# TDA2030 amplifier/speaker
**URL:** https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967
**Category:** DIY STUFF
**Created:** [February 6, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967 "2024-02-06T20:46:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/1 "2024-02-06T20:46:32Z")
I had the idea of building a little amplifier/speaker module to monitor the modular output based on the classic TDA2030 amplifier in the pentawatt package (of course, @Stef already beat me to it). I am working with a 12V single supply (off an old 5A laptop switching PSU) and looking to build something similar to the datasheet (edited image off the datasheet below). I have a couple of questions for those who have played around with the 2030:
- Am I okay with electrolytic capacitors rated at 25V, especially C7?
- R6/C6 right before the speaker looks like a Zobel network. I am working with a salvaged 3Ω 75W speaker. Do I need a resistor rated at 1W instead of the typical 1/4W ones? How critical are the R6/C6 values for the kind of application I am looking for?
---
### Author:  [@Stef](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Stef)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/2 "2024-02-06T20:57:52Z")
25V for the capacitors should be more than enough at 12V input voltage.
And for the Zobel network - yes, this is one - I used a 2W resistor for my input voltage of 19V, and its not getting very warm, but I think 1/4W would be a little bit too weak.
---
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/3 "2024-02-06T21:05:22Z")
That’s great, thanks! At 1W I have 0.57Ω and 68Ω. 🤷♂️ How much difference the \<1Ω will make for a 3Ω speaker?
---
### Author:  [@Stef](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Stef)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/4 "2024-02-06T21:09:50Z")
The correct values can be calculated using the formulas on these website: [Zobel network calculator - Impedance equalization circuit - Step by step](https://audiojudgement.com/impedance-equalization-circuit-zobel-network/)
Maybe its interesting
Of course you can use more robust resistors,
---
### Author:  [@eric](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/eric)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2024, 6:24am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/5 "2024-02-07T06:24:23Z")
> Of course you can use more robust resistors,
Or put several 1/4W in parallel.
(To add the wattage they must have the same value, or else it’s a bit more complicated to compute the resultant wattage)
---
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2024, 3:39pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/6 "2024-02-07T15:39:56Z")
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to use that calculator as I need the inductance of the voice coil of the speaker. I tried locating the speaker driver datasheet but had no luck. 🤷♂️
---
### Author:  [@Stef](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Stef)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2024, 4:01pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/7 "2024-02-07T16:01:41Z")
hm, ok, but in this case - if you cant measure the inductance - you could use the values found in some speakers datasheets. I’ve found values of around 1.5mH for 75W/4Ohm speakers, and 0.7mH for 8Ohm.
So I think with a resistor of 2Ohm/2W (or 3 of your 0.68 Ohm in series) your should be close enough to the perfect value.
---
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/8 "2024-02-08T14:29:01Z")
Thanks for the suggestion! A quick correction, the speaker is an Eastech at 7.5W, not 75W as I wrote by mistake. I checked datasheets of similar Eastech speaker drivers and the specs for the inductance were all over the place, which is not very helpful. I might just put a socket for a couple of resistors in series and try a couple of values around 1Ω as specified in the TDA2030 datasheet. If I ever find more information, I can replace them easily.
---
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2024, 9:35am UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/9 "2024-02-11T09:35:20Z")
Here’s what I came up with, which unfortunately is not working. When I turn this on, I get plenty of noise and oscillation, and the circuit gets overwhelmed when I inject a signal at the input. I got no signal at all, just oscillation.
The specs of the build:
- I used a, quite likely fake, TDA2030A desoldered from a little amplifier module that you can get cheaply online.
- The IC is mounted at a 45-degree angle with a large heatsink.
- The circuit was built on stripboard as shown below. All soldering is fine, no bridges etc.
- Electrolytic capacitors are rated at 25 or 50V, the rest are film box capacitors, except the 100nF which is ceramic. The diodes are 1N4007 and I have a socket for the 1Ω 1W resistor (tried 0.57Ω, 1.6 and 5Ω).
- Power comes from a 12V 5A switching laptop kind of brick.
- Speaker, input, and supply grounds are connected with crocodile clips.
- Tried both 3Ω 7.5W and 8Ω 0.5W speakers.
This had me scratching my head for a while. Unless I made a mistake in the stripboard layout (which is always likely), I am going to say that this is not likely to work because of the chip quality and/or limitations of stripboard design (i.e. jumpers and whatnot).
---
### Author:  [@Stef](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Stef)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2024, 12:47pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/10 "2024-02-11T12:47:30Z")
Even if the IC is original they are very sensible to pcb design and ground connections. I would not try this on stripboard. With an etched pcb with the design following the example in the datasheet I had no problems, nearly no noise and no oscillation.
But I will have a deaper look at your stripboard design.
This IC follows the rule #1 in oscillator and amplfifier design: ampflifiers always oscillate, and oscillators never. 🤣
---
### Author:  [@Stef](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Stef)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2024, 1:17pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/11 "2024-02-11T13:17:07Z")
ok, your stripboard design looks fine, only - in my opinion - too much hopping for the ground lane. Maybe you could try to change the orientation of the stripboard, from 17 rows/12 columns to 12 rows/17 columns, so that you could place all ground connections on one row without the need to place them all over the board.
If you can etch your own pcbs I could send you the kicad project.
Or maybe try to use the manhattan style, if you have some copper plated pcb material. Use a big copper plate for ground and glue small strips on it (just an example image):
In my case I bought an TD2030AV from UTC at the german shop [reichelt.de](http://reichelt.de) for 0.60€.
---
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/12 "2024-02-11T14:39:46Z")
Thanks for the suggestions! I figured that the ground jumpers might have something to do with it, but I did not expect things to be that bad. I mean, there is no signal whatsoever, just the nastiest motorboating and whining.
I could try another stripboard layout, but I suspect that it might be a huge difference. Or etching a board, as you suggested, but I am really trying to avoid the hassle of doing that. I looked to see if there is a board I could order from JLCPCB, but couldn’t find any on github, so I just ordered a couple of boards as kits. I also have a TDA2040 that I might try in a point-to-point build until the kits arrive, as you suggested.
Not abandoning this project yet!
---
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/13 "2024-03-01T21:28:16Z")
Giving this another try, this time with a ittle PCB kit. I see, however, that the design does not include the protection diodes at the output. I guess I should hack those into the PCB just to be on the safe side?
---
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2024, 1:25pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/14 "2024-03-05T13:25:45Z")
I added the flyback diodes at the bottom of the board, replaced the Zobel network resistor with a higher rating one, added a heatsink and … it works! Loud and clear. It just needed that little PCB I guess! Now, its time to turn this into a proper module.
---
### Author:  [@Farabide](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/Farabide)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2024, 12:54pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/15 "2024-03-07T12:54:01Z")
Remember that the space behind the speaker is more important than the front. I look forward to the results.
---
### Author:  [@K.ostas](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/u/K.ostas)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2024, 12:28pm UTC](https://lookmumnocomputer.discourse.group/t/tda2030-amplifier-speaker/6967/16 "2024-03-13T12:28:09Z")
There you go!
Not the tidiest build, but it gets the job (having a quick way to monitor the output) done nicely. I am working from home so I don’t have access to aluminium and I only have hand tools here, so I documented the build approach in case anyone wants to try something similar.
The idea was to mount a decent (and heavy!) speaker behind the panel. I used 1.5mm cardboard (I think it’s the bookbinding type) for the panel to be able to make decent-looking round cuts using simple hand tools. I cut two concentric holes to be able to wedge the speaker grill cloth in between and give it the necessary tightness.
Since the speaker is very heavy, I added 4mm and 2mm balsa wood at places for support. The challenge was that I could not add the support material uniformly due to the thickness constraints of the controls, etc.
I also placed the 4mm balsa wood in a way that it will support the grill cloth wedge without obstructing the speaker cone.
The speaker was mounted to the board using 30mm M4 screws and nuts. I had to bend the top support to make it fit. The amplifier PCB is held in place on a piece of PVC profile with some hot glue.
