From: pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net   
      
   ehsjr  wrote:   
   > On 3/5/2026 11:09 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:   
   >> On Thu, 5 Mar 2026 17:34:25 -0500, ehsjr  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 3/5/2026 12:12 PM, Christopher Howard wrote:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> parallel protection1    parallel protection2   
   >>>>> -+-[>>>> |             |         |                         |   
   >>>>> -+-[D3>]-[D4>]-+-       -+-[D5>]-[D6>]-[D7>]-[D8>]-+-   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Thank you, would you mind please explaining a little more about these   
   >>>> parallel protection circuits, i.e., how the protection works?   
   >>>>   
   >>>   
   >>> Sure. The diodes act as simple voltage limiters.   
   >>>   
   >>> General purpose diodes conduct when the voltage across them rises   
   >>> to about .7 volts. 2 diodes in series will conduct when the voltage   
   >>> across the series pair is about 1.4 volts. Therefore a speaker with   
   >>> a series pair of diodes across it won't be exposed to more than   
   >>> roughly 1.4 volts, provided of course, that the diodes are installed   
   >>> in the "right direction". Since a speaker usually is exposed to   
   >>> an AC voltage, you need two diodes in one direction and two in   
   >>> the other direction, so no matter what polarity signal is applied   
   >>> to the speaker one or the other pair of diodes will limit the voltage.   
   >>> 1A rated diodes can easily handle all the current a 386 is able   
   >>> to provide.   
   >>> Ed   
   >>   
   >> Two pairs of Si diodes will limit the audio (sine wave) to the speaker   
   >> to 1.4 V peak to peak or 1.0 V RMS.  Into an 8 ohm loudspeaker, that's   
   >> a fabulous:   
   >> Power = E^2 / 8 = 0.13 watts RMS   
   >> My home entertainment system claims it can deliver 50 watts[1], which   
   >> will probably vaporize a simple diode voltage limiter.   
   >   
   > The limiter I described addresses the OP's application, not yours:   
   > "I feed in a small   
   > signal, from my signal generator or from my analog computer, into my   
   > LM386 amplifier (20x gain) and then to the speaker."   
   >   
   >   
   >>   
   >> Hint:  I haven't seen any commercial hi-fi amplifier schematics that   
   >> include such diode clipper speaker protection.   
   >   
   > Nor I, but irrelevant to the OP.   
   >   
   > Ed   
   >>   
   >>   
   >   
   >   
      
   Of course a series clipper would protect the speaker without shorting the   
   amp. Needs a bit of auxiliary power, and would cause a bit of distortion,   
   but nothing awful for a toy application.   
      
   Personally I’d just crank down the LM386’s  supply voltage.   
      
   Cheers   
      
   Phil Hobbs   
      
   --   
   Dr Philip C D Hobbs  Principal Consultant  ElectroOptical Innovations LLC /   
   Hobbs ElectroOptics  Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics   
      
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