[sTaTIx]

After I connected a TI railsplitter, the voltage reading on the positive side of the power supple is 2.6v while the reading on the negative is 3.5v, while the battery's total voltage is around 7.6v. Did I put the solder iron on the railsplitter too long and fried it? Would the voltage reading be off if one of the two caps were defective? Is the railsplitter sensitive to static because I was handling it a little haphazardly? What could be causing the voltages to be off (the negative side seems to be fine, but the positive side is down about a volt). I followed Tangent's schematic, connecting the COM pin to the negative and the IN pin to the POSITIVE , and then OUT to ground.

Oh yeah, the railsplitter gets kind of hot to the touch after I turn it on for a bit. And for whatever reason, the LED used to fade out longer before I did this.

 

[tangent]

Quote:

After I connected a TI railsplitter

To what, and what was there previously?

Quote:

the voltage reading on the positive side of the power supple is 2.6v while the reading on the negative is 3.5v, while the battery's total voltage is around 7.6v.

I don't imagine that I have to tell you that that's broken, broken, broken.

Quote:

Did I put the solder iron on the railsplitter too long and fried it?

Maybe. Read the temperature limits on the datasheet.

Quote:

Would the voltage reading be off if one of the two caps were defective?

It could happen. If the amp were shorting out on one side, it could badly unbalance the rail splitter and drag its voltages out of whack.

Quote:

Is the railsplitter sensitive to static

Of course. It's a semiconductor.

Quote:

I followed Tangent's schematic, connecting the COM pin to the negative and the IN pin to the negative, and then OUT to ground. Oh yeah, the railsplitter gets kind of hot to the touch after I turn it on for a bit

If your description of how you connected it is accurate, that's why you're getting such bad performance. If it's not accurate, check your connections anyway.

 

[sTaTIx]

Another thing that's weird is that the LED used to take about half a second to fade out, now it's like instant after I flick it off. Is this a sign of anything?

Before I connect the battery, its total voltage reads 7.68v. After I connect it to the amp, and I turn the amp on, the total voltage reads somewhere around 5.6v. Why the voltage drop?

 

[tangent]

I have no easy answer for you. The symptom suggests massive oscillation, damaged semiconductors, or a really unfortunate short somewhere.

 

[sTaTIx]

Whelp, as far as I can tell, the only part that is really overheating is the railsplitter, and the PS cap in the negative side gets a bit warmer than the other. That should help narrow things down a bit, right?

And everything worked b4 I tweaked with the railsplitter. If something went wrong, it should be somewhere in the power supply, since that's the only area I touched with the iron.

 

[Voodoochile]

It does sound like a bum TLE/railsplitter, doesn't it?

I have never known one to heat up, though a short somewhere else could also cause this. If no shorts are existing, try replacing the TLE.

 

[sTaTIx]

Whelp, I constructed a quick and simple cmoy power supply for testing the railsplitter and I get the same results, with diminished voltage on the positive side, the splitter heating up, and the negative cap going slightly warm. Most likely it's a bad splitter.

What bugs me is that I've never had a problem with IC's going bad because I touched them with my fingers or putting the iron on them too long. I also bent the leads on this delicate little 3 pin CLP package, and I have to wonder if I have to be careful even doing that.

 

[tangent]

Replace the TLE with a pair of 1K resistors configured as a voltage divider. If the problem doesn't go away, I'd look at that cap that's getting warm.