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Re: [Amps] Plate Impedance

To: amps@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [Amps] Plate Impedance
From: "Will Matney" <craxd1@verizon.net>
Reply-to: craxd1@verizon.net
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 19:22:53 -0400
List-post: <mailto:amps@contesting.com>
Gerald,

I went ahead and brought the RCA transmitting tube manual TT-5 here to quote 
what it says.

Effective RF load resistance;

2 x (Eb - Ebmin) / Ibo

Ibo = Zero signal plate current

"Ibo should be between 1/6 and 1/10 of Ibmax found on the typical plate 
characteristics graph".

"Determine peak plate current (Ibmax) for zero bias (Ec1 = 0) at or slightly 
below the knee of the zero-bias curve for the value of Ec2". 



*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 4/10/06 at 7:10 PM Will Matney wrote:

>Gerald,
>
>I just came in to check me e-mail and seen your post. I was wrong on that
>being peak plate current. That could have been something I read on the net
>as I was reading there on several websites also. When I made the post, I
>didn't have the books handy and was trying to recall what I read
>somewhere. The current that is used is the Ibo as Peter G3RZP said after I
>looked in the RCA TT book. On tonight, I'll post what it says but the
>current used is anywhere from 1/6 to 1/10 of Ibmax as I recall. This was
>in the RCA transmitting tube book that I finally dug out. The other I
>posted was from the Radiotron Designers Handbook, 3rd edition, 1945.
>
>"I seem to remember my RCA TT4 handbook listed the load impedance as the
>plate swing divided by Ib0, the quiescent plate current. A typo,
>obviously".
>
>Best,
>
>Will
>
>
>
>
>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
>On 4/10/06 at 5:03 PM TexasRF@aol.com wrote:
>
>>Jeff, 5400 ohms plate load flies into the face of what we have been  
>>calculating using the K factor stuff.
>> 
>>3000v/1A/1.8 is equal to 1666 ohms so one of your numbers is flawed.
>> 
>>Using the other method, 2700v X 2 /3.14 equals 1720 ohms which is much  
>>closer (certainly close enough) to the usual calculation result.
>> 
>>73,
>>Gerald K5GW
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>In a message dated 4/10/2006 2:32:14 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
>>Xmitters@aol.com writes:
>>
>>In a  message dated 4/10/06 9:27:25 AM Central Daylight Time,  
>>amps-request@contesting.com writes:
>>
>><< All,
>>
>>I started  reading through the RCA Radiotron Handbook this evening
>looking 
>>for where  the factor of 1.8 is listed for calculating the plate impedance
>>of 
>>a 
>>class  AB amplifier, and I cannot find it. The edition I have was the
>>older 
>>one  
>>back in the 40's with the black cover. The red one was from the 50's and 
>>had 
>>more in it if I recall, but I don't have it. I was wanting to find  where
>>it 
>>gives this factor, and the ones for Class A, AB1, AB2, B, and C.  Bill
>>Orrs 
>>handbook gives the factor of 1.8 on his Pi tank values table,  but
>doesn't 
>>mention 
>>anywhere in the text where it came from. I also looked  in a RCA
>receiving 
>>tube 
>>book and could not find it there either, or I am  overlooking it
>>somewhere. I 
>>could have sworn it was in the Radiotron  Handbook. The Handbook does say 
>>that 
>>the plate impedance is twice the peak  voltage swing times the peak anode 
>>current. What I'm wanting to know is  where are these factors located in 
>>print, as I'd 
>>like to read the whole  texts concerning this? Any help
>>would be deeply appreciated.  Thanks to all in advance.
>>
>>Best,
>>
>>Will
>>>>
>>
>>Will:
>>
>>I do a great deal of mathematical analyses on  high power RF amplifiers.
>>My 
>>favorite resource is the Eimac Care and  Feeding of Power Grid Tubes 
>>available on 
>>Eimac's web site. I think  Richardson Electronics may also have hard
>>copies 
>>available. You also need  the clear plastic overlay and a set of constant 
>>current 
>>curves for the  tube you are using. Then you can calculate some pretty
>>close 
>>values for  your desired parameters. This is the most accurate
>>mathematical 
>>model that  I'm aware of. Some may considered as too tedious, and that's 
>>fine. It 
>>is  still the most accurate method of modeling on paper.
>>
>>My second choice  is the mathematical steps described in the RCA
>>Transmitting 
>>Tubes book  number TT-5. This book is available from many web resources. 
>>There 
>>is a  step by step procedure in there for calculation all of the operating
>> 
>>parameters. both RF and DC. The calculations rely on a table of "K" 
>>factors 
>>that 
>>are dependent on the plate current conduction angle for the  class of
>>service 
>>desired. This is a fairly straight forward mathematical  process.
>>
>>To answer your specific question, the input impedance as seen  by the tube
>>of 
>>the tank network is RF plate voltage swing divided by the  peak
>>fundamental 
>>component of the plate current. If you don't get this  number "right" the 
>>effect 
>>is distortion, crappy efficiency and maybe even  instability.
>>
>>Let me give you an example. Let's say that we are  designing a class B 
>>amplifier and we know the peak plate current is one  amp. Class B
>suggests 
>>180 degree 
>>plate current. Therefore the DC plate  current is going to be the peak
>>plate 
>>current divided by 3.1416. The peak  fundamental plate current is going to
>>be 
>>half of the peak plate current or  . 5 amp.  The tube curves are used to
>>find 
>>an 
>>appropriate minimum  instantaneous plate voltage based on the desired 
>>linearity 
>>and the best  value to use is tube dependent. As a generalization, make
>>this 
>>minimum  plate voltage (ebmin) 
>>equal to ten percent of your DC plate voltage. Say  your plate voltage is 
>>3000 
>>volts, so ebmin is then 300 volts. the plate  swing is therefore 3000 -
>
>>300 = 
>>2700 volts. So the impedance the tank  needs to present to the tube is 
>>2700/.5 
>>= 5400 Ohms. The power output BTW  is plate swing times Peak Fundamental 
>>Plate 
>>Current times 0.5 and this  assumes the average power of a CW signal.
>>
>>
>>The problem with the RCA  K values and any other constant for that matter,
>>is 
>>that they ignore the  tube characteristics. Furthermore, often times the 
>>basis 
>>for which a  multiplying constant is derived is not always known. The RCA
>>K 
>>values and  the procedures in Bill Orr's famous works, all assume that
>the 
>>plate  
>>current is going to be a perfect sinusoid over the portion of a cycle for
> 
>>which 
>>it conducts. This is not an accurate assumption and fortunately for  
>>approximation purposes, is usually good enough. The advantage of the K  
>>values and Bill 
>>Orr's calculation process is it gives you a reasonable  starting point for
>>a 
>>design. There is always going to be some "lab work"  so there is a
>>personal 
>>balance everyone must make individually as to how  much time is going to
>>be 
>>spent 
>>calculating and how much time is going to  be spent constructing and 
>>optimizing.
>>
>>The first question to ask  regarding any mathematical model is "how much 
>>accuracy do I really want or  need? The usual response is "as much as 
>>possible". If 
>>you have infinite  research dollars and infinite time, this is a
>>reasonable 
>>answer. Who  really has that advantage? Obviously there is a practical
>>answer 
>>to 
>>this  question. 
>>
>>
>>I should point out that the example I gave you only  applies to a class B
>>and 
>>any other class of service is going to command a  different set of K
>>values. 
>>My 
>>example was to illustrate the basic process.  When I do an analysis on a 
>>broadcast transmitter, I like to start off with  the RCA K values to get
>>an 
>>Idea for 
>>what I'm dealing with. I then follow  up using the Eimac method, a drawn 
>>Operating Line and the accompanying  calculations to get the final,
>>usually 
>
>>more 
>>accurate results. The Eimac  method is restricted BTW, in that the
>voltage 
>>waveform on the grid must be  the same kind of waveform on the plate.
>IOW, 
>>you cannot 
>>drive a tube (with  a resonant plate tank network) with a square wave with
>>a 
>>sinusoidal signal  on the plate, and expect meaningful results with the
>>Eimac 
>>Tube  Performance Computer. It does not work.
>>
>>
>>This is probably a more  lengthy response than you were looking fore, but
>>I 
>>hope it helps  you.
>>
>>Jeff Glass, BSEE CSRE
>>Chief Engineer
>>WNIU WNIJ
>>Northern  Illinois  University
>>WB9ETG
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>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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