Simple Open-source Random Pulse Amplifier

That's wrong as well, add it to the list.

Ok. Start over in something unrelated to electronics.

Ed

This has been all very amusing.

I'm not going to attempt to pursue any further assistance in this forum.

Regards,

D> Simple Open-source Random Pulse Amplifier

Ain't it a bitch when designer cretins ask that you say what you want?

But, as I pointed out, which you ignored, zener noise isn't random in the manner most would think. So it wouldn't be a good idea to mirror that, if you want a good noise source. Or a good random-time or random-value generator either. But you weren't able to clearly tell us what you really want.

No. An STM tip exhibits quantum-mechanical tunneling. A zener does not, instead it exhibits avalanche breakdown.

Each breakdown is a single event, creating a microplasma channel someplace within the diode, generally at preferred locations, conducting a discrete current, typically 40uA, and lasting long enough to slightly discharge the diode's capacitance at that location, e.g. 5 to 200us. More than one microplasma may occur at a time, so that instantaneous stepped current levels are seen, e.g. 0, 40, 80 and 120uA.

One who's casually looking at zener diode noise may not see the underlying microplasma behavior because it's masked by the zener diode's capacitance, but it's not hard to create a setup to observe it (lookup the s.e.d. zener oscillation thread). Clearly this kind of discontinuous mechanism is not conducive to what most consider good noise properties.

That's randomness. Please! Exactly how would you propose to have the zener's behavior control the quantum fuzziness of the character of your pulse distribution? Whatever that means.

Good questions, Don, but I don't think Mitch understands them.

Indeed.

I'm afraid the gap between Mitch's understanding of electronics (as illustrated with the drawing he posted) and his inability to explain what he wants, or to even understand it himself, is simply too great for our more literal, more precise minds. Clearly, in engineering, as in computer programming, you have to first know precisely what you want so you can create a specification, as we call it. We pride ourselves in being able to design from that, in a focused creative effort that's filled with precision and detail, oriented to the precise goal in the first place.* That's what I meant by "literal precise minds." Mitch is going off in every direction, e.g., piezo-magnetic resonance or whatever, and appears unable to focus his mind sufficiently to think about the problem at hand with the level of precision and detail we employ.

Now, with respect to a specification, as engineers we're completely familiar with the painful issue of trying to reduce the fuzziness in our customer's thinking, by posing questions, by educating them and by trying to extract even modest details, and then we often go ahead and fill in the gaps with our own creativity, all to create a specification. It's only at that point that we can work at the level of precision and detail we enjoy. But we know the success or failure of a project often depends less on our ability to create a successful design to the specification, than it does in our ability to first refine, extract or create an appropriate specification.

• And usually employing obscure but important knowledge, along with flashes of outright brilliance, or at least extreme cleverness! :-)

Sorry, I meant to write ns, not us.

In message , dated Sat, 2 Sep 2006, Winfield Hill writes

I am really surprised that anyone took him seriously. There is enough pseudo-science about 'zero-point energy', 'bifilar coil' and 'piezo-magnetic' to put him firmly in the tinfoil hat/green ink brigade. Surely we've had enough experience with the Flavoured Coffee Guy's capacitor-driven vehicle and News2020 (of happy memory - I hope he was eventually rescued from himself).

Mitch wrote: [..snip babble..]

Okay- that response makes you one of those audio bs-heads. Get the hell lost.

Good riddance! You're about as interesting as any incoherent babbling resident of any asylum with internet access.

In message , dated Sat, 2 Sep 2006, Winfield Hill writes

Bruel and Kjaer found that the difference between the noise signals form two similar avalanching 'zeners' IS good-quality white noise.

I'm interested in how the noise from a single zener is different from thermal noise (as the ultimate 'good' noise). The only property that seems to be inherent is the amplitude-probability distribution. Is this seriously non-Gaussian? I ask, because 'pink noise' from a single zener is used for testing audio equipment, and I'd like to know how wrong the results could be (assuming the pinking filter is OK).

In message , dated Sat, 2 Sep 2006, Fred Bloggs writes

Hey, what's with the 'audio'? Just because you're a bs-head, doesn't mean you are into audio.

I'm sure the OP is the kind of individual who believes in all that incredible materials oriented cabling and cabinetry and whatever else to improve sound quality, anything but science. He's obviously looking for a pink noise source to calibrate his perfection.

In message , dated Sat, 2 Sep 2006, Fred Bloggs writes

No, according to the web site he wants the noise source to do something with, or about, zero-point energy. Exactly what, deponent sayeth not.

The sub us timescale mechanisms of zener-diode avalanche may not have good random properties, at least in the usual way we think about that, but I'm guessing that averaged down to audio frequencies they may not be too bad. However, since the zener noise characteristics I have examined change dramatically with current, they don't look like a very good choice. Perhaps if selected parts are used at carefully-defined zener currents.

In message , dated Sat, 2 Sep 2006, Winfield Hill writes

Thank you. Your classic thread on the subject is difficult to retrieve (I have no success). Assuming that the current is not very small, e.g. it is around 5 mA, what sort of changes occur? Can they be investigated without an APD analysis?

It isn't difficult, of course, to use a current mirror or a long-tailed pair to operate two zeners at the same current, and to control that current, but in order to select the zeners, one needs to know what to select for. Can that be defined?

Can you take Eeyore and Rich with you?

What would happen if you put, say, a 1N4148 right next to the amerecium capsule of a smoke detector?

Thanks, Rich