Amplifier Oscillating Help Please

M

Mark

Guest
I am more of a digital man than an analogue one. I need help please,
the set-up is as follows, I have an serial ADC output feeding an
Op-Amp feeding a 12V 40W Amplifier IC. The amp works in Class H to get
the output. The trouble is I am getting HF oscillations at high volume
levels (in rythem with the signal). You can see them on a scope, I
have a common ground plane for all of the circuit, I have thick tracks
going to the high power parts, I have a choke in line with the 7805
regulator for the logic. The Op-Amp is powered from the 5V logic line
(I only need 2V swing to drive output amplifier fully. I have tried
putting a heavy choke to the power supply input of the power amplifier
section, which did not help, I have tried putting a cap across the
input to the output amp, this helped a lot (with some decrease in
treble) but did not cure it completely, I have tried doubling the
values of the two caps used for the class H operation, did nothing,
tried doubling the power supply reservoir capacitor, this did nothing,
tried isolating the OP-Amp power supply with a diode and a smoothing
cap, this did nothing, also tried adding a choke to the opamp supply,
again nothing.

The thing that is throwing me is my Tektronics scope. When I put a
heavy connection wire between the Ground input of the scope and the
Ground of the circuit under test, and I put my probe onto the Ground
of the circuit under test (even at the same point where the heavy
ground wire is, I can see the HF oscillations on the screen. Trouble
is this is throwing me off the scent as to where the Oscillations are
coming from.

Can anybody give me some pointers please, I am starting to think that
I should have not taken on an Analogue design. Any web sites giving
hints and tips on this subject would also be appreciated.
 
On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 22:00:07 GMT, "Norm Dresner" <ndrez@att.net>
wrote:

"Mark" <Mark@> wrote in message
news:nieam09thhf22ius6ce1dgd91qukfb7sen@4ax.com...
On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 08:55:27 GMT, "Norm Dresner" <ndrez@att.net
wrote:

Mark wrote:

I am more of a digital man than an analogue one. I need help please,
the set-up is as follows, I have an serial ADC output feeding an
Op-Amp feeding a 12V 40W Amplifier IC. The amp works in Class H to get
the output. The trouble is I am getting HF oscillations at high volume
levels (in rythem with the signal). You can see them on a scope, I
have a common ground plane for all of the circuit, I have thick tracks
going to the high power parts, I have a choke in line with the 7805
regulator for the logic. The Op-Amp is powered from the 5V logic line
(I only need 2V swing to drive output amplifier fully. I have tried
putting a heavy choke to the power supply input of the power amplifier
section, which did not help, I have tried putting a cap across the
input to the output amp, this helped a lot (with some decrease in
treble) but did not cure it completely, I have tried doubling the
values of the two caps used for the class H operation, did nothing,
tried doubling the power supply reservoir capacitor, this did nothing,
tried isolating the OP-Amp power supply with a diode and a smoothing
cap, this did nothing, also tried adding a choke to the opamp supply,
again nothing.

The thing that is throwing me is my Tektronics scope. When I put a
heavy connection wire between the Ground input of the scope and the
Ground of the circuit under test, and I put my probe onto the Ground
of the circuit under test (even at the same point where the heavy
ground wire is, I can see the HF oscillations on the screen. Trouble
is this is throwing me off the scent as to where the Oscillations are
coming from.

Can anybody give me some pointers please, I am starting to think that
I should have not taken on an Analogue design. Any web sites giving
hints and tips on this subject would also be appreciated.


I didn't see in all of this a characterization of the Op Amp's load. Is
it
capacitive? Inductive? What OpAmp is it?

Its a LF353N, I have on the negative input a 10K resistor 10Mfd
capacitor chain, going down to ground with a 470K resistor going from
the output back to this input. My signal input goes in via a 1 Mfd
cap then held to half way between the supply lines by two 100K
resistors before going to the positive input, I also have a 1Mfd cap
on the output. As said before the OP-Amp is powered from the 5V logic
supply via a 1N4148 diode and 10Mfd capacitor.

Do you have any overall HF feedback around the Op Amp? Depending on the
frequencies you're interested in (I'm assuming something near the audio
range) 15-30 pF shouldn't change the frequency response too much and
would
be diagnostic.

Where would I place this, please?

Feedback is usually negative to stabilize the amp and is connected from
the output to the negative input. Assuming you have the 470K resistor doing
the feedback between the output and the negative input, you'd parallel this
resistor with a small (value) capacitor.

Now, as others have asked you, what exactly do you mean by a 1uF capacitor
on the output? From the output to ground? NO! Most Op Amps are very, very
sensitive to capacitive loading. even a nF or two can be fatal.
No, its in series with the output pin of the op-amp (after the
feedback 470K resistor), to de-couple the op-amp output, from the main
amplifier stage (a Phillips TDA1650Q).
Because you're a "digital man" you immediately think that output problems
like HF oscillation are caused by power supply issues but there are
analog
circuits that delight in oscillating. In particular a complementary pair
at
the output of an analog amp is a good example, especially if they're
MOSFET.

Norm



Norm
 

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