Current Sensing Analog PLL Oscillator for digital theremin

Posted: 12/31/2025 12:21:01 PM
Buggins

From: Porto, Portugal

Joined: 3/16/2017

Current Sensing Theremint Oscillator With PLL and Differential Full Quadrant Sine Output

Yet another attempt to design the best theremin oscillator ever, with PLL and current sensing.


- VCO is based on State Variable Filter with fully differential integrators.

- Full quadrant 0.5Vpp 1V differential voltage VCO outputs, allows to synthesize any other phases.

- Pure sine waveform 3Vpp drive signal for LC tank (less than -70dB harmonics)

- 4.5V power supply (draws about 20mA when driving LC tank with 10mA current)

- Stable amplitude for wide range of output frequencies (100KHz .. 2MHz)


I believe, it should be practically usable as a front-end for digital theremins.

LTSpice model to play with is available on GitHub (clone repository and open theremin_oscillator_bjt_pll_v01.asc)

The schematic is expected to be cheap, with PCB manufacturing and assembly using JLCPCB.

* about 60 BJTs, most of them should be matching pairs

* LMH6642 is used as LC tank drive buffer, can provide up to 75mA current, with close to R/R output voltage.

* MCP6121 is used as Control Voltage buffer


Simulation screenshots:

Antenna voltage and inductor current

Control voltage

Antenna voltage and inductor current when locked

Drive signal voltage and current when locked

https://github.com/fpga-theremin/sensors/raw/main/models/ltspice/theremin_oscillator_bjt_analog_pll/images/theremin_oscillator_bjt_pll_sim_drive_voltage_and_current_locked.png

Drive signal FFT in locked state

VCO differential output

Posted: 12/31/2025 8:17:08 PM
ILYA

From: Theremin Motherland

Joined: 11/13/2005

A theremin designer’s nightmare.

Posted: 12/31/2025 8:21:41 PM
ILYA

From: Theremin Motherland

Joined: 11/13/2005

Happy New Year, everyone!
May your circuits be simple!”

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