Opamp VHF FM Transmitter

ICs that in the past were far too expensive for the hobbyist tend to be more favourably priced these days. An example of this is the AD8099 from Analog Devices. This opamp is available for only a few pounds. The AD8099 is a very fast opamp (1600 V/ms) and has high-impedance inputs with low input capacitance. The bandwidth of the opamp is so large that at 100 MHz it still has a gain of nearly 40. This means that this opamp can be used to create an RC oscillator. The circuit presented here realises that.
The circuit has a few striking characteristics. Firstly, unlike normal oscillators that contain transistors this one does not have any inductors. Secondly, there is no need for a varicap diode to do the FM modulation. The opamp is configured as a Schmitt trigger with only a small amount of hysteresis. The output is fed back via an RC circuit. In this way, the trimmer capacitor is continually being charged and discharged when the voltage reaches the hysteresis threshold. The output continually toggles as a consequence.
This results in a square wave output voltage. With a 10-pF trimmer capacitor the frequency can be adjusted into the VHF FM broadcast band 88-108 MHz). The frequency of the oscillator is stable enough for this. The output voltage is about 6 Vpp at a power supply voltage of 9 V. The transmitter power amounts to about 50 mW at a load of 50R. This is about 20 times as much as the average oscillator with a transistor. With a short antenna of about 10 cm, the range is more than sufficient to use the circuit in the home as a test transmitter.Because the output signal is not free from harmonics the use of an outdoor antenna is not recommended. This requires an additional filter/adapter at the output (you could use a pi-filter for this). The FM modulation is achieved by modulating the hysteresis, which influences the oscillator frequency. An audio signal of about 20 mVpp is sufficient for a reasonable output amplitude. The package for the opamp is an 8-pin SOIC (provided you use the version with he RD8 suffix). The distance between the pins on this package is 1/20 inch 1.27 mm).
This is still quite easy to solder with descent tools. If SMD parts are used for the other components as well then the circuit can be made very small. If necessary, a single transistor can be added to the circuit to act as microphone amplifier. The power supply voltage may not be higher than 12 V, because the IC cannot withstand that. The current consumption at 9 V is only 15 mA. As with all free-running oscillator circuits, the output frequency of this specimen is also sensitive to variations of the power supply voltage.
For optimum stability, a power supply voltage regulator is essential. As an additional design tip for this circuit, we show an application as VCO for, for example, a PLL circuit. When the trimmer capacitor is replaced with a varicap diode, the frequency range can be greater than that of an LC oscillator. That’s because with an LC-oscillator the range is proportional to the square root of the capacitance ratio. With an RC oscillator the range is equal to the entire capacitance ratio. For example: with a capacitance ratio of 1:9, an LC oscillator can be tuned over a range of 1:3.
With an RC oscillator this is 1:9. For the second tip, we note that the circuit can provide sufficient power to drive a diode mixer (such as a SBL-1) directly. This type of mixer requires a local oscillator signal with a power from 5 to 10 mW and as already noted, this oscillator can deliver 50 mW. A simple attenuator with a couple of resistors is sufficient in this case to adapt the two to each other.

 

http://www.extremecircuits.net/2010/05/opamp-vhf-fm-transmitter.html

Sine Wave To TTL Converter

As the title implies, the present circuit is intended to convert sinusoidal input signals to TTL output signals. It can handle inputs of more than 100 mV and is suitable for use at frequencies up to about 80 MHz. Transistor T1, configured in a common-emitter circuit, is biased by voltage divider R3–R5 such that the potential across output resistor R1 is about half the supply voltage. When the circuit is driven by a signal whose amplitude is between 100 mV and TTL level (about 2 V r.m.s.), the circuit generates rectangular signals. The lowest frequencies that could be processed by the prototype were around 100 kHz at an input level of 100 mV, and about 10 kHz when the input signals were TTL level.Resistor R6 holds the input resistance at about 50 Ω, which is the normal value in measurement techniques. It ensures that the effects of long coaxial cables on the signal are negligible. If the converter is used in a circuit with ample limits, R6 may be omitted, whereupon the input resistance rises to 300 Ω.

 

http://www.extremecircuits.net/2010/06/sine-wave-to-ttl-converter.html

Car Battery Failure Detector

A car battery deteriorates in use and its life seldom exceeds four years. When new, its voltage may drop to only 2V while cranking the engine. As the battery ages, its internal impedance increases and so the voltage drop while cranking also increases, until ultimately the drop is high enough to prevent the engine from starting. This gradual increase in voltage drop while cranking can be used as an early warning of looming battery failure and so this circuit triggers an alarm when the battery voltage drops to 8V during cranking. IC1 is a precision 2.5V device used as the reference for two comparators based on IC2, an LM358 dual op amp.IC2a monitors the voltage from trimpot VR1 and normally its output at pin 1 will be low while the output of IC2b will be high and LED1 will be green. When pin 2 of IC2a falls below pin 3, its output at pin 1 will go high to drive the red section of LED1 to indicate a fault. At the same time, IC2b inverts the signal from pin 1 and its output at pin 7 goes low and turns off the green section of LED1 to indicate a fault. Since the battery voltage drop occurs momentarily while cranking, a more permanent indication of the fault is provided by flashing LED2. When IC2a’s output goes high momentarily, the SCR is latched and LED2 flashes and can only be deactivated by pressing pushbutton S1.


http://www.extremecircuits.net/2010/06/car-battery-failure-detector_17.html

Simple Moisture Detector

The function of this circuit is to sound a buzzer, or, optionally, actuate a relay, when a certain moisture level is detected between a pair of probes. The circuit has a ‘memory’ in the form of a flip-flop, IC1a-IC1b, which enables or disables a tone oscillator, IC1c. The flip-flop is reset either by C1 and C2 when the supply voltage appears, or by push-button S1. This may not reset the alarm, however, which will sound again until the probes are ‘dry’. The (passive) buzzer may be replaced by a relay actuating an externally connected sounder, lamp or other high-power signalling device. Because the duty factor of the coil voltage is about 0.5, the relay should be a type with a coil voltage which is lower than the supply voltage.A 6-volt type is suggested if the circuit is powered from a 9-volt supply. The circuit has a modest standby current consumption of between 4 and 5 mA. This rises to about 40 mA when the relay is actuated. The supply voltage is uncritical and may be anything between 3 V and 15 V. Note, however, that it may not be possible to use a relay if a supply voltage lower than about 8 V is employed. If the circuit is found to be too sensitive, the value of resistor R2 may be decreased.

http://www.extremecircuits.net/2010/06/simple-moisture-detector.html

Infra-Red Level Detector

This circuit is useful in liquids level or proximity detection. It operates detecting the distance from the target by reflection of an infra-red beam. It can safely detect the level of a liquid in a tank without any contact with the liquid itself. The device's range can be set from a couple of cm. to about 50 cm. by means of a trimmer. Range can vary, depending on infra-red transmitting and receiving LEDs used and is mostly affected by the color of the reflecting surface. Black surfaces lower greatly the device's sensitivity.
Parts:

R1_____________10K 1/4W Resistor
R2,R5,R6,R9_____1K 1/4W Resistors
R3_____________33R 1/4W Resistor
R4,R8___________1M 1/4W Resistors
R7_____________10K Trimmer Cermet
R10____________22K 1/4W Resistor
C1,C4___________1µF 63V Electrolytic or Polyester Capacitors
C2_____________47pF 63V Ceramic Capacitor
C3,C5,C6______100µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitors
D1_____________Infra-red LED
D2_____________Infra-red Photo Diode (see Notes)
D3,D4________1N4148 75V 150mA Diode
D5______________LED (Any color and size)
D6,D7________1N4002 100V 1A Diodes
Q1____________BC327 45V 800mA PNP Transistor
IC1_____________555 Timer IC
IC2___________LM358 Low Power Dual Op-amp
IC3____________7812 12V 1A Positive voltage regulator IC
RL1____________Relay with SPDT 2A @ 220V switch Coil Voltage 12V. Coil resistance 200-300 Ohm
J1_____________Two ways output socket

Circuit operation:

IC1 forms an oscillator driving the infra-red LED by means of 0.8mSec. pulses at 120Hz frequency and about 300mA peak current. D1 & D2 are placed facing the target on the same line, a couple of centimeters apart, on a short breadboard strip. D2 picks-up the infra-red beam generated by D1 and reflected by the surface placed in front of it. The signal is amplified by IC2A and peak detected by D4 & C4. Diode D3, with R5 & R6, compensates for the forward diode drop of D4. A DC voltage proportional to the distance of the reflecting object and D1 & D2 feeds the inverting input of the voltage comparator IC2B. This comparator switches on and off the LED and the optional relay via Q1, comparing its input voltage to the reference voltage at its non-inverting input set by the Trimmer R7.

Notes:

• Power supply must be regulated (hence the use of IC3) for precise reference voltage. The circuit can be fed by a commercial wall plug-in adapter, having a DC output voltage in the range 12-24V.
• Current drawing: LED off 40mA; LED and Relay on 70mA @ 12V DC supply.
• R10, C6, Q1, D6, D7, RL1 and J1 can be omitted if relay operation is not required.
• The infra-red Photo Diode D2, should be of the type incorporating an optical sunlight filter: these components appear in black plastic cases. Some of them resemble TO92 transistors: in this case, please note that the sensitive surface is the curved, not the flat one.
• Avoid sun or artificial light hitting directly D1 & D2.
• Usually D1-D2 optimum distance lies in the range 1.5-3 cm.

http://www.extremecircuits.net/2010/06/infra-red-level-detector.html

Sensitive Overload Sensor

The best way to measure the current in a circuit is to place a sense resistor in the current path. The higher the resistance, the more exact the measurement will be. However, the drawback of a high resistance is that it affects the operation of the circuit in which the measurement is being made. If an active sort of sensor is used, the sense resistance can be kept small. The circuit diagram shows how a sensitive overload indicator can be built using a simple opamp (such as an LF351) and a sense resistor in the current path.A voltage difference is generated between the plus and minus inputs of the opamp with the help of a diode. Usually, the voltage drop across D1 (a Schottky diode) will be 0.2 to 0.3 V. This value can be influenced somewhat by R1, which affects the amount of current that flows through the diode. The larger the value of R1, the smaller the voltage drop across the diode. The inverting input of the opamp is connected to the positive supply voltage following the sense resistor Rs. Consequently, the voltage level at the output of the opamp will be equal to the negative supply voltage, for example –5 V.As the current that flows through the sense resistor Rs increases, the voltage on the inverting input of the opamp decreases. As soon as the voltage drop across Rs (= Is × Rs) becomes slightly greater than the voltage drop across D1, the output of the opamp will switch to the positive supply voltage level. An indicator lamp or relay can be connected to the opamp output. The maximum supply voltage for the opamp is ±15 V, so the circuit can readily be used to monitor symmetric power supplies with voltages between 5 and 15V.


http://www.extremecircuits.net/2010/08/sensitive-overload-sensor.html

Two-Wire Temperature Sensor

The Type LM35 temperature sensor from National Semiconductor is very popular for two reasons: it produces an output voltage that is directly proportional to the measured temperature in degrees Celsius, and it enables temperatures below zero to be measured. A drawback of the device is, however, that in its standard application circuit it needs to be connected to the actual measuring circuit via a three-wire link. This drawback is neatly negated by the present circuit. When the LM35 is connected as shown, a two-wire link for the measurement range of –5 °C to +40 °C becomes possible.Actually, the circuit shown is a temperature-dependent current source, since it uses the variation of the quiescent current with changes in temperature. The values of resistors R3 and R4 are calculated to give an output voltage of 10mV °C–1. Where good accuracy is desirable or necessary, 1% resistors should be used. In this context, note that a loss resistance in the link between sensor and measuring circuit may cause a measurement error of about 1 °C for every 5 ohms of resistance. Capacitor C1 eliminates undesired interference and noise signals. At an ambient temperature of 25 °C, the circuit draws a current of about 2mA.


http://www.extremecircuits.net/2010/08/two-wire-temperature-sensor.html

Tiny Dew Sensor

Dew (condensed moisture) adversely affects the normal performance of sensitive electronic devices. A low-cost circuit described here can be used to switch off any gadget automatically in case of excessive humidity. At the heart of the circuit is an inexpensive (resistor type) dew sensor element. Although dew sensor elements are widely used in video cassette players and recorders, these may not be easily available in local market. However, the same can be procured from authorized service cent res of reputed companies. The author used the dew sensor for FUNAI VCP model No. V.I.P. 3000A (Part No: 6808-08-04, reference no. 336) in his prototype.In practice, it is observed that all dew sensors available for video application possess the same electrical characteristics irrespective of their physical shape/size, and hence are interchangeable and can be used in this project. The circuit is basically a switching type circuit made with the help of a popular dual op-amp IC LM358N which is configured here as a comparator. (Note that only one half of the IC is used here.) Under normal conditions, resistance of the dew sensor is low (1 kilo-ohm or so) and thus the voltage at its non-inverting terminal (pin 3) is low compared to that at its inverting input (pin 2) terminal.The corresponding output of the comparator (at pin 1) is accordingly low and thus nothing happens in the circuit. When humidity exceeds 80 per cent, the sensor resistance increases rapidly. As a result, the non-inverting pin becomes more positive than the inverting pin. This pushes up the output of IC1 to a high level. As a consequence, the LED inside the opto-coupler is energized. At the same time LED1 provides a visual indication. The opto-coupler can be suitably interfaced to any electronic device for switching purpose. Circuit comprising diode D1, resistors R8 and R6 and capacitor C1 forms a low-voltage, low-current power supply unit. This simple arrangement obviates the requirement for a bulky and expensive step-down transformer.

http://www.extremecircuits.net/2010/10/tiny-dew-sensor.html

Automatic Heat Detector

This circuit uses a complementary pair comprising NPN metallic transistor T1 (BC109) and pnp germanium transistor T2 (AC188) to detect heat (due to outbreak of fire, etc) in the vicinity and energise a siren. The collector of transistor T1 is connected to the base of transistor T2, while the collector of transistor T2 is connected to relay RL1. The second part of the circuit comprises popular IC UM3561 (a siren and machine-gun sound generator IC), which can produce the sound of a fire-brigade siren. Pin numbers 5 and 6 of the IC are connected to the +3V supply when the relay is in energised state, whereas pin 2 is grounded. A resistor (R2) connected across pins 7 and 8 is used to fix the frequency of the inbuilt oscillator.The output is available from pin 3. Two transistors BC147 (T3) and BEL187 (T4) are connected in Darlington configuration to amplify the sound from UM3561. Resistor R4 in series with a 3V zener is used to provide the 3V supply to UM3561 when the relay is in energised state. LED1, connected in series with 68-ohm resistor R1 across resistor R4, glows when the siren is on. To test the working of the circuit, bring a burning matchstick close to transistor T1 (BC109), which causes the resistance of its emitter-collector junction to go low due to a rise in temperature and it starts conducting. Simultaneously, transistor T2 also conducts because its base is connected to the collector of transistor T1. As a result, relay RL1 energizes and switches on the siren circuit to produce loud sound of a fire-brigade siren.


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