ELECTRONICS $3.

95*
TODAY
INTERNATIONAI

TOP PROJECTS
Vol. 6
u ar‘re ILI Ur" ,111,
 kki. pule

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085 P 699 R
 TOP PROJECTS
Vol. 6
470 Simple 60 W low distortion amplifier module 5
471 High performance stereo preamp control unit 12
472 The Series 4000 stereo amplifier 18
473 Series 4000 moving-coil cartridge preamplifier 24
577 Ageneral purpose, dual 12 Vsupply 31
474 High-to- low impedance ' interface' for ETI-470 amp 34
496 Series 4000 four-way loudspeaker 36
466 ' The Brute' — 300 W into 4ohms, 200 W into 8ohms 42
452 Guitar practice amplifier 51
455 Speaker protection unit 55
451 Ahum filter for hi-fi systems 58
150 Simple analogue frequency meter features linear scale 61
454 :uzz/sustain unit for guitarists 64
Editor: Jan Vernon
Art Direction: Ivy Hansen 262 Asimple intercom 68
Managing Editor: Collyn Rivers
Managing Director: John Fink 606 An electronic ' tuning fork' 70
Advertising: Sydney 33-4282
Melb. 662-1222 721 Aircraft band converter 75
Top Projects Vol 6 was printed by
Eastern Suburbs Newspapers, 77 722 Simple antenna for aircraft band converter 80
Belmore Rd, Randwick NSW.
Distributed by Gordon and Ciotch.
718 Short wave receiver 82
(Recommended and maximum price
only).
573 Auniversal process timer 87
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced in
152 Capacitance meter features linear scale and low cost 91
any form or by any means without
the permission of the copyright
151 Electronic ohmmeter— linear scale and high accuracy 95
holders, Electronics Today
International.
585 Ultrasonic switch 99
Whilst every effort has been made to
ensure that all constructional projects
Biofeedback — abridge to bionics 102
referred to in this edition will operate
as indicated efficiently and properly,
576 Electromyogram for biofeedback use 107
and that all necessary components to
build the same will be available, no 588 Theatrical lighting controller 116
responsibility whatsoever is accepted
in respect of the failure for any 711 Remote control unit ( transmitter and receiver) 128
reason at all of the project to operate
effectively or at all whether due to 316 Transistor assisted ignition 149
any fault in design or otherwise, and
no responsibility is accepted in respect 574 Disco strobe light 153
of any injury or damage caused by
any fault in the design of any such Printed circuit board patterns 157
project aforesaid. 5/80.
Shoparound ( kit set and component suppliers) 161

3
 THE COMMONWEALTH COPYRIGHT ACT OF 1968
EXPRESSLY FORBIDS THE REPRODUCTION OF
ANY MATERIAL WITHOUT THE COPYRIGHT
OWNERS PRIOR PERMISSION.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUB-

LICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM
OR BY ANY MEANS WITHOUT THE PERMISSION
OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS — ELECTRONICS
TODAY INTERNATIONAL.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL PERMISSION

BE GRANTED TO PHOTOSTAT ANY PART OF THE
CONTENTS AND ANY PERSON OR ORGANISATION
FOUND SO DOING WILL BE PROSECUTED UNDER
THE TERMS OF THE COMMONWEALTH COPY—
RIGHT ACT 1968.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that all constructional projects referred to in this edition will operate as indicated
efficiently and properly, and that all necessary components to build the same will be available, no responsibility whatsoever
is accepted in respect of the failure for any reason at all of the project to operate effectively or at all whether due to any
fault in design or otherwise, and no responsibility is accepted for the failure to obtain any such component parts in respect of
any such project. Further, no responsibility is accepted in respect of any injury or damage caused by any fault in the design
of any such project aforesaid.

4
 SIMPLE 60W
LOW DISTORTION
AMPLIFIER MODULE
The popularity of our first 50 I.A( ' universal' amplifier modules has been very high since they
were published several years ago. Since that time the state of the art has moved on. This
project, designed by Phil Wait from an original circuit by Trevor Marshall, is intended to
replace the ETI 480 and features simpler mechanical construction, low distortion
(particularly TID) and generally better performance.

MANY DIFFERENT amplifier circuits

have appeared in popular electronics
magazines over the years. The most
popular audio projects we have ever
published were the 100 watt guitar amp.
(ETI 413, published in December 72
and still going strong!), the 422 amp.
and the 480 series of power amp.
modules.
While these seemed to have satisfied
alarge demand, our attention has been
drawn to the need for something a ' step
up' from there — something that app-
roaches the current ' state of the art' for
hi-fi equipment. Lower distortion than
previously obtained, better bass per-
formance and flexibility was the mess-
age we received from reader's letters and
kit and component suppliers ("Why
don't you . . .", "What I'd like to
see ...", " Ineed a .. .", etc.).
Late last year we set in motion the
'wheels' necessary to bring this project
into fruition. Our major design hurdles
were cleared with room to spare with
the assistance of talented West
Australian designer, Trevor Marshall.
A great many factors place some-
times quite severe constraints on project
design — particularly component avail-
ability and ease of construction; not
forgetting that this design had to
perform significantly better than those
that came before it.
There is clearly little point in desc-
ribing a project that includes comp-
onents that are impossible to get or one
that is difficult to construct.
A strong point that came across to us and ease of construction over most kit of feedback to even out frequency
from reader feedback and from the amplifiers offered to date. It has been response and reduce harmonic dis-
popularity of our 480 series of ampli- designed particularly with low transient tortion. The heavy feedback ' school'
fiers was that constructors favoured a intermodulation distortion in mind. of design produces an impressive list
modular concept. It seems that the days Although a difficult parameter to of specifications — but the difference
of the single- board stereo amplifier measure, transient intermodulation dis- to the ear between such an amplifier
project have come and gone. tortion is ar inherent characteristic of and one designed for low TID has
This power amplifier offers a sig- many amplifier designs — especially to be heard to be believed.
nificant improvement in specifications those which incorporate large amounts

5
60W AMPLIFIER MODULE

F1
2A
R1 R2
R10
100R 82R 03
22R
BC559

01 06
BC557 BC559

e e
bb 02 e
C2 C5
BC557
470p 07 470n
BD140

012
BDV65B
R3
e
C3 33k
0µ47 R11
100R Mounted on
TANT
output R25— R28
1:28
heatsink 4x22R 1W
4. I 130139
Cl 04 05 C
220µ R4 BC557 BC557 RV1
e R15— R19
INPUT 16V 82R 100R
e 5x1R 1W

F4:AAAC

Set for 25 mA
R5 R7 @ 25 ° C
3k9
3k9 82R output stage OUTPUT

C4
current
o
220µ
+I 16V R20— R24
5x1R 1W

010 011 C6
BD139 BD139 470n

e e
013
BDV646

C7
09
242
BC549
e
Please note: The earth
rail onto the amplifier R6 R13 R14
must be returned to the 100R 12R 12R
F2
0 volt connection on the
2A
power supply.
—40V

HOW IT WORKS — ETI 470

The input stage of the amplifier consists of is obtained from the parallel pair Q10 maintain operation in their safe region
an emitter coupled differential pair ( Q4, and 011. They are operated with series as well as reducing the chance of thermal
QS) with a constant current source ( QI, (R13, R14) and shunt ( R12) feedback, run away.
Q2 and 03). The use of aconstant current and a constant current source (06, Q7). Protection against ultrasonic oscillation
source reduces distortion, as well as the This results in ahighly linear stage. is provided by C7 and the network consist-
possibility of high frequency oscillation Q9 protects Q10 and Q11 from high ing of R25- R28 and C5, C6.
and prevents any rIpple on the positive peak currents or damage should a fault Both DC and AC feedback is taken
supply from unduly affecting the input occur. When the current through R13 from the output, via R8, to the negative
stage. Unequal emitter resistors ( RI, R2) exceeds the safe limit, Q9 conducts and input of the differential pair, the amount
allow the currents in Q4 and Q5 to be shorts out the drive to Q10 and Q11. of feedback being set by the ratio of R8
optimised. Input lag compensation is Bias from the output stage is set by to R7. C4 increases the feedback, and
provided by C3, limiting the slew rate of RV1 and a shunt regulator (08). 08 is therefore decreases the overall gain, at
the amplifier to reduce high frequency mounted on the same heatsink as the very low frequencies. The feedback also
intermodulation. The gain of the differ- output stages and stabilises the output automatically holds the DC output voltage
ential pair, driving 010 and Q11, is very bias current against heatsink temperature at close to zero volts.
low. rise. Resistors R15- R24 in the emitters
Almost all the gain of the amplifier of the output Darlingtons, 012 and Q13,

6
Choice of Power Supply
The design of the power supply can ETI 470 SPECIFICATIONS
mean the success or failure of an other-
wise well-designed amplifier. The supply Power Output 60 watts into 8 ohms (-T-40V supply)
voltage should be well- regulated, varying
less than 10% from no load to full load, Frequency Response 10 Hz to 100 kHz 4'0.5 dB
and be able to supply high peak currents.
However, if a voltage regulator is Input Sensitivity 500 mV rms for 60 W output
employed it too must be capable of
delivering the very high peak currents Hum and Noise better than — 110 dB on full output
occasionally demanded. This necessit- (dependent on power supply)
ates an expensive regulator device and
large, expensive filter capacitors. Feedback Ratio 35 dB
The alternative is to use afairly large
transformer and large value filter capac- Distortion at 1kHz, 30 V p- p output into 8 ohms,
itors on acapacitor- input bridge rectifier. Closed Loop 0 04 "A)
This is what we chose. (open loop 1 %)
The circuit given here shows apower
supply suitable for supplying a stereo Stability: The amplifier was found to be completely stable when operated into
amplifier using two of these modules. reactive loads consisting of R + C, L + C and pure L
The filter capacitors C8 and C9 consist
of two 2500 uF, 50 volt electrolytic Intermodulation (
calculated values) . . at lkHz, 30 V p- p output into 8 ohms,
capacitors connected in parallel. This is 3rd order less than 0.015 %
the minimum we would recommend. 5th order less than 0.0023 %
In general, the largest value filter (Intermodulation reduces with reduced power)
capacitor one can afford is agood rule
of thumb! It has been suggested to us SW1 Ti PF3577 YELLOW
that values as high as 20 000 to 50 000 ON/OFF 4 x 1N5408
A RED
uF makes an audible difference in 0—o
performance. (Watch the rectifier
specifications though!). 240V
+38V
ac
Improved performance can be
obtained for a modest increase in cost N C8
by having a separate supply for each 0--o 5000p
50V
channel module. This improves the
BLUE
regulation, reduces crosstalk and OV
E
GREEN
increases the amount of power •co
available before output clipping (:)---1 240V TO OTHER 5000p
le POWER SUPPLY
commences. 50V
IF REQUIRED
The choice of transformer will deter- 38V
mine power output. A 28-0-28 volt,
2 A transformer ( Ferguson PF3577 or
similar) will power amodule to 60 watts WHY LOW TID?
(RMS) power output, while a 26-0-26
volt, 2 A type ( e.g. Dick Smith M-0148 Look.ng at the circuit and a quick fed into this low impedance is close
C- core) will permit 40 watts. glance at the specifications, there's to unity, so almost all the gain of the
The power supply output should be little in the circuit that looks out- amplifier is concentrated in 010 and
limited to apeak DC voltage of about standingly different from others. So 011.
40 volts ( for 60 W output). A C-core what makes this amplifier special? Provided the phase shifts in the
transformer will generally improve the The difference in concept that differential pair and the gain stage
hum and noise output figures apart makes this amplifier unique is the are negligible the feedback loop is
from having a reduced field, thereby use of a very linear, high gain driver unconditionally stable.
reducing possible hum pickup problems. stage ( 010, Q11), with a constant There are two other design
If the amplifier module is to be used current source ( 06, 07), so that the features which result in low TID.
with a4- ohm speaker system the supply gain of this stage is dependent upon The total open loop ( feedback
voltage must be limited to about 30 volts the input impedance of the output disconnected) distortion is only 1%
maximum, otherwise the output devices transistors. However, their input at 30 V p- p output. So, very little
will attempt to deliver over 100 watts impedance is dependent upon their feedback is necessary to reduce this
followed by rapid self destruction! gain, and therefore the gain of the to an acceptable level.
Adventurous constructors may wish amplifier stage is dependent solely Protection of the output transis-
to try adding asecond set of Darlington upon the characteristics of the out- tors is done by fuses, rather than
output devices, with their own emitter put devices. electronically, and very high trans-
resistors as per the circuit, connected in Series and shunt feedback is used ient currents can be fed to the
parallel with the original pair. This with 010 and 011 which results in a speaker without being affected by
combination may supply 100 watts or highly linear stage with a very low the ( inevitably) non-linear impedance
more into a four ohm speaker load. input impedance ( about 28 ohms). of an electronic protection circuit.
This technique is also recommended if The gain of the differential pair when
you are contemplating driving highly

7
60W AMPLIFIER MODULE
reactive loads such as electrostatic heatsink the output Darlingtons, 012
loudspeakers. and 13, and 08 may be mounted. Insert PARTS LIST - ETI 470
them in the pc board and then press
Construction them back against the heatsink to form Resistors all '4W, 5%, except
All components are mounted on a pc their leads to the right shape Do not R15- R28
board including the output devices. solder their leads yet. R1 . . 100R
R2 82R
This method of construction is recom- Smear heat conducting corppoiind on
R3 . 33k
mended. The module has been designed either side of the mica insulators ( don't R4 82R
so that it is mechanically simple to use too much though) and insert these R5 3k9
assemble, much simpler than our ETI between the devices and the heatsink. R6 100R
R7 82R
480 module. Wiring errors are also Assemble the washers and mounting
R8 3k9
avoided when apc board is used. bolts for these, finally checking with an R9 10k
Firstly, assemble and solder all the ohm meter that there is not a short R10 22R
components on to the printed circuit circuit between the metal tags(collectors) R11 100R
R12 22k
board with the exception of Q12, 013 of the devices and the heatsink.
R13, 14 . 12R
(the output Darlingtons) and 08. Care- The input connection to the module R15— R24 1R 1watt
fully observe the polarity of all the is via asingle- hole mounting RCAsocket. R25— R28 22R 1watt
electrolytic capacitors and orientation This is mounted directly on the pc
Potentiometer
of the transistors. board. The centre pin connects to Cl
RV1 100R mini trimpot
The board is then mounted hard via ashort length of tinned copper wire. (vertical)
against the heatsink using small right- If this facility is not required the
angle brackets. Be careful to avoid RCA socket may be omitted and a Capacitors
Cl 220µ 16V electro
shorting the ends of the one ohm length of shielded cable soldered directly
C2 470p ceramic
emitter resistors, R15-19 and R20-24, between Cl and the pc board common. C3 0)147 35V tant
to the brackets. The power supply and speaker con- C4 220g 16V electro
If the module is to be mounted in a nections are soldered directly to the C5, 6 470n greencap
C7 2g2 greencap
chassis the bottom (copper) side of the appropriate copper lands on the under-
pc board should be 25 mm above the side of the pc board. Semiconductors
bottom of the heatsink. This will allow The 'earthy' side of the speaker must 01, 2 BC557, DS557
the use of 25 mm spacers to support the be returned directly to the zero volt 03 BC559, DS559
04, 5 BC557, DS557
'input' end of the board ( furthest from connection of the power supply, as 06 BC559, DS559
the heatsink). It is expected that kits close to the filter capacitors as possible 02 BD140
will include pre- drilled heatsinks and (preferably direct to the negative 08 BD139
suitable braCkets. terminal). Do not connect this side of 09 BC549, DS549
010, 11 80139
Once the board is atta ched to the the speaker to the amplifier board.
012 BDV65B
013 BDV64B

Miscellaneous
SK 1 single hole, panel mount-
ing RCA socket.
Fl, F2 2 Amp 3AG Fuses.
Fuse holders, heatsink for 07, mica
insulating kits ( for C18, 012 and 013),
flat sided heatsink ( 75mm x 110mm),
angle brackets, ETI 470 pcb.

Parts List for Power Supply

D1— D4 IN5404 or sim
C8, 9 5000µ 50V electro ( see
text)
SW1 240V DPDT switch
Ti 28V-0V- 28V, 2 amp
transformer Ferguson
type PF3577 or similar
(see text)

Left: closeup view of the output stage showing

how the Darlington transistors are mounted
and how the pc board attaches to the heatsink

8
 BRACKETS FOR
MOUNTING
HEATSINKS
(see ePP• side PCB)

—0V

INPUT SOCKET
IF USED

/ LINK ON

: UNDERSIDE
' OF PCB

Ve

BD 139
Philips Non — Philips
BD 140
Siemens " Siemens

BC 548 H
BC 548
BC 558
BC 558
BC 559
BC 559

Hi
e ea
bco.
BC 549
BC 549
co
b

Po 1OUT E
.
Darlington
transistor

1,1
r%
mica washer

insulator bush

TO220 PACKAGE
Insulator and bolt
assembly diagram

9
60W AMPLIFIER MODULE
Components
The Darlington output transistors are
the only 'special' components, all others
are generally available from kit and
component suppliers.
The Darlington transistors are avail-
able through Silicon Valley stores 1
at:
23 Chandos St., St. Leo -
-,vv•
nards, NSW;
Two suggested tone control circuits for apreamp to suit this module. Low output impedance is
(02) 439 2965. an important consideration. Choice of discrete or IC circuitry is given.

heatsink, not through asteel chassis. A uencies. Consequently, it must be fed

380 Bridge Rd., Richmond,
slit could be cut in achassis large enough from alow impedance source.
VIC; ( 03) 429 4780.
to slide the assembled amplifier through When driving the amplifier with a
the rear. Heatsink fins should always be preamp-tone control unit, the output is
170 Sturt St., Adelaide, SA
vertical to provide the most efficient best taken from an emitter follower
(08) 51 4080.
convection cooling. circuit ( to provide the required low
The heatsink recommended for the source impedance) or directly from the
22 Ross St., Newstead,
output devices in this project is aflat- output of an operational amplifier. In
OLD; ( 07) 52 1339.
sided type with radial fins, 75 mm in either case, it must be taken from the
length. Other flat- sided types are avail- point where the output is fed back to
7 — 9 Kirk St., Grey Linn,
able with straight fins, and these too the tone control circuitry.
Aukland, NZ; 76 11 69.
would be suitable. A similar length Two suggested tone control circuits
should be used. In general the heatsink suitable for the application are
Mail Order PO Box 898, Crows Nest,
should have athermal resistance, mount- illustrated in Figure 5. Both use a
NSW 2065.
ing surface to ambient, of around 1° C 'Baxandall' type tone control network
Or from:
per watt. with feedback derived from the output
Applied Technology, point.
A small ' flag' heatsink is attached to
la Pattison Ave., The circuit at right uses discrete com-
07, a BD140 ilatpack transistor. A
Waitara NSW. ponents which may suit some
commercial heatsink may be employed
(02) 487 2711. constructors better. The left circuit,
(they're only about 60 cents) or asmall
Radio Despatch Service, strip of aluminium may be bent up, using acommonly available op-amp,has
869 George St., Sydney, drilled, and bolted to the transistor. See higher distortion than the discrete
NSW; ( 02) 211 0816. that the metal area of the BD140 and a circuit.
face of this heatsink are in contact. A preamp-control unit project to suit
It is expected that kits will also be
Heatsink compound should be used. the amplifier module is described in the
available through these outlets.
next article.
Heatsinks
Heatsinks on any amplifier are a com-
Setting Up
promise between cost and temperature Once the amplifier has been assembled
and carefully checked, the bias current
rise.
Unless you are going to play long for the output devices must be set.
PULSE TESTING
passages of organ music, or run adisco, Remove the fuses, F1 and F2 and
connect a 100 ohm resistor across each Operation into severely reactive loads was
you will probably find that relatively examined by looking at the ac component
small heatsinks run quite cool. fuse holder. Remove any input signal. of the Vbe of 010 as ameasure of the 'over-
However, Darlington transistors are Connect the power supplies and measure shoot' of the loop and to see if transient
hard to temperature stabilise and should the voltage drop across each of these overload occured.

be run as cool as possible. This is why resistors. Adjust the trim pot RV1 for f = 1 kHz CRO is 0.2 mS/div Output is
we have opted for afairly large heatsink areading of 2.5 volts across each resis- 30 V into 8 ohms.
tor. This corresponds to abias current Upper trace 10 Wily. Output into 8
compared to otner designs. The tran- ohms.
sistors should be bolted directly to the of 25 mA. The reading should be nearly
Lower trace 10 mV/div. Vbe of BD139
the same across each resistor. Next check gain stage. No evidence of transient overload
that there is no DC voltage across the was visible
output terminals.
If the reading across each of the
resistors cannot be adjusted, or if there
is a DC voltage across the output greater
than one volt then there is afault and
the fuses should not be inserted.
If all is well, remove the two resistors
and insert the fuses. Connect the
speaker and away you go.

Preamp Considerations
The input impedance of this amplifier is
relatively low, falling at very high freq-

10
 JAYCAR Pty. Ltd. AUDIO KITS and COMPONENTS

*ettStibt4s41.1
4600 Synthesizer 485 Graphic Equaliser
This superb Studio Synthesizer offers un- 489 Spectrum Analyser •Two channel operation with 10 octave-
limited flexibility. It utilises aPatchboard This 10 band LED display analyser can be spaced controls per channel
for rapid programming. Also features the used in conjunction with most equalisers •Level match control for each channel
'Fairlight' digital keyboard. for accurate acoustic compensation. •Available rack mounted

"CLEF" String Ensemble

"CLEF" TS88 Touch Sensitive Piano Simulates the multiple source sound of
This unique 88 note piano is fully touch sen- •Full 88 note keyboard string group.
sitive and offers 4selectable piano tonal qual- ip Touch sensitive on all voices •Split keyboard facility
ities plus tremelo honky-tonk and phasing •Sustain and Soft pedals •4voices on upper keyboard.
effects. Complete with pedals this is the best •Combination of voices and harpsichord ▪3pre-set voices on lower keyboard
performance piano kit on the market today plus electronic effects eVariable Attach and Decay
•Small, compact and lightweight •Foot controlled Swell pedal

• • • • , • • • • •
lb • a • • 4 4 4
• / • • 4 • • • *
4/4'4 4i4i4 , 41 4
4
4
4
• •
4 •
4 •
N
7/N t4 .*/L

414 Master Mixer 480 Series Am_plifiers

•8- input channels with volume, bass, tre- 1. Basic 100W Power Slave. A robust, compact, 100W power amplifier,
ble, pan, echo send and sensitivity select 2. 100W Power Slave with inbuilt Graphic ideal for use as aPA or Foldback amplifier.
•2- output channels with 5stage equalisa- Equaliser. With the addition of aPreamp it becomes a
tion, VU meters, overload indication, mas- 3. 2- input 100W Guitar Amplifier with tone versatile guitar amp.
ter volume, pan and echo level controls.

For further information and prices

send stamped, self-addressed
ALSO AVAILABLE envelope to:

anal'
Rack Mounted Cabinets

j
AUDIO ACCESSORIES
Canon plugs and sockets, balanced rnic
These 19' rack mounted chassis are avail- cable, VU metres, etc.
able in three sizes, 1
3/
4", 3 2 "and 5
/
1 1/
4"
high, and features:- HARDWARE
•Front and rear panels brushed and Knobs, plugs, switches, sockets, battery PTY. LTD.
anodised silver cases, bobbins, etc
•Black Marviplate cover 380 Sussex St, Sydney.
▪Front and real panels can be removed for PO Box K39, Haymarket. 2000.
ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS
easy drilling Tel: (02) 211-5077
Resistors, capacitors. IC's, transistors,
•Strong steel chassis pots, etc. Many other kits and components
also stocked. Please enquire or call
at our showroom.

11
 High performance stereo
preamp control unit Phil ' it

This project is designed to complement our 60 watt low distortion amplifier module and
forms part of acomplete stereo system, our -Series 4000 - project.

eti Phonu e

• SE1i1E:.-; 1000 r
•
Tut ler •

Aux 1
•

-.1(.1.44) ; 11111 ) 1i
fit • t• Aux 2 •
POWER TREBLE SOURCE
VOLUME

e • o • •
On«
SPE AKERS PHONES

BALANCE

THIS stereo preamplifier is designed to dynamic range, especially as moving coil component side forward, behind the
drive two 60 watt, lo‘‘ distortion amp- cartridges with voltage boosting trans- mounting panel of the case using
lifier modules ( UT1 470). described in formers and/or amplifiers are finding standard 25 mm spacers and
the previous article. increasing popularity. The disc input of countersunk screws. A dummy facia —
'Hie requirements for this preamp- this design can handle 400 mV peak- to- with the control markings etc on it, is
lifier/control unit were set down at peak before clipping, giving it adynamic subsequently held in place by the switch
many hours of office discussion. In fact range in excess of 100 dli! nuts.
it would be fair to say that the final Finally, and by far the most difficult If all directions are followed, then
design was evolved, rather than of our requirements to implement, was construction is quite straightforward —
conceived. the idea that all switches and potentio- it's easier to do than describe!
Amongst the first requirements were meters be mounted directly onto the pc Firstly, the mounting panel and facia
lo u hum and noise and low distortion - board, with as few links and external must be cut and drilled to the
much lower distortion than the amplifier leads as possible. II this, while preserv- dimensions shown on the drawing
modules it would be required to drive. ing an attractive and stylish front panel (unless you have bought a kit, in which
Low distortion in a preamplifier is layout! The advantage of this is that case this may already be done). The
relatively easy to achieve and makes the assembly is easy, and straightforward drilled pc board may be used as a
subsequent addition of a high quality and there is less room for wiring errors template. Dimensions shown in brackets
class A headphone amplifier worthwhile. to creep in and, should it be necessary, refer to the facia panel which must be
ln the final design, we feel we have the board can be removed for servicing cut slightly smaller if you wish to use
achieved performance figures well up in its complete, functional form. All the same case for your stereo as we
front amongst commercial equipment. interconnections to and from the board have.
Features considered essential included are via RCA sockets using standard The holes for the pot shafts are only
loudness, high cut and low cut filters. audio 'jumper' leads. 7 mm in diameter on the facia panel to
These are common in commercial pie- The 60 watt power amplifier module ensure correct knob alignment. Counter-
amp/control units but lacking on most :Ind this pre:Imp/control unit project sunk holes are drilled in the mounting
kit designs. The low cut filter incorpor- form the basis of our " Series 4000" panel, but not in the facia, for the bolts
ated in our design will effectively reduce high performance stereo amplifier securing the pc board through the
bass rumble while the high cut filter is project ( page 18). spacers.
useful for reducing tape hiss or ' monkey Once the mounting panel and facia
chatter' and heterodynes from an AM are drilled, carefully check the
tuner. Construction alignment of all holes with the
'I«he disc amplifier stage of a preamp All the components, including the pots, corresponding holes in the pc board.
must be capable of handling very high switches and LEDs, are mounted onto The drilling must be reasonably
input signals before clipping to preserve the pc board. The board is then fixed, accurate.

12
 Eli 471 - STEREO PREAMPL IF IE R SPECIFICATIONS ( Measured on prototype)
Distortion 0.015% at 1kHz Output 7V p- p before clipping
0.015% at 10 kHz
(For all inputs, with 500 mV Tape output 150 mV RMS
RMS output — distortion is
mainly 2nd harmonic). Sensitivity For 500 mV RMS output
phono: 3mV RMS
other: 150 mV RMS
Hum and Noise 83 dB unweighted (Phono overload level
(With respect to 10 mV is 400 mV p-p).
phono input).
Tone controls Bass: ± 13 dB at 50 Hz
Treble: ± 11 dB at 10 kHz
Frequency Response Phono:
Within 0.5 dB of RIAA Filters High: 6dB/octave,
from 20 Hz to 20 kHz —3 dB at 5 kHz
(Follows new IEC curve). Low: 6dB/octave,
—3 dB at 100 Hz
Other inputs:
20 Hz to 20 kHz ± 0.5 dB Loudness 8dB boost at 150 Hz
and 10 kHz.
Subsonic rolloff:
6dB/octave below 20 Hz Mute switch 20 dB attenuation

Once this mechanical work is type but astandard rotary wafer switch
completed the components may be may be used instead. The C & K switch
mounted on the pc board. Start with mounts directly onto the pc board. If a
the RCA sockets. Take care not to use standard rotary switch is used it will
too much force on the nuts and check bolt to the front panel of the case and
that electrical contact has been made to is wired in as detailed shortly.
the earth plane of the pcb using an Once the major parts are assembled
ohm-meter. Join the centre pin of the onto the pc board, all the minor com-
RCA sockets to the pc board pads using ponents may be loaded and soldered in
lengths of tinned copper wire — refer to place. Make sure that any large
the overlay. components ( electrolytics particularly)
Mount the potentiometers next so are less than 25 mm high, otherwise
that their terminals are directly above they will foul the front panel. Check
Above: The switches and LEDs have lengths
the pads on the pc board. The lower that all transistors, tantalums and of wire soldered on to them so that they can
pot terminals can be cut, bent down electrolytics are correctly oriented. be inserted into the pcb before being attached
and soldered directly onto the pads. Refer to the overlay as you proceed. to the front panel. They can then be soldered
Connect the upper pot terminals to the in place. This procedure ensures that there
The switches and LEDs must be
is no strain on the joints. Below: the comple-
pc board, as shown in the overlay, using mounted and spaced correctly off the ted unit. Full details of metalwork will be
tinned copper wire. pc board. Solder 50 mm lengths of given in a later article, in which we will des-
Either of two types of rotary switch tinned copper wire onto each of the cribe how to use this preamp with two of
the ETI 470 60W units to build a high-
may be used for the source selector. We switch terminals and LED leads (see
performance, low cost stereo amplifier.
have specified a C & K pc-mounting illustration). Pass the wires through the

13
 R24
12OR
i c2 , C22
100,
• 15V°

R3 RI I I"' 1 25v
il0 SW1a C15 •15V TO 2nd
5k6 R13 + 611 C25
CHANNEL
10k SW4. 220k
1,
NOTE
25V
ONE CHANNEL ONLY SHOWN C4 9, 12n C28
.+C;
,,
COMPONENTS NUMBER FROM 3n3 .. SW2 10,
100 UP FOR 2nd CHANNEL
25V
SWITCHES AND POTS ARE AWN
7711--" C5
NUMBERED AS FOLLOWS 012 50k
22k 10^ ±17n A30
SW1b SW2b 5043E 220k LIN C70 631
15k RV3a 6k8 2 .7 2k2
SW46 SW5b SW6b, CI I R14 RV4a
RV16 RV2b, RV3b, RV4b C6 100k 25k C26
2n2 1k5
C13 LIN LIN 20p
BALANCE
02 ON 2nd I 33n
01
PHONO 02
INPUT lk CHANNE

05 c29(:1UTPUT
TO
R8 Cti POWER AMP
R27
I C RI 66 390k
220n
SOURCE 22OR
47 4706
SW5a
TAPE/SOURCE R15 220, î
C17
4k7 25V
PHONO
RV2a 25V
SW6a 504,
LOG TUNER 5045E, OV ON
SW7a(e
2k2 026 POWER
447 SUPPLY
VOLUME AUX 1
R5 036
R38
47k 262 »OR
STEREO/MONO"' AUX 2
TUNE , AUX 1 Aux 2 e .i P
TE ;,
E
AAOP
NE ON 2nd CHANNEL 623 TO POWER
447 R25 SUPPLY
120R
'VW

_
C7 C24
10 C23
we
I 1°°'

-15V TO 2nd
15 V to 2nd
CHANNEL
Channel Disc Amp

Fig. 1. Preamplifier circuit diagram. Only

one channel has been shown for clarity.
The component numbering of the other
channel begins at 101.

corresponding pc board holes for these

components but do not solder them in
HOW IT WORKS - ETi 471
place yet. Check that the LED leads are
The signal from a magnetic cartridge is fed When switched in, the loudness network taken from the output. the right way round.
to the base of 01 via a low pass filter, IR2 boosts the high and low frequencies with Some of the output signal is fed back
and Cl) for attenuation of radio frequenc- respect to the midrange. In actual fact, to the tone controls and split into high
Assemble the pc board onto the case
ies. 01 and 02 form a differential pair, all frequencies are attenuated but the and low frequencies by RV3 and RV4. By mounting panel ( using the 25 mm
each half operating at low collector current midrange is attenuated more. When the adjusting the controls the percentage of spacers and countersunk screws). Place
to minimise noise. The output of the loudness is switched out, R16 approxi- the input to the negative feedback signal the facia over the front panel, securing
differential pair is taken from the collector mates the impedance of the network. appearing at the base of 06 can be varied,
of 01 and further amplified by 03. Feed- Muting is achieved by switching R14 to thereby varying the overall gain of the it in place with the switch nuts ( three
back is taken to the base of 02, the earth. The ratio of R14 to R13 sets the amplifier at either high or low frequencies. hands and a prehensile nose might help!
negative input of the differential pair, attenuation to 20 dB. C11 shunts high The gain of the tone stage is set by the ... a little sticky tape and deft juggling
through the RIAA equalisation network. frequencies to earth for high cut, while ratio of R37 to R38. As R38 is reduced in
is all that's really necessary). Once
Overall gain of the phono stage is set by C10 reduces low frequency content when value the negative feedback is reduced and
the ratio of the feedback network imped- switched in, providing low cut. therefore the overall gain is increased. you've got it all together the protruding
ance to the value of R6. A second emitter follower, 05, pre- To preserve the very low output imped- wires may be soldered to the pc board.
Subsonic bass roll- off of 6 dB/octave, sents a constant impedance to the filters ance of the pre-amplifier the balance con- Ensure that no short circuits have
to conform to the new IEC 65 specification, and acts as a low impedance source to the trol is placed ahead of, rather than after,
occurred.
is achieved by a high pass filter consisting tone control stage. the tone stage.
of C8 and RV2. A Baxandall tone stage is used here, a
That completes the assembly. For
Power supply filtering and decoupling
Output from the disc preamplifier is common circuit in many designs. 06 is a is provided by 100 F capacitors and resis- servicing purposes the pc board and all
then fed via the Source Switch ( SVV5), gain stage with a bootstrapped collector tors in each rail. switches. LEDs and pots — all the
Tape-Source switch ( SW6), R15 and the load. via C28, to the output. Bootstrapping Source indication is by LEDs from the
volume control ( RV2), to an emitter
operating controls — may be removed
increases the gain by increasing the effect- spare section of the source switch. No
follower, 04. This emitter follower ive collection load impedance. 07 is an
simply by undoing several nuts,
current limiting resistor son the pc board
presents a high impedance for the aux emitter follower connected directly to the for the LEDs as one will be included in the removing the facia and the countersunk
inputs and a constant impedance for collector of 06. This provides a very low power supply. ( To be described). screws beneath.
driving the filters. output impedance. DC bias for 06 is
 LEFT CHANNEL
INPUTS
PR EAMP LED
OUTPUT PHONO INPUTS Lief; SUPPLY
AUX 2 AUX 1 ¡ UNI' H
+1 -1
-HIGHT CHANNEL
INPUTS
( Ar
» feet
e \
0103 • MOUNTING
er-ts; HOLES LED 10
C12» 11132 W ‘li e ®
eef AUX 2
f "" RV4 Cl - 11
P-1731'" e
,' in 2 LED 20

C=SIC4C5 02
7 '. \
1
\
1 710-41-•
4 t / I
CO° Arn3;1- é r)e I LED 30
Cios4=== 1o \ / AUX 1
mo
SVV5
VOI.A;11.7,,

F
15C
4
8)
,
i /
.e.C6 Cce -) C10114.. F.. LED 40 SOURCE

7
''CTE-
ij"" 4- TUNER
CS1

R-. ,[-,.r- - . . :. ‘7:) _

44)1,I > 7C l
3 1-e Triu,2 X
--ti2e3l'e-1.5- :
ie 11 5i
"'' COTFED SCREENED CABLE
SOLDERED ON COPPER
r:s 07 (....) g wa_d i,-Ru---v-1r i i

e.
cii? C±)--aL22)- c
1 2 c gi I SIDE OF PCS
-47•;371- c ;RIGHT

5
c12 i-Z:.):
Cp 0 e
r ....._
C116;_
e_
TAPE OUTPUT
Y - _CID- -MD_ C" , ' çz L •
RV3 "1
. /
4 1-1
7P"` c L is...) / ' 11
..V1
- -'•\ .LEFT

®
1••••••-.1+0011

i. I CIO CI 10 C11
1 SW6
411c..5ii7`7.;.,7c GezI7 souRce
TAPE MONITOR
g9 -fI
71171
31«.
-
MONO/STEREO
e

(/. eçer C

-'rit77>
LEFT RieFFF

SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 TAPE INPUT

LOW-CUT HI- CUT MUTE LOUDNESS
Fig. 2. Component overlay. Note that
lengths of shielded cable are used to
connect the outputs of the disc preampli-
fiers to the selector switch.

PARTS LIST - ETI 471

Resistors all 'AW 5% R27, R127. . . 220R C6, C106. . 20p ceramic Semiconductors
R1, R101 . 47k R28, R29, Cl 100µ 25V electro 01, 02,
R2, R102 1k R128, R129 .. 12k C8, C108. . • 220n greencap Q101, Q102 . . BC549, DS549, BC109
R3, R4, R103, R30, R130. . . 6k8 C9, C109. . • 10µ 25V electro 03, 0103 . . . BC559, DS559, BC179
R104 5k6 R31, R131. . . 2k2 C10, C110 . • 12n greencap 04-07, 0104
R5, R105 . . 47k R32, R33, C11, C111. • 2n2 greencap -Q107 BC549, DS549, BC109
R6, R106 . . 470R R132, R133 . . 10k C12, C13,
R7, R107 . . 22k R34, R134. . . 820k C112, C113 . . 33n greencap LED1-LED4 . TI L22OR or sim LED's
R8, R108 . . 390k R35, R135. . 220k C14, C114 . • . 3n3 greencap
R9, R109 . . 1k R36, R37, C15, C115 . • . 1p25Vtantalum Switches . . . . ( see text)
R10, R110.. . 2k2 R136, R137 . . 2k2 C16, C116 . • . 220n greencap
R11, R12, R38, R138. . . 390R C17, C117 . • . 1µ 25V tantalum SW1-5W4 . . DpDT min toggle switch
R111,R112 220k R118,R119 . 15k C18, C19, SW5 3pole 4pos rotary switch
R13, R113. . 10k Potentiometers C118, C119 . . 47n greencap SW6 DpDT min toggle switch
R14, R114. . 1k5 RV1 50k single linear C20, C120 . • 2n2 greencap SW7 spdt min toggle switch
R15, R115. 4k7 RV2 . . . 50k dual log C21 100n greencap
R16. R116. . 8k2 RV3 100k dual linear C22 1004 25V electro Miscellaneous
R17 - R20, RV4 25k dual linear C23 100n greencap 14 RCA panel mounting single hole
R117, R120 . 15k C24 1004 25V electro sockets, ETI 471 pcb, tinned copper
R21, R22, Capacitors C25, C125 . • lp 25V tantalum wire, length shielded cable, 25 mm
R121, R122 220k Cl, C101. .. .100p ceramic C26, C126 . . 20p ceramic spacers, 30 mm screws, nuts,
R23, R123. . 4k7 C2, C3, C102 .100µ 25V electro C27, C28, mounting panel and facia plate.
R24, R25 . . 120R C4, C104. . . .3n3 greencap C127, C128 . . 10µ 25V electro
R26, R126. . 4k7 C5, C105. . . .10n greencap C29, C129 . . . 220µ 25V electro
PTED:eie 471 Rear view of the assembled preamp, Printed circuit board patterns forth is project can
showing how the potentiometers and be obtained from Electronics Today, 4th Floor,
shielded cables are mounted. Note the use 15 Boundary St, Rushcut-ters Bay 2011. Send
Power Supply of pc mounting phono sockets for ease of large stamped, self-addressed envelope.
The preamplifier/control unit is cap- assembly.

able of giving extremely good per-

formance — but only with a good
power supply. The supply should be
well regulated and filtered for noise,
especially if zener regulation is used.
Our article on page 31 describes a
suitable dual 12 V power supply
design which will provide dc for both
the 4000 preamplifier and two of the
60 W modules described in the last
article.

are available, the eyelets can be cut C & K Electronics,

off and the switch mounted as if it 2/6 McFarlane Street,
were apc mounting model. Merrylands, NSW
C & K toggle switches may be
used for the other switch functions.
These are available on order with
'paddle' levers and 25 mm wire wrap
terminals. The switches make the
preamp look very professional and
can also be directly mounted onto
the pcb.
Potentiometer connections to the pcb are
made via lengths of tinned copper wire.
The appearance of the LEDs can
be improved by using C 8c K Cliplite
covers. These are available in a
Further Suggestions variety of colours.
We have designed this preamplifier C & K switches are available from:
to use commonly available comp-
Radio Despatch Service,
onents. However, some constructors
869 George Street,
or kit suppliers may wish to improve
Sydney 2000
the appearance and the ease of
construction of the project. One George Brown,
way of doing this is to use different 174 Parramatta Road,
switches. Camperdown, NSW
The SOURCE switch which we JES Electronic Compon-
suggest is aC & K Lorlin three-pole, ents,
four position pc mounting rotary 13 Melrose Street, This photo shows how the input sockets
switch. If only wire terminal models Sandringham, VIC are wired into the pcb.

111--- 30 —1•••• 100 160 186 213 240-1 340 ••-. 380 -
- 300

I
C 00 t X)
3;
8 — IC — —
0 ( E)
O
D

12 2
88
92
13
(pE)

78 275 —14. 355-4. 405

913

HOLES MARKED HOLE SIZES IN BRACKETS ARE FOR FACIA PANEL ONLY
A - 6mm
FOR HEIGHT OF FACIA PANEL TRIM 4mrn FROM TOP AND
13 - 4.5mm BOTTOM OF FRONT PANEL DIMENSION AS INDICATED
C - 3mm COUNTERSUNK BY DOTTED LINE I
D - 10mm
ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETRES
E - 7mm
DO NOT SCALE DRAWING

16
 111,11te Ellistronics now stock in excess of 2000
different types of semiconductors plus
computer components and systems.
Altogether we have over 8000 various
electronic components. The largest
range available in Melbourne.

WITH

SUS 289 LAIRO BE tettBOUge ego

PHONE P) 602-3282, 602-3836
Trading Hours:
Mon- Thur
Friday
Saturday
9am to 5.50pm
9am to 8.30pm
9am to 12 noon

YES!
WE ACCEPT
BANKCARD.

SELF LOWER
SERVICE PRICES
TO SAVE YOU TO SAVE YOU
TIME MONEY

We stock circuit boards, components and kits for all

major ETI and EA projects, all at trade prices.

SEMICONDUCTORS • TRANSFORMERS • RELAYS • CAPACITORS • RESISTORS

SOLDERING IRONS • CHEMICALS • SCOTCHCAL • RISTON BOARD • PHENOLIC AND
FIBREGLASS BOARD • ETCHANT • BATTERIES • HEATSINKS • BREADBOARD
CONNECTORS • CABLE e TEST EQUIPMENT • PCB DRILLS • POWER SUPPLIES
(COMPUTER BOARDS, FANS, COMPONENTS, SYSTEMS) e -TV AERIALS AND ACCESSORIES
INSTRUMENT CASES • RACKS • DATA BOOKS e CASSETTES • OK WIRE WRAP SYSTEMS
BISHOP GRAPHICS • TERMINALS • PLUGS • SOCKETS • HEATSINK TUBING
OPTO ELECTRONICS e VERO BOARD • SWITCHES • FLOPPY DISCS • TOOLS
FUSES • SPEAKERS • IN FACT — JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELECTRONIC!

289 LATROBE STREET, MELBOURNE 3000. PHONE ( 03) 602-3282, 602-3836

17
S©rb8 (JJOCO

The "Series 4000"

stereo amplifier
Here's how to assemble a high-performance 60 watts per
channel stereo amplifier using our ETI-470 modules and the
ETI-471 preamp control unit.

Circuit design
Trevor Marshall / Phil Wait

Mechanical design/layouts
Phil Wait
THIS ARTICLE presents the complete
Series 4000 amplifier made from the
Front panel art ETI 470 60 watt module and the ETI
Bill Crump 471 preamplifier.
We chose to build the amplifier into
asingle box, being the most economical
method as only one box and power
supply is used for the preamp and both
power amplifiers. However, this method
has several drawbacks. Firstly, since the
preamp and power amp share the same
power supply, the regulation for the
preamp must be very good, otherwise
low frequency instability can occur,
caused by the drop in supply line
voltage when the outputs draw high
current getting back into the preamp-
lifier.
hence we have chosen IC regulators
for the preamplifier supply lines.
Secondly, the magnetic field from
the large transformer and associated
AC wiring required to supply the power
amplifier modules is quite large and
almost impossible to keep out of the
sensitive preamp stages. Therefore you
will notice that the specification for
hum in the completed amplifier is
lower than that of the individual units.
We took this measurement using a
standard El lamination transformer
(Ferguson PF 3577) after rotating it
for minimum hum to the position
shown in the wiring diagram.
The completed stereo amplifier is shown here mounted in a handsome rack- mounting case. This
particular style of case is also available with wooden end cheeks if that is what you prefer.
The hum induced by the transformer
can be further reduced by using aC-core

18
 escrso amp
ETI 4000 SERIES STEREO AMPLIFIER Specifications of prototype

Power output 60 watts @ 0.1% THD Other inputs: 20 Hz to 20 kHz ± 0.5 dB

one channel driven Subsonic rolloff:
55 watts @ 0.1% THD 6dB/octave below 20 Hz
both channels driven
Tape output 150 mV RMS
Distortion 0.05% THD
@ 30 V p- poutput across Sensitivity For 500 mV RMS output
8ohm load, both channels phono: 3 mV RMS
driven. other: 150 mV RMS
Hum —70 dB on full output (Phono overload level
using standard transformer is 400 mV p- p).
Tone controls Bass: ± 13 dB at 50 Hz
Noise — 80 dB on full output
Treble: ± 11 dB at 10 kHz
Damping factor 57 ( measured at 100 Hz, Filters High: 6dB/octave,
1kHz and 10 kHz). —3 dB at 5 kHz
Low: 6dB/octave,
Frequency Response Phono: —3 dB at 100 Hz
Within 0.5 dB of RIAA Loudness 8dB boost at 150 Hz
from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and 10 kHz.
(Follows new I
EC curve). Mute switch 20 dB attenuation

type, or better still a toroidal trans- be drilled for the earth terminal, earth loop the braid of the shielded
former, which have a contained field, external power socket, power cord, cables from the preamplifier to the
but these are often hard to get and mounting screws for the terminal power amplifier is not carried through
expensive to the hobbyist. blocks and holding screws for each the connector block on the rear panel.
We feel that the specifications of the power amplifier — which pass through OV leads for the LEDs and external
amplifier are very good, however the the top of each heatsink fastening it to power are also returned to the power
purist (with plenty of money) may like the panel. supply common. The common is then
to do it this way: The case measures 420 mm x135 mm earthed to the chassis at the headphone
The two power amplifier modules, x 285 mm and is made from aluminium socket together with the transformer
together with individual power supplies extrusion with easily removable panels. shield and mains earth. This is the
using say, 30 000 uF capacitors, could Available with either metal rack mount- ONLY earth point onto the chassis.
be mounted in a separate box to the ing or wooden sides, it can be purchased All the ac and speaker wiring is fed
preamplifier, which could then be from suppliers listed at the end of this along the back and down the left side
powered from the ETI 581 (June 77) article. of the case as shown, well away from
regulated supply. One thing to watch though is that the sensitive parts of the amplifier.
This would no doubt improve the anodised aluminium does not conduct The dc wiring from the power supply
power output and transient performance electricity and, after assembling the box, to the preamplifier is carried along the
of the amplifier but the cost would the various metal parts will probably front.
be much greater. not be connected to each other, causing
Lengths of shielded cable with RCA
a multitude of problems. To overcome
plugs on one end are used to connect
Construction this, strap the rear and side panels to
the input sockets to the preamplifier.
Construction details for the preamplifier the common earth point at the head-
These can be made by cutting RCA
and power amplifiers have been phone jack on the front panel. (Yes,
patch cords to the appropriate length,
described previously, all that remains we found this out the hard way).
one cord making two leads. The shields
is to house them together, with the After the preamplifier/front panel,
of these cables should not be connected
power supply, in a suitable box. As power amplifiers and power supply
together or to the case at the input
we said before, many variations are have been mounted in the box and the sockets.
possible — here is how we did it. input/output sockets mounted onto
All that remains is to solder the 330
Assemble the power supply board the rear panel the unit can be wired
ohm resistors from the speaker switch
first, taking care to correctly orientate as shown in the wiring diagram.
to the plugs on the headphone socket.
the semiconductors, IC regulators and Common to all amplifier designs, the Check that all wiring is correct and
capacitors. To simplify construction we earth wiring is very critical. Most there are no frayed ends. The procedure
used pc pins for all terminations to the instability and hum problems can be for setting the bias current for the out-
boards. traced to earth "loops" or incorrect put transistors is given on page 10. As
The photo of the rear panel shows wiring. soon as this is done, insert the 2 A fuses
the position of the input and output The common lead from each channel and the amplifier can be switched on.
connections. Slots are cut in the panel speaker is returned directly to the OV
for the connector blocks and a large point on the power supply. A wire is If you have the older 50 watt ETI
cut running across the back panel is then taken from this point and fed to 480 modules these could probably be
used to inset the power amplifier one power module, to the other, and used in place of the ETI 470 module,
modules from the rear. Floles then must then to the preamplifier. To avoid an though we haven't tried it.

19
Serñea 4000 02
21‘ 1W
RI
2It
POWER LED
Power supply
0 SOURCE LED, The power supply for this amplifier
7A FUSE
uses a 28V-0-28V transformer rated at
0 • 40V TO POWE R AMPS
AND DIN SOCKET 2 A to provide +/- 40 Vdc rails for the
SW I power amplifiers. Two regulators, ICI
POWER INsre
and IC2, supply very stable +/- 15 V
VEI LOW DI 4 •
ON/OFF ISV TO PRE AMP
RFC/ P13577
0 —^ +1 CR rails for the preamplifier.
10.. 75V
Current limit resistors are mounted

r.
TANT
COMMON EARTH POINT
240V Cl
00V TO POWER AMPS LEO, on the pc board to power the front
INPUT 33 •
panel LEDs. This permits some flexi-
SPEAKERS CHASSIS DIN SET
2401/

Ca bility to allow us to think up other

BLACK
50V
things to do with the LEDs later.
SCREEN " EMU
GREEN ---r--(;) isv To PRE MP Fuses are also provided on the board
to protect the power supply from a
FS2
0 40V TO POVVER AMPS short circuit in the dc output lines. If

ov
7A FUSE
AND DIN SOCKET
the dc output facility on the rear panel
is not used the fuses can be short

r
()ow' circuited, as each power module is
04 LEFT SPEAKERS

CG 47OR 0 IN protected by its own fuses.

When an amplifier is first switched
RL 1
RIGHT SPEAKERS
on,the two supply lines rarely come up
OIN
to full voltage simultaneously. This
OV
causes a loud 'thump' in the speakers
which may damage them.

PARTS LIST - ETI 472

Resistors IC1 7815, LM340-15, 15V
R1, R2 2k 1W 5% regulator
CHASSIS PARTS LIST
R3 47k 'AW 5% IC2 7915, LM320-15, - 15V Headphone socket . . . 6.5 mm jack skt.
R4 470R 1W 5% regulator Speaker switch . . two pole, two position,
centre off
Capacitors Miscellaneous min. toggle switch
C1 33n 240V ac metalized Ti PF3577 or similar 16 RCA plugs or eight patch leads cut in
paper (Ferguson) half, two short RCA patch leads, power
C2— 05 2500µ 50V electro FS1, FS2. . 2 amp fuses ( if used) lead and clamp.
C6, C7 471.2 50V electro RL1 pcb mounting, 2 pole Two, 330R, 1W resistors
C8, cg 10µ 25V tantalum changeover relay, 12V Two, 3-way plastic mains terminal strips
coil, Pye 265/12/G2V, Two, 4-way speaker terminals
Semiconductors
DS cat S7130 or sim Two, 6-way RCA panel sockets
D1— D4 IN5404 or sim SW1 2 pole 240 VAC mini- One, 4- way RCA panel socket
05 IN4004, A14A or sim ature toggle switch. One, 5- pin DIN socket
01 BC548, BC108, DS548

—40V OV
+40V

II

F
C4 .01«
C2

FS2

CEi C3
.101•111 •110/11.

8
C6 C7
Effi +.0- RL1
AC IN C9
L
ti-
4j 1C2 LED
<>>+ POWER
RIGHT OUT

LEFT OUT
-15V REG

LU
cc I—
LS.
L1J

20
 NOTE SHIELD NOT
CD e Iç
CONNECTED ON
LEFT AND RIGHT 0/P
INPUTS
RIGHT LEFT

'118 j
A BC 7'itiri 1 PHONO

A SPEAKERS M
RIGHT LEFT
'--7:ètrrl TUNER
H F I G
PRE- AMP OUTPUTS
POWER OUT (MUST BE BRIDGED
'\D AUX 1

BL
DIN SOCKET H- F
P

AUX 2

SPEAKERS
240V TAPE MONITOR
INPUT

63
- .1 Nr1 TAPE INPUT

3CORFCABLE

PF3577 OUTPUT')
OUTPUT.
TRANSFORMER

YELLOW —.A.

ETI 470 MODULE

YELLOW

RED
BLACK
240V. SHIELD ,"
CAP
ezt
e ete ETI 472 POWER SUPPLY
L_E _J

LED LED
40V

240V SWITCHED

TAPE INPUT
LEFT RIGHT
T W

I ALL INPUTS CONNECTED TO PRE- AMP

HEAD
BOARD WITH LENGTHS OF SHIELDED
PHONES ETI 471
CABLE WITH RCA PLUG ON PRE.AMP END
PR E-AMPL IF IER
SHIELDS OF THESE CABLES ARE ONLY
CONNECTED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE LUGS
ON THE INPUT CONNECTOR STRIP AND
NOY TOGETHER AND NOT TO EARTH

SPEAKER CHASSIS EARTH POINT ALL SPEAKER AND AC POWER WIRING IS

A/OFF/B ON HEADPHONE SOCKET PLACED ALONG THE BACK OF THE BOX
EARTH WIRING AND PRE.AMP POWER IS
TOWARDS THE FRONT

POWER
ON/OFF

Ci+ m
POWER
LED LEFT
RIGHT

OUTPUTS RIGHT LEFT

PHONO INPUTS

AUX 2
P N L
AUX 1
TUNER

To avoid this an " anti-thump" C7, charges via R3. Transistor Q1

circuit connects the speakers several conducts pulling in the relay, RL1, The printed circuit board pattern for
seconds after the amplifier is turned on. and connecting the speakers after the this project is on page 158.
It works this way; as the power power rails have had enough time to
rails come up to voltage a capacitor, stabilise.

21
 „xEdrs TRADING HOURS: 9AM - 5.30 PM NON - FRI.
9AM - NOON SATURDAY, 10AM - 2PM SUNDAY.

ELECT RONIC AGENCIIES 115-117 PARRAMA'TTA ROAD, CONCORD. 2137.

(Corner Parramatta Rd and Lloyd George Ave)
New Telephone Number 745-3077, 2lines.
For an excellent range of project kits and
com ponents In/ " Bill Edge's Electronic
We also stock avast range of Coral Speakers
Agencies" f irst. Our prices will knock you
second (similar to Playmaster) and anumber of FANTASTIC ETI " SERIES 4000" AMPLIFIER
nu t, and our product range is to none.
other Philips SPKS á x'overs — too
numerous to cover here. Ask for free
catalogue.

PHILIPS/ETI 4-WAY SPEAKER SYSTEM kes0

This is really a superb system for the 1980's. Using the latest Philips 'er 4 .0

speakers a marvellous design by David Tilbrook, it is as modem as

tomorrow. Not only will you have the ultimate in sound.
YOU COULD ALSO BE Series 4000 Amp: with rack mount metal case as used by ETI — with
SAVING UP TO el,000, wooden sided case ( same as metal but no flange or handles — 4special
"C" core transformer required add extra $ 10. This kit contains absolutely
as these speaker boxes
everything build this high performance amplifier (equal to some
Lower Midrange are rivalling commercial
commercial mps around $600) All that's required is your labour and time
units in the $ 1,000-

__
and you could be saving up to $400 or more!
$1 , 800 price bracket.
This kit includes the two ETI 470 modules, ETI 471 high performance
Squawker COMPLETE stereo preamp control unit. ETI 472 power supply case, front panel and all
SPEAKER KIT necessary wiring and hardware to make this kit the most professional you
Including 2 only AD 12250/ have ever built. We can say this with complete honesty as we have made
W8. 2 only AD7061/W8, 2 up akit to demonstrate. With each set of instructions for the ETI 4000 we
only AD02160/S08), 2 only have included a two page insert on " How we constructed our ETI 4000"
AD016101.8. 2 only 4-Way with hints and advice you wouldn't normally find in kit instructions
crossovers.
Assembled boxes are available. All speakers available ETI 471 HIGH PERFORMANCE STEREO
separately (see box at left).
PRE-AMP CONTROL UNIT KIT
'THE BRUTE" — develops 300 watts into 4ohms. 200 watts
nto 8ohms.
COMPLETE KIT FOR ETI 466 300 WATT AMPLIFIER MODULE
less heatsink and power transformer), exactly as described
by ETI including heatsink bracket, all nuts, bolts, silicon
grease etc.
REATSINK FOR ETI 466 AMP. This can be done in two ways as
mentioned by ETI. i.e. you can make your own out of
aluminium (which is not as easy as it looks and is very
critical), or you can buy the PHILIPS 65D6C HEATSINK for
$29.50. ( NB this is the only commercial heatsink available in Designed to complement 60 watt ETI 470 modules, but is such an
Australia that is recommended. excepti6nal design it can be used to update existing systems or
FAN is also available if required for $29 00.
incorporate in new designs, as it has features unheard of in other pre- amp
TRANSFORMER to suit ETI 466 amplifier All parts for ETI 466
are available separately ETI 466 Printed Board MJ15003. designs, eg all connections through RCA sockets and controls going direct
MJ15004. to PCB. Everything designed for very very lowdistortion.
CASE FOR AMP. We have three cases suitable for the ETI 466 KIT incl hardware etc. ( Front panel included — only in complete kit)
(all un- punched). ETI 4000 Amp Case (wooden sided) Dick
Smith Rack Mount.
ETI 466. See ETI Feb '80. The most powerful amplifier ETI
has had to date, at minimal cost compared to assembled
nit 60 WATT LOW DISTORTION
AMPLIFIER MODULE ETI 470
"THE MINICOLOR" Complete 60 watt amplifier kit (as used in ETI 4000
Music to light converter lit. INDUCTION BALANCE kit). Absolutely everything including heatsinks and
METAL DETECTOR all hardware. Features very low distortion and very
VERY ECONOMICALLY PRICED
FEATURES A really sensitive design operation on a different simple mechanical construction ( replaces ETI
• One control operation principle rom that of other published circuits. The 480). Can be used to replace existing amplifier
• Quality P.C. fibreglass board "induction Balance - metal locator will really sniff modules and bring your present system up to
• P C. board ready assembled 8 pre-tested out hose buried coins and other items of interest at scratch
• No soldering needed great depths (depending on the size of the ob.ct)
'Assemble in !, hour with simple tools Here's real value — why pay a fortune to find a
• Very simple to follow instructions fortune — absolutely everything supplied except ETI 472 POWER SUPPLY KIT
(Dimensions 160s -- 100x 125rnm) for abroom handle for shaft and former for coil ( Full Complete set of parts, including all hardware, as for this exceptional power
instructions included). supply With standard power transformer. With special " C" core
SPECIFICATIONS. transformer.
Input sensitivity 500mV Lamp load up to 1800 WATTS.
Present frequency division Bass 15 to 250Hz, middle 250 to
1200Hz. treble 1200 to 5000Hz. STOP PRESS:
It will suit almost any audio amplifier — you don't have to be All components are available separately for ETI 4000 Amplifier .
technically inclined to get the machine working as all the hard SPECIAL TOROIDAL
•ETI 470 PCB • ETI 471 PCB' ETI 472 PCB ' BDV64B ' ELDV6513
part has been done for you and is completely guaranteed. TRANSFORMER NOW 'Washers and brushes for BDV647658 ( set of 4) • Wooden sided case'
Coloured 100w spot floods B.C. — red, green, yellow. blue.
Standard base for lamps Swivel base for lamps. AVAILABLE OR 4000 AMP. Metal case ' Silk screened front panel

150 WATT VALVE AMPLIFIER

AFTER MANY ENQUIRIES FROM CUSTOMERS AND MUSICIANS. ELECTRONIC AGENCIES HAVE PRODUCED
A KIT FOR THIS VERY VERSATILE & RUGGED AMP ( DESIGNED BY ETI — MAY '80). COMPLETE KIT IS NOW
AVAILABLE FOR A SURPRISINGLY LOW PRICE. (COMPLETE KIT INCLUDES ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING TO
CONSTRUCT AMP — ALL ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS. CASE, HARDWARE ETC (N .B. EXPANDED
ALUMINIUM COVER NOT SUPPLIED)

MAIL ORDER: $ 1.00 plus 5 percent of order value up to $80, thence a flat $4. Heavy items sent
"freight-on" through carrier

22
 At first we tried mounting the
power supply board in front of the
transformer near the preamplifier, but
found the proximity of the speaker
wiring to the tone control stage caused
high frequency instability if the treble
control was advanced. The power
supply board is now mounted at the
opposite side of the case to the trans-
former and the ac secondary wiring
run across the back.
Two three-terminal connector strips
are mounted on top of the transformer,
using the holes in the mounting plates,
to take primary and secondary con-
nections. The shield ( green wire) makes
up the third wire on the primary side
I 0 004 Al ail 1 lea la Mill BM rnmeadis
and is run together with the 240 V
wiring to the front panel. We used
three-core mains flex for connections
from the transformer to the power
switch and the power supply pc board. This internal view shows the placement of the main modules and the orientation of the power
A suppression capacitor ( Cllis mounted transformer. The latter will have to be oriented individually to reduce hum levels to the minimum
across the transformer primary on the obtainable.
connector block.
NSW:
Make sure that the power switch
Applied Technology, Ilornsby Power Darlington Transistor
you have is rated for 240 Vac, as some
DR IIi- Ii and Electronics, Dee Why Equivalents
being sold are only 125 Vac rated and
sometimes fail catastrophically. Electronic Agencies, Concord Owing to the large demand for
Short patch leads will have to be Jaycar, Sydney the Philips Darlington transistors
made up to connect each of the pre- Radio Despatch, Sydney used in the 60 watt power modules
amplifier outputs to their respective Silicon Valley, St. Leonards
they may be temporarily hard to
power amplifier inputs. Mode Electronics, Botany
get as new orders take afew weeks
to arrive. Texas Darling:ons TIP
Suppliers Victoria: 142 and TIP 147 appear to be
Ilectronie Components, the same and we have tested them
The following suppliers have informed Melbourne in the circuit withoat any change
us they have all special components Ellistronics, Nlelbourne
in performance.
used in this project. Rod Irving Electronics, Northcote

4". 4

23
PJ7oner,

Series 4000 moving-coil

cartridge preamplifier
David Tilbrook

Designed to complement our popular Series 4000 stereo

amplifier, this project features performance equal to, or
better than, top quality commercial preamps currently
available.

,,,!.)PPI.V • 12 v ›•,('1'1('S 1000

MOVING COIL CARTRIDGE PREAMPLIFIER

INPUT IMPEDANCE

OVER THE LAST several years there magnet so that the windings of the coils drastically in size and weight compared
has been a dramatic increase in the intersect the lines of magnetic flux to the coils used in moving magnet
number of moving coil cartridges from the magnet. As the stylus moves cartridges. This results in a total canti-
released. The design of this type of the magnetic flux seen by the pick-up lever weight that is much smaller than
cartridge results in a number of coils varies in direct proportion to the in the typical moving magnet cartridge.
advantages over the more usual phono stylus movement, and small electrical Since the weight is greatly reduced the
cartridge which works on a moving signals are generated in the coils. ability of the stylus to react to transients
magnet principle. The moving-coil cartridge works in is increased and an overall improvement
Modulations on the wall of the a similar way but inverts the roles of in signal accuracy results. Moving coil
record are tracked with a diamond the pick-up coils and magnet. The cartridges generally have superior
stylus attached to a long arm called a magnet assembly is held stationary frequency response characteristics and
cantilever. In the moving-magnet while the pick-up coils are mounted on improved phase response at high
cartridge a small magnet is attached to the cantilever assembly and move with frequencies. But they also have
the cantilever so that stylus movement the stylus modulations (hence the name disadvantages.
causes movement of the magnet. Two 'moving coil'). The small pick-up coils have a very
pick-up coils are mounted close to the The pick-up coils are reduced low impedance resulting in much lower

24
signal levels than available from normal
SPECIFICATIONS — ETI 473 moving coil cartridge preamp.
phono cartridges. In fact, the voltages
present on the typical moving-coil Gain 28 dB ( x25 approx)..
cartridge at a recording velocity of 10 Frequency response 29 Hz to 48 kHz -± 1dB.
cm/sec can be in the order of 150 µV! Input impedance Adjustable 3.3 to 100 ohms.
This is generally insufficient to drive Noise Total equivalent input noise 0.3 nVN/Hz.Over
an amplifier to anything like full power. a20 kHz noise bandwidth-42nV. Signal- to
Furthermore, since the output level
noise ratio, with respect to an input level of
is some 30 dB below that expected by 150 µV: -71dB.
the amplifier then a great reduction in Total Harmonic distortion With respect to an input level of 0.2mV,
the signal-to-noise ratio will result. An unmeasurable ( below noise). Calculated to
amplifier with a short circuit signal to be 0.0015% (see text). Rising to 0.015% for
noise ratio of 80 dB for example, which a30 mV input signal at 1kHz.
is quite agood figure, will end up with Channel separation ... . • • • Better than 61 dB.
a signal noise ratio of about 50 dB — Input overload margin better than 80 dB.
which is distinctly bad.
The internal impedance of moving- base configuration. In this type of
coil cartridges is around 5 ohms and to circuit the input is connected to the I2 291dcB
• (
amps)2
achieve the low recommended load s
emitter of the transistor so that the
impedance required it is clearly not (mean shot noise current)
input impedance is determined by the
satisfactory to simply load down the emitter resistor in parallel with the base- where 'cr is the charge of an electron, in
input of the average phono input with emitter junction of the input transistor, coulombs
a resistor since this does nothing to
which can be quite low. However, this `id e'is the dc current in amps
overcome the signal-to-noise ratio does not solve the problem of input and 13' is the noise bandwidth in Hz.
problems. stage noise. 1/f noise has arandom amplitude like
The solution to these problems is The other possibility, and the one I shot noise but its spectral density has a
to insert some voltage gain between the
elected to use in this design, is common 1 /fcharacteristic. This means that the
output of the cartridge and the phono
emitter configuration. The impedance noise amplitude increases as frequency
input. ' This can be done in two ways.
of the base-emitter junction of abipolar decreases and becomes the dominant
Firstly, it is possible to use a trans-
transistor is a function of the amount source of noise at low frequencies. As
former to boost the voltages up to the
of current flowing in the emitter of the with shot noise, its equation reveals
desired level and they are capable of
transistor. This will be largely that it is directly related to the current
very good results. But, transformers determined by the collector current and flowing in the transistor.
are still limited in transient performance not by the base current, which will
and noise. To obtain the necessary contribute only a small amount of the ir ( i dd a
voltage gain the turns ratio must be total emitter current. A study of base-
ir e

relatively high. Since the impedance emitter turn-on characteristics shows

ratio is related to the square of the turns that the impedance of the base-emitter where "dc' is the dc current in amps
ratio, the output impedance must, of junction is approximately equal to: 'K' and a are constants that are a
necessity, be high also — usually around function of the particular device
30 k for a 50 ninput impedance. This f' is the frequency in Hz
is substantially higher than the output l
e (mA) and ` B' is the noise bandwidth.
impedance of normal phono cartridges where ` 13' is the small signal current gain Notice that as 'dc is increased, so too is
and degrades the noise figure of the of the transistor. the l/f noise ( 42 )
phono input stage. A solution to this is and le'is the current in the emitter of It is clear from this that, in order to
to use a pre-preamplifier instead of a the transistor in mA. keep noise generated by shot and lif
transformer to achieve the necessary So, to reduce the input impedance of noise to a minimum, it is necessary to
voltage gain.
the first stage it is simply necessary to keep the current density in the input
increase the emitter current. But this stage low. But, as we saw earlier, to
Preamp requirements obtain the necessary low input
increases the current density in the
Preamplifiers have their disadvantages input transistors, increasing the noise impedance we have to increase the
also. The biggest problem by far is the generated by the input stage. emitter current. The solution to this is
design of an extremely low noise input To understand why this happens to use several transistors in parallel to
stage with the correct input impedance it is necessary to look more closely at form the input device. This decreases
to load the cartridge according to the the causes of noise. the current density in each of the
manufacturers' recommendations. The transistors since the necessary emitter
distortion must be kept to aminimum Noise current can be shared by all of the input
and the frequency response should be There are two main sources of noise in devices. It also places the impedances
as flat as possible. These design goals are transistors: shot noise and 1/f noise. of the base-emitter junctions in parallel,
not unique to a moving coil cartridge Shot noise is the main cause of noise at further decreasing the input impedance
preamplifier but they are difficult to middle and high frequencies and is of the first stage. Furthermore, since
achieve owing to the very low output generated when an electron attempts to each transistor is a completely
voltage of the moving coil cartridge. cross a potential barrier. It is therefore independent noise generator their noise
The required low input impedance directly related to the amount of charge voltage will tend to reduce each other
can be achieved in several ways. Firstly, flowing in the device. More specifically, (a process too complex to examine in
we can make the input stage acommon it is given by the equation: detail here).

25
 P7Sexa 473 +Ve TO OTHER CHANNEL -..--i

R15
390R

01 04
BC559

09,010
C3
RC559
470p
c.
R2
10R
HF-
INPUT
R5
C2 2k2
C11
T an1 C5 10 P OUIPUT
22p

C6
22p

R6
C4 2k2
470p
WIRE WOUND

011,012
BC549

OS OR
RC549

H16
390R
R27
1k
NOTE
ONLY ONE CHANNEL IS SHOWN.
COMPONENT NUMBERING ON 2nd CHANNEL -Ve TO OTHER CHANNEL -me--
STARTS AT 101 e.g. R101,R102, C101,C102

emitter resistors R7 and R8. Capacitors From this equation we can calculate
HOW IT WORKS - ETI473
C9 and C10 are coupling capacitors to the the theoretical noise that will be
The input stage consists of 01 to Q8 second stage while bias for this stage is generated by the moving coil cartridge
plus associated circuitry. 01 to Q4 and determined by R11, R12, R13 and R14. itself. This clearly is the absolute lowest
05 to 08 are in parallel to reduce the The power supply consists of a series
noise figure that is possible with the
current density providing a low input regulator 013 and 014. The potential
input stage generating no noise of its
impedance stage having very low noise. dividers R21/R23 and R22/R24 divide
own (which is very unlikely!).
A detailed account of how this works the voltage present at the output of the
regulator and drive the transistors 015 and
If we let the temperature of the
is given in the text.
Capacitor Cl and C2 fix the upper 016, and the LEDs. The transistor base- transistor he 300 Kelvin ( i.e.: mean
frequency roll- off characteristics as well as emitter junction in series with the LED atmospheric temperature) and the noise
shunting the input with the desired load will drop 0.6 + 1.65 volts. Therefore, bandwidth be 20 kHz (the hi-fi audio
capacitance for the moving-coil cartridge. whenever the voltage present at the centre band), then since the dc resistance of
The configuration of R1 and R2, Cl and of the potential divider tries to increase the cartridge is about 5 ohms the
C2 was found to give the best loading for above 2.3 volts the transistor increasingly, equation becomes:
avariety of moving-coil cartridges. conducts decreasing drive to the pass
The potentiometer RV1 allows the transistors 013 and 014.
eR 2 -= 4 x(1.3Rx 10 -23 )x 300x 5x(20 x10 3)
input impedance to be varied over the This is a relatively low noise regulator
range most commonly recommended by since the voltage reference is LED and not
Therefore eR = 4.07 x 10 volts or 41 nV.
cartridge manufacturers. a zener diode which is a noisy device.
Negative feedback is applied via the Resistors R19 and R20, together with
network consisting of R28, capacitors capacitors C12 and C13 form 6 dB per So, the thermal noise of the cartridge
C5 and C6 and resistors R5 and R6. octave low-pass filters on the supply rails itself is 41 nV.
Some degenerative feedback for the input to further reduce noise that may be Actually, this calculation is not quite
stage is applied to the first stage by the generated by the regulated supply. . . right since the noise bandwidth is
defined as having a ' brick wall' response.
This configuration works very well whole thing in liquid helium to cool it An amplifier with 3dB point of 20 kHz
and the noise levels of this preamplifier off, there is simply no way of getting rid that is falling at a rate of 6 dB per
rival any of the commercially available of it. Thermal noise is given by the octave will actually have a noise band-
units. equation: width much greater than 20 kHz.
To see just how difficult it is to Furthermore, if we want to be able to
obtain asatisfactory signal to noise ratio quote noise figures to enable comparison
ei( 2 4kTRR volts 2
at these signal levels it is necessary to between different input stages, it is
look at another form of noise called where 'I' is the temperature in degrees valuable to quote noise voltages
'thermal noise'. This is caused by the Kelvin ( K). independently of noise bandwidth. This
agitation of charged particles in any 'R' is the value of the resistance. can be done quite easily by dividing
conductor due to their temperature. '13' is the noise bandwidth the noise voltage by the square root of
Every passive component will generate 'k' is I3oltzmans constant, equal to the bandwidth. The dimensions of this
thermal noise and short of dunking the 1.38 x 10 -2 3 W-sec/K. new figure will be " volts per root IIz",

26
 1119
1011
e
013
110139 Thld g
-ep--mesfin
+1 C12
(0.15 mV) of 71 dB. At this level, the our prototype.
noise generated by the cartridge itself Mount the resistors and capacitors
will be one of the dominant noise first, followed by the transistors. Since
sources. there are quite afew transistors on the
The circuit uses a symmetrical board placed close to each other, don't
configuration with NPN and PNP make the mistake I did and get them
transistors set up in such a way that mixed up! Cut the necessary lengths
asymmetrical distortions tend to cancel. of shielded cables and solder them onto
Normally distortion products are the board keeping the ends as short
generated differently for positive and as possible. Solder the necessary lengths
negative signal excursions and this tends of hookup cable to the board and after
5 PIN DIN to produce second harmonic distortion checking all components mount the
POWER products. The configuration used in this board in the chassis.
SOCKE I
circuit results in very low second and
third harmonic distortion. This has Iused a diecast aluminium box and
quite frankly wish I hadn't. The
enabled a total harmonic distortion
figure of around 0.0015% to be shielding to external magnetic fields
obtained. really isn't good enough. Ifound Ihad
to be careful where the preamp was
The problem with quoting distortion
placed or it would pick up hum from
figures of this order is that they are too
low to be measured directly, being well the magnetic field produced by the
hidden under the noise level. The only power amp's transformer. Use a steel
way a figure can be obtained is to box if you can, if not, just be careful
remove the overall negative feedback, where it is placed.
measure the distortion and then divide Once the board is mounted in the
by the gain difference when the feed- chassis, the pots and rear panel hardware
back is reapplied. Unfortunately, feed- can be mounted and the wiring
back does not affect all the distortion completed according to the wiring layout
products equally, but the figure is still diagram shown. Here again I came
meaningful. unstuck. The first system I used to
and our result for the thermal noise of ground the shielded cables caused a
amoving coil cartridge becomes: Another advantage of the sym-
monumental hum loop (and Istill don't
metrical design of the input stage is that
it does away with the need for an input really understand why!). The final
41
i20 000 nV/1 Hz capacitor. This is a definite advantage method tried is shown in the wiring
diagram and this works very well. The
or 0.29 nV/i/ Hz when dealing with low input impedances
since the value of the capacitor would shielded cables coming from the outputs
Now, if we are aiming at asignal to on the board have only one of their
have had to be very large to obtain a
noise ratio of 70 dB with respect to a shields connected to the output RCA
signal voltage of 150 nV (0.15 mV), flat frequency response at low
frequencies. sockets which are wired together and
which is the expected signal level at a connected to the chassis at the ground
The signal voltages present in the pre-
recording velocity of 10 cm/sec., then terminal. This type of terminal is
the equivalent input noise of the amplifier are naturally extremely low
and for this reason the power supply supplied with the necessary hardware
amplifier will be given by the equation: to insulate them from the chassis. In
has been kept as a separate unit to
reduce the possibility of 50 Hz this case however, we want the terminal
-70 = 201og ( --N- to connect firmly to the case to provide
0.15X10 - 3 induction from the power transformer.
A voltage regulator supplies the the necessary ground connection. It is
and is equal to 0.33 nV//Hz. necessary ±-6 volts. As it is critical to important that the RCA sockets be
achieve low noise it is important that insulated from the case and that the
The necessary equivalent input noise ground connection made to them is
the regulator does not put noise onto
is in the same order of magnitude as the according to the wiring diagram. If the
the supply rails which would degrade
noise being generated by the cartridge unit is going to be used with the
itself! the noise performance of the unit.
Normally the voltage reference used for recommended power supply there
Designing an input stage with this should be no hum problems. This power
regulators of this type is azener diode
sort of noise isn't easy, especially when supply, ETI 557, is described later in
it is considered that the noise generated but, as the zener is reverse biased, it
generates acomparatively large amount this book. It is wired so that the 0 volt
by even the quietest transistor is in the line is not connected to the chassis of
order of several nV/N/Hz for usable of noise. In this design an LED was
used as the voltage reference. A red the power supply. This is important,
emitter current. This is substantially
LED operated in the forward-biased otherwise ahum loop around the units'
worse than the requirement. mains grounds will result. If you wish
mode drops a constant 1.65 volts and
to use a power supply other than the
Performance features generates very little noise.
577 then it will be necessary to ensure
The total equivalent input noise of this Construction that the O volt line from the supply
unit was measured at 0.3 nV/VHz. With Construction is relatively straight- does not connect to the power supply
respect to anoise bandwidth of 20 kHz, forward since most components are chassis. Do not ' cure' the problem by
this corresponds to an input noise of on the mounted pc board. Other disconnecting the ground wire at the
42 nV, giving asignal to noise ratio with construction methods are possible but 240 volt plug as this will remove any
respect to an input signal of 150 nV performance may not match that of ground connection from the power

27
P[MaM (Al supply chassis. This
dangerous, it's illegal.
is not only

Powering up
Before turning the unit on make a
final check of the hoard. Check the
orientation of the transistors, electrolytic
and tantalum capacitors and the LEDs.
If all is right, turn down the volume
control completely and switch the
power supply on. The LEDs in the

li
PARTS LIST - ETI 473
•=== -
-17 71.
1 31 ,c..

LOL3 er LO
ZI:1 -1_ Resistors all IAVV, 5%
1C1
C -
RI, R101 . 3R3
Z3
R2, R102 . . lOR
-UP
[ - E -47(7.17lf 0 R3, R4, R103,

u.,
R104 1k
R5, R6, R105,
R106 2k2
R7, R8, R107,
R108 lOR
R9, R10, R109,
op
OV) R110 27OR
R11, R12,
U
R111, R112 2k2
013, R14,
R113, R114 . . 10k
3=1 ijr==1 f
i21- R15, R16,
R115, R116 . 39OR
cc R17, R18,
t-r
- R117,R118. 180
1
-'C0717
:i)". R19, R20 . . lOR
R21, R22 . . 560R
R23, R24 . . 330R
R25, R26 . . . 220R
R27, R127 lk
R28, R128. . 220R

Capacitors
Cl, dl. . . . 3n3 ceramic
C2, C102. . . 4n7 ceramic
C3, C4, C103,
C104 470p ceramic
EI C5, C6, C105,
0 0 2..c, ce. y ,8
j C106 22µF 16V tantalum
. . b. ibN
\„-1 ,-/ C•J .
0.0 C7, C8, C107,
0 C108 22004F 25V electro
( 7 . ,
"_
c-, II (
N (.0 Or").0 LO •-•
C9- C11,
o -Ct; Cr CC & Ér
- lite
Fc C109- C111 . . 100F 16V tantalum
C12, C13. . . 100,i..tF 25V electro
C14, C15. . . . 1000µF 25V electro
-r1;7.2
1 - Transistors
Use only types specified - substitutes
--r7.L7)
1 -
may result in inferior performance.
+ - +
01-04,
o
CC >4I -- c)
ca
>le
4
- riit
-0"
0101-0104. .
Q5-08,
0105- 0108. .
BC559

BC549
09, 010,
n -1---
Lzki J- In 0109, 0110 . . BC559
w
, u •- Q11,012,
..i Er
0 0111, 0112 . BC549
013 BD139
.0 014 BD140
- L7--
n7- 015 BC549
016 BC559

LED1, LED2 . standard red LED

28 1H911:1
 moc. cartdd gs 8 prream

preamp's regulator should come on

immediately. I used standard RCA to
RCA cables from the output of the
preamp to the phono input and had
some trouble with hum induction into
the leads. Fortunately, we had been sent
a set of Audio-Technica type AT620
cables for evaluation several days before
and these cured the problem completely.
Perhaps .1am biased, but the sound
quality of this preamp is extremely
good! Using a Nakamichi MC1000
cartridge, this preamp showed distinct
improvement over the transformer Iwas
using previously. There is an openness
that never existed before and the bass
end showed agreat improvement being
firmer and much more defined. Itrust
you'll be as satisfied with your project
as Ihave been. •

series 4000
MOVING COIL CARTRIDGE PREAMPLIFIER
INPUT IMPEDANCE
50 50
1

25.,
-75 .-75
• 9
10 "" 10>--

3.3/ 100 3.3/ 100

LEFT RIGHT

29
 Top ANIPEX'REEL to REEt TAPE
at one-third normal price!
The USA Ampex Corporation has made available
a substantial quantity of 'off-cut' tapes from
their highest grade material. All tapes are 1800 ft
(549 m) by Y.", 1 mil ferric oxide on standard
7" reels.

There's aslight gamble involved — but one in

which you either win a lot — or ahell of alot!

Here's why:
The tapes offered are of differing types and you
take pot luck on which you receive.

BUT, The lowest quality is Ampex' superb

Ampex Plus series! The highest is Ampex'
Grand Master series!
SO. If you draw the Ampex Plus' you'll be
paying about one-third the usual price. If you
score the Grand Masters you'll be paying about
aquarter usual price.
YOU CANNOT LOSE. If you are not totally
and completely satisfied with your purchase,
•
Dindy guarantee to return the full purchase
price without question provided the tapes are
returned within 14 days in the original packing.

Identical tapes to those offered are marketed

in the USA by Ampex, using the trade name
'Shamrock'. This trade name is also used for
those offered here.

NOTE: This offer is made by Dindy Marketing

(Aust.) Pty Ltd and this publication is acting as
a clearing house only. Cheques should be made
for 10
payable to 'Ampex Tape Offer' and sent,
together with the order form or accompanying
letter, to 'Ampex Tape Offer', c/o ETI
reels
Magazine, 15 Boundary Street, Rushcutters
Bay NSW 2011. We will then process your
order and pass it on to Dindy, who will send WWW.WOMMOYMWOO."."0.,":".".WWW.e."
you the goods. Please allow up to four weeks
for delivery. Please supply • . . tapes at S39 tor ten S
Owing to the exceptionally low offer price,
the minimum ordering quantity is ten tapes Plus post and packing, any quantity:- S2. 00
(total $39).
TOTAL S
The closing date for this offer is December 31st
Name
1980, unless, of course, stocks are exhausted
prior to that date. Address

Post Code

30
A general purpose, dual 12 V supply
David Tilbrook

Whilst this supply was designed specifically to power the

Series 4000 moving- coil cartridge preamp it should find
application in many electronic projects.

Construction
The power transformer used in the
prototype was a Ferguson type PI.30/40
VA. This is one of their low profile
transformers and fits easily into the die-
cast aluminium box. The printed circuit
board has been designed to slot into the
grooves in this box.
Assembly of the pc board is not diffi-
cult as it has relatively few components.
If you are using the same box we did it
is easier to solder pc board pins onto the
board, slot the board into place, bolting
thé regulators down, and then make the
necessary wiring interconnections. Both
POWER SUPPLY 712 regulators must be insulated from the
ON case using the appropriate mounting
hardware. The case of these regulators is
connected to pin 2. For the 7812 this is
the ground connection, and accidental
connection to case will cause a hum
loop when the unit is connected to the
moving coil cartridge pre-amp. In the
7912, pin 2 is the input to the regulator
and as such has 17 volts directly from
the bridge rectifier connected to it.
Accidental connection of this to ground
will probably damage the rectifier
diodes, so check with amultimeter that
the case of this regulator is well insul-
Our prototype was housed in a diecast box to match that teed for our Series 4000 moving- coil
cartridge preamp, although any suitable box may be used if the power supply is intended for
another application. Scotchcal front panels should be available from kit suppliers or separately
from Radio Despatch Service in Sydney.

THIS PoWkIt SUPPLY provides thc lators he a tendencv to oscillate at

+/-12 volts needed by the Series 4000 around 3 MHz and for this reason must
moving coil cartridge preamplifier. We have their output pins bypassed to
intend designing a range of hi-fi system ground through an appropriate capaci-
'add-ons' like the M.C. preamp and tor. If they are allowed to oscillate the
rather than have apower supply in each de % ice quickly overheats and its thermal
unit they will be powered from this protection cuts in.
supply. This decreases the cost of The regulators are mounted onto the
of building the units and just as import- chassis which acts as a heat sink. If the
antly removes the major source of hum recommended power transformer is
from within the chassis. used, the voltage after rectification is
approxmately 17 %.olts. Fie regulators
The supply delivers positive and must drop 5 volts at a worst- case
negative 12V de at 1A while the IC current of one amp, so they are dissi-
series regulators provide short circuit pating a maximum of five watts which is
and temperature protection. These regu- well within their ratings. Rear view ot the power supply showing
placement of the major components.

31
Pro:aC 577

C4

t
ey
( C6 ) ( )

)1(
C5

HI
IC1 IC2

c mounted on case.
©

...Earth Connection

FS1
lA EM401,1N4004
V
D3

240V —Ve SUPPLY

SW1
240V

+Ve SUPPLY

32
 Pomey e

HOW IT WORKS — Eli 577

Mains 240 Vac is applied to the primary
of the transformer via a 1A fuse. The trans-
former secondary consists of two 15 V
windings with tappings at 12 V. The 12 V
tapoing of one is joined to the 0 V of the
other — this junction ( effectively a
centre- tap) forming the volt rail.
A bridge rectifier D1- D4 rectifies the
ac voltage from the transformer and
supplies around 17 volts to the inputs of
the regulator ICs. Capacitors C1-C4 filter
the input to the regulators while C5 and
C6 ensure high fraquency stability of the
regulators.
The IC regulators provide a stable,
regulated output very close to the speci-
fied 12 Vdc and can supply up to one amp
of dc current. Overload and thermal
protection is provided internally on the
IC chip. These regulators are convenient,
inexpensive and require the minimum
number of components.

PARTS LIST - Eli 577

Resistors all %AN, 5%
R1 47OR

Capacitors
C1, C2 2200µF 25V electro
C3, C4 100n greencap
05, C6 330n greencap
Internal view of the power supply showing how the pc board was mounted, the position of the
power transformer and the general wiring arrangement. General parts placement is not at all Semiconductors
critical and avariety of layouts is possible. Be sure to insulate the regulator ICs. D1-04 IN4004, EM401 or sim
LED1 Red led, TI L22OR or sim

iC1 7812 or LM340-12 volt-

ated from the chassis before powering age regulator ( positive)
Before applying power to the unit make IC2 7912 or LM320-12 volt-
up. a final check of the board and all con- age regulator ( negative)
The I.ED is mounted onto the front nections to the power transformer.
Miscellaneous
panel with a standard LED mounting Check the 240 volt connections and
Ti transformer, 15V- 0-15V,
grommet and connected to the board by ensure that the regulators are satisfac-
1.3 amps ( Ferguson
two short lengths of hook-up cable. torily insulated from the chassis. If all is PL30/40V A)
Make absolutely certain that all 240 correct, turn the power supply on. The SW1 DPDT 240V switch
volt connections are secure and that the F1 1A, 3AG type fuse
LED on the front panel should come on
SK1 Chassis mounting 5 pin
mains cable ground lead is connected to immediately. Check the voltage present DIN socket
chassis as shown in the wiring diagram. on the output DIN socket which should
The mains flex must be secured to the be very close to 12 volts ( certainly Chassis mounting 3AG fuse holder, 5 pin
chassis, either with a clamp-type within 0.25 V). Make sure the positive DIN plug, 240V mains plug, 240V/3 core
cable, rubber mains cable grommet. Die-
grommet where it enters the box or and negative supply connections ter-
cast aluminium box 190 x 60 x 110 mm.
with acable clamp on the inside. minate on the correct DIN socket pins. •

33
High-to- low impedance ' interface'
to suit the [Tl -
470 60 watt amp
The popularity of our 60 watt low distortion amplifier mod-
ule ( May ' 79) has exceeded all expectations. To achieve the
amplification 'accuracy' these power amps are capable of,
the drive impedance must be very low — in the order of five
to ten ohms. Our previous preamps, the 422 and 482, and
many preamps available, generally have amedium to high
output impedance and will not properly mate with the 470.
This interface provides the necessary impedance conver- Phil Wait
sion, allowing these amps to be used with many existing
preamp designs.

DESIGNED primarily for use with our

+10 - 50V
Series 4000 stereo amplifier, the 470 HOW IT WORKS — ETI 474
low TID 60 watt amplifier module has OPIIONAL
The circuit consists of two emitter
found its way into the most surprising C2
220A
followers, Q1 and Q3, with constant
01
applications — from adc motor drive to current generators in their emitters. The
constant current generators share the same
discos in central Africa. Thousands of CHI
INPUT voltage reference, ZD1.
the modules have been built, occasional CHI
OUTPUT
The reference voltage, 5.1V is derived
output transistor shortages not with- from ZD1, and fed to the bases of 02
standing, in Australia, New Zealand, and 04. The voltage on their emitters is
then set at 4.4V. The transistors will
Europe, Africa, Canada and the UK. always pass the exact amount of current
Although the 470 module was required to maintain this voltage on the
designed to be driven from a low emitters, regardless of supply voltage.
impedance source, it is obvious from The input signal is fed to the bases
through dc blocking capacitors Cl and C3,
readers' letters that there are many who and the output is taken from the emitters
want to use it with existing equipment ZVI directly or via the optional blocking
having a preamp with a high output 5V1
capacitors C2 and C4. The gain of the
impedance. circuit is alittle less than unity.

This project describes atwo-channel

+10- 50V
(stereo) interface for driving up to two 59 constant current generators in the
470 modules (per channel) from a high C3 OPTIONAL
emitters referenced from a zener-
impedance source, and can in fact be C4
220.. regulated supply voltage.
used in any application requiring avery 271- * The easiest way to convert from a
INPUT
low impedance drive at audio - high impedance to a low impedance
frequencies. CH2
OUT PUT with little attenuation is with an emitter
The input stage of the 470 consists follower. The input signal is fed into the
of an emitter — coupled darlington pair base of a transistor and the output
with the input signal fed to the non- taken from the emitter, the collector
inverting input and the feedback C
being tied to the supply. Emitter
connected to the inverting input. To followers have a high input impedance
reduce high frequency intermodulation 13CS47, 80548, 8C549, 8C557. 8C558
00547. 05544 05549 DS557, 05558
and very low output impedance. The
the slew rate of this stage is limited by output impedance is roughly the value
placing a 470n (0.47p) capacitor of the emitter resistor divided by the
between the two bases. high frequencies by the reduced input beta of the transistor.
The input impedance varies with impedance of the amplifier, causing high To allow the circuit to be used with
frequency, from a few thousand ohms frequency distortion. This is why we the power amplifier or with the driving
at quite low frequencies to hundreds of specified a low impedance driving source the circuit must be able to
ohms at the high frequencies, where the source for the 470, and designed our operate over a very wide range of dc
effect of the slew limiting capacitor preamplifier accordingly. supply voltages as found in graphic
•
becomes apparent. equalisers, organs, preamplifiers and
If the stage is driven from a high Interface design such.
impedance source, the output of the The circuit for our interface uses two To limit the supply current and
driving current will be loaded down at emitter followers (one per channel) with dissipation of the emitter follower when

34
 ERRATA: A second colour is missing from diagrams on pages 133 and 141 of some copies of this book. Here is the
corrected version. Our apologies for any inconvenience.

FRONT PANEL

ir;iI1 C1)
90,
L'(‘ 4 :
e
C b is
et) Clz:2
C18c .& e
3
1==t
C

4 L5 R29 C15

R18
IC3 ER..1734IC4

tie

R22

R20 -
10 051:>b ==bcti

e•-ere e
r u IS

*Ire g ?,-.) 4`---r '

dl
li i=c7
•-•-•
i•-•-•9 C7,77)
1

U -P .11,•--

Fig. 7. Component overlay and wiring diagram. Note tie links from IC2 and IC 3 to the 'H' or 'L' lines.
You must decide on the code word to be used and link to one or the other as detailed in the text.
Overlay is shown larger than full size for clarity.

PARTS LIST ETI 711 Capacitors Switches

Cl -
C3 33n polyester PB1 - PB8 Miniature push buttons
Resistors
C4 15n
R1 100k VAN 5% C5 56n Coils
R2 82k C6 - CB 10n
R3 27k C9 47p ceramic L1,2,4,6 10 turns of closely spaced
R4,5 100k 24 gauge tinned copper
R6,7 39k C10 330p ceramic wire wound on 5 mm
C11 270p diameter, 18 mm long
R8 82k C12 lOn coil formers ( Neosid
R9,10 39k C13 68p 722/18) with 6 mm
R11 120k C14 lOn « long coil slugs.
R12 82k Note L2 has no slug ( Neosid 4 x . 05 x6/
R13 39k C15 33µ 16V electro F29)
C16 120p ceramic 3 PTFE Locking Strips
R14 82k C17 lOn L3, LS 150µH R.F. chokes
R15 39k C18 220p
R16 2M2 C19 39p Miscellaneous
R17 100k
PC board ETI 711
R18 3M3 C20 lOn
Aluminium bracket to Fig. 4
C21 33p
Plastic box
R19 27k C22 470p
R20 100 ohms Front panel to fig 10
R21 330k Telescopic antenna
R22 10k Semiconductors 9 volt battery
R23 47k D1 - 011 1N914 or similar 2 6BA x 3/8 bolts & nuts
Battery clip
IC1 4001
R24 5.6 ohms IC2, 3 4051 27 MHz crystal in the band 26.975
R25 220 ohms IC4 4001 MHz to 27.282 MHz.
R26 12 ohms IC6 4520
R27 270 ohms
R28 330 ohms Q1 BD139
02,3 BC549
R29 22k 04 2N6027
R30 1k 05 BC548

133
 Project 711

+9V
7 9 1

16

14

C8 6 114 8

D3 12 6 •
IC7
1 •
POINTS MARKED 1-12 ON IC4 i4 13 4015 +9V OUTPUT 1
01
5AND 6 MUST BE CONNECTED
TO EITHER + 9V 111' OR OV D4 6 BC548
10
101" IDENTICALLY TO THE
TRANSMITTER. 14 15 12 10 13
05 8
14 1 13 11 9

+9V 2 11
R10 R12 14
10k 4M7
IC9 5
C9 D6 4051
do 15
1n5 7
12
47, 8 IC3/4 10
9 2 OUTPUT 8
IC2/3
4016 D7 12
11
9 12
6 • 131 13 13
11
100k
D8 4
8
08
BC 548
09 +9V
12 R13 10 IC8 8 IDENTICAL
10 2k2 OUTPUT STAGES
11 15 4015
16
IC2/4 D10 2
13
4016
14-
D11 12 8
1.4 1 12
13 6
IC3 IS 4001
PIN 14 IS + 9V D12 8 0
11
PIN 7 IS OV
IC4, 5AND 6ARE 4030
14 IC6/4

PIN 14 IS + 9V
PIN 7 IS OV R14
10k
D1-012 ARE IN914

Fig. 6. Circuit diagram of the decoder.

LH 14
INPUT
FROM
IC3
RECEIVER1 ®
14
OUTPUT

cd HLH

C3 Cl n IC6
-Ce• C9

R6 C7
QC1C5-- IC2
+9V

ccccc
05 03 08 02 06 04 07 Q1 cii()
bl,.(1,<,440,1b<34
-9V
IC9 .IC7 IC8
Fig. 7. Component overlay for the Ill PI OD CV CC) f•-•
decoder.
F— I 1
— I 1— I 11- 1— I -
ZZDDZDD
Z
00000000

141
 47C ñearbee
Channel A Channel B
+10 to + 50 V

H
EARTH INPUT INPUT EARTH

I Cl lu C3 lu Hints and tips for the ETI-470 60W

Module
R4 lk MOST PEOPLE haven't had
problems with their 470 module, but
inevitably there are some who do.
From calls and letters to our reader
R9 1k
enquiry service we have identified
five areas of trouble.
02 01 1) The earth rail on the amplifier
must be returned to the OV rail on
R20100k R1 100k Relk R7 00k 411
the power supply. If this is not done
R3 +
the input transistors and their
C2 220u C4 220u
% or
* link or link
current source ( Q1-05) will be

oe, destroyed. This is probably our

failing as, although it is obvious to
z1 R8 00k most people, it was not indicated on

I
the circuit given on page six but was

II
indicated in the wiring diagram of
OV FROM POWER SUPPLY IS
FED VIA EARTH LEADS
the Series 4000 amplifier.
Channel A Channel B
EARTH OUTPUT EARTH OUTPUT MIMI K 2) It can be seen from the overlay
that the base lead of 05 must be
PARTS LIST - ET! 474 slightly bent to fit the pc board. The
transistor can easily be inserted the
Resistors ah 5
R1, R2 100k wrong way round. Watch this.
R3, R4 1k 3) The darlington output transistors
R5 10k must have a good heatsink. Always
R6, R7 100k
make sure the thermal contact
R8, R9 1k
between the transistor and the heat-
Capacitors sink is good. Use a thermal
C1 14 35V tantalum compound ( such as Bevaloid GS13),
C2 2204 35V electro
but not too much — just asmear on
(optional)
C3 14 35V tantalum either side of the mica washer. Use a
C4 220µ 35V electro metal, rather than anylon screw with
(optional) an insulating bush, to fasten the
transistor — a nylon one will stretch
Semiconductors
ZD1 5V1 400mW zener diode under tension. Make sure the
heatsink is smooth and flat, curved
Ql—Q4 BC107, BC547, DS547 or sandblasted heatsinks will not
or similar
make good thermal contact with the
Miscellaneous transistor body.
ETI 474 pc board. 4) Make sure that the transistor 08
has a good thermal contact to the
heatsink. It must be the same
used with a high supply voltage we used
heatsink as the output transistors.
aconstant current generator ( Q2, Q4) in
5) Never, never run the amp without
each of the emitters in place of the
a heatsink, even if only to set the
normal emitter resistor. The use of a (Cl) with a 220m, 35 volt electrolytic
bias.
constant current generator also increases oriented with its positive lead towards
Overheating of the output devices
the input resistance and decreases the the input terminal.
due to poor heatsinking will result in
output resistance. A current of about
Construction thermal run away which will blow
four milliamps flows through the
the fuses but will probably not
transistors for all supply voltages above Construction is straightforward, the
damage the output transistors
five volts. only thing to watch is the orientation of
provided the two amp fuses are in
The output capacitors ( C2, C4) the transistors and the zener diode.
circuit. Faults where the amplifier
provide dc isolation for the output, but The unit can be mounted with the
operates correctly for a while then
since the 470 modules already have an power modules and run from their
blows fuses, will probably be due to
isolation capacitor (Cl), they can be supply or mounted with the driving
poor heatsinking.
left out and the pc board bridged with circuit. Input and output connections
Most transistors in the amplifier
a length of tinned copper wire. If any should be via shielded cables which also
are designed to run quite warm in
other connection is made from the carry the power supply earth on the
normal operation.
output, for auxilliary equipment, the braid to avoid earth loops.
No problems have become
capacitors should be left in. If only one power module is to be
apparent with the preamplifier ( ETI-
If the capacitors are removed it will driven, as with an electronic organ, the
be necessary to replace the input pc board can be cut in half and only 471).
capacitor on the 470 power amplifier one channel assembled. •

35
 Pm:ea (
ea

Series 4000 four-way

loudspeaker David Tilbrook

This project is the first in a series of loudspeaker projects designed

to complement our Series 4000 range of quality hi-fi projects.

LOUDSPEAKERS still remain the over. The four-way approach allows

weakest link in the hi-fi chain and the closer control over the final frequency
total sound of any system will depend response than does a three-way. More
more on the loudspeakers than any importantly a major part of the mid-
other single hi-fi component. So it is range normally handled by the woofer
important to get the best loudspeakers, can be dedicated to a separate mid-
even if this means accepting a slightly range driver. The basic design idea was
lower performance amplifier or turn- to use the woofer only up to 150 Hz.
table. In most systems the performance A separate mid-range driver would then
of the cartridge, turntable and amplifier take over up to 750 Hz where asecond
greatly exceeds that of the loudspeakers mid-range would come in. The lower
so an improvement in the loudspeaker mid-range driver, crossing in at 150 Hz
department will often yield a radically needs a usable response down to around
improved system. 60 Hz ( i.e. one octave) so that the
Unfortunately, there are very few crossover region will have a reasonably
really good kit loudspeakers. This flat response. Similarly, the woofer
project is an attempt to rectify that crossing out at 150 Hz needs to have a
situation by providing a loudspeaker usable response to at least 300 Hz.
suitable for home construction that eifter a great deal of testing it
rates amongst the best available. This is was finally decided to use the Philips
not an inexpensive project — the driver AD12250/W8 unit for the woofer.
and crossover cost being around $ 400 — This is a 100 watt driver with a free air
but the finished project will rival resonance of 26 Hz. When mounted in
commercial units at three times the the enclosure the fundamental
price. resonance rises to around 31 Hz, an
excellent figure. This driver seems to
Choosing the drivers have a bad hole in its response at
In order to build a good loudspeaker it 350 Hz but this is unimportant in this
is obviously important to use good loudspeaker.
drivers, but availability is just as The AD70601/W8 unit was chosen The 4000/1 loudspeaker, without the front
important a criterion as performance. as the lower mid-range as it has a free grille, showing the drivers.- It stands about
For this reason we had a close look at air resonant frequency at 45 Hz. This one mete tall.
the drivers commonly available in driver is actually a woofer and does not
which suffered a little from roll-off of
Australia and finally decided to use have the integral sealed enclosure the frequencLes above 10 kHz.
drivers from the huge range of Philips common to many mid-range drivers.
loudspeakers, some of which were not The enclosure must be provided by the Construction
available in this country at that time. cabinet construction and the volume
If you are constructing the boxes your-
Philips agreed to stock the drivers we chosen in the 4000/1 increases the
self start by assembling the sides, top,
decided on and these form the basis 45 Hz fundamental resonance of this bottom and back of the cabinet. The
of the 4000 series of loudspeakers. driver to around 55 Hz, which is ample. bottom panel is placed 100 mm above
The 4000/1 is a four-way sealed The response between 750 Hz and the bottom of the box and the cavity
enclosure loudspeaker using 12 dB/ 3 kHz, where the tweeter takes over, is
formed under the box can be used to
octave crossover slopes. The original handled by the latest Philips dome
mount the crossover instead of putting
design for our prototype used an 18 dB/ (AD02161/SQ8) mid- range. This driver it inside the box as is the usual practice.
octave M-derived crossover ( see has a 50 mm textile dome giving agood Now insert the two pieces of timber
'Principles and problems in loudspeaker frequency response and wide dispersion that form the mid-range enclosure. It
design' in Jan and Feb 1980 issues of at higher mid-range frequencies. is essential that there is a perfect seal
ETI) but it was enormously expensive Above 3 kHz the AD01610/T8 between the bass and mid-range
and complex and would have contrib- tweeter is used. We tested a large range chambers, as well as between these two
uted little to the overall sound finally of Philips tweeters and this was the best, chambers and the outside air. Line every
ichieved with the 12 dB/octave cross- followed closely by the AD01605/T8, joint carefully with caulking compound

36
 40000e1 4demy speall err sysRam

«AM
TWEETER
ciI J R1
AD01610/T8
HOW IT WORKS. 3p 3 ICD L1
407

r
OR AD01605/78
The input signal from the output of the IC)
OZD 0 8mH 8R2 (SEE TEXT)
amplifier is fed to the 4 way crossover that
SP4
divides the signal into the 4 different
frequency bands covered by each of the
drivers. The loudspeaker cabinet is divided C2 R3
L2
into two sections, the larger one forming 2241 0.80m H 303
the bass chamber for the woofer and the
000
smaller

from
one

each
forming

other so
the
chamber. These two chambers are sealed
that
midrange

interactions L3 C3 04
1, DOME MID
AD02161/S08

\
C4 3mH c , 3p 3 180
cannot occur between the back radiations SP3

1
of the woofer and lower midrange. The 47p
other two drivers have their own
enclosures as an integral part of the driver.
L4
For a detailed account of the design 3mH
approach and the problems that occur in
000

1.
1
loudspeaker design, read ' Principles and
problems in loudspeaker design' in the Jan
and Feb 1980 issues of Electronics Today
C5
47p R5 / MID
International. C6 220 AD 70601/VV8
L5
22p SP2
12.6m H
C7
104

or glue so that no possiblity of an air

leak exists. This is probably the best L6
12.6mH
stage of the construction to drill the -1-
holes for the wiring to the loudspeakers. o 00
Iused two cores of 240 volt three-core
C9 R6 WOOFER
mains cable for this purpose, mainly
47µ 120 AD12250/W8
because a round hole could be drilled AMP SP1
and the cable squeezed through it to
C10
make a reasonable seal. Three holes
22p
need to be drilled in the bottom of the
midrange chamber to allow for cables o • •
for the two midrange drivers and the Circuit diagram for the four-way system. Driver polarity is important. Note that the "dome mid"
driver, A002161/608, is available in two models, the other being AD02160/S08, which is
tweeter. Cut suitable lengths of 240 V
different in appearance but electrically equivalent.
mains cable and insert these through the
holes. Seal between the cables and the This space will be taken up by the back, sides, top and bottom of both the
holes with sealing compound or aglue grill cloth frame. Seal the remaining bass and mid-range chambers. Attach
like Silastic. If the crossover is to be joints between the front baffle and the the innerbond firmly to the sides of the
mounted under the loudspeaker, drill rest of the box. The only remaining box using tacks or thin nails and glue.
four holes through the bottom of the part of the box construction is to The tweeter and dome mid-range
box and run the cables exactly as with attach the small 100 mm high wooden drivers are supplied with mounting
the mid-range enclosure. Drill the holes panel to the bottom of the box. The washers so that good seals can be made
so that they are closer to the rear of the front grill is made by constructing a between the drivers and the baffle.
box to allow ample room for mounting rectangular frame that fits into the Use adhesive foam tape available from
of the crossover. The input terminals remaining cavity on the front of the most hardware stores, to make a good
should be mounted on the back of the baffle. Stretch the grill cloth (use seal around the lower mid-range unit
enclosure, below the bottom panel if proper speaker grill material to avoid and the woofer. Stick the tape to the
the crossover is mounted under the absorption of the treble) tightly over front of the baffle around the edge of
loudspeaker. the frame. the holes cut for the woofer and mid-
It is not necessary to have the front If you have purchased akit of ready range so that when the drivers are
baffle removable since the drivers are made boxes it will still be necessary to mounted agood seal results.
external mounting types. It is probably drill the holes for the cables and to seal Solder the wires to each of the
easier to cut the holes for the drivers the box thoroughly with some sealing drivers making sure you know which
before mounting the baffle onto the compound. If the slightest leak exists wire is connected to the positive
front of the cabinet. The base panel and between the bass and mid-range terminal on the loudspeaker. This
midrange enclosure panel should have chambers the large pressure increases terminal is marked on the driver either
been cut so that 38 mm remains created in the bass chamber will force by ared terminal or ared dot near one
between these and the front edge of the the mid-range to vibrate, causing of the terminals. Mark the other ends of
side and top panels. When the front distortion. the cables so that it is clear which cables
panel is fitted, 19 mm should remain The last stage before mounting the connect to which drivers. This is
between the front of the baffle and drivers is to line the box with 25 mm important; if the outputs of the cross-
the front edge of the sides and top. thick loudspeaker innerbond. Line the over are connected to the wrong drivers

37
 DOME MID
+Ve

1••••••••

Li
0.8mH

Cl
3g3

TWEETER
—Ve
1
006
22p

R2 22u C7
8R2 104
TWEETER
12
+Ve
0.80mH

DOME MID
—Ve
C8
R6
t
47p
2R
MID
+Ve
C9 C4 C5
47p 4714 47p

I I I I I I I I I I I I I
WOOFER AMP L6 WOOFER MID L4 L3 L5 L5 L4 AMP L6 L3
—Ve — Ve + Ve — Ve +Ve
 elOnetf_ 43-way speakareffla

ti is could result in damage to the

drivers.
Once all of the drivers are mounted
the final stage is the construction and
mounting of the crossover. If the cross-
over is mounted inside, instead of
under the box it will be necessary to
leave mounting of the woofer until
last. After all of the drivers have been
mounted connect a 1.5 volt battery to
the woofer wires and watch the lower
mid-range cone. If it moves, the seal
between the bass and mid-range
chambers is not complete.
The inductors used in the crossover
are too big to be mounted on the pc
board. All the other crossover
components are on the pc board. Start
construction of the crossover by

PARTS LIST - ETI 496

The following is aparts list for one only

loudspeaker so two of every component
will be needed for astereo pair.

Drivers
SP1 Philips AD12250/VV8
SP2 Philips AD70601/W8
SP3 Philips AD02161/SQ8
Philips AD02161/SQ8 or
AD02160/SQ8
SP4 Philips AD01610/T8 or
AD01605/T8, see text.

Inductors
Li, L2 0.8 mH max dc resistance We mounted the crossover network assembly on an aluminium plate, bent as shown. The whole
0.5 R assembly was then screwed to the bottom of the loudspeaker and each driver connected as per
L3, L4 3.0 mH max dc resistance the overlay.
0.5 R
L5, L6 126 mH max dc resist- mounting and soldering the capacitors to the bottom of the loudspeaker box.
ance 0.7 R
to the pc board. Next solder the The advantage of using the aluminium
Capacitors resistors into place spacing them base is so that the crossover can be
Cl 3z3 polycarbonate
approximately 10 mm off the board. handled as one complete unit.
C2 ... ... 22µ bipolar electro-
lytic 50 V This is necessary to prevent charring the
C3 3i3 polycarbonate pc board should these resistors get hot Powering up
C4, C5 474 bipolar electro- when the speaker is used with high Before connecting the loudspeaker to an
lytic 50 V amplifier touch the input of the loud-
power amplifiers. The remaining two
C6 22µ bipolar electro-
lytic 50 V inductors shouid be glued onto the pc speaker to a single 11 /
2 volt penlight

Cl 10µ bipolar electro- board and then the leads soldered. battery. With the positive of the battery
lytic 50 V The prototype crossover was connected to the positive input (red
C8, C9 47p. bipolar electro- terminal) of the loudspeaker the woofer
mounted on a sheet of alu:ninium
lytic 50 V
C10 22µ bipolar electro- 200 mm by 330 mm, but this is cone should move forward and the loud-
lytic 50 V optional. If you elect to use this method speaker should make a loud thump.
Resistors of constructior, screw the remaining Listen to all the drivers separately while
Rl ..... 4R7 10W 5% four inductors onto the aluminium connecting and disconnecting the
R2 8R2 10 W 5% sheet and solder the leads from these battery to check that all of the drivers
R3 3R3 10 W 5% are operating. Don't use a battery any
R4 18R 10 W 5%
onto the pc board. Solder the leads
R5 22R 5W 5% from the drivers and input terminals bigger than 11 / volts for this test or you
2

R6 12R 5 W 5% onto the pc board and mount the pc could damage the woofer.
board onto the aluminium base using If all is well, connect the speakers to
Miscellaneous
6 mm spacers. Finally, the whole cross- an amplifier and turn the volume up
pc board . . . . ETI 496
over can be screwed to the Dottom of slowly.
Wire, one pair of spring terminals,
particle board, screws, glue, etc. the loudspeaker box. If you are not
Speaker grill cloth, innerbond. using the aluminium base the pc board Performance
and inductors are mounted directly Power handling figures for loudspeakers I>

39
 Prn:e(c*

355-

A
395 -160 ---

357 19

r
r
e

T
981

915 - 86 mm DIA

780 122 mm DIA

1000

610 - 143 mm DIA

3HOLES DRILLED FOR CABLES

TO MIDRANGES & TWEETERS

500

316 - 280 mm DIA

t
4 HOLES DRILLED TO ALLOW CABLES
TO BE BROUGHT OUT THE BOTTOM
OF THE BOX IF CROSSOVER IS TO BE
MATERIAL 19mm PARTICLE BOARD MOUNTED IN THE BASE.

Complete cutting and assembly details for the ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETRES
four-way loudspeaker box. It is important SECTION AA
that all joints be well sealed. NOT TO SCALE

are a very dubious quantity. Some the power handling figure represents designed in accordance with extensive
manufacturers ( not many) quote the power below which the loudspeaker tests that reveal the " ideal" frequency
continuous sine wave power handling at cannot be damaged. The most response characteristics for most
aparticular frequency, but it is doubtful dangerous condition for any listening environments. This response is
that this is a really meaningful figure. loudspeaker is a heavily clipping not flat but has a tapered top end, so
Probably the best way of measuring amplifier. In this state the output of the that the extreme treble is attenuated
power handling is with pink noise. This amplifier approaches dc and even a 20 slightly with respect to the mid-range
is a type of noise which contains equal watt amplifier can do irreparable and bass.
energy per octave over the entire audio damage if operated incorrectly. The subjective test revealed just how
range. Using this technique, these loud- Your ears are the best indication that good the loudspeakers are. The
speakers are rated at 100 watt power the loudspeakers are operating safely. frequency response is smooth and
handling. The bipolar electrolytic If the sound becomes distorted or extended and the bass and treble are
capacitors used in the crossover are unpleasant at higher power levels, turn present only when they should be!
rated at 50 volts. This corresponds to down your amplifier. Nine times out of Above all, the sound is clean and
156 watts into an 8 ohm load so this ten it will be the amplifier and not the easy to listen to for extended periods,
should be considered the absolute loudspeaker that is running out of even at very high listening levels. Ihope
maximum power for the loudspeaker. power. you get as much enjoyment from your
It is sometimes mistakenly thought that The 4000/1 loudspeaker has been 4000/1 speakers as Ihave. •

40
 r® 456

'The Brute' — develops 300W

into 4 ohms, 200W into 8ohms!
Barry Wilkinson
For many audio applications there's no substitute for sheer
power — low efficiency speakers, outdoor sound systems, or
maybe you like the full flavour of the dynamic range afforded
by a high power amp. Whatever your requirement — this
'super power' module should fill the bill.

START HERE

Do not pass ' go', do not spend ( 200

THIS IS a relatively expensive

project, compared to our previous
amplifier modules, the ETI-480 and
the more recent ETI-470. It is not
recommended for beginners or inex-
perienced constructors. Although we
have included protection for the
output devices in the design it is
obviously impossible to protect
against circumstances which we
cannot forsee. Follow the assembly
details and advice given in this article
— especially regarding heatsinks
and power supplies etc, and you'll
be well assured of success. We must
stress that any deviation from this
design, other than the variations
suggested, you do at your own risk.
If this is your first experience
with such high power don't be
embarrassed to follow the instruct-
ions slavishly until you are familiar
Nith the unit and get the ' tee!' of
the technology. Check everything
as feures can be disastrous, not to
mention spectacular, if something
goes wrong.
If we haven't put you off by this
stage — read on !

SPECIFICATIONS — ETI 466 Input sensitivity

8ohm load 1V for 200 W output
Power output 4 ohm load 1V for 300 W output
8ohm load 200 watts RMS
4 ohm load 310 watts RMS Total harmonic distortion see graph

Frequency response Damping factor

20 Hz to 20 kHz +1- 0.5 dB 20 Hz - 3 kHz 65
5 kHz 55
Hum and noise 10 kHz 45
re 200 W into 8ohm -105 dB 20 kH7 35

42
 3CDC'e9e am -
011108F
HI- Fl AMPLIFIERS are becoming more 06

and more powerful, and with good rea-

son. Modern recordings, especially direct-
0.5
0.4
DISTORTION OF lkH.
VERSES POWER OUTPUT
Ii
03 I
cut discs, have a useful dynamic range
approaching 40 dB between the quieter 0.2 1 ! 11

musical passages and the peaks of the I

4OHM LOA
crescendos. If the quieter passages are
0.09
played at a power output of 100 mW, 0.08
0.07
which is not untypical in a domestic 0.06
0.05
environment, to faithfully reproduce 0.04

the full recorded dynamic range of a 0.03 8 OHM LOAD---1

good record without clipping the peaks 'l

Il

would require an amplifier capable of

delivering 1000 watts! This, coupled
0.01 L , I iiiiiN I 1I Ii
I 1i
with the current trend amongst some 002 10 100 100 300

manufacturers to build speakers having POWER IWATTS @ 11‘PM

quite low efficiency, plus the number of Total harmonic distortion versus power output at 1 kHz. The 'bump at around 1 W is due to
the output stage changing from Class A operation to Class AB operation.
people who like their music loud ( and
undistorted) makes the case for high (and its complement, the MJ2955) teristics of the MJ 15003 for the protec-
power amplifiers very strong indeed. when operated as an amplifier. Take a tion network used in this amplifier is
Past amplifier projects have generally look at the set of curves plotted on the shown on the diagram with the other
been limited to output powers of 50 accompanying diagram. This compares SOAR curves.
watts or so. Designed around cheap, the safe operating area curves of a The main cost of the amplifier is in
readily available transistors, they have number of power transistors. Operation the output stage, transformer and heat-
proved very popular. We have done the of any power device must be confined sink. We therefore decided to go to a
occasional 100 watt amplifier and once to the area inside the device's curve at slightly more complex input stage to
described a ' bridge' amplifier capable of worst case. If the current/voltage improve the performance. This type of
delivering 200 watts into an eight ohm operating point is allowed to fall outside amplifier usually uses a Class A driver
load, rather than design an amplifier the area of the SOAR curve during any which introduces second harmonic dis-
using expensive, hard to get transistors part of the operating cycle for the tortion. By using a complementary-
for that power level. device, it will be destroyed — with differential input circuit we have been
To gain a worthwhile improvement amazing rapidity. Now, the 2N3773 and able to eliminate the Class A driver and
in subjective performance over an amp- MJ802 transistors have been around for therefore kept the second harmonic
lifier of 50 watts output, we must go some time and at first glance would distortion very low indeed. The distor-
for afour times increase at least, to 200 seem good choices for ahigh power amp, tion curve shows the distortion is well
watts, as the ear has a logarithmic but note that their SOAR characteristics under 0.1% until almost full power out-
response, and anything less is barely are not much better than the 2N3055. put. The `bump' in the curve around
noticeable. That might be stating the In fact, at 40 V (Vcc) the MJ802 is one watt is the point where the output
case a little simply, but it conveys the actually worse. In contrast, the MJ 15003 stage changes from Class A (peak out-
general idea. is quite along way outside the curve for put being less than the bias current) to
Over the past six or seven years the 2N3055 and therefore has a much Class AB operation.
we've had many requests for a high higher power rating when used in an
power amplifier, but for the reasons Comparison between the Safe Operating
amplifier. Hence, the MJ15003 and its
Area characteristics of a variety of trans-
stated previously, we have decided complement — the MJ15004, were istors, including the MJ15003 used in the
against it. It would have been possible chosen as the output devices for this output stage of this amplifier.
to design aunit using alarge number of design. Secondly, these transistors are
SAFE OPERATING AREA iS0A111 FOR
readily available power transistors in the widely used in industrial applications SOME COMMON TRANSISTORS

output — in fact, one design we have and are available from a number of
seen used a total of 24 devices in the sources, thus they meet the availability
output stage! Difficulties for the home requirement. See Shoparound on page
constructor in this approach are obvious, 160 for more information.
regardless of expense. Another problem that arises with a
For various reasons, a bridge amp- design such as this is protection for the
lifier was ruled out when the design of output devices. Amplifiers using tran-
this amplifier was considered. Hence, a sistors such as the 2N3055/MJ2955 can
plentiful source of suitable output easily be protected with afuse. In high
transistors was first sought. power amplifiers where supply rails of
There are really not too many 60 — 70 volts are necessary, the energy
transistors available that meet the available (from the filter capacitors)
requirements. Firstly, adequate safe will easily destroy the transistor and the
operating area (SOAR) is of prime fuse — in that order. The answer is to
importance. Next, and probably of equal use electronic current limiting in the
importance, is availability. Let's have a output. This adds complexity, but is
look at the SOAR problem first. Some cheap insurance against accidental ( or
high power transistors don't compare deliberate!) abuse. The curve showing
too well with the ubiquitous 2N3055 the limiting effect on the SOAR charac-

43
 Prrlee

Exploded view of how the TO3 output

transistors are assembled to the angle brackets
and pc board. Photograph of the completed output stage, prior to mou lting t) the heatsink assembly.

016
TO TRANSFORMER

1137
41-

R38
etrIcr

1141 C13 L
r

R35

010
—I 1128
RV1
1-- —I R29 Fir
H R30 H
,")
08 CY CV e R47 FS2 R20
CC CC

R31 1—

I-- — I R32 I
— Li R25
OUTPUT
C14 TO SPEAKER

COMMON

-
c
04

be) b
,-1
e e0 5
k ce
e
b
01 C5
INPUT

ele06 sve- P -02 e

-C-+
oh
? o
o
rLl
cc cc cc cc C6

e 'r Lf
e.

44
 The complete amplifier, including the
300 \wa.e arael[ieerr
power supply components and output
Dimensions and bending
transistors, is assembled on a single pc details for the sheet
board. An aluminium bracket holds the metal heatsink assembly
we used.
output transistors conducting heat from
the output stage to the heatsink. Only
three sets of external connections are

o
made to the pc board; input, output and
power supply ac input from the trans-
former.
Start the construction by making the
aluminium bracket shown on page 49.
We used two length of 3 mm angle
which may be purchased from Alcan
o
ITEMS

Handyman stores. This bracket is 3mm 2 3 4

thick and two must be placed back to MATERIAL 16rnm ALUMINIUM A 58 65 95 80 75

15 17 19 21
back to make the required 6 mm FINISH BLACK ANODISED
22.5° 00
ALL DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES 90° 67.5 ° 45°
thickness for adequate thermal cond- o. 45° o
uction to the heatsink assembly. If DIM A DIM A

you elect to use aPhilips 65D6CB heat- ..._..., -1 DIM B

,---,
sink ( see the box on ' Ileatsinks'), a
single 6 mm thick angle extrusion can i f
152
be used, fixed to the flat side of this '
—0 _ 7
— — '-- 4> 14
heatsink.
—

I
The easiest way to make the bracket BEND UP BEND UP i
130

assembly and ensure correct alignment CO C”

of all the holes is to cut the two 13END DOWN !

DO
ITEM 3ONLY é ' o o i
lengths of angle somewhat longer than BE ND DOWN
! ' (3 °
necessary. The extra length will be cut ITEM 3
100

ONLY
off later. Clamp the two pieces back to .
14
0
back and drill asmall hole at each end
so that they can be clamped together
I 70
I
with nuts and bolts through this excess. 10 HOLES
Omrer DIA
This allows you to shift the bracket 75

assembly in a vice or what have you I 6 HOLES • 41) - eV - - -

1- --
Annn DIA
without getting them out of alignment. ITEM 3 ONLY 40

Next, mark out the position of the

transistor holes (use the pc board as
a guide if you have it to hand already) 110
on the broad side of one bracket and
then the holes in the narrow side — —enn

the latter secure the bracket assembly to

the heatsink. Use a scriber or other
sharp-pointed instrument. Then drill the HEATSINKS
holes.
The hole for the thermal feedback There are several alternatives you can country. Tch, tch.
transistor ( Q8) must be aneat fit. The choose from for heatsinking the The Philips 65D6C13 heatsink has
best way to accomplish this is to drill amplifier output stage. The heatsink arating of 0.65 °C/watt and would be
a slightly smaller hole and carefully described, and shown in the front suitable for this amplifier in most
enlarge it with the correct size drill. A cover photograph, was made from applications, except for apop group
reamer gives a conical hole and is not sheet aluminium and has a thermal with four ohm loudspeakers, unless
really suitable. Those holes marked 'C' rating of 0.55 °C/watt. This is the
on the bracket drawings can be tapped fan cooling is added.
rating we recommend for any heat-
to take a 4 BA bolt if you plan on A heatsink with about 1°C/watt
sink if the amplifier is to drive afour
using the sheet metal heatsink desc- rating and substantial fan cooling
ohm load, particularly for pop group
ribed later. is another alternative.
Once you have drilled all the holes use. If it is driving an eight ohm load
in the bracket assembly, cut off the in typical domestic use, half the fins Remember that dissipation in the
excess at each end and file the edges may be left out ( every second one heatsink will be about 200 watts at
smooth. Also, ensure that no ' burrs' — the yellow ones!) resulting in a full power output. That means a
are left on the lips of each hole. thermal rating for this heatsink temperature rise of 110 °C above
Chamfer then with a large drill held in arrangement of 0.75 °C/watt. ambient if the amplifier is run
your hand. The nearest equivalent in a continuously. Poached eggs anyone?
The next step is to make the heat- commercially- made heatsink is a Temperature rise with music or
sink assembly — that is, if you're not intermittent use is considerably less,
140 mm length of Redpoint R type
using one of the commercially-made
— which nobody ( to our knowledge) of course, as average power
alternatives suggested.
has had the foresight to stock in this dissipated is much lower.
If you have access to a sheet metal

45
Proc
aee 30(DeatC ararmil M87
+68V .4

R27
R37
0.1U
R38 J_ C16
0.1U
1k 220R 5W
5W e
OV
016

o
e
R44
013 5k6

R6 R7
4k7 4k7 R28
100R
1W
(23 ..D1

CID
C5 RI R3
22 1k R22
lk
6k8
R35
4
(3-3 22OR R41
5W 0.1U
05 5W
R2 R15 R16
INPUT 1N4004 Li
10k 22R 22R
06
1N4004 C15 OUTPUT
R42 100n
R36 0.1!
220R 5W f o
5W 1R47
4R7

OV

01,2,3, BC547
04,5,6, BC557 R19
07,11,16, BD140 10k/ 6k8 b
R4 03 R33
09,10,17,BD139
lOR 100R
08 BC549
1W
012,13, MJ15004
R17 R18
014,15, MJ15003
4k7 4k7 R24 R26
For 8 ohm load R19 OV 390R 100R
e R46
is 10k, for 4 ohms
39R C-
à 6k8.

clo _L R39 R40

e
017

R25
1k 0.1U 0.1U
5W 5W 5W
OV

+68V
—68V F2
5A
_I_ C17
100n

OVT
Complete circuit diagram of the amplifier. the transformer.
Note that L1, not listed in the parts list For stereo applications use separate earth
below, is wound on a 1 W resistor — see text. returns for each speaker to the common on
Voltage readings are included as a guide. the pc board and separately join the two
The power transformer shown will power commons.
a pair of amplifiers ( stereo) driving 8 ohm
loads in typical domestic situations, but If the module is to be used in applications
only a single module under other circum- other than a domestic hi-fi set up and driving
-68V stances, particularly if driving a 4 ohm load.
a 4 ohm load, we recommend you add anoth-
When supplying two modules from a er MJ15003/MJ15004 pair and associated
single transformer simply parallel W. X, Y
components. The angle bracket and heat-
and Z on each pc board and connect these to sink assembly will need to be extended.
bender, making your own heatsink is The next part is the easy part (
certainly the cheapest way out. The .Ed.). Having got the mechanicals
complete drawings are given back on off your chest, the electronics needs
attention.
HOW IT WORKS — Eli 466
page 45. Referring to these, note that
dimension `A' and dimension ' B' varies The components may be assembled
The amplifier can be divided into three The output stage, 010 - 015, has a
for each fin, the appropriate measure- to the pc board starting with the smaller gain of about five, set by R39 and R29
separate parts. These are: the input
ments being given in the table accomp- resistors and capacitors. Carefully plus R30. Diodes D5 and D6 prevent
stage — which consists of 01 - 09, a
anying the drawings together with the follow the overlay drawing. When you high gain, low power driver; the output reverse biasing of 010 and 011 ( other-
angle of bend for each fin. Don't forget come to the 0.1 ohm, 5 W resistors or power stage — which only has avoltage wise the output would be limited.
Protection of the output transistors
to allow asmall angle for the ' spring' in note that they should be mounted gain of four but enormous power gain;
and the power supply. is provided by 016 and 017 which monit-
the metal. Angles can be within a few about 2 - 3 mm off the board to allow or both current and voltage in the output
The input stage is a complementary-
degrees as they aren't that critical to a free air flow around them. Next differential network, each with its transistors and bypass the base current
heatsink efficiency. Don't be too mount the power supply electrolytics. own current source. Each transistor in this if the limit is exceeded.
stage is run at a collector current of The power supply is a full-wave
sloppy though. Note that the recommended types have
about 0.7 mA. Emitter resistors are rectifier, with a centre-tap on the trans-
We used 1.6 mm thick aluminium three pins projecting from the base. employed to stabilize the gain and former giving the 0 V rail, providing
sheet to construct the heatsink — This is to provide mechanical rigidity. improve linearity. The output of Q1 - 06 +/- 68 volts. A total of 5000 uF is used
do not substitute a thinner gauge. All three pins are soldered to the drives 07 and 09. The latter are virtually across each supply rail for filtering. The
two constant-current sources run at amplifier input stage works on a reduced
The bolts which secure the heatsink board and the capacitors can only be
about 7 mA collector current. With an supply rail, derived from ZD1-2D3 via
assembly to the bracket assembly also inserted one way round. The inductor input signal these 'current' sources are R20 and R25.
hold the whole heatsink assembly Ll is made by winding a layer of 26 modulated out of phase — the collector Frequency stabilisition is provided by
swg enamelled wire ( or the nearest current of one decreases while the other capacitors C8, 13, 14 and the RC net-
together.
increases. This configuration provides works R26/C12 plus R47/C15. Frequency
It is easiest to drill the heatsink equivalent gauge) along the body of
quite an amount of gain. response of the amplifier is set by C5 and
fins before bending them up, but you a 1 W resistor. The number of turns is C7 ( lower limit), C8 sets the upper freq-
In between the bases of these two
must mark out and drill the holes not critical, just wind enough wire on transistors is 08, the thermal sensing - uency limit.
accurately. Mark one outer fin very the resistor to cover the body with one bias transistor. The voltage across 08 The transformer has two additional
layer. The value of this resistor may be may be adjusted by RV1, thus setting the windings of 15 Vac each. These are not
carefully. Assemble the fins in order, quiescent bias current for the output used here but are suitable for powering
anything over 100 ohms. Two 5 A
making sure they are carefully aligned, stage. apreamplifier.
fuses are mounted on the pc board, held
then clamp the whole assembly and
in place with fuse clips.
drill right through. Carefully de-burr
Next comes the semiconductors.
all the holes.
At this stage you can do a trial •
assembly of the heatsink and bracket
assemblies to see how it all mates — PARTS LIST - ETI 466
or not. If you have taken care with the
Resistors all '
4W, 5% unless noted R26 100R Semiconductors
drilling, then all should be well. Having
R27 220R 01-03 BC547
confidence in your ability, we shall R1 1k
R28— R33 . . 100R 1W 04-06 BC557
R2 10k
press on. R34 220R Q7 BD140
R3 1k
R35, R36 • . . 220R 5W Q8 BC549
If you decide to paint the heatsink R4 10R
R37— R42 . . . 0.1 ohm, 5W 09, 010 . . . BD139
R5 220R
rather than having it anodised black, the R6, R7 4k7
R43 39H 011 BD140
R44, R45 . . 5k6 1W 012, 013 . . MJ15004
mating surfaces should all be masked R8, R9 22R
R46 39R 014, Q15 . . MJ15003
R10 10k
before spraying. R47 4R7 1W 016 BD140 or BC640
R11 2k2
017 BD139 or BC639
If you intend to use a Philips R12 22k Potentiometers
R13 2k2 D1— D4 IN5404
65D6CB heatsink, the bracket holes RV1 2k2 trim
05, 06 IN4004
R14 10k
may be marked on the heatsink using R15, R16 . . 22R Capacitors ZD1 5V1 300 mW ( IN751A)
the already-drilled 6 mm thick bracket R17, R18 . . 4k7 C1— C4 25004 80V RTP electro ZD2 62V 5W ( IN5372/3)
as a template. The holes can be drilled R19 10k(6k8 for 4ohm loads) C5 2µ2 35V tantalum Z03 5V1 300 mW ( IN751A)
to the root diameter of a4 BA bolt and R20 1k 5W C6 330p ceramic
Miscellaneous
R21 390R Cl 100µ 25V RB electro
suitably tapped. R22 6k8 C8 330p ceramic ETI 466 . . . . pc board
The whole heatsink ' business' is not R23 4k7 C9— C11 . . . . 100n polyester Heatsink - see text
assembled at this stage, final assembly R24 390R C12— C14 . . . 1n5 polyester Transformer PF4363 (47 + 47V - 300 W)
R25 1k 5W C15— C17 . . . 100n polyester 4 fuse clips, 2 x 5A fuses
comes later. Be patient my little
chickens !
 30 AUDIO
-
eee
Leave Q7, 8, 9, 10 and Q11 plus the
PROJECTS output stage devices Q12, 13, 14 and
You'll need a multimeter of at least
20k ohmsN sensitivity.
INCLUDING Q15 until last. Be careful with the 1) Remove the two fuses.
25 Watt Amp orientation of the diodes.
2) Solder a small link across C11.
Now you can assemble the heat-
General Purpose Preamp
3) Solder a wire between this link and
sink bracket to the pc board, plus
Bucket Brigade Delay L the output pad.
Q7 to Q15 inclusive.
Active Crossover 4) With no load connected and no
First smear heatsink compound on
input signal, switch the power on.
Compressor E p
the two mating surfaces of the bracket
5) Check the supply rail voltages.
Tape Noise Li
assembly. Note that insulating washers
These should be about 68 volts each
Transmissro are used on all the transistors, Q7 to
(plus and minus).
Q15, mounted on the bracket assembly
ETI Mas
6) Check the voltages on the cathode
(except Q8 of course). Smear both
Sra of ZD1 (should be about + 37 V)
sides of each washer with heatsink
and the anode of ZD3 (about - 37 V)
compound. Place the bracket pieces with respect to 0V.
on the board — component side — 7) If these two voltages differ with
and secure Q7, Q9, Q10 and Q11 with
respect to each other by avolt or so,
nuts and bolts. Only tighten the nuts
check other voltages around the

Inside
finger tight at this stage. Now, take the
input stage to determine the reason.
whole board and place the bracket ends 8) Check the dc voltage on the output
against a flat surface — such as the flat
Simple 25 watt amplifier (with respect to 0 V). It should be
heatsink fin — and juggle the brackets
within 20 mV of zero.
General purpose preamplifier until the end faces are flush. Check that 9) Inject a sinewave signal into the
all holes line up and then tighten the
input at a level of about 20 mV
Bucket brigade audio delay line nuts and bolts.
(RMS). Don't use a higher input
The TO3 power transistors Q12,
Stereo rumble filter level. Output should be 1 V RMS.
13, 14 and Q15 may now be assembled
10) Switch off the main power and
Over led to the bracket and pc board using the
allow the filter capacitors to dis-
accompanying assembly diagram as a
charge. Remove the input signal.
Active crossover guide. We used spaghetti insulation to
11) Solder a 10 ohm V2W resistor
sleeve the bolts but pieces of heat-
Silent A- B switch across each fuse holder. Rotate the
shrink tubing would be better.
trimpot RV1 such that it is set at
Simple compressor expander Don't solder any leads yet.
maximum resistance. Remove the
Allow time for the heatsink comp-
Din connectors short across C11 and the link from
ound to spread under compression there to the output pad.
Tape noise limiter and finally tighten all nuts. Last of all
12) Switch on if the 10 ohm
insert Q8. Smear the inside of the hole
Audio Limiter resistors immediately vaporise you
it sits in with heatsink compound to
either have a short or some fault in
ETI master mixer ensure good thermal contact.
the output stage!
Now you can solder all the transistor
High power PA/guitar amplifier 13) If all is well, check the dc output
leads.
voltage. It should be near zero.
Line amplifier Check the component placement 14) Measure the voltage drop across
against the overlay now, just to ensure
one of the 10 ohm resistors placed
Stage mixer all is in order. If you wish, you can test
across the fuse holders and adjust
the amplifier up to the driver stages for
Audio spectrum analyser RV1 to give a reading of 1.0 V.
correct operation before assembling the
15) Switch off, allow the filter capa-
AND MORE! unit to the heatsink. Remove the fuses citors to discharge and remove the
before applying ac input from the two 10 ohm resistors. Replace the
A collection of the top audio projects transformer. Refer to the 'powering up' fuses.
from Electronics Today for the procedure. If there are any problems, 16) Connect suitably rated loudspeakers,
audiophile who wants good sound look for errors in component place- warn the neighbours, connect asignal
at a good price plus the satisfaction ment or orientation — particularly source to the input ( turn down the
of haying built it himself. with diodes. If all is well, assemble the volume), switch on the power and
module to the heatsink and you're put the amp through its paces.
$3.95 plus 70 cents post and pack-
ready for the big test.
ing in NSVV ( 80 cents in other states). At this stage we'll leave the applicat-
ions of this module up to you. No
Order from:— doubt you have plenty in mind already.
Electronics Today International We are preparing afollow-up article to
Powering up be published in Electronics Today
Subscriptions Department
The set of output transistors is expen- International in which we may cover
15 Boundary St
sive to replace, therefore we recommend such things as preamps, bridge operation,
Rushcutters Bay NSW 201 - you follow this test procedure in the design parameters and variations etc.
interest of conserving supplies of same. For the moment, our existing preamp
Also available in new≤agents and The power supply ac input should designs, such as the ETI-422 and ETI-47]
selected electronics suppliers. be connected to the transformer (see will drive this module quite well.
the overlay) but no power applied. Keep reading.

48
 300yAveit euinAfrflœ
152
HOLES MARKED A 4.5mm DIA
HOLES MARKED B 3mm DIA
HOLES MARKED C TAP 4BA OR 4mm DIA
52 82-1 112 142 +4

ALL OTHERS 4mm DIA i I

e _ __GC_
MATERIAL 40 x 12 x3 ALUMINIUM ANGLE EXTRUSION

12 47 87. 5.4 9
9 115.5 1
7
?

41> (4) T31.5

1
P
1F
- tE)

14
Drilling details for the heatsink bracket
assembly. All dimensions are in millimetres.
<I> 1 e t I T
—.21 -
4
Suitable aluminium angle stock is available
from Alcan Handyman stores. MAKE 2
OPPOSITE HANDS 37.5 49 61 71 83 97 110 --••1
125 135 145

49
 Ni SONICS is a magazine for musicians and road crews, for
sound engineers, lighting operators and recording engin-

out now
eers, for service technicians and venue managers, and for
anyone at all who has an interest in or an involvement
with music or musical electronics.

SONICS covers every aspect of sound production and

presentation, from pick-ups, guitars and amplifiers to
microphones, mixers and multitrack recorders.

INTRODUCTION of
THE A.F11 AND GRAF( SOUND

142 LOUDSPEAKERS
- \Nnat vou I-fear is What si'ou Get.

Kew, na.anarsoh•
FEATURE ARTICLES DV
Ultimately , what you hear os the sPeaker...•,

tiects.

8 BASIC KEYBOARDS 163 SHINE ON BRIGKILY

— Basic Lighting and E
Bock an d Boll
by leery Mondozn•

or electronoc organs and portable pianos

,
If all but the stage is in darkness,
roost people will loo k at the hand.

24 GUIT AR PICK-UPS
- heir Haunts and Habits.
by eneldbamo
N UP
Some like them hot: SPECIAL FEATURE
SYNTHESIS FFIOM THE GROUD THE TEAC MULTITRACK PRIMER
44 Ch iei, you don't g page 1621
A synthesozer pilot's licence et
acerea lpacke
from t.

52 SY NI"HESIZER CONTROL INSTRUMENT AND EQUIP MENT

-Patchwork and Programming.

b'
Teri
Mo
ndoz.e.
The lost and foun dof synthesaer sound
DIRECTORIES
17 KEY BO ARDS P CKUPS
67 INSTRUMENT AMPLIFIERS
— "The Whys and Wherefores of Guitar,
31 GUITARS AND I-
Bass and Keyboard Amps. 57
73 SYNSIZERS
INSTRUMENT
THE AMPLIFIERS AND
by Rod Elliott.
And, particularly, why that old ho.fo amp SPEAKER SYSTEMS
docsn 't sound e hot
RS 93 SIGNAI_ MOD‘F‘ERS
113 MICROPHOI•IES AND HEADPHONES
85 SOUND MODIFIE.E
-svea\ Processing tor ttect. PA COMPONENTS AND SN/STEMS

From fuzz to flanging.

;7
1 171
155
LOU DSPEAK ERS

MIXERS
DISCO AND tiGtiliNG EQUIPMENT
io5 MICROPHONES T
— An Introduction to - echnique.
175 'VES- EGUIRMEN'T AND 1UNERS
by Ron Kon•Y• 187 NEW PRODUCS AND I- ATE ENIRIES
Ears for Muse
VI ER 179 MULTITRACK TAPE RECORDERS
124 PYRAMIDS OF PO
tem.
— Setting up aPA Sys
Deed Munnonand.

DV
Sound systerns sussed.
DISTRIBUTORS % sloe
193 NS
197 ABBREVIATIO
199 BRAND INDEXS
The first edition of SON ICS contains feature articles on a variety 202 ADVERTISER INDEX
of topics, plus a comprehensive Directory — a guide to the " tools
of the trade" in the form of asurvey of every electric/electronic instru-
ment or piece of equipment SONICS could track down: what it is,
where to get it, and what it will cost. RENDEZVOUS WITH SONICS
SONICS is a music magazine with adifference — amagazine about the AT YOUR NEWSAGENT
marriage of music and technology. (or buy your copy directly from Sonics,
4th Floor, 15 Boundary Street, Rushcutters Bay,
50 2011 — $ 4.85 including post and packing).
PRjea 452

Guitar practice amplifier

Simple construction, low cost, good performance and
superb neighbour relations are the features of this project! David Tilbrook

THIS PROJECT has been designed to unit inside asmall loudspeaker cabinet. wrong way around. Mount the LM301
enable guitarists to put in long hours of The unit has two inputs so that two IC transistors and diodes, again being
practice and still keep that high power guitars can be mixed together using the careful to insert these the correct way
amp in the cupboard, where it belongs! relative settings of the two input level round. Finally the output devices can
It is a compact amp capable of about controls. A pre-amp output enables be mounted. Cut the centre ( collector)
7W into a 4 ohm load. This is enough your main high power amp to be driven lead off. This lead is connected to the
ppwer for practice purposes and just from the guitar practice amp using the case of the transistor internally, so in
think of the greatly improved relations practice amp as foldback. this case, electrical connection is made
you will have with your neighbours. We provided the pc board with the through the mounting screw that also
We were in aconsiderable quandary necessary circuitry for a battery input serves to hold the heat sink - in place.
as to how to present the project, but you might elect not to use this Place the heatsinks on the pc board
whether it should be done as acomplete feature. If so diode D8 and the battery and secure with the lower nut and bolt
practice unit with inbuilt speaker or switch can be omitted with points `A' (not used to mount the transistors).
simply as an amplifier to be connected and 'C' connected together by a wire Bend the leads of the output transistors
to an external speaker. Finally we chose link. and, using a small amount of thermal
a compromise. The pc board has been compound (non-toxic, such as Bevaloid
designed in such a way that it can be GS13), mount the transistors with the
used as a totally self-contained unit. Construction leads protruding through the pcb.
The heatsinks for the output stage Construction of the project is reasonably Secure each transistor with a nut
have been mounted on the pc board simple since it is almost entirely devoted and bolt through both the transistor
so that the only components separate to construction of the pc board. Start 'flag' and heatsink. Use a star washer
to the board are the power transformer, as always by mounting the resistors and between the head of the bolt and the
240 volt power switch controls, input non-polarised capacitors. Mount the copper pad on the pc board to ensure
and output jacks. We have shown the tantalum and electrolytic capacitors good electrical contact.
project mounted in its own box with next, being careful to orient them The prototype unit was constructed
power transformer but it should be a correctly. These components could be in asteel box measuring approx. 250 x
simple matter to construct the whole irrepairably damaged if inserted the 210 x 80 mm. Mount the pots and

51
 PMea 452
e — —. 'Ve
C10 ,
RI R3 470p t 470R
390k 6k8
••?..
BC639
CO
1.
C3
100p
C1 08
TIP31
RV1 R18
INPUTS 0
20k 39k
LUG C16
BC549
1000.. P
N
=•• R2 R4 1N914
4/k 47OR Oil c + -H ° OUTPUT TO
5k6 PHONE JACK
R OUTPUT SOCKET
BC 54! R13
72k 03
09
04 rIP32
BC549 C11
e 22
e co 8C640
100p
Co
15„

R10 R15
22k 2k2
C2 1.0k
1.. RV2
20k
«/VV,
2PUT°
IN Or > LOG
+ 02 e R21
BC549 2k2
2 E
R6 < KB PRE AMP + $C13
47k < 470k OUTPUT Z. 2
ON OFF
SW1 12V

DO
Ve
A
240V SVV2 c
BC IS 11•0 INPUT
DIODE ORIENTATION
N
07
E Ti B 22100
C I
E FERGUSON OV 04-D7
PL24/20VA 1N4004 D8
8C547. 8C548. 8C549, BC557. BC558 1N4004 ..-
05541. D5548. 05549, 05557. 05550 EARTH TO
CHASSIS PIN 1OF BATTERY g
INPUT SOCKET

HOW IT WORKS
The two input stages formed around Q1 follower. This type of amplifier has no and R25. Since these are of equal value
and 02 are identical. Resistors R1, R2 and voltage gain but provides a low output they will each drop 0.3 volts and hold this
R4 form a very stable biasing configuration impedance to drive the pre-amp output voltage across the base-emitter junctions
around 01. The gain of this type of circuit socket. 03 has a gain of approx. 10. If of the two output transistors 08 and 09.
is determined by the values of R3 and R4 the volume controls RV1 and RV2 are As these transistors require 0.6 volts to
(specifically, the gain is R3/134). The load used in their middle positions the voltage turn on they will remain off until the
impedance on the output of the input out will be around one tenth of the applied signal voltage causes the voltages
stages is in parallel with R3, effectively voltage at their inputs since these are on their bases to rise above 0.6 V. The
decreasing the total value of impedance logarithmic pots. So, the signal voltages extra 0.3 volts needed to turn on the
from collector to ground. Remember
into 03 should be in the order of 20 mV. output devices will be supplied by a mere
that, as far as signal is concerned, the This will be amplified to a level of 200 mV 10 mA of current through the 33R
positive supply rail is a short circuit to and applied to the input of the power amp.
resistors. Resistor R22 forms a feedback
ground, since it is connected to ground The power amp has been designed to loop around the entire output stage to
through a 2200 uF capacitor. When all deliver full power with an input voltage decrease distortion, stabilise the dc output
these factors are taken into account the of 300 mV, so the amp should be easily voltage and set the overall gain of the
gain of the first stage is about 10 since the driven to full output. power stage. ( A process too difficult to
impedance from collector to ground is Since this is a guitar amplifier, it will go into here).
about 4k7. spend most of its life hard into clipping. The op- amp will at all times attempt
The signal which should be around The output stage had to be robust! The to make the dc voltage at the output equal
200 mV is then applied to the input basis of the output stage is the LM301 to that voltage set up on its positive input.
of the second stage through potentio- IC op-amp. This device gives all of the This voltage is determined by the potential
meters RV1 and RV2. The 22k resistors voltage gain in the power amp. The output divider formed by R18, R19 and R20.
R9 and R10 prevent the output of one of the IC is fed through a voltage follower Since this is also the main input to the
of the stages being shorted to ground 05. This has no voltage gain and, like 04, power amp any noise which might be on
when the other is turned right down. serves to decrease the impedance feeding the positive supply rail ( and supplies
The second stage works in exactly the output stage. The three diodes, D1, can get very noisy sometimes!) will be
the same manner as the input stages; D2 and D3, maintain 1.8 volts between communicated directly to the input of the
resistors R11, R12 and R14 forming the the bases of 06 and 07. Each of these power amp, only to be amplified and
bias network for 03. The voltage present transistors will drop approximately 0.6 applied to the loudspeaker. Capacitor
on the collector of 03 is around 9V which volts across their base-emitter junctions. C12 prevents this from happening by
is approximately half the supply voltage. This leaves a total of 0.6 volts to be bypassing to ground any noise above a
This is used to bias 04 which is an emitter dropped by the two 33R resistors, R24 frequency of around 0.1 Hz.

52
 uuRel Taece ñffe7
BLUE
BATT/INPUT

Ti

BROWN
GREEN
OUTPUT
EARTH TO SOCKET
CHASSIS

2,12 TANT
OE
HEATSINKS MOUNTED ON K'.8 P
9 391c)._
+ ,be UNDER 08 AND OH

r
94
..
1.

1C1

100p
\ s44,
47p 07

C
2.‘2 C15 e
T _w _r_
37à TANT

1100p

0404) 54‘
6 1-4

154 e
TANT
100p
e

y TANT
+A
+A 1.
y TANT y TANT
J TANT

- C727t
3--

ABC
G H

0
PREAMP
OUTPUT BRAID
EARTH CONNECTION
TO CHASSIS THROUGH
MOUNTING SCREWS
BRAID
BRAID
POWER BATT MAINS
INPUT 2 INPUT 1

PARTS LIST - ETI 452

Resistors all Y.W, 5% R24, R25 . . . 33R 07 BC640

R1 390k RV1, RV2 . . 20k log potentiometer 08 TIP31
R2 47k 09 TIP32
R3 6k8 Capacitors
R4 470R Cl, C2 1,4 35V tantalum D1— D3 1N914
R5 390k C3, C4 100p disc ceramic 04—D8 1N4004
R6 47k C5— C7 1µ 35V tantalum
R7 6k8 C8 100p disc ceramic IC1 LM301 op-amp
R8 470R C9 15µ 16V tantalum
R9, R10 . . . . 22k C10 470µ 25V electrolytic
R11 390k C11 42 35V tantalum Miscellaneous
R12 47k C12 474 25V electrolytic Box to suit, pc board - ETI 452, power
R13 5k6 C13 2;22 35V tantalum transformer 12V @ 1.5 amps Ferguson
R14 470R C14 10p disc ceramic PL24/20VA or similar, 2 x TO3 type
R15, R16 . . . 2k2 C15 100p disc ceramic heatsinks for pc board mounting, mains
R17 470R C16 1000µ 25V electrolytic flex and plug, 2 pin DIN sockets ( chassis
R18 39k C17 2200µ 25V electrolytic mounting, speaker socket), DPDT 240V
R19 22k switch ( power on/off), DPST switch
R20 47k Semiconductors (battery/mains switch), four phone jacks
R21 2k2 01-04 BC549, BC109, DS549 (mono), two knobs, grommets, nuts,
R22 120k 05 BC557, BC179, DS557 bolts, pc board pins, four pc board
R23 4k7 06 BC639 mounting spacers.
•

53
 The pc hood artwork is reproduced at page 159.

switches to the front panel, using the used between the terminal block and Use short lengths of shielded cable to
pot and switch nuts to secure the front the power switch. The Ferguson trans- make the connections to the two
escutcheon if you have one. Mount the former specified comes supplied with inputs and the pre-amp output.
output and battery input sockets on the cables to make its 240 connections.
rear panel. If you are using a battery Solder these to the power switch as
input socket use something different shown in the wiring diagram, then wrap
to the output socket (which is usually the whole switch with insulation tape or Powering up
a two pin DIN socket or a 6.5 mm enclose in large diameter heat shrink Make afinal check of the wiring and pc
jack socket) to avoid confusion. tubing so that no 240 volt connection board. If all is well, apply power. A
Mount the power transformer and is exposed. slight turn-on thump should be heard
make the 240 volt connections. The Finally, the fully-loaded pc board at the moment of turn on. If the ` Input
mains lead should be terminated can be secured into the case using short l' volume control is now wound up
immediately inside the case into a metal spacers. If pc board pins are some hiss should be heard from the
terminal block and the earth lead used, all the connections to the board loudspeaker. Do the same check on the
secured firmly to the chassis by asolder can be made after the board has been other input. There is no set up
lug bolted to the case using a star mounted. Connect the front panel procedure since the power amp stage
washer. This lead must be the longest. controls, rear panel sockets and input is operating in class B and requires no
A length of 240 volt cable should be sockets as shown in the wiring diagram. bias adjustment. •

54
PuojecR 45b

Speaker protection unit saves

asaddening experience
An expensive speaker system can be readily destroyed by a
20 watt amplifier. Carelessness with ahigh power amplifier
(like the ETI-466 for example) can melt voice coils like
cheese on toast. We know ... David Tilbrook
MODERN TRANSISTOR power
amplifiers use the technique of dc
coupling between the low level amplifier
stages and between the output stages
and the loudspeaker. This has the
advantage of removing coupling cap-
acitors from the signal path, decreasing
parts count and improving performance
at low frequencies.
Older transistor amplifiers used a
single supply rail so the transistors
operated between the supply voltage
and ground. Since an ac signal has both
negative and positive excursions the
power amp was designed so that a dc
voltage was present on the output stage.
Positive excursions would cause an
increase of this dc voltage while negative
excursions decrease the voltage. Since
dc cannot be applied directly to aloud-
speaker it was necessary to insert a
capacitor, called a blocking or output
capacitor, between the output stage and
the loudspeaker. The load impedance
of the loudspeaker is around eight ohms
so the capacitor has to be 5000 µF to
10 000µF before an acceptable low end
performance can be obtained.
The solution to these problems was Internal diew of the speaker protector. We mounted the unit in a ' Deluxe Metal Cabinet" from
Dick Smith measuring 184 x 160 x 70 mm, but you can choose any similar size cabinet to
dc coupling. The power amp is run from suit your equipment or even mount single units in your loudspeaker enclosures with preset
a 'split supply' so that the output controls.
transistors are supplied from apositive
and negative supply voltage. The average
of these supply rails is zero volts, so the Unfortunately, dc coupling also has voice coil temperature. In this condition
output can be connected directly to the its disadvantages. The biggest of these is most woofers will survive for only afew
loudspeaker. Both positive and negative the possibility of damage to the loud- seconds. The most dramatic example of
excursions are possible due to the split speakers in the case of power amp failure. this fault Ihave seen was in avery ex-
power supply. Since all the stages are dc coupled, a pensive pair of three-way loudspeakers.
fault anywhere in the power amp can They had been connected to a high
cause the output stage to swing hard power tuner-amplifier ( 150 W/channel)
against one of the supply rails. The most when the output stage had gone faulty.
common power amp fault is acondition The entire inside of the speaker was one
in which one or several of the output or charcoal mass (much to the horror of
driver transistors is destroyed, and this the owner). The temperature increase in
almost always causes the full dc voltage some of the crossover components had
from one of the supply rails to be applied set fire to the stuffing inside the box,
directly to the loudspeaker. The loud- totally destroying the crossover and
speaker cone is slammed against the drivers.
suspension and the power dissipation in This type of fault is all too common
What happens without the speaker protector. the voice coil causes arapid increase of and is the most expensive fault likely to>

55
 p-
ro:2pe ézei
HOW IT WORKS - Eli 455
occur in a modern hi-fi system. Some top
Construction
line amplifiers have built in protection The signal voltage from the amplifier is
Start construction with the pc board.
circuits with relays that disconnect the rectified by a full-wave bridge consisting
Solder the resistors capacitors, diodes
loudspeakers should this condition of diodes D1, D2, 03 and D4. The
and relay first. The diodes and electro-
occur, but these are the minority. potentiometer RV1 and the resistor R1
lytic capacitors must be inserted the
and capacitor Cl form a potential divider
right way round as shown on the pc that determines the sensitivity of the
This project is an attempt to remedy
board overlay. Lastly ) solder the tran- circuit. At normal signal frequencies Cl
this situation. The circuit ' looks' at the
sistors and ICs on the board. Again, has a relatively low impedance and the
loudspeaker wires and protects the
these devices must be oriented correctly. resistance across the diode bridge becomes
loudspeakers in two ways. The presence
The prototype was constructed in a that of resistor R1, i.e: 15 k. As the
of any dc automatically trips the relay
general purpose steel box but this is not frequency approaches dc however, the
and disconnects the loudspeaker. The impedance of this capacitor increases,
critical. The front panel is fitted with a
protector also looks at the amount of increasing the sensitivity of the circuit.
stereo 100k potentiometer. This sets the
power applied to the loudspeaker. It If a dc voltage is presented to the input
trip point of the protector so that it Cl acts as an open circuit and the pro-
allows high power transients but will
can be adjusted for your particular tector is therefore at its most sensitive.
disconnect the loudspeaker if the
loudspeakers. The rear panel holds the Signal voltages from the full wave
applied power exceeds the loudspeaker
terminals for the wires from the amp- rectifier are averaged by the capacitor C2
rating for more than about 50 milli-
lifier and loudspeakers. Iused two four- and R2, and then applied to a Schmitt
seconds. In this way the advantage of
way spring terminals. The wiring to the trigger. The Schmitt trigger is formed from
the improved high power amplifiers is
rear panel and to the front potentio- the resistors R3, R4, ICIc and CId. This
not lost but the loudspeaker is still
meter is shown in the wiring diagram. circuit will only respond to a voltage level
protected. The circuit includes a two- greater than a preset amount. VVhen this
Finally, make the connection to the
second monostable delay circuit so that voltage is exceeded ( around 6.5 V in this
battery. Probably the best way to do
the loudspeaker is automatically re- case) the output goes positive charging C3
this is to screw two self- tapping screws through diode 05. This diode prevents C3
connected approximately two secones
into the battery terminals and solder from being discharged by the Schmitt
after the ' fault condition' has been
the wires between these and the pc trigger when its output goes low again so
removed.
board. The pc board should be mounted the capacitor can only be discharged by
The project is designed around two on spacers in the case. Plastic pc board the 10 M resistor R5. This takes about two
standard CMOS ICs. This ensures a very stand-offs are ideally suited for this seconds so this circuit is in reality asimple
project as the pc board is small. and effective monostable. Another two
low current consumption and obviates
stages of the IC drive the transistor which
the need for a power switch. This is
important since a fault with an amplifier Testing is in series with the relay coil. Diode D6
protects the transistor from large back-EMF
could well occur at the moment of turn- Check the orientation of all polarised
voltage spikes produced when the relay
on and it is essential that the loudspeaker components including the transistors is turned off.
protector is already on. When the relay and ICs. If all is well cut two short
trips, the circuit pulls around 50 mA for lengths of speaker cable and connect volume. When the power to the loud-
each relay so it is important that battery the output of the amplifier to the in- speakers exceeds that set by the potenti-
is capable of supplying 100 mA during put of the loudspeaker protector. ometer the protector should trip in and
relay operation. For this reason, the Connect the speaker cables to the output disconnect the loudspeakers.
battery specified for this project is an of the protector. Now switch on the hi- Turn the amplifier down, and the
Eveready 276-P or equivalent. There fi system. Choose music with reasonably loudspeakers should be reconnected
should be no problem with the battery even amplitude for this test. Turn the after about two seconds. Since loud-
lasting for its shelf life, providing the front panel level control on the loud- speaker power figures are a rather
relays are not tripped more than very speaker protector for the lowest power dubious quantity, it is probably best to
occasionally. and slowly increase the amplifier establish the correct setting for the

30w
Loudspeaker 20w 50w

12w
Protector 8w .80w

•
5w

100\n/
3W

ETI 455

56
 oeark-7 i
cwobeoF

1321001( - R102 100k

R4 le e'• "-; ege :'11

C,3 220n eat r-t.-4.>„. 441»- C103 2

R3220k

,t102 10u

OV f
BAT RY

+9V from
BATTERY

from RV101
to SPEAKER ( chA) to SPEAKER (chB)
from AMPLIFIER (chA) from AMPLI FilER (chB)

1C1a,IC1b NOT USED

R4
£ 06
1M
FROM AMPLIFIER

05 C-
220k
10 11 12
60139 + 9V
1
IC1e ICIf BATT
ICIc ICid

C3 R5
o D1-04 ARE 1N914
D5,6 ARE 1N4004
22On T 10M

TO
RLA/1 ONE CHANNEL ONLY SHOWN
LOUDSPEAKER
COMPONENTS ARE NUMBERED
o STARTING AT 100 FOR SECOND
CHANNEL ie R101 , R102 The pc board pattern is on page 74.

loudspeaker protector experimentally ?ARTS LIST - Eli 455

rather than just setting it to the rated
power handling of your loudspeakers.
Two of each of the following is required Semiconductors
Your ears are the best indication that the for stereo. 01 BD139
system is being strained. Set the loud-
speaker protector so that it trips just Resistors all /
2 W, 5%
1 D1— D4. . . . 1N4002, EM402 or similar
R1 15k D5, D6 . . . . 1N914 or similar
below that volume where distortion
R2 100k
starts to occur. R3 220k IC1 4049B Hex inverter
We have done extended tests on the R4 1M
protector, even to the point of connect- R5 10M

ing expensive loudspeakers and inducing Miscellaneous

Potentiometers Only one of each of the following is
power amp faults that would otherwise RV1 100k lin. ( dual for stereo) requfred.
destroy a loudspeaker in seconds. In
all of these tests the oudspeaker pro- Capacitors
Cl 470n greencap ETI 455 . . . PC board
tector has performed well and it is a
C2 10µ 25V electrolytic 12V relay with one C/O, Pye 265/12/C2,
comforting thought that should a C3 220n greencap four terminals, case - Dick Smith H-2744,
power amp fault occur, it will not take C4 100µ 25V electrolytic knob(s), screws, nuts, pc board spacers.
your loudspeakers with it. • •

57
 Pro°9C

A hum filter
for hi-fi systems
There are few things more annoying in life than attempting to track
down and remove all sources of hum from ahi-fi set up only to be
partially successful, no matter how hard you try. This project should
remove the last vestige of that 50 Hz pest from your system. Go
'notch that nasty!

David Tilbrook

SO YOU'VE just spent most of your

spare money, unpacked everything from
the boxes, connected it up and turned it
on. What on earth is that awful noise?
Maybe this is abit of an exaggeration,
but it does illustrate the problems some
of us have with mains induced hum.

•
Often it's necessary to position the
various components of a hi-fi system
INPUT

• e
close together and this can cause
problems.
The magnetic field around the trans-
former in the power amplifier can couple
to the preamp or tape deck. Also, the
location of nearby 240V mains wiring
can cause problems that can be very
difficult to overcome. In theory, if the
equipment and leads have been properly

TI 451
shielded and earthed this problem
shouldn't exist. In practice it's a very
different story.
This project aims at overcoming

F-ILJV FILTER
some of the problems of mains induced
hum by using anotch filter at the hum
frequency of 50 I lz. At this frequency
any signal present will be attenuated.
At frequencies either side of the notch
the response should return to the unat-
tenuated input level
The ' Q', or Quality Factor, of a
tuned circuit — which the RC network
OUTPUT
in this circuit forms, determines the
bandwidth, or narrowness, of the ampli-
tude response of the circuit (see the
diagram). As this circuit forms a notch
filter, the Q of the circuit determines
the narrowness of the notch.
With a high-Q notch the frequency
response of the circuit will dip suddenly
around the notch frequency. Frequencies

58
 hum ffLUT
R5
470k
EBC —

TANTALUM ITITEHS LEAD SOMETIMES BC547. BC548, BC549, BC557 —

.BC558
CEMMCMORS • THICKER OR LONGER 05547, 05548. DS549, DS557. DS558
C3 C4
u
68n 68n

Ski
•

R1 Cl
68k R6 R7
470k 33k

RV1
"re 50k
PRESET
NOTE
ONLY ONE CHANNEL HAS BEEN SHOWN
FOR CLARITY. THE COMPONENT
The printed circuit board artwork is NUMBERING OF THE OTHER CHANNEL
reproduced on page 157. BEGINS at 101 i.e. R101 R102 etc.

Cl
t=1
PARTS LIST - ETI 451
•
SK2
•SK1
r"\
c)
+-0>
C2 RV1

Q1
ete Le Resistors all % W, 5%
CO R1, R101 . . . 68k
6 QLJ R2, R102 . . . 27k
— r R2-1
— C R3, R103 . . . 22k
aloi R4, R104 . 47k
TO CHASSIS ONO C104 R5, R6, R105,
CONNECTION R106 470k
C=.) dtg
C1OS c R7, R107 . . 33k
e +Ve
R8, R108 . 22k
RV101 TO
..L BATTERY

Capacitors
Cl, C101. . lOpf ceramic
C2, C102. . . 1µ tant
C101 C3, C4, C103,
C104 68n greencap
"RCA SOCKETS POSITIONED HERE C5, C105. . . 150n greencap
ON FRONT PANEL OF CHASSIS C6, C106. 1µ tant

Potentiometers
RV1, RV101 .50k min preset
FLAT TO > 100kHz

Semiconductors
10 Ql, Q101 . BC549, BC109,
DS549, etc.
dB ATTENUATION.

20
The worst-case response of the Hum
Filter. With most combinations of Miscellaneous
30
resistor and capacitor values, the 3 dB ETI 451 pcb, box to suit, 4 panel
points of the notch were around 46 Hz mounting, RCA sockets.
40 and 54 Hz, making the notch con-
siderably narrower.
50 Components for 100 Hz operation
R4, R104 . . . 22k
60 R8, R108 .. . 10k

Fleplace R3 with wire link.

70
40Hz 50Hz 58Hz

FREQUENCY

59
 Projea 4U-
a little either side of the notch centre placed after the point where the hum is If the hum problem you are experiencing
frequency will be little affected. If the being picked up. If the hum is in the is 100 Hz instead of 50 Hz the filter is
Q is low, frequencies some way either turntable it can even be placed between easily adapted. Simply replace resistor
side of the notch frequency will be the turntable and the magnetic phono R3 ( 22 k) in each channel with awire
attenuated. The actual attenuation at input of the amplifier since the input link. Remove R4 (47 k) and replace
the notch frequency is greater with a impedance is 47 k shunted by 10 pF, with a 22 k resistor. Remove R8 ( 22 k)
high-Q circuit than with alow-Q circuit. which should suit most magnetic and replace with a10 k resistor. •
High-Q circuits have the disadvantage cartridges.
that slight changes in component values, Once the filter is in place, the presets
due to temperatdre changes etc, will are adjusted so that the hum is brought HOW IT WORKS
affect the centre frequency. Tuning of to aminimum by adjusting each channel The circuit consists of a " Twin- T" notch
the circuit to frequency is also quite independently. filter formed by capacitors C3, C4 and C5
and resistors R3, R4, R8 and preset PR1.
critical. Lower-Q circuits do not suffer
The operation of the Twin- T requires
so much from this disadvantage.
Installation that C3 = C4 = C5
The design Q chosen for this project
2
was a compromise between the con-
Before connecting the battery, check and R3 + PR1 = R4 = 2R 5
straints of critical tuning and drift
the pc board thoroughly. Check the
effect and good attenuation at the These conditions must be met with
orientations of the tantalum capacitors reasonable accuracy if a good, deep notch
notch with little affect on nearby fre-
and the transistor. If all is right, plug in is to be obtained. The preset corrects to a
quencies. Peak attenuation at the notch
the battery and seal the base. certain extent for errors due to component
centre frequency of 50 Hz is around mis- match and assumes that the notch can
In the unit we built, holes were
80 dB while attenuation of only 3dB is be adjusted to the exact frequency of the
drilled in the chassis immediately above hum to be rejected.
obtained at 40 Hz and 58 Hz. There is
the preset pots. This allows the filter to The frequency of the notch is then
some audible effect on the bass response given by
be fine-tuned after it has been con-
of asystem, but this is minimal. f = 1
nected into the circuit. The presets
2 71.R4 C4
themselves are connected to the base of
Construction the transistors via some resistance, so The transistor is operating as an
emitter follower, giving zero voltage gain,
the transistor bias voltage is present on
but providing feedback into the notch to
Mount the resistors and capacitors on the preset. If the pot is to be adjusted increase the Q to acceptable limits.
the board first. Be sure the orientation through ahole in the chassis this voltage
of the tantalum capacitors is correct. will probably be shorted out by the
These are polarized and can only be screwdriver touching the earthed chassis.
installed one way round. Next, install Although this won't damage the circuit,
the preset pot. If you elect to use the it could damage the loudspeakers if the
OUT
same case we did, the preset must lie filter is being used in the magnetic
flat on the board. This is best done by phono line. It certainly makes the
bending the pins 90° first and then adjustment meaningless, so either use a
soldering onto the printed circuit board. non-metal adjustment tool or use LED
Finally, solder the transistor in place. mounting grommets to insulate the
The input and output connections holes.
are best made by mounting the four
RCA sockets directly above the input
and output pads on the pc board. Strong
wires can be soldered onto the RCA
sockets and the entire board slid onto
the four wires. This serves the purpose
of holding the board in place as well as
forming the input-output connections.
A short insulated wire should be con-
nected to the gound point provided on
the pc board (see overlay diagram) and
to the chassis. The RCA sockets are
grounded by their mounting nuts, so
be sure to use ametal case.
The circuit is run from a single
No. 216 nine volt battery. The current
consumption of the prototype was
200µA so the battery life should be good
for several months. If it is found that
battery life is not long enough apower
switch could be fitted.
The filter can be used almost any-
where in the amplification chain since
its overload margin is very high (typi-
cally 8 V p-p). It should obviously be

60
Pro:DC 50

Simple analogue frequency

meter features linear scale
This simple project is easy to build, inexpensive and should
find many uses in the hobby workshop.

Phil Wait
THERE ARE MANY applications in the
home workshop where simple audio
frequency measurements are required.
When experimenting with oscillators,
building or repairing function generators
etc, it is often handy to have some
means of measuring frequency —
accuracy to the last Hertz is not always
required and thus a full-blown digital
counter is not warranted.
This project will enable you to
measure frequency from around 100 Hz
right up to 100 kllz with an accuracy
of a few percent. It is inexpensive to
build but performance is quite adequate
to meet alarge number of needs in any
hobbyist's workshop. Accuracy is
unaffected by the waveshape of the
signal being measured and the unit
will accept signal levels as low as 200 mV.
The input is fully protected against high
signal levels and against dc voltages up
to the rating of the input capacitor, Cl.
The input is also fully floating above
the time the pulse is on. Thus, the
earth — auseful feature. NIGHER PROQUENCY

average current through the meter will

The frequency meter may be \ 8. ow E NG Y

be quite low. At higher frequencies, the

powered from an internal No. 216, INPUT
time between pul_ses will be quite short
9 V battery or from a Plugpack battery
and the average current through the
eliminator. A suitable dc socket may be
installed on the rear of the cabinet. meter will be quite a bit higher ( As
All components are readily shown in the diagram). Thus, as the
frequency of the pulses is proportional
11
PULSE

obtainable, the moulded plastic case in WTI. II LOIN FREQUENCY

to the input frequency, the pulse on/off

REAOS

which we housed the prototype is an LOW

item supplied by A & R Soanar and is ratio, and taerefore the meter current,
available from many suppliers. will be proportional to the input HIGHER FREQUENCY
PULSE -
frequency. The meter can be calibrated METER 0. -
READS

Circuit features directly in frequency as the relationship HIGHER

The circuit generates a series of short is a linear one. We have used a 100>
pulses at the same frequency as the
input. These pulses drive a moving-coil
SPECIFICATIIONS ETil 150
meter the current through which will
be the average amplitude of the pulse
Frequency 10 Hz to 100 kHz
waveform; that is, it will integrate the
four decade ranges
pulses. This average will be proportional
Minimum input 200 mV RMS
to the ratio of time the pulse is on to
Maximum input 250 V peak AC or DC
the time it is off. The time the pulse is
(dependent on voltage rating of Cl)
on, that is — the pulse width, is fixed.
Supply voltage 9Vdc battery or Plugpack battery eliminator
At low frequencies, the time the pulse
is off will be much, much longer than

61
ProjeC '50
0 OFF
100101:

SW11:

010 011 012

Re 10k
100k 160
IMO

R2 OkHz
lkHz 3 4
10k

R7
33k SW 1. 100kHz GANGED /
100Hz
O
CI OFF
04
470ri
'MO
-r
9V

INPUT ICI C5
02 + 100µ
LOW 3
o 4
R5
6 IC2 3
10k

R6 013
IMO R8 3900
03 22k
10k
C2
10p RV1
22k R14
33k

201
5V6 MI
100µA

microamp movement for convenience 555 timer. The 3140 amplifies and input signal levels and waveforms.
as it does not have to be re-scaled. The squares the input signal and was selected The pulses are generated by a 555
lowest range is 100 Hz full-scale for its high slew rate, wide frequency timer connected as a one-shot mono-
deflection, the highest, 100 kHz. response and high input impedance. stable giving a single pulse output for
Only two cheap IC's are used in the The output of this stage will be a each input cycle. , The monostable has
whole design a 3140 op-amp and a square wave of the same level for all four ranges giving decade scales on the
meter. A fifth position on the switch is
used as apower switch.
HOW IT WORKS — Eli 150 Regulation of the output pulses by
a zener diode preserves the accuracy
The circuit consists of an op-amp operated voltage. of the unit with falling battery voltage.
as aSchmitt trigger to amplify and square The output of IC1 is a train of square
the input signal, followed by a 555 timer waves at the same frequency as the input.
wired as a monostable, giving a short The output of IC1 is differentiated to Construction
output pulse of fixed width for each cycle provide short trigger pulses for the 555
Even though this project is relatively
of input signal. This pulse drives amoving- timer, IC2. The differentiating network
simple, we strongly recommend you use
coil meter, the reading being an average consists of C3, R7 and R8. This network
the pc board — saves possible hassles!
of the pulse amplitude, which is is arranged to provide a trigger pulse that
proportional to the pulse frequency. As is always shorter than the output pulse As mentioned previously, we
the pulse frequency is directly related to of the 555. Capacitor C3 is selected to give constructed our prototype in a
the input frequency, the meter reading is the shortest possible pulse to the 555 commonly available plastic box. This
directly proportional to the input consistent with reliable triggering. has the advantage that the unit can be
frequency. The output of the 555 monostable operated fully floating from earth —
The input signal is coupled into IC1 via will be a pulse of fixed width, determined handy in some situations. Check place-
Cl, which provides dc blocking. Protection by the range resistors, R9 to R12, and ment of components on the front
from overload caused by high amplitude capacitor C4. The ranges are arranged
panel and the positioning of the pc
input signals is provided by adiode clipper to give a 75% output duty cycle at
board inside before commencing major
consisting of D1, D2 and R1. The diodes frequencies of 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz
are connected in an inverse-parallel and 100 kHz on the input.
assembly. It's probably best to assemble
arrangement so that both positive and The output pulse from the 555 is the components on the pc board first.
negative peaks, above the diode forward clipped at 5.6 V by a zener diode, ZD1, Take care with the orientation of the
conduction voltage, are clipped. to avoid inaccuracies caused by falling ICs, diodes and tantalum capacitor.
IC1 is a fast op-amp connected as a battery voltage ( as the battery ages). The input capacitor, Cl, can be
Schmitt trigger with amplification, as The meter responds to the average value obtained in several voltage ratings.
mentioned above. Resistors R5 and R6 of the clipped pulses. As the frequency
Greencaps are available in ratings of
provide hysterisis, a 'dead band' in the increases, the duty cycle ( on/off ratio)
100 V, 250 V and 630 V. If all your
action of the Schmitt, centred on zero of the pulse train increases, increasing
work is with solid-state circuitry, a
input level. This dead band ensures that the average voltage and thus the meter
the Schmitt ignores noise pulses. current in direct proportion. Thus the 100 V type will be more than adequate.
As the unit is required to operate from reading on the meter will be linearly It you anticipate using your unit with
a single supply, for convenience, R2 and related to frequency. say, valve equipment, the highest
R3 bias the input of IC1 at half the supply rating type for Cl is recommended.
The rating applies to the combined

62
 orneeTAMel
u

HIGH
„„-Ale31‘14...
9VFROM

INPUT
4 \
TO SW1a
LOW
capacitor (C3) may have to be increased
D1 D 2 /
fir .
0 wiper in value to say 100p or 150p. This
component has been selected to give a
C2 10u+
Re 1M _ITD M1 very short trigger pulse into the 555 and
ZD1 R14 33k
has been found to work correctly,
o using the value shown in the circuit,
OV FROM with several different ICs.
BATTERY
Using your meter
DIODE ORIENTATION

SPOT ON
THIS ODE ,

Selecting the 100 kHz range will connect

',MISLEAD SO/REIMS
power to the unit and the unknown sig-
CAPACITORS TRICKER OR LONGER

nal can then be applied to the input.

Note the reading and switch to alower
range if required. This procedure avoids
The pc board pattern is on page 158. the possibility of spurious readings that
may be obtained on lower ranges due to
dc voltage that may be present on the board does not get in the way of the
re-triggering of the 555 by high
input, plus the possible peak value of meter when the front panel is in place.
the input signal. The unit may be powered from an frequency signals. There are no other
adjustments, so all you need is
A 630 V rated capacitor will be interna, battery, which makes it ahandy
something to measure.
physically larger than a 100 V type portable unit. If you wish to operate
This is the sort of instrument that,
and the leads may have to be shaped the unit from a plugpack battery
once you have it, seems to find agreat
to fit the capacitor on the board. eliminator, then we recommend you
many uses for itself! •
Once the board is assembled, the purchase a unit giving a nominal 6 Vdc
major components can be assembled output The current requirement for the
onto the front panel of the case. We project is quite modest and the output
made up a Scotchcal overlay for the of these small battery eliminators is
front panel, to dress it up and give it a dependent on the load. A 6 V unit will PARTS LIST - ETI 150
bit of a ` professional' look. Kit suppliers typically deliver 9 V or so under alight
will probably have these available load. Resistors all 1
2 W, 5%
/
shortly after this book goes on sale. R1— R3 10k
If you do decide to use one of these
R4 1M
Radio Despatch Service in Broadway, units, a socket matching the unit's R5 10k
Sydney offer a special Scotchcal front plug will have to be mounted on the R6 1M
panel service for projects so, if you are rear panel and leads run to the supply R7 33k
using a similar case you may have on rail pads on the pc board. If you wish R8 22k
hand, then they will be able to supply a R9 1M
to have the option of both battery and
R10 100k
front panel. mains operation, then a small SPDT R11 10k
The meter ( we used a University toggle switch should be mounted on the R12 1k
TD66 — but many other types are rear panel also and wired into the circuit. R13 390R
suitable), was mounted in a circular R14 33k
cutout on the left hand side of the Calibrating it
Capacitors
panel. The range switch should be Calibration of the frequency meter is Cl 470n greencap
mounted next, followed by the input very easy, aided by the fact that it has C2 10µ tantalum
socket. After much discussion around avery high input impedance. C3 56p ceramic
C4 6n8 greencap
the office (" A jack socket!", " No, With the unit switched to the 100 Hz
C5 100µ 25V electrolytic
screw terminals", " Rubbish! RCA range, touch your finger to the input.
socket" . . .), we settled on an RCA There will usually be enough 50 Hz field Semiconductors
socket. It's a common item on audio from the electrical wiring in abuilding D1, D2 1N914 or similar
equipment, inexpensive and coax cables to drive the input. This will cause a ZD1 5V6,400mWZener diode

terminated in RCA plugs, for input deflection on the meter and RV1 should
IC1 3140 op amp
leads, are cheap and readily available. then be adjusted to give ameter reading IC2 555 timer
However, any type of socket to suit of 50 (half scale). Move the unit near
house wiring to increase the amount of Miscellaneous
your individual requirement will do
M1 100uA meter, University
equally well. If you use a metal box, signal to the input if areading cannot be
TD - 66 or similar
the input connector earth must be the obtained. RV1 22k min vert mounting
only connection from the circuitry to If a signal generator of known trim pot
the case, as the negative rail from the accuracy is available the instrument can SW1 two pole five pos wafer
switch
battery is not at earth potential. be calibrated on any range. Only one
Plastic box to suit ( approx. 75 mm x
The pc board may be mounted any- range need be calibrated as the others 135 mm x 130 mm); input connector
where convenient in the case and wires will automatically fall into line. chassis mounting RCA socket or similar;
run to the front panel for the input and If it is impossible to obtain any knob, ETI 150 pc board.
switch connections. Make sure the reading on the meter, the coupling

63
 Pr 45e

Fuzz/sustain unit
Ron Keeley
for guitarists Jonathan Scott
For that raunchy sound beloved of electric guitarists the world
over, this simple little project is just the thing.

THE INVENTOR of the fuzz-tone is

lost in history ( rugged country, that),
along with the discoverer of the wheel,
the first chef, and the architect of
square corners. However, his legacy is
with us still, to the joy of those who
like their music loud, and the despair
of those who can't stand it that way!
Like the first bar- b- que, the first
fuzz- tone was probably an accident —
a blown speaker, perhaps, or a badly
overdriven amplifier. however, the
essential nature of the phenomenon
did not long remain hidden, and keen
guitarists soon had the fuzz by the short
and curlies.
Fuzz- tone is to guitar what salt is to
meat — it adds flavour and body. The
ETI Fuzz Unit, based on the ' clever
fuzz- box' circuit which appeared in the
January ' 79 ETI, has an added bonus
in an inbuilt sustain circuit, adding a
bit of extra spice to the idea.
The device offers three distinctive with a fixed compression ratio of 2:1. boosting low level ones; thus the signal
sounds, in addition to the ` straight This compression effectively halves the hangs on — " sustains" — for much
through' option: sustain, fuzz with dynamic range of the incoming signal longer than it otherwise would. The
sustain or fuzz without sustain. by attenuating high level signals and compression also provides a constant>

How we did it
To explain how these sounds are HOW IT WORKS - ETI 562
blocks may be set-up as, for example,
The input amplifier is a CA 3140, chosen
realised, we have to consider the circuit a compressor, an expander, a limiter or an
for its low noise. The input impedance ol
diagram. envelope follower. The compression/ex-
the device is quite high, so the effective
The input amplifier, IC1, is required pansion ratio is internally set at 2:1 while
value is determined by the parallel com-
to give the system some overall gain, the attack and release times are deter-
bination of R1, R2; the values used
to boost the treble response, and to mined by an external timing capacitor and
give an impedance of 90k. R1 and R2 can
present the correct load impedance to an internal resistor, the attack-to-decay
be as low as 10k or as high as 1M, as long
time ratio is internally set at 1:5.
the instrument. The mid-range gain is as they are the same and within this range.
It is possible to vary both the compres-
set to 5, allowing 1 V peak- to-peak The bias for the CA 3140 is filtered
siwi ratio and the attack/decay ratio by
input signals before distortion, and and regulated by R3, C2 and LED1; the
the use of complex external circuitry,
producing the largest possible dynamic LED also acts as a ' power on' indicator!
however the internally set values are
The LED must be RED as other colours
range. The frequency response is flat adequate for the purpose of this gadget.
have a different forward voltage. The stage
from 20 Hz to about 2 kHz, after which IC2/1 is configured as a compressor.
gain of 5 is set by the ratio of R4 and R5,
an 8 dB step provides a gentle treble The control signal is rectified and fed to
while C4, C5 and R6 tailor the frequency
boost up to 20 kHz, where the response an internal summing node. The rectified
response as described in the text.
current is averaged by the external capaci-
is flat from 20 Ilz to about 2 kHz, after IC2 is a dual gain control IC, NE 571,
tor C7, and the average rectified current
which an 8 dB step provides a gentle which may be set-up to implement a
controls the gain of the variable gain cell
treble boost up to 20 kHz, where the number of signal processing functions.
The gain cell is connected as an
response is rolled- off. Each half of the IC consists of a full wave
expandor in the feedback loop of the
Following the input stage is IC2/1, rectifier acting on the control input, a
op- amp; a 34:113 increase in the gain of the
one half of an NE 571 compander IC variable gain cell ( signal input), an opera-
cell, producing a 6dB increase in
tional amplifier and a bias system. The
configured as aconventional compressor feedback current to the summing node at

64
 queu h urnriR
RED
LED
LEDI
R3
1k5 C3
22u
TANI
R9
4k7
C2
515
TANT
R2
180k 13
INPUT IC2
I SK 1 QI
3
7 C121
ICI 6 +
4n7r All
C1 2 CA3140 7 22k
L.15 4 C6
Ri C9
TANT 2m2 1
180E 202
TANT RV1
1 TANT
ref 50k
FUZZ
R4 C4
82E 100p A13 IC 3 /
4
R10 C11 •
lo
3k9 10+ C13
TANI 122n
CS
lOn
j\A".1-7 1
10
242
R5 6 TANT
22k 8k2
_J
c7 I4. C8

2P
T 1
A2N/
== TÁNT
2
+
R7 •W R8
10k 10k
+9V +9V
IC3/d

R13 R15 C14

12k 47k
8

R14 02
CONTROL
42k
SK 2

A
IC3/c + C17
*9V 2p2
+9V TANT
OUTPUT LEVEL

R16 R18 RV2 SK 3

12k 47k 10kOUTPUT

the op-amp input. If the input rises 6dB, summing node at the inverting input is In the usual expander configuration
the output can rise only 3dB. tied internally to the AG cell output as the control and signal inputs are tied
The speed with which the gain changes well, the invert input is brought out of the together, so that a 3 dB rise or fall at the
to follow the input signal is determined by package directly and via an internal input produces a 3 dB variation in the gain
the rectifier filter capacitor CL A small resistor. This allows the gain of the stage of AG, giving a 6 dB rise or fall at the
value will follow rapidly but will not fully to be controlled by internal components output.
filter low frequency signals on the control only or, as we have done, by an external When connected as an envelope
input. Any ripple on the gain control network ( R7, R8, C2). The output stage is follower the control_ input is the signal
signal will modulate the signal passing capable of ± 20 mA output current. whose amplitude envelope is being im-
through the AG cell, producing third For maximum dynamic range, the pressed on the straight- through signal,
harmonic distortion, so there is atrade-off control ( rectifier) input current should be and a 3 dB variation of the control input
between fast attack/decay times and as large as possible but should not exceed will produce a 6 dB rise or fall at the
distortion. C7 should not be reduced 300 pA ( 3 V using only the internal output.
below about 0µ47. resistor). Maximum AG cell input current The attack/decay times of the follower
The AG cell has a built-in compensa- is 140 //A ( 2.8 V with internal compon- are set by C16; it is best not reduced
tion scheme for temperature variations ents only). below about Opt
and for cancelling odd harmonic distor- 01 is a high gain amplifier which is The switching system uses a CA 4016
tion. A THD trim terminal is provided, but always driven into hard clipping, as quad analog switch with 02 and 03 as
not used here, for cancelling even har- described in the text. R11, RV1, C12 and drivers. With both control lines floating
monic distortion caused by internal offset C13 form a tone control network which SVVs A and C are closed, B and D open.
voltages. The operational amplifier is also varies the fuzz-tone by rolling- off the top When the fuzz control line is grounded 03
internally compensated. end. The clipping amplifier feeds the cuts- off, opening C and closing D; similar-
The non- inverting input is tied to an second half of IC2 which is connected as ly when the sustain line is grounded, A
internal reference voltage and the an envelope follower. opens and B closes.

65
 level drive to the clipping stage, making
the fuzz sound independent of the
instrument input level.
For amore precise description of the
NE 571 Compander, refer to the 'How
it works' section.
The fuzz stage, Ql, is a high gain
amplifier stage. Because of the high,
constant drive from the compressor it
is always driven into hard clipping,
resulting in an output which is
substantially a squarewave. The output
of the fuzz stage is fed through atone
control which varies the quality of the
sound by rolling-off the high
frequencies — one of the reasons for the
treble boost at the input stage was to
ensure that there would be some high
frequencies to roll-off at this point!
The by now well-and-truly-fuzzed
signal is fed to the signal input of IC2/2,
the second half of the NE 571
Compander. This time the device is
set-up as an envelope follower with a
signal input and a control input; the
output of IC2/2 is whatever frequencies
are applied to the signal input but with
the amplitude envelope of the signal
fed to the control input (for details see
The switches we used are single- pole, double- throw types which may be found in some hardware 'How it works'). It is this envelope
stores or electrical wholesalers. follower, plus some simple switching,
which makes The Fuzz Unit so versatile
— of which more shortly!
A deliberate modification to the
envelope follower ensures that IC2/2
shuts-off completely when the signal
on the control input falls below a
certain level. This is a simple `noise
gate' function which prevents the
amplification of low-level signals and
noise, eliminating the hisses and buzzes
of unwanted sounds and the squeals
and howls of unexpected feedback!
This function operates only when Fuzz
function is selected.
As we mentioned earlier, The Fuzz
Unit is capable of producing either
sustain, fuzz with sustain, or fuzz with-
out sustain. These variations are
achieved by selecting the appropriate
output and the appropriate drive to the
control input of the envelope follower.
The switching system is entirely
electronic, so the guitar signal never
leaves the box even if the footswitches
themselves are a dozen yards away.
The signal is not required to travel long
lengths of cable, and so is not
attenuated or subject to interference.
Also, single-pole non-audio type
switches may be used, allowing alarger
choice of switch types (audio quality
footswitches are hard to find at the
We housed the fuzz unit in a diecast aluminium box, type 043B. It's not as much of asqueeze as moment!).
it looks. A piece of sponge rubber will secure the battery. Two switch lines are used to control

66
four electronic switches operating as in ' fuzz without sustain', and enhanced sure that polarised components are
two sets of change-over switches. One attack in ' fuzz with sustain'. correctly installed. The ICs should be
line controls SW A and SW B, ( sustain put in last, as they are electrically
on/off), the other controls SW C and Construction fragile.
SW D ( fuzz on/off). The major problem in constructing this All solder joints should be clean and
If neither fuzz nor sustain is selected, project is the non-availability of certain neat, with no stray connections across
SW A and SW C are closed while SW B components. We were unable to find a tracks on the pc board. Finally, inter-
and SW C are open; the output of the reliable supply of audio- quality foot- connect the various major components
unit is derived from the input pre- switches, and for this reason opted for as shown in the wiring diagram, using
amplifier ( so it will be a little louder external switching using a pair of the shortest possible lengths of wire;
and a little brighter than the guitar Clipsal No. 360 Series 250 V/10 A foot- use care when soldering the LED, as
itself) via A and C. switches. These are definitely not your they are very heat sensitive and easily
If sustain is selected SWs A and B usual stage gear, but they are very cooked.
change over and the output is from rugged and work very well indeed. Also, Use insulated wire, and make sure
IC2/1. they are cheap! that nothing is shorting to the box;
Selecting fuzz closes SW D and opens For a touch more class use a the battery is best restrained by using a
SW C. Whether it is fuzz with sustain or commercial dual footswitch such as the piece of double-sided tape.
fuzz without sustain now depends on Companion or the Roland FS 2 ( around After carefully checking that all
the position of the sustain select switch. $15). With abit of juggling you may be connections are as they should be, apply
If sustain is selected the drive to the able to mount the project in one of power and you've got 'The Fuzz'.
control input of the envelope follower these boxes. We used an 043B diecast Best results are obtained with the
is the compressed signal from IC2/1; aluminium box which is about the guitar output as high as it will go with-
compression followed by expansion smallest possible container. If you are out causing distortion on loud notes
restores the amplitude envelope of the lucky enough to find a pair of audio when The Fuzz is switched to sustain
signal, so the output will have the footswitches and wish to mount them only. •
dynamic characteristics of the original in the top you will need adeeper box
pitar sound, but will sustain for longer than the 043B.
PARTS LIST - ETI 454
than usual. If sustain is not selected, The usual method of switching the
the envelope follower control input battery in effects boxes is to use a Resistors all V2W, 5%
is from the pre-amp, therefore the 6.5 mm socket with a separate pair of R1, R2 180k
output of IC2/2 is the original signal switching contacts — power is applied R3 1k5
whenever aguitar is plugged in. We were R4 82k
expanded. Because of the value chosen
R5 22k
for C7 and C16, the Fuzz Unit will unable to locate any of these sockets,
R6 8k2
produce a rather long ' delayed attack' so we have used an on/off switch. R7, R8 10k
effect when in this mode. If a shorter Once the box has been drilled, the R9 4k7
attack is wanted, C7 and C16 should pc board should be assembled according R10 3k9
RI 1 22k
be reduced; this will give afaster attack to the circuit and layout diagram. Be
R12 1M
R13 12k
Note: Capacitors C7 and C16 R14, R15 47k
may be varied from the 2u2 R16 12k
value recommended. For a R17, R18 47k
faster 'attack', reduce to RV1 50k lin.pot
a value of Ou47 (470n); for RV2 10k log. pot
aslower attack, increase
MOUNTING HOLE
the value to 4u7.
Capacitors
Cl, C2 15u tantalum
C3 22u tantalum
C4 100p disc ceramic
C5 10n greencap
R7 C6, C7 2u2 tantalum
C8 22u tantalum
C9, C10 2u2 tantalum
INPUT Cl 1 10u tantalum
C16 C12 4n7 greencap
-0-R4
R9 012 C13 22n greencap
C14—C17 2u2 tantalum
R13e1.02105

CONTROL R16 FUZZ Semiconductors

FOOT
l
Arlr, TONE 01-03 BC548
SWITCHES ee RV1 LED1 TIL 22OR or similar

RIP `TVi
R1 R14 Cl CA 3140
btn
IC2 NE 571
C17 C11 IC3 CD4016
• -
Q2 03 ille RV2 Miscellaneous
Metal box, 043B or similar; pc board - ETI 454; 9V
MOUNTING HOLE battery, type 216; DPST miniature switch; two
phone-jack sockets, mono; 1phone jack socket,
stereo; two knobs; pc board spacers; nuts and
E bolts.
OUTPUT
SC547. BC548. 6C549. BC557. BC559
D5647. D5548. OSS49. DS557. DS558
The pc board pattern is on page 159.
67
 ro:ea 262

A simple intercom
The perenially popular intercom — this circuit illustrates
how to wring the maximum performance from the
minimum number of components.

AN INTERCOM is an eminently
practical device. Communication bet-
ween rooms in a house is immensely
aided by an intercom. The same goes for
house and garage — or any other out-
building.
The drawback with many intercoms
is that that can be too effective. They
shout at you. Whilst one can turn down
the volume by one means or another,
it's rather like using asledge hammer to
crack an acorn — as the saying goes.
This intercom is simple, inexpensive and
is ideally suited to quiet situations
where volume is not all-important.

How it works
At first glance this circuit looks very
simple, but its operation is quite in-
genious as it performs different func-
tions for transmit and receive.
To allow us to understand how it
works, let's look at the receive mode
first. When the pushbutton is not
pressed the loudspeaker is connected
across the line, in serie with the
battery. None of the remaining com-
ponents are used in the receiver as they
are isolated from the battery by the
pushbutton. The battery voltage is
connected across the line in series with
the loudspeaker and is fed to the
A small loudspeaker serves as both microphone and speaker in this intercom. Housing the project
transmitter. Any change in current
we have left up to you. It is quite possible to fit the components in apalm-sized box, such as one
drawn by the transmitter will cause a
of the small 'zippy boxes available inexpensively from anumber of suppliers. The intercom may
movement of the cone of the loud- be powered from a3 Vdc plugpack if you wish.
speaker. If a speech signal is fed down
the line it will be heard in the remote wire in sympathy with the movement. receive station. The signal from the
speaker. The loudspeaker can thus be used as a loudspeaker passes through a capacitor,
If you speak into the cone of aloud- microphone, the speech signal output C2, which blocks the dc from the
speaker, the cone will vibrate in being taken from the voice coil as it battery but allows the speech signal to
sympathy with the changing air pressure converts the sound energy impinging on pass to the base of Q3. The transistors
from the sound. The vibration of the the cone to electrical energy in the voice Q2 and Q3 form a high gain pair which
cone moves the voice coil of the speaker coil. amplifies the speech signal and drives
which cuts the lines of force in the In the transmit mode, the battery is the output stage, Q1. The output
magnetic field of the speaker magnet. isolated from the circuit by the transistor varies the amount of current
When a wire is moved through a mag- depressed pushbutton and the i,supply drawn from the line in sympathy with
netic field it generates a current in the voltage appears across the line from the the speech. Because this current moves

68
 duele kte[MOM

the cone in the receiver loudspeaker, The second line connection

the speech can be heard at the receiver. is made to the pole of PB1
As the frequency spectrum of speech
is mainly within the range 200 IIz to
R1 1R
3 kHz, the frequency response of the
transmitter has been limited to about
3 kHz by placing a small capacitor
across the base-collector junction of Q3.
This causes a reduction in gain of that
stage at high frequencies by introducing
negative feedback which increases with
frequency. Resistors R2, R3 and R4 set
the bias on the stages and the one ohm
resistor, R1, provides some emitter bias
on the output stage as well as limiting
the maximum output current.
The transmitters have been designed
to work with supply voltages as low as
21
/ volts. however, a 41
2 / volt supply
2
C2 100n
allows for quite a high voltage drop in
MF,L
the line so that the intercom may work
over quite a, long line. We tried it over
the length of the office ( about 30 m)
but some readers will, no doubt, have BC547. BC548, BC549. BC557. BC558
much greater distances in mind. For
Overlay for the pc board. Take care with the orientation of the capacitor C3 and the transistors.
really long line lengths, the battery
voltage could be increased to say, six
volts.

Construction
We constructed one of our units on
matrix board and the other on a pc
board. Both methods work equally well,
though constructing the matrix board We assembled one unit on apiece of matrix board, laid out as shown.
version is a little more tedious and
requires some care so that incorrect each end. For longer battery life,
connections are not made. The orientat- three D- cells would be better, wired in
ion of the transistors is the only point series. If power is available, a 3 V plug-
to watch. pack battery eliminator at each end
To power the intercom units, a should provide about four to five volts PARTS LIST - ETI 262
standard 41/V battery may be used at
2 with the unit in operation.
Resistors all % W, 5%
R1 1R
The pc board pattern is on page 158. R2 15OR
R3 lk
R4 2M2
Spi
8 OHMS
R5 lk

Capacitors
R3 R4 Cl in
1k 2M? C2 100n
CT C3 100µ 10V electro
R1
LINE TO 1R
Semiconductors
01 BD140
OTHER
INTERCOM
02, 03 BC549, BC109, DS549.

— 4/V Miscellaneous
— BATTERY PB1 SPDT push button
SP1 eight ohm speaker
BI 4% V battery or three
1% V cells in series ( with
holders if required),
FTI 262 pc board.

••••=i1.

69
 PM:8M We

An electronic 'tuning fork'

Design Phil Cohen

Article Staff

BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE TUNING FORK
According to "The Oxford Companion
to Music", the tuning fork ( or pitch
tork as it was called, and we shall soon
see why) was invented in 1711 by a
British gentleman called John Shore
who was Sergeant Trumpeter to the
court and lutenist in the Chapel Royal
Though famous for his trumpet playing
(Handel and Purcell composed works
for him), it was in his capacity as
lutenist that he came to invent the
tuning fork. Handel's tuning fork was
made by Shore, and it still exists.
John Shore was clearly something of
a 'character' for he introduced the new
'pitch fork' with apun:
"I have not about me a pitch pipe,
but Ihave what will do as well to tune
by, a pitch fork", which he would trot
out at concerts where he played the lute.
It was a mid- 19th century scientist,
Rudolph Koenig, of Paris, who refined
the pitch fork to that general form
which is commonly used today.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS are generally

aclever and harmonious blend of physics
and aesthetics (both aural and visual).
But, underlying all this wonderful
harmony and human cleverness is the
law of 'the cussedness of nature'. This
law, simply explained, says that through
all the consistency and harmony we find
in nature runs a streak of cussedness For one musical instrument to be
always causing something to be out of That standard remains to this day. Of
played with another requires both to
course, it means that modern orchestras
place. It is this very streak of cussedness be tuned to the same fundamental pitch playing the music of Hadyn, Mozart and
that has thwarted attempts to date to (or frequency). If not, the sound will be
develop a ` unified field' theory that Bach, for example, will not be playing
unpleasant — generally described as in the pitch in which the music was
would link gravity, electricity and discordant.
magnetism. originally composed.
Over the centuries there were various Another, perhaps more graphic,
It doesn't seem, at this stage, that ideas as to what basic `standard' pitch example occurs in recordings made by
gravity, electricity and magnetism have would be adopted. After some consider- modern pop groups of old 'blues'
much to do with musical instruments able squabbling a `standard concert masters. In the days when many of
and tuning forks, but we'll get around pitch' was settled upon in 1929. This these ' race' records were being cut in
to it! gave the note ` A' a pitch of 440 Hz. America — direct to disc, too! — many

70
musicians, particularly guitarists, played in air temperature and humidity. How-
in widely varying pitches. A comparison ever, they're still in use as they're fine
between The Beatles' recording of where no great pitch accuracy or
adherence to a standard is required. HOW IT WORKS — Eli 606
"Matchbox Blues" and those made
some 30 or more years earlier by Lead- The ' tuning fork' as such was invented
belly and Blind Lemon Jefferson reveals by John Shore in Britain in 1711 ( see The signal is generated at ahigh frequency
note on history). (about 3.6 MHz) by a crystal oscillator
a remarkably wide variation. Leadbelly and then divided down to the output
tuned his 12-string guitar low', Blind The traditional tuning fork consists frequency by a counting circuit. IC1c is
Lemon Jefferson tuned his six-string of two cantilevered bars attached to a the oscillator — gates biased into their
common base — it resembles that linear region by R1 and R2. Capacitor
guitar ` high' and The Beatles played
Cl forms a phase-shift network with the
in ' British Standard Concert Pitch'. common eating utensil, hence the name. bias components, providing a shift of
There are few musical instruments When the tines are struck ( or one tine) 180 degrees at the crystal frequency.
which will retain their tuning for any they will vibrate, producing asound of As the crystal is in • series with the
a definite pitch, or frequency, feedback path, the circuit will oscillate
appreciable length of time. All of the
at the crystal frequency.
portable stringed instruments (guitars, determined by the length of the tines.
ICld forms a buffer between the
banjos, mandolins, violins, cellos ad The pitch is largely unaffected by oscillator and the clock input of IC2,
infinitum) are particularly prone to temperature, except by gross variations, a 14-stage counter.
As the required division is not apower
drifting strings. Wind instruments also and accuracy can be maintained within
of two, decoding of the counter ( IC2)
suffer — you have to take them apart to about 0.1%. outputs is necessary. This is provided
carry them and they must be tuned They are portable and relatively in three gates — ICla, IC3c and IC3d.
when re-assembled for playing. inexpensive but suffer from low sound These modify the outputs of IC2 to
level output and do not give asustained obtain the required division by resetting
See what we mean about the cussed- IC2 after the appropriate count.
ness of nature ? note — it 'dies away'. What's more, , Switch SW2 changes the decoding for
This problem gave rise to the need as many modern groups use electrically either a division by 8128 for a 440 Hz
for some device which would serve as amplified instruments and sound output or 8048 for a 445 Hz output.
reinforcement, a failing of tuning forks When all the inputs of IC4, an eight
an accurate standard to which input NOR gate, go high its output goes
instruments could be tuned. Even the is lack of apick-up. low and drives IC1b via a network to
piano and oboe — which are generally Again, the cussedness of nature remove noise pulses ( R3, C2). ICld then
used as tuning references in an orchestra raises its head. Remember too, the provides a reset signal to the divider,
ready for the next count.
— must be tuned from time to time. popularity of the electric guitar. They
The 013 output from the divider
In ' olden times' pitch-pipes were have magnetic pickups and require provides a signal at the required frequency
employed as pitch standards. These plugging into an amplifier. Now you and, after buffering provided by IC3a is
were simple wooden "whistles" of the see what electricity and magnetism fed to the volume control. The pulses
are then fed to an emitter follower ( 01)
open pipe or vibrating reed variety. have to do with musical instruments !
and thence to the speaker.
These little ' fixed pitch' devices, whilst Gravity ? Oh, most instruments will
simple and portable, suffered from pitch go out of tune when dropped from
inaccuracies brought about by changes aheight !

+9V TO PIN 14
1
R4
C4
10012
IFSW1
OF IC1 AND 3 47OR

-41 IC3a
C3
01
BC549
25V

9V
2 10n
RV1 9V BATTERY

IC1 AND 3ARE 4011

10k
LOG
II OR 9V DC PLUG
PACKET
PIN 14 IS + Ve
D1
PIN 7 IS OV

SP1
16 8 OHMS
ov 3 î SKI
013
1 12
09
14 11 ov
010
10
R1 011 R3
4
10M12 11 10 012
.--/VW--•--EtIC 1>c CLOCK
07
13 C2
33p
R2 IC2
XTAL1
8 22k 4020 1 E 5
10
IC 1 c D 13
Ida o I ov

T.
08
c ISW2
9 c 2
10p 9V -ffl 414.1,0_2 . LETTERS ON SW2
REFER TO OVERLAY
5 12
05 13 SWITCH SHOWN
oV IC3d IC3c IN 440Hz POSITION
4
06
11
11
RESET

ov
71
 Prre»c,-
.GOO As the project was to be battery
operated, it was clear that CMOS ICs
would be necessary in the circuit and
this imposed a limit on the frequency
of the crystal of about 5MHz.
There are two very common crystals
available from many outlets: one on
4.433619 MHz which is the PAL colour
TV system chrominance sub-carrier
frequency, and 3.579545 MHz which is
the NTSC system chrominance sub
carrier frequency. (We couldn't find out
why the latter is common here — but,
there it is!) We chose the lower
frequency of the two for several reasons.
Firstly, 4.4 MHz is pushing the limit
of CMOS if repeatable results were to
be obtained by constructors. Secondly,
it was the cheaper of the two!
Obtaining 440 Hz from such ahigh
frequency requires dividing by a very
large number. To get 440 Hz requires
dividing by about 8130 while 445 Hz
requires dividing by about 8050.
Accordingly, a 4020 CMOS divider
was settled upon. This will provide a
division ratio as high as 214 .By suitably
decoding the various outputs from the
divider and resetting it when the
appropriate count is reached, the output
e • will be at (or close to) the frequency we
want.
Thus, the outputs of the 4020 are
decoded at a count of 8128 — conven-
iently close to 8130 — producing an
Demand for an 'electronic' tuning as it makes their instruments sound
fork arose in recent years, seemingly as output of 440.396 Hz. That's only
much ' brighter'. We had also heard that
0.09% high. This is within the tolerance
a result of the rapid increase in 'all- there were some orchestras tuning up
range of a standard tuning fork. To
electric' bands. A number of commercial using ' A' set at 445 Hz. This started a
obtain an output close to 445 Hz, the
models have appeared but it seems that furious argument. As everything started
4020 outputs are decoded at a count
the perennial 'do-it-yourselfers' would to get confused at this stage and text-
of 8048, producing an output of
rather build their own. Some readers book consultations threw less light on
444.775 Hz which is only 0.05% low.
have enquired about the possibility of the subject than was felt desirable, we
A fairly simple audio output stage
doing an electronic tuning fork as a decided to contact the Sydney Conserv-
has been provided, driving a small
project — and here you have it. atorium of Music in an effort to resolve
speaker, and a jack socket output for
the dispute.
connection into an amplifier.
We spoke to Mr Trevor Faulcher who
The design said that some orchestras in Sweden
Current consumption is around
The problem appears fairly straight- 10 mA, so a No. 216 9V battery should
were using 445 Hz as a standard pitch
forward — syninesize 440 Hz with an last a very long time with the sort of
for ' A' and confirmed that stringed
accuracy and stability of 0.1% or better. intermittent use this project is likely to
instrument players preferred to tune
First thought was to use the 50 Hz experience.
alittle sharp in pitch.
mains frequency as areference (as it is The problem now was, should the
very stable in frequency) and phase-lock electronic tuning fork project include
an oscillator to it. This was tried using a both 440 Hz and 445 Hz outputs or Construction
3900 quad op-amp as oscillator and just 440 Hz alone' As the project was We strongly recommend you use the
PLL and some CMOS divider chips — to be portable and battery operated the pc board specified for this project.
five ICs in all. It worked, but the device techniques that might be used to For a start, it simplifies construction,
had a number of practical drawbacks. generate the required output were and secondly it reduces the possibility
First up, 50 Hz mains had to be examined. The best bet was to use a of wiring errors. With digital circuitry,
available. A musician friend pointed out commonly available quartz crystal and bugs created by wiring errors can
that, here, we had made an unwarranted divide it down to give a440 Hz output. prove most frustrating to track down —
assumption. In the words of a well- A slightly different division should particularly if you haven't had much
known prophet: " It ain't necessarily yield a 445 Hz output. A quick check experience with digital equipment. The
so!". On top of that, the editor pointed indicated such a scheme would require project is not a difficult one; if you
out that many musicians who play fewer ICs than the PLL version first have had asmall amount of experience
stringed instruments prefer to tune devised and that both frequencies constructing projects and finding your
about 3 Hz to 5 Hz high (or 'sharp') could be provided. way around circuits and layout diag-

72
 Ardnu-Fork
our prototype was covered with a
Scotchcal overlay, as shown in the
photograph. The sound from the
speaker can be heard quite clearly
through this and there is no need
to cut holes in the Scotcheal. This
helps protect the speaker, too.
Take care where you mount the
jack socket. See that it clears the
speaker magnet — with the jack plug
inserted ! — when the panel is assembled
and that it doesn't foul the pc board.
The pc board is held in place with
four bolts and some 12 mm standoffs
fixed to the base of the box. Mount it
down one end so that the battery
may be jammed between the end of
the box and the pc board, using a
small niece of foam rubber.
If you wished, this project could be
powered by a small plugpack ' battery
eliminator' — ( try. Ferguson Transform-
ers Pry Ltd or A & R Soanar Pty Ltd).
The last thing to do is check that you
have the switches wired correctly.
Make sure that when you switch from
440 Hz to 445 Hz the output goes a
little sharp in pitch. If the volume
control works in ' reverse', simply
transpose the two wires going to the
outside connecting lugs on the potent-
iometer. •

SKI

Component overlay. The pc board pattern is reproduced on page 158. PARTS LIST - Eli 606

rams, then it should not prove too correctly oriented, insert them into Resistors all 5''
the pc board. To check the orientation, R1 10M
challenging. R2 . . 22k
It is best to commence construction look for asmall indentation in the case R3 10k
by assembling the components on immediately adjacent apin at one end. R4 470R
the printed circuit board. Leave the This is pin 1. There may also be alarge
Capacitors
ICs till last — we shall see why shortly. indentation in this end of the case. Note
C1 . . 10p ceramic
Solder the crystal, the BC547 transistor, that all the ICs have the same orient- C2 33p ceramic
diode, resistors and capacitors in first. ation. C3 10n greencap
Watch the orientation of the diode, Dl. To solder the pins of the ICs, use an C4 100µ 25V electro

Then do all the links using, say 22 gauge, iron having an earthed tip and barrel.
Semiconductors
tinned copper wire. There are six in all. If you're unsure about this, use a clip IC1, IC3 . . . 4011B or C
Take care here, and refer to the overlay. lead to connect the iron's barrel to the IC2 4020
negative supply rail on the pc board. IC4 4068
The two switches, the volume cont-
rol potentiometer, the jack socket These measures will ensure you
Q1 BC548, BC108 or similar
and the loudspeaker may now be don't ' blow' the ICs with either static
connected — before being assembled charges or leakage currents from the D1 IN914 or similar

to the front panel. Don't forget the iron.

Miscellaneous
battery connector. Use generous lengths We assembled our prototype into RV1 10k log potentiometer
of hookup wire — about 120 mm to asmall 'zippy' box, measuring 160 mm XTA L 1 3.579545 MHz Xtal
150. mm long. This makes for easy by 96 mm by 50 mm. The aluminium (see text)
front panel was drilled to take the SP1 8 ohm speaker
assembly of these components to the
front panel. controls positioned as shown on our SVV1 SPST miniature toggle
Now the ICs may be inserted in the template. You don't have to be too switch
board and soldered. As they are all exact, there's plenty of leeway. Speaker SW2 DPDT miniature toggle
mounting may seem alittle mysterious. switch
CMOS types, they should be handled
with care. They will be supplied inserted Several large holes were drilled where
SK1 mono jack socket
in a conductive plastic foam or foil- the cone faces the panel. The speaker
wrapped styrene block. Remove them may be glued in place or screws placed 9V, No.216 battery or Plug Pack ( Ferguson
around the edge (only three are nec- type PPA9 - DC or similar), ETI 606 pc
carefully. Take care to pick them up
board, Zippy box to suit ( 155 mm x 105
with your thumb and forefinger grasp- essary) with large washers under the
mm x 50 mm), knob, plug for jack socket
ing the ends of the package, not touch- nuts overlapping the edge of the speaker, (if needed).
ing the pins. Making sure you have them thus holding it in place. The panel on

73
 (Continued from page 57).

Electronics Today International

4600 and 3600

SYNTHESIZERS
Complete plans for the Electronics Today International 4600 Synthesizer are now available in book form.
Many hundreds of these remarkable synthesizers have been built since the series of construction articles
started in the October 1973 issue of Electronics Today.
Now the articles have been re- printed in acompletely corrected and up-dated form.
The International Synthesizers have gained a reputation as being the most flexible and versatile of
electronics instruments available.
They have been built by recording studios, professional musicians, university music departments and as
hobby projects.
This book is available now as alimited edition of 2000 copies only.

Ensure your copy! Send $ 12.50 to Electronics Today International,

15 Boundary Street, Rushcutters Bay,2011.

74
Project 721 LIM!
" "MM.
''"rsv-•
rIttnitom 4_1 11 "

"
--401801
"' . 1.11Mulaoliuu,,.

AN INTEREST IN what can be heard strip with detector and audio stages avery strong signal on the channel
on the shortwave frequency bands could be constructed. you are monitoring may overload your
between 3 MHz and 30 MHz often For simplicity and cheapness we have receiver, resulting in very distorted
kindles an interest in what can be heard modified an existing and well- proven reception. Reducing the RF gain will
'beyond' 30 MHz, apart from TV and design — the ETI707A 144 MHz solid remove the problem.
FM broadcasting stations. state converter. This was designed for
For many communications hobbyists radio amateurs and others interested in PARTS LIST — ETI 721
avariety of fascinating services can be reception of signals on the 144 - 148
Resistors all Y M, 5% *
found on the very high frequency ( VHF) MHz band. It was originally described
R1 150R
bands above 30 MHz. One of the more in the February 1976 issue of Ell and R2, 3 100k
interesting bands lies between 118 MHz since then many hundreds have been R4 150R
and 126 MHz — the aircraft band. successfully built — by beginners and R5 1M
R6 56k
Domestic aircraft communications, experienced constructors alike. It is a
R7 560R
both private and commercial, generally very successful design, so why re- invent R8 680R
involve apilot talking from his plane the wheel? R9 10k
to atraffic controller at an airfield as The converter is crystal locked — R10 4k7
R11 470R
well as talking to other pilots. Signals that is, aquartz crystal oscillator is
R12 270R
from aircraft can be heard over quite mixed with the signals from the antenna,
long distances as they are flying quite the signals then appearing at alower Potentiometer
high and thus the horizon, from the frequency at the converter output. The RV1 . . . . 100k A pot

aircraft, can be up to several hundred frequency of the crystal used will

Capacitors
miles away. determine the frequency band of the Cc 22p ceramic
There are 360 channels allocated in converter output. Cl 6p8 ceramic
the aircraft band, each assigned a For anumber of reasons, we chose C2 - C5. . ln ceramic
the output ( or IF) frequency to be C6 - C8 . . 6p8 ceramic
specific use or for use in aparticular C9 in ceramic
area. Amplitude modulated ( AM) around 10 MHz. Inexpensive crystals C10 100p poly or ceramic
transmission is used which simplifies are available for the aircraft band to C11 10n poly or ceramic
the requirements for areceiver to listen give an IF output from the converter C12 100p poly or ceramic
of 10.7 MHz — astandard IF frequency. C13 68p poly or ceramic
on this band. C14 47p poly or ceramic
Apart from ahobbyist interest, we The same crystals can be employed if C15 6p8 ceramic
have had occasional enquiries from you wish to use atunable shortwave C16 1n ceramic
readers who wish to have areceiving receiver following the converter. There C17 6p8 ceramic
C18 10n poly or ceramic
system to monitor aparticular channel is aminor inconvenience though — the
or channels for various reasons. tunable receiver's dial has no simple Semiconductors
This converter should suit either pur- relationship to the input frequency. The Ql, 2 . . . MFE131, 40673, 40841
pose very well. advantage is that inexpensive crystals Q3 2N3563, 2N3564, 2N5770
cost around half that of acrystal made ZD1 BZY88/C8V2 or /C6V8
or /C5V6 or /C5V1
The Converter to order to provide adirect frequency
Why aconverter — why not acomplete relationship. Miscellaneous
receiver? Firstly, ashortwave listener The choice is up to you. Choosing 7 x 722/1 Neosid coil formers
3 x 7100 Neosid screening cans
will already have areceiver. A converter and ordering crystals is covered later in
2 x 7300 Neosid screening cans
to 'change down' the aircraft band the articie. 7 x Neosid ferrite slugs, 4 x 5 x 10/F29
frequencies to asuitable band between As the converter has quite adeal of coil wire
3 MHZ and 30 MHz is a simple, and gain, resulting in very good sensitivity, pc board . . ETI 707A
crystal . . . see text
inexpensive, solution. For those wishing an RF Gain control has been provided.
zippy box ( see text), 2 coax sockets,
to monitor some portion of the aircraft Very strong signals on achannel near to 2 x 20 mm, 6 BA spacers, nuts, bolts, etc.
band the output of the converter could the one being monitored may cause
be connected to an ordinary multi- band interference. Judicious use of the RF *Resistor values may be plus or minus one
gain control will reduce or remove the standard value either side of those quoted
transistor portable to provide quite
without ill effect. Capacitor values should
adequate results. Alternatively, afixed interference while enabling you to
not be altered.
frequency IF ( intermediate frequency) still hear the desired signal. Then again,

75
 Project 721
C6 C7
62rLi 6p8
*SEE TEXT
01 Ic c
02
40841 40841
91
L23 c) L3 L4

6p8 IF

.1 I
0 4c)
ANTENNA OUTPUT
R1 C5
INPUT 150R ln ln
•=•
± C11
RV1 C2 I 10n
RF in
GAIN —.— C8
LK1
R2 R3 6p8
▪ 100k 100k

Q3

C12 1
L7
—e 000
2N5770
C17
R12
270R
C181
lOnfO I 12V

6P8 6p8
100p
R9
10k
R10
4k7
_L C16 L5 L6
ZD1
XTAL g=3 in BZY88/C8V2
R11
OR C6V8
470R •=. C5V6
R8
680R

Construction ponents take particular care with

The printed circuit board has been orientation of the transistors, FETs and
Coil Data
specially designed for this application the zener diode. All components should
and no other construction technique be mounted right down on the pc
Wind L2, L3, L4, L5, L6 and L7 clock- should be employed unless you are board to minimise lead length. Stakes or
wise up the former. Li is wound anti- very experienced in circuit construction pins should be used for the connections
clockwise up the former. The start of at these frequencies. to the antenna input, IF output and dc
each coil is the 'cold' or 'earthy' end. It is best to commence construction connections.
All slugs are F29 type ferrite. by mounting the coil formers. They There is provision on the pc board to
L1 5 turns, 22 B & S tinned may be glued on the board over the mount acrystal socket for a ' style- D'
copper wire spaced over pilot holes or the board drilled to the crystal. These have a 12 mm pin spacing
10 mm, tap at 2 turns from appropriate diameter for the base of the and stand about 20 mm high. Alter-
cold end. formers and then gluing the formers natively, if the smaller size crystals are
L2, L3 61/, turns, 22 B & Senamelled in place. Use the shield cans to locate used, having apin spacing of 5 mm or
wire, spaced over 8 mm. and/or hold the formers on the pc board pigtail connections, then they may be
L4 25 turns closewound with when gluing them directly to the board. soldered in place under the board. Take
enamelled wire, any gauge It is wise to insert the slugs in the for- care when doing this. Do it quickly and
between 25 and 30 B & S, 5 mers after gluing to avoid accidentally use the minimum amount of heat to
turn link at top of former. gluing them to the formers. The best avoid damaging the crystal.
L5, L6 51/2turns, 22 B & Senamelled
type of glue to use is one of the ' instant' If desired, the crystal may be mount-
wire, closewound. bond glues such as " Superglue", ed separate from the pc board. Keep
L7 *10 turns, 22 B& Senamel led "Bondza", " Super 500" etc. Many glues lead length between the crystal and the
wire, closewound, for available will not bond to pc substrate board connections as short as practic-
crystals in the range 30 MHz materials — particularly fibreglass pc able in this case.
to 50 MHz. material. The shield cans for the coil assemblies
*6 turns for crystals in the The next step is to wind the coils. should be mounted last. It may be a
range 50 to 70 MHz. They may be wound in situ if you wish, wise idea to check that the converter is
alternatively they may be wound on working before soldering the shield pins
40841 asuitable diameter former ( such as a5 to the pc board.
L2,3,4 etc
G2 G1 mm or 3 /16" drill shank) and then The completed converter may be
slipped over the formers on the board. mounted in asuitable box. The one we
Take careful note of windingdirection used was asmall ' zippy' box measuring
and the start and finish connections. 159 x 96 x 50 mm overall. They are
Refer to the component overlay when available from anumber of component
D S
soldering the coil leads in place. Do not suppliers. The pc board was mounted
WINDING UNDE RS! DE
DIRECTION mount the shield cans until all the minor on the aluminium panel using two
VIEW
components have been soldered in spacers. Antenna and IF output sockets,
place. along with the RF gain pot, were also
When mounting the minor corn- mounted on the panel and dc power

76
 HOW IT WORKS — Eli 721
L4 C1 L1
• La C4 • The circuit is quite straightforward, com-
c=== Gt prising an RF stage ( Q I), amixer ( Q2) and
OUTPUT,/ [
-
11%;:tie an overtone. crystal oscillator- multiplier
LINK -" e
Cf,3\ t (Q3). Dual-gate MOSFETs are used in the
se
's. R7 c==r cc cl 01 s AN RF and mixer stages as they have good
IF C11 1=S t=2 C5 CM INPUT gain, low noise figure and good freedom
ci et' C3
OUTPUT from crossmodulation and overload
cc
C2 problems.
Signals from the antenna are first
amplified by Q1 and passed to gate- 1
of the mixer Q2. The oscillator, Q3, is
cle set to a precise frequency by the crystal.
c==i
The injection frequency to gate- 2 of the
V r_.,5 --go--
mixer is derived from the collector of
G15[1 p3
„a.; L,)
C13 1 L7 Q3, being two or three times the crystal
b 11 frequency. The signal frequency and the
e.
• injection frequency are mixed in Q2, their
C14 R11 ri -_r__
C12 difference is selected by the tuned circuit
in the drain - this is the desired output
frequency.
A low-Q tuned circuit. Li - Cl, is used
between the antenna input and gate- 1
+12V of Ql. The antenna input impedance is
mismatched to the impedance of the gate
to optimise noise figure. drain of QI
is coupled to gate- Iof the mixer, Q2, via
a double- tuned, bandpass coupling circuit
consisting of L2, C6, Cc, Cl and L3. A
combination of inductive coupling and
common-capacity coupling is used to
achieve awide bandwidth.
Gate- 2 of QI requires a bias of +6V
for full stage gain. A link between gate- 2
decoupling ( R1,C2,C3) and the junction
of R2- R3 allows for the connection of a
gain control potentiometer.
The mixer has about 1.5 volts of bias
applied to gate- 2. The conversion frequency
is injected at this gate and asmall amount
of forward bias improves the mixer con-
version gain. The output, or IF, is coupled
via L4 which is resonant at 10 MHz with
C10. This is a low- Q tuned circuit for the
broad bandwidth necessary if the tunable
IF receiver is used.
The crystal oscillator stage, Q3, is
designed to cope with either third or
fifth overtone crystals and may double or
triple the crystal trequency in the
collector. Tuned circuit LS-C15 selects the
appropriate harmonic. Energy is coupled
from L5 to L6 which is resonated to the
required frequency with C17. These two
leads taken through ahole in the side generally called ' TV alignment' kits. tuned circuits filter the injection
of the box. Small lengths of coax cable You will need adc power supply frequency. This prevents any spurious
were used to connect the input and out- delivering between 12 and 15 volts; the mixing occurmg in Q2.
converter will draw between 30 and 50 Coil L7 is used to ' trim' the crystal
put sockets to the pc board connections.
milliamps. A receiver with aS- meter frequency.
A regulated supply to Q3, provided by
Alignment is adecided advantage when aligning the
the zener diode, ZDI, prevents power
The particular method of alignment will converter. You will need asignal
supply variations from affecting the
depend on how you will be using the generator, with AM modulation, cover- crystal frequency.
converter. To commence the alignment ing the range 118-126 MHz.
you will need to have on hand the If you are using atunable receiver for
appropriate aligning tool. You will need the IF, then the following procedure
aplastic screwdriver-tip alignment tool should be followed:
to salt the Neosid ferrite cores. They Connect the converter to the receiver.
are readily available from many suppliers. Use ashort length of coax cable. If the
Most general purpose alignment tool converter is working you will notice
kits available will have asuitable tool. an increase in the noise level on a
These kits cost around $2 - $3, contain sensitive receiver when power is applied.
four tools with various tips and are You can check that the crystal oscillator
 Project 721
2. Tune the slug in L4 to obtain a 7. Now set the generator to afre- If you use atunable receiver then a
peak in the receiver noise level. quency half way between these two fifth overtone crystal at 54.000 MHz
3. Set all the other coil slugs flush frequencies. Tune the receiver to should be ordered. Tolerance and
with the tops of the coil formers. pick up the signal and adjust the slug adjustment range also have to be spec-
4. Using the signal generator, with a in L3 for best signal. Check the ified. A value of 20 parts per million
fairly high output level, peak L4 adjustment of L4. (ppm) for tolerance and adjustment
again for best signal strength. 8. Return to 119 MHz and peak the range is satisfactory. Firms such as
5. Set the generator to afrequency slug in L2 again. Bright Star Crystals or Hy- Q should be
near 119 MHz and tune the receiver 9. Repeat the procedure, ,touching able to supply acrystal to order.
until you pick up the signal. Now up' each slug. Alternatively, acrystal at one-third
adjust the slugs in L2 and L6 for best If the converter is to be used on one the injection frequency may be used.
signal strength. Decrease the output channel, or acouple of channels less Taking the 108 MHz injection frequency,
of the signal generator so that these than 1MHz apart, then all the coils as just illustrated a36 MHz crystal
adjustments are made on afairly need only be adjusted for best signal may be used.
weak signal. strength on one channel. To determine the crystal frequency
6. Set the generator to afrequency Overall sensitivity of the converter- required for any case, use the following
near 125 MHz, or the highest fre- receiver system is very good, signals formula:
quency in which you are interested, as low as 0.2 uV being clearly audible.
and tune the receiver until you pick Crystal = lowest signa! frequency - IF
The gain control range is about 20 dB.
up the signal. Adjust the slugs in Li 2 or 3
and L5 for best signal strength. Keep Choosing A Crystal Inexpensive crystals intended for use
the generator output at alow level The frequency injected at gate 2of the in ' scanning' receivers are available
for best results. mixer FET, 02, may be above or from Dick Smith's. These provide an
below the signal frequency by an amount injection frequency above aparticular
SOME CHANNEL ALLOCATIONS aircraft channel frequency for the
equal to the IF frequency. For atunable
Frequency Channel Usage receiver used as an IF. the injection standard IF frequency of 10.7 MHz. For
118.1 Bankstown and other towers frequency should be lower than the example, for the 125.8 MHz channel,
118.7 Canberra Parafield towers lowest signal frequency by 10 MHz. the injection frequency is 136.5 MHz.
118.9 Melbourne departure These crystals have the channel
Thus, as you tune the receiver upwards
119.1 Club frequency in frequency from 10 MHz, you will frequency marked on them, not the
119.4 Sydney approach crystal frequency.
tune signals above the lowest aircraft
120.5 Adelaide/Brisbane/ band frequency ( 118 MHz). In this way
Melbourne/Sydney towers there will be asimple relationship
120.9 Automatic information Setting the crystal frequency
between the signal frequency and the
service If you require accurate frequency read-
receiver's dial. If 10 MHz equals
122.1 Area frequency out then the crystal frequency will
118 MHz, 10.5 MHz will equal
123.0 Sydney departure need 'trimming'. Coil L7 is provided for
118.5 MHz, and so on. For this
124.2 Adelaide approach this purpose. For best results adigital
situation the injection frequency will
124.4 Sydney approach frequency meter capable of measuring
be 118 - 10 = 108 MHz. As the
124.7 Brisbane/Melbourne to 150 MHz is necessary.
crystal oscillator output ( collector of
approach Lightly couple the D FM to L5 or
03) is twice the crystal frequency,
125.3 Sydney departure ihe crystal frequency should be half L6 via asmall value capacitor and see if
125.8 Area frequency of 108 MHz = 54 MHz. you get asensible reading. You may
need to connect it directly across gate- 2
of the mixer, 02.
Adjust L7 until you obtain the
correct injection frequency according to
the crystal chosen.

Multi-channel operation
If you intend using afixed frequency
IF ( on 10.7 MHz) then agroup of
crystals may be used to select the
desired channels of interest. A single-
pole, multi- position switch may be used
to select appropriate crystals.
Delete L7 on the pc board and
replace it with alink. The components
L7, C12 and R8 are also deleted. Each
crystal needs to have this circuit
attached. The channel switch is then
connected with the pole to the junction
of R9 and R10 and the trimming coil
for each crystal connects to the approp-
riate switch contact.
The following article describes a
simple groundplane type antenna
designed for our aircraft band converter.

78
 çe ,£) çe (')
c>
u x
e
z)
( cy e•
I)
)cA, Çe,d, ÇD
eç)

d`j
,o i)" (') ç'e<
oeto<, ex
courtesy
Ç,,) <see( o A
A.
rev mon (X 0 0
AC A AC
Ç9 ;*

car

general purpose power sup

code practice oscillator

emergency flash

drill speed controller

three receivers

one transistor radio

ETI mini organ

accentuated beat metronome

active antenna

simple intercoms
79
 Project 722

SIMPLE AnTEnno FOR OUR

AIRCRAFT DAHU COMIERTER
Our Project 721 has proved quite popular — for many more reasons than
we anticipated when the project was conceived. Here is a simple
groundplane type antenna that is easy to construct and uses commonly
available parts.

THE BEST ANTENNA for monitoring

length indicated ( 61 cm). This is easily termination for the coax feedline. This
purposes on VHF is one which receives
accomplished with a pair of heavy is adecided advantage.
signals equally well from every direction. sidecutters. The groundplane elements are made
Such an antenna is actually impossible These whips are obtainable from a from standard 9.5 mm (3/8") aluminium
to build, however, the nearest approach
number of sources and we have listed tube. This is available quite cheaply in
is an ' omnidirectional' antenna. That is,
them at the end of the article. two- metre lengths from hardware stores
an antenna that responds to signals
The mobile antenna mount is also a (such as Pauls in Sydney) or aluminium
equally from all directions towards the 'standard' item, readily available from z
horizon. suppliers. These elements are bolted to
variety of sources. There are two choices abracket bent up from asmall sheet of
Most transmissions encountered in here — you can either use a27 MHz CB
the 120 MHz band are vertically polar- aluminium, as shown in the assembly
antenna mount or aspecial ' VHF/UHF' diagram.
ized; the sinplest antenna one can mobile antenna mount. They are quite
The aluminium bracket should be
construct to receive vertically polarized similar in construction, however, the
transmissions from almost any direction drilled before bending. Exact details are
VHF/UHF type incorporates adiffereni not given as mechanical details will vary,
is the 'groundplane'.
style of termination for the coaxial cable depending on the size and spacing of the
In this antenna, a vertical, quarter- feedline which provides abetter 'match' U- bolt, the mast and the particular
wavelength long whip ( the ' active' part to the antenna.
antenna base used. The assembly diagram
of the antenna) is situated at the centre Note though, that the VHF/UHF

L
provides a guide. One groundplane
of two crossed, halfwavelength long bases available provide a weatherproof
metal elements — the groundplane. The element mounts inside the bend, take
centre conductor of a coaxial cable this into account when marking the bolt
holes for drilling. Element bolt holes
feedline connects to the bottom of the
may be about 30 mm apart.
vertical element while the outer conduc-
VVALL MOUNT If you wish, the bracket may simply
tor ( braid) of the coax connects to the
be screwed to a wooden mast, rather
junction of the two groundplane
elements. than bolted to atubing mast as shown
in the illustration. There is plenty of
In practice, this antenna will receive
scope for different mounting methods,
signals ranging from very low angles
(towards the horizon) to quite high but the basic assembly as shown should
be followed.
angles, with nearly equal sensitivity.
Cut the groundplane elements to
Construction Comments BARGEBOARD
r MOUNT length as shown in the illustration.
Mark and drill them according to how
So that this antenna would be easy to
you have drilled the bracket.
build by a majority of interested con-
structors we have chosen parts which Do not cut the whip to length at this
stage.
are readily obtainable.

eagle)
The vertical element ( A) is astandard
Assembly
low- band VHF whip sold for mobile
All drilling should be done first. Do an
applications. It consists of alength of
individual trial assembly of the antenna
tapered fibreglass covered in copper
CHIMNEY MOUNT mount and the elements just to see that
braid all protected by heatshrink tubing.
PARTS everything fits without coming afoul of
A plated brass ferrule on the bottom has
the other parts.
atapped hole to mate with astandard
Bend up the bracket and assemble
mobile antenna mount. The whip as it Commonly available TV antemia mounting
components are inexpensive and provide a the antenna base, connecting the coax
comes is longer than required for the
range of mounting options for the antenna at the same time. Attach the two
frequency of interest and is cut to the described here. groundplane elements. Note that one is

80
 PARTS LIST ETI-722

Whip Fibreglass quarterwave

mobile whip. Obtainable
from Mobile One or
Scalar ( Cat. No: M11).
Base Mobile antenna base.
Obtainable from Mobile
WHIP, 61cm LONG
One ( HF base A), Scalar
(type MB or OBI or IFTA
(Jackson, model 2-226).
The latter is asolderless
type.
Bracket 16or 18gauge aluminium
75 x 150 mm min size.
Elements 9.5 mm ( 3/8") dia
2x4BA BOLTS
aluminium tube.
25mm ( V) LONG
Coax RG58 ( 52 ohms) cut to
415mm;RG59 ( 75ohms)
or similar, length to suit
25-38mm MAST installation.
Connectors. . . . Belling- Lee type, coax
2x48A BOLTS plug ( e.g.: Dick Smith
----- 25mm ( 11 LONG Cat. No: P-2020) and
coax line socket ( e.g. DS
(e.g. DS Cat No: P-2030).
Miscellaneous . . 4 BA bolts and nuts, U-
bolt to suit mast diameter

MOBILE ANTENNA RG58 52 ohm coax, cut to an 'e)ectrical'

MOUNT
quarter wavelength ( to account for the
BRACKET velocity factor of the cable — awave-
9.5mm ALUMINIUM TUSE length is shorter in coax due to the effect
GROUND PLANE ELEMENTS, of the cable's dielectric). This is inserted
EACH 132cm LONG
between the antenna and the main feed-
BELLING LEE 4I2mm OF 500HM
line as illustrated in the assembly
COAX PLUG RG58 COAX
diagram.
The bandwidth of this system, and
BELLING- LEE COAX the whole antenna, is quite adequate for
LINE SOCKET the application.
A standard Belling- Lee coax line plug
REQUIRED LENGTH
is attached to the end of the RG58
OF 75 OHM RG59 matching section and aBelling- Lee coax
OR COLOUR COAX'
line socket is attached to the end of the
75 ohm feedline. This join should be
securely taped with insulation tape, or
Assembly diagram for the antenna. Inset above left shows the solderless Jackson 2-226 antenna even covered with heatshrink tubing, to
mount, inset above right shows Scalar's OB base. protect the connectors from the effects
of the weather. •
mounted beneath the bracket, in the for the feedline. This is commonly used
bend. The other is mounted on top. for colour TV installations.
The bolts go right through bracket and The impedance of a groundplane
element. antenna of this sort of construction is
Addresses
Finally,screw the whip to the mount- generally around 35 to 40 ohms. To
ing base, measure 61 cm up from the obtain best performance from the IFTA 1 Greville St, Randwick 2031
antenna it is necessary to 'match' the (PO Box 21, Bondi Beach 2026),
bracket and cut the whip at that point.
phone: ( 02) 665-8211.
feedline impedance to the antenna
Mounting Tips impedance. Fortunately, there's avery Mobile One 17 Sloane St, Marrickville 2204,
The antenna may be mounted using TV simple way to do this. phone: (02) 516-4500.

antenna mounting components. These A length of coax, one quarterwave-

Scalar 20 Shelley Ave, Kilsyth 3137,
are relatively inexpensive and widely length long, having an impedance equal phone: (03) 725-9677.
available. Standard wallmounts, barge- to the geometric mean of the two differ- 20 The Strand, Penshurst 2222.
board or chimney mounts and mast ent impedances ( that is: the square root phone: ( 02) 570-1392.
969 Ann St, Fortitude Valley 4006,
sections are ideal. of the product of the two impedances)
phone: (07) 52-2594.
Mount the antenna as high as practic will 'transform' between the two imped-
able and away from other objects for ances. This technique is called the " Q-
best results. match transformer" method.
Conveniently for us, the square root
These firms should be able to assist with
Coaxial Feedline of 35 ohms by 75 ohms is very close to whips and bases to suit the antenna and
Standard 75 ohm coaxial cable is used 52 ohms. Thus, we can use apiece of addresses of nearest suppliers.

81

o
 Project 718

SHORT WAVE
RECEIVER
Maybe you can't afford to buy the super- radio you'd like, don't worry
we've got the answer.

APART FROM THE very early sets, driving acrystal ear piece, high imped- tuning across astation. Lie most sen-
which were based upon coherers and ance head phones, or being fed to the sitive point is where this vvhistle just
other devices you never hear of today, input of an amplifier. The frequency fails to arise.
the first radios were very straight- coverage is approximately 5.5 to 25 Regeneration has t,1)e adjusted in
forward designs totally unlike today's MHz, or 54 to 12 meters. conjunction with the tuning, because
sophisticated superhets. The early Tuned This coverage includes many the setting of RV1 will change as the set
Radio Freçuency ( TRF) sets were interesting features such as the inter- is tuned across the band. The tapping
simply atuning circuit with some gain national broadcast bands at 49, 31, 25, position of the coil also influences re-
and adetector circuit, but later designs 19, 16, and 13 metres, as well as generation, and may have to be lowered
used positive feedback, in the form of amateur bands at 40, 20, and 15 metres. to obtain correct operation on some
reaction, to increase the performance. frequencies. The tapping point found to
It is still possible to get a lot of fun give the best results will also depend on
from sets of this type. Operation
the length of antenna used. As astart-
By using modern solid state com- Satisfactory operation depends on the ing point, try the middle tap and then
ponents avery simple reaction set can proper use of regeneration, which unless move the tapping point up or down the
be built which offers surprisingly good operated correctly will result in poor coil to give the strongest signals, while
performance at low cost. The Field performance and interference to neigh- still able to achieve regeneration.
Effect Transistor has almost identical bouring sets. Reception of CW signals is possible
performance to the earlier valve and is Initially,setC1abouthalfclosedand by using the regeneration control so the
the basis of this design. increase the regeneration until apoint set is just oscillating, while the tuning
The circuit of fig. 1uses an MPF can be found where signals are heard gang is set su that abeat note is heard.
131 dual gate MOSFET as aregener- when tuning. Increasing the regeneration This can also be done for SSB signals
ative detector, followed by aBC548 will increase the volume, until apoint but the tuning will be very critical.
audio amplifier stage which is capable of is reached where awhistle is heard when

82

•
 SW1

REGENERATION

AUDIO OUTPUT

ANT
clip
6-11 C2

EARTHI
/ CV1
TUNING

R3 C3

Fig. 1. Circuit diagram of the receiver.

Li
TOP VIEW
FORMER
A phase reversal occurs in the FET, so a
HOW IT WORKS — ETI 718 second phase reversal is necessary. This is
Signals from the antenna are coupled into _ MATCH STICK
achieved ty connecting the feedback to D
the tuned circuit ( Li, CV!) via the the reaction coil upside down ( i.e. to the
clip lead and the coil taps. The tapping
bottom of the winding, and the earth to
point is varied to give the best match from the top). In this condition of positive E
the antenna to the circuit, yielding the
feedback the circuit can be made to
best performance.
oscillate. G
The tuned circuit acts as a filter, only
The feedback signal now passes H
letting the desired frequency through to
through the tuned circuit again to the FET,
the FET (QI), since the tuned circuit re-
although this time it is ' detected' before
sonates at a frequency set by the position gap 41T1rn
it is amplified once more. Detection
of the variable capacitor, (CVO. As the
recovers the audio information from the
value of the capacitor is varied, so the
signal before audio amplification. The
resonant frequency of the tuned circuit, A
radio frequency choke looks like a short
and the frequency of reception, is varied. circuit to the low frequency audio signal
The radio frequency signal at the Li
which passes through it. It cannot however
desired frequency is then fed to the FET
pass through resistor R4, but is coupled to
(QI), where it is amplified and appears at
the audio amplifier (Q2) via CS, where it is Table 1 — Coil Winding Details
the drain. Because the radio frequency
amplified before being fed to the output.
choke ( RFCI) presents ahigh impedance
Any unwanted RF signal which happens Reaction coil: 4 turns of 24 B & S
(or near open circuit) to radio frequencies to get through the RF choke is shorted to
the signal passes through Cl and RV1 enamelled wire, closewound at the
earth by asmall value capacitor (C6).
to the regeneration coil wound on LI. base of the former in a clockwise
Maximum circuit gain, and therefore
Some of this signal, the amount direction.
maximum audio output, occurs when the
determined by the setting of RV1, is Tuning coil: 15 turns of 24 B & S
regeneration control is advanced so that
coupled back to the tuned circuit. enamelled wire, closewound, starting
the circuit is just not oscillating. This
For regeneration to occur, the signal 4 mm above the top of the reaction
point also yields the best ' selectivity', or
fed back to the input must be the same the ability to distinguish between close winding in aclockwise direction.
polarity or phase' as the incoming signal. stations. Taps at 2,4,6,8 and 11 turns fror
the bottom of the winding. Turr
which are tapped are raised ove
matchstick.

a
 ) VARIABLE CAPACITOR

connection through chassis

I HG F E
I I I • •
PC BOARD
PINS

TO XTAL EARPIECE
AUDIO OR HIGH IMPEDANCE
OUTPUT HEADPHONES

SW1

ANTENNA
TERMINAL

The printed circuit board

pattern is on page 157.
Fig. 2. Component overlay, as seen from the component side of the board. Note
carefully the connections to the coil.

Capacitors Miscellaneous
Cl 10 nceramic pc board ETI 718
PARTS LIST — ETI 718 C2 270p ceramic pc board pins
C3,4 100n ceramic coil former 12 x 30 mm air cored
Resistors all Y. W. 5% C5 100n greencap Dick Smith Cat.
R1 4k7 C6 in ceramic or No. L-1110
R2 1M2 greencap RFC1 2.5 mH RF choke
R3 10k Cl 10µ tantalum 16VW Dick Smith Cat
R4 2k2 C8 4µ7electro 16 VW No. L-1824
R5 1k box to suit ( see text)
R6 10k Variable Capacitor SPST on/off switch
R7 4M7 CV1 415ptuningcapacitor planetary drive, 5 to 1reduction
or similar ( see text) length of 24 B&S enamelled wire
Potentiometer 9 V battery and battery clip
RV1 2k lin pot Semiconductors knobs, rubber feet, crystal earpiece or
Q1 MPF131 dual gate high impedance headphones, headphone
MOSFET
socket
02 BC548 or similar
 Construction
All the components except the tuning
capacitor are mounted on aprinted
circuit board, ( see fig. 2). Other types of
construction such as vero board can be
used but may not offer the same repeat-
ability of results. The coil ( L1) is wotind
separately as in Table land later mounted
on the PC board. If the type of former
in the parts list is used, the solder lugs
on the former will line up with holes in
the PC board and the former can then
be held down onto the board by its con-
nections. Short lengths of wire are used
between the coil taps and the PC board.
Printed circuit pins are then soldered into
the tapping points and the tap changed
by means of the alligator clip from the
antenna terminal.
In our receiver we used one
section of asecond hand dual tuning
gang. Most gangs from an old radio will
do as long as only one section is used,
the lowest frequency of operation
depending on the value of capacitance.
The chassis is 175 by 90 mm and
140 mm deep, and is constructed
entirely from single sided PC board
(copper side inward). This method is
both cheap and easy, the front panel Rear view of the completed unit. We used one section of a dual gang tuning
being soldered onto the base plate. capacitor. The terminals from left to right are: Antenna, Earth, and the two
output connections.
Squares of PC board are soldered into
the ends for rigidity of the front panel. regeneration control ard the tuning to avoid the effects of hand capacity by
capacitor. grounding the metal chassis. The set can
A planetary drive mechanism is
used with the tuning capacitor and is be earthed to awater pipe or run to a
Antenna and Earth
attached to the front panel with two metal spike driven into the ground.
Although some signals can be heard
nuts and bolts. A plastic cursor can be
with asmall indoor antenna, an outdoor
cut from asheet of thin perspex and
antenna is much better. The antenna Performance
attached to the outside of the drive
should be as long and as high as prac- The number of short wave signals that
mechanism with Araldite to provide a
ticable, running perhaps from the house can be heard depends upon the time of
dial pointer.
to atall tree or other building. Figure 3 day early morning, late afternoon and
The regeneration potentiometer
shows E typical antenna installation night being the best. After afew periods
and the ON/OFF switch are also which will give good results. The lead in of listening at various times you will
mounted on the front panel, with the from the antenna should be kept as know what to expect. Using an indoor
antenna, earth and output connections short as possible, so agood position for antenna we were able to receive strong
mounted on asmall piece of PC board the set would be close to awindow. signals throughout the day and the
at the rear. All wiring should be kept An earth is not essential but is number of stations heard rapidly
as short as possible, especially to the generally worthwhile, since it can help increased towards dark.

INSULATOR
INSULATOR

50x100mm PAINTED
LONG WIRE —OREGON POST 4m
TO 6m LONG

ROPE FiALYARD- -e'

LEAD—IN

STAY ( IF NECESSARY)

Ill
II i
I . II
1 I I 1-7--Ti1111 II III/ Il' 1111 111
Fig. 3. A typical Long Wire antenna. The Lead—in should be as
short as possible

85
Thirty Audio Projects is the latest in our line of books designed especially with the serious constructor in mind.
Ever found yourself leafing through back- issues of ETI for the circuit of alow-noise input stage? Or looking
for some information on bucket brigade devices? Or do you need to know that the design you're using has
been checked and re-checked for circuit errors and built by people all over the world before it is published?
Thirty Audio Projects contains just that — thirty projects of the highest ET Istandard, checked and re-checked
and then presented in acompact and complete form.
The price is $3.95 — that's under fifteen cents per full project design — and they're all audio projects, thirty
of our most sought-after designs. Projects include: Simple 25 watt amp; Bucket brigade delay . line; Active
crossover; Compresser/expander; Tape noise limiter; ETI speaker system; Professional- feature mixer; Howl-
round suppressor; the ever-popular 50/100 watt amp modules; Graphic equaliser; Spectrum analyser; audio
millivoltméter.
86
 Pro:eC g37M

A universal process timer

Phil Wait
This simple timer has myriad applications in electronic and
photographic work. It features aLED display that " counts
down", indicating elapsed time, that is readily visible in
daylight or in a darkroom.

VARIOUS PROCESSES in fabricating

electronic projects require timing a
0
chemical reaction or process —
developing photoresist in making printed PROCESS TIMER
circuit boards being a prime example.
Following the completion of our SET O
darkroom here at ETI which we use for
making negatives and printed circuit 0 1

boards, it was decided a simple timer

was needed to control the light source
used for exposure. Because different
O 0 2
o
times are used for exposing film, printed
circuit photoresist and Scotchcal,
O 0 3
the timer had to have switchable ranges
which could be pre-set between a
fraction of a second and ten minutes. O 0 4 FINE
Some form of elapsed time indication
was considered necessary for the longer
exposures as was some form of fine 0
adjustment for either slightly under- or 2 3
over-exposing the film. Finally, the
unit had to switch 240 volts at several o 1 4
amps to control a bank of UV-fluoro
tubes used for exposing photoresist. o
Someone then suggested it would 0
make agood project — after all, there's
very little we do here that many of our
readers don't do themselves at home. o
In fact, this timer is not just limited
TIME
to the applications we use it for, but can
be used to control anything from an o
egg timer to an injection moulding
machine. Judging from some of the
calls we get from readers, this timer o
should find its way into all sorts of
applications.

The technique
The easiest way of producing a time ON START
delay is by using a 555 timer IC, but a
glance at the data sheet shows that it
should not be used for periods in excess ETI
of 100 seconds. By using the 555 as an 573
oscillator and feeding its output into a o
4017 counter/decoder IC the maximum

87
 - • U)111.-
,LI SI AR 7 Dl 04
FB1
mama
o 240V
MAINS IN

FINE ADJUST C3
N
--•••• RV5 100n

Cb
470..
25V

IM2

4 C2 4 7 10 1 5 6
10.

•SEF TEXT ‘ 11r

G
01
5010

Rit
240V
2 SWITCHED
5
OUTPUT
o
BC547 BC548 BC549 BC557. BC558
DS547 DS5421 D5549. DS557. DS558

timing period can be increased ten fold.

The unused decoded outputs can then
be connected to a column of LEDs
which will give an indication of elapsed
time.
Each pulse from a 555 clocks the
4017, moving a high level along its ten
decoder outputs, lighting each of the
LEDs in turn. When the high level
reaches the last output it is used to
operate the relay and thus the time
delay has been multiplied by ten.
A permanently-lit LED has been
included at the bottom of the row to
show when the unit is on. This also
gives abetter indication of elapsed time
in adarkroom, as the LEDs can be seen
to step towards areference light.
Four time ranges have been provided
with a trim pot on each one for easy
adjustment. The table gives the values
for each trim pot and Cl, for avariety
of times. The minimum time is limited
by the time taken for the relay to
operate, maximum time by the
limitation of the 555. In practice, times
from 100 mS to twenty minutes can be
achieved. For very short times the time
elapsed indication will not be much use
and the LEDs can be left off the board.
Fine adjustment of the timing is
achieved by adjusting the threshold
voltage on pin 5 of the 555. When the
Maximum voltage on pin 5 reaches a set value,
time delay 1sec 10 sec 100 sec 1000 sec the output ( pin 3) of the 555 goes
'low' ( i.e: the 555 triggers). This voltage
value of Cl 1 [IF 1p F 10pF 100pF is normally set at two-thirds the value of
the supply rail, fixing the time during
value of RV ( 1 - 4) 200 k 2M 2M 2M the charging cycle of Cl when the 555
triggers.
If the threshold voltage is increased,
the time taken for Cl to charge to the
required value increases, and the
frequency of oscillation decreases. Thus,
Table of values for Cl and RV1 RV4 required for differing time delays
the total timing period is increased.
What device you want to control

88
 TO©883 t
191[Ffi
HOW IT WORKS — E11573 When power is first applied, the relay
The timer consists of a 555 timer IC contacts RL1/1 are open and the bottom
used as an oscillator driving a4017 counter/ LED ( LED 1) is lit. When the 'start'
decoder IC, the decoded outputs being button is pressed the 4017 is reset to zero
used to drive a row of LEDs and switch by a positive pulse applied to pin 15. This
arelay.
pulse is provided from R3 and C4. Pin 11
The timing period is set by the goes low, turning on the PNP transistor
frequency of oscillation of ICI. This is 01, and the relay operates. The now
dependent on the time constant of RV1- closed relay contacts IRL1/1 Ishort out
RV4 and Cl. As either of these comp-
the start button and sustain the power
onents are increased in value the time after the start button has been released. 869 George Street,
constant will increase and the frequency The transistor also drives the reset line Sydney, NSW 2000.
of oscillation decrease. Fine frequency of the 555 ( pin 4) which commences to (Near Harris Street)
adjustment is provided by RV5 which oscillate. This ensures accurate timing Phone 211-0861, 211-0191.
adjusts the threshold voltage on pin 5 of of the first cycle.
the 555. This voltage is normally set at On the tenth pulse from the 55 pin 11
two thirds of the supply voltage, but here of the 4017 goes high, turning off 01,
it is adjusted varying the required voltage stopping the oscillator, and the relay is
across Cl to the 555.
de-energised. The contacts RL1/1 open
Output from the 555 is fed to the removing the supply to the timer returning
clock input of the 4017. After each pulse
a different decoded output of the 4017
it to its original condition, ready for
the next sequence.
We specialise in:
goes high, lighting each LED in turn. During the timing period, the second
After the tenth clock pulse the output • PC Boards for ET) and EA
set of contacts RL1/2 close and can be
on pin 11 of the 4017 goes high. We shall used to switch up to 5A using the relay projects.
come to what that does shortly. specified. •Scotchcal labels made under
order for ET) AND EA projects
1979 and onwards.
•A full range of transistors and
IC's.
•Copper- clad PC boards —
various sheet sizes.
• Utility project boxes and cases
— hardwood and diecast types.
• Leader oscilloscopes and signal
generators.
• Soar and F'uke digital volt
meters.
• University meters and
multimeters.
• Logic probes, test probes, leads,
screw terminals, plugs, sockets,
etc.
•Weller soldering stations,
soldering irons and accessories.
•Adcola soldering irons and
accessories.
•Solder and desoldering wick.
•Transforme's.
• Resistors and capacitors.

Distributors for:

XCELITE
TOOLS
MAIL ORDER CUSTOMERS
$1.00 packing plus 5 percent of order
value up to $80.00, thence aflat $4.00 for
postal items. Carrier — freight on.

OPEN: Mon-Fri Sam to 6.30pm.

Thursday night late shopping till
8.30m. Saturday Sam to 11.4Sam.
 LED10 — LED2

3
TO SW1
2 TIME

TO SW1 WIPE

ite*

R2 WIPER TO RV5
D1 D2 D3 04 ----FINE AD.:

U1
V AC FROM TO PB1 TO RELA I
Y COIL_
TRANSFORMER START

TO RELAY CONTACTS

with the timer will determine the type

of relay you use. This unit is capable of
PARTS LOST ETI 573 D5 IN914 or sim
driving quite large relays, however, we
used a commonly available Omron type Resistors all MN, 5% Q1 BC558, BC178, DS558
having contacts rated at 10 amps. R1 1M2
R2 4k7 ICi 555
Construction R3 10k IC2 4017
First, you will have to determine from R4 4k7
R5 1k LED1—
the table the correct values of RV1- LED10 TI L22OR or sim LED
RV4 and Cl to provide the times you Potentiometers
want for your application. RV1—RV4.. .See text
RV5 10k lin pot Miscellaneous
Next, mount all the components SW1 One pole, four pos. oak
taking care to correctly orientate the Capacitors switch
semiconductors. The LEDs are best Cl See text PB1 Momentary Push Button
Ti 12V, one amp trans-
mounted by inserting them into their C2 lOn greencap
C3 100n greencap former ( Ferguson type
holes and bending them over flush with
C4 10n greencap PS1 2 /15 VA or sim.)
the edge of the pc board. The photo C5 470µ 25V electro RL1 12V relay with two
shows the way I mounted the LEDs. changeover contacts,
The completed unit can be mounted Semiconductors Omron type LY2 or sim
Dl— D4 IN4004 or sim Power ETI 573 pc board, knobs, suitable box
in a variety of ways to suit individual or bracket.
Diode
applications. Either in a box, together
with its relay and amains female output
socket for the switched output, or on board should be mounted against the Simply monitor the positive supply
a panel with a remote transformer and panel so the LEDs protrude through the after the relay contacts RL1/1 and
relay as Idid. holes. measure the time the contacts operate.
To mount the unit against a front Setting up For other purposes it may be best to
panel, drill a row of ten holes for the Having assembled the unit, all that set the ranges by trial and error, such as
LEDs and four holes to line up with remains is to calibrate the ranges. This when the unit is being used for a pc
the trim pots for screwdriver adjustment is easily done with the aid of the second board or Scotchcal development timer.
of the timing. The start button, timing hand of a watch. For shorter times, In either case, the fine adjustment
switch and fine adjustment pot can be say under five seconds, an oscilloscope control should be set in its mid position
mounted anywhere convenient. The pc is best. when calibrating. •

90
 roleal,F )

Capacitance meter features

linear scale and low cost
This is the third instrument in our series of simple, inexpen-
sive, look-alike test gear projects. Roger Harrison

D.C. MILLIAMPERE.S

WE FIRST published a capacitance the series. Phil Wait took it in hand and internal batteries or a small plugpack.
meter project over two years ago. The here it is — the all-new, singing-dancing, Since constructing the original
Linear Scale Capacitance Meter, Project lemon-fresh Linear Scale Capacitance project, the writer has been consistently
136, ( ETI, March 1978) enjoyed a Meter! amazed at how often it has been used.
certain amount of popularity at the This unit has been constructed using When considering the purchase or
time it was published, but ran into afew the same type case, meter and range construction of test instruments, most
snags. Unfortunately the edgewise switch as the two previous projects in people take resistance measurement
mounting meter became difficult to the series: the frequency meter, for granted — but, in so many
procure as did, later, the case. Also, the ETI-150, and linear scale ohmmeter, applications, capacitance measurement
meter required calibration by hand. ETI-151. It can be powered from comes agood second.
Correspondence from a number of
readers also suggested extending the
range of the instrument to enable SPECIFICATIONS — Eli 152
capacitors up to 10 uF to be measured. Capacitance ranges ( full scale) 100p, in, 10n, 100, lu — to 10u on x10
So, when we were considering our
Accuracy 5%, estimate to 2% on meter scale
current range of simple, inexpensive
test gear projects, the old linear scale Calibration from internal capacitor, 2%
capacitance meter was an obvious Supply voltage 9Vdc from battery or plugpack
candidate for revamping to include in

91
 52 o
OFF

ON
SW1

R1 R2 R5
560k 470R 10k
SW2 1000p
8 4 6 7
2 IC1 lOn
5

100n

R11
1p 10M 9V BATT
OR PLUG
R12 PACK
1M
Cl
3n3
STYRO 2%
R13
(SEE TEXT)
1k5

RV1
10k lmA
CAL FSD
R4
120R

RV2
500R

HOW IT WORKS- Eli 152

A unijunction transistor, Ql, is connected which in turn discharges the unknown
as a relaxation oscillator with a frequency capacitor, Cx, and drives the output to
determined by R1-C1. The frequency of its low state.
oscillation in this instance is about 1 kHz. This cycle is repeated each time a Ranges
Pulses of about 1 us duration are negative-going trigger pulse appears at pin The unit will measure capacitance from
produced across R4 each time the UJT 2 of IC1.
5 pF up to 1 uF in five ranges with a
"fires". The resistance between b2 and bl Thus, as the range resistor value ( Rr)
x10 facility to extend the top range to
of the UJT reduces to a low value each is fixed, the ON/OFF ratio of the output
10 uF. Full-scale values for each range
time the emitter conducts. Much of the voltage will be determined by the value
charge stored in Cl is " dumped" across of Cx. The ON/OFF ratio is independent are: 100 pF;1 nF ( 1000 pF or 0.001 uF);
R4 for the short duration that the e-bl of the relaxation oscillator frequency and 10 nF ( 0.01 uF); 100 nF (0.1 uF) and
junction of 01 conducts. trigger pulse duration. 1uF — extended to 10 uF with the x10
The narrow pulses across R4 drive the The current measured through the switch.
base of 02 via R3, which serves as a base- 'load' resistor on the output ( R6) of IC1 The x10 switch actually works on
current limiting resistor. The pulses cause will thus be directly proportional to the all ranges and is handy when checking
02 to conduct for the same duration, that value of the unknown capacitor Cx. capacitors that over-range when a
is, about 1 us, and negative-going pulses The meter, Ml, measures the current
particular range is selected, so that the
from the collector of 02 drive the through R6, the meter inertia 'averaging'
appropriate range can be readily found.
"TRIGGER" input of the 555 timer, IC1. the current.
Different ranges can be provided by
This is connected to operate as a mono-
As the voltage at the output pin does selecting different values for the range
stable in this circuit.
not quite swing between the +ve supply resistors R7 to R11. For example
When IC1 receives a trigger pulse at
rail and the OV rail in its ' high' and '
low' 47 pF to 0.47 uF ( in five ranges),
pin 2, the flip-flop is set, releasing the
states respectively, the dc offset is com-
short circuit across Cx and driving the 4.7 uF with the x10 in, could be
pensated for by returning the ' load' current
output, pin 3, high. The voltage across the obtained by changing R7 to 470R, R8
through an offset voltage developed across
capacitor then increases exponentially for to 4k7 etc. However, the meter scale
RV2 via R13 from the supply rail.
a period that depends on the value of the would need to be recalibrated. As it
unknown capacitance Cx. The period is Zero-setting is accomplished by making stands, the scale reads capacitance
determined according to the formula: RV2 variable. A calibration control is
directly.
provided by making a portion of the ' load'
t = 1.1 RrCx The meter scale provides divisions of
resistance variable — RV1 here.
5% and the actual capacitance value can
— where ' Rr' is the range resistor, and 'Cx' The ' X10' switch simply reduces the
the capacitor being measured. sensitivity of the meter, allowing measure- be estimated to about 2% or so, once
At the end of the period, the compar- ment of a high output pulse- on to pulse- off the unit is calibrated. Overall accuracy
ator inside the 555 resets the flip-flop ratio. will depend on the meter and the
calibration capacitor accuracy.

92
 nrnea sca eea PalCra
PARTS LIST - ETI 152 C
to SW2
E - tJ
RCM / BC 548 BC 545 BC5s1 BCSS8
to LED1 ANODE
FLAT ON SIDE OF
CASE OR SHORT
Resistors LEAD
all 1
2 W, 5% ( except R7--
/ 0554/ 05548 DS545 CAM, Dsr, s

R12)
R1 560k to M1 (+) and R14 pos 1 pos 2 pos 3 pos 4 pos 5 pos 6
R2 47OR
R3 1k5
I / / CAL
R4 12OR I 1 \ \ ‘
R5 10k
R6 1k5
R7
-
lk 2%
R8 10k 2% C3 in
R9 100k 2% RV1 CAL R191k5
styro
R10 1M 2%
Mom,
R11 10M 2%
R12 1M 2%
R13 1k5
R14 12R ti)
-01'to SW1 (+9V)
02 R5 10k
Potentiometers
• t:::
RV1 10k min vert mounting
trim pot
RV2 500R lin pot CX TERMINAL
$ e b R6. 1k5
..and SW2 WIPER

.
Capacitors R3 1k5 R1 560k e s = = 1
Cl 3n3 2% tolerance - see
-b2 47.R
• •
text
C2 10n greencap a
lit

C3 in 2% tolerance - see
text
C2 10n
C4 100n greencap
OV from BATTERY
Semiconductors OV to CX TERMINAL
LED1 TI L22OR or similar LED
C4 100n OV to RV2
01 2N2646, 2N2647 uni -
Cl 3n3 styro
junction meter will thus be directly proportional
02 BC548, BC108
to the ratio of the time the output pulse
ICI 555 timer is on to the time it is off, resulting in a
_
PULSE TIME

linear relationship of capacitance to OSCILLATOR

Miscellaneous meter reading. A low value of

M1 lmA FSD meter 60 mm
capacitance connected to the 'CX' 556 OUTPUT PULSES

square, University TD66

or similar terminals will produce ashort duration LOW CT

pulse and thus a low meter reading; a

SW1 SPST miniature toggle high value of capacitance will produce
LOW METER
READING 556 OUTPUT PULSES
switch
SW2 one pole six pos wafer
a long duration pulse and ahigh meter HIGH VALUE

switch reading, as illustrated on the

SW3 SPST miniature toggle accompanying diagram. HIGH METER V
READING
—

switch The output pulse of the 555 swings The unknown capacitance, Cx, determines
SK1, SK2 . . . screw terminals between values of about 2/3 of the the width of the output pulses from the 555
supply voltage (' high') and 1/3 of the monostable. The meter integrates these pulses
ETI 152 pc board, 9V battery ( type 216) supply voltage (' low'). Thus, the meter to produce areading which is directly propor-
and battery clips, plastic case 130 mm x tional to the unknown capacitor's value.
needs to be returned to a voltage of
130 mm x 75 mm, knobs.
about 1/3 of the supply, otherwise es and terminals are easy to use with
current would flow through it plenty of finger room.
Design continuously. Conveniently, this voltage Start your construction with the pc
A pulse oscillator, Ql, running at a is set by a pot on the front panel which
board making sure that the integrated
pulse repetition frequency of about 1 serves as a zero set' control. The meter
circuit is the right way around. Take
kHz, triggers a 555 timer IC which is is calibrated by varying the resistance in care also with the transistor and
connected as a monostable multi- series with the meter, rather than having UJT orientation. Capacitors Cl and C3
vibrator. The 555 in this configuration preset range resistors. This results in
determine the overall accuracy of the
will produce apulse at its output, pin 3, better accuracy and requires only one
instrument and should be close
having a period determined by the preset control. The CAL. position on
tolerance types. Some suppliers carry
values of the range resistor selected and the range switch is for occasional
arange of close tolerance silver mica or
the unknown capacitance. The lower checking. Any significant variation in
styroseal capacitors. Alternatively, if
the value of the unknown capacitance, the calibration will generally indicate a
you have a friend or employer with a
the shorter the duration of the output low battery.
capacitance bridge you can select one
pulse from the 555. Conversely, the close to the required value ( In) from
higher the value of the unknown standard tolerance types. See s hop-
capacitance, the longer the duration of Construction around on page 160 for suppliers that
the output pulse. We mounted our meter in a matching stock suitable capacitors. The range
The output pulse is passed through a case to our Linear Scale Ohm meter and resistors R7 to R12 should also be
moving-coil meter which will integrate Frequency Meter. The front panel close tolerance ( 2%) types.
the pulse waveform. The reading on the layout is alittle cramped but all switch- All other components, including

93
the x10 range resistor, are mounted on tance affects the meter zero reading on Above is a full-size reproduction ot the front
the front panel. Mount the smaller the 100p scale. Simply adjust the panel artwork. You may cut it from the book
if you wish and use it directly. Alternatively.
switches and terminals first, followed ZERO SET control so that the meter Scotchcal reproductions will be available from
by the potentiometers and last of all reads zero before taking a measure- Radio Despatch Service in Sydney.
the meter. The resistor R14 is wired ment on this range.You'll find that
from the positive meter terminal to once the instrument is zeroed on the
one of the contacts on the range switch, in range, the higher ranges will not
SW3. require further adjustment of the
The printed circuit must be mounted zero set.
so the lead length from the Cx terminals In use, occasionally check the
is as short as possible to avoid stray calibration. If grossly in error, your
capacitance. Mount the pc board to battery is about to go flat. A No.216
Same-size reproduction of the pc board
the bottom of the case just behind the battery should give quite a long life artwork. See Shoparound on page 160 for
terminals and use tinned copper wire as the unit draws less than 20 mA. For details on pc board suppliers.
to make the connections making sure longer life aNo.2362 battery is recom-
that the wires are well spaced from mended. If you operate the unit from a
each other and well away from the plug-pack, one rated at 6 Vdc output
rest of the circuit. Wire each connection should deliver more than AV at this low
from the board to the components on load, which is perfectly adequate.
the front panel carefully to avoid errors. Remember that any devices used to
When the construction is complete grip the leads of capacitors being
check all the wiring but don't assemble measured will add stray capacitance
the lid to the box yet. Switch to the In and you will need to compensate for
range and turn the instrument on. this by readjusting the zero set control.
Adjust the ZERO SET pot and see that However, this will only have to be done
the meter pointer varies about the on the 100p and in ranges as the added
zero scale marking. If it doesn't, check capacitance will be negligible on the
the pc board and panel wiring. If all is higher ranges.
well, set the control so the meter The 5c10' switch is primarily intended
pointer is on the scale zero mark. Then, to extend the lu range to 10u, although
switch to the CAL position and the it is useful on the other ranges — when a
meter pointer should move up the capacitor being measured over-ranges
scale. Adjust the CAL trimpot on the you can assess whether it is just above
pc board, RV1, so that the meter the range selected or many ranges up in
reads ' 1'. Switch to any range and value.
you're ready to go! Well, there you go! Ihope you find
You will find that stray capaci- this instrument as useful as Ihave. •

94
 PF)c),Deica
-

Electronic ohmmeter features

linear scale and high accuracy
Many workshop, laboratory and hobby applications require
accurate measurement of resistor values or accurate
matching of resistors of the same nominal value. This
simple instrument fills the bill for the sort of measurement
required.

THIS INSTRUMENT is a simple and inherently more accurate readings of be added but would not be accurate
inexpensive semi-precision ohmmeter resistance than multimeter type ohm- over about a few megs. The lowest
that can be used to give accurate meters. resistance range is determined by the
readings of resistance from afew tens of current capacity of the op-amp,
ohms to one megohm. The unit has four The technique reference supply, and the batteries.
decade ranges covering 1k to 1M full The circuit consists of a voltage Calibration of the instrument is
scale and has afull scale accuracy of 2% reference feeding an operational achieved by adjusting the trimpot for
if low tolerance range resistors are used. amplifier The gain of the op-amp correct reading with aknown resistance.
Conventional moving coil ohmmeters set by the ratio of the range resistors,
have non-linear scales which typically R3 to R6, to the feedback resistor, Rx. Construction
cover two to four decade ranges of A mov'ng-coil meter is connected to the The ohmmeter can either be
resistance value on a single scale. With output of the op-amp and the reading constructed as a completely
such a range of resistance it is will be the reference voltage multiplied contained unit, with its own moving-
impossible to obtain an accurate by the gain of the op-amp. Therefore, coil meter, as we have done, or it can be
reading, especially at the higher values. the reading is proportional to the gain built as an add-on to an existing multi-
To measure resistance values with of the op-amp which in turn ts meter having a 1mA dc current range.
reasonable accuracy, the usual rrethod proporional to the value of Rx, the As the meter is the most expensive
is to use a Wheatstone Bridge, often unknown resistor. part the latter method is by far the
very expensive and time consuming. The op-amp we selected is a 301, cheapest way of doing it.
By contrast, this ohmmeter gives used for its low input current. This The construction is straightforward
resistance readings on a linearly ensures that the highest resistance range with all the minor components mounted
calibrated scale and covers only asingle is not shunted by the input resistance on a pc board. Take care with the
decade of resistance on each switched of the op-amp causing inaccuracy at polarity of the zener diode. The 301
range. The instrument thus gives higher values. In fact a 10M range could op-amp cannot be substituted by a

95
 r© ©©ft 51

_ 2
741 as it has been selected for its low of the instrument will be about two components. We used acommon plastic
input current. The overall accuracy percent. See Shoparound for a list of case, identical to the one used for the
of the instrument is determined by the suppliers with close tolerance resistors. Linear Scale Frequency Meter (page 61).
tolerance of the range resistors ( R3 to When the pc board assembly is If you are making an add-on version of
R6) and the accuracy of the meter. If complete, fit the board into the box the meter, fit a couple of screw
1% or 2% resistors are used the accuracy and complete the wiring to the major terminals in place of the meter for

10K 100K
• •
1K,

E
LINEAR OHMMETER

o o
ON ETI151
RIGHT: Front panel artwork. Sco tchcal
overlays will be available from Radio
Despatch Service in Sydney.

96
 cc- bee! SCff eohmuffneer
8[547. 8C548 BC549, 8C557. 8C558
SKI 5/(2
05547. DS548, DS544. 05557. 05558
HOW IT WORKS — ETI 151
The linear scale ohmmeter circuit is
divided into two parts: areference voltage
+9V
generator and areadout unit that indicates
the value of the resistor under test. The
R3
1k0 2% reference voltage generator section of the
1m A circuit comprises saner diode ZD1,
SW2 FSD transistor 01, and resistors RI and R2.
10k 2% 2
The action of these components is such
• R5 2 7 that a stable reference of about 5V is
100k 2% T 9V
'Cl developed across R2. This reference
R6 3 8 voltage is fed to the op-amp resistance-
3 indicating circuit via range resistors R3 to
4 R8 R6.
2k7
R2 Cl The op- amp is wired as an inverting
5 lkO R7 100p deamplifier, with the 1mA meter and R8-
V6 560k
RV1 RVI forming a voltmeter across its
C/SW1a
4k7 output, and with the op-amp gain
CAL
OV determined by the relative values of
ranging resistors R3 to R6 and by the
\SW1b negative feedback resistor Ax. RVI is
adjusted so that the meter reads full scale
when Ax has the same value as the
The circuit diagram, above, shows just how
simple the instrument is. The internal view selected range resistor. Under this
at left illustrates placement of the major condition the op-amp circuit has avoltage
9V gain of precisely unity. Since the values of
components. We secured the pc board with a
strip of double-sided tape, available in hard- the reference voltage and the ranging
ware stores. resistors are fixed, the reading of the
T 9V
meter is directly proportional to the value
of Rx, and the circuit thus functions as a
connection to your multimeter. Calibration
linear-scale ohmmeter and has a full
We used a ` Lorlin' range switch made When construction is complete, switch scale value equal to the value of the
by C&K. These switches start out life selected range resistor.
the unit on and check that the LED
as atwo-pole six-position switch and are lights up. If it doesn't, check the wiring
easily changed to four position by and the polarity of the LED. When all is
moving round a small metal ring well connect an accurately known
PARTS LIST - ETI 151
beneath the securing nut. Only one pole resistor ( having a value within the Resistors all /
2 W
1
is used. In this way, C&K have come up range of the instrument) across the (• See text)
with a single switch which can be terminals and adjust the trimpot for the R1 2k7 5%
changed to suit your own needs. correct reading. The unit is then ready R2 1k 5%
R3 1k*
If your supplier stocks this switch for use and should not require further R4 10k*
he will show you how to adjust it. Any calibration. You could purchase a R5 100k*
other single-pole four-position switch 1k, 1% resistor specifically for this R6 1M•
will do just as well. purpose. R7 560k 5%

RV1 5k minimum vertical

trim pot

to SK1 and OV from Capacitors

wiper SW2 SW1 a & b Cl 100p ceramic

li
—9V from Semiconductors
LED1 TI L220 red LED or
BATTERY
RVi
similar
ZD1 5V1 400mW zener diode
Q1 BC109, BC549,
or similar
to S K2 ...se IC1 301 op amp

Miscellaneous
to METER (—) SW1 DPDT minimum toggle
switch
SW2 one pole four position
wafer switch

M1 lmA FSD meter 60 mm

square, University TD66
+9V from.....
or similar
BATTERY
SK1, SK2 . screw terminals

ETI 151 pc board, two 9V batteries

to SW2 (type 216) and battery clips, plastic case
130 mm x 130 mm x 75 mm, knob.

97
 -RF .
..116NAL _70 ATOR
EN"
\

fEfi;lerP etiEn
.4;c
r,pf
ÁLL>'i()Gre -
LIE P1e.t./E7T
Al ¡ PÓI

Project construction and debugging is so much easier if you have the appropriate test equipment. The same applies when servicing
manufactured electronic equipment. Our first Test Gear book was extraordinarily popular. Test Gear 2, assemples 27 of our test
instrument projects published over the last few years in one handy volume, including: 487 Audio Spectrum Analyser, 320 Battery
Condition Indicator, 717 Crosshatch Generator, 135 Digital Panel Meter, 132 Experimerter's Power Supply, 719 Field Strength/
Power Meter, 140 1GHz Frequency Meter, 141 Logic Trigger, 129 RF Signal Generator, 139 SWR/Power Meter, 222 Transistor
Tester, 148 Versatile Logic Probe — and more. Price: $3.95 plus 55 cents postage and handling, from ETI, Subscription
Department, 15 Boundary St, Rushcutters Bay NSW 2011. Also available from newsagents and selected electronics suppliers.

98
Project 585

ULTRASONIC SWITCH

Two- board design forms basis for awide range of applications from
door- bells to data transmission!

THE USE OF an invisible beam to

transmit information or to act as an
alarm system has always been
fascinating. We have described light
operated systems of the infra- red
(invisible), normal light and laser beam
types. We have also published a radar
alarm system. This unit uses a high
frequency acoustical beam, well above
the range of human hearing, which can
be used simply as a door monitor,
i.e. to give an alarm if the beam is
broken, or can be modulated at up to
several hundred Hz This will allow
information to be transmitted.

Construction
The construction of the units is not
critical — any method may be used
although the PC boards are recom-
mended. We didn't mount the relay on SPECIFICATION — ETI 585
the PCB as it can vary in size and if the
unit is later used with a modulated Frequency 40 kHz
beam, the relay will not be needed.
The only adjustment on the unit is Range 5 metres
the sensitivity control and this should
be set to give reliable operation. The Maximum modulation frequency 250 Hz
transmitter needs a supply voltage of (not with relay output)
8 V to 20 V at about 5 mA. This could
come from the regulated supply on the Output relay, closed when
receiver board. beam is made.
If it is required to extend the effect
of aquick break in the beam or aquick Power supply
burst from the transmitter, the resistor Receiver 10 — 20 Vac or
R9 can be replaced by C4 and this will 14 — 25 Vdc
Transmitter 8 — 20 Vdc ( only)
give aminimum operation time of about
1second.

99
Project 585
,11.6V

14
OUTPUT
o
03

AD2

-.LC5 1
1r2i7V
1
1°We 14-25V oc
dc
4
R10
4k7

03

TRANSDUCER T R1
10k
=C1
R11
1k

OV
o
Fig. 1. Circu't diagram of the receiver. NOTES:
VOLTAGES MEASURED WITH NO INPUT
SIGNAL USING A VOLTMETER WITH
BC548 10 MEG OHM INPUT IMPEDANCE.
13C548 Philips or Seirnens 78LI2
01-03 ARE BC548
o D1 IS 1N914
bo D2,D3 ARE 1N4001
C4 IS USED INSTEAD OF R9 IF A
MONOSTABLE ACTION IS REQUIRED.

o
12. 0V +12V

R5
1k

585V1.,
C5
2n2

C2
10n 2
R1 = C6
120 100•

01 TRANSDUCER
e

63V
R6
2.70

OV
o
CALIBRATION
NOTE: VERT CAL 561449 6v.
VOLTAGES MEASURED USING HORIZONTAL 10ms idév.
C3 A VOLTMETER WITH 10 MEG
47n OHM INPUT IMPEDANCE.

Fig. 2. Circuit diagram of the transmitter. Fig. 3b. Voltage on the base of 02 in the
transmitter.

CALIBRATION
VERTICAL 611 / di..
HORIZONTAL 111•1 / di,.

Fig. 3e. Waveform across the transducer on the Fig. 3c. Voltage on the collector of 02.
the transmitter.

100
 HOW IT WORKS - ETI 585
Transmitter
8
fhis is an oscillator the frequency of
IC2 which is determined by the transducer
Le C3
characteristics. The impedance curve of
C *la the transducer is similar to that of a
clifb .efrboi R7
R11 crystal with aminimum ( series resonance)
TO RE LAY
Ydi 02 Et COIL at 39.8 kHz followed by a maximum
(parallel resonance) just above it at
TRANSDUCER CO
- le."(=1".R5 1 4;r
R3 41.5 kHz.
•••Cike03 In the circuit the two transistors are
used to form a non-inverting amplifier
1 It
and positive feedback is supplied via the
Fig. 4. Overlay of the receiver. transducer, R6 and C3. At the series
resonant frequency this feedback is strong
INPUT
VOLTAGE enough to cause oscillation.
Capacitors Cl and C4 are used to
prevent the circuit oscillating at the third
harmonic or similar overtones while C5
is used to shift the series resonant point
PARTS LIST - ETI 585 T
up about 500 Hz to better match the
receiver.
Resistors all '/, 1N 5% • +12V
R1 120k Receiver
R2 6k8 02 11M—•-ille0V
The output from the transducer is an a.c.
R3 100k
ILO..
melb,e04 voltage proportional to the signal being
R4 8k2
detected (40 kHz only). As it is only a
R5 lk
R6 2.7 ohms very small level it is amplified by about
70 dB in QI and Q2. D.c. stabilization
Capacitors
of this stage is set by RI and R3 while Cl
Cl 1n0 polyester
C2 10n " closes this feedback path to the 40 kHz
C3 47n " a.c. signal.
C4 560p ceramic Fig. 5. Overlay of the transmitter. The output of Q2 is rectified by DI
C5 2n2 polyester and the voltage on pin 2 of ICI will go
C6 100µ 25V electro more negative as the input signal increases.
Transistors If the input signal is strong the amplifier
(11,2 BC548 will simply clip the output, which on very
PARTS LIST - ETI 585 R
Miscellaneous strong signals will be a square wave
PC board ETI 585 T Resistors all MN 5% swinging between the supply rails.
40kHz transmitter R1 10k IC1 is used as acomparator and checks
case to suit R2 100k the voltage on pin 2, i.e. the sound level,
R3 100 ohms to that on pin 3 which is the reference
R4 10k level. If pin 2 is at alower voltage than
R5 2k2
pin 3, i.e. asignal is present, the output of
R6 100k
R7 68k ICI will be high (about 10.5 volts) and
R8 100k this will turn on Q3 which will close the
R9 1M relay. The converse occurs if pin 2 is at a
R10 4k7 higher voltage than pin 3.
All 1k A small amount of positive feedback is
Potentiometer provided by R9 to give some hysteresis to
RV1 50k trim prevent relay chatter. If R9 is replaced by
Capacitors the capacitor C4 the IC becomes a mono-
Cl 140 25V electro stable and if the signal is lost for only a
C2 10µ 25V " short time the relay will drop out for
C3 47n polyester about 1 second. If the signal is lost for
04 10µ non polarised more than 1 sthe relay will be open for
electrolytic the duration of the loss of signal.
C5 1000µ 16V electro
We used avoltage regulator to prevent
Semiconductors supply voltage fluctuations triggering the
Q1- Q3. . . BC548 unit. The relay was not included on the
IC1 LM301A
regulated supply, allowing a cheaper
IC2 78L12
regulator to be used.
01 1N914
D2,3 1N4001
Miscellaneous
PC board ETI 585 R
40 kHz receiver
12 V relay
case to suit

Fig. 6. Printed circuit board of receiver.

Full size 70 x 40.

Fig. 7. Printed circuit board of transmitter.

Full size 46 x 36.

101
Biofeedback a bridge
to bionics
Tom Benjamin

Machines to aid human motor functions, or to replace

functions lost through birth defects or accidents, are now
able to be linked to the brain using electronic biofeedback
techniques — chief among these being the
electromyogram, a sensor of the tiny bio-electrical
impulses controlling muscle activity.

chairs, artifical legs, and hearing aids sense of " touch" was a pair of strain
"Why should we offer you apilot's job?", may someday give way to the sort of gauges attached to the mechanical
asked the interviewer. intrigue and admiration we feel toward fingers to register the slight bend which
"In addition to my considerable private
TV's growing bionic community. occurs when grasping. The sense of
experience. I have superior reflexes",
replied Geoff. From another direction, we have "force" was provided by an electro-
"But surely a desk job would be more been increasingly prepared for the myograph ( EMG) which amplifies the
suited to your .... uh ... capabilities." appearance of more human-like robots electrical activity of a muscle's nerves,
"My 'handicap', you mean?.., perhaps
(see ET! July/Aug ' 78). The ` droids' of converting this to a signal capable of
an old trick could help me make my point.
Would you mind placing your thumb and Star Wars are the only characters beside controlling the motor. The EMG was
finger on either side of this card? . . . Now the noble Ben who show a selfless attached to the forearm between the
see if you can catch it when ldrop it.. . compassion — as when C3P0 offers to elbow and the patient's amputated
before it slips through. .. Ready? lend his own components to his comrade
Without warning, Geoff then dropped stump. The muscles measured in this
the card ... the interviewer's fingers closed
R2D2. (They are also the only characters case normally control movement of the
on empty space. refused entry to the pub!) Today's fingers — now they control an electric
"Now you try it," said Geoff. Sci-Fi robots are much more intro- motor in an artificial hand.
The interviewer dropped the card without spective and soul-searching than ever
warning ... it fell about tOmm before
The brain is regarded as " the last
before. defence perimeter" of a person's iden-
Geoff caught it.
"Following my accident," said Geoff Thus, the media has looked at the tity. Fears of electrical stimulation and
dispassionately, "the surgeons put me bridge between man and machine from control of the brain have been expressed
back together again . . . the engineers both ends. The engineer who builds a
made some improvements.. . this is in such works as Brave New World and
one of them. There are others . . ." more human ` droid' and the biologist The Terminal Man. However, it seems
who creates machine-like capabilities for likely that many severely handicapped
the human are each working towards a persons will gladly trade some amount
THE short story above, imaginary though new species. A quite believable example of personal identity and privacy for
it is, may very well represent areal-life from 2001: A Space Odyssey was the increased abilities with which to contact
situation in the not too distant future. Jupiter space craft complex, with its and manipulate the outside world.
Geoff, the bionic pilot, isn't flying combination of human crew and HAL, Today's multiply-handicapped
yet but our minds have been prepared for the computer, vying for control of the person — quadraplegic or brain-damaged,
his appearance years in advance thanks to mission. An alien spacetraveller might can look forward to apretty sedentary
'The Six Million Dollar Man' and 'The well have had difficulty in figuring out life. A number of complex switching
Bionic Woman' — souped-up, sexed-up "Who's in charge here?" in a close circuits can put such amenities as a
versions of last century's Frankenstein's encounter with this craft. typewriter, TV, and intercom at the
Monster. person's disposal. Currently, these
Current progress in bionics circuits interface via ablow-tube on/off
Today's handicapped person may
sometimes feel like a " Six Dollar Man" In November 1978, Dr. G. Shannon, of switch or, more recently, via a matrix
Queensland University, published an system switched by photocells activated
compared with TV's Steve Austin.
account of a "myoelectrically controlled by abeam mounted on the head. Neither
However, the stigma attached to pros-
thetic devices such as electric wheel- hand" capable of providing sensory of these systems can provide the multi-
feedback about the strength of grip channel, simultaneous, analogue type
applied by its electric motor — possibly of control required for complex move-
BIONICS: The emulation of biological the first of its kind accepted and used ment and manipulation. A more direct
components, 'body parts', with electro-
mechanical ones with the object of their
for any length of time by its recipient. interface is required.
ultimate replacement. The mechanism used for providing a In addition to artificial hands, there

102
Illustrating muscle relaxation training using our own electromyogram project (see page 107). This project design is based on criteria given by the
author of this article and compares very well with commercially made machines. Learning to relax is Jan Collins, our general sectetary and office
organizer note calm expression, unfurrowed brow and general aura of peace!

are a variety of aids being perfected to than dream. Similar experiments with the sought to shed light upon " the nature
replace and assist the eyes, ears, and legs auditory cortex have shown promise, of the will" by observing how sub-
of those who are denied their use, either although the frequency range perceived jects learned to direct muscles to serve
by birth or accident. Implantations in has thus far been limited. a mental command. Ile taught his
the visual cortex of an electronic grid subjects to wiggle their ears by observing
which produces light sensations have Biofeedback their efforts amplified via a system of
brought artificial vision closer to reality In 1901 the psychologist, JAI Blair, pressure-filled drums onto akymograph

MAN VERSUS MACHINE A COMPARISON learning capability very limited learning capability

direct interface difficult due to modular construct•on allows

the body's rejection systems limitless interface
What are some of the strengths and weaknesses that each brings to
an interface between man and machine? ( see ETI July 78). The
indirect opto/mechanical interface direct amplification of outputs
space programmes and the nuclear arms race have forced a perhaps with outputs
premature look at these issues. The age of cloning and bionics may
well force a further look. A shopper for bionic and cloned corn- complex manipulative ability strong but clumsymanipulative ability
ponents might keep the following shopping list:
flexibility in short-distance capable of fast, extended travel over
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES locomotion over rough terrain large distances — land, sea, air, space

MAN MACHINE low energy consumption: < 100 W high energy requirements
on-line processing and data reduction reliance upon external sensors
of multi- sensory input low energy output: < 400W high energy output

limited CPU dependent upon size must be protected disposable

large CPU capacity ( 10 2° bits) relative
to size
must be maintained alive can be switched off indefinitely
delicate components require an capable of operation in extremely Well, shoppers which would you choose..
artificial environment hostile environments • if you wanted to move a ' fridge up two flights of stairs?
• if you wanted to turn out small components on an assembly line?
reliability through redundancy; reliability through strength of
• if you were outfitting a craft bound for Alpha Centauri? t'
multiple back-up systems components
Greek Isles?

103
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104
(early chart recorder). A notched lever rhythms of the motor unit firings the kidney have long plagued pioneers
fitted to the wall of adrum transmitted resemble a noise signal. To the person in transplant and pacemaker research.
small ear movements as pressure changes observing the tracing, however, the effect The courtship of medicine and
to asecond drum to which was affixed a is like that of an orchestra. From the engineering has been equally stormy.
chart-pen. The subjects made efforts to assembled patterns, the traces of single Outsiders such as physicists, psycholo-
wiggle these long-disused muscles and rhythms could be discerned. With gists and engineers who operate within
were rewarded by feedback from the practise, Basmajian's subjects learned to the inner sanctum of medical care often
pen tracing. be able to recognise and control single complain publicly about their `sidekick'
Today we know this principle as motor unit firings — voluntary control status, minimal financial return from
"Biofeedback" ( see ET! Sept. ' 76). By over the action of asingle body cell in the great health 'pork barrel', and lack
monitoring the various activities of the isolation! of reciprocity in learning the other's
body with today's sensitive electronic The significance of the discovery was secrets.
equipment, an average person can learn not lost upon orthotists, biomechanical Even granted the smoothest of inter-
to control avariety of bodily functions engineers, and doctors. The electro- professional relations, there is alengthy
as adeptly as many trained Yogis. Such myograph had been in use since the ` 20s process involved in fitting even the
activities as heartrate (see ET! — 544, as an expensive laboratory tool capable simplest of prosthetic devices to the
Sept. "76), skin temperature ( ETI — 130), of measuring the activity of the nervous most willing of recipients:
skin conductance ( ETI — 546), blood system in controlling the body's 1. Construction: devices used in real life
pressure and brainwave synchrony can movements. By the '60s, however, the must be durable, simple to operate
be readily measured and converted into devices had become cigarette pack in by someone not concentrating,
an audio/visual signal suitable for size and capable of interface with a "normal" in appearance, and cheap
providing feedback to the trainee. variety of electronic devices. The enough for the disadvantaged
myo-electrically (muscle-electrically) recipient to afford.
In the early `60s, Dr. John Basmajian
controlled prosthesis was born. 2. Fitting: an orthotic team must
investigated the ability of persons to
ensure that the device is precisely
control the 'motor units', which are
responsible for muscle contraction,
From laboratory to mated to the person's height, weight,
rehabilitation centre shape of limb, and cosmetic needs.
using EMG biofeedback. He used needle
3. Training: a team of physiotherapists
electrodes 25 bim in diameter, inserted The human body is notorious for its
and occupational therapists must put
beneath the skin to contact a large ability to reject as "foreign matter" the
the recipient through a graduated
number of the tiny motor units. The finest creations of the best-intending
series of tasks to allow practice in
oscilloscope tracings of the combined implanter. The problems encountered in
mastering the device. EMG biofeed-
back provides a bridge between the
trainee and his new addition.
The myoelectronic prosthesis is
currently only in experimental use.
Many of the needs of the handicapped
are better served with simpler mechani-
cal limbs, spring-soled shoes and, of
course, the ubiquitous wheelchair. But
the day may not be far off when the first
handicapped person opts for a myo-
electric device which gives him abilities
he lacked before his accident.

The electromyogram (EMG)

The electrical output of amuscle derives
from the motor units which entwine the
contracting fibres of the muscles. As a
number of motor units fire to contract a
muscle, their asynchronous firings
resemble a noise signal, modulated in
amplitude. Numerous studies have
attempted to describe the statistical
properties of the complex EMG signal.
It may be regarded for practical
purposes as:
eamplitude modulation
ea weighted sum of the potentials of
the motor units

Oa function of the number of units,

their rate of activation, and the
quality of electrical contact
Amplification of the EMG signal
Current prosthetic hand replacements' are capable of quite a range of manipulative movement. presents problems to the amateur con-
With improved materials and electromechanical controls employing biofeedback, such prosthetics structor. The output of arelaxed muscle
will improve markedly in appearance and performance. is of the order of one or two microvolts

105
peak to peak. To tap this signal from obtained through acombination of the at the wrist and dropping it, allowing
the skin is no mean feat. The skin is following features: it to flop lifelessly onto the lap; note
itself a source of electrical activity, the sensations as the arm is allowed
•ac coupling,
whose surface resistance changes with to become more and more " numb"
mood (see ETI — 546 galvanic skin and " heav ".
ma high input impedance ( 100 K) or
response meter, March ' 77), and asource 'bootstrapped' differential pre-amp.
of a dc potential which can dwarf the
feeble EMG signal from beneath. •a threshold for amplitude which
An amplifier which meets the strict chops the midportion of the signal,
demands of electromyography will giving greater contrast to small
probably have some of the following changes in input.
specification:
• common mode rejection of greater •filtering for mains, radio, and heart-
than 70 dB beat frequencies.

•noise level less than 1µV p-p ma narrow bandwidth, centred around
200 Hz say 100 Hz to 500 Hz.
•sensitivity of at least 2 µV p-p
mprovision for both direct and time-
al linearity over the range 1µV to 10 mV integrated readings to capture both
transients and average levels of 2. Connection to forehead — raise and
activity. lower the eyebrows, frown, squeeze
the eyes shut, bite hard: note how all
•audio and visual output for feedback. of the facial muscles interconnect;
close the eyes and allow the face to
For practical use there are mechanical
become "smooth", listening to the
considerations as well. The electrodes
audio feedback as the muscles lose
are, of necessity, attached at some point
their tightness.
in the system by flexible cable to allow
movement by the user. But cable, 3. Connection to neck ( cervical or
however well shielded, presents its own trapezius) — shrug the shoulders,
problems of noise. One solution is to move the head from side to side:
mount the electrodes, together with a note the postures in which the muscle
compact preamplifier stage, into asingle output becomes lowest — slightly
assembly worn directly on the user. The drooped shoulders, head balanced
amplifier, integration, power, switching vertically; lose that tight feeling in
and output functions, built into alarger the neck which often accompanies
box, can then be connected by cable typing or driving.
to this tiny system which rides on the
body.

Uses of EMG
The object of training with an EMG is
to begin to recognise the subtle sensa-
tions within the body which correspond
to tiny variations in muscle activity level.
One application is in learning to relax:
the subject attempts to "switch off" his
central nervous system from movement
and sensation in specific areas of the
body. This technique has shown promise
with avariety of anxiety-based disorders Having practised the above, the
and may benefit Yogis and athletes trainee can then strive for more complete
who are learning to conserve their mastery of the nervous system: causing
energy. At the other end of the spectrum tinier and tinier voluntary flickers of
is the need of the physically-handicapped movement while remaining relaxed;
to use the EMG as a sort of `strength- relaxing quickly after muscular strain;
°meter' for re-training weakened relaxing one portion of the body while
muscles. tensing another.
Typically, the user applies aconduc- Biofeedback is an educational and
tive gel to the electrode, tapes it to the athletic discipline — there are no un-
skin and adjusts the sensitivity of the breakable records, no unbeatable perfor-
device, checking the noise level. A mances, no lack of goals and challenges.
popular and practical training procedure No matter how powerful and sophisti-
is as follows: cated aman's bionic body may become,
1. Connection to forearm — flex the the challenge of mastery will remain.
fingers and note the electrical activity Biofeedback will continue to form a
which corresponds to fine move- bridge between man's mind and his
ments; relax the arm by picking it up body. •

106
 Prcoijec

Electromyogram for
biofeedback use
David Tilbrook

This unit senses the tiny electrical impulses associated with

muscle activity and provides an indication of this activity via
ameter and asound output. The latter is aseries of pulses,
the repetition rate increasing with increased muscle
activity, decreasing as muscle activity declines. It may be
used to 'train' particular muscles or to learn effective
relaxation.

ETI 576 ELECTROMYOGRAM

THRESHOLD VOLUME

POINFR BATTERY GAIN IN I [-GRATE I'VFLL I

OFF )L

AT THE SUGGESTION of Tom having some pretty tough specifications in discussing EMG devices, the writer
Benjamin, author of the biofeedback to meet if the unit was to be at all said: " This type of instrument is not
feature immediately preceding this useful. There's nothing like a challenge really suitable for home designing
article, an electromyogram project was to stimulate alittle creativity! or building".
investigated to go hand in hand with the We have published two biofeedback That little charmer was the first
feature on the premise that it's projects in the past — the Heart Rate hurdle Ihad to face.
frustrating to read about something that Monitor ( ETI 544) in September 1976 Before going on to the construction
you can't follow up with some practical and the Galvanic Skin Response Monitor and setting up of the instrument, you
experiments! (ET! 546) in March 1977 — but this may be interested in seeing how this
I tackled this project with some is the most complex instrument to date. design evolved and why particular
enthusiasm as it presented a range of In an article on biofeedback in the circuit techniques were used.
interesting design problems as well as September 1977 issue (pages 68 to 72),

107
 MecR
DIFFERENTIAL INPUT
INSTRUMENTATION
AMPLIFIER OTP1

HUM HUM
x1000 VARIABLE
INPUT FILTER FILTER
GAIN STAGE
50Hz NOTCH 50 Hz NOTCH

—Cf/re o-- — \AAAT—

x10 SWITCH +Ve GAIN

THRESHOLD
CONTROL

+Ve
8 OHM
SPEAKER
BANDPASS
FILTER
100-500Hz

MONITOR
OUTPUT
INTEGRATE
,de
SWITCH

Design problems
body, the possibility of accidental amplitude of each in-phase signal. As,
The design and construction of an contact with mains potential from a in this application, the two inputs are
electromyogram presents some unique mains-operated unit is very real — with connected to the skin, they will each
problems. lethal results. receive hum signals in phase and of
The object is to detect the minute The instrument is called upon to similar amplitude and thus be rejected
electrical signals produced by the ` firing' detect quite small signals in the presence to a large extent. The amount of
of muscle fibres in a particular muscle. of large amounts of noise. It should rejection of a common mode signal is
For our purpose metal electrodes of have variable gain control — adjustable called the common mode rejection ratio
some sort are attached to the skin over by the user, a threshold control so that (CMRR).
the muscle(s) of interest. For arelaxed small variations of alarge signal may be Most IC operational amplifiers are of
muscle, these signals are fractions of a readily detected, a visual indication (a the differential input type. A typical
microvolt in amplitude. That's a small meter) and an audible output that op-amp IC has aCMRR of about 90 dB
enough signal to detect on its own follows the convention of rising pitch — which means that any common-mode
without having to find it amongst volts or pulse rate for increasing muscle signal will be reduced by a factor of
of 50 Elz hum that will be present in activity, and vice versa. Tom Benjamin about 30,000. This is good in theory
the body — induced from power and also mentions some form of bandpass but, in practice, the use of 5% resistors
light wiring. Of course, you could do filtering to sort. out the predominant in circuits results in a CMRR of around
these measurements in the middle of muscle signal which is in the 100 Hz 60 dB, which is not good enough.
the Gibson Desert but that's not to 500 liz range. Selectable integration The differential input stage was the
always convenient! You only have to of the feedback response is also most difficult portion of the circuit to
touch your finger to the input of an considered desirable. design as it was required to have avery
oscilloscope to get an idea of the First thing was to tackle the hum high CMRR, a high input impedance
magnitude of the hum induced onto problem. To overcome this, a number and very low noise. Naturally, the home
the body. of techniques have been employed. constructor should be able to reproduce
When the body is grounded, this hum Firstly, I have used a differential the performance of our prototype,
will drop to typically one volt peak-to- amplifier for the input stage. This type preferably without going to a lot of
peak, but trying to see one microvolt of circuit has two input terminals. trouble selecting special components or
in one volt of unwanted noise ( 50 Hz Signals on the inputs that are out of through elaborate set-up procedures. I
hum here) sure isn't easy. phase will be amplified and passed to managed to achieve all these design
The overall block diagram of the unit the output, while signals that are in goals — after discarding several circuits!
is shown in the drawing here. phase ( called common mode signals) The need for ahigh input impedance
Battery operation is essential as, with will be rejected. The amount of is a much-debated subject. Some
any device connected directly to the rejection is determined by the commercial EMG's boast input

108
 TCDrriÀr/7
0Z. J

ETI 576 ELECTROMYOGRAM SPECIFICATIONS

Equivalent input noise 150 nV (0.15 uV)
Minimum 50 Hz rejection 80 dB ( irrespective of common
mode rejection)
impedances as high as 1000 M! The Common Mode Rejection Ratio 100 dB or better
reason is to reduce the effect of poor Input impedance 220 k
electrical contact between the electrodes Bandwidth 100 Hz to 500 Hz
and the skin. In a 1000 M input
Audio output Variable repetition rate pulse
impedance a few thousand ohms
output from inbuilt loud-
difference between the electrode input
speaker.
impedances (that is, from each electrode Power source two 9 V batteries
to the instrument common or 'ground') Power consumption 20 mA per battery
goes unnoticed as it represents such a Battery check battery check switch indicates
small percentage of the unit's input condition of batteries on meter
impedance. Input impedances in this
order necessitate MOSF ET devices
which are relatively noisy in comparison
with bipolar transistors at these the preset adjustment. threshold just above the level of noise
frequencies. There are two hum filters, we'll get present, very small changes in muscle
Ielected to use a much lower input around to the second shortly. activity are made readily apparent. The
impedance and to optimise the noise From the first hum filter the signal output of this stage is aseries of positive-
figure. This has the added advantage goes to a variable gain stage. This going pulses from the muscle fibre signal.
that readily available transistors could employs a 741 op-amp, the gain of The meter drive stage follows the
be used for the input stage. which is controlled by a potentiometer precision rectifier. This employs a 741
The input impedance is limited by mounted on the front panel. Gain is op-amp and an emitter follower stage
the base bias resistors of the input variable between 10 and 1000. This with negative feedback from the emitter
stage — in this case, 220 k for each stage is fairly straightforward, although of the transistor. The positive-going
input. At this input impedance, the circuit is a little unusual. See " How pulses from the rectifier stage charge a
differences in electrode contact it Works" for a complete description. capacitor, the voltage on this being a
resistance with the skin are important, Following this stage is the second measure of the muscle activity as the
so care should be exercised to minimise hum filter, immediately preceding the signal varies above the threshold while
this when attaching them. bandpass filter. Signal levels at this stage the muscle is active.
Biasing the differential input stage is are around one volt, excess hum on top To provide some integration of the
important and this is discussed in the of this can cause clipping and severe muscle activity level, so that the meter
"How it Works" section. One trimpot distortion in the succeeding stages. and audible responses are not too rapid
is used to set up the input stage for The bandpass filter is centred at 250 (as researchers have found undesirable
correct operation. Once set up, any of Hz, around the middle of the frequency in some instances), switched capacitors
the component values may be varied range of interest. Output from the are provided at this point to provide
by +/— 10% without affecting the firing muscle fibres consist of a broad integration times of about 0.5 second
CMRR. 'noise' signal extending from a little and 4 seconds — selected by a front
Gain of the input stage is about below 100 Hz to about 1kHz, although panel switch.
1000 (60 dB). Common mode signals the largest amplitude portion of the The audible output is derived from
will be reduced by the CMRR (about muscle signal spectrum is between the meter drive so that it corresponds
100 dB, or better), the exact amount 100 Hz and 500 Ilz. The bandpass filter with the visual feedback response
of reduction depending on the electrode attenuates noise and other signals outside provided by the meter. This consists of
attachment, as just mentioned, but the the main area of interest, improving the a voltage-controlled oscillator ( VCO)
CMRR can be degraded quite a bit by signal to noise ratio of the instrument. that provides aseries of pulses to drive
this before it becomes a real problem. The output of the bandpass filter is a speaker. The VCO employs a 555
We experienced little difficulty available as a ' monitor output', via a timer IC.
attaching dry electrodes to dry skin on coax socket on the rear panel of the Originally, it was intended to use a
the forearm. instrument. This enables you to monitor tone for the audio output. However,
The choice of this type of first stage the signal directly using an oscilloscope battery consumption on the prototype
has resulted in a very low noise figure. or via an audio amplifier. was almost 150 mA — at best! Battery
The prototypes (we built two) had To provide the required audible and life would be very limited at this
measured noise figures close to 150 nV visual feedback indications, the signals consumption. A class A audio output
(0.15 uV) at the input. This equals the must undergo some processing to control stage is necessary to provide a tone
performance of the best commerical the appropriate outputs. output, and these are quite inefficient.
units we have seen. From the bandpass filter the signal Using a pulse output enabled me to
Immediately following the input is mixed with a dc voltage that is varied reduce the total current consumption to
stage is a 50 Hz notch filter to offset by means of the Threshold control on 20 mA.
any increase in hum pickup due to the front panel, then fed to a precision Construction details and how to use
contact resistance variations. This uses half-wave rectifier. This stage rectifies the machine appear in the next part
the same circuit as our Hum Filter ( ET! any (ac) signal above the dc voltage set on page 112.
451), described on page 58, but omitting by the Threshold control. By setting the

109
 Pmema 575
MA's-
PRESET 026
1000
RV4 I 25V
1k
051
10k 012
05
2M2 2M2 1k

03
BD140 80140
ICU
03 LM3900
4k7

010 .U20
CI
1M 7".33i.
T.P.1 (mount close
— to IC)
IC1b 623 024
LM3900 C13 (.14 1M 10k
100n 68e BC549
5 PIN DIN
SOCKET
—e e-- II
C3—
22n 100k
C21
100n
BC559
.x•
220k
4- 4
C16 U17

4.± 1 C19
R150k

025
1000
—"AAA----eme Ve
138
IC23
07 1M 08
4k7 4k7

HOW IT WORKS — Eli 576

Since the circuit is fairly complex, bases of in3 and 04 are driven by To ensure good common- to provide feedback at 50 Hz. In
a detailed analysis of its operation the output of IC1a. The non- mode rejection ratio, it is essential order to obtain a high circuit Q
is best tackled by looking at the inverting input ( marked + I of that the bases of Q1 and 02 each and thus good rejection at 50 Hz,
individual stages in turn, from IC1a is driven by a fixed voltage receive the same level of input the value of the resistance formed
input to output. derived from a voltage divider signal As the input is ac-coupled by R16 and R17 ( parallelled)
(R12, R13) from the positive the characteristics of the input must be as close as possible to
Differential input stage supply rail. C11 is a bypass coupling capacitors must closely half the value of R14 and R15. As
Input signals from sensors on the capacitor to prevent supply rail match each other. If stranded the latter are 47k resistors, the
body drive 02 and 01 which are variations modulating this 10% capacitors are used the best way to obtain avalue of half
arranged as a differential pair. reference voltage. slightly different impedances of that is to connect two 47 k
Emitter current, and thus each will limit the common mode resistors in parallel.
The inverting input I—) of
collector current, for Q1 and 02 rejection. The solution we Similarly, for the second hum
IC1 a is coupled to the emitter of
is derived from a precision adopted was to use several filter, 06 is the active component
04 placing this transistor in the
constant- current source capacitors in parallel so that the and the filter consists of C24, 25,
feedback loop of ICia. The op-
comprised of 03, 04 and IC1a. slight capacitance variations, and 26, 27 and R27, 28, 29 and 30.
amp ( IC1a) will attempt to
Transistors 01 and 02 share the corresponding impedance Resistors R28 and 29 form a
maintain the current flowing
current supplied by the constant variations, average out. It is resistance half that of R27 and 30
through its inputs at a constant
current source. If Q1 ( for important therefore that these six to provide good rejection at the
level, thus maintaining the base-
example) is driven harder, by an capacitors, C1- C6, are all the same notch frequency.
emitter current through 04, and
input signal, than 02 then, while type. These stages provide atotal of
therefore the collector current,
the collector current of Q1 Supply rail decoupling for the 20 dB rejection at 50 Hz.
constant at nominally, 100 mA.
increases, there will be a corres- input stages is provided by R25,
Assuming 03 has similar gain to
ponding decrease in the collector R26 and C22, C23.
04, its collector current will be
current of 02. Variable gain stage
the same. The 1k preset, RV4,
Now, the collectors of Q1 and
allows adjustment of the two
The hum filters Following the first hum filter is
02 are each connected to the Two 50 Hz hum filters are a variable gain stage employing a
collector currents to offset any
input of IC1b, one amplifier in an employed, as can be seen in the 741 op-amp. This is quite a
slight differences in gain.
LM3900 (aquad op-amp package). block diagram, one immediately conventional amplifier, gain
The amplifiers in the LM3900 The input stage gain is following the differential input variation being provided by RV1,
package have the special feature determined by the value of the stage, the other between the a 1M potentiometer connected in
that they amplify current resistance between the emitters variable gain stage and the band- the feedback path of the 741.
differences applied to the inputs. of 01 and 02. The lower this pass filter. RV1 is afront panel control. Gain
To ensure a high common- resistance, the higher the gain. Both 50 Hz filters employ a is variable between 10 and 1000.
mode rejection ratio, the The x 10' switch simply connects 'twin-T' circuit — as used in our To avoid problems arising
quiescent ( no signal) collector a 100 ohm resistor in parallel with Hum Filter project, ETI 451, des- from large output offset voltages
currents of 01 and 02 must be R3, increasing the gain. cribed on page 58. A detailed and unstable gain settings, the
held very close to afixed amount. Capacitors C7 and C8 ensure discussion of this circuit can be feedback for the 741 has been
Hence, the precision constant- high frequency stability through found in that article. arranged via a voltage divider
current source. bypassing the bases of 01 and 02 In the first hum filter, 05 is consisting of R23 and R24, the
To derive this constant current at frequencies above the range of connected as an emitter follower, gain potentiometer being
source for Q1 and 02 the two interest. the twin-T components connected connected between the op-amp

110
 © ICDMyCDe

Ve -
m•

(mount close
+ to IC)

MONITOR
OUTPUT
O

HM
SPEAKER
LIN ( mounted on
VOLUME volume pot/

07
EARTH TO REST BC549
OF CIRCUIT Idle
LM3900

R27 R30 220n

47k 47k
R38 R39
270k 10k 10k 10k

+I C39 RV2

I
3 1000, 5k
25V LIN R40
1M
THRESHOLD C38

TO 2 9V I SW4
,.
BATTERIES 4
13
I
'w
4"

04 ICld SW2 M1
R41
o 1M
LM3900 INTEGI SW3 I
BATTERYI
lmA

TEST

R49
Ve -
41
18k

output and the junction of these Threshold control Diode D1 ensures that the gain The integrate switch, SW2,
two resistors. This consists of a precision of the stage remains at unity gain
The gain of the circuits is connects a 470 µF capacitor
rectifier that passes only the for the negative- going portions of
given by the equation: (C37) in parallel with C38 ( 47 µF).
positive peaks of the signal that the muscle fibre signals from the
With this in circuit ( integrate
are greater than a preset dc output of IC1c.
switch 'on'), the meter takes some
R23 RV1 voltage — determined by
four seconds to drop from full
GAIN = R 23 + potentiometer, the threshold scale to zero.
R24 RV1
control on the front panel. Meter drive
The output of the bandpass This consists of an op- amp ( IC3)
filter is mixed with a dc voltage with an emitter- follower stage Voltage-controlled pulse
R21 derived via the positive supply (07) connected in the negative generator
rail by the potentiometer RV2. feedback path. The emitter of This provides an audio output,
The resultant signal — the ac 07 drives the meter. consisting of a series of pulses,
muscle activity signal super- The threshold stage output is the repetition rate being an
Bandpass filter
imposed on a dc voltage — is then coupled to the input of IC3, a indication of muscle activity.
Signal levels at the output of the applied to the input of the 741, via a 100n capacitor, C34. The emitter of 07 is coupled
variable gain stage are around 1V. precision rectifier. This involves Resistor R47 limits the base to IC4, a 555 timer, via R44.
Any hum exceeding this level 1C1d, D1 and 02 and current of Q7 to a safe value as Current through this resistor
could easily cause clipping in resistors R39, 40, 41 and R42. the 741 will provide much more
succeeding stages and the purpose charges C33 until the voltage on
The latter two resistors convert current than the transistor will pin 6 of IC4 reaches 2/3 of the
of the second hum filter is to the current-differencing input of stand! A signal from the output voltage on pins 4 and 8. At this
prevent this.
the LM3900 into a conventional of the threshold circuit will be point, pin 7 of the 555,
The bandpass filter employs voltage- input op- amp. amplified by IC3, causing 07 to previously appearing as an open
one op- amp from the LM3900 Positive-going signals of less turn on, charging C38. The meter circuit, will conduct discharging
package, IClc. A filter network, than 0.6 V above the voltage is connected to 'read' the charge C33 via R45. Once the voltage
consisting of R34, R35 and R37 present on the junction of R39 on C38, via R48. The more signal on pin 2 drops below 1/3 of that
and C29 and C30, is connected and R40 will be amplified by the that appears above the threshold, on pins 4 and 8, pin 7 returns to
around a feedback path between full open- loop gain of ICid. The the longer 07 will be turned on, an open circuit condition,
the op-amp output and its output of this stage increases increasing the charge in C38, thus allowing C33 to charge again. In
inverting input. This provides a rapidly until D2 conducts, the
increasing the meter reading. The this manner, the 555 oscillates
bandpass extending from 100 Hz stage then has only unity gain circuit will respond quickly to providing pulses on pin 3 to the
to 500 Hz which encompasses (x 1), determined by the ratio increasing input signals, showing speaker, via RV1 which serve as
the range of interest for the of R42 and R39. a corresponding increase in the
muscle fibre signals. At midband a volume control. As the voltaàe
Output from the precision meter reading. As the signal
(250 Hz), the gain of this stage at the emitter of 07 varies
rectifier is taken from the cathode decreases, with decreasing muscle
is roughly four. according to the variation in
of 02 and will consist of the activity, the meter reading decays
A monitor output is taken muscle activity signals, the rate at
amplified, positive- going part of at a rate depending on the which C33 charges will vary. This
from the output of IC1c so that the muscle fibre signals that are capacitance between the emitter varies the pulse repetition rate of
the muscle activity waveforms above the positive voltage set by of 07 and ground. This provides the 555 oscillator in sympathy
(filtered) may be viewed on an the threshold potentiometer, for some integration of the signal with the variations in muscle
oscilloscope if desired. RV2. level variations. activity.

111
PTO:8e 576

The eledromyogram part 2.

David Tilbrook
In this article we present construction details and some
suggestions on using the instrument.

IMO III 1111N

112
 8 actonvegTe

Eli 576 EL ECT ROMYOGRAM

THRESHOLD

PCWC R BATTERY CAIN GRATF

OFF X 1

tr
-)N1 X 10

OUR PROTOTYPE was housed in a ends in apair of pliers and twisting until The speaker is mounted on one side
Horwood instrument case measuring the transistors are held tightly together. of the cabinet and the monitor output
254 mm wide by 203 mm deep by Once this is done, solder the base leads. (and RCA coax socket) is mounted on
102 mm high. These are available from The two BD140s, Q3 and Q4, also the back.
quite a few component suppliers but need to be mounted together. As they On the front panel, the switches
any box with similar dimensions shoúld are in TO- 126 packages they may be should be mounted first, followed by
suffice. The advantage of this particular bolted together. It is necessary to use the pots and the meter. Juggle the pc
case is that it is supplied with steel top, an insulating washer between them to board into the case last.
bottom and side panels which provide prevent the collector contacts touching.
better shielding from stray hum fields
than does aluminium.
Use thermal paste to improve the Electrode construction
thermal coupling. Although the common mode rejection
Construction is best commenced Once these devices are mounted, six of the input is better than 100 dB this
with the pc board. This method of / uF input capacitors may be soldered will be degraded drastically if the
construction is recommended as layout into place. contact to the skin is not good enough.
of the various stages is critical to avoid If you use pc board pins, the external To enable the input stage CMRR to
feedback or interaction between stages connections to the board may be made effectively reduce 50 Hz hum it is
as one LIv13900 package does sterling after it is mounted in the case, other- necessary to ensure that the hum is
service in several parts of the circuit! wise, now is the time to attach all the exactly the same level on both inputs.
Assembly of the pc board should leads going to the externally-mounted For this reason the construction of the
start with the resistors and capacitors. components. electrodes is very important.
Ifound it easier to leave the six 1uF As high gain stages are used in several The diagram on page 115 shows the
input capacitors until the input places, the circuit is sensitive to noise or electrodes we built. Three lengths of
transistors (Q1-Q4) were mounted. Be signals radiated from other parts of the shielded cable were used (RG174 coax).
sure to check the polarity of the board. The 555 VCO output can be The two input leads are made by solder-
electrolytic and tantalum capacitors. especially troublesome, so use shielded ing the centre conductor of the shielded
Finish loading the pc board by cable to connect the output of the 555 cable to small metal discs about the size
inserting the diodes, transistors and ICs. to the volume control. The only resistor of 5c pieces. Cut the earth braid back
The input transistor pair, Q1 and Q2, not mounted on the pc board ( R50) enough so that it cannot touch the
must be mounted so that their flat faces is mounted between the wiper terminal electrode. The braids of the two input
are touching to provide thermal
of the volume control and one of the' cables are connected to pin 2 of the
coupling. The best way to do this, to loudspeaker terminals. five-pin DIN plug (the grounded pin).
avoid straining anything, is to solder There are a number of other This pin is also connected to the shield
only the collectors and emitters of Q1 connections that should be made with of the third cable which becomes the
and Q2 at first. Smear some thermal shielded cable and these are shown in ground electrode. The centre conductor
paste on the two flats and then tie the the wiring diagram.
of this cable is not used and the other
two transistors together using a link of There is sufficient room inside the end of the braid is soldered to another
enamelled (coil) wire — this prevents cabinet to accommodate a variety of metal disc. Use a slightly larger disc
the possibility of shorts to the transistor 9 V batteries. The type of connection (about the size of a 10c piece) as this
leads should the loop slip off at some to the battery will depend on the helps to ensure agood ground connection
time. Tighten the loop by taking the particular style of battery used. to the body.

113
 How to use it
Before powering up, check the pc board.
H — TO MONITOR OUTPUT Check the orientation of all the polarised
RCA SOCKET ON BACK PANEL components — electrolytic and tantalum
capacitors, transistors, ICs and diodes.
If everything is all right, switch the unit
cf2D on with the battery switch in the test

ccr,rG
R43
position. With 9 V batteries the meter
should read about 9. If the battery
C34 switch is now switched off the meter

17:14,e
should immediately fall to zero,
provided the gain control is turned fully
down. If the volume control is turned to
full on aslow clicking should be heard.
Now, measure the voltage ( with respect
to earth) at the test point (TP1) at the
output ICla (pin 4). With the x10
switch in the xl position adjust the
preset pot to obtain zero volts.
1e4 e6 Q
If the gain control is now increased,
e)ef- the meter reading will move along
rie = rt151t) with the frequency of the clicks.
3,

mac29 Now, advance the threshold control

cazg:c2a and the meter reading and click
11$-•
-4111 c022.)
frequency should decrease. This thres-
hold control works by varying the
minimum signal required to cause a

iJ
meter response. The higher the threshold
control is set, the higher the input signal
must be to cause ameter response. The
threshold can be set just above the noise
tC4 level so that even a very small input
signal can be detected.
The electrodes can now be connected
LGal to the body and plugged in. The ideal
way to secure the electrodes to your
+ 035 skin is to use a band of Velcro (Tm)
tape, although we found Bandaids okay.
C$3
If all three electrodes are placed
reasonably close to each other along the
inside of the arm (earth between the
others) they can be secured in place all

TO
SW4 METER
POWER GAIN SW2 INPUT
5PIN
DIN

D E BATTERY INTEGRATE
TEST -4- TO
SPEAKER
BATT

GAIN THRESHOLD VOLUME Thermal stabilisation is achieved by mounting

the input transistors together as shown and
described in the text. Note the insulating
piece between the BD140s.

114
 feltC 2 4 6 8

\\\\\\\0111HliiiiIiii,/„ ,
\\` BATT I.,..... . /1 10
\\\\ „/
MUSCLE ACTIVITY
1rriA

The three electrodes.

Full size reproduction of the meter scale. The printed
circuit board pattern is on page 157.

at once with a single wide band of If the arm is tensed the meter should so low that the meter reads about 2to 3.
Velcro wrapped right around the arm. indicate muscle activity readily. With This isn't easy! In fact the only
Some electrode paste may be used these settings the EMG is really acting as person who has been able to do this so
between the electrodes and the skin to astrength meter. Relaxing the arm, the far has been Tom Benjamin, the author
improve the contact. This is available gain switch car. be switched to the x10 of our article on biofeedback, and quite
from some distributing chemists and position and the gain control slowly afew of us have tried!
medical suppliers, although it is increased. With each gain increase, the Some experimentation with electrode
relatively expensive. We found threshold can be increased slightly to placement will indicate how to get good
moistening the electrode to be a good cancel any increase in noise that may results on particular muscles.
alternative. have occured, although don't overdo For some background reading on
Once the electrodes are attached to the use of the threshold control until EMG instruments, an article in the
the arm and plugged into the EMG you are familiar with the unit as it is March/April issue of " Physiotherapy
monitor a reading should be easily easy to cover up muscle activity as well Canada" ( published by the Canadian
obtained. Start with the gain and as noise. Physiotherapy Association) on EMG
threshold controls set fully anti-clock-
Eventually you should reach astage biofeedback, pages 65 to 72, gives an
wise, the gain switch in the X1 position such that the gain control can be set at overview and a very comprehensive
and the integrate switch off. maximum but with muscle activity held list of references. •

PARTS LIST - ETI 576 R45 1k

Semiconductors
R46 680R
Resistors all 1
/2 watt, 5%
D1, D2 IN914 or sim
R47 10k
R1, R2 220k 03, D4. EM401, IN4001
R48 2k7
R3 4k7 R49 18k IN4004 or sim.
R4 100R R50 27R ( mounted on Q1, Q2 BC559, BC179, DS559
R5, R6 2M2 volume pot) 03, 04 BD140
R7 4k7
05—Q7 BC549, BC109, DS549
R8 1M Capacitors
R9 4k7 Cl —C6 14 greencap IC1 LM3900
R10, R11 1M C7, C8 in greencap IC2, IC3 . . . 741
R12 lk C9, C10 334 16V tantalum IC4 555
R13 8k2 C11 1004 25V electro
R14— R17 47k C12 33µ 16V tantalum
R18 220k Potentiometers
C13 100n greencap
R19 270k C14— C17 . . 68r greencap RV1 1M linear
R20 10k C18 22n greencap RV2 5k linear
R21 100k C19 C20. . . 334 16V tantalum RV3 lk linear
R22, R23 1M C21 100n greencap RV4 lk vertical mounting
R24 10k trim pot
C22 10004 25V electro
R25, R26 • • 100R
C23 33p 16V tantalum
R27— R30 • • 47k C24— C27 . . 68n greencap Switches
R31 220k C28 47n greencap SVV1, SW2 . . . SPST miniature toggle
R32 270k C29, C30. . . in greencap SVV3, SVV4 . . DPDT miniature toggle
R33 10k C31 100n greencap
R34 330k C32 220n greencap Miscellaneous
R35 560k C33 150n greencap Ml lmA meter, 100 mm x
R36 5M6 C34 1COn greencap
R37 3M3 80 mm, square face
C35 334 16V tantalum MRA 658 or similar;
R38, R39 . . 10k C36 100µ 25V electro 5- pin DIN socket; 8 ohm small speaker;
R40, R41 . . 1M C37 470µ 25V electro panel mounting RCA socket; two 9V
R42 10k C38 47µ 25V electro
R43 390k batteries type 276 or 2364; knobs,
C39, C40. . . 1004 25V electro instrument case Horwood 203 x 102 x
R44 470k C41 33p 16V tantalum 254 mm or similar; power cord and plug.

115
Project 588

THEATRICAL LIGHTING
CONTROLLER
Introduction to Techniques

First part of a series describing a high quality dimming system suitable for
schools or the theatre. Modules with ratings of 10 amps ( 2.5 kW ) and 20
amps ( 5kW ) will be available along with acomprehensive control desk.

SINCE THE EARLY DAYS of the operator performances were greatly many good features. These include
theatre the need for lighting has been enhanced by the much better control having the control potentiometer iso-
all-important. Just as important has available. lated from the mains voltage and also a
been the need for control of that Today the use of phase control is modified control curve to give abetter
lighting. This ranges from very crude almost universal as it is simple, reliable input-output voltage relationship.
initially to very sophisticated today, and cheap. Another method in use Synchronization is referred to the zero
often with a computer doing the today is by magnetics; this type has the crossing of the mains voltage, making
controlling in the creation of special advantage of generating no RF Ibut the unit more suitable for driving
moods and effects. unfortunately is expensive. inductive ( fluorescent) loads; this also
The first types of dimmer used, of The problem of RF Iis common to eliminates hysteresis which occurs with
which there still some examples in older all phase control circuits, but can the simple dimmers.
theatres, was a variable resistance usually be reduced to acceptable levels One problem which has arisen in
type which used either a variable or by the use of a choke and several recent years is caused by the control
switched power resistor in series with capacitors. For RF Ithe choke need not tones used by councils to turn on and
the load. With small loads awire wound be very large, but one other effect of off the hot water units in homes. These
resistor or acarbon pile was used while phase control is the audible rattling of are usually around 1050 Hz ( it varies
larger loads used atank of saline solution the lamp filament ( especially with the from council to council) and 15 V or so
with a central electrode which was larger globes) which is due to the in amplitude on top of the 240 V 50 Hz
raised or lowered in the liquid, effectively sudden application of power, and the mains voltage. This causes synchron-
changing the resistance. This type of magnetic field so produced, each half ization problems when using a simple
dimming, while reasonably effective, cycle. This can be cured by reducing the
dissipated a lot of power which made rate of rise of current by using alarger
life uncomfortably hot for the operator, choke.
ACTIVE ACTIVE
as to minimise mechanical linkages the
dimmers themselves were often in the Type casting VARIABLE
RESISTOR

control room. We have given some schematic diagrams

of types of dimmers which have been
Electronics used previously. Fig. 1 is the oldest LOAD

With the advent of electronics, life was a type comprising simply avariable resistor
little bit easier. The use of phase in series with the load. The second ( Fig. NEUTRAL

controlled dimming using thyratrons 2), probably the most common type in
Fig. 1.
and later SCRs and Triacs reduced the use today ( mainly in homes) is very
heat dissipation dramatically ( if you'll simple but lacks the versatility needed
excuse the pun) and also allows the for theatrical work.
control to be physically separate from The third type ( Fig. 3) is in common NEUTRAL

the dimmer. Besides being easier for the use and while still very simple does have Fig. 2.

116
 -1_ •

1
raeaMede • 111111111 19Ple:

1We
1 —• — • ..- —
•
10111ellery
1 =.: -.----... ."..
1: ......
drale
.....••••••• 4.11de
• •••••••••ow. .=11=

............*1 ...I le... tarre

.. ere
............ • • ..- -. • 44..
1111ra .............. a * a 11 - a .....
............. s ........../ -.... y...... ....... y.........
Iran* • ray.-- - • ..... eye. a ...ye.
*rare a me*. — a »era ...... eea.
ems* a ........... ...... a era. _ 4_ err. .....
e....... s .....yeee ram Is * rare aere Tee*
ele a .......... ewe Sy .ra. ....... *
ever ewe
s ............. ram.. s ..... ..... ' ewe rase.
• ..........• ..... a *a ye. a
- j-. memo me*

AIMS« 2 3 4 5 .11
elf

Fig. 4. Block diagram of the dimmer module.

cost than currently available units.

The Protection Racket

Fig. 3.
The protection of SCRs and Triacs,
especially Triacs, is usually difficult as
they tend to fuse faster than the fuse
zero crossing technique especially as the has the ability to drive a fluorescent purportedly protecting them. The use of
tone is not phase- locked to the mains. load without requiring aballast resistor. acheap Triac which requires an expensive
The effect of this tone is a slight rise Both the maximum and minimum light fuse to protect it is false economy. We
and fall in light level as the tone beats levels are adjustable without interaction have used a large rugged Triac ( 40 A
with the 50 Hz mains. This is especially giving reliable and predictable output. device for the 20 A dimmer) which
noticeable on fluorescent loads at low This is especially necessary if adimmer allows economical fuses to be used,
levels. fails for some reason and is replaced by especially for the 10 A version.
The dimmer to be described here is aspare unit. On the control side we will be
more complex than most previously The dimmer as described is amodular describing apanel with two sets of long
described but agreat deal of effort has system with units plugged into astandard sliders per dimmer with two master
been taken to ensure that all these 19" rack. This unfortunately pushes up controls which allow the next scene to
problems have been solved. A low pass the price, however the increased be set up then faded in when required.
filter, with phase correction, is used to convenience makes it worthwhile A digital memory which can 'prerecord'
remove the control tones and ensure especially in situations where afairly scenes and recall them on demand may
accurate synchronization. The control large number of units is used. What we be published later.
curve is also modified to give a will be describing is a high quality Next we will give the constructional
subjectively more linear response and it professional dimming system at alower details of the dimmers and control desk.

117
THEATRICAL LIGHTING CONTROLLER
+18V
+12V

MIXER COMPARATOR OSCILLATOR / TRIAC DRIVE

CONTROL C2
INPUT 339 02 R13
R3
o 4M7
47OR

R2 12V
C5 8 1C4/3
100k
RV1 3309 10

I
1M • 9
R12
C6 lk
100p
+12V R10
10k
OV all C7
R1 IC4/4
7 2 2k2 10n
100k R4 2
03
22k
`>1 e
01
R5 4 2N 3643
OV
47k
—12V R8
INPUT BUFFER RV2 100k
100k
— —
CURVE GENERATOR C9 OV
33P FUSE

F,
ACTIVE
12v R9 INPUT
10k
R18
156

OV

R16
2M2

/ R19 R20
100k < 100k

—12V

OUTPUT TO
LOAD
C23
CONTROL TONE FILTER / SYNC GENERATOR 33n
250V ac
0 NEUTRAL

C13 C24
22n 1n0 •

EARTH

C11 POWER STAGE

100n 100k

-HF
C14 NOTES-
1C1- 1C3 LM301A
R21 R22 4
1C4 40118 ICM --
467 220k 1C5-1C7 LM301A
OV IC8 7812
—12V
IC9 7912 Note: Long term user
01 2N3643
R25
02.3 BC559 experience with this unit has
100k TR IAC BTW41 400 shown that C22 is unnecessary
D1 136 1N914
D7— D10 1N4001 and may be omitted.
011.12 1N914
'THESE CAPACITORS MUST BE SPECIFIED
OV
AS SUITABLE FOR CONNECTION BETWEEN
—12V ACTIVE AND EARTH

OV
 HOW IT WORKS - Eli 588 4. Input buffer
..18V
POWER SUPPLY
This serves two purposes; firstly, it allows
To help explain the operation the circuit a megohm input impedance and secondly
12V
can be broken into seven sections. it detects when the input voltage falls
1. Power supply below 0.1 volt and turns the dimmer
011
This is a simple full wave rectifier which output completely off. This allows the
OV
gives about ± 18V after being filtered by minimum light control to be turned up to
C16 and C17. Using 3 terminal regulators give a better control range, ie with the
012
this is reduced to ± 12 volts which is filaments just glowing, yet have them off
T2
12V
needed for the circuitry. if the control voltage is reduced to zero.
240V - 12V + 12V If the voltage is above 0.1 volt the
PL 24-5VA
2. Control tone filter and sync diode DI will lift the voltage on pin 2 of
Fig. 1. The circuit diagram of the complete dimmer module. generator ICI to equal that of the input on pin 3.

I
As the name implies this removes the However if the voltage falls below this

plausaummuni control tones that the supply authority

superimposeson the mains voltage. These
level, the 'voltage on pin 2 will remain at
about 0.1 volt due to R3 and the output
11111111111111111111111111111 maniumommi
are normally about 1050 Hz and can cause

immumumom
of ICI will go to about — 10 volts.
problems by upsetting synchronization of
111111111111111111111111111111 5. Mixer- comparator

ninamounum
dimmers. The filter is a low pass type
comprising IC6 and associated com- IC2 mixes the input voltage, the output of
ponents. As filters always alter the phase the curve generator the sync pulse and the
111111101111111111111111111 relationship this is corrected using phase minimum adjustment potentiometers. This

111111111131111111111111111 shift networks. C1 1/R21 and C12/ R22. gives the waveform shown in Fig. 2 with
111111111111111M1111111111 Potentiometer RV3 is used to ensure the input voltage and the minimum

111 1
111:2IMIIIM111111111 11111111111111131111111111111 the phase shift is zero ( at 50 Hz) with
normal component variations. If the
adjustment only moving the curve up and
down without altering the shape. When

91111111111111111111111111111111 IIIIIIMMIIIMMII output of IC6 is between + 0.6 volts and

—0.6 volts. neither D5 nor D6 will be
the output of IC2 falls below zero volts
the output of IC3 goes from — 10V to

2:5111 111111111111111111111111 Fig. 3. Waveform showing relationship

between the end of the half cycle and the
forward biased sufficiently to change the
input voltages to IC7 so its output will be
+10 volt with D3 and R8/9 providing
about 1 volt of positive feedback. The
sync pulse.
—10 volts. As the output' voltage of IC6 is voltage has to rise to above 1 V to force

11111111111111111111111111113 a ' clean' 50 Hz sine wave of about 6 volts the output back to — 10 volts. The diode is
amplitude this will only occur at asmall necessary to ensure that the voltage at the

11111111111111MIMIllfflil region about the zero crossing point. At all

other times the output of 1C7 will be + 10
input of the oscillator IC4 remains within
the supply voltage of the IC. (+ 12V, OV)
1111111111111111111111111111111 volts. The result is anegative pulse, about 6. Oscillator/triac drive
1111111111111111111111111111 250µ swide, at the zero crossing point of A CMOS oscillator IC4 is used to drive QI

111111M1111111111111111111111
the 50Hz.
which supplies the energy for the pulse
11111111111111111111111111111 3. Curve generator transformer Ti. The oscillator will only

inimimmill111111111 111111•11111111111111111111 This produces the output shown in Fig. 6.

operate when the control inputs ( pins 1

111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111 When the sync pulse occurs, transistors

Q2 and Q3 discharge capacitors C8 and
and 13) are at + 10 V. The frequency is
controlled by C5 and is set at about

111111111M11111111 IIMIMIIMIU/11/1111/1 C10. Immediately on release of the sync 150 kHz. Resistor R13 provides current
limiting for the pulse transformer while

11111111•111111111 111111111111111MIIIIIIIII pulse the output of IC5 begins to ramp up

slowly due to R16 charging C10. However,
R12 prevents the reverse voltage damaging

111111111111111111111111111
4 QI if the load on the secondary load ( the
while initially the voltage across R14 is
triac) becomes disconnected.
zero and therefore does not affect the
11111111.111MIIIIII
AL... linték.

Fig. 2. Waveform taken on our 5beam charging of C10, as C8 begins to charge 7. Power stage
oscilloscope? No we cheated to show the due to R15 its effect becomes more and This is simply atriac with achoke in series
Fig. 4. An expanded view of the transformer
phase relationships between various waveforms. drive waveform showing the collector more dramatic. A curve is necessary as it to prevent both RFI and ' filament rattle'
Waveforms from the top are: voltage of 01. gives abetter input/output voltage relation- and afuse to protect against short circuits.
sync pulse (output of IC7) ship but the curve must be reproduceable Capacitors are also used as bypasses to
curve generator (output of IC5) hence the circuit used. help prevent RFI.
mixer output (output of IC2)
oscillator control (pin 1, 13 of IC4)
transformer drive (collector of 011
Project 588
CHANNEL 1 CHANNEL 3 CHANNEL 5
OUTPUT OUTPUT OUTPUT

C51

R14 R34 .15V 954

10011 1009
Note: Fig. 5 below. All potentiometers, 100R

excepting RV3, should be 50 k not OV OV CIV•91-1

25 k as shown. 2 2 4

15V -15V

1113 953
220k 220E
811 912 832 951 952
150k 150k 150k 150k 150k

RV12 HV21 RV22 RV31 RV32 RV41 RV42 RV51 RV52 TO ADDITIONAL
25k 25k 25k 25k 25k 25k 25k 25k 25k 25k STAGES
Li

12.3 5

R1 RV1
4k7 75k R22 841 042
150k 150k 150k
15V

R43
2205
•15V
e
02
RV? HD140
25k
OV OV •91-1

924 944
-15V 100R 15V 100R
AA,

CHANNEL 2 CHANNEL 4
OUTPUT OUTPUT

15V
HOW IT WORKS — CONTROL DESK

DI 04
There are two controls for each dimmer both of its ends it can be varied without
154004 along with two master controls. The changing the output allowing it to be set
15v
master controls vary the voltage on the for the next scene. By varying the master
individual level control potentiometers controls together, but in opposite
from OV ( no light) to — 8volts ( full light). directions, the complete lighting set up
OV
Normally one master will be at maximum can be smoothly varied from one scene to
and the second at zero. The outputs of the the next.
15V two controls for each dimmer are added As we need + 12V out to drive the
PL30 5VA by an operational amplifier, referred to OV. dimmers the supply voltage of the control
As one set of potentiometers has OV on desk is ± 15 volts.
Fig. 5. The circuit diagram of the control desk.

80 240

230

60 220
210

40 200
UNCOMPENSATED
190
FREQUENCY RESPONSE 180
15 20
170
COMPENSATED
20 160
OUTPUT VOLTAGE IRMS)
PHASE SHIFT Idegrees )

150

25 20 140
, COMPENSATED
130

40 120
Z 30
114

35 60 100

oo
-
ao ao 80

70
PHASE R SPO
- 916
100 60
-45
50
120 40

30

140 20

1. i 10
t 4tt
20 50 100 200 500 1000 2000 5000 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12

FREQUENCY tH)
INPUT VOLTAGE

Fig. 6. The frequency and phase response of the control tone filter. Fig. 7. The input-output relationship with the minimum
adjustment at two different levels compared with anon com-
pensated control curve (linear phase angle control).

120
 Project 588

THEATRICAL
LIGHTING
CONTROLLER /
Construction

Dimmer Module

ASSEMBLE HE PC board with the ad

of the overlay ( Fig. 1, page 122). The
heatsink should be drilled and tapped Mechanical construction of the dimmer module. Note that it is simply alarge PC board
for the triac to allow easy replacement (305 x 165 mm) with all components mounted on it. Large edge connectors specially
if ever necessary. Note that the mounting designed for the purpose are used for high current terminals. For the 20 A unit adouble
of the fuse is different for the 10 and sided board is used for twice the contact area and adifferent fuse is used.

20A dimmers. damage the insulation on the wire as identical in layout and differ only in
The choke is bolted onto the PC there is 240V between windings. The that the connector end of the 20A
board using the long clamping bolts, transformer is mounted using a 19mm board is double sided to present a
preferably using rubber grommets in the long 6BA bolt with a 12mm dia. piece greater area of contact with the
holes in the pc board ( they may have to of pc board material acting as aclamp. connectors.
be drilled out to do this). The leads Alter soldering the power trans- The component numbering system
from the choke should be bent such formar in, melt the plastic studs which used on the controller drawings is
that they go into the holes provided protrude through the PC board to give designed to indicate which channel a
without going near the mounting bolts mechanical support. We also recommend particular component is part of. The
which are at earth potential. The leads some epoxy between the transformer dimmer board pcb is too large to
can now be soldered ( both sides on the and the PC board. publish, however it can be obtained free
20A unit). The printed circuit boards for the (send large, stamped, addressed
The pulse transformer can now be two versions of the dimmer board ( ETI envelope) to ETI, 15 Boundary St,
wound according tc Table 1. Be careful 588/10 for the 10A version and Rushcutters Bay, 2011 (quote project
when winding this transformer not to ETI588/20 for the 20A board) are No 588).

121
THEATRICAL LIGHTING CONTROLLER
Hitt V3

co
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HJ.LiV3

PARTS LIST — ETI 588 Miscellaneous

Resistors all Y2W 5% R23— R26 . . 100k C7 lOn polyester Semiconductors Transformer ( Ti) see text
C8 100n polyester IC1-1C3. LM301A Transformer ( T2) PL24/5VA
R1,2 100k R27 4M7
R3 4M7 R28,29. . . . 3k3 C9 33p ceramic IC4 4011B ( CMOS) Metal bracket
C10,11 . . . 100n polyester 105- 1C7 . LM301A Front panel
R4 22k R30 4M7
R5,6 47k R31 lOR C12,13 . . . 22n polyester IC8 7812 Additional components for 10A module
R7 10k R32 47R 1W C14 33n polyester IC9 7912 PC board ETI 588/10
C15 33p ceramic 100mm 35D heatsink
R8 100k Potentiometers Q1 2N3643
C16,17 . . . 220µ 25V electro 10 Amp choke
R9,10 10k RV1 ' 1M lin rotary Q2,3 BC559
C18,19 . . . 10i.L 25V electro 10 Amp fuse ( ceramic body ' 0' size)
All 2k2 RV2 100k lin rotary
C20 100n polyester TR IAC . . . BTVV41-400 Fuse holders
R12 1k RV3 25k trim
R13 47OR 1W *C21,22 . . . 1n0 polyester D1— D6. . 1N914
Additional components for 20A module
R14,15. . . 100k Capacitors C23 33n 250V ac D7-010 . 1N4001
PC board ETI 588/20
R16 2M2 Cl 100n polyester *C24 1n0 polyester D11,12. . . . 1N914
100mm 40D heatsink
R17 100k C2 33p ceramic C25 33n 25V ac Note: BTW 41-400 is superceded
Three 30mm long spacers
R18 15k C3 lOn polyester by Philips OT 156 or 157. These
R19,20. . . . 100k C4 33p ceramic ' "These capacitors must be specified 20 Amp choke
have TO3 style package but
as suitable for connection between 20 Amp tuse Philips A25X 20 Amp-trap
R21 4k7 C5 330p ceramic leads are at top and mounting
active and earth. 2 fuse holders Philips F30-2
R22 220k C6 100p ceramic surface is isolated.
 PARTS LIST - Eli 588C
For 10 way 2 preset console
Resistors all % W, 5%
R1 4k7
R11,12 150k
R13 220k
R14 100R
R21,22 150k
R23 220k
R24 100R
R31,32 150k
R33 220k
R34 100R
R41,42 150k
R43 220k
R44 100R
R51,52 150k
R53 220k
R54 100R
R61,62 150k
R63 220k
R64 100R
R71,72 150k
R73 220k
R74. . .... 100R
R81,82 150k
R83 220k TO RV1/RV2
R84 100R
R91,92 150k RV3
R93 220k O.— COMMON
R94 100R
R101,102 150k
R103 220k L le 0.— TO WIPER OF RV101
R104 100R TO WIPER OF RV102
Potentiometers --. 8 1
22 off 50k lin. 60mm slide TO WIPER OF RV12 — 41 -c T OUTPUT 10
RV3 5k trim
TO WIPER OF RV11
Capacitors
C1,2 33p ceramic
C3,4 220g 50V electro 411.— TO WIPER OF RV91
C5,6 10µ 25V electro OUTPUT 2 gi.— TO WIPER OF RV92
C11,21,31,41 . . 33p ceramic
C51,61,71,81 . . 33p ceramic
C91,101 33p ceramic TO WIPER OF RV22 — 41
0— OUTPUT 9
Semiconductors TO WIPER OF RV21
IC1,2 301A
IC3 7815
IC4 . . . . 7915 Illi TO WIPER OF RV81
IC11,21,31,41. 301A OUTPUT 3 fa,,— TO WIPER OF RV82
IC51,61,71,81. 301A
IC91,101 301A
TO WIPER OF RV32
01,2 BD140
TO WIPER OF RV31
D1— D4 1N4001

Miscellaneous
110.— TO WIPER OF RV71
PC board ETI 588C
Transformer PL30/5VA OUTPUT 4
TO WIPER OF RV72
Box and front panel
Knobs to suit
TO WIPER OF RV42
4•'• OUTPUT 7
TO WIPER OF RV41 -49

TO WIPER OF RV61
OUTPUT 5 —4 S- TO WIPER OF RV62

TO WIPER OF RV52
TABLE 1 6— OUTPUT 6
TO WIPER OF RV51
WINDING DETAILS OF
PULSE TRANSFORMER Ti «CF14
>

CORE PHILIPS 4322-020-36630

TO RV11—RV101 •—••••,
--4 1 8
97150 TO WIPER OF RV1 TO WIPER OF RV2
PRIMARY 50 TURNS PLASTIC
COVERED HOOK-UP 1 S TO RV12—RV102
WIRE 2 d en.
n o- ern >
SECONDARY 12 TURNS PLASTIC
COVERED HOOK-UP
WIRE

Fig. 2. Component overlay for the controller board, ET/588C.

Printed circuit board pattern is on page 159.

123
 LIGHT DimminG BY NEBULA KIT KIT BUILT BUILT
tax free tax paid tax free tax paid

1OAmp module 65.00 74.75 95.00 109.25

20Amp module 74.00 85.10 104.00 119.60

5 way housing 145.00 166.75 P.O.A. P.O.A.

10 way control desk 125.00 143.75 185.00 212.75

29 way control desk 195.00 224.25 275.00 316.25

10 way 10Amp with

10 way desk 1020.00 1173.00 1390.00 1598.50

10 way 10Amp with

20 way desk 1090.00 1253.50 1460.00 1679.00

20 way 10Amp with

20 way desk 1980.00 2277.00 2680.00 3082.00

For 20A modules add $9.00 each ($ 10.35 tax paid)

10 and 20A modules may be mixed in the same housing.

1111ffittti'Ç'r'Ç COM ING SOO Nita o res

New 12vvay dimmer set suble fr
"on the road" vvork as features o fthe
vve ll as theat

utilizes all as control

the p roven to ne
NEBULA ELECTRONICS PTY. LTD.
588 system suchdcurve modifier
15 BOUNDARY STREET,
suppression an
RUSHCUTTERS BAY. 2011
PHONE: 33 5850 `Prices as of June 1980

Some of AUSTRALIA'S LOWEST COMPONENT PRICES

Note: Regular Prices not temporary specials - keep us In mold lor that next order.

Linear potentiometers Quality Large red LEDS well , difused LEDS

wide viewing angle . Best value
V •
ee
•
POTS 40c rotary carbon
500 Ohm. 1K 5K, 10K, each. $ 1.40 per 10, $ 110/K No brag
(LINEAR 1
4 "
/ 25K . 50K, 100K,
. 250K, Quality MOUNTING CLIPS 3c ea. ea. $12 „ 100 Just fact
ALUM. SHAFT 500K, 1M . 2M. $2.70/100 15c each
Trade/govt./S.T. exempt: welcome.
TRIMPOTS 14c Values: 10°, 5°° Ohm,
K, 2K. 5K, 10K, SOK, 100K, lists ( e.g. up a 100 TRADE
ENTRANCE
Send for special
pots and $99 a 1000 LEDs plus tax if
$12 a 100 (
10 mm) 2SOK. 500K, 1M, 2M applicable. Small quantities also.

-um_ 631/2 a 100 SIGNAL DIODE IN4148

BC 107CAN
METAL BC TRANSISTOR
108 BC 109 1 Amp. DIODES
13C 50V 1N4001 - 6c
13c 100V 1N4002 - 7c $29 a 1000 4c each
10 tor 51 20 100 lor $ 11 400V 1N4004 - Sc
1000V 1N4007 - 11c
10% off 100 SAME .001 - 4e .01 - Sc .1 - 10c
.0012 - Sc . 012 - 6 c . 12 - 11 c
(per 100 prices in brackets) .../...
.0015 - Sc .015 - 6e .15 - 12c
Cap. 16V 25V 50V .0018 - Sc .018 - 6c . 18 - 14c
.0022 - Sc . 022 - Sc . 22 - 15e
;-..
.. 0.47uF 4C1S3W) 5c(13 1A) 6c($4)02 .0027 - SSce 7 - Sc .27 - 16c
, .,..„. .. 1, 2.2, 3.3. 4.7. 10uF 5c(S3 1
/) 6c(53 34) 7c(54) .0033 - Sc . 033 - 7c . 33 - 18e
4c POLYESTER
2
,....., 22uF 6c($3 3
/)
4 7c(54) 8c(S5) .0039 - 5e 039 - 7c . 39 - 19c
`..,, 33uF 8c($4) 9c(55) 1Oc($61 FILM CAPS .0047 - Sc .047 - lc .47 - 20c
. ' 47uF 9c($5) 10c(56) lice?) .0058 - Sc .056 - Sc
100uF 10c(S6) 12c($7) 14c($11) E12 10% 100V .0068 • Sc . 068 - Sc All values
4c ELECTROS 220uF 12c(18) 16c(S10) 35c(S17)
.0082 - Sc . 082 - 9c in uF
10% off 100 same UF
470uF 16c($12) 22c(516) 45c(S30)
(UPRIGHT) 1000uF 22c(S18) 30c(S25) 75C(S50)

SCRs C106Y1 SCRs

0.8A 30V C103Y -
TRIACS:
35
25 A 400V ..4.‘
,411rik....
40c 06A 200V C103B - 60
75 DIAC 6A 400V SC141D - $ 1.30 SC260D TRIRC
O C122E ,
4A
4A 30V C106Y1
400V C10601 -
- 40 sl
iOA 400V SC
2 146D - S1. 50
S 14 - 35 C37D SCR

$1.20 8A 400V C122E

SOOV C122D - $
S1.05
1.20 Chart trigger
Plus to identify
info.leads • - 10e EA. $2.50 .
5.Yo E12,2.2 Ohm to 4M?
11/
2 c each V4 W or Keep electroniCS a hobby and not a luxury, compare our peces and buy fro m
US Same day turnaround service (unless swamped) All goods top
90c a 100 same Ohms Quality end new. No minimum order. One P/P CharCle Ol 45 c regardless
2c NEW TOP QUALITY
et Quantity Prices correct until 400x51 1980. S.A.F for pore lest thereafter.
CARBON FILM 2c each lbw or
RESISTORS PERFECTS ONLY
a 100 same Ohms
$1.40

CONSISTANTLY CONSISTANTLY
LOW PRICES DIGGERMAN ELECTRONICS P.O BOX 33, CORAMBA. N.S.W.2466 BETTER SERVICE

124
 Project 588

THEATRICAL LIGHTING
CONTROLLER
WE FINALISE the series on dimmers
with the mechanrcal description of the
control desk. Unfortunately the
mechanical drawings of the rack are too
complicated to reproduce here and
some parts, like the 20 A edge
connector, are only available through
Nebula Electronics Pty. Ltd. If the
dimmer modules are not required to
be plugged in the total cost can be
reduced by connecting directly to the
modules and mounting ihem in abox.
In the 20 A unit the heavy wires should
be bolted on to the appropriate pads
to ensure contact to both sides of the
board.
One modification we have made to
the control desk is the addition of a
black-out switch which allows all
lights to be backed out without mov-
ing the master control. This is simply
When adjusting the maximum and For example, if on Channel 1 both
done by switching the supply voltage minimum levels the minimum should be channel faders are at maximum, Master
on the master potentiometers from
adjusted first. Note that the control A is at half maximum and Master B is
the - 8V supply as set by RV3 to OV.
potentiometer must be slightly up at zero, on the ETI dimmer before
RV3 should be adjusted such that
off zero to get any light and minirrtum modification the output on Channel 1
with one master at maximum, the sec-
should be adjusted at this point. The will rise as Master B is moved from zero
ond at minimum and one individual
maximum should be adjusted with both to half. After modification it will only
control at maximum that its output
the master and individual control at start to rise after Master B passes the
voltage should be + 10 volts.
maximum and set to the point where half- way mark.
With the dimmer module the trim the light level is just starting to drop.
potentiometer has to be adjusted so
that the output pulse from IC7 occurs
at the very end of each half cycle as Dimmer modification
shown in Fig. 3 ( page 119). This is
We are indebted to the reader who
easiest set using an oscilloscope although
phoned this suggestion in to Nebula
an approximate setting can be made
Electronics. Unfortunately, he didn't
without one.
leave his name.
If the dimmer is connected up to Resistors R12, R22, R32 et
a reasonably heavy load and adjusted cetera are removed and the two diodes
for about 1/3 level it will probably shown are added, one pair to each
be found that with RV3 at one end the channel. This gives the dimmer the same
light level is not stable and tends to operating format as commercial ones.
flash. This is caused by the sync pulse To explain: In most dimmers, the
occuring after the end of the half cyc- value of the master setting is multiplied
le and the trigger pulses from the prev- by each individual fader and the
ious half cycle triggering the next. The maximum of the values from the two
HlOIHER
CHANNELS
trim potentiometer RV3 should be masters is used for the output. In the
turned back about 1 /4 turn from the ETI 588, however, the sum is used
position at which this effect stops. instead of the maximum.

125
Project 588

Theatrical Lighting Controller nebula Electronics Pto. Ltd.

10 10 10 10 10

- 9- — 9— _ 9_ - 9 — 9- _ 9_

BLACKOUT
8 - 8- g - 8 - e— - t- 8 - _ _
7 7 - 7 - 7

6
6
- 6 - — - 6 ....

o 5

4
-
-
5-
4-
_
-
5_
4-
-

-
5

4
-
-
5
4
—
—
5 —

6 —
— 5- -
-
s-
4-
- 3- - 3- - 3 - 3 - 3 - 3-
NORMAL
2 - 2- - 7 - 2 - 2-
1 - 1 - 1
- 0- - 0- -0- II - 0-

MASTER 1 2 4 5 6 9 10

10 r 10 r 10 r 10 10 10 10
9 - 9- .... 9 - 9- _ - g - g

OFF 8 — 8- - 8- - 8- - g - 8

7 - 7- .- 7 - 7- - 7 7

_ 6_ 6

o
6 .«.- 6 .-.. ., 6 ••• •-••• 6 --
— 5-
•••••. 6 •••
5 ,.. 5 .. .. 5 ,.- .... 5 - 5 -- - 5 - 5

4 4 4-4 - _ _ - 4 ...- 4 - 4 -•••-• - 4

3- 3 3-3 - - 3 - 3- — 3- - 3 - 3
ON
2 —2 ••• -••• 2 •• 2 •••- 2 - 2 — 2 - 2 2

POW ER 1 — 1- - 1 — —
0 0 0 - — - 0- 0 0 - _

Fig. 1. The front panel artwork for the 10 way control desk. Full
size is 440 mm x 250 mm.
 T1
130--• 160-. 1110-. 250-P 310-e. 340-0

NOTES:

e 2 HOLES 6.4mm DIA.

0 4 HOLES 3.5m,, DIA

22 SLOTS 66mm x3mm

MATERIAL: 1.6mm ALUM.
0— SATIN ANODISED

Fig. 2. The mechanical dimensions for the front panel.

130 -1

66 85 116 145 175 -111. 205 2» »6.411 296 325 355 410

386 1

e
I I

e—e--- e—e- — —0-

7
--e---e— -
e— o

4- e—e- --e—e — e— -e-- o

NOTES

le) 2 HOLES 19mm DIA

a 0 56 HOLES 3.5mm DIA.

-e —e- -e- -e- -0-4- 22 SLOTS 66rnm x3m,,
—e—
MATERIAL. lmm STEEL, PLATED

Fig. 5. The potentiometer support panel.

TT

Fig. 4. The end pieces for the box. These should be fitted into the
ends of the box as shown in Fig. 3. The two ends should be of
opposite hands.

127
Project 711

REMOTE CONTROL
TRANSMITTER
Operate up to eight devices such as the garage door,
curtains or outside lighting with this remote control
system. The accompanying receiver is described in
the next article.

THERE YOU ARE IN YOUR CAR

nice and dry but now you have to get
out and open the garage door — and
this means getting soaked. How nice it
would be if you only had to press a
button in your car to open the garage
door. Commercial garage door openers
are one answer to the problem but they
cost abomb, so we wondered if we
could help. Although we can't cover
the mechanical aspects, due to the
variations in types of doors etc, it is
possible to design asuitable electronic
control system. We will also leave the
detailed mechanics of motors and
driven mechanisms to the builder.
Actually the electronics for opening
adoor by means of aremote-control
radio link are relatively inexpensive,
and we soon realised that by spending
only acouple of dollars more the
transmitter can be extended to control
up to eight different devices! This means
that such acontroller can be used to
not only open garage doors, but to
switch the television on and off, to
open curtains or to control lighting
or sound systems etc. Can you imagine
the impression that such adevice will
make when entertaining your friends? over arange of up to five hundred code bits in all). The 12 bits allocated
This article describes the transmitter metres ( depending upon the terrain) to the key code provide 212 or 4096
part of the system and the next article with the half watt of input power possible codes and this, coupled with
covers the receiver/decoder. provided. With ashort piece of wire the choice of one of the 15 odd
The transmitter is designed to operate as an antenna reliable operation can be channels available, gives atotal number
on any one of the fifteen odd channels expected at ranges up to 30 or 40 metres. of 61,440 combinations. Thus the
allocated for this purpose in the 27 MHz Coding This is by means of asixteen- chances of anyone cracking your code,
band. The transmitter is capable of bit word having bit allocations as or of asimilar transmitter triggering
activating any of 8 different devices follows: The first bit is asynchroni- your unit, are remote indeed. The
(or switching on and off four devices). zation pulse, the next seven are part 'security' of the unit is therefore far
Any combination of these two modes of the key code, the next three bits higher than most commercial units which
may be used, eg six devices activated select the desired channel out of the 8 typically offer only 72 key combinations.
and one device on and off. With a available and the last five bits are the This is another pay-off of the extra
suitable antenna the device will operate remainder of the key code ( 12 key- cost of multi-channel control.

128
 The key code used must be wired
in by the constructor with appropriately
SPECIFICATION ETI 711
positioned links on the printed- circuit
board. Probably the best way to select
akey code is to first pick any number FREQUENCY 26.957--27.282 MHz
between 1and 4096 and then convert crystal controlled
it to its binary equivalent ( 12 bits)
and fit the links accordingly. When INPUT POWER
the receiver is also wired to the same TO FINAL STAGE 500 mW
key code only your transmitter will
operate it. TRANSMISSION TIME <250 mS
As the transmitter operates by
providing aburst of pulses for only CHANNEL SEPARATION
about one quarter of asecond the RECOMMENDED >15 kHz
chances of anyone determining what
frequency you are on, let alone what NUMBER OF DEVICES THAT
your key code is, are negligible. CAN BE OPERATED 8

Construction KEY CODE 4096 ( 12 bit binary)

Using asmall amount of Araldite glue
the coil formers to the printed- circuit TOTAL KEY COMBINATIONS >100,000
board in the positions as indicated on
the overlay. The coils are now wound RANGE 500 metres ( aerial up)
with 24 B&S enamelled-copper wire in (depends on terrain) 50 metres ( aerial down)
the following manner: Clean one end POWER SUPPLY 9 V battery
of the wire and solder it into one of the
holes for the particular coil being wound. SUPPLY CURRENT 50 mA ( transmitting)
Now wind ten turns ( close spaced) 604A ( stand by)
around the former as neatly as possible
(to ensure uniformity of inductance)
connecting atemporary link between battery or aseparate power supply
and then pass the end of the wire back
through the second hole in the printed- pin 1of IC4/1 and the +9 volt line ( a should be used when doing this initial
larger battery should be used for alignment.
circuit board, scrape the enamel off
continuous operation). Now observe That completes the alignment at this
the wire and solder into position. Do
this for each coil. the output at pin 11 of IC4/4 which stage. Further alignment may be
should be atrain of pulses which cycle necessary when the receiver has been
Next mount all com;:•onents to the
repetitively. If the unit appears to be constructed.
board commencing with resistors and
functioning correctly mount the board
capacitors and finishing with the
into the bottom of the box and then Operation
transistors and integrated circuits. Take
care to orientate any polarised mount the antenna/battery bracket and
the antenna as shown in the photographs. As said before the 16 bit word of the
components correctly and also to solder
Mount the push buttons to the front transmitter consists of async pulse, a
to the tracks on both sides of the board 12- bit key code and athree- bit channel-
panel and wire them as shown on the
where necessary. Select your own key
component overlay. The transmitter select code. The sync pulse is 5 milli-
code as mentioned earlier and wire it
is now ready for alignment. seconds long and the other pulses are
in by linking the appropriate terminals pulse-width coded at 2 milliseconds
to the line marked ' H' for a' l'or to
duration for a ' 1' or 0.8 milliseconds
the line marked ' L' for a ' 0'. Note that Alignment
duration for a ' 0'. A fixed off time of
on the overlay the links are shown Connect atemporary link between pin 0.24 milliseconds is employed.The first
connected to both lines. This is done to 1of IC4/1 and the +9 volt line so that complete word allows the receiver time
prevent constructors from following the code generator runs continously. to settle down,the second word is used
the wiring pattern on our prototype. Measure the current drawn by the lo enable the receiver by means of the
The terminals should be connected transmitter by inserting an ammeter key code,and the third word initiates
to one line or the other as required by in series with one of the battery leads. operation of the device.Further words,
your code — never to both lines. The With the antenna fully extended the if any,are ignored
bit positions of the code are indicated current should be at least 20 mA if the The mode of operation of the trans-
by the number next to each link on the RF oscillator is running. Using anon-
overlay. mitter is best understood by reference
inductive tuning tool adjust the slug in to the block diagram. A 27 MHz
Coil L2 is the only one that is air-cored. L6 so that it is about half way out of oscillator is keyed on and off by two
All the other coils are fitted with slugs the former and then adjust L4's slug for monostables, one which determines
which should be prevented from moving maximum current. Readjust L4 and L6 the total transmission time and one
after adjustment by locking them with slugs for maximum current. This gives which determines the short off periods
athin strip of rubber or Teflon. maximum drive to transistor (21. Now during the transmission.
When the board is completely assembled with the antenna still fully extended When pne of the push buttons is
check both sides carefully to ensure adjust the slug of L1 f or minimum pressed apositive pulse is generated
that all joints have been soldered and current. This corresponds to maximum which triggers the on-time monostable
that all components and links are in power output. which in turn switches power to all
their correct positions. If an oscilloscope Note that the small 9 volt battery the current consuming sections of the
is available it is possible to check the specified will not last long under circuitry for aperiod greater than three
operation of the board at this time by çontinuous running. Therefore alarger complete cycles of the 16 bit code. The

129
REMOTE CONTROL TRANSMITTER
9V IVVV‘
1118
»am 3M3
0 0 C4
pgi 15n C5

1
+9V 56,1
08 09 1310

ma.
o 0-0— 2M2
R16 100k
R17
PB2

R4 R9 R12 R14
100k 82k 82k 82k +9V
eaMma
o
PB3 R1 14 0-1
D1 100k
13 9V 1
.1
.
BATTERY
15

T
D? C2
I 33n 120--,4
00 IC? o:
0
PB4 R5 R9 R13 R15 110— 2
•W•
100k 39k 33k 39k
00— 5
12 ,3V A
make 11 90-1 6

PBS 80-12 39 10 11
03 C3 13
TO g 1
t6 t
7
ON '34 8-0
4 IC5
WIRE CODE 9
aim 04 TO H OR L 5
10
00 10 11 15 I"
PBS 70--' 4 3
.9V
D5 60— 2
R2 < R6 R10 50—I 5 16 .9V
82k C39k < 39k
01, 40,
-- 1 NOTES
maim iC3 D1 - 010 ARE 1N914
30— 12
PB7 Cl. AND IC4 ARE 4001
D7 20--,15 PIN 14 IS +9V
R3 R7 < 1111 PIN 7 IS OV
27k 30k < 170k 10— 14 IC2 IS 4051
•
D11 13 ALL POINTS MARKED
milts
A A ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER
PBS

Note: Before proceeding, check

errata for this project, on Page
142.

Fig. 1. Circuit diagram of the complete

transmitter
 ON TIME
MONOSTABLE
200 m SECS
»••••fflumm. mom p »um a • • «Ow OM *INV » • •••••

• 44 " run' I

ei
al» e »MI a.. Ma U allak IMO Maw aarm*
PUSH BUTTON • 16 CHANNEL OFF TIME
VOLTAGE
TO PERIOD MONOSTABLE
27 MHz
• p pr p,•
{ PP PPPPP Of •• 8 CHANNEL ANALOG 11•I

MULTIPLEXER 0.24m SECS ! TRANSMITTER

BCD ENCODER OSCILLATOR

milumamis alu mil» omme 0* mum

4 BIT
WIRED GATE CLOCK
Fig. 2. One complete code word of 16 bits. At top is the BINARY
gated CW as seen in the IF strip of the receiver whilst AND SYNC
UP COUNTER
the bottom trace shows the output from the detector.
The 4.8 millisecond sync pulse is at the left and is
followed by the code word 101000111110010. The Fig. 3. Block diagram of the transmitter
beginning of the next sync pulse can be seen on the right. showing basic operation of unit.

How it works - ETI 711A.

When any one of the eight push but- that the anode voltage exceeds that upon which multiplexer input is inputs from the push-button matrix
tons is pressed a positive voltage on the gate) the PUT will fire. selected. and from the wired key code.
transistion is fed, via appropriate The firing of the PUT produces a These pulses are used to trigger the In effect then the oscillator turns on
diodes in the diode matrix D1 to D10. narrow pulse at its cathode which is 'off time' monostable IC4/3 and 104/4. when any push button is pressed and
to the differentiating network R16. C4 amplified by the common- base The output from the ' off time' monost- then turns off and on until at least three
and R17. The positive going pulse amplifier 05. Capacitor 07 again able is normally high during the ' on full code words have been transmit-
produced by the network triggers the charges via R21 and the PUT fires time' period, when point 'A' is low. The ted and then switches off completely
monostable formed by gates IC4 1 every time the voltage at its anode oscillator is therefore normally on dur- at the end of the period programmed
and 104 2and point * A' which was at exceeds the voltage its gate. The PUT ing this period. The ' off time' monost- by the 'on time' mono IC4/1 and IC412.
+9volts is pulled down to zero volts. therefore produces a train of narrow able, when triggered by the narrow As the other two stages of the transmit-
When point ' A' is pulled down to zero pulses; the period between the pulses pulses from 05, produces lows. ter operate in class C there is no
the following events occur: 105. which is determined by the voltage at the These each disable the oscillator 03 power drawn by the transmitter ex-
was held reset by the + 9volts previ- gate of the PUT. Now as the multip- for a period of 0.24 milliseconds, as cept when a code bit is being trans-
ously at point > A'. is released ready to lexer ICs. 102 and 103. scan through set by the time constant of R19 and mitted.
commence counting; resistors R9. 13 the input channels the output voltage C6. The RF oscillator's collector is
and 15 are pulled down to zero volts at pin 3will track whatever input vol- The ' off time' pulses are also fed to tuned by L6 to the crystal frequency
allowing the binary code present at tage is selected. It will be 6.6 volts for
IC5 (a4520 up-counter) which, when and the output from 05 is coupled to a
the outputs of IC1. 2&3 to be fed to the sync pulse. causing the PUT to normally connected, increments on class C driver stage 02 which in turn
102, R3. R7 and R11 are pulled down provide a 4.8 millisecond period; it the positive edge of the input pulse. feeds the power output stage 01 via
to zero volts thus producing 2.4 volts will be 4.5 volts for a ' 1'. giving a 2However, as it is required to trigger on the tuned circuit L4 and C1. The RF
and 4.5 volts at points ' L' and > FI' re- millisecond period; it will be 2.4 voltsthe negative edge of the 0.24 mil- output is taken to the antenna via the
spectively and 6.6 volts at the ¡ unc- for a ' 0' giving a 0.6 millisecond lisecond pulse the enable input ( pin series resonant circuit L2 and C11.
tion of R10 and R11 which is fed to pin period. 2) of the device is used for clocking and is matched to the antenna via the
13 of 103. Pin 3of 103 therefore drops The output from 05 is thus atrain of instead. The outputs from 105 are pi matching netwqrk 09, L1 and 010.
to 6.6 volts ( as set by R10. R11) and narrow pulses with avariable time in- used to drive the multiplexer 102 and
after 07 has charged via R21 ( such terval between them. depending 103 so as to sequentially sample the
411111.1M\
 sections of the circuitry which use
CMOS are left permanently connected,
as the current consumption of these
devices ( in the off state) is only 60
microamps from the 9 volt battery
supply.
The particular button which is pressed
causes athree- bit binary code to be
generated and this together with the
wired key- code is sampled by a 16-
channel analogue multiplexer. The
multiplexer is driven by abinary up-
counter. The sequentially sampled code
is now fed to avoltage- to- period con-
verter where the various- width pulses are
generated. These pulses drive the off-
time monostable which gates the 27
MHz oscillator off for 0.24 milliseconds.
This monostable also increments the
binary counter, thus selecting the next
input on the multiplexer. In this way
the 16 bits are selected in turn and the
unit cycles continuously until the on-
time monostable switches off.

Fig. 5. The completed transmitter before installation in the box.

COVER OF
BOX

PC BOARD --
(COMPONENT SIDE)

ANTENNA

ANTENNA
BRACKET

BATTERY

FOAM USED TO KEEP ,

BATTERY IN PLACE

Fig. 4. Method of mounting the antenna

and the battery by means of an Fig. 6. The transmitter installed in the box. Note the method of
aluminium bracket. mounting the .antenna and the battery.

132
 FRONT PANEL

XTAL

G7
8 R30

BATTERY
L3 03
e
18 a,
5
ize2%
L4 L5 29C15
6 [7.-0 IC5 4.
IC3

HL ▪ L
r 0-6.6 5
er410-• 7
0.411-43 ro

R23
ts«.4b-PI Or41.-410 ▪ 1.-6-1116
46...4".. .1
.IC1•

C EP
•
IC2
R22
a os6b c=ec-8
Hair e-e-e
Thi
▪ gelre ? 34
)

,
• e jj_esi • c=pc7
R5 1•1
ir. .A b_. i.-e-e si {72 • 3

!
I
C4

Fig. 7. Component overlay and wiring diagram. Note the links from 1C.1 and 1C3 to the 'hi' or 'L lines.
You must decide on the code word to be used and link to one or the other as detailed in the text.
Overlay is shown larger than full size for clarity.

PARTS LIST ETI 711 Capacitors Switches

Resistors C1- C3 33n polyester PB1 - PB8 Miniature push buttons
C4 15n
R1 100k 41A/
1 5% C5 56n Coils
R2 82k C6 - C8 10n
R3 27k C9 47p ceramic L1,2,4,6 10 turns of closely spaced
94,5 100k 24 gauge tinned copper
R6,7 39k C10 330p ceramic wire wound on 5 mm
C11 270p diameter, 18 mm long
98 82k C12 10n coil formers ( Neosid
99,10 39k C13 68p 722/18) with 6 mm
R11 120k C14 10n long coil slugs.
912 82k Note L2 has no slug ( Neosid 4 x . 05 x6/
R13 39k C15 3311 16V electro F29)
C16 120p ceramic 3 PTFE Locking Strips
R14 82k C17 10n L3, L5 150µH R.F. chokes
R15 39k C18 220p
R16 2M2 C19 39p Miscellaneous
R17 100k
R18 3M3 PC board ETI 711
C20 10n
Aluminium bracket to Fig. 4
C21 33p
R19 27k Plastic box
C22 470p
R20 100 ohms Front panel to fig 10
R21 330k Telescopic antenna
R22 10k Semiconductors 9 volt battery
R23 47k D1 - D11 1N914 or similar 2 6BA x 3/8 bolts & nuts
IC1 4001 Battery Clip
R24 5.6 ohms IC2, 3 4051 27 MHz crystal in the band 26.975
R25 220 ohms IC4 4001 MHz to 27.282 MHz.
926 12 ohms IC5 4520
R27 270 ohms
R28 330 ohms Q1 BD139
Q2, 3 BC549
929 22k 04 2N6027
930 1k Q5 BC548

133
 REMOTE CONTROL TRAMMITTER

Fig. 8. Printed circuit layout for the rear side of the Fig. 9. Printed circuit layout for the component side
transmitter board. Full size 100 x 62mm of the transmitter board. Full size 100 x 62mm

CI(
COMPONENTS
Consider the Advantages

C& K Electronics (Aust.) Pty Limited

Office 2 6 McFaflane Street Merrylands NSW 2160
)1)Irgalcimi ' rut awl
PO Box 101 Merrylands 2160 Telephone 682 3144 Telex AA23404
ccmiipc1.11.11.1%c• data e.
Agents Melb 598 2333 Adel 269 2544 Brus 38 1277 Perth 458 7111 ‘cmir.. hit thu i•kung

134
Project 711

REMOTE CONTROL
RECEIVER
A briei description of the receiver which sused in conjunction
with the remote controi switch transmitter described in the
orevious article.

The Receiver.

The receiver is aconventional superhet

design which incorporates an RF filter
and amplifier, acrystal- controlled
oscillator, amixer, aceramic IF filter,
IF amplifier, and adetector to recover
the AM component. An AGC circuit
is also incorporated to control the gain
of the RF stage in order to prevent
overload of the receiver when the trans-
mitter is operated in close proximity
to it.

The decoder.
The output of the detector is squared
up by aSchmitt-trigger circuit, the
output of which is apulse train in the
transmitter which keys the oscillator.
This output clocks asixteen- bit shift
register. The output from the Schmitt
trigger is also fed to a pair of pulse-
width detectors. The first of these is
called the ' 1ms' detector. If the pulse
from the Schmitt is less than 1 ms the
detector produces a ' 1', if the pulse from
the Schmitt is greater than 1ins it a5 ins pulse for synchronisation. Thus The output of the shift register is
produces a ' 0'. Remember that the the ' 1ms' detector feeds aseries of connected to 12 exclusive- OR gates
pulse train consists of aseries of 0.5 or or 'O's into the shift register as which compare the received code with
1.5 ms pulses for the code word and determined by the received code word. the receiver's particular 12- bit key code.

135
 RF F LTER
AND AMPLIFIER

Whenever amatch is found between

the wired- key code and that received
CRYSTAL an output from the comparator goes
MIXER CONTROLLED low. As the output of the shift register
OSCILLATOR
is continuously changing there may be
several points at which the key code
is correct. For example acode of
IF FILTER 101010101010 will be correct at every
AND AMPLIFIER second step. However the correct
sequence of pulses is now selected by
means of the sync pulse. The sync pulse
is detected by a3 ms pulse detector
which provides a ' 1' output whenever
DETECTOR
apulse longer than 3 ms is detected,
and a ' 0' when the input pulse is shorter
than 3 ms.
Now if async pulse is detected and at
PULSE the same time the output of the key-
SCHMITT 3mS
WIDTH
TRIGGER
DETECTORS code comparator is low ( indicating a
key- code match has been detected) a
Tt 1mS
100 ms monostable will be triggered.
When the next sync pulse is detected,
providing that the comparator is still
12 BIT
low, it will be connected to the input
16 BIT
SHIFT REG
KEY CODE of the 8 channel decoder. The control
COMPARITOR
signals, which determine to which of the
8channels that the sync pulse is fed,
come from three of the bits in the 16-
bit code.
8 CHANNEL
DECODER The sync pulse thus appears at one of
the 8 outputs of the decoder, each
100mS output being buffered by atransistor.
MONO
These individual outputs may be used
to drive relays or any other device as
BUFFERS
required. However as it is only apulse

cu.4 4P)
Block diagram of the receiver and of about 1ms duration, latching cir-
decoder for the remote control switch cuitry must be used.

Get your kits.and

components from
Mail Orders.
PO Box 7024,
Cloisters, Perth.
WILLIS ELECT-I:0111ES
993 Hay Street, Perth, W.A. 6000.
W.A. 6000
Phone 321-7609, 321-3047.

136
 Project 711

REMOTE CONTROL
RECEIVER
A full description is given of construction of the receiver and decoder
sections of the remote switch system. This article describes the relay
circuitry and power supply.

Fig. 1. The receiver board completed.

Construction
The receiver and the decoder are built Fig. 2. The completed decoder board.
on separate printed-circuit boards. As
layout can be critical with the RF
circuitry of the receiver and as the de-
coder section is fairly complex, we
strongly recommend that the published
pcb designs be used. Whilst we make
no claim that these layouts are the only
ones that may be used, or indeed that
they are the best that can be devised, at
least you can be sure that if you use
them correctly the system will work.

The Receiver. Commence assembly of

the receiver by glueing the coil formers
onto the ETI 711R board ( on the under-
side) using quick-drying epoxy cement.
To wind the coils solder one end of the
wire into one of the holes provided and
then wind ten and ahalf turns ( close
wound) onto the coil. Now return the
other end of the wire through the
second hole and solder into position.
Wind all coils in an identical fashion orient diodes, transistors and electro- ticularly that BC548 and 559 transistors
and fit all of them except L4 with lytic capacitors. The capacitors used from different manufacturers have
slugs. should be of the disc-ceramic variety as different pin connections; connections
Now fit the remaining components these perform better than other varieties for the Philips variety are shown on the
to the board taking care to correctly at the high frequencies used. Note par- overlay.
137
Project 711
IC6 82p
Y FL 455A
FL1

J_
H12
lk

ANTENNA

C2 01
3p3 MP F121
Gr d
03
r
,.1PF121
04
C3 3C54:1
Cl
82p C18
I 120p
e r L2

+9V

C10 R8 NiPF 121

R1
15p 330k GI MEIG2
10k
XTAL R10 D1 D
QA95

C16
1M

MPF 121
C4 GI G2
Q2 22n
10n D
3C548
e
D2
0A95
BC548 PHILIPS C13 BC548
BC559 ONLY 47n BC559

Fig. 3. Circuit diagram of the receiver.

How it works — Eli 711R

The remote switch receiver is a should be 455 kHz above the trans- of 01 is about two volts and as the
fairly conventional superhet design, mitted frequency. The output signal input signal rises ( and consequently
which operates as follows: from the oscillator is applied to the the ouptut from 05 rises) the voltage
The signals picked up by the mixer stage, 03. Here it is mixed on Q1's gate reduces and may event-
antenna are put across the filter with the input signal. The output ually go negative. Ti rus the gain of
formed by Ll, Cl and L2, C3 which from 03 is amixture of signals; the Q1 is reduced with increasing input
rejects all signals outside the 27 MHz main ones are the oscillator fre- signal level, thereby stabilising the
band. Signals within the band are quency, the signal from the trans- output level for changes in input
now amplified by the dual-gate FET mitter, the sum of these two signal level.
01 which has automatic gain control frequencies ( 54 MHz) and the One further stage of amplification
applied to the second gate. The drain difference of these two frequencies is provided by 06 before the IF is
load of Q1 is the tuned circuit L3, C6 (455 kHz). detected by D3 and D4. The tran-
which is also tuned to the 27 MHz The drain load for 03 is a455 kHz sistor 06 normally operates in the
signal. The output from the RF amp- filter which will pass only that fre- limiting mode, that is, it is liard on
lifier stage, 01, is now coupled into quency to the IF amplifiers 04 and or hard off except when the signal is
gate 1of transistor 03 which to- 05. The IF stage has deliberately very low. The signal is full-wave
gether with associated components been kept simple as very long-range detected by D3 and D4 and the time
forms the mixer stage. The second operation is not required and the constant of R21 and C25 is long
gate of this transistor is biased to consequent alignment problems are enough to reject the 455 kHz but
half-supply voltage and does not have greatly reduced. The output from short enough to develop avoltage
gain control applied to it. 05 is rectified by DI and D2 in order across C25 proportional to the
A crystal-controlled oscillator is to produce ade voltage which is modulation on the signal. Further
formed by the transistor 02, the proportional to signal strength. This filtering to remove 455 kHz is
crystal and other associated corn- • voltage forms the AGC voltage which performed on the decoder board.
ponents. The frequency of oscillation is applied to the second gate of 02.
is determined by the crystal and With no signal the voltage at the gate

138
 4-9V Parts List — ETI 711 R

R14 4k7R17 R19100 Resistors

R1
all h W 5%
10 k

R16 C22
1k R2 4 k7

0A95
R3,4 330
Cl06 C24 D4 R5417 100 k
470 22n 60559 22n R8 330 k
—I I• >I- - OUTPUT
o
R9 100 k

BC548
05
610
811
1M
330
e
R701k R21
10k
812
R13
1k
10 k

R13 1680p
ni

1 R15 IC19
A
0A95 014 1k
j R15 220
0k 220 10n C25
120p 816 470
R17 4k7
OV R18 39 k
o
R19 100
820 1k
821 10 k

I
OUTPUT
Capacitors
Cl
C2
82 pceramic
3 p3 "
r-Fri
COM 025
..01.11•••• C3 82 p "
n1 C4,5 10 n "
ciJ C24
CO
r--1 ===
013 C12 L2
C6 82 p "
ei•ie 01e
C 06 11 ,, e.:_
iî C7 10n
C23 Ch, C22
1 r- si>
Cr Ul.
C8 15p
I)
1=11
J
Utome
04 el)l d
6...... -...-..=i- 09 10n

Li
C14 C5 eie C3 010 15p
O 04 C17 t R6 1 gem itmemo C11 100p
C9 'e:t1..
s C2t)
XTA e 012 100 n "
013 47 n "
—9V c21 L4 Cl
• 014,15 10 n "

-
c FL1 0
016 22 n "
<> AERIAL
0g 1,010 Cl] 10 n "
4- 9V -e• C11 L1 INPUT
C18 120p "
019 10 n "
C20 220 p "
Fig. 4. Component overlay for the receiver. C21 33 bfF 16 V electro
C22 22 nceramic

C23 120 p "

C24 22 n "
C25 680 p "

TABLE 1 Semiconductors
01 tVIPF131
Coil winding details
0? BC548
03 MPF121
Coil Former Neosid 722/1B 04,5 60548
06 BC559
Slug Neosid 4 x .05 x6/f29 plus PTFE locking strips
Dl- D4 0A95 or similar
Winding 10 1
/2 turns close- wound of 24 B&S enamelled copper wirc
Inductors
muu....•••••••••••••
Li- L4 see table 1

Miscellaneous
FL1 Filter YFL-455A
Pc board ETI 711R
Xtal 27 MHz band 455 kHz above
transmitter frequency

Fig. 5. Printed-circuit layout for the receiver.

Full size 100 x 51 mm.

139
The Decoder. The decoder is built on
+9V
the ETI 711D board. This board is
double-sided ( that is there is acopper R2
pattern on both sides) but the holes are R1 C3 10k C4
47k 47n 10p
not plated-through. It is therefore im-
portant to solder the component to both INPUT
R5 9V
sides of the board wherever necessary. 100k
2 Fi9
Note that all the ICs, with the exception 7 47k
of the LM301, are CMOS devices and 'Cl
301
therefore should be handled as little as R3 RV2
220 50k
possible. The devices will be supplied C5 IC2/2
10p 4016
mounted in conductive foam and
should not be removed from this until 08 5
3
you are ready to insert them into the R4 47k
10k AN\t•-•-• .9V
board. Use asmall soldering iron and R6
solder quickly and cleanly. Check to 100k
make sure that the pins have been I in5
+-9V
soldered to the tracks on both sides of
RV1
the board and that there are no solder 50k 2
bridges between tracks.
IC2/1 1
The links to ICs 4, 5and 6 must now 4016
be connected so that the decoder has
the same key code as the transmitter. R7
47k
Link to the track closer to the IC for a
'1' and to the track further from the
IC3 11
IC for a '0'. C6
47n

Receiver alignment
Once the receiver has been completed it
should be aligned using the following and then disconnect the amplifier and
procedure: the meter. Parts List — ETI 711D
1. Disconnect capacitor C16.
Resistors all W 5%
2. Connect ashort aerial to the Decoder adjustment R1 47 k
receiver (300 mm of hook-up wire). R2 10 k
Before making any adjustments to the .R3 220
3. Connect an audio amplifier to the
decoder make absolutely sure that the R4 10 k
output terminals of the receiver via a
codes wired into the transmitter and R5,6 100 k
series 10k resistor.
the decoder are identical. Set the potent-
4. Also connect adc voltmeter to R7- R9 47 k
iometers to their mid positions ( Nor- R10 10 k
the output terminals, again via aseries
mally no readjustments will be R11 100 k
10 kresistor.
necessary). R12 4M7
5. Connect the power supply and R13 2k2
Correct operation of the decoder
switch on. R14 10 k
may be observed by connecting a LED
6. On the transn.itter connect pins
to each output transistor as follows: For Variable Potentiometer
1and 16 of IC4 to obtain continuous
each transistor connect one end of a RV1,2 50 ktrim
transmission of the code sequence ( use
100 ohm resistor to plus nine volts and
alarger battery or separate power supply Capacitors
the other end to the anode of an LED. Cl 1n5 polyester
as detailed in the article on the trans-
Connect the cathode of the LED to the C2 33 1.1
mitter).
transistor output. When abutton on the C3 47 npolyester
7. The antenna on the transmitter C4,5 10 pceramic
transmitter is pressed one of the LEDs
should be kept short, not fully extended. C6 47 npolyester
will flash. If the transmitter is running
8. If all is as it should be the pulse
continuously then one of the LEDs will C7 1n5 "
train output from the receiver should be
glow continuously. If this doesn't C8 10 n "
heard on the amplifier and adeflection C9 1n5 "
happen then check out the operation of
should be obtained on the dc voltmeter. C10 47 n "
the decoder with an oscilloscope as C11,12 10 µ 16 V electro
9. Adjust L3 for peak output. How- follows:
ever it will be necessary to move the Checking with an oscilloscope Semiconductors
transmitter further and further away so IC1 LM301
1. Check the output from the receiver IC2 4016 ( CMOS)
that the output does not exceed one
to ensure that apulse train is present of IC3 4001 ( CMOS)*
volt dc ( to avoid saturation). Continue IC4,5,6 4030 ( CMOS)
at least 100 mV amplitude peak-to- peak.
this process until no further improve- IC7,8 4015 ( CMOS)
2. Check the output from IC1 ( pin IC9
ment is obtainable with tuning L3. 4051 ( CMOS)
6). It should be asquared-up version of
10. Again peak the output by adjust-
the output from the receiver ( see wave- 01-08 BC548 or similar
ment of Li and L2 and when no further D1- D12 1N914 or similar
forms 1aand 1b).
improvement is obtainable make afinal
3. With asharp knife or razor blade pc board ETI 711D
adjustment to the IF filter. Now readjust
cut the track between R14 and the
L3 for afinal peak.
cathodes of- the diodes. A narrow cut 'This IC must be one made by Solid
11. Switch off the receiver and the is required because it must be rejoined State Scientific SCL 400M or Signetics
HEF4001P
transmitter, reconnect capacitor C16 later by soldering.

140
Project 711

+9V
7 9 1
D1
16
14
14-

1 8 —•
6

iDi
12 IC7 OUTPUT 1
IC4/3 13 4015 +9V
POINTS MARKED 1-12 ON IC4 01
5 AND 6 MUST BE CONNECTED BC548
TO EITHER + 9V ' 111 OR OV
04 6
101' IDENTICALLY TO THE
15 12
TRANSMITTER.
05 8 0 11
1
40 1 13
2
+9V
0 14
R10 R12
10k 4M7
IC9
5
4051
15
C9
1n5 C10
12 47n 8 io 2— OUTPUT 8
IC2/3 IC3/3 IC3/4 07 12
4016 11 9 144 1 12
13 13
6 1
1 00k
11
1
4
08
14 1
08
9
BC 548
+9V
DO 8 IDENTICAL
R13 10 IC8 OUTPUT STAGES
12
2k2 15 4015
10 — 11
16
D10 2
IC2/4 13
4016 14

D11 8—•
12
1 1 12
13
IC3 IS 4001
PIN 14 IS + 9V 012 8
11
PIN 7 IS OV

IC4, 5 AND 6 ARE 4030

14
PIN 14 IS + 9V R14
PIN 7 IS OV 10k
D1— D12 ARE IN914

Fig. 6. Circuit diagram of the decoder.

C12î
ti e:1$
l
•
LH 14
INPUT
FROM
r ".
RECEIVFir
OUTPUT

H 1
ICS

^C==l1F

riC1 R6
1:1
C7 IC2
tt

csi=s.
9:3 08 02 06 04 07 Q1

ectece«le
IC9

Fig. 7. Component overlay for the co l c•41 co l «-

decoder. "1» I- 1-
DZ DM D7
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

141
Project 711

Fig. 8a. Non-component side of the decoder hoard. Fig. 8h. Component side.
Full size 127 x 69 inm:

4. Look at pin 3 of IC3/1 with the 7. Look at the output of IC3/2

oscilloscope. A positive- going pulse (pin 4). This should be low when the ERRATA
should be observed which is about 1ms input pulse is short and high when the
wide and re- occurring about every 30 ms a) The copper track between C3 and C12,
input pulse is long. RV2 can be used to
,iearest the edge of the board, should be
or so ( depending on word length). This adjust this stage for correct operation. broken to remove the short which
is the synchronising pulse. RV1 should 8. If the system is still not working otherwise exists across C3.
be adjusted for correct detection of trigger the oscilloscope from the piy itive b) The resistor All is connected to OV
this pulse. At one extreme of RV1 all rather than to point ' A' as it should be.
edge of the sync pulse and expand the
This causes the off-state current to be
the pulses will be detected together trace to about half amillisecond per higher than it should be ( 60 microamps).
with the sync pulse. And at the other division. To correct this disconnect R11 from
extreme no pulses will be detected at 9. Look at the output from each the zero volt line and connect it by a
all. Adjust RV1 so that only the sync link to Pin 3 of IC4 ( point ' A'). This
stage of the shift register. During the
reduces the off-state supply current to
pulse is correctly detected. sync pulse these outputs should be less than one microamp.
5. Use this pulse to sync the oscillo- steady ' high' or low' as set by the c) On the circuit diagram pins 9 and 11 on
scope and adjust the timebase of the wired link code. IC3 are shown reversed to that used on the
oscilloscope so that one complete frame 10. Rejoin the track which was pre- printed-circuit board. The only difference
that this makes is to the order of trans-
of the code word can be seen in asingle viously cut and if the unit is still not mission of the code. Using the numbers
sweep. working check the voltage at pin 10 of on the circuit diagram and the overlay the
6. Look at the output of IC1 ( pin 6) IC3/4. This should be mostly at 19 code sequence is— Sync, 4,2,6,1,5,3,7,B,A
and the complete pulse train should be volts. There shpuld be aseries of 100 ins C,8,9,10,11,12. The letters A,B and C
represent the information code.
visible. This can easily be checked pulses but the IC is retriggered rapidly d) On the circuit diagram the line joining
against that expected. The sequence of on each sync pulse. If it is not check R21,22 and 23 should be shown
the pulses within the train is detailed in for faults around IC3/3 and IC3/4. connected to + 9V.
the errata printed on this page.

142
 How it works — ETI 711 D

Tire fund lion of the idler board is pillsd. Idglgths are ( ciiirlitlim,11 (odd.. If the ddid -P -, yininuti id al in
to take the ( Piet le(' spinal Iron) the din the omput dil 1(7.1 mil cluing 111(111 duly W, IV Ilits may rIl ia It intuit rdiiis
d Is, : ide puke train for during tide ' r) ii. pd du its Ilirdingliodit
correct Idw orle arid. II . 1mat, di is When the output 1%1 ICI goes high This 11)(4))1()), pdss('d Imck
found, turn 110 11 .'111 it dId di ks the hi bit shill register I() I(',3/ 1 il ally it the code
StSil it 5/1' ,11 ,
1. ,i
, -Hiin..(1 by Hie omm ,
lid d fdireded IC7 diricl IC1-3 and what- and syn( pills( d' dirt -d.c t.
worn. The rd .sped tiye traiisishir ',yet is at the dittpiit of IC:3/2 is ft is means that al thoti cli sync
then used to co:itrol dill extetnal reldiy (10( ked into the slit It register. If the pulse may be present, Ulu output of
or other e iii ' u pills,. is less tt,iii d)(11. diiirl IC3/1 will not register it unless di
Pie input sigiial from tile red '0' will lie ( locked in, if 111e pulse is corrigi also been dutec (( qt.
is filterd•r1 by RI dind Cl to td'1111 diteatei than one milltsigoiirt a ' 1' Whig) uorrec.t ilas been
any rernaming II-I/ dir)(1 1” I( k' 'd iii, With a shift rigister (ii ' tin and il sylid -pike is recc?iv(?(1,
amlied I() If- 1wig( Ii onned Li ' ri dis the data is moved through each stage the output of 1C3/1 will go hid» for
di Si ' mutt trigger. 1ide output da ni turn dui(' us iNentually lost out the al)(iut din() millisecond during whid ii
is thin ' tire di squardql-iiii veisidin dt1 dgid. Therd ,ford the series of ones and time 1C2/3 will be turned on. After
tile pulse train from the transmitter. /eros set lip by the input ( ode are IC2/3 turns off capacitor C9 (( moles
Thu output of iCi s'id \.,^ f d .411'0[1111PP disly eitdd Hie shift the edge to R1 1and Ow ii)) 1111
and goes taut' fin Ode ' 00 micro register. formed by IC3/3, ,1is triggered. 1he
se( -ond off lime di( nie thin- Ann ter. The output ,.of 11u:shift register output on pin 10 ti,, ir, Toro goes high
As Ii «' n'' J r.. iii , () low( led to ti, exd Insiyel)R for « about Pi() ftliltko. TI10 first
(11 pllist
. II) II))
. transedi ,,sion dritd•s ol IC/1, b.111(1 flie outputs of pulse ' nit of IC3/1 is douplerl through
must 1)(, separate(' al Hits stage. IMs the e \ dInsive-o)H dia tes are ddime( ted, IC2/4 and FI 1:3 to pin 3 of IC9 \ vhich
is performed by IC": 1 And 1 i)er dsod cadql transmitter k' ' y is di one- of- eight
When the of ici is high IC2/1 ildeuiddg ( 1V. The ( iiittint thus turning on one output of this IC
(Intl IC2/2 dire hut -ft.- it ddii dI . dirdi 'ri ,did r- s I , 1ydd late be low and its assoriate(l 1)(111101 transistor
mg C6 and (: 8 h ph IS nine yd inputs ate the ', 11111!, for about one inilliserdin(1. The three
V1/Tion IC1 ( pies totN, 1(:7/1,2 1, 1or tHd ,inputs information duitpdits from In shift
dud Ch and CR ( II:, • a 1' ' lit tie 1,(Lrl t
, H. 1IIe rediistig ( pins 11dit)if 171 dotermine
RV 1and Rt.), E3V2. Alter about ' ore 1,111111e, () I3 gates WI,) ii of thd‘ it trarisistors are
millis()( -)))1(1 ))) 1Iptit )) I ddi -, • 01-;).1 1)12 sti( h turned - In. These tiirec outputs are
nigh ( d•-: dt ed di P.d. vddlididr. oil HI- 1,.•./ 111 lie high (_trivet by ( , 1(11' St`i

thii' iiiri''
,lii'tdi,ui,ílil?- r 1 out, 1,..,v1.1\1 tit ir, pressing upant( uldir button ti the
seconds IC.3/1 di( tog' H I ice ', Hill 1,- 11',1 ,1 i' • \
dyir•ii- transmitter.

il•rreerntiervvre— ie
•//•• 4111111 «1111 411» 41 • .1•11 •11•11111e

•moo• mom 1111111111111.111111111111, SUP Mlle .1111111• «1111111111111111P «1111.•

la input to decoder 3a voltage across C6

b output of ICI b output of 1C3/1

2a voltage across C8 4a output of ICI

h output of IC3/2 b output of IC3/2

• • ••• gib

. •••••••• • • ...me am» our moue oodadm • • • 41161.•

.0111. eim• en». 1•10, 1111. «IMO «MP • 11.111111•• •••••• ••• «Me • tie Ma"

4111M.M. .111111MMONO Min. MIMI.. MUM» MOM •••••••••

143
Project 711

REMOTE
CONTROL
The fourth and final part of our 8-channel remote switch system. Having
described the transmitter and receiver sections we now look at the
receiver power supply and the relay drive circuits.

IN THIS FINAL ARTICLE ON THE Finished printed-circuit board for

Remote Switch' unit we describe the re- the single-control driver.
maining sections of the receiver — the
power supply and the relay drive circuits.
There are two versions of the relay drive
circuitry, the first ( called 'Single Con-
trol') is used where acommand on one
channel is used to perform two different
functions, on alternate commands. For
example, when controlling amotor the
first command on the channel causes the
motor to go one way and asecond com-
mand ( on the same channel) causes the
motor to reverse.
The second relay system (called
'Double Control') uses acommand on
one channel to switch adevice ' on' and
asecond command on adifferent chan-
nel to switch the device off. The first
system thus gives ' on' and ' off' by suc-
cessive presses of asingle button, whilst
the second system uses separate buttons
for ' on' and ' off'.
Construction
The receiver and decoder are best built
into ametal box together with the pow-
er supply. As there are only afew com-
ponents in the power supply these are
mounted onto atag strip. Completed double-control
The relays will normally be operated relay driver.
remotely and it is therefore necessary to
terminate the outputs of the decoder in
aterminal block on the rear of the unit. al requirements will vary greatly depend- decoder must be connected to the relay
The '0' volt and + 12 volts should also ing on the application and hence it is circuits using wiring which will not
be made available on this terminal block pointless for us to try to give housing cause too much voltage drop. The volt-
fôr use by the relay circuits. details for these. Housing of the relay- age drop will depend on the length of
The relay-drive units will normally be drive boards is therefore left up to the line and on the size of the relay being
mounted close to the device being con- constructor. used. If anumber of relays are being
trolled and possibly housed in asmall To connect the relay-drive units the used in the same location the power
box attached directly to the controlled '0' volt and + 12 volt lines and the app- supply to them may be commoned to
motor, etc. For this reason construction- ropriate control channel lines from the save wiring costs.

144
 ALL ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS
That's our name... that's our game!!!
MAJOR STOCKISTS OF ALL GENERAL RADIO AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

Only -recognised brards - and top-quality components stocked. Resistors ( incl. large industrial types) capacitors,
semi- conductor devices, switches, meters, valves, metalwork, front panels, plugs, sockets, cable connectors,
transformers, speakers, etc. Prompt and efficient attention through our mail order department. Major stockist of all
ETI & EA kits — you name it — we will quote.

Now that you have seen

HOW they are made...
a.. come and get them
from the KIT EXPERTS
Transistor-assisted ignition 316 Expanded scale rms meter 144
Mast- head strobe 558 Microwave leak detector 724
High current supply 142 Logic probe 148
Development timer 594 Hum filter 451
Sixty watt power module 470 Electronic die 814
Pre-amp for above 471 Light wand 575
Series 4000 amplifier 470,471,472 Electromyogram 576
Moving coil pre-amp 472 Electronic tuning fork 605
Power supply for above 577 Analogue frequency meter 150
Interface for above 474 Guitar Practice Amp 452
Four-way speaker 4000 series 496 Linear ohmeter 151
Three hundred watt modu'e 466 Linear capacitance meter 152
Aircraft band converter 721 Graphic equaliser 491
Antenna for above 722 Ultrasonic switch 585
Aquarium light controller 595

E. D. & E. (SALES) PTY. LTD., NOW

Earatintemearze 00/181P011111111111111
118 LONSDALE STREET, MELBOURNE, V/C. 3000. TEL: 662-3506.

145
g REMOTE CONTROL
+12V C130n 1n0 13 - 12V

—Lc? IV

AD? 1
R11

C1 R1
1k
11 4k7

C120n
I;(2,4FF
e

R6 1°R"8 SWLINT71CH
KD

12V TC1.0 12V

+
1

0B2C54
100k 100k

PDIC1I1-NDI7
17S 4AI0SROE+1V 12NV914 I
C5

OV D5
o
+1

R10
104
•••=' C6
11 10n
e
Ov Cl ¡ 4

10 {SWLIMTICH 2
D7
R14
100k 1k
--AAM-14—•

C9 . +, •
Fig. 1. Circuit diagram of the single-control relay drive circuit. ET! 7118

HOW IT WORKS — ETI 711 flip-flop more than once in the one is required) is being operated, only limit-switch is made, and the motor
100 millisecond period. Capacitor C7 asingle relay and its associated drive has already stopped — then only one
Single- Control Relay- drive Circuitry is connected from plus twelve volts circuitry is required ( 01 and RLl ). command is required. Capacitors
By referring to me decoder circuit it to pin 13 of IC1/3. This capacitor, at RI 2,D4,D6 and C8 may also be C3/4, resistors R3/4 cit Id oiodes
may be seen that the output of the switch-on, feeds apulse into IC1/3 omitted. D1/2 are incorporat id to provide this
decoder is by atransistor with an thus ensuring that its output is always If using motors limit-switches will action.
low after initial switch-on. The relays invariably be rcq.iired and these are If lights or similar dev;ces are being
open-circuit collector. The load for
this transistor is resistor R1 which is are driven by transistors 01 and 02 simply connected in series with the controlled this board may be used to
which are connected as e;nitter fol- relay coils. control two separate units if required.
bypassed by C1 to eliminate any pos-
sibility of signal pick-up which could lowers. An initial delay on switch- on Double-Control Relay Circuitry This may be achieved by deleting C3,
occur with long leads. With asingle occurs due to the action of capacitors This is asimpler circuit than that of C4, R3,4 and D1,2 and by using input 1
press of the command button up to C8 and C9. These capacitors are, how- the single-control unit and consists and limit-switch 1to control RL1
three pulses may appear at the input ever, isolated on switch-off by the of two separate flip-flops which each and input 2and limit-switch 2 to con-
in a100 millisecond period. These action of diodes D6 and D7. After drives arelay via abuffer transistor. trol RL2.
pulses are squared up by the schmitt switch-off the capacitors are dischar- For the control of drive motors a Additional lk resistors should be
trigger, formed by two sections of ged by RI2,D4 and R14,D5 to en- stop position must be incorporated added from pins 6and 8 to +12V to
IC1, the output of which is differen- sure that the full delay occurs when between the two different direction act as loads for the decoder.
tiated by C2 and R4. next switched on. The delay of about commands. With this circuit, when
The other two sections of IC1 are one second ensures that when rever- the motor is travelling in one direct- Power Supply
connected as aflip-flop which has a sing amotor some time is allowed ion and areverse command is given be- This is simply afull-wave rectified
steering network to ensure that it acts for the motor to stop before it re- fore the motor has stopped, the and filtered power supply which pro-
as atoggle. Capacitors C4 and C5 slow ceives reverse drive. motor will simply stop. vides 12 volts for the relays and 9
down the toggle rate so that the mul- If alight globe ( or other device Another command must be given for volts, via afurther RC network, for
tiple input pulses do not trigger the where only simple on/off operation the motor to reverse. However if the the receiver and decoder boards.
 +12V.

INPUT 1 INPUT 2
CONTROL 1 lC
pp 1I
I, NN 71S
41 4
s, O
sol
v.1
12 v
o
INPUT 1 RL1 D3
Cl
47n R1
lk D1 - D4 ARE 1N914

C2
+12V e +12V
01 R2-1.
LIMIT SWITCH
6 BC559
o
CC1:3 COe
INPUT 1 4R1-3.
e
C3 1)-002
TO RELAY
1 lirD2 I10,, 2
+12V TO RELAY
CONTROL
1
o
INPUT 2
R2 D4
lk
OV
0V
LIMIT SWITCH
+12V 1
LIMIT SWITCH
o
INPUT 2

,C4
LIMIT 0
SWITCH
2
Fig. 2. Circuit diagram of the double-control relay drive circuit. ETI 711C
OV
Fig. 4. Component overlay and interconnection diagram for the double-
control relay driver.

+12V

Parts List ETI 711 B

o
A
Resistors all /
2 w 5%
1 C7 1n0 polyester
C8,9 100 /./ 16 V electro
R1 1k
TO RECEIVER do 10 µ 16 V electro
R2 10 k
+ DECODER R3- R10 100 k
R11 4k7
Semiconductors
R12 1k
D1- D7 IN914
R13 4k7
R14 1k Q1,2 BC548
ICl 4001 ( CMOS)

Capacitors
Cl 47 n polyester PCB ETI 711 B
C2,3 10 n polyester RL1,2 Relays 12V coil 150 ohm or
C4,5 10 µ 16 V electro higher. Contacts to suit
C6 10 n polyester requirement.

Fig. 3. Circuit diagram of the power supply for the complete receiver decoder. ETI 711P
 Project 711

C7
INPUT 4C3e LIMIT SWITCH 2
el=

Cl 14
R13
R14
127

- F
173-1
Rh
R10
C6

4 7 111-

OV + 12V
POWER NPUT Fig, 5. Component overlay and interconnection diagram
for the single-control relay driver. ETI 1118

Parts List Eli 711 C

Resistors all Y2 w 5%
R1,2 1k
R3,4 100 k

Capacitors
C1,2 47 n polyester
C3,4 10 µ 16 V electro

Semiconductors
DI- D4 IN914
01,2 BC559
ICI 4011 ( CMOS)

PCB ETI 711 C

RL1,2 Relays 12 V coil 150 ohm
or higher. Contacts to suit
requirement.

Fig. 6. Printed-circuit layout Fig, 7. Printed circuit layout for the

for the double-control relay single-control relay driver.
driver.

Parts List ETI 711 P

R1 Resistor 82 ohm 5% '/, w

Cl Capacitor 22001.5 16 V electro

C2 Capacitor 1000 µF 16 V electro

Dl- D4 Diode EM401 or similar

Ti Transformer 240 V/8.5-9.5 V

DSE 2155 or similar

6 way tag strip

Fig. 8. Interconnection diagram for the power supply.

148
 Project 31G

TRANSISTOR ASSISTE
IGNITION
A reliable type of electronic ignition which uses the existing points in the
distributor.

THE MOST POPULAR project for use

in acar must be some type of electronic
ignition. The Kettering system ( the one
used on most cars) is as old as the car it-
self and has not changed much over the
years. It still works by aset of points
which close, to allow the current to
build up in the spark coil, and then
oper so that the energy in the magnetic
field of the coil is used to generate the
high voltage needed to fire the plugs.
The system has problems at high speed
in that the current does not have time
to rise to ahigh enough level before the
points open — resulting in the output
voltage falling as the speed increases. At
low speed ( when starting) the points
open too slowly and some energy is lost
in arcing across the contacts. The use of
aballast resistor ( usually about 1-1.5
ohm) and alower inductance coil helps
the high speed performance and
shorting the ballast res.stor while
starting helps. d
While this system has performance
limitations it is reliable. The points need
to he cleaned every 10,000 km or so but
the system is unlikely to suddenly fail
witnout waining.

Electronic Ignition
Electronic ignition has been around for of about 150 V and special transformers The main system, which has been
about 15 years, but until recently no (ign.tion coils) had to be wound and a around for many years is COI, where
major car manufacturer has used it in large ballast resistor was needed. These the required energy is stored in acapa-
production This is due not only to the normally consumed about 10 or 15 A citor and when required it is dumped
additional cost but mainly to the from the battery. into the spark coil which is used only as
reliability problems ( how many NRMA Soon afterwards dwell extenders atransformer ( not for energy storage).
men carry spare transIstors?). made abrief appearance and these used This system is economical on power, is
The first electronic ignition system an SCR to close the points about 1ms good at both high and low speed and
simply used atransistor to switch the after they opened, giving alonger time has been most Popular with the
main current — giving longer points life. for the current to build up. This helped hobbyist.
Unfortunately in those days ahigh volt- the high speed performance but did not
age transistor could handle amaximum help starting or points life.

149
TRAI1515TOR ASSISTED IGNITION .12V
VIA IGNITION
SWITCH

t BALLAST
j
RESISTOR
IF USED

R1
150
R3
150

R4
150
R5
lk

—
Cl
I.— 100
>4
TO PIN 1
IC1

II
R10
10k

IC1 2
ICI 3
7>6

IC1 4
>o

IC1/5
11>12
4k7
1
470
R12
470
R13

D6
03
IGNITION
COIL

0 TO DIST

ZD 1 D1 C3 01
R7 IC1/1 IC1/6
6.2V lOn Fi 15.R 20
300n1W 47k 07 6x 10 .
14>15

IC1 4050 ( CMOS) 02

01 BC548 R8 IrD3
02 PN3643 100k R9 —
03 2N3055 10k (34
C2
04 BDY96, BDY97 R14
TO PIN 8
(diPOINTS
D1-07 1N4004
VD4 IC1
D8 1N5404
C4 IS THE SAME AS
USED IN DISTRIBUTER.

D5
Fig. 1. Circuit diagram. OV
>I O

Construction
We made our prototype in ametal box
HOW IT WORKS ETI 316 — Norwood type 34/2/D. The two
power transistors are mounted on the
The main current in the coil is switched by buffer) which triggers the monostable
Q4 which is a750 V 10 A transistor. The
lid along with the changeover socket,
made up of C3 and R8. This is then
base current, of which about 500 mA is buffered by 1C1/2 then by IC1/3-6 and capacitor C4, and the diode 08. All
needed, is provided by Q3, which acts as a this then controls the output stage. This other components are mounted on the
constant current source. We used this will turn the output transistor off for pc board which is mounted on 20 mm
instead of aresistor as the supply voltage about 1 ms ( normal dwell) unless QI spacers.
can vary from 6 to 12 volts ( and the intervenes. This transistor operates if the The pc board should be assembled
power dissipation would be too high). The output voltage falls to, or below, zero and with the aid of the overlay in Fig 2.
current source is switched on and off by resets the monostable, turning Q4 on
Ensure the transistors are oriented
Q2 ( the output transistor being off if Q2 again. This occurs after the first transient
correctly — also check the diodes, ICI,
is on). Diode D8 prevents reverse voltage and ensures that Q4 is not turned on when
there is high voltage across it. and Cl. The IC should be installed last.
damaging 04 while C4 prevents the output
voltage rising too high. When the points close C2 discharges Mount the power transistors using
The points are supplied with acurrent, more slowly via R7 and if the points open insulating washers. The capacitor
by R1- R4, of about 60 mA, which keep again quickly ( ie, bounce) this is ignored. C4 should be the same type as used in
them clean, and when they open C2 is The supply voltage of ICI is regulated by the distributor. If desired it can be
charged rapidly via R6 and Dl. This is ZD1 and C1to 6.2 V. removed from the distributor and fitted
buffered by 1C1/1 ( ICI is a CMOS hex on the coil itself, between earth and the
negative terminal. In this place it will
 work for standard or assisted ignition.
The external wiring can now be done
according to Fig 2. Ensure that the
outer surface of C4 is connected to the
emitter of 04. When mounting the pc
board ensure that the spacers do not

1
touch any of the tracks if they do use
apiece of insulation under the end.
As the octal plug has to be capable of
plugging- in in two positions, le, stan-
D6 dard or assisted ignition, the socket has
to be modified slightly. This entails
making anew slot between pins 1and 2
(Am e C2 similar to the one between pins 1and 8.
R14

y cc
R15 cc This can be either anew slot or the
R16.4=•- existing slot can be widened. There are
R17{23— Crn
three links required in the plug, these
c.) being between pins 1&8, 3&4 and 5&6.
R18.4=1—
R19«.CM-.• .431
. With the plug in the normal position
standard ignition is selected and in the
R20 ••1=1.—.• 131
je...
second position transistor assisted ig-
- DS nition is operational.
elQ§ 01

-"
C7F1?1— PARTS LIST - ETI 316
Resistors all 1
2 W
/ 5%
R1- R4 150 ohm
R5,6 1k
R7 47 k
D8
R8 100 k
R9,10 10 k

R11 4k7
R12,13 470 ohm
R14- R20 10 ohm
Capacitors
Cl 100 m16 V electro
C2,3 10 n polyester
C4 see text
Semi conductors
Q1 Transistor BC548
Q2 PN3643, 2N3643
03 2N3055
04 BDY96, BDY97

DIST UICOIL COIL (It you have trouble locating aBDY96 or

BDY97, A BUX80 may be substituted
POINTS — VE +VE
GROUND without changing any other components).
Fig. 2. Overlay and wiring diagram. D1- D7 Diodes 1N4004
08 1N5404
¿Di Zener 6.2 V 300 mW
IC1 4050 ( CMOS)
Miscellaneous
PC board ETI
316
Case, Norwood 34/2/D or similar
Octal plug and socket
Four 20 mm long spacers
Project 316
Today many of the major car manu-
facturers are offering electronic ignition
either as standard or as an option. These
however are not ( generally) CDI but
types similar to the earlier transistor
switch type ( using modern high voltage
transistors). Some systems also elim-
inate the points — using either an opti-
cal or magnetic pickup instead.
The system described here is atran-
sistor switch type but with dwell ex-
tension built in. The unique circuit can
provide aspark rate beyond that needed
by most motors and will give agood
spark at speeds which some CDI systems
will stop. It is simple to install and we
have provided achange- over plug (just
in case you have problems).
Oesign Features
The output transistor and the case are
the major expenses and both are
necessary. We therefore decided to see
what other facilities we could add to
make the project more worthwhile with.
out making it much more expensive.
Adding dwell extension improves
high speed performance but with the
standard design method the voltage still
falls somewhat at high speeds. After ex-
amining the primary waveform it was
realised that when the points open alot
of energy is wasted in ringing and that
the main spark energy occurs only in
the first positive going transient. It was Ell TRANSISTOR GNU luN

decided therefore to turn on the switch-

ing transistor ( thus in effect reclosing
the points) immediately after this STANDARD
3
transient. This provides a more stable I)WF LL EXTENDER

spark of higher energy and allows very PRIMARY

CUBRE Y. T

high speeds ( over 1500 sparks per 2 —0-

second) to be obtained. The primary
current remains much more constant as
the coil does not completely discharge srA\uJE,E
j IGNITION
each cycle.
Since the design was published afew
readers found that this ear(y switch-on
100 200 300 400 500 800 / 00 800 900 1000
caused misfiring. This occurs only with
avery few, and generally older vehicles. OUTPUT SPARK—HATE(SEC

If encountered it will almost certainly be Graph showing relationship between average

cured by deleting diode D5. coil current and spark rate for the different
systems.

•12V OFF •12V 01ON

i
ON
START I START
IGNITION IGNITION
SWITCH BALLAST SW,TCH BALLAST
RESISTOR RESISTOR
IMAY BE A MAY BE A
RESISTIVE LEAD) RESISTIVE LEAD/

COIL+

DISTRIBUTOR DISTRIBUTOR
EAT(

EXISTING SYSTEM NEW SYSTEM

Fig. 3. Printed circuit board. Full size 65 x
Fig. 4. Diagtam showing how to connect the unit to the car. 55 mm.

152
Disco strobe light
"Ilus, it seems they 'jump' from
position to position and anything or
anybody that moves does so in the
characteristic jerky fashion. If the flash
rate of the strobe is fairly close to the
rhythmic movements of the dancers,
We published our first strobe unit way back in August 1971. the effect is quite dramatic.
It has been one of our all-time popular projects. This unit is
Improvements
an up- dated version featuring anumber of improvements.
There were a couple of points on which
we though the old strobe could be
Phil Wait improved. Firstly. some constructors
reported intermittent false triggering
of the strobe tube, resulting in a
disturbing ' flutter' in the flash rate.
In the original circuit, the gate of the
SCR pulsing the strobe tube was
connected directly to the two neon
trigger tubes with no resistor from the
SCR gate to ground. Without being
'clamped' to ground by a resistor,
the sensitive SCR gate is prone to being
triggered by mains-borne noise ' spikes'
capacitively coupled to it via the neon
tube or adjacent circuitry. This has been
corrected in the current project.
The second point was more of a
construction problem. The capacitor
charging circuit and the flash timing
circuit on the original strobe were each
powered by separate half-wave rectifiers.
Now that appears like afull-wave bridge
rectifier with the bridge not completed.
Many constructors saw this and
immediately took it to be a mistake —
so they ` ptà it right' by connecting the
cathodes of 1)3 and 1)4 in that circuit.
The result was always disastrous! Our
sympathies to those who were caught.
To avoid this occurring again we
decided to use a conventional bridge
STROBE LIGHTS are very popular as rectifier to power the complete circuitry.
appeared since then, there was no way
lighting effects devices at parties and we could see of significantly altering
discos. Emitting aseries of bright flashes the device to any advantage. That Construction
of light several times per second, the original design was just about the Carefully examine the photographs and
movement of dancers takes on a jerky simplest, least expensive and most the construction diagrams. Assembly is
'stop-motion' effect. Used in conjunction effecti‘c for a strobe that could be quite straightforward and little
with coloured `light show' effects units devised. Howec cr. experience over the difficulty should be experienced. Care
that vary the colour and intensity of a years showed up a number of minor must be taken with the wiring though,
bank of lights, the overall effect achieved shortciimings and we have modified as the unit operates directly from the
can be quite stunning. the circuit to eliminate these and mains.
We first published a strobe unit for this Disco Strobe is the result. The electronics is all mounted in a
this application back in August 1971. 145 x 115 x 90 mm aluminium box. A
That was the ETI 505 High Power 180 mm diameter spun aluminium
Strobe. It has been by far the most The effect reflector is mounted on one end, the
popular project we have ever described. How does a strobe produce the 'stop- strobe tube(s) being mounted inside this
The E'I'l 505 was still available as a kit motion' effect? Quite simply, really. by a plug and socket arrangement. An
— and a steady seller by all accounts --- At each flash of light, in a darkened octal valve socket is used, its mounting
quite recently. room, you will see everybody in the screws being used to secure the reflector
When the demand for a new strobe postion they are in at the instant of to the box.
became apparent earlier this year, we the flash. During the short interval At the opposite end of the box, the
sat down and took a long hard look at before the next flash, they will have discharge capacitors arc mounted, two
the original design. But despite all the moved and %' ou ‘vill see them in a or four being used depending on
revolutionary technology th at has slightly different position, and so on. whether one or two strobe tubes are

153
 FOR ADDI RONAL
TUBES IF
REQUIRED
R1 R4
D3
8200 820R
R2 C2 10W C4
4/0k
240V de
INPUT
,C5
Cl CIRCUIT IN THIS
RV1 LP1
100n SECTION ONLY USED
5M OR
400V IF TWO OR MORE
2M
TUBES ARE USED

PS
LP2

NE?

R3
1M FOR ADDITIONAL
TUBES IF REQUIRED

HOW IT WORKS -- Eli 574

The principle of operation of the strobe across the primary of Ti as the anode of used. The capacitors specified have a
tube is discussed in the general text, SCR1 is then connected to earth for all threaded mounting bolt protruding
so here we'll concentrate on the overall intents and purposes. Cl will then rapidly
from the base, making mounting a
circuit. discharge, the resulting pulse in the
simple matter. Also mounted on this
The mains voltage is rectified by a primary of Ti being transformed to about
end of the box are the flash speed
diode bridge circuit formed by 01, D2, 4 kV at the secondary.
D3 and 04. Since there is no capacitor As the secondary of Ti is connected to
potentiometer and the power switch.
directly across the dc output of the bridge the trigger electrode of the strobe tube, The power cord passés through the
rectifier, the output consists of a series of this will ' break down' and emit a bright panel also, being secured by a clamp-
half- wave pulses at a frequency of 100 Hz flash of light when the trigger electrode type grommet. A two-pole mains switch
(i.e.: twice the mains frequency). The receives the 4 kV pulse from Ti. must be used and can be either a
storage capacitors, C2 and C3 ( plus C4, After Cl has discharged, NE1 and separate switch or integral with the
C5 etc if extra tubes are added) are NE2 will extinguish, SCR1 will turn off
flash speed potentiometer. Note that a
charged from the bridge rectifier output and Cl will commence to charge again.
switch- pot. has been sped' ied in the
via R1 ( R3 etc for extra tubes). They will The whole cycle will then be repeated.
charge to the peak value of the rectifier Varying the rate at which Cl charges,
parts list.
output, about 340-350 volts. ( That is, and thus the amount of time it takes to If one strobe tube is used, only two
1.414 times the mains voltage: 240 x charge Cl to about 240 volts, will vary capacitors will be required. These
1.414 = 339 volts) the time between flashes. Thus RV1, a should be mounted, so that two more
The resistor in series with the 2M or 5M potentiometer, serves as may be mounted at a later stage if
storage capacitors ( R1, R3) limits the peak a ' flash speed' control. Increasing the another strobe tube is added. The
charging current to prevent damage to the resistance of RV1, increases the time potentiometer may have a value of
rectifier diodes and also serves to isolate it takes Cl to charge to 240 volts,
either 5M or 2M, depending on which
the strobe tube from the mains. increasing the time between flashes —
is the more readily available. The 5M
The two neon ' trigger' lamps, NE1 and which decreases the flash rate.
The storage capacitors, C2 and C3
pot. will give a speed from about one
NE2, each have a 'striking potential' of
around 120 volts. That is, the neon gas (with one tube), discharge when the strobe flash per second to about 20 flashes
inside will ionise, (' break down') and the tube fires, recharging between successive per second. The slowest speed is
lamp ' fires', conducting current very flashes. somewhat too slow for most
suddenly when this striking voltage is When two ( or more) tubes are used, applications, but this matters little as
reached or exceeded. each must have a separate storage the desired flash rate will be within the
Now, Cl is charged from the bridge capacitor ( made up of two capacitors here, general speed range in any case. The 2M
rectifier output via R2 and RV1. As the for convenience) and limiting resistor,
pot. gives a range of about two or
voltcge across Cl rises it will eventually otherwise — as explained in the text — the
three flashes per second up to about 20
reach the striking voltage of the two neons. first tube to fire in a parallel-connected
arrangement would prohibit the other flashes, as before.
As these are in series, the voltage across Cl
must reach about 240 volts before they tube(s) from firing. Whatever you do, do not omit the
strike. When this occurs, a pulse of current The resistor between the gate of SCR1 plastic cover over the front of the
will flow into the gate of SCR1, causing and ground, R4, prevents spurious reflector. This is to prevent accidental
it to conduct. This effectively places Cl triggering of SCR1. contact with the flash tube and the
lethal voltages present.

154
The pc artwork is on page 83.
TERMINAL
OCTAL STRIP
SOCKET
BLUE
(L.P2 A
OPTIONAL)

24(1V
INPU T

+Ve TO C4,C5
IF USED

-Ve TO C4,C!,
IF USED
+Ve TO 2nd —Ve TO 2nd
STROBE TUBE STROBE TOW .
RI

22
7 1 ). 47T132.3..
TRIGGER TO 2nd
STROBE TUBE R4 (
OPTIONAL)

SF
_ SCR1

PARTS LIST - Eli 574

Resistors
R1 82OR 10W
R2 470k Y2W
R3 1meg
R4* 82OR 10W
RV1 2M or 5M linear potenti-
ometer with double pole
switch ( see text)

Capacitors
Cl 100n 400Volt poly-
carbonite
C2,C3,C4*,
C5* 6µF 240Vac capacitor
(RIFA type PHN)

Semiconductors
D1-04 IN4004,EM404,A14A
or sim.
SCR1 C10613,BT100A 500R,
or sim.

Miscellaneous
NE1,NE2. . . . neon indicator tube
GE - NE2
LP1,LP2" . . . Strobe tube, Circuit
Components type MFT
1210 or Dick Smith type.
Ti pulse transformer to suit
tube type TR4KN or sim.
Octal Plug . . . McMurdo L8USR1
Octal Socket McMurdo type RT8, reflector,
metal box 145 mm x 115 mm x 90 mm,
perspex cover, hinge, magnetic catch,
power cable, ETI 574 pc board.

*Components marked with an asterisk are

only used for two tubes.

155
 MOUNTING SCREWS

Caution!
RE FIFC TOR
The entire circuit is at mains potential
(including the tube) and, if you don't
want to fry yourself or be responsible
for somebiRly else accidentally d(iing
likewise it is essential that the case be
securely earthed. The power cord must OCT Al PLUG
10— Q1-
be arranged and secured strictly as icD
shown in the diagrams. Use proper 240
ev, OC TA L
PE RSPE X COVER
Vac rated wiring ( 23-)076 PVC SOCKET

insulated) for all connections. For

MOUNTING
safety's sake, a perspex cover is bolted 11, FL ASH TUBE
SCREWS
over the open end of the reflector.
Assemble the printed circuit board
PC BOARD
according to the overlay, noting the
polarity of the diodes. If two strobe
tubes are to Ile used, include the
additional 820 ohm, 10 watt resistor
as shown.
Plastic standoffs must he used i.
mount the pc board. These standoh,
decrease the chance of a short to the \• is the voltage
metal case. They are necessary secondly How the strobe tube works Increasing either the capacitance or
because the trigger transformer develops the voltage will increase the energy of
l'or those not familiar with a strobe
4 kV pulses which could possibly develop the discharge, and hence the light
tube and the way it works, the following
arcs across the pc board should metal output. However, as the output is
explanation should. er . . throw some
standoffs be used. increased, tube life falls off dramatically.
light on the subject.
The strobe tube itself is not acritical A better way to obtain more light
A strobe tube is a simple tube of
component. Two types are commonly output is to use two tubes. Separate
glass, sealed at the ends and bent into
available. I'he type MFT1210 from storage capacitors are necessary as each
a convenient shape, evacuated and then
Circuit Components of Bexley NSW is tube varies with regard to discharge
filled with a tiny amount of ( Inc of the
one such unit. Another is that characteristics. If two tubes are simply
rare gasses in this case Xenon. Small
advertised by Dick Smith, ( catalogue connected in parallel, whichever
metal electrodes are sealed in the ends
No. S-3882). commences to discharge first even
of the tube, projecting into the interior.
Neither of these tubes includes a though it may only be microseconds
A third, ' trigger' electrode is attached in
trigger electrode, so one must be earlier will prevent the other tube
some manner around the outside of the
attached. This is simply made by from firing.
tube, though not completely covering it.
winding a length of 22 gauge ( or some In the circuit used for this strobe
Some 300 to 500 volts de is applied
gauge thereabouts) tinned copper wire unit, two 6 W.' capacitors arc used
between the two end electrodes,
around the glass and taking it down to a in parallel for the storage capacitor.
generally from a storage capacitor. but
spare pin in the octal base on which the l'or two tubes, another two capacitors
the resistance of the gas is very high at
strobe tube is mounted. The diagram are used. The same trigger transformer
this stage and negligible current will
shows how one or two tubes, together may be used to trigger both tubes
flow. When a very high voltage pulse,
with their trigger electrodes, are in atwin-tube model.
about 4 kV, is applied to the trigger
mounted in the octal plug. For small rooms or total darkness,
electrode, the gas inside the tube
When you have the assembly the light output of a single tube unit
ionises ( Ilreaks down'), its resistance
complete make sure all components are will be more than adequate. l'or larger
falling quickly to a very low value.
securely mounted and there are no short rooms, halls etc, two tubes will be
The storage capacitor discharges through
circuits - or any possible - and the tube and an enormous current necessa ry e
RE-CHECK EARTH flows - amps of it! - - the voltage across
CONNECTION. the electrodes falling in about 100 VVARNING
microseconds to a value below that
lilly
necessary to maintain the gas ionised.
: nn 1 -
When the gas ionises it emits an intense
The smoke test s In hay,
burst of light, extinguishing when the
Perhaps that's a little too strong! discharge ceases.
,wanr1 t
,al,
1he amount ol light produced
Nevertheless, once you have the unit - i-1
assembled and carefully checked, set the during each flash is dependent on the •
speed potentiometer to minimum flash value of the discharge capacitt It- and the
rate ( fully anticlockwise). plug in and voltage across it. for those interested,
1. , 1t, .,• ter tang
switch on. If all is well, the strobe the formula for the energy of the
si r tit asit it,',
discharge is: -
should flash about once per second or a la tut' ovunt of an attar t whilst
little faster, depending on which value = I2CV 2 tho strobe light is rwerating, it r''ust
pot. is installed. Advancing the control where E is the discharge energy. in joules u
-nKd of f ,i.ecliately.
should increase the flash rate. C is the capacitance in Farads

156
 000
•

•
EX
262

ogr ••• cy
ETI 4 72

!
c~i-Atilk ti;_•/240
 -*3
1

1
ksInc)
Ç°.cçn\7‘Lmac144-Y4..,.,q,(cLm
o

f I I
ETI 588 C

Otteiil001;e190001
lCale_lji 00111021j

Crià‘lt0 0 C0• 41 IIFOO s6bo rO llb0

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-

(-"-fiVri Kre LreLreKtie

 $ lepokoutt
THIS PAGE is to assist you in finding Tasman Electronics, 12 Victoria Street, uted by A & R Soanar and are available
parts and kits for the projects featured in Coburg, Vic 3058. Ph. (03) 354-5062. from most electronic suppliers.
this book. So far as we have been able to. The components for the ETI-262
ascertain at the time of going to press, Jaycar Pty Ltd, PO Box K39, Haymarket, NSW Simple Intercom are all very common.
the information contained here is 2000. Ph. (02) 211-5077. We are not aware of any supplier carrying
accurate. However, for a variety of a kit for this project, but the pc board
reasons, the situation may change and SM Electronics, 10 Stafford Court, Doncaster (you'll need two, remember) and
suppliers may discontinue aproject, or East, Vic3109. Ph. (03) 842-3950. components are all available from Radio
line of components, for one reason or Despatch Service in Sydney plus All
another and it is always wise to check Ellistronics, 289 Latrobe Street, Melbourne, Electronic Components and Rod Irving
Vic 3000. Ph. (03) 602-3282. Electronics in Melbourne.
that what you want is available.
The Transistor Assisted Ignition
Mode Electronics, PO Box 365, Mascot, NSW
Printed circuit boards 2020. Ph. (02) 666-6324.
(ETI-316) uses some unusual compon-
ents, but you should not have too much
First of all, the printed circuit boards
difficulty locating suppliers. So far as we
for all of these projects may be obtained
are aware, kits are stocked by All
from the following firms. If they don't Orbit Electronics, PO Box 7176, Auckland, Electronic Components and SM Elect-
have them in stock when you enquire, New Zealand. ronics in Melbourne, Willis Electronics in
they will obtain them to order within a
Perth and Orbit Electronics in Auckland,
very short time. Here they are: Pre-Pak Electronics, 718 Parramatta Road, New Zealand.
Croydon, NSW 2132. Ph. (02) 797-6144.
RCS Radio
651 Forest Road, Bexley NSW.
Rod Irving, PO Box 135, Northcote, Vic 3070.
400 series projects
Ph. (03) 489-8131. In general, pc boards and parts for all the
Radio Despatch Service,
audio projects featured in this book are
869 George Street, Broadway NSW.
Silicon Valley, 23 Chandos Street, St. widely available, quite a number of
Leonards, NSW 2065. Ph. (02) 439-4655. suppliers offer complete kits, right down
All Electronic Components
to metalwork and snazzy front panels.
118 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Vic.
Willis Electronics, 993 Hay Street, Perth, WA The ETI-451 Hum Filter is available
In addition, the particular suppliers 6000. Ph. (09) 321-7609. as a kit from Dick Smith stores, every-
mentioned later, in conjunction with where and also from All Electronic Com-
individual projects, can supply pc boards Trilogy, 40 Princes Highway, Fairy Meadow, ponents and Tasman Electronics in
and components too. NSW 2519. Melbourne. Printed circuit boards are
The projects have been ranked in available individually from the suppliers
numerical order here, along with the mentioned earlier.
information about suppliers relevant to 150,200 and 300 series projects We understand the Guitar Practice
each, as this makes it easy to dig out the The three test instruments, ETI-150 - Amp (ETI-452) should be available as a
information you require. ET1-151 - ETI-152, generally include kit from All Electronic Components in
Kits of components for many of the readily available components. Although Melbourne and pc boards will be avail-
projects in this book are available from we have specified C & K brand switches, able from the usual suppliers. No special
various component suppliers. Listed sold by Silicon Valley stores around components are used.
below are some of the companies we Australia and in New Zealand, most The ETI-454 Fuzz/Sustain Unit is not
suggest you contact. miniature switches of the same number as straightforward as the Guitar Practice
of poles/positions will suffice. The Amp, but pc boards and components
Applied Technology Pty Ltd, 1A Pattison 100 µA University meter specified in the may be obtained from Radio Despatch
Avenue, Waitara, NSW 2077. Ph. (02) 487- Analogue Frequency Meter (ETI-150) Service and Jaycar in Sydney, or All
2711.
is stocked by Radio Despatch Service in Electronic Components and Ellistronics
Sydney and All Electronic Components in Melbourne.
Bill Edge Electronic Agencies, 115 Parramatta
in Melbourne, and probably quite a The ETI-466 300 W Amp Module is
Road, Concord (PO Box 1005, Burwood North
2134). Ph. (02) 747-6472. number of other suppliers. The same two quite aspecial project. Nevertheless, kits
firms stock the close tolerance 1 n may be obtained from Electronic
J.R. Components, PO Box 128, Eastwood, capacitors for the Eh-152 Capacitance Agencies, Jaycar and Dick Smith Elect-
NSW 2122. Ph. (02) 85-3976. Meter. The close tolerance resistors used ronics in Sydney or Rod Irving Elect-
in the ETI-151 Linear Scale Ohmmeter ronics and All Electronic Components in
Dick Smith Electronics P/L, Cnr Waterloo & aren't common, but you could try Radio Melbourne. The 'special' components
Lane Cove Roads, North Ryde, 2113. Ph. ( 02) Despatch Service in Sydney; or, in (M.115003/4 transistors, filter capacitors,
888-3200.
Melbourne, try All Electronic Compon- pc board, transformer) may be obtained
All Electronic Components, 118 Lonsdale ents or Stewart Electronics ( 33 Sunhill individually from Ellistronics and Rod
Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000. Ph. (03) 662- Rd, Mt Waverley 3149 277-0622). The Irving Electronics in Melbourne, if you
3506. cases for these three projects are distrib- have the other components on hand. In

160
addition, Electronics ( distributors) of Bexley NSW 2207, 59-6550, 59-3720)

ROD IRVING.,
Shops 2-3, 7/10 Joyce St, Pendle Hill and All Electronic Components in
NSW and Silicon Valley stores should Melbourne. Dick Smith stock a suitable
stock the M J15003/4 output transistors strobe tube (Cat. No. S-3882) and trigger
and the filter capacitors. transformer ( M-0104) also. The 6 µF,
The Series 4000 Stereo Amplifier 240 Vac rated capacitors used in this
consists of four modules -- two ETI-470 project are a common electrical item These kits available
60 W Low Distortion Amplifiers, one
ETI-471 Stereo Preamp and one ETI-472
Power Supply. It would be easier to list
used in fluorescent light installations.
They are available from electrical whole-
salers such as George Brown and Martin
from ROD IRVING
Transistor- assisted ignition.. . 316
E
who doesn't stock these kits. However, de Launay in Sydney, plus Dick Smith
complete kits, with all metalwork, front Mast- head strobe 558
and All Electronic Components, if you
panel etc, can be obtained from Elect- only want them as separate items. The High current supply 142

E
ronics Agencies in Sydney, or in reflector for this project is a common Development timer 594
Melbourne — All Electronic Components, photographic item, but the kit suppliers Sixty watt power module 470
Rod Irving Electronics and Tasrnan will have them specially made to suit the Pre-amp for above 471
Electronics. project. Series 4000 amplifier 470,471,472
As the ETI-470 60 W Amp modules The Electromyogram (Eh- 576) is
Moving coil pre- amp 472 C
are popular and useful in their own right, available as a complete project from All
Power supply for above 577

T
here is a list of suppliers who carry kits Electronic Components, while the pc
and/or components: In Sydney — board and all the components are avail- Interface for above 474
Applied Technology, Electronic Agencies able as separate items from Radio Des- Four-way speaker 4000 series 496
and Pre-Pak Electronics; in Melbourne —

R
patch Service in Sydney. Three hundred watt module 466
All Electronic Components, Tasman The ETI-577 Power Supply was de- Aircraft band converter 721
Electronics, Rod Irving Electronics and signed expressly for the ETI-473 MC Antenna for above 722
Ellistronics: plus Willis Electronics in Cartridge Preamp, but is suitable for
Aquarium light controller 595
Perth and Silicon Valley Stores. many other applications — kits from All
Expanded scale rms meter 144
The Moving-Coil Cartridge Preamp, Electronic Components, pc boards from 0
ETI-473 is available as a kit from All the usual sources. Microwave leak detector 724
Electronic Components in Melbourne;
printed circuit boards from the usual
sources. Kits etc for the power supply
The Ultrasonic Switch ( ETI-585) is
available in kit form or as separate com-
ponents, from Rod Irving Electronics and
'Logic probe
Hum filter
Electronic die
148
451
814
NI
for the preamp ( ETI-577) are available All Electronic Components in Melbourne Light wand 575
from the same sources. and Dick Smith stores.
Electromyogram 576 I
The High-to- Low Impedance Interface The ETI-588 Theatrical Lighting
for the 60 W Amp module is a fairly Electronic tuning fork 606
Controller is quite a specialised project.
simple device, nothing special here, and Module kits and complete kits, including Analogue frequency meter 150
components are widely available. Printed all metalwork, are available from Nebula Guitar Practice Amp 452 C
circuit boards may be obtained from the Electronics in Sydney. Meanwhile the Linear ohmeter 151
pc board suppliers mentioned earlier. Electronic Tuning Fork ( ETI-606) has Linear capacitance meter 152
The Series 4000/1 Four-Way Loud- only one special component — the S
Graphic equaliser 491
speaker is a top-line project for the 3.579545 MHz crystal ( often marked
Ultrasonic switch 585
serious do-it-yourself audiophile. Elect- just 3.579). Dick Smith stocks them
ronic Agencies in Sydney stock complete
kits as do Philips dealers and agents
(Cat. No. K-6031), as do All Electronic
Components.
>11t
around Australia. More information can
be obtained by writing to Philips at PO
SHOP 499,
700 series projects
Box 50, Lane Cove NSW 2066.
The Remote Control Unit (ETI-711) is HIGH STREET,
500 and 600 series projects
not stocked as akit by any suppliers, so
far as we are aware, but the pc boards are
NORTHCOTE,
First in numerical order in this category
is the ETI-573 Universal Process Timer.
available from the usual suppliers and
there are no special components — so, all
VIC. 3070.
As no special components are used, you you have to do is shop around for the Open: Mon - Thur 8am-5.30pm
should have little difficulty obtaining best prices! The crystals may be ordered Fri 8am-8pm. Sat 8.30am-12.30pm.
parts. Printed circuit boards are•obtain- to frequency from anumber of sources, Mail Orders: PO Box 135,
able from the usual suppliers, plus Rod but check your usual supplier first. Northcote, Vic. 3070.
Irving Electronics and Ellistronics, both The simple Shortwave Receiver, ETI- Minimum $ 1.25 post and pack.
in Melbourne. 718, is a little gem to get going. All Send 60c stamp for free
The ET!- 574 Disco Strobe is another Electronic Components stock a kit, but condensed catalogue.
kettle of fish! You'll find Dick Smith parts are obtainable from just about
stores and All Electronic Components every supplier while the pc board is avail- Please debit my Bankcard
stock kits, while the pc boards are avail- able from the sources mentioned earlier.
able from the usual suppliers ( plus Rod Similarly, the ETI-721 Aircraft Band Bankcard No.
Irving Electronics and Ellistronics). For Converter is stocked by Dick Smith and
Expiry Date
the resourceful constructor, not starting All Electronic Components, but parts
from scratch, the strobe tube ( type and pc boards are readily available. Name
MFT1210) and trigger transformer ( type Suppliers of parts for the antenna to suit
TR4KN) are available from Circuit Com- this project ( ETI-722) are listed in the Signature
ponents in Sydney ( 383 Forest Road, article, on page 81.

161
 THE ETI
COLLECTION
30 Audio Projects $3.95 Top Projects Vol.4. $3 3600/4600 Synthesizers $ 12.50 Simple Projects Vol.2. $2.95

Project Electronics $4.75 Top Projects Vol.5. $3

Australian CB $3.95

Test Gear 1. $3
TE Circuits No.2. $2.95

rh.p1.0
ék)etL
Ve %)„,
dIgIt41

545 -
Ph

(‘>"

%.
4

HERE
THEY ARE!
COLLECTIONS OF
THE ' BEST FROM ETI'

Forget leather-cased editions of Moby Dick, papyrus printings of ancient

classics and first editions of Gone With the Wind! The dedicated elect-
ronics enthusiast puts an investment on his bookshelf with the ETI
Collection — an investment in hours of pleasure in building and using
projects that are backed by one of the world's largest electronics
magazines.
From electronic music, through audio, to CB radio, the ETI Collection
ranges the whole field of electronics.

Please send me: 0 Test Gear 1 03600/4600 Synthesizers HOW TO ORDER

030 Audio Projects. OCircuits 2. I:Project Electronics. The books in this collection are available from most news-
OTop Projects Vol.4. OTop Projects Vol.5. 0Aust. CB. agents or directly from ETI. The only exception is the Inter- 1
national Synthesizer book which is only available from us and
a limited number of specialist suppliers — it is not sold by
Ienclose $ (
inc. postage). newsagents. Send your order, enclosing a cheque or money
order ( and including postage where appropriate), to:
Name Electronics Today International
Subscriptions Department
Address 15 Boundary St
Rushcutters Bay NSW 2011
Post Code

162
 •Test Gear 1
Your confidence to tackle more complex projects will increase dramatically if you
have the right test equipment to troubleshoot, fault- find and generally understand
the operation of the circuits you build. Why not build your own test equipment,
saving money and learning as you go?
Contents include: Audio Level Meter, Impedance Meter, Audio Millivoltmeter,
Simple Frequency Counter, Phase Meter, Temperature Meter, Audio Signal Generator,
Audio Noise Generator, and many more.
Price: $3.00 plus 45 cents post and packing.

• ETI Circuits No. 2

This giant compendium of circuits has been assembled from the ' Ideas for Experimen-
ters' section of Electronics Today and is packed full ' of ideas and suggestions for the
experimenter. The chapter headings cover Alarms, Atriplifiers, Automobile, Batteries,
Comparators, Conversion Tables, Crossovers, Crystal Oscillators, Detectors, Digital,
Filters and so on. Whenever you're looking for acircuit, this is the book to turn to.
Price: $ 2.95 plus 45 cents post and packing.

• 30 Audio Projects
For the Audiophile who wants good sound at a good price plus the satisfaction of
having built it himself, 30 Audio Projects is required reading. The contents include
our most popular audio projects: 25 watt Amp, General Purpose Preamp, Bucket
Brigade Delay Line, Active Crossover, Compressor Expander, Tape Noise Limiter,
Transmission Line Speaker System, Master Mixer, Graphic Equalizer and the 50/100
Watt Amp Modules.
Price: $3.95 plus 70 cents postage and packing in NSW (80 cents in other siates).

•Project Electronics
Specially designed to meet the needs of newcomers to electronics, and in particular
school students following the three-segment Industrial Arts syllabus in electronics,
this book has been a runaway success! Twenty-six projects ( many easily available in
kit form) are completely described along with hints on troubleshooting, components,
how to solder, etc. None of the projects is expensive and all are satisfying to build.
Available in newsagents, component stores or directly from ETI.
Price: $4.75 plus 45 cents post and packing.

.International
I 3600 and 4600 Synthesizers
A completely revised and updated reprint of ETI's phenomenally successful music
synthesizer designs.
This book has been beautifully printed on heavy art paper and has asturdy cover
varnished for protection.
Available trom some kit suppliers.
Price: $ 12.50 including post and packing.

• Top Projects Vol. 4

Available from newsagents or directly from Electronics Today International this
book, published in June 1977, contains the following projects: Audio Expander/
Compressor, 50/100 Watt Amp Modules, Stereo Amplifier, Dynamic Noise Filter,
Audio Phaser, Audio Limiter, TV Game, Swimming Pool Alarm, Temperature Alarm,
Active Antenna, GSR Monitor, Universal Timer, Mini- Organ, GP Power Supply, Tem-
perature Meter, Train Controller, Car ' Scope Testing.
Price: $3.00 plus 45 cents postage and packing.

• Top Projects Vol. 5

Once again, this ' Best of ETI' publication is available from many newsagents or
directly from ETI. Published in 1978 it is crammed with projects: Shutter Seed
Timer, Ultrasonic Switch, Accentuated Beat Metronome, Marine Gas Alarm, House
Alarm, White Line Follower, Induction Balance Metal Detector, Photographic Strobe,
Simple Compressor/expander and CB Power Supply.
Price: $3.00 plus 45 cents post and packing.

ETI Ma 1980 — 75
 `,i' you build electronic proje-cs,

°slit
want to test then-%
N'ou'll
DicK Srnitti bas a full range of
• for the klobbyist or

the professional. Mage sure

wen
it's yvut-lcing correctly-. It's easy

'
wittitest gear frorn Dic K Stni th!

EST
Inusu • •
MULTI-
TEST WAY
LEADSEIfie, e
/pIV
If you can clip onto it, pl ug

DICK'S OWN into it, get under it or touch

lOBBYIST TEST CENTRE

it this handy test lead se t
$ 4 95
will help you. 16 pieces, inc. W-4526
colour coded leads. Handy!
preffriele
What's better than a 100,000 ohm per
volt multimeter? How about one th a t SPECIFICATIONS: HANDY CARRY CASE
also checks transistors AND cap ac it ors ! DCV 250inV. 25V 10V Protect your meter from
50V, 250V Et IkV a 100k V damage with this handy
Yes, this must be one of th e mos t
ACV 5 10 50 250. Et IkV carry case. Room for test
uesful devices a hobbyist could own .
OCA 10uA. 25mA 25mA leads plus manual, too.
High accuracy with minimal c i rcu it
500mA. 104 Plus 104 AC
loading ( thanks to the 100k/V RES 20 200 20k. 200k
sensitivity), with extrmely usef u l ohms centre scale I
xl x10,
ranges including 10A AC & DC. elk Et x 10k ranges)
d8 i-16 - 62dB
Plus, of course, the tra ns i
s tor c hec k er
TRANS . h,. - 1000
RF PROBE
giving both & I
co readings. And
1 0 - 5guA Extend the range of your
capacitor values from 50pF th roug h to
ap 50pF - 3uF 0Old Q-1 140 meter to cover the

ONLY SOuF. It's a bargain! 500: accuracy 6 RF spectrum, too. Makes it

even more useful!
Frequency range 150kHz

0-1140 ACCESSORIES
,
69 "
to 30MHz.
Cat 1140
Cat 0

RF GENERA ‘AC BRIDGE

Another hobbyist and serv i
ce aid you'll NEW: A CRO JUST
Quality Trio brand, with
range from 100kHz to
wonder how you got a l ong w ith ou t!

Great for working out component v al u es.

FOR THE HOBBYIST
30MHz. All solid state R, Ior C including turns ra ti o o f trans - You'll wonder
construction, mains formers, etc. how you ever
operated. Great value! Extremely wide got along with-
range: far more out a CRO in

$
1
than a your workshop!
80 multimeter This CRO is
designed with
$7950
Ca O-1250
the hobbyist
AF GENER and serviceman

Cat 0-1420 -eel el' 0 in mind: SMHz

response, easy
Match e unit, to use and it
20Hz Hz in 4 won't break
range
circuit/
bridge CHECK THAT the bank. It's
exclusive to
sine and
squa • ie;
i
•.1
output. BATTERY! Dick Smith and
comes with a
I Is
Batteries: friend or foe?
Pà17,1. US. comprehensive
If they're suspect, you
instruction manual.

%
don't know! Find out with
this handy checker and

SIGNAL M.
s
faov
renh
oonu
.. ers ot
x is f
esne
tafrc
a uhl
i
tnsg
.
LOGIC PROBE
Working with digital circuits?
How's thi value: signal \ Checks all sizes & types;
You'll appreciate this one: a lo -
jlic
injector for isee work has Tr!49\ also fu -
:es E« globes.
probe which is CMOSiTTL com-
harmonics ri p through HF Go no go meter patible, shows, high, low states
bands, gre tor khe hobbyist reading. with pulse stretching tacuity for
or service fast pulses that you would other
• technician. 9‘ e lee5 $ 995 wise miss. Low circuit loading;
0-1525
Ca 0-1270 operates to over
12MHz.

DICK SMITRELECTRONICS
NSW 125 York Stre
147 HMI: HI
TONEY, Ph 290 3377 VIC 399 Lonsdaie Street. MELBOURNE Ph 67 9834
welcome Mere
JCHUU.ORA Ph 642 8922 656 Bridge Road, RICHMOND
162 Pacific H' Ph 420 1614
a GORE HILL Ph 439 5311 ciLD 166 Logan Road, MIRANDA .
30 Grose Str Ph 391 6233
. PARRAMATTA Ph 683 1133 842 Gympie Road. CHERMSIDE .
396 Lane Co (Opening Soon)
cl.„. NORTH RYDE Ph 888 3200 ACT 96 Gladstone St ree t, FYSHWICK .
2E3 Keira Ph 80 4944
/ WOLLONGONG Ph 28 3800 SA 60 Wright Street . ADELAIDE Ph 212 1962
WA 414 William Street, PERTH Ph 328 6944
ADEL CEETRE:f'OBox 2,1, NORTH HYDE NSW 2113 . Ph 88 8 3200. PAÉK Et POST EXTRA.