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Registered Member #1643
Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039
Never had this happened before. For my SSTC, (mini sstc) I made an interupter that does 555 and audio modulation using a LM386. In the past, last week, It had great quality on the coil, but it cut out a lot. So did my 555s, and later I found I forgot decoupling capacitors that fixed the problem.
But now, I have something that was fine in the past, but now a huge issue. When I connect my stereo, and do a song, I can hear it on the output of my interrupter on a small speaker. Clear, works fine. Then, when I turn on the power supply for the SSTC driver, I can hear it on the GDT, playing at the rate the computer is doing to the song. BUT, when I turn on the variac, the black wire on the audio input, ground, explodes. Not just a tiny spark, I mean explodes. Plastic melted a bit, I have solid black all over the metal lid I put on to protect my self. Any reason this can happen?
When in 555 mode, the system is fine. Nothing explodes. When I connect the audio, BOOM! but ONLY when the variac is on. So I checked my wiring, and the only connections are ground. Ground from the Variac's rectifier goes to the Driver ground. Driver ground goes to interrupter ground. They all share one common ground, and audio grounds to the interrupter.
So, What causes this issue? A week ago I had audio playing just fine on my coil. After taking it all apart, and redoing it again, the audio connection now explodes. What can commonly cause this? I dont see anything wrong...I'm just sharing ground (-) with Variact rectifier, driver, interrupter. the 555s do just fine. Just connecting it to my stereo, causes the 'boom'
If you need any clarification, Please ask. Thanks!
Registered Member #540
Joined: Mon Feb 19 2007, 07:49PM
Location: MIT
Posts: 969
If you could whip up a quick schematic, that might help. If the audio is going into the 555 (which it looks like it is), I have no idea until I see the schematic.
Registered Member #1643
Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039
Myke wrote ...
If you could whip up a quick schematic, that might help. If the audio is going into the 555 (which it looks like it is), I have no idea until I see the schematic.
BUT, remember. I had this working somehow in the past, and I didnt change anything since except wiring to the system, unless something got screwed up on the inside. Just wondering what things can cause such an issue, if there's any common things..
Registered Member #33
Joined: Sat Feb 04 2006, 01:31PM
Location: Norway
Posts: 971
The ground connection of the stereo output is most likely connected to mains ground/neutral. Connecting this to the negative output from the bridge rectifier will short out one of the diodes in your rectifier bridge.
Your setup sounds very unsafe, if the audio ground of the amplifier was not connected to mains ground, the whole chassis of the amplifier would be floating at a high voltage. Please make sure you know what you are doing before connecting anything to mains.
Registered Member #1643
Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039
True...Not to mention I made a mistake. It's not a fullwave rectifier. Using a voltage tripler.
Well, the only other way I see I can 'correct' this mains grounding thing...Is to have my interrupter be on separated power supplys, since it's optoswitched. I'm sure just flipping the Hot neutral would correct the issue, but it's not the safest solution...
Registered Member #522
Joined: Thu Feb 15 2007, 01:04AM
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 33
Try it, with unpluged antenna coaq cable if it i a radio to? I hade sometime's a some current flowing when i connect the local radio/tv cable connection.
Registered Member #1643
Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039
kerver wrote ...
Try it, with unpluged antenna coaq cable if it i a radio to? I hade sometime's a some current flowing when i connect the local radio/tv cable connection.
I would just 'try it' but I dont need to risk exploding that connection anymore and damage something...I rather not just 'try it' unless it's a true safe fix...
I'm just going to use the simple way out. I'm going to power my board with a 9V battery and complexly isolate my board from the SSTC with my optoswitch. This way, My audio is only connected to the negative terminal of a 9V battery, and no part of the variac.
Registered Member #1643
Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039
ManiaC wrote ...
I had this problem in my PLL driver ... but as I blew up my mp3 player
I used a sound isolating transformer to isolate the ground from the audio driver , then I changed the power supply to other power transformer windings
the whole procedure eliminated the problem
I didnt know I had my optoswitched wired wrong. I thought the grounds had to share to work. I fixed the issue though. Not my SSTC and interrupter are 100% isolated with an optoswitch.
I was told that if i use a wallwart to power my interrupter, it could possibly explode...That doesnt sound possible though because the output is HOT HOT 12V, not hot neutral...
Registered Member #3093
Joined: Mon Aug 09 2010, 11:40PM
Location:
Posts: 68
So, why do you need your bridge connected to your driver through "ground" in the first place? Is it a class E, or can you un connect the driver from the mosfet(s)
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Small interrupter issue
