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    005 Check The Bias Current RAQ - Biascurrent

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    EugeneStevenson
    The document discusses how a small issue with bias current caused a microphone connected to an amplifier to stop working during a church service. Touching the microphone provided a path to ground which allowed it to work again, albeit with some hum. It explains that all amplifying devices have small bias currents that circuits need to account for to work properly.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    005 Check The Bias Current RAQ - Biascurrent

    Uploaded by

    EugeneStevenson
    7 views1 page
    The document discusses how a small issue with bias current caused a microphone connected to an amplifier to stop working during a church service. Touching the microphone provided a path to ground which allowed it to work again, albeit with some hum. It explains that all amplifying devices have small bias currents that circuits need to account for to work properly.

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    Rarely asked questions in Art Of Electronics

    Original Title

    005 Check the Bias Current RAQ_biasCurrent

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    The document discusses how a small issue with bias current caused a microphone connected to an amplifier to stop working during a church service. Touching the microphone provided a path to ground which allowed it to work again, albeit with some hum. It explains that all amplifying devices have small bias currents that circuits need to account for to work properly.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    7 views1 page

    005 Check The Bias Current RAQ - Biascurrent

    Uploaded by

    EugeneStevenson
    The document discusses how a small issue with bias current caused a microphone connected to an amplifier to stop working during a church service. Touching the microphone provided a path to ground which allowed it to work again, albeit with some hum. It explains that all amplifying devices have small bias currents that circuits need to account for to work properly.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    DNX051121RAQ.

    qxd 11/3/2005 11:14 AM Page 27

    S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

    R A Q ’ s

    Rarely Asked Questions


    Strange but true stories from the call logs of Analog Devices

    Check the Bias Current (Or How to Ensure


    that a Blessing is Heard)
    Q. The bias current in modern amplifiers is very small. Contributing Writer

    Do I need to bother about it? James Bryant has


    been a European

    A. At Mass in All amplifying Applications Manager


    Limerick, Ireland devices—bipo- with Analog Devices
    (the location of lar transistors, since 1982. He holds a
    one of Analog JFETs,
    degree in Physics and
    Devices’ manu- MOSFETs, and
    facturing facili- even tubes— Philosophy from the
    ties) one have dc cur- University of Leeds. He
    Sunday, the rents, known as is also C.Eng.,
    priest was rather bias currents, in
    Eur.Eng., MIEE, and an
    softly spoken. their inputs. For
    Almost whisper- some JFETs FBIS. In addition to
    ing into the and MOSFETs his passion for engi-
    microphone he these are as neering, James is a
    said, “The Lord small as 20 fA
    be with you.” (2E-14 amps)— radio ham and holds
    Nothing at all came out of the PA system about one electron every eight microsec- the call sign G4CLF.
    and only the front row could possibly have onds—but the inputs of op-amps and in-
    heard him. Picking up the microphone he amps typically have bias currents in the
    murmured to himself, “There’s something range of pA to µA. A circuit design that
    wrong with the microphone.” This was ampli- does not accommodate these bias currents
    fied to fill the church and the congregation will not work properly, and may not work at Have a question
    responded to a man, “And also with you!” I all. But because they are so small, unintend-
    restrained my mirth with difficulty and after- ed leakage paths (the one through Father involving a
    wards offered to fix the problem. Aidan’s body is an example) may often allow
    It was a moving coil microphone with a dif- a badly designed circuit to work despite
    ferential output to an SSM2019 preamplifier. itself—but it probably won’t work well. perplexing or
    The microphone was in perfect condition Good analog designs do not leave bias cur-
    and delivering a signal to the amplifier rent effects to chance and good luck, but
    unusual analog
    inputs, but the connection from the cable allow for them and ensure that they affect
    screen to the metal microphone body was neither performance nor functionality.
    broken. A broken ground might cause hum Not only did I repair the broken connec- problem? Submit
    (this barely happened), but why should it dis- tion, I also added two equal grounded resis-
    able the amplifier? tors to the amplifier inputs ensuring that
    When I examined the preamplifier circuit it future microphone ground faults might cause
    your question to:
    became clear—the microphone’s center-tap, hum but would not silence Father Aidan. raq@reedbusiness.com
    which was grounded to the case of the
    microphone, carried the bias currents of the
    two SSM2019 inputs. With the ground open- To learn more about how
    circuited, there was nowhere for bias cur- bias current affects SPONSORED BY
    rents to flow and the amplifier stopped op amps,
    working. When Father Aidan touched the
    microphone, his body provided a current Go to:
    path to ground and everything worked http://rbi.ims.ca/5696-104
    again, albeit with a little hum.

    [ d e s i g n n e w s . c o m ] 1 1 . 2 1 . 0 5 D E S I G N N E W S 27

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