2007-2008 Senior Design Project: Tube Emulation through Digital Design

Abstract

Tube amplifiers are used in high end audio equipment to reproduce sound that is unmatched in transistor based amplifiers. Our goal is to make a digital equivalent to the vacuum tube. The digital replacement will have most of the advantages without most of the disadvantages.

Vacuum Tubes vs. Transistors

Advantages:	Disadvantages:
* Warmer Sound	* Quality degrades with time
* Broader Midrange	* Must have matched pairs for best results
* No crossover distortion	* Not energy efficient
	* Expensive

ideas to explore
- tube expert
- document commercial viability
- patent search (library)
- build splitter to switch between tube and emulator
to do this week
- assign responsibilities to various group members
- wiki homepages and link to blog (Done)
- set up blog (Done)
- choose kit (John talks w/ Skinner)
  - Foreplay III
- write up what all the components are for doing this project (brainstorming session)
- set up meeting times (Done)

Operation and Information
Mathmatical Models
- Spice Models for Vacuum Tubes (A Survey)
- The Mathematical Models of Electronic Tube and How to Use Them
Common Tube Models
- 12AX7
- 12AU7
Related Vacuum Tube Emulation Patents
- Semiconductor Emulation of Vacuum Tubes ( Patent #5434536 )