Conventional video line drivers use a series or back-termination resistor, selected to match the transmission
line characteristic impedance. Although simple, this scheme is inherently inefficient, as both load and series
termination resistors drop the same voltage. This isn't usually a problem with 1 V p-p video signals operating
on high voltage supplies, such as + 12 V or + 15 V. However, with lower voltage supplies, particularly
5 V or less, driver headroom is definitely an issue. For such conditions, a conventional driver may simply
not be able to accommodate a signal of twice Vouv without distortion.
Figure 6-152 illustrates a solution to this driver efficiency problem. In this line driver (adapted from a
circuit by Victor Koren, see Reference 1), a Howland type of feedback configuration is used. This allows
the series termination resistor R5 to be appreciably smaller, thus dropping less voltage and improving stage
efficiency. Both positive and negative loop feedback paths are used around the op amp, R3 and R4, plus R1
and R2. An AD817 is chosen for its video characteristics, and line driving capability. The circuit also works
with many other op amps, provided they have sufficient output drive.
+5V
~+~1, c1
R1 +"' 1~~
1 k~ / 1 k~
R3 [~4 R 4 (R3a) a
lk~. I I lk~
V,a open~(~ 1!iF
Notes:
R1 = R2 = R3 = R4a = lk~).
Loaded gain as shown w/o R3b is 3x.
For gain adjust, split and scale R3a/R3b,
maintain R3a II R3b = lk~.
R5
15~
R4b
500~
VOUT
75~
Figure 6-152: A high efficiency video line driver
In this example, a 75 ~ line is being driven, and R5 is set to 15 ~. With the scaling chosen, this produces
1/5 the voltage drop of a more conventional 75 ~ resistor. For every volt of VouT, the amplifier needs only
to produce 20% more, i.e., 1.2 V per V of Vouv. This allows the design to operate easily on 5 V or even
lower supplies, and still provide undistorted 1 V p-p video signals at Vouv. The + feedback paths produce
the proper synthesized source impedance when the R1-R5 resistors are properly selected.