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Virtual ground mid-rail LM386 for low voltage projects.

voxmagna

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I often need to split voltage rails for a center rail virtual ground cheap and simple. I'm working with op amp circuits running from battery 4-6 Volts. I took several different op amps from my components stock, bread boarded split rail circuits and learned a lot:

1. The output current can be just a few mA, or some opamps can do 30mA.
2. Some op amps are unstable with a capacitor load on the split rail output
3. The output current into a resistor load isn't always symmetrical sinking to ground or sourcing current from the supply rail.
4. The quiescent current draw of some opamps can be over 3mA, too high for low power battery designs.
5. Adding a BJT output driver with diodes and resistors for more currrent, increases the complexity and parts count.

I've tested an unconventional design using an LM386 audio amp IC. It's not an op amp in the normal sense and only has a gain of x20, but it can drive 8 ohm mini speakers or headphones with capacitor loads. It's an old chip with not much in it, but easily sourced cheap. It's capable of X200 gain but that's a.c gain and I wanted higher d.c gain for rail spliting to hold the rail voltage constant at VCC/2 up to 100mA output.

I studied the LM386 architcture and bread boarded it as a rail splitter, testing with a dvm, 'scope for noise, capacitor loads and resistors. Without any aditional parts, it would rail split but had a -250mV offset from center and some voltage variation with resistor test loads when sinking and sourcing current up to 150mA. I studied the LM386 nternal schematic and calculated I could replace the gain capacitor on pins 1 & 8 with a 180 ohm resistor to increase gain from x20 to X100. The fixed offset voltage of VCC/2 -250mV was still present, but I could correct this with an external resistor 91k on pin 7. All my practical tests seem to show this works with 5 parts. Can anybody see the downside because I've not seen anybody do this? Thanks
 

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  • My LM386 rail splitter.jpg
    My LM386 rail splitter.jpg
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Hi,

GND ... generally ... should be the reference for other voltages / signals. It is expected to be reliable and clean (noise free)

The same way I expect a VIRTUAL_GND to be reliable and clean.
But with VCC/2 you also introduce ripple and noise to the virtual GND. Any ripple and noise on VCC will get (halved) to the virtual GND

So - for me speaking - I´d rather use a constant voltage (maybe 1.50V), low noise with respect to GND. Maybe generated by a voltage reference.
For sure .. in detail it depends on the application.

Application:
The OP talks about a Sallen-Key filter.
* Usually the input to the board (application) refers to GND
* then the application (SK-filter) is made to refer to VIRTUAL_GND
* and usually the output of the board again refers to GND

So there are two transitios: from GND --> virtual_GND --> GND
In many cases this simply is done by an AC coupling capacitor.
But AC coupling here also means the AC (noise, ripple) between GND and virtual_GND is coupled into the audio signal. A situation I like to avoid.

Klaus
 
My LM386 rail splitter. Stabilization network (or capacitor with ESR) required for good phase margin. Better Response with C3 = 5 uF.

1731153053851.png


Alternative rail splitter using OPA994 "unlimited capacitive load drive" OP:

1731153007028.png


Older LM8261 has lower output impedance, but also less phase margin and 5 V minimal supply voltage.

However, we got no requirements from original poster yet (e.g. static and dynamic load, expected stability).
 

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  • lm386 rail splitter.zip
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  • opa994 rail splitter.zip
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I suspect that Vref/2 offset error will be critical for ADC measurements to subtract the offset, but step current noise
My LM386 rail splitter. Stabilization network (or capacitor with ESR) required for good phase margin. Better Response with C3 = 5 uF.

View attachment 195262

Alternative rail splitter using OPA994 "unlimited capacitive load drive" OP:

View attachment 195261

Older LM8261 has lower output impedance, but also less phase margin and 5 V minimal supply voltage.

However, we got no requirements from original poster yet (e.g. static and dynamic load, expected stability).
30mV/50mA step response indicates 0.6 ohm = Zo at 1us risetime is pretty high for Audio power ref.
 
Since battery ESR is critical to voltage drop and you have two cells to make 6V, it will also be critical they are matched in both capacity and ESR and that you do not drop below 10% SoC or rapid charge above 80% using CV boost at 4.2V for longevity reasons.

My iPhone is now smart enough to use 8h overnight to go from 80% to 100% at the reduced CV where CC should cut out at 3.8V. (my guess) The CV time has been shown to significantly reduce total recharge rates at Battery University to satisfy anxious battery users to get the fastest recharge.

Since ESR, Rs, or Zout is the source of all step current voltage errors, I suggest to use the battery junction=3V for V/2 virtual ground and add parallel film caps for low ESR.

Anything else will add ESR to the virtual ground thus increased step error.

If I know a Li Ion 2.4 Ah cell is about 10kF and ESR about 100 mohms or less with high C charge rate cells, Tau=ESR*C = 1s using a level 1 battery model.

1731182104061.png
 

Attachments

  • 1731181528240.png
    1731181528240.png
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  • lm386 rail splitter.zip
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Last edited:

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