MEDIUM POWER HEXFET AMPLIFIER Design by T. Giesberts In spite of their relatively modest T0220 case, the International Rectifier HEXFE present 60-watt output amplifier fairly large voltages and currents. The ampli is absolutely symmetrical from input to output. Its mechanical design is such that accommodated on a fairly small board, including the electrolytic capacitors of the power supply. he design objective was to arrive at a not too complex unit that nevertheless offered excellent performance, was falrly simple to build and could be reproduced relatively easily, The result is a straight forward amplifier without any unnecessary gimmicks. ‘bipolar transistor maybe considered acurrent-amplifying device that enables, a relatively) large current tobe controlled byamuich smallerone, Afield effect tran sistor(Fe1) behaves differently: i¢isasort ‘of variable resistance whose conduction is controlled by a voltage. It follows that the drives of these devices is quite ilfer- fent:an important consideration tn the de- sign ofan outputampliier. Abipolartran- stor needs a base current before itean function, whereas a Fer ean be driven a: most without any energy. Allitneeds isa control voltage: the current it draws 1s, negligible. When power FErsfirsteame on, tothe market, many designers thought that ‘they would simplify the design of output amplifiers beyond belief. That quickly proved to be not s0, however, because power Fets havea fairly large capacitance between the gate and the drain/source channel {sometimes of the order ofa few nnanofards)-Thismeans thatat high audio frequencies the driver stages noed to de liver fairly large transfer currents to keep the bandwicih suffieenty large ‘may well eeasked what advantage(s) arer offers. Ina bipolar power transistor {tisdiliculttocombine high vltage, large current, andwide bandwidth, becatise ts operation must remain within the Sale Operating Area—Sos, tis not enough to just look at the peak voltage and current in the relevant data sheet. By virtue of modern production techniques, FeTScan De fabricated that can handle high voltages (100 V and more) and, in spite of their modest dimensions, large currents. Its, therefore, much simpler todesign an out Ts used in the ‘can cope with canbe printed-circuit put amplifier with reasonable power out putwith power is than with power tran- Sistors. OF course, there are other re quirements aswell, such asslewrateand matching of complementary semicon- ductors The circuit A symmetrical design has the advantage that it minimizes problems with éistortion, particularly that associated with even har monies. Therefore, the input stages con- sist of two differential amplifiers, Ty-T2 and Ty'Ty. These use diserete transistors, notexpensive dual devices. to keep the cost ‘Brief technical data Input sensitivity Input impedance Power output (I kHz, 0.1% THD) Muste power (800 Hz burst, 5 eycles on Seycles off) ower bandwidth (85 W into 8.0) ‘Slew rate ‘Signal-to-noise ratio (1 W into 8.0) ‘Harmonie distortion (1 W into 8 0) (GOW intos.a) Intermodulation distortion (60 He:7 kite: 4:1) ‘Dynamic intermodulation distortion rectangular 5.16 kit + sine wave 1SkH2) Damping factor (at 82) Supply voltage Quiescent current (Tig andTis) down, Performance is excellent, particu larly sfthe transistors are matched, Adifferential amplifier isone of the best ‘means of combining two electrical signals here, theinput signal and the feedback ig- nal, The amplification ofthe stage is de- termined mainly by the ratio ofthe collector and emitter resistances (in the case of T)-Ty theseare Ro, Rj Riyand Rj) These form a sort of local feedback: limiting the amplification reduces the distortion ‘Two RC networks (Ry-C3 and Ry-Ce) limit thebandwidth ofthe differential am: pliers and these determine, toa degree, the open-loop bandwidth of the entire amplifier (whieh is 6.5 kH2). 1Vems. 4Bko 63Winto8a. 105 Winto 40 68 Winto 8a. 120W into4.0 1.5 He-125 kdl (40 dB, -3 4B) 20 us" (with input filter) >90.dB (A-welghted) <0.006% (1 Kt) 0.005% (1 krt2) 0.05% (20 Hz-20 kia) <0.008% (35 Winto $2) 0.003% (85 Winto #2) > 160 (20 Hz-20 Kriz) 235 2001mA ELEKTOR ELECTRONICS DECEMBER 1993‘Thed.c. operating point ofthe differential amplifiers is provided by two current sources, ‘Transistor Ty, inconjunctionwith Rigand Dp, provides a constant current of about 2 mA for Ty-T, Transistor Ts, with Rj7 and Dj, provides a similar current for ‘Ty'Ty. Thecombination ofa transistorand anurbereatesacurtent source thatislargely independent of temperature, since the temperature coefficients of hezb and the transistor are virtually the same. It Is, however, necessary that these two com: ponents are thermally coupled (or nearly So)and they are, therefore. located side by side on the printed-circult board. In the input stage, C) is followed by a Jow-pass section. Rj-C2, which limits the bandwidth of the input toawalue that the ‘amplifier can handle. Resistor Rs the base resistor of Ty and Ty, So far, this is all pretty normal. Network P-Ry-Rgissome- ‘what out of the ordinary, however. forms ‘an offset control to adjust the direct volt- ‘age at the output ofthe amplifier to zero. Such a control is normally found after the input stage. The advantage of putting, ‘thefore that stages that the inputsofthe differential amplifersareexactly atearth ‘potential, which means that the noise com- {bution ofthetr base resistors isneglig bre. ‘The signals at the collectors of 7 and Tare ed to pre-drivers Tyand'Ty. Between these transistorsisa variable zener formed by Trwhieh, sn conjunction with P2, serves toset the quiescent current of the output ‘Theoutputofthepre-driversisapplied toTgandT}), which drivenExretsTyzand Ts, This power section has local feedback MEDIUM POWER HEXFET AMPL (Rop-Ro. "The design of T-Tis isa kind of com. pound output stage, since thedrain ofthe power FeTsis connected to the output ter inal. Note that Tyg fs a p-channel FET andTsann channeltype. Therefore, the ‘tage provides current amplification as ‘well as voltage amplification, The voltage ‘amplification is limited tox by the local feedback resistors (Ryg-Roy)- Here again, this feedback serves to reduce the distor. tion, The overall feedback ofthe amplifier 1s provided by R5-R-Cs, Fuses are provided in the source lines of the HEXers. Power Fets have an in herent current limitation by virtue of their positive temperature coefficient: when the evice gets hot, its drain-source resis: tance rises and this reduces the current ‘Hhrough t. Thefuses and this property pro- Fig. 1, Cireult diagram of the medium power Hexrer amplifier. ELEKTOR ELECTRONICS DECEMBER 1993,vide adequate protection against brief short-cireults, Note that the HEXPETS used ean handle peak currents of up t0 75 A. ‘Bectrobytic capacitors Cand C2 (10,000 1F ‘each and part of the power supply) are lo ceated close (o the FETS, so that the heavy ‘currents have only a short path to follow. ‘Atthe output is a Boucherot network Roz-Roo-Cip. that ensures an adequate load on the amplifier at high frequencies, sinee the impedance of the loudspeaker. ‘because ofts inductive character, isfalrly high at high frequencies. Inductor, limits any current peaks that may arise with eapacitive loads. “The signal is finally applied tothe loud speaker, LS}, ia relay contact Re). Therelay ‘not energized fora fewsecondsafterthe powers switched on to obviateany plops from the loudspeaker. Such plops are caused by brief varlations in the direct ‘supply voltage arising in the short period ‘that the amplifier needs to reach Its cor- eet operating level. “The supply voltage for the relay Is de ‘ved direetly from the mains transformer via Dy and Ds. This has the advantage that the relay is deactuated, by virtue of thelowvalueof Cis, mediately the supply voltage fails. The delay in energizing the relay Is provided by Tyg in conjunction with Rygand Cys. [Cakes few second be- fore the potential across Cy, has risen to value at which Tyg switches on. This arlington transistor requires a base volt. ‘age ofnot less than 1.2 Vbefore it can con- uct. ‘The power supply—sce Fig. 2—is tra ‘tional, apart from the resistors, R-Rs Inthe powerlines. These limit, tosomede iaree, the very large peak charging cur rents to electrolytic capacitors Cy; and Ciz. Moreover, together with these ca: pacitors, they form a filter that prevents ‘most spurioss voltages from reachingthe amplifier, Measurements on the proto {ype showed that this was particularly ev- {dent at frequencies below 500 He. Construction ‘The design of the printed-eireuit board for theamplifie Fig. 4) takes good account ofthe large currents that flow in theamph fier. This hasgiven rise oacoupleof tracks. being paralleled instead of combined. so that theeflect of currents in the pawer sec ion on the input stages is minimal. Populating the board is straightfor ward. Although not strietly necessary, it Isadvisable to match the transistors used {in the differential amplifiers. This maybe done conveniently onan hye tester by mea- ‘suring the amplification at acollectorcur- rent of about I mA. I'suich a tester fs not available, sea base resistor that results, imacollector currentof about 1 mA mea- ‘sured with a multimeter. With the same resistor, test a number of other transis torsand note the collector currents, Mount the selected pairs on the board and pack them closely together with a 5 mm wide The Hexter structure | ‘As implied, the nexrer structure involvesan hexagonal device geometry. Atthe core {sa radically new hexagonal, cellular structure as illustrated. It's this hexagonal geometry, along with advanced Mos processing, that gives the HxFET an on-state Tesistanee, Rosoe. one-third of that possible with the best previous mosFEr tech- nology, ina given die size. ‘A planar, non-V-groove structure, the HEXFET conducts current vertically. For high packaging density, it uses a siicon-gate structure. The density of the hexag: nal source cells on the top surface of the silicon die is aver half a million cells per square inch, Electrons low froma source cel through the channel which isaround the periphery of that cell and then into the drain body. The bottom surface of the Grain body isin electrical and thermal contact with the holder. The efficient hexagonal source pattern, the silicon gate, and advanced sos pro- cessing techniques combine to produce the #exre1's unique performance. Coe erent ven 92010216 Fig. 2. Circuit diagram of the power supply for the nexFET amplifier, ‘KTOR ELECTRONICS DECEMBER 1993er amplifier.transformers and electrolytic eapacitors Inasnitableenclosure, The wiring diagram for one channels given in Fig. 6. Ttisadvisable omeasure the supply vote ages before they reconnected to hear plies. Also, urn P3 to maximum (wiper towards Ry} before connecting he power ‘supply to theamplifers. Setinput presets P) to the centre oftheir travel. A few sec ‘nds after the supply las been switch on, the relay should come on. Connect multimeter (1'V direct voltage range) a adjust P until the meter reads zeta (oath channels} ‘Switch the supply offagain and insert ammultimeter (1 Adc. range) in one of the supply lines: do-not substitute it for one ofthe uses, since that wouldaffeet the op- cratingpoin ofthe relevant poner Fr. Soich thesupplyonagain, wait S-1Ominuteswhen the current has stabilized) and adjust Pp forameterreadingof330mA. Afterabout hhalfan hour, the current willremain steady at about 280 mA. The quiescent current through the output transistors és then around 200 ma. Switch off the supply. remove the meter from the supply ine and repeat theabove procedure with the other channel Finally, recheck the direct voltages at the outputs of the amplifiers and, if nec essary, readjust Py slightly The loudspeakers must be 4-ohm or 8-ohmtypes, whose impedance must not dropbelow 32. Itisnot permissible tocon: rect two 4-ohm units in parallel to the amplifier. because that would give prob: lems when largedrive signals are applied tothe Fes, Fig. 5. Top view of the completed amplifier with the enclosure removed. ELEKTOR ELECTRONICS DECEMBER 193MEDIUM POWER HEXPE AMPLIFIER Parts list (one cnanne!) R11. Riz. Ris, Rie=22.1 0,196 Ri Rye = 4990, 196 Rig=22 KS Ryp=2.2 kid Ry = 5600 Ro=2.0K0, 1% Ryo, Roy = 56.2.0. 1% Ro= 84.5.0, 1% Ry Ryr= 1502, 1% P= 1 Ma preset Ry. Re= 10 M2 Ras, Rag= 15.00, 1% P= 1 Kh preset Rp Ro. Rig, yg = 1.21 KO, 196 Ry. Raa = 15. Capacitors: Cyn 2.2 pF, SOV, MET = 1nF Ch. Cs" 2.7 nF = 5=30 pF polystyrene, axial +O C5 = 83 nF \ & Cy, Cy= 100 uF, 10, radial “OQ. Com lar (00 nF C)1.Ciz=10,000nF, SOV. radial. for PCB mounting 47HF, 40, radial OF, 63 V, radial Inductors: Lj =alr-core, 0.1 mH (see text) ‘Semiconductors: Dy, Dp = mm Leb, red (1.6 V drop at ‘3ma) Dy-Ds= 1N4003 Dg= INaL48 Miscellaneous: Re} =relay, 24 V, 1 make contact (e.g. ‘Siemens V28056-A0105-A101") F), Fy=fuse, 2.5, fast, with holder for rch mounting Ceramie washers (9) for T7, The-Ty3 ‘Terminal block (5) (see text) Heatsink, 0.6K W-! eg. Fischer SKSS PCB No. 930102 (sce p. 110) Power supply: Mains transformer, 2 «25, 160 VA, ‘Mains on-off switch with indicator Fuse 1.25, slow with holder Bridge rectifier Type B200C35000 Electrolytic capacitor (4). 10,000 uF, SOV. Resistor (8) 0.19, 5 + FlectroValue, 3 Central Trading Bstate, Slaines, TW18 4UX, © (0784) 442 258. Private customers welcome. ++ Dau (UK) Lid, 7075 Barnham Road, Barnham, West Sussex PO22 OES. (0243) 553 031. Trade only, but infor ' ‘mationas to your nearest dealer willbe giver. by telephone, END Fig. 6. Wiring diagram of one channel of the medium power HEXFET amplifier. ELEKTOR FI {CTRONICS DECEMBER 1993,