Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with
the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage.
This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working
radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I
do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone
know?
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a
competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with
the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage.
This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working
radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I
do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone
know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV >booster which lights a LED.
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet
<erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a
competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with
the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage.
This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working
radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I
do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone
know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV >>booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our
junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest!
The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all >designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 13:28:46 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
wrote:
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet
<erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a >>>> competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with
the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage.
This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working >>>> radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I
do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone >>>> know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>> inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>> items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>> once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>> boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV
booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our
junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest!
The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all
designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
Crystal sets need no power.
There were some that rectified power from several stations to amplify
one.
And yes, a depletion fet or one of the zero-threshold fets could
detect and amplify at very low supply voltage.
Where can you buy a half volt battery?
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet
<erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a
competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with
the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage.
This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working
radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I
do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone
know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV >>booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our
junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest!
The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all >designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 13:28:46 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
wrote:
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet
<erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a >>>> competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with
the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage.
This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working >>>> radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I
do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone >>>> know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>>inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>>items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>>once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>>boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV >>>booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our
junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest!
The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all >>designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
Crystal sets need no power.
There were some that rectified power from several stations to amplify
one.
And yes, a depletion fet or one of the zero-threshold fets could
detect and amplify at very low supply voltage.
Where can you buy a half volt battery?
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 07:35:24 -0700, john larkin <JL@gct.com> wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 13:28:46 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> >>wrote:
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet >>><erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a >>>>> competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with >>>>> the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage. >>>>> This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working >>>>> radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I >>>>> do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone >>>>> know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>>>inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>>>items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>>>once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>>>boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV >>>>booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our >>>junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest! >>>The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all >>>designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
Crystal sets need no power.
Arguable. They don't need batteries, but do need the power of the
transmitter to produce an output.
There were some that rectified power from several stations to amplify
one.
Really? Good Lord! I've never heard of that; most resourceful!
And yes, a depletion fet or one of the zero-threshold fets could
detect and amplify at very low supply voltage.
Fascinating. Thanks for that. Depletion mode? I'll have to re-acquaint
myself with that. I normally use enhancement mode FETs for anything
requiring the preservation of a high Z signal. I'm not even sure what
the typical application for a depletion mode FET might be.
Where can you buy a half volt battery?
You can't buy them, but I have very many of them here, actually. I
keep forgetting to recharge them. :)
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 13:28:46 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
wrote:
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet
<erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a >>>> competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with
the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage.
This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working >>>> radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I
do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone >>>> know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>>inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>>items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>>once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>>boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV >>>booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our
junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest!
The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all >>designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
You're mixing up low power with low voltage.
Many RF devices are available today (and were available
in the past) that operate without a battery.
Low voltage is energy scavenging territory.
Google it.
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 07:35:24 -0700, john larkin <JL@gct.com> wrote:
There were some that rectified power from several stations to amplify
one.
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 13:28:46 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
wrote:
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet
<erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a >>>> competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with
the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage.
This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working >>>> radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I
do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone >>>> know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>> inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>> items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>> once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>> boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV
booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our
junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest!
The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all
designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
Crystal sets need no power.
There were some that rectified power from several stations to amplify
one.
And yes, a depletion fet or one of the zero-threshold fets could
detect and amplify at very low supply voltage.
Where can you buy a half volt battery?
On 10/6/24 16:35, john larkin wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 13:28:46 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
wrote:
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet
<erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a >>>>> competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with >>>>> the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage. >>>>> This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working >>>>> radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I >>>>> do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone >>>>> know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>>> inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>>> items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>>> once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>>> boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV >>>> booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our
junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest!
The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all
designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
Crystal sets need no power.
I remember an ancient popular mechanics that showed one made a coil a >capacitor and an old razorblade and pencil to make a diode
There were some that rectified power from several stations to amplify
one.
And yes, a depletion fet or one of the zero-threshold fets could
detect and amplify at very low supply voltage.
Where can you buy a half volt battery?
a zinc and a copper nail in a lemon? ;)
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 12:41:43 -0400, legg <legg@nospam.magma.ca> wrote:
On Sun, 06 Oct 2024 13:28:46 +0100, Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com>
wrote:
On Sun, 6 Oct 2024 09:25:47 -0000 (UTC), piglet
<erichpwagner@hotmail.com> wrote:
Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
Gentlemen,
I vaguely recall going back the best part of 60 years now, there was a >>>>> competition among radio designers (AM in those days) to come up with >>>>> the design which would operate at the lowest possible supply voltage. >>>>> This had arisen, I would guess, as a result of the 'semiconductor
revolution' and all these designers would compete to develop a working >>>>> radio using ever more absurd Vcc levels. I'm pretty sure someone
managed to get something credible together that worked off of just
over 1 volt but can't be sure after all these years and there's
nothing I could find on the 'net about such a contest, either. But I >>>>> do remember it, for sure.
I'd just be interested to know what can be done with <1V today. Anyone >>>>> know?
Around that time there were published designs using germanium transistor >>>> inverter to step up 250-300mV to a few volts for driving more conventional >>>> items.
Complete radios built from Ge tunnel diodes were done too.
Silicon bipolars are constrained by 0.6/0.7V forward junction voltages but >>>> once started can continue stepping up from much lower voltages. LT made a >>>> boost converter IC that once started continued boosting from 100mV.
Depletion fets let you go much lower, Jan Panteltje has posted his 20mV >>>> booster which lights a LED.
I take your point, Piglet, but many of us still have Ge devices in our
junk boxes, so need not be constrained by the greater barrier height
of their Si equivalents.
Using some sort of boost converter is not in the spirit of this quest!
The circuits that were being submitted to the design contest were all
designed to operate straight from very low DC supplies, with none of
the shenanigans you mentioned. :)
This might be a tall order, but I'd like to see a circuit for an AM
radio which could be powered from half a volt.
You're mixing up low power with low voltage.
Am I?? How so?
Many RF devices are available today (and were available
in the past) that operate without a battery.
For instance....?
Low voltage is energy scavenging territory.
Google it.
I don't Google *anything* if it can possibly be avoided.
On Mon, 7 Oct 2024 00:26:01 +0200, Lasse Langwadt <llc@fonz.dk> wrote:
Where can you buy a half volt battery?
a zinc and a copper nail in a lemon? ;)
Again, lots of ways to make batteries. We found all this fascinating
when we were children, but kids today just don't seem to give a damn
about it.
On a sunny day (Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:49:06 +0100) it happened Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote in <2986gjp50ja0hqo7nd3b4tgfd1m7s7ectp@4ax.com>:
On Mon, 7 Oct 2024 00:26:01 +0200, Lasse Langwadt <llc@fonz.dk> wrote:
Where can you buy a half volt battery?
a zinc and a copper nail in a lemon? ;)
Again, lots of ways to make batteries. We found all this fascinating
when we were children, but kids today just don't seem to give a damn
about it.
You can use a Pleltier module and heat it up with body heat to get low voltages..
Or power it and use it to cool something:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/404626611006
https://www.ebay.com/b/Peltier-Coolers/182022/bn_16565367
Somebody, can't remember who, makes zero-threshold mosfets.
Sysop: | Keyop |
---|---|
Location: | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK |
Users: | 415 |
Nodes: | 16 (2 / 14) |
Uptime: | 93:31:43 |
Calls: | 8,690 |
Calls today: | 5 |
Files: | 13,250 |
Messages: | 5,947,125 |