BW BROADCAST

PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE

Features
Phase locked loop system Dual speed PLL Low noise oscillator Broadband design No-Tune operation Direct read switches Very low distortion Switchable pre-emphasis 1 Watt output Harmonic filter Expansion connector Compact size Black oxide high grade PCB The BW broadcast PLL+ is a compact FM broadcast exciter module with specifications that puts many commercial exciters to shame. The modern innovative design allows audio and RF performance never before seen in module exciters. The virtual VFO dual loop system allows perfect audio flatness to below 10 Hz making AFC bounce and modulator overshoot a thing of the past. You now can pass that low bass without distortion and get that perfect stereo separation that you have been demanding from your exciter. Broadband No-Tune operation allows for simple use. The only adjustment required is of the direct reading decimal dial switches for frequency selection. RF power is muted during out of lock conditions and the built in harmonic filter keeps your signal clean. The expansion connector allows for external modules to be connected to the board such as the BW Broadcast PLL+ LCD.

Specifications
Power output Power requirements Harmonic output Spurious output Frequency steps Out of lock RF power down Freq. stability Audio input level Freq. response S.N.R. Distortion Pre-emphasis 1000mW +/- 100mW, 50 Ohms 15Vdc 300mA typ 60dBc typ >85dBc 12.5kHz steps -50dBc +/- 200Hz adjustable 10Hz-100kHz >80dB <0.05% None, 50us, 75us (switchable)

PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

BW BROADCAST Principles of Phase Locked Loop systems The Voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) feeds a portion of its RF into one side of a phase locked loop chip. The other side of the PLL chip is fed with a reference frequency usually derived from a quartz crystal which is very stable. The Phase locked loop chip outputs a high or low voltage, high or low is subject to whether the reference frequency input is lagging in phase or leading in phase compared to the RF input from the VCO. In other words high if the reference frequency is higher in freq than the VCO frequency and low if the reference is lower. The Reference frequency is usually in the range of 1 KHz to 100KHz and also forms the step size of the VCO. A reference frequency of 100KHz can not have a lower step size than 100Khz. Crystals are physically very large at these frequencies so we tend to use a higher frequency crystal and divide it down to our chosen reference frequency. The 100MHz signal from our VCO needs to also be divided down to the reference frequency and to do this we need a divide by N counter. N is any number which can divide our frequency to the reference. The phase locked loop system will comprise of. 1. The VCO (voltage controlled oscillator)  MHZ 2. The divide by N (100MHz to ref. freq.) 3. A stable crystal for the reference 4. A fixed divider (to divide the crystal to the ref. freq.) 5. A phase comparator 6. The loop filter (voltage smoother)

DIVIDER

PHASE COMPARE

DIVIDE N

LOOP FILTER

VCO

RF OUT

In the example below we will use a 8 MHz crystal, a reference of 100 KHz and the RF frequency we will lock to is 99.9 MHz. The reference divider is 80 and the RF divider is 999. The 8 MHz crystal is divided by 80 to 100Khz. This stable signal is fed into one of the inputs of the PLL chip. The RF signal from the VCO is fed into the divide by N counter. This counter will need to have N set to 999 to achieve a divide down from 99.9 MHz to 100 Khz. When the VCO has a frequency of 99.9 MHz both the inputs to the phase locked loop chip will have the same frequency and phase. The output pulses from the phase locked loop chip are fed into a loop filter circuit. This low pass filter circuit smoothes and averages the phase locked loop pulses and produces a dc voltage which is applied to the frequency determing element of the VCO which is usually a varicap diode. This moves the frequency of the VCO and the process is repeated. This is why the name LOOP is used. The frequency is checked against the reference, the voltage is changed in respect of any frequency error, the voltage is applied to the oscillator, the frequency moves. This process is happening continually with the PLL chip adjusting the VCO until it is on frequency and it will keep readjusting to keep it there. If we changed the divide by N number to 997 then the PLL would adjust the VCO until both inputs to the phase comparator were equal in phase and frequency. This would force the VCO to now have an output of 99.7 Mhz. The bw broadcast phase locked loop system employs a modern chip that contains an oscillator for a quartz crystal, a divider for the reference, a divide by N counter and a phase locked loop section (phase comparator). All of these sections are configurable by serial control. This control is fed from a bw broadcast software program contained in a microcontroller. The loop filter is built around a standard op-amp. Some exciters still use many logic chips for the various dividers and associated functions but the bw broadcast system uses only two if we do not count the loop filter section. The problems of Phase Locked Loop systems The loop filter is the most crucial part of the phase locked loop system and plays the biggest part in achieving a high quality exciter. The design goal is to have the PLL system get the VCO to the correct frequency fast and to appear transparent. When we FM modulate the VCO we are moving the frequency of the VCO in proportion to the audio signal we apply. The PLL circuits job is to correct any frequency errors. Hmmm... Audio introduces frequency shifts and PLLs try and correct it. You can see that the two do not PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

BW BROADCAST go hand in hand. If we design the loop filter too well the quick response will strip the audio and not allow any deviation and hence no or minimum audio. If we relax the requirement to allow better audio to pass uncorrected then we introduce other problems such as PLL lock time ( the time it takes the PLL to correct any frequency or get the VCO to frequency). The ideal PLL system would allow us to get to frequency fast and then somehow relax itself and change the loop filter characteristics to improve the audio. We need the PLL circuit to not correct the audio (modulation) as much as when the VCO is genuinally off frequency. Multispeed loop systems. Multispeed loop systems can be designed in many ways. We have seen and tested systems from complex to the very complex. We have chosen a system that has a minimum component count and still retains excellent performance. We have managed to keep the component part down by putting the intelligence of the system into software. The Dual speed loop system we have used is only 1 extra component above our standard single loop system. This component is an analogue switch which has two of its switches placed across two of the resistors in the loop filter. When out of lock the switch shorts out the resistors enabling more current to be dumped into the capacitors of the loop filter and hence quicker charge time and faster lock up. When on channel the switches are opened. The hard part is knowing when to switch. Some others exciters use the lock detect signals from the phase comparator chip to determine when the VCO is in lock. We have found this to be far from perfect as high level low frequency content in the audio (heavy bass) can make the lock signal from the phase comparator read wrong. This could cause the transmitter to switch to fast lock when heavy bass is applied and then we would be back to square one, distortion. Bw broadcast has taken these lock detect signals from the phase comparator and connected then to a microcontroller where they are analyzed by a propriority software routine to determine whether the VCO is really ON frequency or off frequency. The software can detect that the VCO is still on frequency even if we deviate the carrier with audio by 1 MHz. This enables us to obtain very very low bass response with very very low distortion figures and still have an accurate lock detect system and fast lockup time. Circuit Description The frequency determing element is formed by coil L1 and varicap diode VD1 together with capacitors C17 - C20. These components are used as part of a cascode oscillator whose output is then buffered by transistor T3 and T7. The RF output from T3 and T7 is impedance matched to the base of transistor T5 by RFT1, a 4 to 1 matching transformer. The high power output from T5 is impedance matched by coils L2 and L3 and associated capacitors to the 50 ohm output socket CON2. These components also provide harmonic filtering. The PLL circuit is primarily IC2 which is a serially programmable PLL chip. The microcontroller IC3 reads the dial switches at switch on and outputs a serial code to the PLL chip in a format that determines the output frequency that the PLL will try and lock the transmitter to. The PLL chip outputs control pulses to the loop filter built around op amp IC4. The loop filter takes the sharp pulses from the PLL chip and converts them into a smoothed signal ready to apply to the frequency determing component, varicap diode VD1. IC1 is an analogue switch that shorts out two of the resistors in the loop filter which enables the transmitter to get on frequency faster. When the oscillator is on frequency the Analog switch switches out which greatly improves the audio response of the transmitter. The microcontroller IC3 determines when to switch the analog switch in and out by reading the lock detect signals from the PLL chip. The microcontroller can also use this information to switch off transistor T3 with open collector configured T4 which mutes the RF output when the transmitter is out of lock. LED1 provides visual indication of the PLL locked condition. Audio is fed into the modulation input connector CON1. It is passed through filter FIL1 to remove high frequency energy from feeding back into the Modulation circuitry. From here the signal passes to variable resistor VR1 where modulation levels can be set. From the output of the variable resistor the audio PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

BW BROADCAST signal passes through resistor R30 and jumper J1. This jumper allows either of capacitors C22 or C23 to be put in parallel with R30 forming a pre-emphasis filter. 0, 50 or 75us is selectable depending on jumper selection. From here audio is fed via a resistive potential divider to the varicap diode VD1. The audio imposed onto VD1 causes the frequency of the transmitter to shift and modulation is achieved. There is an expansion connecter on the board to allow connection of other bw broadcast products such as an LCD frequency selector. Connection details are provided with the relevant expansion product.

Setup and testing

We recommend that the module be set up with the equipment shown on the following pages. While the unit is factory tested and should work as expected but we highly recommend that its performance be verified with an RF power meter, dummy load, spectrum analyzer, modulation meter and a frequency meter. A radio test set may contain all of these functions in one box. Power supply For correct operation you will need a regulated power supply that is capable of providing 15 volts. The unit may function down to13.8 volts but you may lose a little performance at this lower voltage. We do not recommend you exceed 15 volts as this may cause the components to run too hot and possible damage to the module may occur. Frequency selection Before you turn the power on you must select your frequency. The first switch represents units of 10 MHz, where 8 would mean 80 MHz. 0 = 10 = 100 MHz The second switch represents units of 1 MHz where 9 would mean 9 MHz. The third switch represents units of .1 MHz (100KHz) where 7 would mean 700 KHz The fourth switch represents units of .0125 MHz (12.5KHz) where 4 would mean 50 KHz Taking the above as an example if we set switch 1 to 8, switch 2 to 7, switch 3 to 9 and switch four to 0 we would set the PLL to a frequency of 87.9 (8X10MHz+9X1MHz+7X.1MHz+0x0.0125MHz) To reset a new frequency you must turn power to the unit off then back on again. We recommend you fine tune the frequency with variable capacitor VC1. Disconnect the audio before trying to adjust VC1. You will obviously need the unit on and powered up first before this adjustment can be made. Audio input and pre-emphasis Audio is fed in via CON1. If you have a stereo encoder then remove jumper J1. If you have an audio limiter with pre-emphasis capability then also remove the jumper J1. Otherwise if no stereo encoder or limiter with pre-emphasis is in line with PLL you should configure jumper J1 to suit the pre emphasis requirement for your region. 75us for the USA and Japan and 50 for the rest of the world. With your audio applied at the desired level to the PLL+ adjust variable resistor VR1 for 100 percent modulation ( a maximum peak deviation of +/- 75KHz ) on a modulation meter. RF output The RF output can be connected to CON2. The RF output power from the PLL+ is fixed at 1W and can not be adjusted. Please do not alter the coils L2 and L3 as these are factory set. They form part of the harmonic filtering and should not need to be adjusted. If you require less power then we recommend that you use a resistive attenuator formed from three resistors. Details can be found in any good radio handbook such as the ARRL handbook. Always connect a 50 ohm load on the output to Avoid damage to T5.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
This exciter module is a high quality broadband FM exciter that offers OEM manufacturers a low cost route to FM signal generation without the hassles and expense of designing your own. The RF portion of this design is currently being used by several manufacturers who have sought and obtained CE and FCC compliance. When this module is used in conjunction with the notes below you should be able to do the same. To function as BW has intended and to meet the specifications quoted we advise OEM manufacturers to carefully review the following important information regarding the integration of the module into your apparatus (piece of equipment.) The information will aid you in intergrating this module into your apparatus and placing the finished piece of equipment on the market. This information is especially important in the modern era with CE/RTTE/FCC regulations on EMC performance of electronic apparatus. Shielding Any RF device radiates, the low level RF circuitry on the unit is also susceptible to pick-up of RF fields and reamplification of them. For these reasons we strongly encourage that the module is encased in a suitable metal enclosure. This enclosure could be the enclosure for the full apparatus that the module is enclosed inside or be a separate enclosure within the external enclosure. We recommend that the module is placed into a metal enclosure by itself to prevent possible interference with any other audio or rf modules in the apparatus main enclosure. The audio and RF ports should employ bulkhead style connections to the enclosure and any DC power connections should be run through feed-through capacitors grounded to the enclosure. There are many small RF screening enclosures available commercially that will do the job. These are usually made from tin plate or tin plated steel and they offer excellent screening, immunity protection whilst also minimising rf emissions. If the module is to be installed into a single metal enclosure that has any apertures (for ventilation and cooling etc.) then we recommend that those aperture sizes are sufficiently small that they stop the emission of RF at the frequencies of interest. Please see the intergration diagram contained in this manual for more information. We also recommend you consult the reference books below for more information on screening and aperture sizing. Power supply This exciter module is designed to operate as intended when connected to a stabilised 15 volt power supply that is capable of delivery at least 300mA of continuous current. You must ensure that the power supply used has an extremely low noise output to prevent modulation of the RF output carrier by the noise of the power supply. Using a power supply of inadequate design will degrade the performance of this module. We suggest a power supply with RF filtering is used, this will help prevent the power supply from suffering from RF interference which in turn affects the output voltage of the power supply, adding noise, which will produce noise and possibly side bands on the RF transmission. If the module is to be installed into its own screening enclosure inside the main metal chassis then we recommend the power supply to the module is run through feed-through capacitors. Low pass filtering / RF output This exciter module has some inherent harmonic as part of its design. This may, or may not be adequate for your application and we suggest you verify the performance of the unit with a spectrum PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

BW BROADCAST analyser to ascertain the suitability of this module for your application. This unit is normally used in conjunction with a power amplifier where the harmonic performance of the exciter module is less significant. In the case where you intend direct transmission for low power FM or for cable TV re broadcasting we suggest you check the regularatory stipulations on harmonic emissions and add an external low pass filter if required. A spectrum analyser should be used to check harmonic levels. For compliance. Exciter audio input, filtering and limiting. This exciter module has a wide-band input and will require audio bandwidth filtering and or peak limiting in order to prevent over-modulation and to protect adjacent channels. For stereo multiplex operation this can usually be achieved through the use of a high quality stereo encoder, which features bandwidth limiting and possibly peak limiting as part of its design. For Mono operation some form of audio limiting will be required to prevent over-modulation and protect adjacent channels. Regardless of stereo or mono operation you should ensure that the audio bandwidth at the input to the exciter is still within the confines of a stereo multiplex signal (< 60 Khz) to prevent interference. A combination of BWs stereo encoders and audio limiters will do the job. A DSP based solution such as one of the DSPX series of audio processors combines peak limiting and bandwidth limiting and provides a very high performance stereo sub-carrier signal suitable for injection into this exciter module. We recommend a spectrum analyser is employed to measure the output bandwidth of the transmission. This could also be used to verify the RF performance of the exciter and any subsequent amplifiers or filters. If the exciter modules audio input is to be presented to the outside world (with chassis connections on the metal enclosure) then we recommend some RFI filtering be employed to aid in emission suppression and to increase immunity to external RF fields from other equipment or signals in the air. Some references on audio filtering are available below. Summary When used in conjunction with BWs recommendations this module will provide a very high class FM signal. If you would like further information on the integration of RF modules we advise you to contact BW directly who can provide further help and advise in the use of this module within your apparatus. BW can also offer RF testing and EMC emissions and immunity testing for your completed apparatus through its in house GTEM CELL facility and RF test equipment. We can also recommend the following books which will provide you with examples and some background theory on EMC in product design and assembly.
EMC for Product Designers, Third Edition by Tim Williams Testing for EMC Compliance : Approaches and Techniques by Mark I. Montrose and Edward M. Nakauchi Introduction to Electromagnetic Compatibility (Wiley Series in Microwave and Optical Engineering) by Clayton R. Paul

PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

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Recommended testing arrangement for mono FM transmitters. For FM amplifiers an FM exciter will need to be placed between the AF signal generator and the power amplifier. The power amplifier will substitute the FM transmitter block shown above. For more information on test methods please consult ETSI EN 302 018 or other relevant specifications for your region.

Recommended testing arrangement for stereophonic FM transmitters. For FM amplifiers an FM exciter will need to be placed between the AF signal generator and the power amplifier. The power amplifier will substitute the FM transmitter block shown above. For more information on test methods please consult ETSI EN 302 018 or other relevant specifications for your region. PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

BW BROADCAST

Recommended testing arrangement to measure cabinet radiation for FM transmitters and FM amplifiers. For FM amplifiers the input signal shown above will be from an FM exciter and the power amplifier will substitute the FM transmitter block shown above. For more information on test methods please consult ETSI EN 302 018 or other relevant specifications for your region.

PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

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GND
POWER AMPLIFIER / FILTERING MODULE
COOLING FAN

GND

GND

SCREENING ENCLOSURE

RF IN EXCITER MODULE
Feedthrough capacitors

POWER AMPLIFER / FILTERING PCB

RF OUT
SCREENING ENCLOSURE

GND

GND
STEREO ENCODER / BANDWIDTH LIMITING / PEAK LIMITING

POWER SUPPLY MODULE

AUDIO RFI FILTERING (optional)

SCREENING ENCLOSURE

MAINS INLET FILTER

MAINS INPUT

AUDIO INPUT/S RF OUTPUT

Suggested integration diagram for this module

PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

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Component overlay / position

PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 0

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PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE 

Bill Of Materials
QTY PART-REFS Resistors 3 2 4 4 2 2 5 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 R1,R27,R32 R2,R3 R4,R21,R28,R29 R5,R8,R9,R31 R6,R7 R10,R11 R12,R16,R17,R22,R23 R13,R20,R24 R14,R30 R15,R26 R18 R19 R25 R33 R34 10R 1k 470R 330k 10k 330R 1k2 4k7 12k 220R 180R 68R 22R 100R 33k VALUE

Capacitors 3 4 4 2 5 4 3 3 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 C1,C36,C39 C2,C3,C6,C35 C4,C8,C11,C14 C5,C7 C9,C25,C28,C32,C38 C10,C15,C21,C29 C12,C13,C16 C17,C24,C37 C18 C19,C30 C20 C22 C23 C26,C40 C27 C31 C33 C34 47pF 2.2uF 100nF Y5V 470uF 1nF 10nF 100uF 100pF 4p7 27pF 82pF 6n8 4n7 10uF 220pF 12pF 56pF 33pF

BW BROADCAST 2 CON1,CON2 1 CON3 1 CON4 1 CON5 1 FIL1 6 H1,H2,X2-X5 1 IC1 1 IC2 1 IC3 1 IC4 1 IC5 1 J1 1 J2 1 L1 1 L2 2 L3 1 L4 1 L6 1 LED1 1 REG1 1 RFT1 4 SW1-SW4 6 T1-T4,T6,T7 1 T5 1 VC1 1 VD1 1 VR1 1 WIRE1 1 X1

MCXPCB4HOLE 2-Way Molex CONN-DIL10 5WAY MOLEX T FILTER PCBHOLE 4066 MC145170P2 PIC16F627A-I/SO TL081CD 74HC4067 JUMPER3 2-Pin Jumper MC120 2.5T ,L53.5T 0.15uH FB LED LM78L05ACM RFT4TO1 DECSWITCH PMBTH10 2N4427 7-50pF VARICAP 1k Bifiliar Wire 8MHz

Diodes 1 D1 Miscellaneous 1 BOX1 RFIBOX1 PLL PLUS FM EXCITER MODULE  DIODE2