174 Roe Street, PERTH. Western Australia.

6000
Phone: (08) 9428 2188 Fax: (08) 9428 2187
E-mail: [email protected]

Ultra Low Distortion

Preamplifier with
Tone Controls
Introducing our state-of-the-art stereo preamplifier. Along
with almost unmeasurable noise and distortion (typically
0.0003% THD+N!) it sports remote volume control, input
selection and muting plus bass and treble adjustment
knobs on the front panel.
K 5171
Reprinted with kind permission of Silicon Chip Magazine

This high-quality, low-distortion and low-noise While the performance is excellent when the accurately. But such a measurement includes
stereo preamplifier can be used with just tone controls are active, we have provided the a significant amount of ultrasonic noise (ie,
about any amplifier modules to form a stereo option to bypass them using a push on, push in the 20-80kHz range). And Fig.1 shows
amplifier. It can also be used as a standalone off switch. Its integrated LED indicator shows that the distortion performance is dominated
preamp. A low-cost infrared remote control when the tone controls are switched in or out. by noise. So we also made measurements
is used to switch between 3 to 6 separate This switch has three benefits. One, it’s with a 20Hz-22kHz bandwidth, shown in
inputs, adjust the volume or temporarily mute difficult to centre the tone controls precisely blue on Fig.1, and this reveals that the true
the output. It also includes manual volume, when you want the response to be flat, so the audible distortion and noise level is closer to
bass and treble controls and pushbuttons to switch provides an easy way to achieve that. 0.00025% – an astonishingly low figure.
select between the three stereo inputs. LED Two, it provides slightly better performance
indicators in the pushbuttons show which with the tone controls switched out. And Fig.3 shows the frequency response with the
input is active. It also has power, acknowledge three, it gives you an easy way to hear exactly tone control at either extreme, and switched
and mute status LEDs. All in all, it offers con- what effect the tone controls are having, by out (the blue curve). This demonstrates that
siderable advantages over previous models. toggling them on and off. A PIC microcon- when you’re not using the tone controls, the
troller is used to provide the remote control, frequency response is very flat. You can barely
You could build it into an amplifier based on muting and input selection functions. see the deviation on this plot; zooming in, we
our Ultra-LD series of amplifier modules, such can see that the response is down only 0.2dB
as the Ultra-LD Mk.4 (August-October 2015; Input selection is by way of a separate PCB at 20Hz and less than 0.1dB at 20kHz.
www.siliconchip.com.au/Series/289). Or unit (Altronics Kit - K 5172) interconnected
you could use easy-to-build, low-cost SC200 to the main preamplifier using 10-way ribbon Fig.4 shows the coupling between channels,
amplifier modules (January-March 2017; sili- cable. If you don’t need the input selector, you which is typically less than -80dB, and the
conchip.com.au/Series/308; Altronics kit Cat can build the project without it. coupling between adjacent inputs, typically
K5157). Or build it in a case and use it with around -100dB. So isolation between channels
an existing power amp. It’s up to you. Performance and inputs is very good. The signal-to-noise ra-
tio figure is especially good; over 120dB with
This preamplifier has excellent performance.
Since it has a motorised potentiometer for a 2.2V RMS input signal (typical for CD/DVD/
It uses low-distortion, low-noise op amps
volume control, you can adjust the volume di- Blu-ray players), the tone controls switched
throughout, plus we have taken great care to
rectly with a knob if you don’t want to use the out and the volume pot at unity gain.
specify very linear types of capacitor and to
remote. It has an effectively-infinite number of
keep resistor values low, where their Johnson
possible volume settings, unlike most digital In summary, you can be confident when using
(thermal) noise contribution is likely to affect
volume controls, which can have quite large this preamp that it will not negatively affect the
the signal.
steps. audio signals passing through it, regardless of
whether you are using the tone controls.
Inevitably, the tone control circuitry adds
This preamp has much better performance
some noise when it is switched in. But perfor-
than most. While we have published a couple
mance is still very good with the tone controls Capacitor and potentiometer selection
of very low noise and distortion preamps
in, giving a THD+N figure of just 0.00054% We mentioned earlier that we’re using linear
designs over the last decade or so, none of
at 1kHz and 0.0007% at 10kHz. By compari- capacitor types where that’s important, and
them had tone controls. This one provides
son, with the tone controls out, those figures also keeping resistance values low to mini-
wide-range bass and treble adjustment knobs
become 0.00044% and 0.00048% respective- mise thermal noise.
to allow you to overcome deficiencies in your
ly – see Fig.1.
loudspeakers, compensate for the room
Those measurements were made with a For capacitors between 10nF and 100nF, we
response or just adjust the sound to be the
bandwidth of 20Hz-80kHz, which is necessary have specified MKT polyester (plastic dielec-
way you like it.
to measure distortion at higher frequencies tric) types. While polyester is not quite as line-

1
K 5171 ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

Fig.1: distortion across the entire range of audible frequencies is Fig.2: this shows the effect of noise; as you reduce the volume
extremely low, whether the tone controls are active or not. There and thus the output signal level, the fixed circuit noise becomes
is a slight rise in distortion above 10kHz, but below that, the larger in proportion and so total harmonic distortion goes up.
distortion is below the noise floor. However, even at very low volume levels, it’s below 0.01% so it
won’t be noticeable.

Fig.3: the blue line shows the preamp’s frequency response with Fig.4: the crosstalk and separation figures are good. Crosstalk is
the tone controls switched out, and you can see that it’s very flat, how much of the left channel signal feeds into the right channel
varying by only 0.2dB across the entire audible frequency range. or vice versa. Channel separation is how much signal from input
The red and green curves demonstrate the range possible of bass #1 couples into input #2 or vice versa.
and treble adjustments.

Fig.5: distortion versus frequency of a simple low-pass filter using Fig.6: if you must use a 20kΩ motorised potentiometer to build
either a 470pF MKT capacitor or a 470pF ceramic (non-NP0/C0G) this preamp, fitting the two extra 4.7k resistors (R1 & R2)
capacitor. As you can see, distortion rises dramatically at higher will keep high-frequency distortion low, by lowering the input
frequencies with the ceramic capacitor due to its non-linearity and impedance seen by the following buffer stage. This allows it to
its lower impedance at higher frequencies, which causes it to shunt perform optimally and also lowers thermal noise.
more of the signal and thus have a stronger effect.
2
K 5171 ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

ar as polypropylene or polystyrene dielectrics, Channel Down buttons on the remote can be demodulation. IC1a’s pin 1 output is fed to
none of those capacitors are critical enough to used instead. These cause the pot shaft to ro- the top of volume control potentiometer VR1a
cause a measurable increase in distortion, as tate about one degree each time one of these (5kΩ log) via a 22µF non-polarised capacitor.
demonstrated by our performance graphs. buttons is briefly pressed. Holding one of The signal on its wiper is then AC-coupled
But there are some capacitors with values be- these buttons down rotates the pot from one to the pin 5 non-inverting input of IC1b via a
low 1nF where the dielectric is important and end to the other in about 28 seconds.If any 4.7µF non-polarised capacitor. This coupling
this presents us with some difficulty, since of these buttons is held down when the pot arrangement prevents direct current from
MKT capacitors with values below 1nF are not reaches an end stop, a clutch in the motor’s flowing through any part of the volume control
particularly easy to get. However, we’ve found gearbox begins to slip so that no damage is potentiometer, VR1. Even a small direct
them (see parts list) and that is what we have done to the motor. current can cause noise when the volume is
used in our prototype, with good result. adjusted.
The code also provides a convenient auto-
If you can get MKP (polypropylene) capacitors matic muting feature. Press the Mute button As mentioned earlier, the circuit was designed
instead, those will certainly work well and we on the remote and the volume control pot for a 5kΩ motorised volume control pot as
would encourage that. But we have also men- automatically rotates to its minimum position this results in good noise performance but in
tioned the possibility of using NP0 ceramics. and the motor stops. Hit the button again and case you can’t get one, you can use a more
We have tested these in the past and found it returns to its original position. If you don’t common 20kΩ potentiometer and fit resistors
that they are just as good as the best plastic want the pot to return all the way to its original R1 and R2, so that the circuitry has a similar
dielectrics in situations where linearity is setting, you can simply increase the volume to impedance, resulting in the same overall
critical. But be careful because many ceramic your desired new level instead. frequency response.
capacitors are not NP0 (also known as C0G)
types, especially values above 100pF. Fig.5 So how does the unit remember its original lC1b operates as a unity-gain buffer and
shows a distortion plot for a simple low-pass setting during muting? The answer is that the provides a low-impedance output regardless
filter comparing two capacitors of the same microcontroller monitors the time it takes for of the volume control setting. Its pin 7 output
value, one polypropylene and one ceramic the pot to reach its minimum setting and the is fed to the tone control section and also to
(not NP0/C0G). As you can see, the ceramic minimum pot setting is detected when the switch S4a. When S4a is set to the ‘tone out’
capacitor produces a lot more distortion. So load on the motor increases at the potentiom- position, the output from IC1b is coupled via
make sure you use one of the types specified. eter end stop, as the clutch begins to slip. the 22µF capacitor to output socket CON3,
via a 100Ω resistor. Therefore, the tone con-
Regarding resistance, you may find it a bit When the Mute button is pressed again, pow- trols are effectively out of circuit. The 100Ω
strange that we have specified a 5kΩ volume er is applied to the motor drive for the same resistor isolates the op amp output from any
control potentiometer as values in the range amount of time, rotating it back to the original capacitive loads that might be connected, to
of 10kΩ-100kΩ are more commonly used. position. ensure stability. This resistor and ferrite bead
But we have chosen 5kΩ because the ther- The orange “Ack” LED flashes whenever an in series with the output also attenuate any
mal noise contribution of the volume control infrared signal is being received from the RF noise which may have been picked up by
pot can be a major limiting factor in the remote, while the yellow Mute LED flashes the board.
performance of a low-distortion preamplifier while the muting operation is in progress and
and suitable motorised pots are available. then remains on when the pot reaches its
Tone controls
Op amps IC1a & IC2a buffer the signal from minimum setting.
the source so that it does not have to drive When S4a is in the ‘tone in’ position, output
the 5kΩ impedance; the op amps are more CON3 is instead driven from the tone control
Circuit description circuitry, so potentiometers VR2a and VR3a
than capable of driving such a load without
increased distortion. Fig.7 shows the main preamplifier circuit but adjust the amount of bass and treble in the
only the left channel components are shown, signal. Op amp IC3a forms the active tone
If you can’t get the 5kΩ motorised pot (availa- for clarity. The right channel is identical and control in conjunction with VR2a and VR3a
ble from Altronics; see parts list), you can use the matching part designators are provided, and associated resistors and capacitors. The
a 20kΩ pot instead; also a pretty standard in brackets. The following description refers to bass and treble tone circuitry is a traditional
value. the left-channel part names. Baxandall-style design. This is an inverting
In that case, we have made provision for two circuit, so it must be inverted again by unity
4.7kΩ shunt resistors to lower the impedance The audio signal from the Input Switching gain buffer IC3b to restore the original signal
seen by the following stage, giving you most of board is AC-coupled to the input of the first phase.
the performance benefits of a 5kΩ pot. These op amp (IC1a) via a 22µF non-polarised (NP)
have minimal effect on the pot curve, so it still electrolytic capacitor and 100Ω resistor. A When the wipers of potentiometers VR2a and
works well as a volume control. 22kΩ resistor to ground provides input DC VR3a are centred, the impedance between
Fig.6 shows the difference in distortion with biasing and sets the input impedance to output pin 1 of IC3a and each wiper is equal
and without these shunts (the signal level is around 22kΩ. The 100Ω resistor, ferrite bead to the impedance between the wiper and out-
lower here than in the other figures, hence the and 470pF capacitor form a low-pass filter to put pin 7 of IC1b. So in this condition, IC3a
higher base level). The performance with the attenuate radio frequency (RF) signals ahead operates as a unity gain inverting amplifier
proper 5kΩ pot is slightly better again. of the op amp input. for all audio frequencies. Therefore, in this
case, the tone controls have little effect on the
IC1a operates as a voltage amplifier with a signal – they just add a little noise.
Remote control gain of two, due to the two 2.2kΩ feedback
Pressing the Volume Up or Volume Down resistors. The 470pF capacitor combines with
Bass adjustment
buttons on the infrared remote causes the mo- the feedback resistors to roll off the top-end
torised pot to rotate clockwise or anticlockwise. frequency response, with a -3dB point at The bass control (VR2a) provides cut (an-
It takes about nine seconds for the pot to travel about 150kHz. This gives a flat response ti-clockwise) or boost (clockwise) to low fre-
from one end to the other using these controls. over the audio spectrum while eliminating the quencies. The impedance of each of the two
For finer adjustment, the Channel Up and possibility of high-frequency instability or RF 100nF capacitors for high-frequency signals

3
ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

+15V +15V
+15V
(CON2) FERRITE BEAD IC1 – IC 4 : NE5532 OR LM833 22 F NP
CON1 22F FB1 100nF 100 F
NP 100 (FB2) 22 F 35V
LEFT 3
NP 47pF
IN IC1a 1
100 F 100k
2 (IC2a) 15nF 100nF
22k 470pF 1.8k 1M
VOLUME
4.7F (CON4)
VR1a NP 100 100nF 1k 2.2k TONE OUT CON3
2.2k 5 8 –15V
(VR1b) TREBLE SWITCH 100
5k IC1b 7 BASS S4a LEFT
LOW-PASS BOOST
BOOST
VR3a
LOG (IC2b) VR2a 12k 1k (S4b) OUT
FILTER R1 (R2) 6 (VR3b) 2.2k
100k (VR2b) 6 FERRITE
470pF 4.7k 4 10k 10k IN BEAD
CUT CUT LIN 2 8 IC3b 7
LIN FB3
2.2k AMPLIFIER 5 (IC4b)
IC3a 1 22 F NP (FB4 )
GAIN = 2 BUFFER 100nF (IC4a)
TONE CONTROLS 3 100k
1k
FIT R1 & R2 ONLY IF DUAL 20k 1.8k 4
POTENTIOMETER IS USED FOR VR1
100 F 15nF
(NOTE: ONLY LEFT CHANNEL SHOWN; LABELS INVERTER
IN BRACKETS REFER TO RIGHT CHANNEL)
–15V –15V + 15 V
–15V
REG 1 7805 CON5
100 22
+5V +5V +15V
OUT IN +15V
100 F 2.7k 100 F 100 F GND 1 0 0 F
LEFT 470 F
100nF 10k CHANNEL 10
16V 16V 16 V 16V
OUT
ONLY 16V
A POWER OUT LEFT G ROUND
10k S4c 100 F
 LED1 IN LK4 0V
14 35VW 10
10k Q1 Q3 IN A
K
Vdd BC327 BC327 RIGHT G ROUND 470 F
E E LED
4 1k  16V
9 B B (IN S4)
MCLR RB3
LK3 OUT: MUTE RETURN K –15V
LK3 IN: NO MUTE RETURN 1k C C –15V
3 10
RA4 RB4
IRD1 LK3 100nF IRD1 7805 NE5532/LM833
LEDS BC327,
3 BC337
1 CON6 GND
6 17 K B 8 4
 RB0 RA0 1
2
IN
E C 3 GND OUT 1
IC5 MOTOR A
2 PIC16F88-I/P –

+
INPUT1 7
1k
12
RB6 RB1
INPUT2 13
RB7 C 10nF C
CON7 1k
INPUT3 11 8 B B
1 2 RB5 RB2
3 4 +5V 2 Q2 E Q4 E
AN3
TO 15 BC337 BC337
INPUT
5 6 OSC2 18 330
RA1
BOARD 7 8
X1 4MHz 330 ENDSTOP
16 1 CURRENT
9 10 OSC1 RA2 ADJUST
18k MONITOR
A A VR4 10
Vss ACK MUTE 1k
22pF 22pF 5 LED2   LED3
100nF
K K
SC
20 1 9 LOW NOISE PREAMP WITH TONE CONTROLS & REMOTE VOLUME CONTROL
Fig.7: here’s the circuit diagram for the main preamplifier PCB, incorporating the volume and tone controls and tone switching (at the top) and the infrared remote volume control and input
switching circuitry (at bottom). The analog signal path is built around dual low-noise op amps IC1-IC4 and motorised potentiometer VR1. The volume control and input selection circuity is
based on microcontroller IC5, motor driver transistors Q1-Q4 and infrared receiver IRD1.
K 5171

4
K 5171 ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

is low and so they can bypass VR2a entirely. capacitors. These do not affect the action of transistors Q1 and Q3 off, while RB1 & RB2
Any change in the position of VR2a’s wiper the bass control; they are just there to block turn NPN transistors Q2 and Q4 on.
will thus have little effect on high frequencies. direct current flow through VR2a. This is for
the same reason that DC is blocked for VR1; As a result, both terminals of the motor are
For example, at 1kHz, the 100nF capacitors to prevent noise during adjustments. pulled low and so no current flows through
have an impedance of 1.6kΩ each. That is The 1MΩ feedback resistor between pins 1 it and it won’t rotate. The emitters of Q2 and
considerably lower than the 5kΩ value of the and 2 of IC3a provides DC bias for the pin Q4 both connect to ground via a common
half of the potentiometer track that they are 2 input, while the 47pF capacitor prevents 10Ω resistor, which is used for motor current
connected across when VR2a is centred and high-frequency oscillation of the op amp by sensing. The transistors operate in pairs so
therefore the capacitors shunt much of the reducing the gain at ultrasonic frequencies. that the motor can be driven in either direc-
signal around VR2a. But at 20Hz, the 100nF tion to rotate the potentiometer either way, to
capacitors have an impedance of 80kΩ and When S4a is set to the ‘tone in’ setting, the increase or decrease the volume.
so minimal current passes through them; output from IC3b (reinverting IC3a’s signal To drive the motor clockwise, RB2 goes low
almost all of it goes through VR2a. Therefore inversion) is then fed to the CON3 output and turns off transistor Q2, while RB3 goes
VR2a has a significant effect on the amplitude as mentioned above. Another pole of the low and turns on Q1. When that happens, the
of a 20Hz signal and so it provides much switch (S4c) controls the indicator LED that is left-hand terminal of the motor is pulled to
more boost or cut at lower frequencies. contained within the switch. It is powered from +5V via Q1, while the right-hand terminal is
the ±15V supplies via a 10kΩ resistor and pulled low via Q4. As a result, current flows
When VR2a is rotated clockwise, the resistance therefore receives about 3mA. through Q1, through the motor and then via
from output pin 1 of IC3a to its wiper increas- Q4 and the 10Ω resistor to ground.
es, while the resistance from the wiper to the Jumper link LK4 can be removed to prevent
input signal decreases, providing increased this LED from lighting, or moved into one Conversely, to turn the motor in the other
amplification. And when rotated anti-clockwise, position or the other to invert its function. In direction, Q1 and Q4 are switched off and Q2
the opposite occurs, decreasing amplification. other words, LK4 selects whether the LED and Q3 are switched on. As a result, the right-
Because the capacitors shunt a different lights when the tone is in or out. Note that the hand motor terminal is now pulled to +5V via
amount of signal around the pot at different ‘tone out’ position of S4 is when the switch is Q3, while the left-hand terminal is pulled low
frequencies, this gain is also frequency-de- pressed in. In other words, it acts like a defeat via Q2. Regardless of the direction of rotation,
pendent. switch. current flows through the 10Ω shared emitter
resistor and so the voltage across it varies with
The 1.8kΩ resistors set the maximum boost the current drawn. Typically, the motor draws
Remote control circuitry
and cut range. They have been chosen to about 40mA when driving the potentiometer
allow up to ±15dB adjustments at around The Remote Control circuitry is also shown in but this rises to over 50mA when the clutch is
20Hz, dropping to around ±1dB at 1kHz. The Fig.7. Signals from the handheld remote are slipping. As a result, there is about 0.4-0.5V
measured frequency response with the con- picked up by infrared receiver IRD1. This is drop across the 10Ω resistor.
trols at minimum, centred and at maximum is a complete infrared detector and processor.
shown in Fig.3. It picks up the 38kHz pulsed infrared signal This is ideal because the motor is rated at
from the remote and amplifies it to a constant 4.5V and the result of subtracting the resistor
Treble adjustment
level. This is then fed to a 38kHz bandpass voltage from the 5V supply is that it provides
Treble control VR3a operates differently to filter, after which it is demodulated to produce
VR2a. It is configured to have more effect on the correct motor voltage.
a serial data burst at its pin 1 output.
higher frequency signals. This is achieved by
connecting capacitors in series with the pot The resulting digital data then goes to the RB0 Current sensing & muting
channel, rather than across it. digital input (pin 6) of PIC16F88-I/P micro- Once the potentiometer has reached full travel
controller IC5 for decoding. Depending on in either direction, a clutch in the motor’s
At low frequencies, the 15nF capacitors have the button pressed on the remote, IC5 either gearbox begins to slip. This prevents the motor
a high impedance, eg, 106kΩ at 100Hz. This drives the volume control motor (via an exter- from stalling and possibly overheating if the
is very high compared to the 10kΩ channel nal transistor circuit) to change the volume, or button on the remote continues to be held
resistance and so most of the feedback sends one of its RB6, RB7 or RB5 output low down. The clutch mechanism also allows the
signal at this frequency will flow through the to select a new input. user to rotate the pot shaft manually.
bass network, which has a DC resistance of
13.6kΩ and therefore a much lower imped- The input routing is controlled by the Input As mentioned earlier, when you press the
ance. So VR3a will have little effect on the Selector board which is connected via CON7. mute button on the remote control, the
gain at low frequencies. At high frequencies, IC5 is programmed for a remote control which volume control is rotated fully anti-clockwise.
the 15nF capacitors have a lower impedance, sends Philips RC5 codes. It supports three dif- Microcontroller IC5 detects when the wiper
eg, around 1kΩ at 10kHz and so the treble ferent sets of RC5 codes, normally referred to reaches its end stop by detecting the increase
controls are effectively brought into circuit, as TV, SAT1 or SAT2. You must also program in the motor current when the limit is reached
providing adjustable gain similarly to the cir- the universal remote control with the correct and the clutch slips. That’s done by taking a
cuitry surrounding VR2a. The 1kΩ resistors at number for one of these sets of code. For the sample portion of the voltage across the 10Ω
each end of VR3a set the maximum boost or Altronics A1012, use a code of 023 or 089 for resistor using trimpot VR4. The voltage at
cut for high frequencies, up to around ±15dB, TV mode, 242 for SAT1 or 245 for SAT2. VR4’s wiper is filtered using an 18kΩ resistor
similar to the bass control. You can see this and a 100nF capacitor to remove the motor
in Fig.3. commutator hash and is applied to lC5’s
The 12kΩ and 1kΩ resistors between Driving the pot motor analog AN3 input (pin 2). IC3 then measures
the bass and treble potentiometer wipers IC5’s RB1-RB4 outputs (pins 7-10) drive the the voltage on AN3 to a resolution of 10 bits,
minimise the inevitable interaction between bases of transistors Q1-Q4 via 1kΩ resistors. or about 5mV (5V ÷ 210).
the two controls. Note that while the treble These transistors are arranged in an H-Bridge
potentiometer is isolated from direct current configuration and control the motor. The Provided this input is below 200mV, the PIC
flow due to the 15nF capacitors in series, the motor is off when the RB1-RB4 outputs are microcontroller allows the motor to run. How-
bass potentiometer requires two extra 100µF all high. In that state, RB3 and RB4 turn PNP

5
K 5171 ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

ever, as soon as the voltage rises above this Power supply pad marked with a “+” symbol. The 100µF
200mV limit, the motor is stopped. When the The Preamplifier is powered from ±15V rails. capacitors that are marked on the overlay and
motor is running normally, the current through These are typically derived either from two PCB with 35V must be rated at 35V or higher.
it is about 40mA, which produces 0.4V across separate 15V windings on the main power If you use ceramic 470pF or 47pF capacitors,
the 10Ω resistor. VR4 attenuates this voltage transformer, or a small secondary 15-0-15 make sure they are the specified NP0 (or
and is adjusted so that the voltage at AN3 is transformer and rectifier. the equivalent C0G) type. Using other types
slightly below the 200mV limit. of ceramic capacitors in these positions will
Our Ultra-LD power supply board, (K 5168) degrade the distortion performance.
Note that the AN3 input is monitored only described in the September 2011 issue, is The next step is to install the four transistors
during the muting operation. At other times, suitable for use with a wide range of audio am- (Q1-Q4) in the remote control section. Be sure
when the volume is being set by the Up or plifiers but more importantly for this project, to use the correct type at each location. Q1
Down buttons on the remote, the clutch in provide regulated +15V and -15V outputs. and Q3 are both BC327s, while Q2 and Q4 are
the motor’s gearbox assembly slips when These 15V rails are bypassed on the preamp BC337s. The PC stake (near VR3), 2-way SIL
the potentiometer reaches its clockwise or board by 470µF capacitors. There are other pin header for LK3 and 3-way SIL header for
anticlockwise limits. capacitors connected across the supply rails at LK4 can now be installed, followed by polar-
various points of the circuit which provide local ised pin header CON6 and box header CON7.
As described previously, pressing the Mute bypassing for the op amps on the PCB. Crystal X1, trimpot VR4, the 3-way screw ter-
button on the remote again after muting re- We use both 100nF capacitors and 100µF minal block (CON5) and the four vertical RCA
turns the volume control to its original setting, capacitors to ensure low impedance at a range sockets (CON1-CON4) can then be fitted.
by driving it clockwise for the same amount of of frequencies. The capacitors connected Ensure the terminal block wire entry holes
time that it was driven anti-clockwise to reach across the full 30V supply are rated at 35V or face the nearest edge of the PCB. Use white
its end stop. This mute return feature in the more. RCA sockets for the left channel input and
software is enabled by leaving shorting link output positions and red for the right channel
LK3 open. This allows the RA4 input (pin 3) to The 5V supply for microcontroller IC5 is positions.
be pulled to 5V by a 10kΩ resistor. Installing derived from the +15V rail via a 22Ω dropping
the jumper shunt at LK3 will pull RA4 to resistor and 5V linear regulator REG1. The Switch S4 can be mounted now. Take care
ground, disabling the mute return feature. 22Ω resistor reduces the dissipation in REG1 that all the pins are straight before attempting
and provides some additional filtering, in com- to insert them into the PCB. Press the switch
bination with REG1’s 100µF input capacitor. fully down onto the PCB before soldering each
Status LEDs
The power LED, LED1, lights up when 5V pin. Also fit REG1, taking care to orientate this
LEDs1-3 indicate the status of the circuit. The correctly.
is present and its current is set by a 2.7kΩ
blue Power LED (LED1) lights whenever power series resistor. If you aren’t using our Ultra-LD
is applied to the circuit. The other two LEDs, Amplifier power supply board, or another Mounting the pots
Acknowledge (LED2) and Mute (LED3) light board which provides the required ±15V rails,
when their respective RA2 and RA1 outputs Before mounting the potentiometers, the
don’t worry. It’s quite easy to build a suitable
are driven high (ie, to +5V). LED2 indicates shafts should be cut to length. The length
regulated supply. For the Altronics A1012, use
that an infrared command was received and depends upon the knobs and the type of box
a code of 023 or 089 for TV mode, 242 for
LED3 lights when the mute function is active. that the preamplifier is to be mounted into.
SAT1 or 245 for SAT2.
The thickness of the front panel will have an
Pins 15 & 16 of IC5 connect to the oscillator impact on the required shaft length.
which drive 4MHz crystal X1, providing the Construction
microcontroller system clock. This oscillator Fig.10 shows the assembly details for the main Make sure the motorised pot (VR1) is seated
runs when the circuit is first powered up for Preamplifier module. It is built on a PCB cod- correctly against the PCB before soldering its
about 1.5 seconds. It also runs whenever an ed 01111119 which measures 216 x 66mm. leads. Once the pot fits correctly, solder two
infrared signal is received at RB0 or when Begin by installing the resistors (use your diagonally opposite pot terminals and check
a button on the front panel switch board is DMM to check the values), followed by the four that everything is correct before soldering the
pressed and then for a further 1.5 seconds ferrite beads. Each bead is installed by feeding rest. The two gearbox cover lugs can then be
after the signal ceases. a resistor lead off-cut through it and then soldered.
The oscillator then shuts down and the bending the leads to fit through their holes in
processor goes into sleep mode, as long as the PCB. Push each bead all the way down That done, connect the figure-8 wire to the
a muting operation is not in process. This so that it sits flush against the PCB before motor terminals along with the 10nF capacitor
ensures that no noise is radiated into the sen- soldering its leads. that also connects to these terminals.
sitive audio circuitry when the remote control These leads pass through a hole in the board
circuit is not being used. Following this, install the IC sockets for the immediately behind the motor. They are then
five ICs. Make sure that each socket is seated secured to the underside of the PCB using
A 10nF capacitor connected directly across flush against the PCB and that it is orientated cable ties and then brought up to the top side
the motor terminals also prevents commu- correctly, as shown in Fig.10. Note that IC5 of the PCB just behind CON6.
tator hash from being transmitted along the faces in the opposite direction to the op amp
supply leads, while further filtering is provided ICs (IC1-IC4). It’s best to solder two diagonally Strip the wire ends and crimp them to the
by a 100nF capacitor located at the motor opposite pins of a socket first and then check header pins. The wire from the positive motor
output terminals on the PCB. This reduces the that it sits flush with the board before solder- terminal (marked with a red dot) should
amount of noise that gets into the preamplifier ing the remaining pins. connect to the CON6 pin that is closer to IC5.
signals when the volume pot motor is being Insert the pins into the 2-way shell and plug it
driven. The MKT and ceramic capacitors can now into the CON6 header. Before fitting VR2 and
go in, followed by the electrolytic capacitors VR3, scrape off some of the coating on the top
(regular and non-polarised). The electrolytic of the pot body using a file so that they can
capacitors must be oriented with the correct be soldered to. Don’t breathe in the resulting
polarity, ie, with the longer lead through the dust.

6
K 5171 ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

Return
LK3 Mute
10k LED1
A
10 POWER
VR4

2.7k
330
18k
10k
1k

1k
ACK.
100 F 2 x BC337 LED2
A
1k
+

Q2

100 F
100nF
+
100nF
Q4

100nF

100
1k

IC5 PIC16F88-I/P
CON6

IRD1
470 F

100 F
4MHz

+
X1
+
Q1

1
2
Q3

330
2 x BC327 LED3
CON7

470 F A
1k MUTE
22pF
22pF

+
7805
REG1

22
+
100 F

100 F
10
9
+
–15V 0V +15V

+
22 F NP

100nF

100

IC2
5532
100 F
100k 35V
4.7 F

CON5 FB2
NP

22k
CON2 Right in

22 F NP

100k
2.2k
2.2k

100

22 F
NP

470pF 470pF
+

100 F
* 10 +
* see text

20k POT IS USED FOR VR1 (SEE TEXT)

100nF
22 F NP

IC1
100

* OPTIONAL – ONLY REQUIRED IF

5532
* 10 100 F
35V
4.7 F

100k
NP

FB1
Left in

22k
22 F NP

100k
2.2k
2.2k

100

22 F
NP
CON1

470pF 470pF
R1 *
OERETS ESI O N W OL
REIFILP MAERP
LOW NOISE

MOTOR
91111110
STEREO PREAMP

VR1 2x 5k LOG

01111119

GEARBOX
C 2019 REV.B

To Chassis
100k

VOLUME
22 F

100 R2 *
NP
Right out

S4
22 F NP

K
FB4

A
L

100 10k
2.2k LK4
CON4

GND
1k
100k

2.2k
VR3 10k Lin

1k
100nF

1k
CON3

IC4
1M

4x 15nF
5532 1k
1k
47pF 1k
12k

TREBLE
1.8k
2.2k
100 F 35V Left out

VR2 10k Lin

FB3

2.2k 1.8k
4x 100nF
+ 100nF
1.8k
12k

IC3
1M

5532
1.8k
100 F BASS
+

47pF
+

100 F

Fig.10: use this PCB overlay diagram as a guide when building the main preamp board. Don’t forget to cut the pot shafts to length before
soldering them. You will also need to remove some of the passivation layer from the top of VR2 and VR3 to allow you to solder the GND wire
to Earth the pot bodies. Bend the leads of LED1-LED3 and IRD1 to suit your case, so that the LEDs protrude through the front of the case.
You can make a hole for infrared light to reach IRD1 at the same level and cover it with a small piece of perspex to prevent dust ingress. See
the parts list for details on the red capacitors.

7
K 5171 ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

Parts list the main preamplifier PCB. Now check the

voltages on pins 8 & 4 of the four 8-pin IC
sockets (IC1-IC4) on the preamp board; ie, be-
Main module Semiconductors tween each of these pins and the 0V (centre)
1 double-sided PCB, code 01111119, 216 x 4 NE5532AP or LM833P dual op amps (IC1- terminal of CON6. You should get readings of
66mm IC4) +15V and -15V respectively.
1 universal remote control [Altronics A1012 or 1 PIC16F88-I/P microcontroller programmed Similarly, check the voltage on pin 14 of
similar] with 0111111A.hex (lC5) IC5’s socket. It should be between +4.8V and
1 dual-gang 5kΩ log motorised potentiometer 1 infrared receiver module (IRD1) Altronics +5.2V. If these voltages are correct, switch
(VR1) [Altronics R1998] (a 20kΩ log pot can Z1611A off and install the ICs. Note that IC1-IC4 face
be substituted) 1 7805CV 5V regulator (REG1) one way while microcontroller IC5 faces the
2 dual-gang 10kΩ linear 16mm 2 BC327 PNP transistors (Q1,Q3) other way.
potentiometers (VR2,VR3) [Altronics R2296] 2 BC337 NPN transistors (Q2,Q4)
1 1kΩ mini horizontal trimpot (VR4) 1 3mm blue LED (LED1) Remote control/switch testing
3 knobs to suit VR1-VR3 1 3mm orange/amber LED (LED2) The remote control functions can now be
1 4PDT push-on, push-off switch (S4) 1 3mm yellow LED (LED3) tested using a suitable universal remote, eg,
Altronics A1012. As stated earlier, the default
[Altronics S1451] device mode programmed into the micro is
4 8-pin DIL IC sockets (for IC1-IC4) Capacitors TV but if this conflicts with other gear you can
1 18-pin DIL IC socket (for IC5) 2 470µF 16V PC electrolytic choose SAT1 or SAT2 as the device instead.
4 ferrite beads (FB1-FB4) Altronics L5250A, 3 100µF 35V PC electrolytic Whichever mode is chosen, you must also
1 4MHz crystal (X1) 8 100µF 16V PC electrolytic program the correct code into the remote
2 vertical PCB-mount RCA sockets, white 8 22µF small non-polarised electrolytic (see panel).
(CON1,CON3) [Altronics P0131] 2 4.7µF small non-polarised electrolytic
2 vertical PCB-mount RCA sockets, red 11 100nF MKT polyester Note that if you don’t have a split rail power
(CON2,CON4) [Altronics P0132] 4 15nF MKT polyester supply ready yet, you can still check the
1 3-way PCB-mount terminal block, 5.08mm 1 10nF MKT polyester remote control functions by using a single
pitch (CON5) 4 470pF MKT polyester, MKP polypropylene 9-15V DC supply connected between the
1 2-way vertical polarised header, 2.54mm +15V and 0V terminals of CON6 (watch the
or NP0 ceramic polarity). As before, check the voltage on pin
pitch (CON6) [Altronics P5492, [eg, element14 1005988] 14 of IC5’s socket (it must be between +4.8V
1 2-way polarised header plug (for CON6) 2 47pF MKT polyester, MKP polypropylene or and +5.2V), then switch off and install IC5
Altronics P5472 & P5470A] NP0 ceramic (pin 1 towards IRD1). Also, insert the jumper
1 10-pin PCB-mount IDC vertical box header [eg, element14 1519289] link for LK3 to enable the mute return func-
(CON7) [Altronics P5010 2 22pF ceramic tion. Now connect the three boards using the
1 2-way SIL pin header (LK3) Resistors (all 0.25W, 1% metal film) ribbon cable assemblies. The connectors are
1 3-way SIL pin header (LK4) 2 1MΩ 6 100kΩ 2 22kΩ 1 18kΩ all keyed so as long as you plug the 10-wire
2 jumper shunts (LK3,LK4) 2 12kΩ cable into the 10-pin sockets and the 14-wire
1 6.35mm chassis-mount single spade cable into the 14-pin sockets, everything
3 10kΩ 1 2.7kΩ 8 2.2kΩ 4 should be connected properly.
connector 1.8kΩ 10 1kΩ
4 12mm long M3 tapped Nylon spacers 2 330Ω 7 100Ω 1 22Ω 3 10Ω Next, rotate VR2 fully anticlockwise and use
1 M4 x 10mm panhead machine screw the remote to check the various functions. If
1 M4 hex nut the 6-input selector board is used, connect
1 M4 star washer is using the 10-wire cable. The inputs can be
4 M3 x 6mm panhead machine screws selected using the buttons on the pushbutton
2 100mm cable ties board or the 1-6 buttons on the remote. Each
1 150mm length of light-duty figure-8 hookup time a button is pressed, you should hear
wire a “click” as its relay switches on and the
1 50mm length of 0.7mm diameter tinned blue LED in the corresponding switch button
copper wire should light.
1 PC stake Also, the orange Acknowledge (ACK) LED
should flash each time you press a button
on the remote. If the ACK LED doesn’t flash,
VR2 and VR3 must be seated correctly before When bending the LED leads, keep in mind make sure the code programmed into the
being soldered to the board. They are then that the longer (anode) leads must go into the remote matches the device mode (ie, TV,
earthed using 0.7mm diameter tinned copper pads marked “A” on the PCB. IRD1 should SAT1 or SAT2). The ACK LED won’t flash at
wire soldered to the GND PCB stake and the be fitted with its hemispherical lens facing all unless the code is correct. Now check that
the volume pot turns clockwise when the Vol-
top metal shield on both pots. Make sure that towards the front of the board. The assembly ume Up and Channel Up buttons are pressed
you apply sufficient heat for the solder to form can now be completed by installing the spade and anti-clockwise when Volume Down and
a good joint. connector to the left of the motorised pot. It is Channel Down are pressed. It should travel
secured with an M4 screw, shake-proof washer fairly quickly when Volume Up/Down buttons
and nut. Leave the ICs out of their sockets for are pressed and at a slower rate when the
Mounting the LEDs and IRD1 Channel Up/Down buttons are used.
now. They are installed later, after the power
We mounted the infrared receiver lRD1 with supply checks have been completed.
its lens about 18mm above the PCB. Similarly, If it turns in the wrong direction, reverse the
the LEDs were mounted with the base of the Initial checks leads to the motor.
LED body 18mm above the PCB. This will Before installing the three ICs on the preamp
allow sufficient length for the LED leads to be board, it’s a good idea to check the supply
bent forward, to line up with the potentiometer voltages. You will need to wire up a power
shafts, and then poke forward through the supply, then connect the supply’s +15V, 0V
front panel of the amplifier. and -15V outputs to the relevant inputs on

8
K 5171 ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

Resistor Colour Codes (all three PCBs)

Qty. Value 4-Band Code (1%) 5-Band Code (1%)

2 1MΩ brown black green brown brown black black yellow brown
9 100kΩ brown black yellow brown brown black black orange brown
2 22kΩ red red orange brown red red black red brown
1 18kΩ brown grey orange brown brown grey black red brown
2 12kΩ brown red orange brown brown red black red brown
5 10kΩ brown black orange brown brown black black red brown
1 2.7kΩ red violet red brown red violet black brown brown
19 2.2kΩ red red red brown red red black brown brown
4 1.8kΩ brown grey red brown brown grey black brown brown
10 1kΩ brown grey black brown brown black black brown brown
2 330Ω orange orange brown brown orange orange black black brown
13 100Ω brown black brown brown brown black black black brown
1 22Ω red red black brown red red black gold brown
3 10Ω brown black black brown brown black black gold brown

Adjusting trimpot VR2 boards. So it’s worthwhile checking that there

Next, set the volume control to mid-position, is 5V between pins 8 & 4 of IC4 on the Selec-
set VR2 fully anti-clockwise and hit the Mute tor Board and again check the ribbon cable if
button. The pot will rotate anti-clockwise and this supply rail is missing.
as soon as it hits the stops, the clutch will
start to slip. Audio testing
If you are using a ±15V supply for testing, you
While this is happening, slowly adjust VR2 can test the preamplifier further by con-
clockwise until the motor stops. Now press necting its outputs to a stereo amplifier and
Volume Up to turn the potentiometer clock- feeding in audio signals from a mobile phone,
wise for a few seconds and press Mute again. tablet, iPod, CD/DVD/Blu-Ray player or just
This time, the motor should stop as soon as about any other source.
the pot reaches its anticlockwise limit. Depending on your device, you may need a
cable with a 3.5mm stereo plug at one end
A programmed time-out of 13 seconds will and red/white RCA plugs at the other end to
also stop the motor if it continues to run after make the connection. These are commonly
Mute is activated. This means that you have available.
to adjust VR2 within this 13s period. If the
motor stops prematurely or runs for the full
13s after the limit is reached, try redoing the
adjustment.

Troubleshooting
If the unit fails to respond to remote control
signals, check that the remote is in the cor-
rect mode (TV, SAT1 or SAT2) and has been
correctly programmed.

If you’re using a remote other than those

listed in the panel, work through the different
codes until you find one that works. Start with
codes listed under the Philips brand as these
are the most likely to work.

If the unit responds to the 1, 2 & 3 buttons

on the remote but the button switches don’t
work, check that the ribbon cable to the
pushbutton board has been crimped properly.
Similarly, if the remote volume function works
but not the remote input selection, check the
cable from the Preamplifier board to the input
selector board.

Note that the cable from the Preamplifier

board also supplies power to the other two

9
K 5171 ULTRA LOW DISTORTION PREAMPLIFIER WITH TONE CONTROLS

Selecting The Mode and 1 0 -WAY 1 0 -WAY

Programming The Remote IDC IDC
SOCKET SOCKET
LOCATING SPIGOT UNDER

200mm x 1 0-WAY IDC RIBBON CABLE

CABLE EDGE STRIPE

As stated in the text, it’s necessary to

program the universal remote control
correctly. By default, the microcontroller’s
RC5 code is set to TV but SAT1 or SAT2 LOCATING SPIGOT UNDER
can also be selected. Just press and
hold button S1 on the pushbutton board
during power-up for SAT1 or button S2 for
SAT2. Pressing S3 at power-up reverts to
TV mode. Once you’ve chosen the mode
or “device”, the correct code must be
programmed into the remote. This in- 300mm x 14 -WAY IDC RIBBON CABLE
volves selecting TV, SAT1 or SAT2 on the 14-WAY CABLE EDGE STRIPE
14-WAY
remote (to agree with the microcontroller IDC IDC
set-up) and then programming in a three SOCKET SOCKET
or 4-digit number for a Philips device.
That’s because most Philips devices (but Making the interconnecting cables
not all) use the RC5 code standard that’s To connect the input selector boards, you need to make two IDC cables. These diagrams show
expected by the Preamplifier. how these cables are made.
Pin 1 on the header sockets is indicated by a small triangle in the plastic moulding and the red
Most universal remote controls can be stripe of the cable must always go to these pins.
used, including the model shown above,
the Altronics A1012 ($29.95). For the You can either crimp the IDC headers to the cable in a vice or use an IDC crimping tool (eg,
Altronics A1012, use a code of 023 or Altronics T1540).
089 for TV mode, 242 for SAT1 or 245
for SAT2. In the case of other universal Don’t forget to fit the locking bars to the headers after crimping, to secure the cable in place.
remotes, it’s just a matter of testing the Having completed the cables, it’s a good idea to check that they have been correctly terminated.
various codes until you find one that The best way to do this is to plug them into the matching sockets on the PCB assemblies and
works. There are usually no more than 15 then check for continuity between the corresponding pins at either end using a multimeter.
codes (and usually fewer) listed for each
Philips device, so it shouldn’t take long to
find the correct one.
Note that some codes may only partially Dear Kit Constructor,
Important Note:
work, eg, they might control the volume At Altronics we take great pride in the quality and
Please note that we can
but not the input selection. In that case, presentation of our kits. If you find any deficiency in
offer a warranty only on
try a different code. Also, some remotes this kit or have any constructive comments whatso-
the components supplied
may only work in one mode (eg, TV but ever, please write to us.
with this kit. Because we
not SAT). A variety of infrared remote are unable to guarantee
controls can be used to control the Altronics
your labour, there is no
preamplifier: the one photographed came Attention: The Kit Manager
from Altronics. warranty on either partially
P.O. Box 8350,
or fully built kits. We are
Perth Business Centre
able to offer a repair service,
W.A. 6849
but once construction has
or email
commenced, this service is
[email protected]
chargeable.
QUICK
CONNECT
PC BOARD

M4 FLAT M4 STAR
WASHER WASHER
M4 x 10mm
SCREW & NUT

Fig.16: here’s how the male spade quick

connectors are secured to the power supply
PCB. Vertical spade terminals with solderable
pins can also be used.

10