Sidetone Circuits

A typical common-battery sidetone circuit is shown in Fig. 7(a). The

transmitter receives direct current from the battery in the central office
over the two line wires. When sound waves strike the transmitter
diaphragm, the current is caused to vary in accordance with these sound
waves (Fig. 4). The alternating voltage generated at the transmitter will
force a current through the series path consisting of the receiver, winding
A of the induction coil, and the capacitor. In a typical telephone set, this
capacitor neutralizes, to some extent (depending on the frequency), the
inductive reactance of the receiver, thus lowering the impedance and
increasing the current flow in the receiver circuit. This current produces
side-tone as previously mentioned. In addition, this current induces an
electromotive force in the winding B of the induction coil (which has an
unequal ratio of turns and thus acts as a step-up transformer), and this
induced voltage adds to the alternating voltage produced at the
transmitter terminals, hence increasing the total voltage impressed on the
line.
With the sidetone-reduction circuit of Fig. 7(b), the direct current received
by the transmitter is about the same as in the sidetone circuit, and thus
the alternating voltage output corresponding to the impinging sound
waves is about the same. This voltage causes a current to flow through
winding B of the induction coil, and this current induces a voltage in
winding A. Since the induction coil now acts as a step-down transformer,
the induced voltage in A is considerably less than the voltage impressed
across the receiver circuit in the sidetone set. A smaller current flows
through the receiver under these conditions, and less sidetone is
produced. The receiving efficiency is increased but the sidetone-reduction
circuit does not impress so high a voltage on the line as the sidetone
circuit and is less efficient in transmitting.

Figure 7. Connections of common-battery sidetone telephone
Antisidetone Circuits
The sidetone circuit just discussed has desirable characteristics such as high
transmitting efficiency. Nevertheless, noises actuating the transmitter,
and amplified by it (page 94), are heard in the receiver and interfere with
conversation. Also, if the telephone user hears his voice loudly reproduced
by the receiver when he speaks, he involuntarily lowers his voice,
ref.6
thus
reducing the useful output. Several antisidetone sets have been
developed. One problem is to design a circuit that is effective in largely
preventing sidetone, yet is efficient in transmitting and receiving.
Antisidetone Circuit Using a Balancing Network.
6,7
The balancing network
of Fig. 8 is used in several antisidetone sets. It is the circuit of Fig. 7 with
the addition of the balancing network C-N.

Figure 8. An antisidetone telephone circuit with
network C-N

for reducing sidetone.
In the circuit of Fig. 7 (a) the transmitter forces speech currents through
coil B, and also through coil A and the receiver, this current causing
sidetone. Coil C of Fig. 8 is wound on the magnetic core of the induction
coil (transformer) in such a direction that the voltage induced in it tends
to cause speech currents to flow through the receiver in the direction
opposite to the flow of Fig. 7(a). This cancellation reduces sidetone. The
resistor N, which may be the resistance of coil C, is effective in producing
the correct phase relations in the circuit so that the sidetone cancellation
is effective over a wide frequency range.
Antisidetone Circuit Using a Hybrid Coil. The theory of the hybrid coil is
considered on page 401. Briefly, the circuit of Fig. 9 is so adjusted that
the output of the transmitter divides, and, for the correct values of C
w
and
R
w
(which may be the resistance of coil P), the speech currents flowing
through coils P and S are equal. Since these currents will also be opposite
in direction, the output of the transmitter produces (theoretically, and at a
given frequency) no induced voltage in coil A, and no sidetone.

Figure 9. Simplified connections of an antisidetone circuit using a
hybrid coil, or bridge transformer