Magnetic Paramp and Second-Harmonic Saturable-Core Downconverter
April 15, 2026

Archived from an original LinkedIn post by Brian Greenforest.

Original Post

Magnetic Paramp plus Second‑Harmonic Saturable‑Core Downconverter — Seeking Experts and Sources
I’m building a focused research thread on a fully diode‑free signal chain: magnetic paramp or mag‑amp front end driven by DC or audio, feeding a two‑core differential second‑harmonic saturable‑core downconverter, all manufacturable with PCB and additive techniques without clean rooms. This is about practical, reproducible fabrication routes using printed ferrite or amorphous ribbon laminates, plated windings, CNC scaffolds, and controlled anneal steps — not speculative theory.
What I’m looking for
Published papers, patents, service manuals, or technical reports that show combined paramp + saturable downconverter implementations or PCB/additive fabrication of high‑µ magnetic elements.
Practical process notes on printable ferrite inks, anneal schedules, field annealing, or low‑loss thin‑film magnetic materials suitable for 50 kHz to 1 MHz pump operation.
Historical sources from industrial or military archives that include winding counts, core specs, or tuning procedures for mag‑amps and second‑harmonic modulators.
People or labs who have prototyped printed magnetics, embedded windings, or integrated magnetic devices on PCB substrates.
Why this matters A working, reproducible fabrication flow would democratize robust, diode‑free analog power and sensing hardware and open new paths for rugged, high‑power, and radiation‑hard systems that do not rely on semiconductor fabs.
If you have references, scanned manuals, patent numbers, lab notes, or first‑hand experience, please comment or DM. I’m compiling a short annotated bibliography and a prototype roadmap and I’m open to collaboration.