Comparison of Power Supply Pumping of Switch-Mode Audio Power Amplifiers with Resistive Loads and Loudspeakers as Loads

Power supply pumping is generated by switch-mode audio power amplifiers in half-bridge configuration, when they are driving energy back into their source. This leads in most designs to a rising rail voltage and can be destructive for either the decoupling capacitors, the rectifier diodes in the power supply or the power stage of the amplifier. Therefore precautions are taken by the amplifier and power supply designer to avoid those effects. Existing power supply pumping models are based on an ohmic load attached to the amplifier. This paper shows the analytical derivation of the resulting waveforms and extends the model to loudspeaker loads. Measurements verify, that the amount of supply pumping is reduced by a factor of 4 when comparing the nominal resistive load to a loudspeaker. A simplified and more accurate model is proposed and the influence of supply pumping on the audio performance is proven to be marginal.