The SilentSwitcher, A Quiet Mains-free Power Supply

Audio projects become smaller over time with the rapid advancement of technology. A traditional power supply is still considered large compared to audio projects size constraints and it may not fit such delicate applications that need to deliver a good sound with zero noise.

Jan Didden, audio specialist who is known for his own publications Linear Audio, has came up with a new idea that can help in perfecting audio projects. The SilentSwitcher is a 55 x 31 mm special power supply module designed to supply clean power to high-end analog and digital audio circuits.

“One goal of this power supply that it doesn’t need to connect to the mains, you can use it with a USB charger or with a power bank… All problems with ground loops and mains born noise are not existing”- Jan Didden, the designer of The SilentSwitcher

The SilentSwitcher uses a combination of switching and linear regulators to generate a stable and noise-free supply voltage. The module can be powered from a 5V USB adapter, or from a 5V power bank for complete isolation. It delivers ±150 mA and a choice of 6V, 5V or 3.3V at 0.5 A to benefit most of your applications. The absolute maximum input voltage is 12VDC but in normal operation it is preferable to limit it to 10VDC.

Output specifications:

• Outputs (analog): +15 and -15 VDC at 150mA* each;
• Output (6/5/3.3V): selectable 6, 5 or 3.3 VDC at 0.5A*;
• Output noise (6/5/3.3V): less than 1mV broadband
• Output impedance (analog): less than 10mΩ (+15V) and 80mΩ (-15V) at 20kHz
• Output impedance (6/5/3.3V): less than 3mV drop with 100mA current step.

15V output at 150mA are provided thanks to the very low noise linear regulators of Texas Instruments TPS7A47, TPS7A33 that suppress all the noise from the switching regulator by a factor of one thousand even at 1 Megahertz. Such chips have driven zero noise to switcher technology and have shown incredible quiet and low noise performance.

Jan Didden talking about his product

The well designed board will help in keeping all elements quiet and avoiding excess radiation. There are 2- and 3-pin headers on the PCB to connect the load, and a 2-pin header for an On/Off switch. The connection to the 5V source is through a B-type USB connector or a standard 2-pin screw-type connector block. You can mount the PCB on the back of your enclosure with a hole cut out for the USB-B – no further input wiring required.

This power supply will be a great companion for your project! No need to think about wiring or transformers, and you won’t face any issues like mains hum or mains earth loops.

The SilentSwitcher is live on a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign and there are only few hours left to go! You can get your own SilentSwitcher for $59 and you will receive a fully assembled and tested board.

More details are provided at the campaign page and at Linear Audio website.

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