Drive an audio transformer from an AOP. Good or bad idea?

GroupDIY Audio Forum

Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Operational Amplifier of course referring to the initial premise of a block of circuitry (amplifier) that had inverting and non inverting inputs and a single 'output' that given certain characteristics could be used to do linear computation functions such as integration, differentiation, summing and others which were useful to the arms industry (gun aiming) where the overall function relied on external components and for convenience simple plug in active parts (the amplifier itself) so that exchange in the field was a simple afair.
Fun to implement with valves because they are unipolar devices but when transistors became a thing of both NPN and PNP flavours many new possibilities were dreamed up. Many things were understood and theorised WAY back but it was often near impossible using the technology of the day.
 
Yes, I thought about legacy being a possible explanation. Apparently in ignition applications, the rationale was to simplify wiring, since both windings ended up grounded at a side.
This cut-out, taken from Wiki, shows that the construction is not an autoformer at all. Pri and sec are clearly distinct.
View attachment 139374

The only thing that makes it an autoformer is the connection. Saves one terminal.
View attachment 139376
Sorry for the OT.

Yes. Terminology can be a bit "loose" here. But nowhere near as loose as "Tremelo Arm" in elec guitar world 🤣
 
It is not recommended to use an operational amplifier (AOP) to directly drive an audio transformer because AOPs are designed for voltage amplification and have limited current drive capability, while transformers often require higher current.
 
Back
Top