Selectable power supply for audio amplifier

• US 7,417,502 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maclane, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maclane, Inc.
• Inventors: Cochrane, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khanh V
• Application Number:
  US11/335,438
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 330/127, 330/297, 330/140, 363/67, 363/114, 363/125, 363/126
• US Class Current: 330/127
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/03 the amplifier being designed for audio applications
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/507 A switch being used for switching on or off a supply or supplying circuit in an IC-block amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/511 Many discrete supply voltages or currents or voltage levels can be chosen by a control signal in an IC-block amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/02 with tubes only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/181 Low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio preamplifiers

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to power supplies for audio amplifiers that focus on the importance of certain power supply characteristics in forming the overall qualities of a tube amplifier. The power supplies may use a power transformer with two dissimilar and selectable secondary windings to supply the voltages for a single vacuum tube power amplifier (B+ voltages). The power supplies may also apply different rectifier characteristics to complement the use of multiple differing secondary windings. The power supplies may also use different capacitor bank options to filter ripple voltage. The power supplies may also use of coordinated grid-bias voltage adjustment that coincides with secondary winding selection. The power supplies may also use coordinated preamp bias voltage adjustment that coincides with secondary winding selection.

Claims

1. A selectable power supply for use in a thermionic vacuum tube audio amplifier comprising:

a power transformer having a first secondary coil for providing a first AC power voltage with a first volt-amp rating and a second secondary coil for providing a second AC power voltage with a second volt-amp rating that is different from the first volt-amp rating;

first rectifying means coupled to the first secondary coil for converting the power to a first rectified DC plate voltage,

second rectifying means coupled to the second secondary coil for converting the power to a second rectified DC plate voltage,

filter means coupled to the first and second rectifying means for reducing the ripple component of one of the first or second rectified DC plate voltage to thereby present DC plate voltage adapted to supply at least one vacuum thermionic element of an audio amplifier; and

user-selectable switch means for selectively interrupting the rectified DC plate voltage presented at the filter means.

2. The power supply of claim 1 further comprising a thermionic vacuum element coupled in series with the second rectifying means, and wherein:

the first and second rectifying means comprise solid state rectifiers; and

the filter means comprises an RC filter having a total capacitance of less than 60 μ

F.

3. The power supply of claim 1 wherein:

the first rectifying means comprises a solid state rectifier;

the second rectifying means comprises a thermionic vacuum element; and

the filter means comprises an RC filter having a total capacitance no greater than about 60 μ

F.

4. The power supply of claim 1 wherein:

the first secondary coil is a center tapped coil;

the second secondary coil is a center tapped coil; and

the user-selectable switch means comprises a switch for coupling one of the center tap of the first secondary coil or the center tap of the second secondary coil to ground.

5. The power supply of claim 4 wherein the user-selectable switch means further comprises a switch that changes the capacity of the filter means in response to coupling of one of the center tap of the first secondary coil or the center tap of the second secondary coil to ground.

6. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second secondary coil has a volt-amp rating at least 25 percent lower than the volt-amp rating of the first secondary coil.

7. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the switch means further comprises means for engaging a second filter means in response to user selection of the second secondary coil.

8. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the power supply further comprises a filter network with multiple output points with unique plate voltage levels and wherein the switch means Her comprises means for changing the plate voltage level at least one of the output points in response changing user selection from one of a punch mode to a sag mode.

9. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the filter means further comprises multiple output points and wherein the switch means reduces the DC plate voltage level at least one of the output points in response changing user selection from a punch mode to a sag mode.

10. A selectable power supply for use in an audio amplifier comprising:

a power transformer having a first secondary coil for providing a first AC power voltage with a first volt-amp rating and a second secondary coil for providing a second AC power voltage with a second volt-amp rating that is different from the first volt-amp rating;

first rectifying means coupled to the first secondary coil for converting the first AC power voltage to a first rectified DC plate voltage;

first capacitive filter coupled to the first rectifying means for reducing the ripple component of the first rectified DC plate voltage;

second rectifying means coupled to the second secondary coil for converting the second AC power voltage to a second rectified DC plate voltage;

second capacitive filter coupled to the second rectifying means for reducing the ripple component of the second rectified DC plate voltage;

a switch for selectively coupling either to the first capacitive filter or to the second capacitive filter; and

a voltage divider coupled to the switch to thereby convert the rectified DC plate voltage of the selectively coupled capacitive filter into plural DC plate voltages adapted to bias active electronic elements of the audio amplifier.

11. The power supply of claim 10 wherein the AC power voltage of the first and second secondary coils sags in response to a current demand greater than the volt-amp rating of the secondary coils, and wherein the first secondary coil sags less than the second coil.

12. The power supply of claim 10 wherein

the first rectifying means comprises a solid state rectifier;

the first capacitive filter comprises an RC filter having a first total capacitance;

the second rectifying means comprises a thermionic vacuum element; and

the second capacitive filter comprises an RC filter having a second total capacitance, the second total capacitance being at least 20 percent less than the first total capacitance and no greater than 60 μ

F.

13. A method of providing plate voltages for use in a vacuum thermionic audio amplifier comprising:

providing a first AC power voltage;

providing a second AC power voltage that is different from the first AC power voltage;

selecting one of the first or second AC power voltages;

rectifying the selected AC power voltage to thereby produce a rectified DC plate voltage;

selecting one of a first or a second filter and coupling the selected filter to the rectified DC plate voltage to thereby reduce the ripple voltage of the rectified DC plate voltage;

dividing the filtered rectified DC plate voltage into plural voltages adapted to supply at least one vacuum thermionic element of the audio amplifier; and

providing the plural voltages at multiple outputs.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising changing the voltage at least one of the multiple outputs responsive to changing user selection from one of the AC power voltages to the other of the AC power voltages.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising reducing the voltage at least one of the multiple outputs in response to changing user selection from one of the AC power voltages to the other of the AC power voltages.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the second AC power voltage sags at least 25% more than the first AC power voltage in response to current demand increasing from a quiescent level to a full load wherein rectifying further comprises rectifying with a solid-state rectifier, and wherein selecting an AC power voltage comprises selecting the first AC power voltage.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the second AC power voltage sags at least 25% more than the first AC power voltage in response to current demand increasing from a quiescent level to a full load, wherein rectifying further comprises rectifying with a vacuum thermionic rectifier, and wherein selecting an AC power voltage comprises selecting the second AC power voltage.