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Technalogix TXF-150 Operating Manual
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Technalogix TXF-150 Operating Manual

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FM TRANSMITTER

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Summary of Contents for Technalogix TXF-150

  • Page 1 FM TRANSMITTER...
  • Page 2 You’ve already unpacked it, haven’t you? You’ve unpacked it and plugged it in and turned it on and fiddled with the knobs. No? Okay, good. Please take a few minutes to read the manual and familiarize yourself with your new Technalogix FM power amplifier or transmitter.
  • Page 3 General Safeguards This section is written as a general guide to keep all five fingers on your hand and is intended for those having previous knowledge and experience with these kinds of equipment. It is not intended to contain a complete statement of all safety precautions, which should be observed by personnel using this or other electronic equipment.
  • Page 4 Safety and First Aid Personnel engaged in the installation, operation, maintenance, or servicing of electronic equipment are exposed to the hazard of high voltage. It is imperative that all safety regulations and precautions are consistently observed. Knowledge of first aid procedures is recommended. The following information is presented as a reference only.
  • Page 5 Operating Safeguards Load Impedance It is a known fact that our FM equipment enjoys 50-ohm load impedances. So much so, that it is imperative you maintain 50-ohm impedances throughout your system. In return, your equipment will provide you with maximum power transfer to the antenna and decreased reflected power heading back towards the amplifier pallets, reducing the amount of magic smoke that gets let out of the equipment.
  • Page 6 Terms of Sale Sales by Technalogix Ltd. (“Seller”) are made only on terms which are contained in this policy. Seller hereby gives notice of its objection to any different/additional terms and conditions. All sales are expressly conditional upon Buyers’ assent to the terms and conditions set forth below.
  • Page 7 Terms of Payment Seller will provide credit terms to Buyer at its discretion. Such terms are subject to change at all times. If credit is provided, Seller will invoice Buyer on the date the product is ordered. Such invoices will be due and payable net thirty (30) days from the date of invoice, subject to credit is not established or maintained, terms shall be net cash on or prior to the Delivery Date.
  • Page 8 Custom Products Policy Custom items are not returnable. Items other than “off the shelf” products are considered custom and are products/materials which have been altered, amended and customized to your order, and not resalable. Returns Product return without written authorization by Seller will not be accepted. Returns accepted only with a valid Return Material Authorization (RMA).
  • Page 9 Technalogix, carry the original manufacturer’s warranty. Seller will not be liable for damages of whatever nature arising out of or in connection with the equipment or its use thereof. Technalogix does not assume responsibility for injury or damage resulting from the practices of untrained or...
  • Page 10 If multiple final pallets are required, then a splitter and combiner are also required before and after the final stages. Technalogix manufactures FM amplifiers and transmission systems suitable for 88.0 to 108.0 MHz. Custom frequencies are available upon request if you require carriers outside this range, including audio for VHF applications and other unique requirements.
  • Page 11 The cooling load will be lowered with reflective or light colored roofing material. Electrical Service Recommendations Technalogix recommends that a qualified, licensed local electrician be consulted for the required electrical service. We suggest local electricians because:  The personnel knows the local codes ...
  • Page 12 Construction of sturdy, high quality antenna/tower systems will pay off in terms of coverage of your service area, the overall quality and saleability of your radiated signal, and reduced maintenance expenses. Technalogix provides complete turnkey antenna systems if needed. If your site is serving as a translator, your receiving antenna should be in line of sight to the originating station all year round.
  • Page 13 Heating and Cooling Requirements The environment’s temperature will contribute greatly to the length of the power amplifier’s or transmitter’s life. Technalogix recommends that the building’s filtered air intake must have capacity for all air-flow in the building plus an additional 20%. Keep the intake below the roofline to avoid intake of solar heated air.
  • Page 14 Inspect all connectors for bent connector pins. If the equipment is damaged, a claim should be filed with the carrier once the extent of the damage is assessed. Technalogix cannot stress too strongly the importance of immediate careful inspection of the equipment and subsequent immediate filing of the necessary claims against the carrier if necessary.

  • Page 15: Panel Connections

    Panel Connections AC IN: Single phase AC input to feed internal AC/DC switching power supplies. Check with factory as not all power supplies are universal 110/220V. RF OUT: FM modulated RF carrier output (N female or 7-16 DIN female) RBDS/RDS: Configuration and control of RBDS/RDS encoder in transmitter accomplished through RS232 (female) connector.
  • Page 16 Initial Hook Up 1. Ensure that the antenna has been swept and, ideally, has a return loss of greater than 20dB (VSWR = 1.2:1). This should be done before connecting the antenna cable to the system’s output. The power amplifier’s control system allows the user to change the VSWR trip point up to a maximum level of 1.8:1, unless a custom VSWR protection system has been requested.
  • Page 17 6. Connect the desired audio source connection, analog mono or stereo, digital audio, or MPX. Subcarrier signals can be connected to the SCA1 or SCA2 BNC connectors. 7. Connect additional control/monitoring cables if desired. SNMP or Ethernet should be connected to the lower RJ45 on the back panel. Remote port connections are made to the DB25 connector and the internal RDS in controlled by RS232 on the DB9 connector.
  • Page 18 Operating Procedure Assuming the previous installation instructions have been completed and cautions noted, and the power amplifier is ready to receive a properly modulated RF signal, proceed with the following steps to place the system in operation. The power amplifier has been factory aligned for a specific frequency (per system specification), signal levels and optimum performance.
  • Page 19 7. Ideally, the RFL Power should read zero. However, should a high VSWR be detected, the system will automatically fold back. Under normal conditions, a well installed and setup system should indicate RFL power less than 3% of FWD power. 8.
  • Page 20 There is also a troubleshooting section located later in this manual. At this time, Technalogix recommends that you document your measurements to use as a reference over time. The measurements can be made either from the...
  • Page 21 Monitor and Control System Control System Overview The control system is used for a variety of functions, the most important of which is ensuring that the amplifier or transmitter continues to operate in a safe manner. The control system also allows the user to monitor and control the amplifier or transmitter from both the front panel and remotely through the parallel port, Ethernet, or SNMP access port.
  • Page 22 RF AMP RF LEVEL MIXER DUAL DIR. LOOP COUPLER SCA2/WB FILTER LEVEL FILTER LOW PASS RF OUT FILTER REFERENCE POWER INTERFACE/ CANbus SUPPLY CONTROL Technalogix Ltd. - A.Sivacoe 1.01 FM Exciter Block Diagram Date: March 14, 2014 Page: 1 of 1...
  • Page 23 Display Interface Module REV 1.02 (ASY 016) Touchscreen Option The primary function of the Display Interface module is, as the name suggests, providing the display and user interface for the control system. This circuit board is mounted behind the front panel of the power amplifier enclosure(s) in the amplifier system, near the 4.3”...
  • Page 24 The hardware of the Display Interface module is based around microcontroller (U101). This part interfaces directly with the touchscreen to provide output and receive input from the user. It also communicates with the RF board (and DC Distribution Module, if installed) over a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. This communication is facilitated by U103, and passes through a CAT5 cable attached to connector J104 and J105.
  • Page 25 Main Screens From each of the two main screens, the RF and the FM main screen, all of the system’s main parameters can be viewed at a quick glance. To toggle between these two screens, simply touch: For the Main RF and Main FM screen, there are three common components between each screen: Level Bars: The four level bars show real time system performance and...
  • Page 26 Reflected RF power level in % or watts. Mimics data from level bar. The VSWR fault occurs when the measured VSWR of system exceeds the user-defined VSWR trip point found in the RF Levels Menu (described later in section). If VSWR exceeds the shutdown level, but is below 1.8:1 (or a custom VSWR protection point), then attenuation is added to the amplifier/transmitter input until a safe level is reached.
  • Page 27 The AGC sets the desired output power level. This is set on the RF Levels screen where it can be increased or decreased by +-1% or +-10% increments. The current AGC setting is shown in the RF Levels screen and on the bottom banner.
  • Page 28 Main RF Screen The Main RF Screen summarizes key parameters for the RF carrier of the FM signal, as illustrated below: FORWARD POWER: This is the power heading out of the power amplifier or transmitter to the antenna or load, measured in watts or scaled percentage, depending on how the units are set in the Settings Screen).
  • Page 29 Main FM Screen The Main FM Screen summarizes key parameters for the audio that resides on the RF carrier of the FM signal, as illustrated below: DEVIATION: The maximum frequency excursion from the carrier center frequency is illustrated on this level bar. Typical maximum deviation, required by Industry Canada or FCC, is 75 kHz to avoid bleeding into adjacent channel bands of 200kHz bandwidths.
  • Page 30 Menu Screen The menu screen allows the user to dive into further details of the power amplifier or transmitter operation. Pressing the BACK TO MAIN button will toggle between the Main Screens and the Menu Screen. The Menu Screen is shown below: Each of the menu icons on the Menu Screen allow the user to take additional readings or make settings that are not provided from the Main RF and FM Screens.
  • Page 31 RF Levels Screen This screen allows the user to change settings to the RF levels, including the Forward RF level (the reflected (VSWR) trip point is changed from the Settings screen. From the RF Levels screen, the user can also toggle between AGC and Manual mode.
  • Page 32 Power Supplies Screen This screen allows the user to view individual voltage and current readings. The Power Supplies Screen is displayed below: DC supply voltages are nominally 24, 30, or 48Vdc depending on the system. Readings of this voltage in the Power Supplies Screen, and on the summary bar at the bottom of the touchscreen, should not vary more than +/- 2%.
  • Page 33 (Toslink optical, coax, AES). Mono/Stereo: All Technalogix FM transmitters have a stereo encoder built in to the exciter circuit board. The user can switch between Mono and Stereo option by simply touching this icon on the touch screen.
  • Page 34 Frequency: With the exciter being agile, the user can change frequency from the front touch screen. The step size is 100 kHz. At the lower and upper frequency limits of the FM band, the frequency will wrap back around. Pre-Emphasis: Pre-emphasis adds a boost to high frequencies in the FM signal to increase the signal above the noise floor.
  • Page 35 History Screen The History Screen provides a summary of the most recent events that have occurred in the power amplifier or transmitter. An event can either be a fault or simply an action like turning on or off the carrier. The format of the History Screen is illustrated below: Ten of the most recent events are displayed on the History Screen.
  • Page 36 Audio Levels Screen The Audio Levels Screen allows the user to tweak audio input levels all from the front touch screen. Step sizes will vary from 0.5 dB up to 2.0 dB depending on the current audio, MPX, and SCA input levels. Attenuation levels of 100 dB indicate that attenuation is at maximum for that particular input signal.
  • Page 37 PCBs are inside a customer’s unit, even several years down the road. The versions can then be correlated to factory documentation. In addition, current government certification numbers are included for Industry Canada and FCC. Please contact Technalogix if you require copies of the actual grants, or visit: FCC: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/GenericSearch.cfm...
  • Page 38 The Contact Screen provides an easy means for the user to get in touch with Technalogix for anything. Whether they have a technical or installation question or simply want to chat about how gosh darn cool our equipment is, Technalogix welcomes questions, feedback, and contact.
  • Page 39 If the measured VSWR exceeds the factory determined upper limit, then the carrier will be initially turned right off. Technalogix may have provided custom firmware with the amplifier or transmitter that may deviate from the above operation. Please consult factory for any client-...
  • Page 40 FM Exciter Module REV 1.01 (ASY 0070) The FM Exciter module accepts analog and digital audio inputs, processes the audio, and then modulates the audio onto an FM carrier in the range of 87.5 to 108.0 MHz. This modulated signal is then fed into a small gain stage before passing the signal off to the final gain amplifier stage(s).
  • Page 41 Temperature Sensor Module REV 1.13 (ASY 0183) The Temperature Sensor module is a small board mounted to the main heatsink of the amplifier/transmitter. The main purpose of the temperature sensor module is to take temperature readings of the heatsink. The following is a block diagram of the Temperature Sensor module: The temperature sensor IC is U701 which, after it has taken a reading, relays the digital information to the RF PCB module through J700.
  • Page 42 Web Interface To access the Technalogix Adrenaline Web Interface, a series of four simple steps are required: 1. Connect power amplifier/transmitter to your network/PC 2. Open web browser for monitor and control 3. Optimize user parameters The following pages will describe each step in detail. Descriptions specific to the user’s computer, router, or network setup are limited due to the differences in the...
  • Page 43 2. Open web browser for monitor and control The default internal address is http://adrenaline/index.htm. Type this default internal address into the URL address bar of your favorite web browser. The web pages cannot be accessed until you have established basic communication with the power amplifier or transmitter (turned on).
  • Page 44 The model number and serial number of the unit are displayed in the top left of the browser screen. The Status Flags section provides the user with feedback from the system. Specifically, there are status flags for:  RF Carrier is on or off ...
  • Page 45 The Control section of the web interface screen allows the user to control functions inside the equipment, including:  Turn Carrier On/Off - Turn the Carrier on/off  AGC - Increase the Carrier by removing attenuation (steps of 1 or 10 dB) ...
  • Page 46 3. Optimize user parameters Also on the main web Ethernet page, along the top, are links to the other user parameter pages:  Main – Returns to Main Index page  Network Configuration  SNMP Configuration  Password Configuration The following sections describe the user parameter pages in detail. 3.1 Network Configuration The Network Configuration page allows the administrator to optimize the network settings to best suit their application.
  • Page 47 3.1.1 Host Name The Host Name shows the current webpage name (default is ADRENALINE). Enter a new name here if you wish to change this. For example entering YourCompany will make the web address: http://yourcompany/index.htm 3.1.2 HTTP Port The HTTP Port shows the current port used for internet access, 80 or 81. Port 80 is the default and is the accepted standard.
  • Page 48 3.2 SNMP Configuration 3.2.1 SNMP Communities The SNMP Configuration page allows you to set the SNMP communities. Set these to limit access to the system via SNMP. Default communities are READ: public read WRITE: private write public...
  • Page 49 3.2.2 SNMP Management Information Base (MIB) The Technalogix.mib file allows access to the following data via the SNMP protocol: Read Only Pallet Supply Voltage - voltage level (Vdc) Temperature - temperature in (°C) 48V Current - current on high voltage bus (Adc)
  • Page 50 3.2.3 SNMP Traps To enable the SNMP traps, within the MIB browser that you choose: Set enable traps to 1 (or yes, depending on MIB browser). Set the IP address to that of the receiving computer. Set the community to one of the read communities set above.
  • Page 51 Ensure that your receiver’s port is set to 162 The system will generate a general trap on any error flag and send an 8-bit value indicating the type of error, as follows: Bit 0(LSB) Overdrive Bit 1 High VSWR Bit 2 High Temperature Bit 3 High Speed Hardware Shutdown...
  • Page 52 3.3 Password Configuration This page allows the setting of the web browser’s User or Admin password, as illustrated below. The User account allows access only to the main page. The Admin account allows access to the main and all the configuration pages. Passwords are to be a maximum of 7 characters long.
  • Page 53 Remote Control (via DB25) An additional option for remote control of the power amplifier/transmitter is through the DB25 connector found on the back panel of the power amplifier/transmitter, as illustrated below: Attach a male DB25 cable to this female connector The overall functions of each pin on the Remote Port are indicated in the following DB25 pinout: Pin Number...
  • Page 54 North America, while the Radio Data System (RDS) is implemented in Europe. In 1998, the two standards were largely unified. Both systems are implemented as standard features on Technalogix FM transmitters, including the control, generator, and interface. RDS uses a subcarrier to embed the FM signal with information. This can be used to transmit time, station identification, programming information and more.
  • Page 55 FM Amplifier Pallets The following is a summary of the typical FM amplifier pallets used in Technalogix power amplifiers and transmitters out of the many pallets that have been designed for production or custom applications. The exact bias and drain currents of your system are found in the Final Inspection Report supplied in the Quickstart package.
  • Page 56 PB25C-86-110-xxx Typical gain 40 dB max (8VSB) 25 W rms Frequency 88 – 108 MHz 10 dBm 1.6 Adc 28 Vdc PB1200C-86-110-574 Typical gain 25 dB min (FM) 1125 W (w/ 3.5 W input) Frequency 86 – 110 MHz 10 dBm 32 - 36 Adc 32 - 50 Vdc...
  • Page 57 Splitter/Combiner If used, the splitter and combiner are used to split the RF signal into, and combine the amplified RF signal out of the final amplifier pallets, within an amplifier/transmitter enclosure. The splitter and combiner can be 2-, 3-, or 4-way depending on how many finals pallets are used.

  • Page 58: Directional Coupler

    Directional Coupler The dual directional coupler provides RF samples proportional to forward and reflected RF power to be converted to DC voltages for monitoring. These analog voltages are converted for processing using analog-to-digital converters and provide the control system with valuable data for monitoring purposes. Output power should be set following the operating procedure found elsewhere in this manual.
  • Page 59 Filter Our passive 50 ohm lowpass FM filters reject (and in some cases, absorb) spurious and harmonic output products and passes the modulated FM output carrier to the antenna or load. 150W LPF, no coupler Frequency Range 86 – 110 MHz Input Power (max) 150 W continuous Insertion Loss (max)
  • Page 60 1,500W LPF, with coupler Frequency Range 86 – 110 MHz Input Power (max) 1,500 W continuous Order order Chebyshev Insertion Loss (max) < 0.2 dB Insertion Loss (typ) < 0.15 dB Return Loss (max) > 25 dB Return Loss (typ) >...
  • Page 61 Power Supply Components Switching AC-DC power supplies are used to power the amplifier pallets, the control circuits, and all of the fans. The DC system voltage is set at either 24, 30, or 48Vdc nominally, depending on the system. All fans run off this same DC supply.
  • Page 64 Maintenance If your unit employs a filter on the air inlet for the fans, the filter should be cleaned every 30 days. If the equipment is operated in a severe dust environment, the filters on the inlet fan may need to be cleaned more regularly. Turn the system off and unplug all of the AC inlet cords.
  • Page 65 Troubleshooting The first and most important aspect of troubleshooting anything is to be systematic. Note where you have looked and what you found. Look first for the obvious.  Make a physical inspection of the entire facility. Are all necessary connections properly made? Do you see any signs of obvious damage within the equipment? ...
  • Page 66 AC-DC Power Supply (PSU) Troubleshooting Properly terminate PA into 50ohm load. Apply proper AC power to back panel (check if 110V or220V). Turn on AC rocker switch on back panel. Display voltage on display correct? Display and Reset circuit breaker on back panel. PSU come AC breaker tripped? back on?
  • Page 67 3V on port? AC-DC power Follow power Contact Contact supply trouble- supply output Technalogix Technalogix shooting guide at proper for further for further voltage? information information PSU wiring Power supply RF or DC...
  • Page 68 Display Interface Display Int. not orange S/W LED communicating with flashing? RF PCB. Check CAT5 cables Contact Is FWD, RFL, or Technalogix for DC voltage any issues not displayed on listed screen? DANGEROUS VOLTAGES INSIDE ENCLOSURE! Last Updated: 29-Aug-2011...
  • Page 69 Thank you for choosing Technalogix Ltd. If there is anything we can do to help in your success, please do not hesitate to contact us. We also welcome suggestions for product improvements or feature enhancements, as long as it is not a built in coffee maker.