1
\$\begingroup\$

The project I am attempting is:

  1. Arduino UNO receiving a data record from a battery data logger
  2. one particular value (State of Charge) is extracted
  3. and sent to a PWM output
  4. going through a low pass RC filter
  5. into an OpAmp (LM324) to provide a clean DC output
  6. the output voltage should range from 0-100mV

The PVM frequency is ~480Hz (Arduino Uno); the 2 RC filter are 330R/10uF

I need help with the circuit design past the second RC filter.

This is what I started out with:

RC Filter with LM324
(source: grenkowitz.net)

Which morphed into this (and seems flawed/suspicious to me):

RC Filter with LM324 and voltage divider
(source: grenkowitz.net)

But, I do not reach the 100mV at 100%, and the output is a bit spiky; assuming there needs to be another RC filter of sort.

RC Filter with LM324 and voltage divider, scope output
(source: grenkowitz.net)

The circuit does not need to be responsive, because the duty cycle, thus the mV out increments slowly in 0.5mV steps over hours, and decrements over hours.

[Addition 2016-07-10 0905Z]

Thank you for your responses.

It looks like I am a bit in over my head... not really understanding OpAmps... I have now taken a slightly different approach, and added a voltage divider on the input signal of %v to drop to .1V and since reaction time does not matter, put a 100uF cap in... then the 2 RC filters into the OpAmp; sorry for the for the Vcc for the OpAmp; now corrected to 5V.

The simulated output is 33-98mV. But I am not sure, how to configure the OpAmp to get a Voltage (as precise as possible) mathing the 0-256 step, 8bit, 0-100% duty cycle of the input.

Here the latest design: RC Filter with LM324
(source: grenkowitz.net)

\$\endgroup\$
5
  • \$\begingroup\$ Have you checked the voltages at the input pins of your opamp, and of these are in-spec? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 9, 2016 at 12:39
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ The OpAmp in your second simulation does not have a proper operating voltage on the '+' pin. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 9, 2016 at 12:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ As an alternative, you could use a device designed for the task: linear.com/product/LTC2644 Also see linear.com/docs/46296 \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 9, 2016 at 13:44
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ Consider placing the 1:50 voltage divider before the op amp. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 10, 2016 at 21:52
  • \$\begingroup\$ @JimmyB: done so yesterday... :) In fact, I got rid of the OpAmp, and now have one divider at Vin, 1 RC, and then Vout. It works. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 11, 2016 at 23:58

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1
\$\begingroup\$

If you are going to use an op-amp you might as well implement a unity gain sallen key 2nd order low pass filter: -

enter image description here

This will overcome the problem of the first low pass fitler being hampered by the input impedance of the 2nd low pass filter.

You can use this calculator from Okawa Electronic Design to plug in values but I would go for two 1k resistors with C1 at 10uF and C2 a bit smaller, maybe 2.2 uF.

You don't say in your question what the PWM amplitude is but, adding a resistor from the junction of R1 and R2 to ground can produce the required attenuation but the parallel combination of R1 and that extra resistor is the value of R1 to be used in the calculator.

In your 2nd schematic I have no idea why you are attaching the op-amp power to the input voltage waveform. Recipe for rubbish is my thinking. It may look like it's working in a sim but it won't work in practise because, in practise, you need nominally a 10 nF or 100 nF op-amp power-rail decoupler to avoid op-amp mis-workings.

\$\endgroup\$
1
  • \$\begingroup\$ Vin is 5V from the Arduino PWM out (around 480Hz). 2nd schematic; no idea either... I am a bit in over my head... however tried to improve on the first design. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 10, 2016 at 9:21

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.