UBS Axcera LL300ATC User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

(Preliminary)

INNOVATOR LX SERIES

1.67 GHz 300W DVB-H TRANSMITTER

AXCERA, LLC

103 FREEDOM DRIVE P.O. BOX 525 LAWRENCE, PA 15055-0525 USA

[phone] • FAX [phone]

www.axcera.com • [e-mail]

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Manual Overview

This manual provides descriptions of the
transmitter and associated equipment
along with the set up and operating
procedures. It is important that you
read all of the instructions, especially
the safety information in this chapter,
before you begin operating the unit.

This instruction manual is divided into
five chapters and supporting appendices.
Chapter 1, Introduction, contains
information on the assembly numbering
system used in the manual, safety,
contact information, return procedures,
and warranties. Chapter 2, System
Description, includes overview of entire
transmitter system. Chapter 3, Circuit
Descriptions, contains circuit level
descriptions for boards and board level
components in the transmitter. Chapter
4, Transmitter Tuning Procedure,
provides information on adjusting the
system for optimal operation. Appendix

A contains system specifications.
Appendix B contains Site Drawings.
Appendix C contains a list of Modules

and Site ID. Appendix D Sit e
Acceptance Document.

1.2 Assembly Designators

Axcera has assigned assembly numbers,
Ax designations such as A1, where
x=1,2,3…etc, to all assemblies, modules,
and boards in the system.

These designations are referenced in the
text of this manual and shown on the
drawings provided in the appendices.

The cables that connect between the
boards within a tray or assembly and
that connect between the trays, racks
and cabinets are labeled using Brady
markers.

Figure 1-1 is an example of a Brady
marked cable. There may be as few as
two or as many as four Markers on any
one cable. These Brady markers are
read starting furthest from the
connector. If there are four Brady
Markers, this marker is the transmitter
number such as transmitter 1 or
Transmitter 2. The next or the furthest
Brady Marker is the rack or cabinet
number on an interconnect cable or the
board number within a tray. The next
number on an interconnect cable is the
Tray location or number. The Brady
marker closest to the connector is the
Jack or Connector number on an
interconnect cable or the jack or
connector number on the board within a
tray.

Figure 1-1 Brady Marker Identification Drawing

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-1

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

1.3 Safety

The 1.67 GHz transmitter systems
manufactured by Axcera are designed to
be easy to use and repair while providing
protection from electrical and mechanical
hazards. Please review the following
warnings and familiarize yourself with the
operation and servicing procedures
before working on the transmitter
system.

Read All safety Instructions – All of
the safety instructions should be read
and understood before operating this
equipment.

Retain Manuals – The manuals for the
transmitter should be retained at the
transmitter site for future reference.
Axcera provides two sets of manuals for
this purpose; one set can be left at the
office while one set can be kept at the
site.

Heed all Notes, Warnings, and
Cautions – All of the notes, warnings,

and cautions listed in this safety section
and throughout the manual must be
followed.

Follow Operating Instructions – All of
the operating and use instructions for the
transmitter should be followed.

Cleaning – Unplug or otherwise
disconnect all power from the equipment
before cleaning. Do not use liquid or
aerosol cleaners. Use a damp clo th for
cleaning.

Ventilation – Openings in the cabinet
and module front panels are provided for
ventilation. To ensure the reliable
operation of the driver/transmitter, and
to protect the unit from overheating,
these openings must not be blocked.

Servicing – Do not attempt to service
this product yourself until becoming
familiar with the equipment. If in doubt,
refer all servicing questions to qualified
Axcera service personnel.

Replacement Parts – When
replacement parts are used, be sure that
the parts have the same functional and
performance characteristics as the
original part. Unauthorized substitutions
may result in fire, electric shock, or other
hazards. Please contact the Axcera
Technical Service Department if you have
any questions regarding service or
replacement parts.

1.4 Contact Information

The Axcera Field Service Department can
be contacted by phone at (724) 873-
8100 or by fax at [phone].

Before calling Axcera, please be prepared
to supply the Axcera technician with
answers to the following questions. This
will save time and help ensure the most
direct resolution to the problem.

1. What are the Customers’ Name and
call letters?

2. What are the model number and
type of transmitter?

3. How long has the transmitter been
on the air? (Appro ximately when was
the transmitter installed.)

4. What are the symptoms being
exhibited by the transmitter? Include
the current control/power supply
LCD readings and the status of LEDs
on the front panels of the modules.
If possible, include the control/power
supply LCD readings before the
problem occurred.

1.5 Material Return Procedure

To insure the efficient handling of
equipment or components that have been
returned for repair, Axcera requests that
each returned item be accompanied by a
Material Return Authorization Number
(MRA#).

The MRA# can be obtained from any
Axcera Field Service Engineer by
contacting the Axcera Field Service
Department at [phone] or by fax
at [phone]. This procedure
applies to all items sent to the Field

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-2

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

Service Department regardless of
whether the item was originally
manufactured by Axcera.

When equipment is sent to the field on
loan, an MRA# is included with the unit.
The MRA# is intended to be used when
the unit is returned to Axcera. In
addition, all shipping material should be
retained for the return of the unit to
Axcera.

Replacement assemblies are also sent
with an MRA# to allow for the proper
routing of the exchanged hardware.
Failure to close out this type of MRA# will
normally result in the customer being
invoiced for the value of the loaner item
or the exchanged assembly.

When shipping an item to Axcera, please
include the MRA# on the packing list and
on the shipping container. The packing
slip should also include contact
information and a brief description of why
the unit is being returned.

Please forward all MRA items to:

AXCERA, LLC
103 Freedom Drive
P.O. Box 525
Lawrence, PA 15055-0525 USA

For more information concerning this
procedure, call the Axcera Field Service
Department @ [phone].
Axcera can also be contacted through e­mail at [e-mail] and on the
Web at www.axcera.com.

1.6 Limited One Year Warranty for
Axcera Products

Axcera warrants each new product that
it has manufactured and sold against
defects in material and workmanship
under normal use and service for a
period of one (1) year from the date of

shipment from Axcera's plant, when
operated in accordance with Axcera's
operating instructions. This warranty
shall not apply to tubes, fuses,
batteries, bulbs or LEDs.

Warranties are valid only when and if
(a) Axcera receives prompt written
notice of breach within the period of
warranty, (b) the defective product is
properly packed and returned by the
buyer (transportation and insurance
prepaid), and (c) Axcera determines, in
its sole judgment, that the product is
defective and not subject to any misuse,
neglect, improper installation,
negligence, accident, or (unless
authorized in writing by Axcera) repair
or alteration. Axcera's exclusive liability
for any personal and/or property
damage (including direct, consequential,
or incidental) caused by the breach of
any or all warranties, shall be limited to
the following: (a) repairing or replacing
(in Axcera's sole discretion) any
defective parts free of charge (F.O.B.
Axcera’s plant) and/or (b) crediting (in
Axcera's sole discretion) all or a portion
of the purchase price to the buyer.

Equipment furnished by Axcera, but not
bearing its trade name, shall bear no
warranties other than the special hours ­of-use or other warranties extended by
or enforceable against the manufacturer
at the time of delivery to the buyer.

NO WARRANTIES, WHETHER
STATUTORY, EXPRESSED, OR
IMPLIED, AND NO WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR
ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR
FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT,
OR THE LIKE, OTHER THAN AS
SPECIFIED IN PATENT LIABILITY
ARTICLES, AND IN THIS ARTICLE,
SHALL APPLY TO THE EQUIPMENT
FURNISHED HEREUNDER.

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-3

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

F WARNING!!!

× HIGH VOLTAGE Ø

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR OR TROUBLESHOOT THIS EQUIPMENT UNLESS
YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH ITS OPERATION AND EXPERIENCED IN
SERVICING HIGH VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT. LETHAL VOLTAGES ARE PRESENT
WHEN POWER IS APPLIED TO THIS SYSTEM. IF POSSIBLE, TURN OFF
POWER BEFORE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SYSTEM.

« RADIO FREQUENCY RADIATION HAZARD «

MICROWAVE TRANSMITTERS GENERATE HAZARDOUS RF RADIATION THAT
CAN CAUSE SEVERE INJURY INCLUDING CATARACTS, WHICH CAN RESULT
IN BLINDNESS. SOME CARDIAC PACEMAKERS MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE RF
ENERGY EMITTED BY MICROWAVE TRANSMITTERS. NEVER OPERATE THE
TRANSMITTER SYSTEM WITHOUT A PROPERLY MATCHED RF ENERGY
ABSORBING LOAD ATTACHED. KEEP PERSONNEL AWAY FROM OPEN
WAVEGUIDES AND ANTENNAS. NEVER LOOK INTO AN OPEN WAVEGUIDE
OR ANTENNA. MONITOR ALL PARTS OF THE RF SYSTEM FOR RADIATION
LEAKAGE AT REGULAR INTERVALS.

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-4

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

EMERGENCY FIRST AID INSTRUCTIONS

Personnel engaged in the installation, operation, or maintenance of this equipment are urged to become
familiar with the following rules both in theory and practice. It is the duty of all operating personnel to be
prepared to give adequate Emergency First Aid and thereby prevent avoidable loss of life.

RESCUE BREATHING

1. Find out if the person is
breathing.

You must find out if the person
has stopped breathing. If you
think he is not breathing, place
him flat on his back. Put your ear
close to his mouth and look at his
chest. If he is breathing you can
feel the air on your cheek. You
can see his chest move up and
down. If you do not feel the air
or see the chest move, he is not
breathing.

2. If he is not breathing, open
the airway by tilting his head
backwards.

Lift up his neck with one hand
and push down on his forehead
with the other. This opens the
airway. Sometimes doing this will
let the person breathe again by
himself.

SKIN REDDENED: Apply ice cold water to burned
area to prevent burn from going deeper into skin
tissue. Cover area with a clean sheet or cloth to
keep away air. Consult a physician.

SKIN BLISTERED OR FLESH CHARRED: Apply
ice cold water to burned area to prevent burn from
going deeper into skin tissue.

3. If he is still not breathing,
begin rescue breathing.

-Keep his head tilted backward.
Pinch nose shut.

-Put your mouth tightly over his
mouth.

-Blow into his mouth once every
five seconds

-DO NOT STOP rescue breathing
until help arrives.

LOOSEN CLOTHING - KEEP
WARM

Do this when the victim is
breathing by himself or help is
available. Keep him as quiet as
possible and from becoming
chilled. Otherwise treat him for
shock.

BURNS

Cover area with clean sheet or cloth to keep away
air. Treat victim for shock and take to hospital.

EXTENSIVE BURN - SKIN BROKEN: Cover area
with clean sheet or cloth to keep away air. Treat
victim for shock and take to hospital.

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-5

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

dBm, dBw, dBmV, dBµV, & VOLTAGE

EXPRESSED IN WATTS

50 Ohm System

WATTS PREFIX dBm dBw dBmV dBµV VOLTAGE

1,000,000,000,000 1 TERAWATT +150 +120
100,000,000,000 100 GIGAWATTS +140 +110
10,000,000,000 10 GIGAWATTS +130 +100
1,000,000,000 1 GIGAWATT +120 + 99
100,000,000 100 MEGAWATTS +110 + 80
10,000,000 10 MEGAWATTS +100 + 70
1,000,000 1 MEGAWATT + 90 + 60
100,000 100 KILOWATTS + 80 + 50
10,000 10 KILOWATTS + 70 + 40
1,000 1 KILOWATT + 60 + 30
100 100 WATTS + 50 + 20
50 50 WATTS + 47 + 17
20 20 WATTS + 43 + 13
10 10 WATTS + 40 + 10
1 1 WATT + 30 0 + 77 +137 7.07V

0.1 100 MILLIWATTS + 20 - 10 + 67 +127 2.24V

0.01 10 MILLIWATTS + 10 - 20 + 57 +117 0.707V

0.001 1 MILLIWATT 0 - 30 + 47 +107 224mV

0.0001 100 MICROWATTS - 10 - 40

0.00001 10 MICROWATTS - 20 - 50

0.000001 1 MICROWATT - 30 - 60

0.0000001 100 NANOWATTS - 40 - 70

0.00000001 10 NANOWATTS - 50 - 80

0.000000001 1 NANOWATT - 60 - 90

0.0000000001 100 PICOWATTS - 70 -100

0.00000000001 10 PICOWATTS - 80 -110

0.000000000001 1 PICOWATT - 90 -120

TEMPERATURE CONVERSION

° F = 32 + [(9/5) °C]

° C = [(5/9) (°F - 32)]

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-6

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

USEFUL CONVERSION FACTORS

To Convert From To Multiply By

mile (US statute) kilometer (km) 1.609347
inch (in) millimeter (mm) 25.4

inch (in) centimeter (cm) 2.54
inch (in) meter (m) 0.0254
foot (ft) meter (m) 0.3048
yard (yd) meter (m) 0.9144
mile per hour (mph) kilometer per hour(km/hr) 1.60934
mile per hour (mph) meter per second (m/s) 0.44704
pound (lb) kilogram (kg) 0.4535924
gallon (gal) liter 3.7854118
U.S. liquid
(One U.S. gallon equals 0.8327 Canadian gallon)
fluid ounce (fl oz) milliliters (ml) 29.57353
British Thermal Unit watt (W) 0.2930711
per hour (Btu/hr)
horsepower (hp) watt (W) 746

NOMENCLATURE OF FREQUENCY BANDS

Frequency Range Designation
3 to 30 kHz VLF - Very Low Frequency

30 to 300 kHz LF - Low Frequency
300 to 3000 kHz MF - Medium Frequency
3 to 30 MHz HF - High Frequency
30 to 300 MHz VHF - Very High Frequency
300 to 3000 MHz UHF - Ultrahigh Frequency
3 to 30 GHz SHF - Superhigh Frequency
30 to 300 GHz EHF - Extremely High Frequency

LETTER DESIGNATIONS FOR UPPER FREQUENCY

BANDS

Letter Freq. Band

L 1 – 2 GHz
S 2 - 4 GHz
C 4 - 8 GHz
X 8 - 12 GHz
Ku 12 - 18 GHz
K 18 - 27 GHz
Ka 27 - 40 GHz
MM 40 - 100 GHz

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-7

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS

AC Alternating Current
AFC Automatic Frequency Control

ALC Automatic Level Control
AM Amplitude Modulation

AGC Automatic Gain Control
ASI Asynchronous Serial Interface
AWG American Wire Gauge

BER Bit Error Rate
BW Bandwidth

COFDM Orthogonal Frequency

Division Multiplexing

DC Direct Current

D/A Digital to Analog
dB Decibel
dBm Decibel referenced to 1 milliwatt

dBmV Decibel referenced to 1 millivolt
dBw Decibel referenced to 1 watt

FEC Forward Error Correction
FM Frequency Modulation
GSM Global System for Mobile

Communications

GPS Global Positioning System
Hz Hertz

ICPM Incidental Carrier Phase Modulation
I/P Input

IF Intermediate Frequency

LED Light Emitting Diode
LNB Low Noise Block converter

LSB Lower Sideband
MPEG Motion Pictures Expert Group

O/P Output
PLL Phase Locked Loop
PCB Printed Circuit Board

SFN Single Frequency Network
QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-8

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 1, Introduction

-

50

-

70

N

dB

RETURN LOSS VS. VSWR

0

-10

-20

R
E
T
U
R

L
O
S
S

-30

-40

-60

1.001 1.01 1.1 2.0

VSWR

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 1-9

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 2, System Description

Single

Chassis

00ATC

Chassis

Chapter 2

System Description

System Overview

The LX Series Innovator digital
transmitters are complete 1.67 GHz
modular television transmitters that
operate at a nominal output power of 50
to 300 watts digital. These systems can
be either single output or dual output
transmitters. The transmitter is divided
into two major assemblies, the
Exciter/Driver Chassis Assembly and the
Power Amplifier Chassis Assembly as
shown in Figure 2-1.

The LL300ATC transmitter operates at a
nominal output power of 300 watts
digital. Typically with a 36 MHz COFDM
(orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing) IF input the transmitter
produces an RF on channel 1.67 MHz
output.

Figure 2-1: LL300ATC Front View

The model number scheme for a
Innovator LX Series digital transmitter is
as follows (where ### = power in
watts):

LL####ATC - Low power, L-Band, ###
Single Output, A-Line, Transmitter,
COFDM
(Example):
LL300ATC is a 300 Watt Single Output
Digital 1.67 GHz Transmitter using the
Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiplexing modulation scheme.

The modules and assemblies that make
up the Exciter/driver chassis assembly
are shown in Figure 2-2 and listed in
Table 2-1.

Exciter/Driver

Assembly

LL3

Power Amplifier

Assembly

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 2-1

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 2, System Description

A4 A6 A1

Figure 2-2: Exciter/Driver Chassis, Single, 1.67 GHz, Front View

Table 2-1: Exciter/Driver, 1.67 GHz, Modules and Assemblies

ASSEMBLY DESIGNATOR TRAY/ASSEMBLY NAME PART NUMBER

A1 Metering Module 1304976
A2 Upconverter Module, Single 1305061
A4 Control/Power Supply Module 1305035 (220 VAC)
A6 5 Watt Driver Amplifier Module 1304844

A11 Backplane Board, 1.67 GHz 1304891

2.1 Exciter Amplifier Chassis
Assembly, Single, 1.67 GHz, 220 VAC
(1305021); Appendix B

The chassis assembly provides the area
in which the Modules are mounted. The
Metering and the Upconverter Modules
slide into the assembly and plug directly
into the backplane board. The driver
power amplifier module and the power
supply section of the Control &
Monitoring/Power Supply Module also
slide into the assembly but do not plug
directly into the backplane board. The
backplane board provides module to
module interconnection as well as
interconnection to re mote command and
control connectors. Refer to the chassis
interconnect drawing (1305023) and the
backplane board schematic drawing
(1304893), located in Appendix B, for the
exciter amplifier chassis assembly
connections.

A2

Exciter Amplifier Chassis
Assembly, Single, 1.67 GHz

2.1.1 (A1) Metering Assembly, 1.6 7
GHz (1304976; Appendix B)

The (A1) Metering Assembly contains the
Metering Board, 1.67 GHz (1304922).

This assembly has circuitry that is used
to measure the average power of up to
four RF inputs. Each RF input is split on
the Metering Board, with some of the
signal being applied to an average
power detector, and the rest of the

1305021 (220 VAC)

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 2-2

1.67 GHz 300 Watt Single Output Transmitter Chapter 2, System Description

signal sent to the front panel sample to
allow the operator to monitor the RF
signal with his own test equipment. The
output of each detector is sent to the

Table 2-2. Metering Assembly Front Panel Samples

SMA CONNECTOR DESCRIPTION

FWD SAMPLE A Sample of A Output Power

REFL SMAPLE A Sample of A Reflected Power

FWD SAMPLE B Sample of B Output Power
REFL SMAPLE B Sample of B Reflected Power

2.1.2 (A2) Upconverter Module
Assembly (1305061; Appendix B)

The Upconverter Module Assembly
contains an Upconverter Control board
(1304780), an LO Generator board
(1304940) and either one or two
Upconverter boards (1304929).

This assembly converts either one or
two separate 36 MHz IF signals to either
one or two RF outputs at a frequency of
1670-1675 MHz.

The description below is for one half of
the upconverter assembly. The IF and
upconverter paths can be duplicated to
provide two outputs when needed. The
second IF path is always present, but
not used in single output upconverters.
A second Upconverter board is added for
dual output transmitters.

An IF Signal centered at 36 MHz at a
level of 0 dBm average is applied to the
Upconverter Control board. A sample is
applied to a peak detector, which checks
for the presence of an IF input. If the
input is not present, an alarm is

transmitter's system control via the
Backplane board into which the
assembly plugs.

generated and displayed on the
module's front panel, and is also not ed
by the microcontroller on the
Upconverter control board. The IF
signal is then applied to a pin diode
attenuator, which is used to hold the
output level of the transmitter constant.

The signal then is applied to the
Upconverter board, and converted to RF
via a double balanced mixer. The
resulting RF output signal is filtered,
then amplified, and is sent back to the
Upconverter Control board, which routes
it to the back of the tray. There is also a
second output -20dB from the main
output that is sent to the front panel as
a sample.

The local oscillator consists of a Crystal
oscillator running at 1/15 of the final LO
frequency of 1708.5 MHz. The oscillator
drives a X5 multiplier, is filtered, and
then is sent to a final X3 multiplier
circuit. A sample of the output signal is
applied to a PLL circuit, which locks the
LO signal to a 10 MHz reference
generated by the Upconverter Control
Board. An alarm is generated if the PLL
unlocks that is sent to a microcontroller
on the Upconverter Control Board. There
are two outputs that are sent to the two
upconverter control boards, and a third
output used as a front panel LO sample.

The LO generator board also contains all
the front panel alarms and controls. In
addition to the Input Fault indicator
mentioned above, there is also an
indicator that shows the status of the
Overdrive detection circuit, and another

LL300ATC, Rev. 0 2-3