TECHNICAL MANUAL APEXTM Exciter Incorporating FLOTM Technology 888-2604-001 T.M. No.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Returns And Exchanges Damaged or undamaged equipment should not be returned unless written approval and a Return Authorization is received from HARRIS CORPORATION, Broadcast Systems Division. Special shipping instructions and coding will be provided to assure proper handling. Complete details regarding circumstances and reasons for return are to be included in the request for return. Custom equipment or special order equipment is not returnable.
2604ti.fm APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Rev. A Date 3/8/07 March 8, 2007 ECN 54395 MANUAL REVISION HISTORY APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology 888-2604-001 Pages Affected Released Manual 888-2604-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
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APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology 2604ti.fm Guide to Using Harris Parts List Information The Harris Replaceable Parts List Index portrays a tree structure with the major items being leftmost in the index. The example below shows the Transmitter as the highest item in the tree structure. If you were to look at the bill of materials table for the Transmitter you would find the Control Cabinet, the PA Cabinet, and the Output Cabinet.
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APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology WARNING The currents and voltages in this equipment are dangerous. Personnel must at all times observe safety warnings, instructions and regulations. 2604ti.fm This manual is intended as a general guide for trained and qualified personnel who are aware of the dangers inherent in handling potentially hazardous electrical/electronic circuits.
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APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology FIRST-AID 2604ti.fm Personnel engaged in the installation, operation, maintenance or servicing of this equipment are urged to become familiar with first-aid theory and practices. The following information is not intended to be complete first-aid procedures, it is a brief and is only to be used as a reference. It is the duty of all personnel using the equipment to be prepared to give adequate Emergency First Aid and thereby prevent avoidable loss of life.
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APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Table of Contents Table of Contents 2604s100TOC.fm 1 2 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 1.1 Organization of Technical Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 1.2 General Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 1.3 Physical Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 1.4 Technical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Table of Contents 3.4 Details of the Exciter Status Screens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8 3.4.1 System Status Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-8 3.4.2 Transport Stream Status Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-9 3.4.3 Adaptive Processing Board Status Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-9 3.4.3.1 3.4.4 3.4.5 Adaptive Processing Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2604s100TOC.fm APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Table of Contents Max Peak Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40 3.6.3.3 RTAC Power On Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40 3.6.3.4 RTAC Off Air Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41 3.6.5 External I/O Setup Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42 3.6.8 3.6.9 03/08/07 3.6.3.2 Display Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41 3.6.7 4 Filter Type.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Table of Contents 4.3.2.1 4.3.3 4.4 Exciter Output Spectral Response, RTAC Bypassed . . . . . . . . . . .4-6 APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7 4.4.1 Up Converter Board Block Diagram Description. . . . . . . . . . . . .4-8 4.4.1.1 Down Converter Board Block Diagram Description . . . . . . . . . . .4-9 4.4.3 PLL Board - A4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10 10 MHz Reference . . . . . . . . . .
2604s100TOC.fm APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Table of Contents 5.3 Default Settings For DIagnostics Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-10 5.4 Typical Settings for the More Critical Exciter Setups . . . . . . . . . . .5-11 5.5 Exciter Troubleshooting Flow Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-12 5.6 General Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-16 5.6.1 5.7 5.8 System Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-17 5.7.
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APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology List of Figures 2604s100LOF.fm List of Figures Figure 1-1 Rear Panel View APEX Exciter Incorporating FLO Technology . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Figure 1-2 APEX Exciter Front Panel View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Figure 2-1 Exciter Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2 Figure 2-2 1PPS Signal Termination Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology List of Figures Figure 3-30 Built In Tests Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-32 Figure 3-31 System Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-32 Figure 3-32 Exciter Setup Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-35 Figure 3-33 Power Calibration Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-38 Figure 3-34 RTAC Setup Screen . . . . . . . . .
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology List of Figures Figure A-1 Tera Term Pro Screen When Connected to Exciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2 Figure A-2 Stop Action Capture of Screen Down Load Scroll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2 2604s100LOF.fm Figure A-3 Tera Term Log Window Selected When Download Has Completed . . . . . . . A-3 03/08/07 888-2604-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
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APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology List of Tables 2604s100LOT.fm List of Tables 03/08/07 Table 1-1 Harris APEX Exciter General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 Table 1-2 Harris APEX Exciter Service Conditions Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5 Table 1-3 Harris APEX Exciter Performance Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6 Table 3-1 System Status Screen Circuit Board Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Organization of Technical Manual 1 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Introduction Introduction 2604s100.fm This technical manual contains installation, operating and maintenance procedures for the HARRIS APEX Exciter incorporating FLOTM technology1. 1.1 Organization of Technical Manual The manual is divided into these sections: • Section 1 - Introduction, describes the APEX exciter and lists the sections of this technical manual.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Introduction 1.3 Physical Description Physical Description The APEX exciter consists of a single rack mounted chassis with the analog section available from the top of the exciter and the digital section available from the bottom. The exciter is normally mounted in the transmitter on slides, permitting it to be extended forward out of the cabinet for service. The exciter is 5.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Introduction 2604s100.fm Physical Description Figure 1-2 APEX Exciter Front Panel View 03/08/07 888-2604-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Introduction 1.4 Technical Overview Technical Overview The exciter accepts an ASI transport stream. The modulation process is fully digital, with analog circuits used after the D/A converter to up-convert the IF signal to the desired channel. For operation in the US, the exciter RF output can be set to any one of eight 6 MHZ wide UHF channels which cover a frequency span from 698 MHz to 746 MHz.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Introduction Specifications Table 1-1 Harris APEX Exciter General Specifications 2604s100.fm Specification GPS antenna input Explanation Antenna connection is an active input with +5V on the center conductor. Signal frequency is 1575.42 MHz, level can range from -133 to -115 dBm, input impedance is 50 ohms.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Introduction Specifications Table 1-3 Harris APEX Exciter Performance Specifications Specification Maximum power output Power output range Regulation of output power Frequency stability Explanation 1 watt peak, 250 mW average Programable 1 to 250 mW average 1% or less 1 x 10-8 per 24 hours with no external reference 1 x 10-9 for SFN (single frequency network) with external reference Response variation < 0.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Introduction 2 Installation 2604s200.fm 2.1 Introduction Exciters sold as part of a transmitter will normally have been tested in the transmitter before shipment. The exciter may be removed for shipment, to be reinstalled after the transmitter is in place. Installation is a simple process, as described in 2.2 below.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Installation of the GPS 1PPS Signal • PA SAMPLE IN (SMA) is the input signal connector for an RF sample from the output of the transmitter power amplifier, taken before the HPF and after the PA combiner for transmitters with multiple PAs. It is used by RTAC™ to correct for the nonlinear distortion caused by the power amplifier. Normal input signal range is -30 dBm to 0 dBm. The input impedance is 50 ohms.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Retrofitting Into Existing Transmitter System Apex Exciter 2604s200.fm GPS 1PPS Source For a single 1PPS run from source to exciter, set the exciter FPGA modulator board 1PPS input termination jumper (JP1) to position 1 - 2 (50 ohm termination). GPS 1PPS Source Apex Exciter #1 Apex Exciter #2 For a two exciters, the 1PPS signal can be bridged through exciter 1, 1.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Retrofitting Into Existing Transmitter System filter has been characterized the Apex exciter applies pre-correction such that the response and delay have been optimized at the filter output. In addition to characterizing the mask filter, any transmission line or antenna VSWR present at the monitoring point will also be compensated. The PA sample monitors the output of the final amplifying device.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Retrofitting Into Existing Transmitter System 2.5.3 Atlas Mobile Transmitters 2604s200.fm Atlas Mobile transmitters can be configured with one PA cabinet with 2 to 8 PA modules or two or more PA cabinets and single or dual exciters. 2.5.3.1 Atlas Mobile Transmitter - 1 PA Cabinet, 2 Exciters The single cabinet Atlas Mobile transmitter system is shown in Figure 2-3. It has dual exciters with the RF sample feedback connections shown.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation 2.5.3.2 Retrofitting Into Existing Transmitter System Atlas Mobile Transmitter - 2 or More PA Cabinets When the Atlas Mobile Transmitter has two or more PA cabinets, the feedback signals are connected as shown in Figure 2-4. • The HPF feedback sample is taken from the high power filter output coupler. • The PA sample is taken from the cabinet combiner output coupler.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Configuring the Exciter 2.6 Configuring the Exciter 2604s200.fm The APEX exciter is configured by the LCD touch screens. The basic functions of these screens are discussed in chapter 3 of this manual. It is necessary to be familiar with these screens in order to configure the exciter. This procedure is only a configuration checklist. This procedure needs to be done in two parts.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Configuring the Exciter The frequency offset box will be greyed out (and unattainable) if the diagnostic setup feature is locked. Instructions to lock or unlock the diagnostics setup is found in Section 3.6.8.2, Diagnostics Setup (Locked or Unlocked), on page 3-54. • Select the transmitter type. • Select the type and length (in feet) of waveguide, if waveguide is used in the system and group delay precorrection for the waveguide run is desired.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Configuring the Exciter This screen provides a means of changing the user and diagnostics passwords. The existing passwords can be determined by entering either the User or Diagnostic Password choices. 2604s200.fm The password becomes important if the User Setup or the Diagnostics Setup (or both) are to be locked. Main Screen > Setup > User Setup (Lock or Unlock).
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation 2.6.3 Configuring the Exciter Normal Settings for Diagnostic Screens The Diagnostics screens offer tests used to diagnose exciter problems. If the diagnostic selections are left in the wrong states, normal operation of the exciter could be impaired. The default values for the diagnostics screens can be found in Table 5-1 on page 10. The following is a list of the normal states of the more critical diagnostic functions and the exciter mute.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Installation Materials Needed 2.7 Materials Needed The following list represents the materials that may be used for the various field installs. Not all materials are required for every installation. 2604s200.fm • Coupler, Mini Circuit, ZFDC-10-21, 50 ohm BNC, Harris part number 620-2969-000 This coupler is used when a spare sample is not available. It is place in line at the measurement point and the coupled port used for the feedback.
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APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Basic Operating Procedure 3 Navigating the LCD Display Screens Operating the APEX exciter requires knowledge of two sets of controls. 2604s300.fm First is the power off/on switch, which is not normally used if the exciter is mounted in a transmitter, but could be used if the exciter is used as a signal source apart from a transmitter.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.2 Starting Point: The Main LCD Touch Screen Starting Point: The Main LCD Touch Screen MainScreen.bmp Figure 3-1 LCD Main Screen Setup, operation, and trouble shooting of the APEX exciter is accomplished via the LCD Display Touch Screens. This chapter covers the use and definitions of the screens.
Starting Point: The Main LCD Touch Screen APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens • RF spectrum display at selected locations throughout the transmitter RF system. Several Main screen soft keys are provided to start the process of navigation through the various LCD screens. These areas include FLO Meas (measure), Status, Setup, or Fault. 2604s300.fm 3.2.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.2.4 LCD Display Flow Chart FLO Measure Soft Key The FLO Meas (measure) soft key at the top of the main screen provides information concerning the transmitter system distortions and exciter corrections for them. This information is given in three screens. They are: • Transmitter/Systems Linearity screen.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens LCD Display Flow Chart 2604s300.fm Expanded Display Screen Power Up Screen Main Screen See page 3-2 On Air Data Displays System Setup Screen Exciter Power Control Setup Status See Figure 3-4, on page 3-7 For flow chart. RTAC Correction Status/Control Fault System Status Screen See Figure 3-3, on page 3-6 For flow chart. Note: Selecting Home from any screen returns to the Main Screen.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens From Figure 3-2, on page 3-5 Status Fault System Status Screen See page 3-8 ASI INPUT Ok (or FAULT) ADAPTIVE PROCESSING Ok (or FAULT) DIGITAL PROCESSING Ok (or FAULT) LCD Display Flow Chart Transport Stream Status Screen See page 3-9 Adaptive Processing Status Screen See page 3-9 Screen 1 of 2 FPGA Modulation Board See page 3-12 Modulator FLO FPG Registers See page 3-12 Screen 1 of 5 FPGA Summary See page 3-14 IF and R
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens LCD Display Flow Chart 2604s300.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.4 Details of the Exciter Status Screens Details of the Exciter Status Screens SystemStatus.bmp Figure 3-5 System Status Screen This section provides pictures and details of the Exciter Status screen, shown in Figure 3-5, and its sub screens. The sub screens give the status of selected control areas or PC boards, some of the sub screens include diagnostics screens.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the Exciter Status Screens 3.4.2 Transport Stream Status Screen 2604s300.fm TrnsStrmStatus.bmp Figure 3-6 Transport Stream Status Screen The Transport Stream Status screen is shown in Figure 3-6, with screen entries listed below. • TS 1 Detect. This selection indicates OK if the transport stream is present at the transport stream one input on the rear of the exciter. • TS 2 Detect.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the Exciter Status Screens The Adaptive Processing Board status screen is shown in Figure 3-7, with screen entries listed below. • 3.3 Vdc: This is the output of the 3.3 V dc to dc converter. • 5 Vdc: This is the board input voltage, which comes from the controller board. • AP 3.3 Vdc supply is derived from the 3.3 Vdc supply through an FET switch. This voltage is switched off if the 1.9 Vdc AP supply faults. • AP 1.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens 3.4.3.1 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Adaptive Processing Diagnostics 2604s300.fm AdaptPrecDiagnostics.bmp Figure 3-8 Adaptive Processing Diagnostics The Adaptive Processing Diagnostic screen is shown in Figure 3-8, with screen entries listed below. • loopback: Selections include None, Analog, or Digital. None is the normal mode.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.4.4 Details of the Exciter Status Screens Digital Processing Screens DigitalPrecStatus.bmp Figure 3-9 Modulation Board Status Screen The Digital processing Status selection offers two selections, which are: • The Modulator, which consists of screen 1, the FPGA Modulator, and screen 2, which gives the software revisions of the ADC & DAC Boards.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens • 5 Vdc: This is the board input voltage, which comes from the controller board. • 3.3 Vdc: This is the output of the 3.3 V dc to dc converter. • 2.5 Vdc supply is derived from the 3.3 Vdc supply through an FET switch. This voltage is switched off if the DSP 1.8 Vdc supply faults. 2604s300.fm • 1.8 Vdc This is the output of the 1.8 volt core power supply. • 1.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.4.4.3 Details of the Exciter Status Screens FLO FPGA Status, Summary, Screen 1/5 FPGA Status1.bmp Figure 3-12 FLO FPGA Status, Summary, Screen 1/5 The parameters of the FPGA Summary screen are as follows. • FPGA Version: • TS input: Indicates the active transport stream (TS1 Active or TS2 Active) if one or both streams are connected to the two ASI inputs on the exciter rear panel.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the Exciter Status Screens 3.4.4.4 FLO FPGA, GPS & Clock Status, Screen 2/5 2604s300.fm FPGA Status2.bmp Figure 3-13 FLO FPGA, GPS & Clock Status, Screen 2/5 The parameters of the FPGA GPS & Clock Status screen are as follows. • GPS Error: The value for GPS Error is displayed in microseconds.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.4.4.5 Details of the Exciter Status Screens FLO FPGA, Transport Stream Status, Screen 3/5 FPGA Status3.bmp Figure 3-14 FLO FPGA, Transport Stream Status Screen 3/5 The parameters of the Transport Stream Status screen are as follows.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens 3.4.4.6 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens FLO FPGA, SFN FIFO Status, Screen 4/5 2604s300.fm FPGA Status4.bmp Figure 3-15 FLO FPGA, FSN FIFO Status, Screen 4/5 The parameters of the SFN FIFO Status screen are as follows.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.4.4.7 Details of the Exciter Status Screens FLO FPGA, MTI Status, Screen 5/5 FPGA Status5.bmp Figure 3-16 FLO FPGA, MTI Status, Screen 5/5 The parameters of the SFN FIFO Status screen are as follows.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens 3.4.5 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens IF & RF Processing Status Screens The IF & RF Processing Status selection contains four sub screens, which are: • UDC Interface Board, Screen 1 of 4 2604s300.fm • PLL Board, Screen 2 of 4. • Up Converter Board, Screen 3 of 4. • Down Converter Board, Screen 4 of 4. 3.4.5.1 UDC Interface Board Status, Screen 1/4 UDCInterfaceStatus.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.4.5.2 Details of the Exciter Status Screens PLL Board Status Screen PLLStatus.bmp Figure 3-18 PLL Board Status Screen The PLL Board screen is shown in Figure 3-18, with screen entries listed below. • 15 Vdc: Input power from UDC interface board via connector J1. • -15 Vdc: Input power from UDC interface board via connector J1. • 8 Vdc: Input power from UDC interface board via connector J1.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the Exciter Status Screens 3.4.5.2.1 PLL Diagnostics 2604s300.fm Refer to Figure 3-19. This screen is not used phase lock loop boards where the PLL Board 10 kHz Reference entry, shown in Figure 3-18, is labeled N/A. It is used for units where the PLL Board 10 kHz Reference entry is labeled Yes.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the Exciter Status Screens • 15 Vdc: Input power from UDC interface board via connector J3. • -15 Vdc: Input power from UDC interface board via connector J3. • 8 Vdc: Input power from UDC interface board via connector J3. • RF Detector: Rectified RF output voltage sample from exciter output amplifier. • AGC Unlock.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens • TuneB: (range 0 to 4095) The number in the TuneB window represents the dc voltage applied to the UHF tunable bandpass filter in the up converter. This voltage places the selected transmitting channel in the center of the bandpass of the filter. The initial values for all channels are stored in the exciter. Adjustment is not required. 2604s300.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the Exciter Status Screens These samples normally cycle through in two to four second steps. The sequence is HPF, Amplifier, and HPF. • Board Rev: This is the board revision for the Down Converter board. 3.4.5.4.1 Down Converter Diagnostics DownConverterDiagnostics.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens • RF Sample AGC: (Enabled or Disabled), actually an APC, automatic power control. 2604s300.fm When enabled, the level of each RF sample (at the output of the down converter) is adjusted to the correct level required at the input of the ADC (analog to digital converter). It should remain enabled to keep the IF sample signals to the A/D converter at a constant level.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.4.6.1 Details of the Exciter Status Screens Controller Board Status Screen ControllerStatus.bmp Figure 3-24 Controller Board Status Screen The Controller Board screen is shown in Figure 3-24, with screen entries listed below. • Temp: This is the ambient air temperature of the digital (bottom) side of the exciter. • 3.3 Vdc: This is the output of the 3.3 V dc to dc converter.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens 3.4.6.2 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens External I/O Board Status Screen 2604s300.fm ExternalIOStatus.bmp Figure 3-25 External I/O Board Status Screen The External I/O Board Status screen is shown in Figure 3-25, with screen entries listed below. These entries represent the command inputs and the status and analog outputs that enter and leave connector J1 of the external I/O board at the rear of the exciter.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the Exciter Status Screens • Exc Active: (Off or On) When on, this exciter is on the air. • RF Present: (Off or On) This is an indication that the RF level at the output of the exciter is above a given threshold level. The RF presence threshold is an RF output level of approximately 5 mW. • Board Type: (UHF or VHF) Interface configured to fit existing UHF and VHF exciter interface connections.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens • For both of these entries the selectable range, entered on the touch screen number pad, is 0 to 4095. The number selection represents a dc voltage in millivolts. For example, a setting of 3000 represents 3000 mVdc or 3 Vdc. 2604s300.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.4.6.3 Details of the Exciter Status Screens CAN Bus Status Screen CANStatus.bmp Figure 3-27 CAN Bus Status Screen Information about the Can Status screen will be provided later. 3.4.6.3.1 CAN Diagnostics A CAN Test Message is available on the CAN Diagnostics screen. This function is used by engineering and must remain disabled. 3.4.6.
Details of the Exciter Status Screens 3.4.6.5 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens GPS Status Screen 2604s300.fm GPSStatus.bmp Figure 3-29 Front Panel Board Status Screen This screen gives the status of the Internal GPS (global positioning system) receiver. The GPS is required to synchronize the super frame output transmission time of the various transmitters in a wide area single frequency network.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.5 Built In Tests Built In Tests BuiltInTests.bmp Figure 3-30 Built In Tests Screen The BIT (built in tests) soft key is found on the right side of the System Status screen, shown in Figure 3-5. When the BIT soft key is pressed, see Figure 3-30, a sub window appears. The message in this window is “Starting BIT requires exciter to be muted.” If the Ok soft key is pressed, the exciter RF output is reduced to zero.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens If the User Setup is locked, all setup functions and the exciter power raise and lower functions will be locked and their various setup screen selection values will be greyed out. Only the Exciter Setup screen Frequency and Frequency Offset functions and the change Diagnostics password will be available. 2604s300.fm Refer to Figure 3-31.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens Table 3-3 Settings Resulting From Restore Defaults Activation. Exciter Setup, See Section 3.6.2, Exciter Setup Screen, on page 3-35. Max Mod Crest Factor 13dB See technical manual Exciter Setup RTAC, See Section 3.6.3, RTAC Setup Screen, on page 3-38. Max Stretch 3.0dB See technical manual RTAC Off-Air mode Bypass Bypass or Hold, customer’s choice Display Setup, See Section 3.6.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens Table 3-3 Settings Resulting From Restore Defaults Activation. 2604s300.fm Down Converter Status Diagnostics, See Section 3.4.5.4.1, Down Converter Diagnostics, on page 3-24 RF Sample Select Automatic Normal RF Sample AGC Enabled Normal Controller Status Diagnostics, See Section 3.4.6.1.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens After the 1PPS Mute Delay loss time out has expired, the exciter will mute and the RF output will be zero. The 1PPS Mute Delay range is programable from 0 to 2000 minutes. This setting is found (or changed) in the Main Screen > Setup > FLO FPGA > FPGA Configure 2/5. Internal is an alternate mode. If used, a GPS antenna signal input at the ANT rear panel connector is required.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens If set too high, it could allow nuisance overdrive trips in some transmitter models, where the high amplitude peaks could overdrive the PA modules. This correction takes place before the RTAC circuits. 2604s300.fm Note Nuisance overdrive trips can also be caused by peak stretch, see Main Menu \ Setup \ RTAC Setup \ Max Peak Stretch on page 3-38. Max. Mod. Crest Factor Setup 1.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.6.2.1 Details of the System Setup Screens Power Calibration PowerCalibration.bmp Figure 3-33 Power Calibration Screen Power Cal (calibration) soft key on the right side of the screen in Figure 3-32 activates the exciter RF output power calibration procedure.
Details of the System Setup Screens APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Up to four Existing RTAC correction setups can be saved as RTAC filter sets. An option to name each saved filter setup exists. Filter setups can be stored for many reasons, such as when the transmitter was first installed, after transmitter maintenance, and etc. They are good for comparative testing. 2604s300.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.6.3.1 Details of the System Setup Screens Filter Type The Setup > RTAC Setup > Filter Type applies the necessary amplitude response and group delay precorrection, which reduces the distortions so that they are within the correction range of the RTAC circuits. Selecting the correct filter improves the correction and speeds the initial automatic setup time.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens 3.6.3.4 RTAC Off Air Mode An RTAC Off-Air Mode parameter gives the customer the option of having the exciter's correction in the hold or bypass mode when the exciter is power up but off line. 2604s300.fm • In bypass mode RTAC settings are discarded when exciter is off line and RTAC must re-adapt when the exciter is switched back on line.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens J: The sample of the non linear precorrector output. FLO w/RTAC: Digital signal taken at output of adaptive precorrector board. BIT: Sample of the Built In Test FIFO (for future use). Exciter: RF signal is taken from J4 sample output of exciter PA and connected to J4 sample input on down converter board.
Details of the System Setup Screens 3.6.5.1 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens VSWR Foldback Parameters 2604s300.fm The exciter VSWR foldback function is not used in the Atlas series of transmitters, but the circuit is still in place and it will reduce the exciter output power if the three programable VSWR parameters on this screen are improperly set up. Normal VSWR parameter setup for the Atlas series transmitters are given below.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.6.5.3 Details of the System Setup Screens External I/O Interface to Transmitter Control Logic One of the functions of the he External I/O board is the parallel interface connections between the exciter and the transmitter control logic. In the Exciter Setup screen, shown in Figure 3-32, on page 3-35, the choice of transmitters is presently limited to the Atlas transmitter.
Details of the System Setup Screens 3.6.6 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Serial I/O Setup Screens The Serial I/O entry of the System Setup screen has three sub screens associated with it. They are as follows: 2604s300.fm • Serial Setup 1/3, RS-232 • Serial Setup 2/3, Ethernet • Serial Setup 3/3. CAN (bus) 3.6.6.1 Serial Setup Screen 1 of 3, RS-232 SerialSetup1.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.6.6.2 Details of the System Setup Screens Serial Setup Screen 2 of 3, Ethernet SerialSetup2.bmp Figure 3-38 Serial Setup Screen 2 of 3, Ethernet This screen is for programming the LAN 10 Base-T Ethernet port on the rear panel of the exciter. At the present time the ethernet port is set to talk to the eCDi™, which is a transmitter network interface unit. The APEX exciter software must be version 4.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens 3.6.6.3 Serial Setup Screen 3 of 3, CAN 2604s300.fm SerialSetup3.bmp Figure 3-39 Serial Setup Screen 3 of 3, CAN This screen is for programming the CAN connector on the rear panel of the exciter. This window became available with APEX exciter software versions 5.2 and later. The exciter CAN bus is used with the PowerCD transmitter and with some earlier Diamond and SigmaCD transmitters.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.6.7 Details of the System Setup Screens FPGA Setup The FPGA modulator setup is accomplished in the following nine screens. 3.6.7.1 FPGA Configure 1/5 FPGASetup1.bmp Figure 3-40 FPGA Configure 1/5 FPGA Configure 1/5 consists of registers whose values are written immediately to the FPGA when changed through the GUI. No FPGA re-initialization occurs when any of these registers are changed.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens 3.6.7.2 FPGA Configure 2/5 2604s300.fm FPGASetup2.bmp Figure 3-41 FPGA Configure 2/5 FPGA Configure 2/5 consists of registers whose values are written immediately to the FPGA when changed through the GUI and other software parameters. No FPGA re-initialization occurs when these registers and parameters are changed. The parameters of the FPGA Configure 2/5 screen are as follows.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.6.7.3 Details of the System Setup Screens FPGA Configure 3/5 FPGASetup3.bmp Figure 3-42 FPGA Configure 3/5 FPGA Configure 3/5 consists of registers whose values are written immediately to the FPGA when changed through the GUI. FPGA re-initialization shall occur automatically after any of these registers are changed. The parameters of the FPGA Configure 3/5 screen are as follows.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens 3.6.7.4 FPGA Configure 4/5 2604s300.fm FPGASetup4.bmp Figure 3-43 FPGA Configure 4/5 FPGA Configure 4/5 consists of registers whose values are written immediately to the FPGA when changed through the GUI. FPGA re-initialization shall occur automatically after any FPGA Configure 4/5 register is changed. The parameters of the FPGA Configure 4/5 screen are as follows.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens Frame Length = (Superframe Length – Pos. Pilot Length – 18) / 4; • Local Length: (Unsigned Decimal integer, displayed only, not user configurable – see below) Local Length shall be calculated, written to the FPGA register, and displayed based on the following formula: Local Length = Frame Length – National Length – 4; 3.6.7.5 FPGA Configure 5/5, Restore Defaults FPGASetup5.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Details of the System Setup Screens 3.6.8 Change Passwords > Security Setup 2604s300.fm PasswordSetup.bmp Figure 3-45 Security Setup Screen Two passwords can be entered in the change passwords > security setup screen, refer to Figure 3-45. They are: • User Password: This password is needed to unlock the User Setup entry on the System Setup screen (shown in Figure 3-46, on page 3-54), if it is locked.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.6.8.1 Details of the System Setup Screens User Setup (Locked or Unlocked) SystemSetup.bmp Figure 3-46 System Setup Screen If the User Setup is locked, all setup functions and the exciter power raise and lower functions will be locked and their various setup screen selection values will be greyed out. Only the Exciter Setup screen Frequency and Frequency Offset functions will be available.
RTAC Operating Procedures, Main Screen. APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens To gain access to the diagnostics and the frequency and frequency offset select entries on the exciter setup screen, the System Setup > Diagnostics Setup: Locked screen must be entered. This time an alpha/numeric keypad will appear. • Enter the correct password and select Done. 2604s300.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens 3.7.2 RTAC Operating Procedures, Main Screen. From Adaptive Precorrection Board Status Screen Each of the three RF sample feedbacks below has a bar graph on the adaptive precorrection board status screen. The yellow (upper) bar indicates average power level and the blue (lower) bar indicates peak level.
RTAC Operating Procedures, Main Screen. 3.7.5 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens From RTAC Setup Screen 2604s300.fm Up to four Existing RTAC correction setups can be saved. An option to name each saved filter setup exists. Filter setups can be stored for many reasons, such as when the transmitter was first installed, after transmitter maintenance, and etc. They are good for comparative testing of the transmitter and RTAC correction.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Navigating the LCD Display Screens Page: 3-58 RTAC Operating Procedures, Main Screen. 888-2604-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation General Description 4 Theory of Operation 2604s400.fm 4.1 General Description The program input to the exciter is a data signal called the “Transport Stream” which is coded in the ASI format and has an impedance of 75 ohms. This form of coding allows the clock signal to be recovered from the data stream, instead of requiring separate clock and data paths.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation APEX Exciter Digital Assembly Overview Exciter RF Output RF output to Antenna PA Transport Stream Input PA Cabinet Coupler APEX Exciter High Power Filter Output Coupler PA (Non-Linear) RF Feedback Sample HPF Output (Linear) RF Feedback Sample Figure 4-1 APEX Exciter/ Transmitter - RF Interconnection Block Diagram 4.3 APEX Exciter Digital Assembly Overview Figure 4-2 is an overall block diagram of the APEX exciter.
APEX Exciter Digital Assembly Overview APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation The adaptive precorrector board performs both linear (response and group delay) and non-linear (phase and linearity) RTAC™ pre-correction on the signal as the symbol stream passes through it. RTAC pre-correction is performed as follows. 2604s400.fm The ADC (A11) receives the (11.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation Analog Loopback APEX Exciter Digital Assembly Overview Bottom (Digital) Side External 1PPS Input ADC Adaptive Precorrector Board FPGA Modulator Board ASI Transport Stream Input DAC Controller Board Control Signals To and From all Digital Boards Control Signals To and From Front Panel Display Board Top (Analog) Side 10 kHz UDC Interface Board (Controls Up Converter, PLL and Down Converter Boards) 10 MHz Up Converter (double conver
APEX Exciter Digital Assembly Overview 4.3.2 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation RTAC and Adaptive Precorrector Board Theory 2604s400.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation 4.3.2.1 APEX Exciter Digital Assembly Overview 44.4 MHz Phase Lock Loop A PLL is used to generate the 44.4 MHz clock signal for the modulator tray. It is phase-locked to the 10 MHz reference signal. The 44.4 clock is divided by 4 to produce the 11.1 MHz clock, see Figure 4-3 for a block diagram of the 44.4 MHz phase lock loop. 10 MHz Reference Oscillator (From PLL Board) ÷R Phase Detector 44.4 MHz VCO 44.4 MHz Clock ÷N ÷4 11.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview Ref -1 dBm Att 25 dB * SWT 30 ms 0 A 2604s400.fm -10 1 RM * AVG -20 -30 -40 -50 Response Shoulder Response Shoulder -60 -70 -80 -90 -100 Center 719 MHz 1 MHz/ Span 10 MHz Figure 4-4 Exciter Output Spectral Response, RTAC Bypassed 4.4 APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview The analog assembly (top side of exciter) contains the following subassemblies.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview Power output capability of the exciter is 100 mW average power. The down converter sequentially selects the RF feedback samples from the transmitter system and converts them down to the 11.1 MHz 1st IF frequency. This signal is sent to the ADC (analog to digital converter) board.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview 54-85 MHz Filter On Channel 11.1 MHz 10.76 MHz IF Input Input 140 MHz SAW 2604s400.fm 30 MHz LPF 1st LO 2nd LO Switch 174-213 MHz Filter Switch 470-806 MHz Filter Gain Control Detector Detector Figure 4-5 Up Converter Simplified Block Diagram. 4.4.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation Set Output Power D/A Converter APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview Read Output Power A/D Converter Gain Control Detector Switch 11.1 MHz 10.76MHz Input IF Input 140MHz SAW Filter 30MHz LPF 1st LO 10.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview 2604s400.fm 10 kHz Reference Signal from the FPGA board U29, PLL UDC Board U57, This board gets the 16 bit DAC number, used to set the 10 MHz OCXO frequency, from the FPGA Modulator board. U40, 16 Bit DAC 10 MHz OCXO U32, 3-Way Splitter U41, Electronic Switch J8, 10 MHz Out, feedback used to set 16 bit DAC number. J11, 10 MHz output to 1st and 2nd PLLs.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation 4.4.3.3 APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview Main Phase Lock Loop (Second LO) Refer to Figure 4-9, Second LO Block Diagram. The second LO covers 197-663 MHz. It is referenced to the 10 MHz reference oscillator, which is locked to GPS. It is used to convert the 140 MHz (center channel) second IF to the desired channel center frequency.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation APEX Exciter Analog Assembly Overview 4.4.4 Output Amplifier The output amplifier accepts an on channel input from the up converter and amplifies the signal up to 100 mW average power. It is broad band and covers the VHF and UHF bands. 2604s400.fm The output of the up converter is a low level signal of approximately -11 dBm.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation 4.5 DC Power Distribution DC Power Distribution This material is intended to give an overview of dc power distribution in the APEX exciter. 4.5.1 Main Power Supply The main power supply is located in the left rear side of the analog (top) section of the exciter. The main power supply voltages and their destinations are listed in Table 4-3.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation DC Power Distribution The following are the controller board status screen entries: • +3.3 Vdc: This is the output of the 3.3 V dc to dc converter. • +5 Vdc: This is the board input voltage. 2604s400.fm RTC battery: (OK or FAULT) This is the battery required for the real time clock. 4.5.2.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation 4.5.2.5 DC Power Distribution External I/O Board Power 5 Vdc and +3.3 Vdc are supplied to the external I/O board is received at connector P1 from controller board connector J3. 4.5.2.6 Front Panel Board Power for front panel board is received at connector J1 from controller board connector J4. • +5 Vdc for the front panel board is received at connector J1 pins 1 and 2.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technologyr Theory of Operation DC Power Distribution • +15 Volt Float leaves UDC interface board at J5 pin 2, the return is J5 pin 1. 4.5.3.3 Down Converter Board Power 2604s400.fm The down converter board receives its dc voltages (+/- 15 Vdc and +8 Vdc) from the UDC interface board via connector J8. The down converter board supplies are listed below.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Theory of Operation 4.5.3.5 DC Power Distribution Up Converter Board Power The Up Converter board receives its dc voltages (+/- 15 Vdc and +8 Vdc) from the UDC interface board via connector J3. The up converter board supplies are listed below.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Maintenance 5 Maintenance and Troubleshooting 2604s500.fm This section is a maintenance and troubleshooting guide to the APEX exciter. It is divided into the following three parts. • Exciter Maintenance • General Troubleshooting Notes • System Troubleshooting • Exciter Troubleshooting Trouble shooting is to the board level only, if a board is defective it should be replaced. 5.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Maintenance 8439153013A.PLT Figure 5-1 Top View of Exciter (Analog Side) With Cover Removed Page: 5-2 888-2604-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Maintenance 2604s500.fm 8439153013B.PLT Figure 5-2 Bottom View of Exciter (Digital Side) With Cover Removed 03/08/07 888-2604-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Maintenance Figure 5-3 APEX Exciter Wiring Diagram, Left Side (see Figure 5-4 for right side) Note: Figures 5-3 and 5-4 can be copied and joined to form an 11 x 17 drawing. Page: 5-4 888-2604-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 2604s500.fm Exciter Maintenance Figure 5-4 APEX Exciter Wiring Diagram, Right Side (see Figure 5-3 for left side) Note: Figures 5-3 and 5-4 can be copied and joined to form an 11 x 17 drawing. 03/08/07 888-2604-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 5.1.2 Exciter Maintenance Measuring PLL Board Frequencies Channel center frequency accuracy is directly dependant on the accuracy of the 1st and 2nd local oscillators (LOs) in the PLL board, which get their reference from the 10 MHz reference oscillator.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 2604s500.fm Exciter Maintenance 7 A Set the serial port parameters to match the exciter RS232 parameters for the exciter port which is connected to the computer. This information can be found at Setup > Serial I/O > Serial Setup 1/3 RS-232 screen on the exciter GUI screen. B Hit OK to accept the setup. Press Enter twice in rapid succession to access the exciter. If connection is successful, a blank screen will appear.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 5.1.2.2 Exciter Maintenance PLL Board 10 MHz Reference Oscillator Frequency The PLL board internal 10 MHz reference oscillator frequency is automatically set by comparing it with the external 1PPS (pulse per second) GPS reference signal in the FPGA modulator board. The external 1PPS signal is entered at J19 on the rear panel of the exciter. This oscillator frequency is not adjustable.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Loading Software 5.2 Loading Software 2604s500.fm The APEX exciter software must be occasionally reloaded to update the software to the latest revision, or if the controller board has been changed and contains an incorrect version. The controller board contains the software, user setups, and the MAC address, all of which will be lost if the controller board is changed.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 5.3 Default Settings For DIagnostics Screens Default Settings For DIagnostics Screens The diagnostics functions are useful for testing and troubleshooting the exciter, but if left in the wrong position, the transmitter or exciter will not function properly. Table 5-1 is a quick reference for the default diagnostics settings.
Typical Settings for the More Critical Exciter Setups 5.4 APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Typical Settings for the More Critical Exciter Setups 2604s500.fm Some of the critical setups, which can have a large effect on exciter and transmitter operation, are given in Table 5-2. The remainder of the exciter setups should be fairly obvious when viewing the various setup screens. For additional information concerning the exciter setup screens, see Section 3.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 5.5 Exciter Troubleshooting Flow Charts Exciter Troubleshooting Flow Charts The four charts in this section offer some initial troubleshooting guides for the more common setup related problems encountered with the APEX exciter. More detailed troubleshooting information is available in the succeeding sections of this chapter.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting Flow Charts 2604s500.fm Low (or No) Transmitter Power Output Is the exciter RF output power normal? Y Fault in exciter switcher, interconnecting RF cabling, or PA system, N Check Table 5-1, on page 5-10 to ensure diagnostics settings are normal. Is the exciter RF mute active? See bottom center of Main screen. Y It will read Mute instead of On Air.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Note 1: See RTAC in Section 3.2, Starting Point: The Main LCD Touch Screen, on page 3-2 Transmitter Fails Mask Test Is exciter RTAC Non-Lin correction in Adapt N mode? See exciter Main Screen. Y This mode must be active for exciter to perform non-linear correction, which effects mask performance, See Note 1.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting Flow Charts 2604s500.fm Transmitter has Excessive MER, See Note 1 Does the transmitter pass the mask test? If transmitter fails the mask test, the MER will increase. See Figure 5-7, Transmitter Fails Mask Test Troubleshooting Flow Chart N Is the exciter RTAC Lin HPF and Non-Lin corrections both in Adapt mode? See exciter Main Screen.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 5.6 General Troubleshooting General Troubleshooting This section is a general troubleshooting guide to the APEX exciter. The digital techniques used in the exciter result in a highly reliable product, but when there is a need to check the exciter or the signal passing through it, much, if not all, of the trouble shooting will be performed through the LCD screens, and perhaps some test equipment.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting System Troubleshooting 5.7 System Troubleshooting 2604s500.fm Some faults that show up on the exciter screen may be systems related. Some of these are covered in this section. 5.7.1 PA, HPF, or ADC Adaptive Processing Faults PA, HPF, or ADC over range faults on adaptive processing board can be caused by feedback samples that are too low or too high.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 5.7.3 System Troubleshooting Checking Transmitter Spectrum The spectrum analyzer display on the main screen of the exciter can be used to view the spectral response at the outputs of the various stages within the transmitter PA system and within the exciter. The process is as follows. Note Shoulders refers to the spectral response just outside the channel limits.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting 2604s500.fm Additional information about the transport stream can be found at the Status > Digital Processing > Flo FPGA Registers > Flo FPGA Status 3/5 Transport Stream Status screen. If the quality of the input signal is suspect, a bitstream analyzer should be used to analyze it, or a known good ASI transport signal source should be connected to the ASI input of the exciter. 5.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting A faulty controller board may be the cause of a bad front panel display. If LEDs 0 through 7 are scrolling, the fault is probably a cable going to the front panel board or the board itself. If they are not scrolling, and the controller board power supplies are ok, change the controller board. 5.8.3 Power Supply Voltages Circuit board operating voltages are listed on most of the status screens.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting 5.8.4 Troubleshooting Down to the Board Level 2604s500.fm Isolating a defective circuit board is relatively easy if the faults appear on one or more of the status screens. This involves interpreting the faults so that they point to a particular board. Details of the status screens and their faults are covered in Section 3.4 on page 3-8.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting While performing these tests alternately monitor exciter and FLO w/RTAC on the main screen chart display (these are selected in the chart source on the display setup screen). The exciter display is derived from the ADC data output and the FLO w/RTAC display is derived from the DAC input data. 1 This method uses the digital loopback feature of the adaptive processing diagnostics screen.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting 2604s500.fm If the above test is passed and the front panel indicates output power (exciter not muted) but no power is present at exciter rear panel output connector, the problem could be with the output amplifier mute circuit, the UDC board mute circuit or cable W3, which connects the amplifier output connector J2 to the RF output connector on the exciter rear panel.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting 5.8.6.2 Exciter Troubleshooting Adaptive Precorrector Board This board uses several main screen chart memories, selected from the chart source of the display setup screen. They are listed below. The FLO Ref memory is located at the input of the Adaptive precorrector board. The FLO w/RTAC memory monitors the output of the board. This is the signal that drives the DAC to produce the 11.1 MHz 1st IF.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting 5.8.7 Analog Tray Troubleshooting A brief outline of troubleshooting topics is included below. The RF input and output levels for the analog tray are listed in Table 5-4. 2604s500.fm • Exciter loopback test. Loopback tests are covered in Section 5.8.5, Isolating Problem to the Analog or Digital Tray, on page 5-21. • Frequency test. Frequency topics are covered in Section 5.1.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exciter Troubleshooting Table 5-5 Phase Noise Mask Frequency Offset relative to CW signal. 10 Hz 100 Hz 1 kHz 10 kHz Phase Noise PSD (dBc/Hz) -50 -80 -90 -95 Frequency Offset relative to CW signal.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Parts List 6 Parts List 2604s600.
APEX™ Exciter Incorporating FLO™ Technology Parts List 992 9995 006 992 9995 011 992 9995 013 992 9995 015 992 9995 030 992 9995 033 992 9995 035 992 9995 045 992 9995 046 992 9995 051 992 9995 054 Page: 6-2 PWA, DOWN CONVERTER *PWA, A/D CONVERTER *PWA, ADAPTIVE PRECORRECTOR PWA, UDC INTERFACE PWA, UPCONVERTER PWA, UHF BAND PASS FILTER *PWA, UHF EXTERNAL I/O PWA, OUTPUT AMPLIFIER PWA, FPGA MODULATOR BOARD PWA, QUALCOMM PLL *PWA, CONTROLLER 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 1 EA 888-2604
Sigma® CD3 Diamond Drive Transmitter Exciter GUI Screen Captures Appendix A Exciter GUI Screen Captures This procedure describes how to perform a screen capture from an APEX FLO exciter. Tera Term Pro is the program used in this procedure when capturing screens. 2604sapa.fm The procedure is as follows. 1 Connect a male-female DB-9 straight-through cable from Com 1 on your computer to the RS232 connector on the front or rear panel of the APEX FLO exciter. 2 Open Tera Term Pro on the computer.
Sigma® CD3 Diamond Drive Transmitter Exciter GUI Screen Captures C Press the close soft key to close the log file. 10 If you want to capture another screen after closing the log file, select “Control” and then “Reset terminal”. Press “Enter” twice and return to step 5 to capture another screen. Figure A-1 Tera Term Pro Screen When Connected to Exciter Figure A-2 Stop Action Capture of Screen Down Load Scroll. Page: A-2 888-2482-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
Sigma® CD3 Diamond Drive Transmitter 2604sapa.fm Exciter GUI Screen Captures Figure A-3 Tera Term Log Window Selected When Download Has Completed 03/08/07 888-2482-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
Sigma® CD3 Diamond Drive Transmitter Exciter GUI Screen Captures Page: A-4 888-2482-001 WARNING: Disconnect primary power prior to servicing.
