Crown PB-3 Service manual

Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual

POWER AMPLIFIER

SERVICE MANUAL

POWER BASE™-3 & 1400CSL™

©1995 by CROWN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Mailing Address:	Shipping Address:
P.O. Box 1000	57620 C.R. 105
Elkhart, IN U.S.A. 46515-1000	Elkhart, IN U.S.A. 46517

CSL™ and Power Base™ are trademarks, and ODEP® and Crown® are registered trademarks of Crown International, Inc.

K-SVCPB3 6-95

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Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual

The information furnished in this manual does not include all of the details of design, production, or variations of the equipment. Nor does it cover every possible situation which may arise during installation, operation or maintenance. If you need special assistance beyond the scope of this manual, please contact the Crown Technical Support Group.

Mail: P.O. Box 1000 Elkhart IN 46515-1000

Shipping: 57620 C.R. 105 Elkhart IN 46517

Phone: [phone]

FAX: [phone]

	CAUTION			AVIS
TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK DO
NOT REMOVE TOP OR BOTTOM			À PRÉVENIR LE CHOC
COVERS. NO USER SERVICEABLE			ÉLECTRIQUE N’ENLEVEZ
PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING			PAS LES COUVERTURES.
TO QUALIFIED SERVICE				RIEN DES PARTIES
PERSONNEL. DISCONNECT			UTILES À L’INTÉRIEUR.
POWER CORD BEFORE REMOVING			DÉBRANCHER LA BORNE
REAR INPUT MODULE TO ACCESS			AVANT D’OUVRIR LA
	GAIN SWITCH.		MODULE EN ARRIÈRE.

WARNING

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC

SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS

EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE!

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Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual

Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................	4
Scope ......................................................................	4
Warranty ..................................................................	4
Parts Information .....................................................	5
Specifications ..........................................................	6
Voltage Conversion .................................................	7
Circuit Theory ..........................................................	8
Electrical Checkout Procedures ............................	13
Parts List (Non-Module) ........................................	16
Module Information ...............................................	19
Q43339-3 Output Module .....................................	20
Q43353-4 Main Module (Original) .........................	21
Q43400-3 Main Module .........................................	24

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Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual

Introduction

This manual contains service information on Crown power amplifiers. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the applicable Owner's Manual. However, some important information is duplicated in this Service Manual in case the Owner's Manual is not readily available.

NOTE: THE INFORMATION IN THIS MANUAL IS INTENDED FOR USE BY AN EXPERIENCED TECHNICIAN ONLY!

SCOPE

This Service Manual includes several sections. These sections include Parts Ordering, Specifications, Voltage Conversion, Circuit Theory, Factory Test Procedures, Mechanical Parts Lists, and Module Parts Lists. Schematics are attached. Note that component parts with circuit board comprise a complete module. Module part numbers are always associated with a specific circuit board, although an unpopulated circuit board may be built up with different parts to create different modules. Note that Crown does not sell blank (unpopulated) circuit boards.

Each of the compact audio power amplifiers are designed for professional or commercial use. Providing high power amplification from 20Hz to 20KHz with minimum distortion, they feature balanced inputs with bridged and parallel monophonic capability. Specific features vary depending on model family.

WARRANTY

Each Owner's Manual contains basic policies as related to the customer. In addition it should be stated that this service documentation is meant to be used only by properly trained service personnel. Because most Crown products carry a 3 Year Full Warranty (including round trip shipping within the United States), all warranty service should be referred to the Crown Factory or Authorized Warranty Service Center. See the applicable Owner’s Manual for warranty details. To find the location of the nearest Authorized Service Center or obtain instructions for receiving Crown Factory Service please contact the Crown Technical Support Group (within North America) or your Crown/ Amcron Importer (outside North America).

Crown

Technical Support Group

Factory Service

Parts Department

Mailing Address:

PO Box 1000

Elkhart, IN USA 46515-1000

Shipping Address:

57620 C.R. 105

Elkhart, IN USA 46517

Phone: [phone]

Toll Free: [phone]

FAX: [phone]

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Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual

Parts Information

GENERAL INFORMATION

Later sections include both mechanical and electrical parts lists for this product. The parts listed are current as of the date printed. Crown reserves the right to modify and improve its products for the benefit of its customers.

PART NUMBERING SYSTEMS

As of the printing of this manual, Crown is using two numbering systems. The elder system always uses eight characters. The first character is a letter. Common letters used are C, D, H, M, P, and Q. The second through sixth characters are numbers. The numbers build sequentially (for each prefix letter) as new parts are added to our parts inventory system. (In some cases there will be a space then a four character number after the prefix letter; the space is considered a character.) The seventh character is usually a hyphen, though it may be a letter to indicate a revision or special note. The last character is called a check-digit, and is useful to Crown for internal tracking.

Crown is in the process of converting to a new part number system. Length may vary from eight to twelve characters. There is still a letter prefix, then five numbers. These five numbers identify a type of part. The seventh character is a hyphen. Remaining characters identify the details of the type of part identified by the first part of the number.

STANDARD AND SPECIAL PARTS

Many smaller electrical and electronic parts used by Crown are stocked by and available from electronic supply houses. However, some electronic parts that appear to be standard are actually special. A part ordered from Crown will assure an acceptable replacement. Structural items such as modules and panels are available from Crown only.

ORDERING PARTS

When ordering parts, be sure to give the product model, and include a description and part number (CPN/DPN) from the parts listing. Price quotes are available on request.

SHIPMENT

Shipment will be normally made by UPS or best other method unless you specify otherwise. Shipments are made to and from Elkhart, Indiana USA, only. Established accounts with Crown will receive shipment freight prepaid and will be billed. All others will receive

shipment on a C.O.D. or pre-payment (check or credit card) basis.

TERMS

Normal terms are pre-paid. Net-30 Days applies to only those firms having pre-established accounts with Crown. If pre-paying, the order must be packed and weighed before a total bill can be established, after which an amount due will be issued and shipment made upon receipt of pre-payment. New parts returned for credit are subject to a 10% re-stocking fee, and authorization from the Crown Parts Department must be obtained before returning parts for credit.

Crown is not a general parts warehouse. Parts sold by the Crown Parts Department are solely for servicing Crown/Amcron products. Part prices and availability are subject to change without notice.

Crown

Parts Department

Mailing Address:

PO Box 1000

Elkhart, IN USA 46515-1000

Shipping Address:

57620 C.R. 105

Elkhart, IN USA 46517

Phone: [phone]

or: [phone]

Toll Free: [phone]

FAX: [phone]

5

Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual

Specifications

Unless noted otherwise, all specifications are based on driving an 8 ohm load per channel, both channels driven, the sensitivity switch in the 26dB position, the AC supply is 120VAC at 60Hz. Crown specifications are guaranteed through the warranty period (normally 3 years). Because our testing methods are more stringent than our published specifications, every Crown amplifier will exceed its published specifications.

POWER

Power

8 Ohm Stereo—500W/Ch

4 Ohm Stereo—700W/Ch

8 Ohm Bridge Mono—1500W

4 Ohm Parallel Mono—1050W

2 Ohm Parallel Mono—1515W

Load Impedances: Rated for 16, 8, 4, and 2 (parallel mono only) Ohm operation; safe with all types of loads, even totally reactive loads.

AC Mains: 120VAC at 60 Hz with standard 3 wire grounded 15A connector with single voltage transformer and fan for North American units; 100VAC, 120VAC, 220VAC, and 240VAC at 50 or 60 Hz when equipped with universal transformer, applicable fan, and other applicable hardware with country specific power cord. Note that at 50 Hz fan speed is reduced.

PERFORMANCE

Frequency Response: ±0.1dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz at 1 Watt.

Phase Response: ±10° from 10 Hz to 20 kHz at 1 Watt.

Signal to Noise Ratio: A-weighted, better than 105 dB below full rated output. Better than 100 dB below full rated output from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): <0.05% from 20 Hz to 1 kHz, increasing linearly to 0.1% at 20 kHz at 500W.

I.M. Distortion: <0.05% from 170 milliwatts to 500 W at 26 dB gain.

Slew Rate: >13V per microsecond.

Damping Factor: >1000 from 10 Hz to 400 Hz.

DC Offset: <10 millivolts.

Input Impedance: Nominally 20K ohms balanced; 10K ohms unbalanced.

Output Impedance: <10 milliohms in series with <2 microhenries.

Protection Systems: Output Device Emulation Protection (ODEP) limits drive in the event of dangerous dynamic thermal conditions without interrupting power. Current limiting for shorted load protection. DC/LF and common mode output current Fault circuitry to mute audio. Delay of 4 seconds from turn on mutes amplifier to prevent dangerous turn-on transients. High voltage circuit breaker in main transformer primary and low voltage fuse in fan primary. Slew rate limiting to prevent RF burn out.

MECHANICAL

Input Connectors: Balanced 1/4 inch phone jacks. Optional XLR inputs with MT-XLR accessory.

Output Connectors: Color-coded 5-way binding posts on 3/4 inch centers; spaced 3/4 inch apart.

Front Panel Controls: A rocker on/off power switch.

Back Panel Controls: A three-position switch which selects Stereo, Bridge-Mono, or Parallel-Mono mode; a two position input ground-lift switch, and level controls for each channel.

Internal Controls:A three-position switch selects 0.775V, 1.4V, or 26 dB voltage gain input sensitivity.

Indicators: Red Enable indicator shows on/off status of low-voltage power supply.

Construction: Black splatter-coat steel chassis with specially designed flow-through ventilation system.

Mounting: Standard EIA 310 front-panel rack mount with supports for supplemental rear corner mounting.

Dimensions: 19 inches wide, 3.5 inches high, 16 inches deep behind front mounting surface.

Weight: 36 lbs. Shipping; 40 lbs.

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Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual

Voltage Conversion

	PB/CSL Universal Fuse Board
		P16	P6
	P10
		P15	P5
	P9	P14	P4
	P8
		P13	P3
	P7	P12	P2
BLU	P19
	P20	P11	P1
BRN
			P22
	F100	F1	P21
	P18	P17

S1 Power Switch

Note: The only versions of this product produced at the Crown Factory with international voltage capabilities are the CSL versions built specifically for sale outside the United States.

100V Connections:

P10 to P15

P11 to P14

P7 to P12

120V Connections:

P10 to P16

P11 to P14

P7 to P13

220V Connections:

P10 to P15

P9 to P14

P8 to P13

240V Connections:

P10 to P16

P9 to P14

P8 to P13

For list of applicable transformer, fuse F100, fanformer, and power cord refer to voltageparts cross-reference.

Specific parts are required for the PB-3/1400CSL in order to be used at different international line voltages. Refer also to Mechanical Parts Lists.

Voltage Specific Parts:
30A Breaker for 100-120V Operation	C 9837-3
15A Breaker for 220-240V Operation	C 9839-9
0.5A F1, Low Voltage*	A10285-7
Power Transformer (United States)	D 8598-1
Power Transformer (Universal)	D 8601-3
Transmotor 120V 60 Hz Only	H43065-4
Transmotor 120V 50-60 Hz	H43055-5

*Use 0.3A for UL® approval

A10285-33

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Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual

Theory

OVERVIEW

It should be noted from the outset that the PB-3 and 1400CSL amplifiers are electrically and mechanically identical products. The only differences, from a service perspective, are cosmetic. It should also be noted that over time Crown makes improvements and changes for various reasons. This manual is up to date as of the time of writing. For additional information regarding these amplifiers, refer to the applicable Technical Notes provided by Crown for this product.

This section of the manual explains the general operation of a typical Crown power amplifier. Topics covered include Front End, Grounded Bridge, and ODEP. Due to variations in design from vintage to vintage (and similarities with other Crown products) the theory of operation remains simplified.

FEATURES

Power Base/CSL amplifiers utilize numerous Crown innovations including grounded bridge and ODEP technologies. Cooling techniques make use of the what is essentially air conditioner technology. Air flows bottom to top, and front to side. Air flows a short distance across a wide heatsink. This type of air flow provides significantly better cooling than the “wind tunnel” technology used by many other manufacturers. Output transistors are of the metal can type rather than plastic case. This allows for a significantly higher thermal margin for the given voltage and current ratings. All devices used are tested and graded to ensure maximum reliability. Another electronic technique used is negative feedback. Almost all power amplifiers utilize negative feedback to control gain and provide stability, but Crown uses multiple nested feedback loops for maximum stability and greatly improved damping. Most Crown amplifiershavedamping in excess of 1000 in the bass frequency range. This feedback, along with our compensation and ultra-low distortion output topology, make Crown amplifiers superior.

Features specific to the Power Base/CSL Series’ include a single core transformer (one primary with two independent ungrounded secondaries), a full time full speed fan which also serves as the low voltage transformer, slew rate limiting, and audio muting for delay or protective action. This amplifier can operate in either a Bridged or Parallel Mono mode as well as dual (stereo). A sensitivity switch allows selection of input voltage required for rated output. Level controls are rear mounted. The only indicator provided tells the

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operator that the low voltage supply is energized. In general, the packaging of this model is designed for maximum watt/price/weight/size value. It is the most basic grounded bridge amplifier series now available from Crown.

For additional details refer to the specification section, or to the applicable Owner’s Manual.

FRONT END OPERATION

The front end is comprised of three stages: Balanced Gain Stage (BGS), Variable Gain Stage (VGS), and the Error Amp. Figure 1 shows a simplified diagram of a typical front end with voltage amplification stages.

Balanced Gain Stage (BGS)

Input to the amplifier is balanced. The shield may be isolated from chassis ground by an RC network to interrupt ground loops via the Ground Lift Switch. The non-inverting (hot) side of the balanced input is fed to the non-inverting input of the first op-amp stage. The inverting (negative) side of the balanced input is fed to the inverting input of the first op-amp stage. A potentiometer is provided for common mode rejection adjustment. Electrically, the BGS is at unity gain. (From an audio perspective, however, this stage actually provides +6dB gain if a fully balanced signal is placed on its input.) The BGS is a non-inverting stage. It’s output is delivered to the Variable Gain Stage.

Variable Gain Stage (VGS)

From the output of the BGS, the signal goes to the VGS where gain is determined by the position of the Sensitivity Switch, and level is determined by the level control. VGS is an inverting stage with the input being fed to its op-amp stage. Because gain after this stage is fixed at 26dB (factor of 20), greater amplifier sensitivity is achieved by controlling the ratio of feedback to input resistance. The Sensitivity Switch sets the input impedance to this stage and varies the gain such that the overall amplifier gain is 26 dB, or is adjusted appropriately for 0.775V or 1.4V input to attain rated output.

Error Amp

The inverted output from the VGS is fed to the noninverting input of the Error Amp op-amp stage through an AC coupling capacitor and input resistor. Amplifier output is fed back via the negative feedback (NFb) loop resistor. The ratio of feedback resistor to input resistor fixes gain from the Error Amp input to the

			Power Base-3 & 1400CSL Amplifier Service Manual
					Theory
output of the amplifier at 26 dB. Diodes prevent							Also tied into the Voltage Translator inputs are ODEP
overdriving the Error Amp. Because the Error Amp							limiting transistors and control/protection transistors.
amplifies the difference between input and output							The ODEP transistors steal drive as dictated by the
signals, any difference in the two waveforms will							ODEP circuitry (discussed later). The control/protec-
produce a near open loop gain condition which in turn							tion transistors act as switches to totally shunt audio to
results in high peak output voltage. The output of the							ground during the turn-on delay, or during a DC/LF or
Error Amp, called the Error Signal (ES) drives the							Fault protective action.
Voltage Translators.
VOLTAGE AMPLIFICATION							Last Voltage Amplifiers (LVAs)
							The Voltage Translator stage channels the signal to
The Voltage Translator stage separates the output of							the Last Voltage Amplifiers (LVA's) in a balanced
the Error Amp into balanced positive and negative							configuration. The +LVA and -LVA, with their push-pull
drive voltages for the Last Voltage Amplifiers (LVAs),							effect through the Bias Servo, drive the fully comple-
translating the signal from ground referenced ±15V to							mentary output stage. The LVAs are configured as
±Vcc reference. LVAs provide the main voltage ampli-							common emitter amplifiers. This configuration pro-
fication and drive the High Side output stages. Gain							vides sufficient voltage gain and inverts the audio. The
from Voltage Translator input to amplifier output is a							polarity inversion is necessary to avoid an overall
factor of 25.2.							polarity inversion from input jack to output jack, and it
							allows the NFb loop to control Error Amp gain by
Voltage Translators							feeding back to its non-inverting input (with its polarity
A voltage divider network splits the Error Signal (ES)							opposite to the output of the VGS). With the added
into positive and negative drive signals for the bal-							voltage swing provided by the LVAs, the signal then
anced voltage translator stage. These offset reference							gains current amplification through the Darlington
voltages drive the input to the Voltage Translator							emitter-follower output stage.
transistors. A nested NFb loop from the output of the							GROUNDED BRIDGE TOPOLOGY
amplifier mixes with the inverted signal riding on the
offset references. This negative feedback fixes gain at							Figure 2 is a simplified example of the grounded
the offset reference points (and the output of the Error							bridge output topology. It consists of four quadrants
Amp) at a factor of -25.2 with respect to the amplifier							of three deep Darlington (composite) emitter-follower
output. The Voltage Translators are arranged in a							stages per channel: one NPN and one PNP on the
common base configuration for non-inverting voltage							High Side of the bridge (driving the load), and one
gain with equal gain. They shift the audio from the							NPN and one PNP on the Low Side of the bridge
±15V reference to VCC reference. Their outputs drive							(controlling the ground reference for the rails). The
their respective LVA.							output stages are biased to operate class AB+B for
	BGS	VGS	Error	+15V						Voltage	+VCC
										Translators
Audio	+	+	Amp	Divider							NPN Outputs (+HS)
			+
								Q100	Q121	Q101	Q105
Inputs				Voltage						Q102
	-	-	-					Q103			PNP Outputs (-HS)
									Q122		Q110
						- +		Mute			-VCC
				-15V	ODEP
								NFb Loop			LVA's
	Figure 1. Typical Amplifier Front End and Voltage Amplification Stages.
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