Open Source Speaker made from a PCB
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My PCB speaker is very simple and works just like any other speaker.
Its main components are the magnet and a coil, in this case a flexible printed traces. The vibrations created from the coil pushes the surrounding air to create sound waves. I also tried adding a diaphragm to amplify the music. It also worked with a 1.6mm rigid pcb, having the magnet connected to the diaphragm.
Check out the full video:
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RAR Archive - 44.32 kB - 09/20/2018 at 17:29 |
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Gerber.rarGerber files for the flexible PCB SpeakerRAR Archive - 45.26 kB - 09/20/2018 at 17:24 |
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This video shows how i build the PCB speaker and the test results.
In this video I have also tested the pcb with plastic cup acting as the diaphragm. This amplified the sound even louder. I also managed to make it work with a 1.6mm rigid pcb, by attaching the magnet to the diaphragm.
To measure how loud my PCB Speaker is I am using an spectrum analyzer app. A maximum 70db level was reached!
This is a 3d printed version of the coneless PCB Speaker.
Full build video coming soon!
Today I have tried making the second pcb speaker prototype with a paper diaphragm. This ended up working worst that the smaller version. I guess i have put too much hotglue making the diaphragm too stiff. I also think that the paper I've used is too thick. Going to try and make a simpler version tmrw.
This is the first cone-less (the cone is actually the flex pcb itself) speaker prototype made from my flexible pcb actuator!
so far I have only tested buzzy noises. I need to do some redesign of the amplifier to solve some clipping issues.
If you are following my pcb actuator projects you have probably noticed that they beep when placed near a magnet. This is because I am driving them with a frequency that is in the hearing range.
It sounds like a very weak buzzer. This is because a speaker is basically made from a coil that actuates a magnet to move air.
So how, can I improve it and make it sound better to build the first speaker made from a PCB?
I've noticed that stacking rare earth magnets generally doesn't actually increase the field strength in the direction you intended In some of my test cases, it actually was worse than a single magnet
Don't know the math as to why, but that was the observation.
Stacking magnets makes a 'chain' of fields, NsnsnsnS where only the ends are free to reintegrate into a circuit. Effectively, because the field is laminar, there will be little pull from either direction except at the ends, which are now far apart and cant make a circuit as easily.
Joining the ends with a piece of ferrous metal completes the circuit and contains the field within the metal, making it non-magnetic externally. With no metal to complete a circuit your magnet stack is therefore weaker than a single magnet because geometry. ;-)
Fun idea! Take it where it goes!
I know for a fact that you can make flexible conductors on plastic sound fantastic:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnepan
Maybe have one of the coils on a cone, then use opposite currents in the coils..."electromagnet" speaker
Carl Bugeja
Electorials
Hendra Kusumah
Neil Mundt
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