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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: DVB_master on August 14, 2008, 09:32:52 PM

Title: MXR MicroAmp Diode purpose?
Post by: DVB_master on August 14, 2008, 09:32:52 PM
Hi boys, I am just asking myself what is the purpose of the diode in the MXR MicroAmp. Does it just protect circuit from reverse polarity and reduce the input voltage?
Thanks  :icon_cool:
Title: Re: MXR MicroAmp Diode purpose?
Post by: zyxwyvu on August 14, 2008, 09:52:37 PM
Quote from: DVB_master on August 14, 2008, 09:32:52 PM
Hi boys, I am just asking myself what is the purpose of the diode in the MXR MicroAmp. Does it just protect circuit from reverse polarity and reduce the input voltage?
Thanks  :icon_cool:

The diode is there to protect the circuit from reverse voltage. It also reduces the input voltage, but that is more of an unfortunate side effect.
Title: Re: MXR MicroAmp Diode purpose?
Post by: DVB_master on August 15, 2008, 08:07:00 AM
So can it be omitted without any particular consequence?
Title: Re: MXR MicroAmp Diode purpose?
Post by: Sweetalk on August 15, 2008, 08:48:11 AM
If you ensure that you ALWAYS put the correct polarity yes... It's recommended to put the diode, I put it in series with the +V, Positive to the wall wart (and/or the battery) and the negative to the circuit +v.
Title: Re: MXR MicroAmp Diode purpose?
Post by: Ice-9 on August 15, 2008, 06:16:53 PM
Instead of putting the diode in series with the + power rail , you can put it in parrallel with the power + side of diode to + side of batt and - side of diode to - of batt, this gives the circuit protection without dropping the voltage. if you connect the batt wrong way the diode will get hot and poss fail and the batt will drain, but the circuit will survive