Lab 5 – Audio Amplifier

CSE 3323 – Electronics for Computer Engineering

In this lab, we will discuss and construct the components required for a basic Audio
Amplifier: 3.5mm stereo jack input, stereo-to-mono audio, pre-amp, virtual ground, power
amp with speaker output, LED bar visualization, and low/band/high pass filtering. Also
each student or pair will solder an audio jack breakout board adapter.
Students work in pairs (except one group of 3) during lab time.
What you specifically should include in your lab report, SCH, PCB, etc. is detailed at
the end of this document with due dates.
Lab reports are individual work but include your lab partner’s name in your report.

Tools Used:

• Digital Multimeters
o Thsinde 18B+ (yellow)
o Mastech MS8268 (green)
• Current-Limited Power Supplies
o DC Power Supply, Yihua YH-302D
o DC Regulated Power Supply, Tekpower TP3005T
• Digital Oscilloscope
o Siglent SDS 1202X-E, 200MHz
• Signal Generator
o Siglent SDG1025, 25MHz, 125 MSa/s
• Wire cutters/strippers, probes, banana connectors, alligator clips, jumper
wires, etc.

Components Used:
Note: No components are listed in this document, instead they are organized in a
separate Bill of Materials document on Blackboard named “BOM_Audio_Amp.pdf”

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Directed Part of Lab:
1. Audio Amp Requirements
a. Audio input may come from two sources chosen by a SPDT Switch:
i. Standard 3.5mm AUX cable connected to computer or phone
ii. or Simple two-pin Electret Microphone
b. Audio signal must be biased by a Virtual Ground to prevent the audio signal’s
negative voltages from being lost (clipped)
c. The audio signal must immediately pass through a Pre-Amplifier to boost
the audio signal’s voltage amplitude
i. The Pre-Amp’s gain must be user adjustable (“Pre-Amp POT”)
d. The audio signal will then branch off into 3 active filters to extract 3 different
audio frequency ranges (Bass, Midrange, Treble)
i. Low Pass, Band Pass, and High Pass filters respectively
e. Output from each of the 3 filters (via 3 POTs) will branch off in 2 directions:
i. All 3 outputs will be summed together to recombine the audio signal;
the recombined audio signal will be passed to a Power Amplifier
which in turn outputs the final audio signal to the speaker
1. Power Amp’s gain must be adjustable (“Power Amp POT”)
ii. Each of the 3 outputs will also go to LED Bar Driver ICs that control
different colored LED Bars to create a light organ effect that responds
to audio signal amplitudes that belong to certain frequency ranges
(Low/Bass, Band/Midrange, High/Treble)

Summer and Power Amp

(Adjustable)
MIC AUX
Input Input

High Pass
or Filter
LED
Pre-Amp Band Pass Bar
(Adjustable) Filter
Drivers

Low Pass
Filter

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2. Capacitors Block DC and Allow AC to Pass Freely
a. Capacitive Reactance
i. In Depth Details About Capacitive Reactance

𝟏
𝐗𝐂 = 𝐢𝐧 𝐎𝐡𝐦𝐬 (𝛀)
𝟐𝛑𝒇𝐂

OPEN Switch CLOSED Switch

for Low Frequencies for High Frequencies

Ω Ω
Ω
“CAPs block DC” “CAPs pass AC”
DC is basically a 0Hz AC As f goes higher, Ω goes
Voltage Signal and if f is lower allowing the AC
0Hz, then Ω is very high signal to pass unaffected

Think of the capacitor C1 as a

resistor used in a voltage
divider with the actual
resistor R1 on the left.
In both of these basic filter
setups, as the frequency of
the input voltage signal
increases or decreases, the
Vout is pulled more towards
the original V_input or
towards GND.

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b. Decoupling Capacitors (“Remove AC Components”)
i. These are used to decouple a portion of a circuit (like an IC’s power
input) from AC voltages, random voltage spikes, or noises caused by
other circuit components. When placed near the VDD or VCC input of an
IC, these capacitors can protect it from damage by immediately shunting
or shorting the voltage spike directly to GROUND.
ii. “Pass unwanted AC to GND, DC is blocked and doesn’t flow through CAP”
iii. More Details 1, More Details 2

c. Coupling Capacitor (“Remove DC Components”)

i. We can also use series capacitors to block DC signals and allow AC
signals through. Useful for removing constant DC offset voltages out of
audio signals.
ii. More Details on Coupling CAPs

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3. 3.5mm Audio Jack with Breakout Board PCB

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4. Virtual Ground (DC Bias, DC Offset)

We want to move the entire

audio signal into the positive +12V
region, so now +6V is our
“Virtual Ground” that the audio
signal can swing around so we
don’t lose anything below the +6V
original 0V. Nothing is cut off.

Incoming Audio Ex.

0V

+100mV
0V Our Circuit’s New Audio Signal
Offset or “Biased” by +6V DC
-100mV

5. Filters: Low Pass, Band Pass, and High Pass

a. Links for further reading/watching:
i. Decibels Video 1
ii. Decibels Video 2
iii. Filters Video
iv. 2nd Order Filters Tutorials

Ideal Filter Responses, but not practical/actual

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 𝟏
𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝝉 = 𝐑𝐂 =
𝟐𝛑𝒇𝒄

Simple RC Low-Pass Filter Circuit

𝟏
𝑪𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒇𝐂 = 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐳 (𝐇𝐳)
𝟐𝛑𝐑𝐂

By the time your AC voltage signal reaches the cutoff frequency fC it’s
voltage amplitude is already attenuated (reduced) by -3dB (now only
0.708 of original voltage amplitude).

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 2nd Order RC Low-Pass Filter Circuit
(Faster slope of attenuation → BETTER)

𝟏
𝑪𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒇𝐂 = 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐳 (𝐇𝐳)
𝟐𝛑√𝐑𝟏𝐂𝟏𝐑𝟐𝐂𝟐

BLUE is 1st Order LPF Results

PURPLE is 2nd Order LPF Results (faster rolloff)

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b. More Sophisticated Filters
i. Filter Design Tool

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6. Audio Spectrum (Frequency Band Labels)

a. LED Bars to Show Bass, Mid-level, and Treble Audio Frequencies

i. SparkFun LED Bar Driver Tutorial

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7. Electret Microphone

Output GND
Terminal Terminal

Connected
to Body

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8. Power Amplifier (Speaker Output) – LM386

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Individual Part of Lab:
1. Breadboard (Work in Pairs)
a. Breadboard “Audio_Amp.sch” in a modular fashion to simplify debugging
b. It will take multiple lab periods to complete the circuit fully and things will
get messy fast with wiring so triple-check every connection
c. Demo your working circuit when it is fully complete
d. Volume Setting Sequence (after fully breadboarded):
i. Turn both Pre-Amp POT and Power-Amp POT completely OFF
ii. Turn Power-Amp POT completely ON (100%)
iii. Slowly turn the Pre-Amp POT up until the speaker outputs your
ideal MAX volume
iv. Once reached, leave the Pre-Amp POT permanently in that
position
v. Now you can freely turn the Power-Amp POT to act as your
normal Volume Knob

Additional Submission Details:

1. Part 1 (Due 3/29/2019) - Lab Report (.pdf)
a. Discuss in detail the differences between the following Audio Power
Amplifier Classes: Class A, B, AB, C, and D
b. There are many resources and videos online regarding this subject. Put
things in your own words but be sure to include sources/links you reference.
Include images, graphics, and circuit drawings within the report.

2. Part 2 (Due 4/5/2019) - PCB File (.brd)

a. Using the .SCH I provided (or creating your own) you need to create the PCB
design for a “breadboard compatible breakout board PCB” for only the LED
Bar Graph portion of the Audio Amp circuit.
b. Similar to this or this.
c. Include the LED Bar driver ICs, the LED Bars, and all the other various
passive components required to make them operate.
d. Similar to the audio jack board you soldered in lab, you soldered a non-
compatible component onto a PCB and then soldered pin headers to allow it
to plug into the regular breadboard easily.
e. You will need to have a total of 5 pin header connections: +12V, GND, Green
SigIn, Yellow SigIn, and Red SigIn.
f. Reference the datasheets in the Bill of Materials; pay close attention to the
dimensions of the components and the pitch of the pin headers you use.

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3. Part 3 (Due 4/12/2019) - Lab Report (.pdf)
a. Design your own High and Low Pass Filters.
b. Go to this Filter Design Wizard website and use the “Sallen-Key Active Filter”
tools to create HIGH Pass and LOW Pass filters.
c. You determine the exact cutoff frequencies, but they should match
conventional audio spectrum frequencies (LOW Pass for Bass and HIGH Pass
for Treble/High-End).
d. In your report, include many screenshots from the filter website to show all
the relevant math and what component values were chosen.
e. Then you will simulate these 2 filter circuits (independently) in EveryCircuit.
The input for the filters should be an AC Source with a sine wave frequency
you can alter.
f. Provide screen shots for both filters you created in EveryCircuit. Also provide
screen shots of the top "Oscilloscope View" when the circuit is simulating and
running. Note: there are two yellow arrows you can use to run/simulate your
circuit (Run Transient: Space and Run AC); use both of them. Be sure to
provide these oscilloscope screen shots at different MEANINGFUL
frequencies for your AC Sine Wave input. Use the "Show Waveform: W" Eye
icon on your input and the outputs to make them appear in the oscilloscope
view.

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