Circuit Clipping Indicator
This
Audio Clipping Indicator circuit was intended to detect clipping in preamp stages, mixers, amplifiers etc. and can be used as a separate, portable unit, to signal by means of a LED when the output wave form of a particular audio stage is “clipping” i.e.
is reaching the onset of its maximum permitted peak-to-peak voltage value before an overload is occurring. This will help the operator in preventing severe, audible distortion to be generated through the audio equipment chain.
The heart of the audio clipping circuit is a window comparator formed by two op-amps packaged into IC1. This technique allows to detect precisely and symmetrically either the positive or negative peak value reached by the monitored signal.
The op-amps outputs are mixed by D1 and D2, smoothed by C4, R7 and R8, and feed the
LED driver Q1 with a positive pulse. C5 adds a small output delay in order to allow detection of very short peaks.
Component
R1 – 1M 1/4W Resistor (See Notes)
R2,R3,R8 – 100K 1/4W Resistors
R4,R6 – 10K 1/4W Resistors
R5 – 5K 1/2W Trimmer Cermet or Carbon
R7 – 2K2 1/4W Resistor
R9 – 22K 1/4W Resistor
C1,C4 – 220nF 63V Polyester Capacitors
C2 – 4p7 63V Ceramic Capacitor (See Notes)
C3 – 220µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C5 – 10µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitor (See Notes)
D1,D2 – N4148 75V 150mA Diodes
D3 – LED (Any dimension, shape and color)
Q1 – BC547 45V 100mA NPN Transistor
IC1 – TL062 Dual Low current BIFET Op-Amp (or TL072, TL082)
SW1 – SPST Toggle or Slide Switch (See Text)
B1 – 9V PP3 Battery (See Text)