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G8MNY > TECH 29.06.10 02:03l 357 Lines 18282 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To : TECH@WW
By G8MNY (Updated Mar 10)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)
I currently use an analogue TV lock reference system (see my buls on "Off Air
lock for Ref Osc") for calibrating RF gear, but as analogue TV will end in the
not too distant future in London, I took the opportunity at a rally to buy
someone's old homebrew (cheap) veroboard construction version of the BBC 198kHz
LW off air reference project. (from a Practical Wireless article Dec 1995 by
G8JVE, to go with the Robin counter & follow up Oct 1998).
The dividers in this design have had a rearranged (different to article) to
give more useful reference frequencies see below.
LAYOUT AE Mains 12V
旼좋컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커
旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � �~Trans- ~� �~~PSU~~~~~~� �
�킙xternal Active Ferrite Rod Aerial� � � former � � board � �
봉컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � ~\_____/~ 읕컴컴컴컴컴� �
� 넬컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴엿
拍컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 납 RF Mixer IF Det OpAmp 납
� Manual 旼컴컴컴� Ref Freq � 납 Buff IC LC IF 납
� o .-. � Meter � .-. � 냅컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴冒
쿛ower( ) 읕컴컴컴� ( ) � 넬컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴엿
� o '-' CZ =o Sig '-' � 납10 Buff Counter Counter Phase 납
� � Not o o Lock (�) � 납MHz IC IC IC Comp IC납
읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 냅컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴冒
Ref Output � SW Pot Meter SW BNC �
읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩟켸
This type of design might be usable in other parts of the world if there are
suitable accurate LW or MW stations.
OPERATION PRINCIPLE
Carrier Extracted
� Image! Carrier
LSB MOD PSK쾁SK USB V �
/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\�/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ �
컵컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컫컴컵�>Freq 컴컴컵컴컴
191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 kHz 198.00000
As you can see from this spectrum, extracting a pure clean carrier is not quite
as straight forward when there is phase shift keying to remove too. (PSK used
for U.K. power meter control?)
A close up should look something like this..
�
~~~~\ 께께께께께께께� /~~~~
컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컫컨컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컨컫컴컴컴컴컫컴컴컴>
-20 -10 0 +10 +20 Hz
Where the PSK data sidebands cover the carrier, the data is encoded to have no
mean carrier offset. No amount of sideband filtering will remove these in
practice, but using a very slow PLL loop filter of a fraction of a Hz, it will
be ignored.
So from this 198kHz (it used to be 200kHz a Standard Frequency Transmission!)
you can extract phase control for a reference frequency oscillator.
SCHEME
旼컴컴컴커 旼컴컴커旼컴컴왯컴컴컴왯컴커旼컴컴커旼컴컴컴�
쿐xternal� � RF 납 납 2kHz 납 IF납 IF 납 IF � Rx 旼컴컴컴컴커 Lock
� Active �>퀯uffer척Mixer척 LC IF척AMP척 Wien 척Limiter쳐�>컴� 쳐LED
쿑errite � � 납 납Filter납x10납Filter납 x100 �2kHz � Phase �
쿝od Ant � 읕컴컴켸읕컫컴牡컴컴컴牡컴켸읕컴컴쬔읕컴컴컴� 쿎omparator쳐>�
읕컴컴컴켸 �200kHz S meter Local � � �
읕컴컴<컴컴� 旼컴컴>컴� � �
旼컴컴컴커旼컴컴커 旼커 旼커 旼커넬컴� 旼커旼커 旼커넬컴�2kHz읕컴컴컴컴켸 �
쿣ariable납 � � � � � � 납� � � 납 � � 납� � 旼컴컴컨커
� 10MHz 척Buffer쳇덕2쳇덕5쳇덕5쳅덕2쳇덕2척�5쳇덕5쳅덕2첼 쿘ultiple�
쿦tal Osc납 납� 납� 납� � � 납� 납 납� � � 납 � Slow �
읕컴쩡컴켸읕컴컴켸냅컴冒읕켸냅컴� 읕켸냅컴牡컴冒읕켸 읕켸� � Loop �
� 10MHz 5MHz 1MHz 100kHz 10kHz 1kHz � Filter �
쿌FC Frequency reference/marker outputs 읕컴컴컫켸
읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴<컴컴컴컴컴컴�
By using a low 2kHz IF, the superhet's unprotected image is @ 202kHz or 4kHz
of USB content. This will affect the phase & level stability of the extracted
carrier.
With this scheme it is important that the RF aerial & both the LC & Wien
filters in the IF are properly centred on frequency, otherwise any residual AM
will give asymmetrically phased sidebands resulting in apparent carrier phase
modulation. As it is the carriers' frequency we want this is bad news!
WHY WAS IT CHEAP?
Well it sort of worked, but there was far too much Phase Shift Keying on the
reference output following the low speed PSK DATA on the 198kHz broadcast. As
well as that it was quite insensitive despite an extra RF buffer stage.
FAULTING
On testing with a scope I found the mixer was hard clipping very early, I found
it was incorrectly biased, & carefully following the circuit on the board this
was due to an uncut stripboard track!
The RF buffer was rebuilt to a simpler less lossy circuit. (see 6/ below)
The problem with the PLL I initially solved crudely with a 100uF & series 2k2
across the AFC line, then it gave a steady 10MHz note after a long lockup time.
IMPROVEMENTS
1/ MIXER
I also noticed with the scope there was 2kHz IF beats on several of the Mixer
bias points, I changed decoupling capacitors from u1 to u47 & reduced this.
2/ PLL FILTER
Looking into the PLL jitter problem, there was a very high Z circuit using a 40
Meg ohm (4x 10M) as the R for a 40 second time constant. This obviously was not
working correctly on this layout, possibly due to leaky old PCB or varicap
diodes. (also discussed in the designer's follow up article)
Anyway I redesigned this bit using electrolytics, something avoided by the
original designer. But by using 2 identical electrolytics in series across the
5V power rail, this solved the most of the leakage problem & gained instant
half rail AFC voltage on power up, for a faster initial lock up time.
+5V컴쩡컴�
+�100u 4x 1N4148
=== 旼�<쳐컫캑<쳐커 Scope
Varicap � � � � o IC CD4046
AFC <컴쩡컴컴컴)컴컴컴컵캑>쳐컵캑>쳐컵컴컫컴�20k컴좔�< Phase Comparator
쳐�4k7컴� � � � � Pin 13
� � 읕�1M컴좔220k켸 � 1u
=== +�100u ===
u1� === �
컴컴좔컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴�
I enhanced the variable CR system with 2 more diodes & another resistor, so
initially out of lock you have 20k + 200uF for a 4 Sec time constant, then at
�1V from lock it adds a 220k for a 50 Sec time constant, & at less than �0.5V
a further 1M for a 200 Sec time constant.
The starting 20k + 1uF (20mS) is needed to remove the 5V 2kHz IF pulses &
reduce the residual 12.5Hz Phase Shift Keying data to below 0.5V ripple. This
however is a loop time constant that will oscillate, so I added a 4k7 in series
with the larger Cs to damp this oscillation, but the 4k7 is not big enough to
let much of the PSK data through to the AFC line. The u1 is used close to the
varicap diodes & keeps down any stray clock pickup/noise etc.
At lock, using the scope point with a �10 probe or on AC, & locked to a
fraction of 50Hz mains (e.g. 12.5Hz) you see.
_
+5V 납납납납� 2kHz phase
납납납납� correction
납납납납� needle pulses \/ PSK Data
..좋좋좋좋좔-...__________.. Ripple Under
Mean 2.3V/ 납납납납� /\ 0.5V Swing.
납납납납�
0V_ 납납납납�
SLOW P.S.K. DATA
/~~~~~~~~~~~~\____________/
The PSK data pulls on the stored AFC voltage several times a seconds. A steady
2.3V is obtained with Xtal trimmer preset. With an SSB Rx you can hear the
10MHz oscillator (or harmonic of other outputs e.g. 29x 5MHz =145MHz) settle
down to a stable note after several diminishing 4 second cycles.
_
Off ~\ .-. _._ Power
Lock � / \ / \__/~~퀭..饗�-- Up �.__.-�-�..�-饗---
\__/ '-' �
----------- 20 seconds ------------ --- 10 seconds ---
3/ MANUAL TUNE
There was an ugly hole in my box & a S meter/centre zero meter & switch fitted,
so I developed a circuit for these, to provide a manual Centre Zero mode with a
pot to fill the hole. (I did not have the follow up article then!)
Varicap
旼컴> AFC
pot 旼27k컴� o컴�< S meter circuit
+5V on/off � \�/ Loop Green ______/
픬\___o\__쳐컴컴47k컴6k8컫�<Filter LED � o컴컴�22k컴�>CD4046
� Pot � AFC � �+ CZ mode Pin 2
� �/ �/ /~~~\
쳐컴컴컴�3k9컴컴컴캑 T1 旼� T2 쿘eter�
� �\e � �\e \___/
� _�_ � _�_ _�_
� �
읕컴컴컴�3k9컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�
The switched log pot (old Volume control) I used had a double make, & I needed
a changeover. Leaving the pot in circuit & using T1 to short incoming AFC line
I achieved the same function, & T2 shorts out the Green in lock LED to indicate
it is in manual off lock mode.
As the pot was a log one the varicap angle-frequency action was not quite
linear (needed square law?) so 27k was put from the max end to centre & 6k8 to
the switched ground, this gave a really even feel to the offset (�5Hz @ 10MHz)
with 2.3V at the centre position.
The Centre Zero meter action was taken from pulses directly from the unused IC
pin 2 via a 22k, to set the meter sensitivity. If you scope that pin you see...
旼컴� 旼왯컴커
� � � 납 � The average changes a little depending on the two 2kHz phases.
� 읕� 잎
4/ LC FILTER Q
I found the LC filter after the mixer was heavily loaded by the OpAmp 10k
circuit negating the high Q & narrow bandwidth possible, this may have been
partly due to different component values. Anyway I rewired the OpAmp for high Z
input & reduced the gain from 10 to 3.9, now the Q is much greater (narrow
bandwidth equals much less of the broadcast AM on the 2kHz IF!)
+12V 쩡컴�
47
쳐커
4u7 � )|| 旼컴컴컴390k커
=== )||L � -�\ �
MC1496 _�_ )|| 쳐컴캑6 \ �
Mixer � u1 � � 7>컴좔>Wien filter OpAmp
Pin 12 >컴컫컨컴쩡컴늘컴�)컴쩡�5 /
�2kHz� 100k �+�/ OpAmp common
=== === � 읕컴�1M컴컴<half rail
� Cs � u1===
컴컴컨컴컴좔컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴
After experimenting with the 2 Cs values for exact resonance of the L, the 1M�
OpAmp bias R does not load the tuned circuit, & the much better filtered IF
signal now has little AM left on it. So the following Wien filter has less to
do to extract a clean carrier. But I did look at that too..
5/ WIEN IF FILTER
The OpAmp has a gain of half, so it can be driven with a clipped signal from
the earlier OpAmp before its output to the level detector clips. By changing
the feedback R from a 22k to 2x 22k the gain is then 1 & the output to the
signal detector is true until the Wien OpAmp clips. The Wien filter Q is also
doubled, bringing the total IF bandwidth down to about �20Hz. The frequency
setting preset needs to be about 350R, so a suitable R across the preset to
provide this value at the centre of the preset is ideal.
�\ 旼컴�> Level Detector
Common half rail>컴�3 \ TP2 �
TP1 � 1>훟컴컨컫컴>IF Clipper
x3 amp>훟컴�22k컫컴늘컫캑2 / �
� u22 � �/ � Output TP2 is
� 읕컴�22k컴22k컴� excatly 180deg
� u22 � (biggest AC diffenece)
쳐컴늘컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸 out of phase to the
Freq input TP1 ehn on tune.
500R
컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�
6/ AGC
I found the mixer & other stages could overload & possibly add phase modulation
from the AM signal before the signal was tightly filtered, so I added an AGC.
I did not want to remove RF buffer's gain, as this is useful when in buildings
with weak signals. So I used an additional NPN to short out the external FET
preamp's supply, this gave a very good AGC, with no distortion from AGC action
& gave the S meter with usable log scale.
旼컴컴컫컴컫컴�+12V
� � 2k2 旼컴>S meter
d 22k 1M � 4n7 100k
g 쳐컴컫�15k커 � � 쳐늘�>Mixer preset
||旼컫컴쩡>� � � � 4n7 � �/ � u1 IF
||( � �\ 쳐쩡�)컴늘컨�>>컫좔캑쳐컨캑RF Buff 旼컴쩡100k컨쩡늘컴*컴<OpAmp
||( === �/\ s� � 10n \� �\e � �+ _�_ No Pin 1
||( � === � === AGC쳐컫컴� � � === /_\ Series
||( � /� 4k7 �10n e/� === � � � �10u � R
읕컨컴좔컴컨컴좔컴컴컴>>컨컴컴좔�)컴컨컴컴 � 컴좔컴컴컴좔컴�
External Active Aerial BNC u1 � AGC �
읕�100k컴컴컴켸
The two 100k Rs set the AGC gain & with the 10u sets the AGC time constant. It
is fast enough to remove some of the AM components below 10Hz, but still give a
stable AGC, leaving a fairly unmodulated carrier after the narrow IF filters
have removed the higher frequency sidebands.
With the above modifications signal bandwidths down the Rx are now something
like this..
�4kHz �40Hz �20Hz (�10Hz Jitter) <0.005Hz
旼컴컴컴커 旼컴컴커旼컴컴왯컴컴컴왯컴커旼컴컴커旼컴컴컴왯컴컴컴컴컴왯컴컴컴�
쿐xternal� � RF 납 납 2kHz 납 IF납 IF 납 IF 납 Phase 납 PLL �
� Active �>퀯uffer척Mixer척 LC IF척AMP척 Wien 척Limiter척Comparator척Filter혽FC
쿑errite � � 납 납Filter납x3 납Filter납 x100 납 납 �
쿝od Ant � 읕컴컴켸읕컫컴牡컴컴컴牡컴켸읕쩡컴켸읕컴컴컴牡컴컫컴컴컴牡컴컴컴�
읕컴컫컴켸 200kHz AGC� 2kHz
읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�<컴컴컴컴컴컴�
DC-10Hz
7/ LOCAL OSCILLATOR
The narrow 1:5 200kHz pulses fed to the mixer has been ramped a bit with an
additional 4n7 & 1k (was 10k), this yields 3dB more mixer gain (ideally a 100mV
square wave is best).
旼�>Mixer Pin10
4n7 � �. �.
0V캑쳐캑 � \_ � \
�10n � ~-�
===
74LS132 74HC390 � 74HC390
+5V컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴�)컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴�
�14 16� 1k 16� 2kHz
10MHz 旼컨커 10MHz 旼컨컴� 홵200 旼컨컴� o
Buffer>쨈1 11쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴�1 15쳐� kHz 渼3 15쳇컨컴>to Phase
윱2 8첼 � 9쳐� 50윱4 9쵬 Comparator
悶 悶
납____납
5:1
8/ OUTPUT FREQUENCIES
As these dividers were not wired up as published, here is the arrangement.
74LS132 74HC390 � 74HC390
+5V컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴�)컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴�
�14 16� 1k 16� 2kHz
10MHz 旼컨커 10MHz 旼컨컴� 홵200 旼컨컴� o
Buffer>쨈1 11쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴�1 15쳐� kHz 渼3 15쳇컨컴>to Phase
윱2 8첼 � 9쳐� 50윱4 9쵬 Comparator
渼3 12척 旼캑3 � kHz� �
척4 13쵬 쳐캑4 13쳐컴컴컴컴컫컴�1 13쳐컴컴컴컴커
윱5 6첼 � � � � � � �
� 9척 � 渼14 12첼 � 渼14 12첼 �
� 10척 � 척2 7척 � 척2 7척 �
읕컫켸� � 냅컴쩡켸� � 냅컴쩡켸� �
7� � � � 8� � � � 8� � �
컴컴컴좔�)컴컴컴컴�)컨컴컨컴�)컴컴컴컴�)컨컴컨컴�)컴컴컴컴�)컴
o o o o o o
10MHz 5MHz 1MHz 100kHz 10kHz 1kHz
9/ OUTPUT PROTECTION
By adding a pair of 1N4148 diodes as a clipped attenuator the TTL chips are
protected from external static damage & small amounts of accidental RF (10W?).
o o o o o o
10MHz 5MHz 1MHz 100kHz 10kHz 1kHz
/�\ +
읕컴캑쳐470컴쩡컴쩡�(o Output
1u _�_ _�_ � 1V p-p
\_/ /_\ �
컨컴컨컴�
10/ 12V POWERING
The original circuit was mains only to provide +12V & 5V rails from centre
tapped 2x 6V transformer & single bridge to make 20V & 10V into their
respective regulators etc. The +5V is used for PLL tunning & must be accurate,
but the +12V is not so important, so I made a 12V input option to feed both
regulators.
RESULT
I now have a very accurate marker for HF (VHF/UHF on harmonics with a steady
pure tone), & I can calibrate frequency counters, or lock them up to this
source, as well as lock up my 100Hz-1GHz PLL signal generator.
For VHF & UHF, Xtal oscillators age & can't be relied on to maintain high
accuracy over several years. This accurate source (better than 1 in 10^7)
enables checking of standards.
See my buls "Off Air Lock for Ref Osc.", "Comparing Off Air Freq Standards",
"Simple Crystal Oven", "Crystal Drift Compensation" & "Calibrating Frequency"
for more information.
Why Don't U send an interesting bul?
73 De John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP
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