• PSU Ripple

    From Cursitor Doom@21:1/5 to All on Sun Mar 10 13:35:18 2024
    XPost: sci.electronics, design

    Returning to this Marconi signal generator which has a lot of ripple
    on the (linear) PSU output, I managed to get probes through a barely
    accessible crevice and get a couple of screen shots of the rectifier
    outputs I'm seeing on the scope.
    So there's mains incoming which goes into a toroidal transformer and
    thence to the rectifiers. There are two secondary windings on the
    transformer and they each get their own bridge rectifier. This is the
    waveform that's being applied to the storage caps of the PSU (which
    I've disonnected for testing purposes).
    The outputs of neither rectifier look at all correct to me. What does
    the Panel make of them?


    https://disk.yandex.com/i/CP8qRMy-QA-fCg https://disk.yandex.com/i/ubNazf1pFhuNtg

    (probes are on 10x and I did compensate them first)

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  • From legg@21:1/5 to All on Sun Mar 10 14:05:52 2024
    XPost: sci.electronics, design

    On Sun, 10 Mar 2024 13:35:18 +0000, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
    wrote:

    Returning to this Marconi signal generator which has a lot of ripple
    on the (linear) PSU output, I managed to get probes through a barely >accessible crevice and get a couple of screen shots of the rectifier
    outputs I'm seeing on the scope.
    So there's mains incoming which goes into a toroidal transformer and
    thence to the rectifiers. There are two secondary windings on the
    transformer and they each get their own bridge rectifier. This is the >waveform that's being applied to the storage caps of the PSU (which
    I've disonnected for testing purposes).
    The outputs of neither rectifier look at all correct to me. What does
    the Panel make of them?


    https://disk.yandex.com/i/CP8qRMy-QA-fCg >https://disk.yandex.com/i/ubNazf1pFhuNtg

    (probes are on 10x and I did compensate them first)

    Glad to see you tackling something fairly basic, sport.

    Care to mark up your images to include a 0V baseline?

    With the bulk caps removed, I trust you are not applying
    full mains voltage - just enough to get a diagnostic waveform,
    with a load resistor in place.There will be other cicuitry
    going bonkers, if not.

    Most technicians in this situation will just check/replace
    the bridges. If that doesn't do the job, only then is it time
    to speculate.

    RL

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From ehsjr@21:1/5 to Cursitor Doom on Sun Mar 10 14:02:14 2024
    XPost: sci.electronics, design

    On 3/10/2024 9:35 AM, Cursitor Doom wrote:
    Returning to this Marconi signal generator which has a lot of ripple
    on the (linear) PSU output, I managed to get probes through a barely accessible crevice and get a couple of screen shots of the rectifier
    outputs I'm seeing on the scope.
    So there's mains incoming which goes into a toroidal transformer and
    thence to the rectifiers. There are two secondary windings on the
    transformer and they each get their own bridge rectifier. This is the waveform that's being applied to the storage caps of the PSU (which
    I've disonnected for testing purposes).
    The outputs of neither rectifier look at all correct to me. What does
    the Panel make of them?


    https://disk.yandex.com/i/CP8qRMy-QA-fCg https://disk.yandex.com/i/ubNazf1pFhuNtg

    (probes are on 10x and I did compensate them first)

    If we assume that the probe is (one probe and 1 ground
    only!) properly connected across the output of 1 bridge
    rectifier ONLY and the load is not connected to that
    bridge, you should see an almost perfect waveform.
    Do a google on bridge rectifier waveform to see what a
    perfect waveform looks like. That's a big assumption,
    based on your description of the accessibility problem.

    Assuming all is well with the measurement technique,
    those wave forms are wrong. Both bridges look bad -
    replace them.

    With the above action in mind, you must disassemble things
    enough to replace the bridges --- SO that means you
    must have unfetterd access to the bridges before removal
    so that you can make measurements and KNOW you have your
    probe and ground connected properly. With that much
    disassembly you can use your VOM on diode test to check
    the bridges.

    To me, it really looks like you _MUST_ do the work, even
    though it may be a PITA, to verify that those really
    are the waveforms and not a measurements error.

    I feel the pain! I had to repair a PW1 linear amplifier
    that got "eaten" by lightning. To get to the power supply
    parts I had to remove over 140 screws one hundred and
    forty! just to gain the needed access.

    Good luck.
    Ed

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  • From Cursitor Doom@21:1/5 to ehsjr on Sun Mar 10 23:57:47 2024
    On Sun, 10 Mar 2024 14:02:14 -0400, ehsjr <ehsjr@verizon.net> wrote:

    On 3/10/2024 9:35 AM, Cursitor Doom wrote:
    Returning to this Marconi signal generator which has a lot of ripple
    on the (linear) PSU output, I managed to get probes through a barely
    accessible crevice and get a couple of screen shots of the rectifier
    outputs I'm seeing on the scope.
    So there's mains incoming which goes into a toroidal transformer and
    thence to the rectifiers. There are two secondary windings on the
    transformer and they each get their own bridge rectifier. This is the
    waveform that's being applied to the storage caps of the PSU (which
    I've disonnected for testing purposes).
    The outputs of neither rectifier look at all correct to me. What does
    the Panel make of them?


    https://disk.yandex.com/i/CP8qRMy-QA-fCg
    https://disk.yandex.com/i/ubNazf1pFhuNtg

    (probes are on 10x and I did compensate them first)

    If we assume that the probe is (one probe and 1 ground
    only!) properly connected across the output of 1 bridge
    rectifier ONLY and the load is not connected to that
    bridge, you should see an almost perfect waveform.

    Quite. And that *is* how I've measured it.

    Do a google on bridge rectifier waveform to see what a
    perfect waveform looks like. That's a big assumption,
    based on your description of the accessibility problem.

    I know what a full-wave rectified signal should look like and what I'm
    seeing doesn't much look like one! It does look like a diode's gone
    down in each bridge, but it could conceivably be just one that's
    failed in certain circumstances I guess.

    Assuming all is well with the measurement technique,
    those wave forms are wrong. Both bridges look bad -
    replace them.

    With the above action in mind, you must disassemble things
    enough to replace the bridges --- SO that means you
    must have unfetterd access to the bridges before removal
    so that you can make measurements and KNOW you have your
    probe and ground connected properly. With that much
    disassembly you can use your VOM on diode test to check
    the bridges.

    To me, it really looks like you _MUST_ do the work, even
    though it may be a PITA, to verify that those really
    are the waveforms and not a measurements error.

    I fully agree. It's just a nuisance not having two consecutive hours
    to get stuck into this job. I'm lucking if I can find a spare hour
    once a week to work on it. :(

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Cursitor Doom@21:1/5 to legg on Sun Mar 10 23:51:43 2024
    XPost: sci.electronics, design

    On Sun, 10 Mar 2024 14:05:52 -0400, legg <legg@nospam.magma.ca> wrote:

    On Sun, 10 Mar 2024 13:35:18 +0000, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
    wrote:

    Returning to this Marconi signal generator which has a lot of ripple
    on the (linear) PSU output, I managed to get probes through a barely >>accessible crevice and get a couple of screen shots of the rectifier >>outputs I'm seeing on the scope.
    So there's mains incoming which goes into a toroidal transformer and >>thence to the rectifiers. There are two secondary windings on the >>transformer and they each get their own bridge rectifier. This is the >>waveform that's being applied to the storage caps of the PSU (which
    I've disonnected for testing purposes).
    The outputs of neither rectifier look at all correct to me. What does
    the Panel make of them?


    https://disk.yandex.com/i/CP8qRMy-QA-fCg >>https://disk.yandex.com/i/ubNazf1pFhuNtg

    (probes are on 10x and I did compensate them first)

    Glad to see you tackling something fairly basic, sport.

    It *would* be extremely basic, if only the manufacturers hadn't gone
    out of their way to make these parts as inaccessible as possible.


    Care to mark up your images to include a 0V baseline?

    I'm only measuring the voltage difference across the bridge output.

    With the bulk caps removed, I trust you are not applying
    full mains voltage - just enough to get a diagnostic waveform,
    with a load resistor in place.There will be other cicuitry
    going bonkers, if not.

    Everything downstream has been disconnected. It doesn't seem right
    that I'm only seeing 4V peak to peak, though - and that's at the full
    230VAC in. The storage caps that waveform is applied to are only rated
    at 16VDC, but even so, with no load other than the probe itself, 4V
    ain't much.

    Most technicians in this situation will just check/replace
    the bridges. If that doesn't do the job, only then is it time
    to speculate.

    Oh yes. I wouldn't have even bothered to query the waveforms I'm
    seeing if only the damn rectifiers were readily accessible.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From legg@21:1/5 to All on Sun Mar 10 21:00:03 2024
    XPost: sci.electronics, design

    On Sun, 10 Mar 2024 23:51:43 +0000, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
    wrote:

    On Sun, 10 Mar 2024 14:05:52 -0400, legg <legg@nospam.magma.ca> wrote:

    On Sun, 10 Mar 2024 13:35:18 +0000, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> >>wrote:

    Returning to this Marconi signal generator which has a lot of ripple
    on the (linear) PSU output, I managed to get probes through a barely >>>accessible crevice and get a couple of screen shots of the rectifier >>>outputs I'm seeing on the scope.
    So there's mains incoming which goes into a toroidal transformer and >>>thence to the rectifiers. There are two secondary windings on the >>>transformer and they each get their own bridge rectifier. This is the >>>waveform that's being applied to the storage caps of the PSU (which
    I've disonnected for testing purposes).
    The outputs of neither rectifier look at all correct to me. What does
    the Panel make of them?


    https://disk.yandex.com/i/CP8qRMy-QA-fCg >>>https://disk.yandex.com/i/ubNazf1pFhuNtg

    (probes are on 10x and I did compensate them first)

    Glad to see you tackling something fairly basic, sport.

    It *would* be extremely basic, if only the manufacturers hadn't gone
    out of their way to make these parts as inaccessible as possible.


    Care to mark up your images to include a 0V baseline?

    I'm only measuring the voltage difference across the bridge output.

    With the bulk caps removed, I trust you are not applying
    full mains voltage - just enough to get a diagnostic waveform,
    with a load resistor in place.There will be other cicuitry
    going bonkers, if not.

    Everything downstream has been disconnected. It doesn't seem right
    that I'm only seeing 4V peak to peak, though - and that's at the full
    230VAC in. The storage caps that waveform is applied to are only rated
    at 16VDC, but even so, with no load other than the probe itself, 4V
    ain't much.

    Most technicians in this situation will just check/replace
    the bridges. If that doesn't do the job, only then is it time
    to speculate.

    Oh yes. I wouldn't have even bothered to query the waveforms I'm
    seeing if only the damn rectifiers were readily accessible.

    A linear psu, properly designed, was once considered to be the
    last point of failure, except for fuses. Fans were considered
    as anathema - they were just not used.

    It was with this confidence that the psu could be placed at the
    bottom, in the back. First failure mode was predicted to be the
    storage capacitors - their mtbf was an order of magnitude
    smaller than any other component used.

    This isn't the case, today, but your unit has some age to it.

    RL

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)