads without experiencing a shock. The only hazard is coming between both the hot and neutral on the secondary. The “ods It’s easy enough to modify a line isolation transformer configured like Figure 2 to the configuration in Figure 3, For example, if you have a Tripp-Lite isolator, first locate the Figure 9. Replacing the Tripp-Lte’s three-prong grounded outlet with a two-prong ungrounded outlet. common ground connection as in Figure 4. Remove any wire that runs from the ground connection to the output Variable Bulb Isolator —Autotransformer Limiter connection, Next, extract the grounded dual three prong outlet and replace it with a dual two-prong outlet that isn’t grounded (Figure 5) Because the standard three-prong AC outlet provides a direct connection to ground, you could end up with the potentially hazardous situation depicted in Figure 2 By removing the three;prong fixture from the output, you remove the possibilty of positioning yourself between ground and hot or neutral Now, let’s turn to modifying the boat anchor (Figures 68). The Xentek was an eBay purchase for $98 (including shipping) which is less than | paid for the Tripp-Lite 3. The modification required to reach the configuration shown Figure 2 was to replace the three-prong 220 VAC outlet with a two-prong 125 VAC outlet, Although not necessary, | added a power switch and a slow blow 15A fuse to the primary circuit as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The fuse and on/off switch are no-brainer safety features. Figure 8 shows the output side of the isolation transformer. As you can see, the secondary is completely free from the ground wire, which | didn’t use. You can see the end result of my work on the secondary in Figure 1 per Use Remember, this configuration of isolation transformer is specific to working with vintage radio circuits that don’t employ a power o-125vAC. 125VAC py Lg SlotsA transformer, but instead connect directly to the ee toRadio power mains 10 MTSIVOS 2022/ssue-2 Figure 9 shows the configuration of isolation transformers as part of my AC supply system that | use to test and run vintage radios and other vintage tube equipment Figure 10 shows the two other elements of the 15A power delivery chain that enable me to safely test hot-chassis radios: a Variac and a homebrew current limiter. As noted earlier, these two elements are intended to prevent the radio from bursting into flames. The isolation transformer is meant to save my skin, NW TS-7100 Our smallest single board computer measuring only 2.4” by 3.6" by 1.7" ‘NXP i.MX 6UL 696 MHz ARM CPU with FPU ”512MB RAM 44GB eMMC Flash Storage 1.2 KB FRAM Storage A NimbeLink/Digi Cellular A WiFi and Bluetooth A” microSD Card Socket A” 2x USB Host Ports A 2x Serial Ports ‘A 2x 10/100 Ethernet Ports ”RS-485 Port CAN Port A TS-SILO Supercapacitors A Optional 2.8" touch LCD enclosure Oct) 2022 1e importance of knowing which lead is connected to the outside foil begins to become apparent when we look at just how the capacitor is connected in-circuit (see Figure 2). When properly installed, the capacitor will be oriented in such a manner that the outside foil lead is connected to the lowest impedance (usually the ground) side of the circuit. As the Figure 2 schematic shows, the vast majority of capacitors have one lead tied directly to chassis ground. The capacitor can and will behave as an antenna, “receiving” RF signals that are present in the vicinity. Having the outside foil grounded tends to shunt off any such received signals to ground rather than allowing them to enter the working circuit in the form of unwanted and interfering noise. Unfortunately, many modern capacitors are no longer marked, and very often when a capacitor does have a siripe, it’s not related to the outside foil marking and must therefore not be used as a connection guide. Instead, it’s up to the builder to determine which lead is the outside foil 12 SIONS 2022/1s5u0-2 inding the By Chris Prioli AD2CS lead and to assemble the circuit in accordance with that, determination. A recent discussion with an engineer at Cornell Dubilier regarding their linois Capacitor MWR series of metalized polyester film capacitors confirmed that the MWR capacitors are not marked as to the outside foil lead, regardless of what markings may be on the body of the capacitor. Now, | already suspected that, which is why 1 called him to begin with. What | mostly wanted from him was his, recommendation as to test frequencies, voltages, and loads. See, | had developed my own methodology for identifying the outside foil lead (which is the real purpose Of this article) and I was seeking validation for my method, It used to be that I could easily determine the outside {oil lead of a capacitor simply by connecting the capacitor to an oscilloscope and watching the display as | held the cap in my fingers. 'd use a piece of coax with a BNC connector at one end to fit the ‘scope input jack and a pair of alligator clips — one red (center conductor) and In years past, non-polarized capacitors would often have a striped end on the capacitor tube, or a stripe marking on the capacitor body indexing with one of the leads. While not a polarized capacitor in the electron flow sense, these capacitors did indeed have a “polarity” which would often need to be observed for best performance. The purpose of the stripe is evident if we look at some of the old “waxies” that were actually marked “Outside Foil End” on one end of the capacitor tube (see Figure 1). Yes. You read that right. The stripe on the capacitor body indicated which device lead was connected to the outside foil within the capacitor. So, why did that matter? And does it still matter today? Read on, MacDuff! Figure 1 Outside foil end marking #1 Figure 2 - Heathkit T-3 schematic diagram, 2o2zilssue-2 MMSIVOUS 13 Figure 3 ~ Alligator clips on coaxial cable. cone black (shield braid) for easy differentiation - on the other end (see Figure 3). Set the ‘scope to a low voltage setting; about 2 mY or 5 mV per division should be fine. Set your time base to a fast speed. You can adjust it later to get a clearly defined and visible trace. Now, connect the capacitor between the two alligator clips, and holding the capacitor between your thumb and forefinger, look at the trace on the ‘scope. Adjust the time base as necessary to get a clean trace, and then note the amplitude of the waveform displayed (Figure 4) ae in poser iea oeieT Figure 4 ~ Greater amplitude signal trace. 14 WTSIVONS 2022,I55u Why Bother? Many folks in electronics — hobbyists and technicians alike — have quite possibly never given a second thought to the installation orientation of a “non-polarized” capacitor. So, why is this a “thing” now? In realty, it has tong been of considerable importance and, in fact, engineers have long relied on the shielding effect of such capacitors to help reduce inherent hum or buzz in the audio circuits af a wide variety of electronic equipment. What has brought it to the forefront recently is the current trend of reconditioning or refurbishing vintage electronic ‘equipment — especially vacuum tube equipment. ‘As we open up some of this older equipment and begin replacing the original wax and paper capacitors — which ‘are well past their "best by* date — we can find ourselves with audio equipment with annoying hum that we can't ‘seem to get rid of easily. However, it may be (and often is) just as simple as reversing the orientation of the replacement capacitors so as to connect their outer foil or shielded end to the Lower impedance point inits circuit, Wouldnt it be a lot easier if we knew which way to install the capacitors in the first place? Your body is serving as a big hum antenna, feeding the hum signal through your fingers, and then inductively coupling it into the capacitor where the ‘scope can measure it. After noting the trace amplitude, reverse the relative position of the capacitor in the alligator clips and ‘once again look at the trace. One of these two waveforms will be of a lesser amplitude than the other, and this is the one that interests us (Figure 5). When you have determined which waveform has the lower amplitude, carefully note which ‘scope lead is connected to which capacitor lead. The way this works is actually quite simple. The capacitor lead that is connected to the ‘scope common or coax shield braid (black alligator clip) side when the trace amplitude is at its lowest is the capacitor lead connected to the outer foil. | generally score these leads with a Sharpie® marker once I track them down So far, this is pretty simple and straightforward, right? Not so quick, Rick! Some of the newest capacitors on the market (such as the MWR series mentioned earlier) are produced using a so-called “noninductive wrapping” technique or process. What this means is that the test method described above — which relies on inductive coupling of the hum signal into the capacitor — will not work with these capacitors. As a result, I had to find another way to identify the shielding lead of the capacitor because, yes, it does stil matter — especially when refurbishing older equipment that relied on capacitor shielding to limit noise or hum in the system. One such device is, the Heathkit T-3 Aural/Visual Signal Tracer that I'm currently refurbishing In sum total, the T-3 types and quantities: Uses the following capacitor + 0.005 pF 600V ~ five pieces + 0.02 uF 600V - one piece + 0.05 uF 600V ~ four pieces + 10 pF 25V - one piece + 20 uF/20 uF/20 u/20 uF 450V | | one piece Let’s look a litle bit closer at this, starting at the bottom of the list. That last capacitor on the list is a foursection can-type electrolytic filter capacitor used in the T-3’s power supply. Many years ago, | had the need to replace this capacitor, and at the time I could only find a 20-20-10-10 can as the closest replacement (Figure 6).1 wanted to remain with the can-style filter rather than installing four discrete devices, so | went ahead and installed it. However, it always bothered me because its use did result in some hum in the audio. The hum was very slight, but knew that it was there and it just irked me. Thirty-some years down the road, I'm able to get an almost exact 20/20/20/20 capacitor. | say almost because this replacement is rated at a slightly higher 475 volts than the original 450 volts, Next is the only other polarized capacitor in the T3. It’s @ 10 pF 25V axial aluminum electrolytic type (Figure 7) and was an easy find for replacement, so is being replaced with an exact match. Let’s move on to the three remaining values. The originals were all wax and paper capacitors (Figure 8) Figure 8 ~ Original “waxie" capacitor. ro} Sed a Creuse a a aa 3 ery Por} Coa Figure 5 ~ Lesser amplitude signal trace. Figure 6 - Existing mul i-section electrolytic “can’ capacitor, SOMDENSER ail CAPACITY Figure 7 - Original axial electrolytic capacitor. 2o2zylssue-2 MMSIVOUS 15 ~Wr wv Figure 9 - Test SuDC 10KH2 circuit for SINE WAVE rnon-inductive capacitors. SWAP LEADS TO COMPARE FOR NOISE. |<$ | DEVICE UNDER TEST which are wellknown for becoming leaky as they age, thus passing DC instead of blocking it. These capacitors act more like resistors than capacitors when they get some age on them. The original waxies are all of values that are not so common today. The 600 volt rating is also no longer a common value. After some thought and research, | settled (on metallized polyester film capacitors rated at 630 volts. | chose 0.0047 LF to replace the 0.005 UF waxies, 0.047 UF in place of the 0.05 UF ones, and 0.022 pF in place of the lone 0.02 uF capacitor used Installation of the can capacitor is simple enough. The can is marked with shaped icons at each of the four section terminals; actually, at three of the four. This is a Figure 10 - Testing arrangement for non-inductive capacitors. 16 WTSIVOUS 2022/ssv0-2 standard means of identifying which terminal goes to which section as to the values of those sections. In this case, because all the sections are of the same. value, i's really moot. However, the capacitor is still marked with the usual square, triangle, and “D” or closed ue Asis the norm, the legend is on a label on the side of the capacitor, and each of the terminals is labeled on the end insulator right next to the terminal, The terminal tend of the can has four mounting tabs by which it’s secured into its mounting wafer, which is itself secured to the chassis by machine screw and hex nut combinations, ach of the tabs are engaged into a slot in the wafer and are then either twisted or folded over to secure the capacitor to the wafer. I’s also generally advisable to solder at least one of the tabs to ensure a good ground for the capacitor shell The axial electrolytic capacitor is clearly marked as to its negative end, so installation of this one is also quite simple. It’s placed parallel to a 47002 resistor between the cathode (pin 8) of the 12A6 audio output vacuum tube and ground. As such, the negativemarked end of this capacitor is connected to the unit chassis, which is done at the ground eyelet of the 1246 tube socket. It must be noted that the original Ilinois Condenser electrolytic capacitor that’s installed has its positive end marked, and the pictorial that is provided in the T-3 manual shows a striped end on that capacitor — but the stripe is at the positive end. So, now we come to the troublemakers: the film capacitors. Not knowing at the time about the manufacturing process that produces “nominductive wrapping.” | attempted to determine the outside foil end using the old standby oscilloscope method described previously. Needless to say, it didn’t work. Thinking over that process, though, | decided that for some reason the inductive coupling was not happening. That being the case, | figured that | could pass a signal through the capacitor from my signal generator and use the ‘scope in the same manner. Unfortunately, that didn’t work right out of the box either. Iwas using a 5V sine wave at 10 kHz, which simply showed a basically clean sine wave through the capacitor in both directions. So, | added a series resistance of 100KQ2 and ran the test again. This time, | got useful results in that when connected in one direction, the trace was a clean waveform, but in the other direction the waveform was very noisy. Figure 9 shows a diagrammatic representation of the test setup, while Figure 10 depicts the test setup in use. Eureka! | was on to something, so I decided to seek out some validation. made a call to CDE and spoke with an engineer who started off by stating that there is no way to tell which is the outside foil end by looking at the capacitors, and that the information printed on the capacitor bodies was printed in the opposite direction with every other capacitor off the line The printing reversed with each capacitor that went by, so it was impossible to determine the outside foil on one capacitor and then assume that all its “twins” in a given lot were the same. In reality the odds were that any given batch would have half of each printing direction He went on to describe a test circuit that was essentially the same as what | had developed and used, which would produce a clean waveform in one direction and a noisy one in the opposite direction. He said that any voltage up to the working voltage was acceptable, so long as the current was limited to a level that the capacitor could handle in accordance with the datasheet values. He recommended a frequency of anywhere from 5 kHz up to 15 kHz, and he said that the polarity of the least noisy waveform would indicate the polarity of the capacitor. Of course, there is no “outside foil” on these capacitors. Instead, the polarity would indicate which end is the shielded end. | had my validation just like that! Almost as an afterthought, he did say that capacitors with the shield end marked are available from CDE as special-order items, with certain specific minimum order piece counts applied. Armed with the knowledge that my test method was valid and reliable, I went through the bags of polyfilm capacitors that | had boug the T-3 refurb and identified the shielded end of each one, marking that end of each A capacitor with my trusty Sharpie. Figures 11 and 12 show the results of ae this testing method, with Figure 11 showing the noisy trace and Figure 12 its clean ie counterpart. In Figure 13, it's obvious how I marked the capacitors after testing each All that remains now is to actually install them, together with a polarized line ee cord and a full set of replacement resistors Figure 13 - Marked polyfilm capacitors, for all the value-wandering aged carbon composition resistors that are currently in place in the T:3. Post comments on this article and find any associated files and/or downloads at www-nutsvolts.com/magazine/ issue/2022/02, 2022/ssue-2 MMSIVOUS 17 By D. John Doyle Listening to the sounds emitted from the heart using a stethoscope (auscultation) is a frequent first step in cardiac iagnosis (Figure 1). Cardiac auscultation is often followed by echocardiography (ultrasound examination and imaging of the heart) when the auscultatory findings are abnormal. However, the limited reliability of ordinary auscultation in the hands of ordinary clinicians and the expense and awkwardness of echocardiography may make it desirable to develop a more advanced approach to cardiac auscultation using computer-based techniques (digital phonocardiography). 1 this article, ll show you how through the addition Jof an inexpensive USB (Universal Serial Bus) miniature microphone one can convert an ordinary stethoscop, and a Windows laptop computer into a phonocardiogram idvanced features trieval, low-pa ack at system (heart sound analyze such as phonocardiogram stor and highpass waveform filtering, and signal pla selectable speeds with pitch preservation, 18 MMBWWOUS 2022/ssu02 To convert a Windows laptop computer into a phonocardiogram system, you only need to add two elements. The first is the needed software (Audacity, discussed below) and the second is an easily constructed USB stethoscope that plugs into the USB port of the laptop computer. To construct the USB stethoscope, you begin by Post comments on this article and find any associated files and/or downloads ‘at www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/issue/2022/02. MFIGURE I. 7 7 Stylized/conceptual ane ee phonocardiogram Normal (heart sound) samples corresponding to several cardiac conditions. Image (Credit: Used under 2 Creative ‘Commons License. By c Madhero88 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, hetps:licommons. wikimedia.orgiwfindex. obtaining a USB lavalier microphone (Figure 2) and connecting it to a t stethoscope head via { a short piece of tubing (Figure 3). Once the assembly is plugged into the laptop’s USB port, itwill be necessary to ensure that the new microphone is recognized. To do this under Windows 10, you must go to the Windows “Settings” menu and select the “Sound” tab. With successful registration of the new microphone, you should see something akin to the information displayed in Figure 4. The Audacity Software Package Diastole! systole | Central to this project is the Audacity software package. Audacity isa particularly well-supported and, wellocumented open source digital audio editor and II FIGURE 3.The miniature electret microphone shown in Figure 2 acoustically connected to a 3M Littman Classic Il SE stethoscope head via a short piece of tubing. Hobbyists with a limited budget will likely find that the use of a stethoscope head removed from an ordinary stethoscope costing under $10 will do just fine. Atrial | Mitral regurgitation # ‘otic regurgitation I FIGURE 2. This miniature electret microphone ‘with an integral USB interface was purchased on ‘eBay for under $10, including shipping (hetps:!/ -www.ebay.comlitm/224786847| 74thash=item345, 6571 5c6:g-AEAAOSwOVIh3tON).When used for phonocardiography applications, the lapel clip and. the foam microphone cover are discarded and the is attached to a stethoscope head via a short piece of tubing (Figure 3). recording application available for the Windows, Mac OS/OS X, and Linux operating systems. It can be freely downloaded at https://www.audacityteam.org, Figure 5 shows a brief musical passage (Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C Minor) being processed using Audacity. Although Audacity has an almost overwhelming array of features and options, three classes of features found in the “Effect” menu are likely to be of special interest to phonocardiographers Input Choose your input device Microphone (AKS37I ‘Some apps are using custom input settings. You can personalize Device properties Test your microphone FIGURE 4.Screenshot of part of the Sound portion of the Settings menu in Windows 10. In the case of the microphone shown in Figures 2 and 3, the device goes by the name AK5371, but a different name might be expected ‘when using a different USB microphone. The “Test your microphone” feature displayed on the bottom of the panel allows users to watch the bar graph amplitude change as they speak into the microphone under test. 2o22ylssue-2 MMBIVOTS 19 IFIGURE 5. Screenshot of the Audacity audio software package displaying the first portion of Beethoven's famous Symphony No. 5 in C Minor. This powerful, free, open source software package offers numerous features for processing audio signals — many of which are of potential value for phonocardiography applications. [3] three digital fitering options (Low-Pass Filter, HighPass Filter, and Notch Filter, One final feature known as “Change Tempo” that may captivate some users is the ability 10 change the speed of a recording without changing the sound pitch — a feature of potential value in listening to heart sounds in patients with a fast heart rate (tachycardia). A YouTube video demonstrating the basics of using Audacity is available at https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=LQ7n9pA0qc0. These include: [1] the Amplify feature that scales the | Sample Recording signal; [2] the Normalize feature that “normalizes” the signal to a chosen maximum amplitude (e.g., 0 dB); and, Figure 6 shows a sample phonocardiogram recording bdhdh dtd led tell CEE | obtained with the USB stethoscope placed over the second left intercostal space adjacent to the sternal border (pulmonic valve area). The top portion of Figure 6 shows 13.3 seconds of the phonocardiogram recording, comprising approximately 16 cardiac cycles. Investigators wanting to “zoom in” ona portion of the recording so as, to be able to examine it ect ap | fot} i MI FIGURE 6. Sample phonocardiogram reco ing obtained under breath-holding (apneic) conditions. The recording is from ‘me with the USB stethoscope placed over my second left intercostal space adjacent to the sternal border (pulmonic valve area)-Top: First 13.3 seconds of the recording. Middle:““Zoomed in” portion of the above phonocardiogram showing the first 3.3 seconds of the recording, making the first and second heart sounds somewhat more distinct. Bottom; First 3.3 seconds of the recording after high-pass filtering (200 Hz, 6 dB/octave roll off) and normalization. Notice helps make the separate heart sounds more distinct. 20 MASONS 2022/6sue-2 how this filtering operation events more closely can easily do so with the Audacity waveform “zoom” feature. As illustrated in the middle panel of Figure 6, the zoomedin phonocardiogram now shows only the first 3.3 seconds of the recording, making the first and second heart sounds somewhat clearer. Finally, the bottom of Figure 6 shows the same 3.3 seconds of the recording after high-pass filtering (200 Hz, 6 dB/octave roll off) and normalization. Notice how this high-pass filtering operation helps make the separate heart sounds even more distinct. a ul r A ua Heth Color Spectrographic Hh 1 Analysis of the hy i Phonocardiogram I he |: i It will be of interest to some readers that additional signal processing techniques have been described that might be applied to phonocardiograms collected using the described system. As an example, color spectrogram analysis of tn i i INFIGURE 7.The color spectrogram of the phonocardiogram signal shown in Figure 6 obtained using the Spectrogram 6 software package. Note that the specific image obtained will phonocardiogram signals allows phonocardiography to ideeanlstaidy ty ftia anabp puronatans Chosen Cagee ee be carried out in the frequency domain. size, frequency resolution, maximum and minimum spectrum Figure 7 shows the phonocardiogram presented levels, and chosen upper and lower frequency band limits). Red in Figure 6 analyzed in this manner using the areas indicate the strongest signal levels, blue areas the weakest Spectrogram16 software package, available as a free nonzero levels: BLACK < BLUE < GREEN

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