United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,036,292 Hjelm Et Al
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United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 5,036,292 Hjelm et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jul. 30, 1991 (54) DECOUPLED ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITOR Pub. Sep. 1981, International Audio Review Hotline, (75 Inventors: John R. Hjelm, Minneapolis; Richard #13. D. Larson, Eden Prairie, both of "Unregulated Power Supplies and Power Amplifiers', Minn. pp. 194-210, No. 1 & 2, pub. Jul. 1976, International Audio Review. (73) Assignee: Audio Research Corporation, "Picking Capacitors', by W. G. Jung & R. Marsh, pp. Minneapolis, Minn. 52-62, Pub. Feb. 1980, Audio. (21) Appl. No.: 480,726 Primary Examiner-James B. Mullins (22 Filed: Feb. 16, 1990 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Merchant, Gould, Smith, 51) Int. C.’.............................................. HO3F 3/181 Edell, Welter and Schmidt 52) U.S. C. .................................... 330/202; 330/297; 333/181 57 ABSTRACT 58) Field of Search ............... 330/202, 297, 306, 178, A filter capacitor network includes an inductor con 330/179; 333/167, 181; 381/120, 121 nected in series with an aluminum electrolytic capacitor (56) References Cited with the inductor and aluminum electrolytic capacitor bypassed with a capacitor having relatively better high U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS frequency performance characteristics than the alumi 2,759,051 8/1956 Lockwood et al. ................ 179/171 num electrolytic capacitor. The inductor decouples the 3,290,578 12/1966 Ainsworth .... ... 321/9 3,746,963 6/1973 VeNard, II ............................. 321/2 aluminum capacitor from the network at middle and 4,232,272 1/1980 Fabri ............. ... 330/294 upper frequencies so that the bypass capacitor domi 4,639,663 1/1987 Ueno et al. ... ... 323/356 nates the characteristics of the network in that range. A 4,764,736 8/1988 . Usui et al. ........................... 330/294 signal coupling/DC blocking capacitor network of the same configuration is also disclosed. An amplifier de FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS sign includes the filter network in the power supply. 1563054 2/1970 Fed. Rep. of Germany ...... 333/181 The filter network is also disclosed in an audio signal 306253 2/1929 United Kingdom................ 330/1.78 path for use in signal coupling/DC blocking. OTHER PUBLICATIONS "The Sonic Importance of Passive Parts", pp. 1-13, 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent July 30, 1991 sheet 1 of 2 5,036,292 PRIOR ART FIG.1 AC AUDIO INPUT SIGNAL DECOUPLED WITH AUDIO DC BAS OUTPUT SIGNA FIG. 4 U.S. Patent July 30, 1991 Sheet 2 of 2 5,036,292 5,036,292 1. 2 which substantially decouples the aluminum electro DECOUPLED ELECTROLYTIC CAPACTOR lytic capacitor from the network above a selected fre quency so that the bypass capacitor dominates the char TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION acteristics of the network above the selected frequency. 5 The network thus provides that non-linearities and dis The present invention pertains generally to the field tortions introduced by the aluminum electrolytic capac of audio amplification, and more particularly to capaci itor are minimized in the performance of the network tive network designs in audio amplifiers. above the selected frequency. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION According to another aspect of the invention, there is It has been known for some time that the use and 10 provided an audio amplifier including a power supply design of passive circuit elements in high quality audio utilizing the capacitive network as a filter capacitor amplifiers has been overlooked as a result of a preoccu network. pation with active circuitry design. (See, for example, According to still another aspect of the invention, IAR Hotline, No. 13, September 1981, "The Sonic Im there is provided an audio amplifier wherein the capaci portance of Passive Parts', by J. Peter Moncrieff, pub 15 tive network is used in a signal coupling path in the lished by IAR, 2449 Dwight Way, Berkeley, California amplifier. 94704). As a result, in many designs the benefits of im proved active circuitry are not fully attained due to BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS imperfections and distortions introduced by improper FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a prior art or less than optimized passive component designs. Ac 20 capacitive network including an electrolytic capacitor cordingly, increasing attention has been turned to the and bypass capacitor; design and use of passive elements in high quality audio FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a capacitive net amplifier designs. The present invention pertains to work including an electrolytic capacitor and a bypass capacitive networks and the design of power supplies capacitor according to the present invention; and passive signal paths in audio amplifiers. 25 FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an audio amplifier The large energy storage requirement for power including a power supply utilizing the capacitive net supplies in audio amplifiers makes aluminum electro work of FIG. 2 according to the present invention; and lytic capacitors highly desirable as filter capacitors. A FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an audio amplifier filter capacitor smooths the rectified AC voltage, stores signal path utilizing the capacitive network of FIG. 2 electrical energy, and bypasses unwanted frequencies. 30 according to the present invention. Electrolytic capacitors, however, have more inherent inductance and other imperfections than most other DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE types of capacitors, resulting in poor response, particu INVENTION larly at higher frequencies. The relatively high inherent inductance of an aluminum electrolytic capacitor limits 35 Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a conven its ability to bypass and promptly deliver fast transients tional, prior art capacitor network 10 including a large of power to the audio amplifier at higher frequencies. aluminum electrolytic capacitor 12 and a small film or Their other imperfections-namely, resistive losses; tantalum bypass capacitor 14 connected in parallel variation with aging, temperature, voltage, and fre therewith. Capacitor 12 has a capacitive element 13 and quency; and non-linearities due to dielectric absorption an inherent inductance 16. As noted hereinabove, in factors-introduce signal distortion which degrades the ductance 16 degrades the frequency response of capaci quality of sound in audio amplifier applications. These tor 12, while its other imperfections introduce addi limitations are usually remedied by bypassing the elec tional signal distortion. trolytic capacitor with a smaller film or tantalum capac Tantalum or film bypass capacitor 14, having a much itor that has fewer imperfections and better characteris 45 better characteristics and response at high frequencies tics at higher frequencies. However, the electrolytic improves the response of network 10 by allowing a capacitor nonetheless negatively affects the response better optimized path for middle and high frequency characteristics of the network such that its performance signals through the network. Nonetheless, aluminum at higher frequencies is less optimal than it would be if electrolytic capacitor 12 negatively affects the perfor the electrolytic capacitor was absent. 50 mance characteristics of the network at all but the high Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are sometimes de est frequencies of concern in audio applications (above sirable in audio amplifier signal coupling/DC blocking 20 KHz), where the inherent inductance 16 is typically applications where high capacitance is required. Again, great enough to substantially "choke' off and decouple however, the poor response characteristics of electro capacitor 12 from the network. As a result, the more lytic capacitors at the higher frequencies usually re 55 optimal performance characteristics of bypass capacitor quires that they be used in conjunction with a smaller 14 are not fully realized. bypass capacitor; and, again, less than optimal perfor Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown the im mance at higher frequencies is attained due to degrada proved network 20 according to the present invention. tion introduced by the electrolytic capacitor. Network 20 includes, in addition to electrolytic capaci tor 12 and smaller bypass capacitor 14, an inductor 30 in SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION series with electrolytic capacitor 12. The value of in According to one aspect of the invention there is ductor 30 is chosen so as to substantially "choke' off provided a capacitor network for use in audio applica and decouple capacitor 12 from the network 20 above a tions. The network comprises an inductor, an aluminum certain, selected transition frequency in the mid-range, electrolytic capacitor connected in series with the in 65 preferably at the point where its performance begins to ductor, and a smaller bypass capacitor connected to degrade significantly. The bypass capacitor 14 thus bypass the inductor and the aluminum electrolytic ca dominates the response characteristics of network 20 pacitor. The inductor is chosen to have an inductance above the selected transition frequency while capacitor 5,036,292 3 4. 12 remains active in the network at the low frequencies form, those of skill in the art will recognize that many where it is most needed to store large amounts of en modifications and changes may be made thereto with ergy. The overall performance characteristics of the out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention network are, therefore, improved over that of network as set forth in the claim appended hereto. 10. Moreover, the need to compensate for the imperfec 5 We claim: tions in the electrolytic