DB Eletronica KE 20 R 2.3.2
DB Eletronica KE 20 R 2.3.2
DB Eletronica KE 20 R 2.3.2
KE 20
FM Broadcasting Exciter/Transmitter
User’s Manual
Release 2.3.2
SAFETY NOTICES
WARNING
To avoid risks of electrical shocks or fire, only qualified personnel should execute the procedures
specified in this manual.
WARNING
When the protective covers of any device or component connected to a 110 / 240 VAC source by a
power cord are removed, voltages and currents dangerous to life may be exposed.
WARNING
Contact with 110 / 240 Volts of alternating current and associated direct current and voltages can be
fatal.
DANGEROUS
RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION
To reduce the risks of electrical shock, do not remove the cover (or the back). Refer, for servicing,
to qualified service personnel. This installation should be done by a qualified person and should
comply with to all local applicable laws.
NOTICE: ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION IN THIS MANUAL ARE SUBJECT TO
CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
INDEX
1. KE 20 FM EXCITER/TRANSMITTER ................................................................................................................ 4
1.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................... 4
2. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 7
3. INSTALLATION...................................................................................................................................................... 9
1. KE 20 FM EXCITER/TRANSMITTER
1.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The KE 20 is a FM broadcasting exciter/transmitter that has a continuous variable 0÷25 W
output power, adjustable by external control.
The output frequency range is 87.5 - 108 MHz with a 10 kHz step internal or front panel
frequency programmability (/C option).
The /S option is characterized by an excellent built-in digital stereo coder with stereo
separation ≥ 65 dB and signal/noise ratio ≥ 80 dB.
The /R option indicates the presence of fully remote control capability with remote adjustment and
check of all the main parameters. Output power adjustment, power on/off switch, protections reset,
forward and reflected power measure, frequency deviation measurement and control, alarm status
are among the main possibilities of the remote control option.
The exciter/transmitter has a high frequency stability, thanks to a Digital Phase Locked
Loop system and a very low drift reference quartz.
An internal deviation limiter controls the maximum frequency deviation avoiding the
interference of adjacent channels in case of accidental over modulation, but in order to
limit the over modulation it’s necrssary to insert the jumper jp6.
An interesting feature of the KE 20 exciter/transmitter is an intelligent protection against
load mismatchings (VSWR).
Every alarm signal is displayed by front panel LEDS.
The metering front panel bar together with led indicators allows all the main parameters
and operating conditions to be completely and easily checked. In fact, output power,
reflected power, voltage supply for the power amplifier, frequency deviation, L & R and
MPX can be continuously verified using the front panel meter.
Front panel adjustment, output power setting (PWR adj.), frequency deviation (DEV adj.),
frequency transmission (/C option), manual/remote control selection (/R option) and
mono/stereo selection (/S option) are among the operations that can be performed.
An output low-pass filter ensures a pure RF spectrum, according to international requirements.
High-efficiency switching-mode power supply provides higher reliability and reduces
power consumption. Battery operation is also available as an option (/VDC).
2. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
DATA
Output frequency range.................................................................................................87.5 - 108 MHz
Output frequency setting synthesized with a 10 kHz step PLL
(front-panel digiswitches microprocessor-controlled through /C option)
Output impedance .......................................................................................................................... 50 Ω
Output connector ................................................................................................................................. N
Continuous output power ................................................................... 0÷25 W continuously adjustable
Frequency stability
Thermal drift (0 ÷ 50 °C) ........................................................................................................ ± 250 Hz
Ageing drift ..................................................................................................................... ± 300 Hz/year
Harmonics ................................................................................................................................. ≤-63 dB
Spurious .................................................................................................................................... ≤-80 dB
Syncro AM modulation............................................................................................................. ≤-55 dB
Asyncro AM modulation .......................................................................................................... ≤-60 dB
MODULATION DATA
Mono operation
Input level -6 - +10 dBm
Input connector ............................................................................................................... XLR balanced
Input impedance ........................................................................................................................... 600 Ω
Bandwidth (± 0.25 dB).................................................................................................. 20 Hz - 15 kHz
Attenuation of frequency ≥ 19 kHz............................................................................................ ≥50 dB
Preemphasis ..........................................................................................................................50/75 μsec
S/N ratio (± 75 kHz peak dev. with 1 kHz input, 50μs deemph.) .............................................. ≥80 dB
THD+N (± 75 kHz peak dev. with 1 kHz input, unweighted) .....................................................≤0.1%
POWER REQUIREMENTS
Operating voltage ................................................................................. 115/230 Vac ± 10 %, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption (at 25 W output) ......................................................................................... 50 VA
Battery operation (optional) ........................................................................................................ 12 Vcc
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
Operating conditions
Options
External frequency setting (/C)
Stereo coder (/S)
Remote control (/R)
Battery operation (/VDC)
3. INSTALLATION
The list below describes the basic steps for installing KE 20 exciter (make reference to Fig. 1.1).
1 - Check that the ON/OFF switch on the rear panel (45) is in OFF position.
2 - Check that the internal setting of the main supply voltage on the rear panel (44) is correct (115 -
230V).
4 - Connect the transmitter to the mains power supply (45) (115 - 230V).
5 - Switch ON the exciter by the ON/OFF switch on the rear of the transmitter (45).
On the front panel you will see the “PWR” led (6) lit, and some seconds later the “LOCK” led (2)
lit too.
6 - Select by front panel push-button (21) the forward power measurement (led FWD light on).
7 - Adjust the output power by means of the front panel potentiometer (8), checking the front panel
meter (10).
⇒ “LOCK” led lighted (2) shows the correct lock of the frequency synthesis circuit on the
modulation board.
⇒ “STEREO” led lighted (4) shows the use of the internal stereo generator board (KE 20/S). This
led is connected to the switch (11) labelled “STEREO/MONO” located on the front panel, which
permits selecting the type of signal to be modulated.
The mono signal is obtained by the semisum of the left and right signals for the KE /S.
If the stereo generator board is not present, the aforementioned switch and the corresponding LED
are not used.
⇒ “PWR” led lighted (6) shows that the transmitter is switched on and connected to the mains
power supply.
⇒ “VSWR” led lighted (5) shows that the VSWR protection is fully operative.
Such intelligent protection is characterised by an automatic reset circuit of about 2-3 second delay
to avoid risks of accidental intervention. This autoreset tries to restore the normal working only 3-4
times and then it switched off the transmitter definitively (for this purpose, press the “RESET”
push-button (7).
⇒ “REMOTE” led lighted (3) shows that the remote control option is activated, using the
“REM/MAN” switch located on the front panel (13).
If the transmitter is not equipped with the remote control optional board, the “REM/MAN” switch
and the “REMOTE” led are not used.
4.3 MEASURES
On the front panel a 20 led bar (10) allows the most important parameters of the transmitter to be
measured.
The front panel push-button labelled “MEASURE SELECT” (21) enables selecting the desired
measure which will be indicated by the ON light of one of the leds below the bar (14, 15, 16, 17,
18, 19, 20).
- For the reflected measures, the scale represents a total output of 3.2W and the corresponding other
values of the scale are divided by ten as shown in the figure.
- For the VPA measure, the scale represents a total output of 16 V.
- For the MPX, LEFT and RIGHT measures the scale represents a total output of 16Vpp.
- For the DEV measure, the entire scale represents a 160 kHz peak.
If the measured value is very low compared with the entire scale, you can use the “ x1 / x10” switch
on the front panel (12) to increase it for a better resolution.
The power supply of the equipment is provided by two switching circuits: the first one provides the
+12V and +24V output while the second one furnishes the +12 V and the -12V for AMP30, Sintel
96,stereo coder and front panel boards.
The switching-mode power supply has many benefits:
1) the efficiency is higher than 80%, so there is a considerable reduction of the internal heating,
thus simplifying the cooling system;
2) the lower thermic and mechanical stress for associated components, such as the transformer,
the diodes and the rectifier bridge;
3) the power supply voltages of the internal stages (+12 and -12 Vdc) are constant even in case
of wide mains fluctuations (± 10 %).
RS 75-24 CHARACTERISTICS
DC voltage 24V
Rated current 3.2A
Current range 0 – 3.2A
Rated Power 768W
Ripple & noise (max) 120mVp-p
OUTPUT Voltage ajd range 22 – 27.6V
Voltage tolerance ± 1.0%
Line regulation ± 0.5%
Load regulation ± 0.5%
Setup, rise, hold time 500ms, 30ms, 50 ms/230VAC
1200ms, 30ms, 12ms/115VAC at full load
Voltage range 88 – 264 VAC
Frequency range 47 – 63 Hz
Efficiency 85%
INPUT
AC current 2A/115VAC 1.2A/230VAC
Inrush current (max) Cold start 40A/230VAC
Leakage current <2mA/240VAC
Overload 110 - 150% rated output power
Over voltage 27.6 – 32.4 V
PROTECTION
Protection type: Hiccup mode, recovers
automatically after fault condition is removed
Working temperature -25 ÷ +70°C
Working humidity 20 – 90 % RH not condensing
Storage temperature, humidity -40 ÷ +85 °C, 10 ÷ 95% RH
ENVIRONNEMENT
Temp. Coefficient ±0.03%/°C (0÷50°C)
Vibration 10 – 500 Hz, 5G 10min/1cycle, period for 60
min. each along X,Y,Z axes
MTBF 265 Khrs min
OTHERS Dimension 129/97/38 mm (L/W/H)
Weight 0.41 kg
RS 35-13 CHARACTERISTICS
DC voltage 13.5V
Rated current 1.3A
Current range 0.3 – 2A for CH1 / 0.2 – 1.5A for CH2
Rated Power 35.1W
Ripple & noise (max) 120mVp-p
OUTPUT Voltage ajd range CH 1: 11.5 – 15.5V
Voltage tolerance ± 4.0%
Line regulation ± 0.5%
Load regulation ± 3.0%
Setup, rise, hold time 500ms, 30ms, 50 ms/230VAC
1200ms, 30ms/115VAC at full load
Voltage range 88 – 264 VAC
Frequency range 47 – 63 Hz
Efficiency 80%
INPUT
AC current 0.8A/115VAC 0.55A/230VAC
Inrush current (max) Cold start 36A/230VAC
Leakage current <2mA/240VAC
Overload 110 - 150% rated output power
Over voltage CH1: 5.75 – 6.75 V
PROTECTION
Protection type: Hiccup mode, recovers
automatically after fault condition is removed
Working temperature -25 ÷ +70°C
Working humidity 20 – 90 % RH not condensing
Storage temperature, humidity -40 ÷ +85 °C, 10 ÷ 95% RH
ENVIRONNEMENT
Temp. Coefficient ±0.03%/°C (0÷50°C)
Vibration 10 – 500 Hz, 5G 10min/1cycle, period for 60
min. each along X,Y,Z axes
MTBF 179 Khrs min
OTHERS Dimension 99/82/36 mm (L/W/H)
Weight 0.3 kg
The modulation board SINTEL 96 allows a high quality direct carrier modulation accepting a
composite stereo (MPX) or a mono input signal with up to 3 SCA subcarriers (for example
RDS, ARI, ...).
The mono input signal is filtered by a 7th order elliptic filter with a very flat response (20Hz÷15kHz
with ± 0.25 dB) and an optimum out of band attenuation (>50 dB for frequencies greater than
19 kHz), then the signal is amplified (or attenuated) and passed to the VCO oscillator for the FM
carrier modulation. The VCO is controlled by a digital PLL circuit with an high stability quartz
reference to obtain a syntetized oscillation very stable: the frequency setting is very agile using on
board dip-switches (the minimum step is 10 kHz).
The composite stereo signal and the SCA subcarriers are just amplified or attenuated for correct
modulation depth adjustment before the VCO: the stereo performances of SINTEL 96 are
excellent (stereo separation >60 dB from 20Hz to 15 kHz, S/N>80 dB)
Before the VCO, an adjustable and bypassable deviation limiter prevents the FM carrier from
excessive modulation depth and adiacent channel interference according to all the international
standards (CCIR, FCC, ....): furthermore an automatic locking circuit enable the output modulated
signal of SINTEL 96, only when the internal PLL is locked correctly avoiding all the unwanted
emissions.
37 1 D5 LED
38 2 D8,D7 BB809
39 1 JP6 JUMPER JUMPER X2
40 2 JP8,JP7 JUMPER
41 1 J1 CON20
42 2 J4,J3 CON14
43 1 L1 INDUCTOR
44 2 L2,L15 100n INDUTT ASSIALE
45 1 L3 10R 1/2W 1/2 W
46 1 L9 10uH
47 1 L10 10uH R1
48 3 L11,L12,L14 10uH INDUTT.
49 1 L13 10uH INDUTT.
50 2 Q2,Q3 BC557
51 5 Q4,Q5,Q6,Q7,Q8 BFY90
52 1 Q9 BC307
53 1 Q10 BC237
54 1 R? 22K 1/8W
55 4 R1,R2,R3,R4 27K4 1% RES 1/8W
56 1 R5 48K7 1% RES 1/8W
57 2 R7,R6 27K RES 1/8W
58 1 R8 22K RES 1/8W
59 1 R9 48K7 1%
60 3 R10,R24,R73 1M RES 1/8W
61 1 R11 50K Trimmer multigiri
62 5 R12,R34,R38,R42,R108 47K RES 1/8W
63 1 R15 2.2K RES 1/8W
64 14 R16,R18,R22,R56,R74,R103, 10K RES 1/8W
R106,R130,R131,R132,R133,
R134,R135,R136
65 1 R17 560 RES 1/8W
66 2 R20,R29 1K5 RES 1/8W
67 4 R21,R31,R35,R124 470 RES 1/8W
68 1 R23 6.8K RES 1/8W
69 14 R25,R37,R39,R41,R54,R58, 1K RES 1/8W
R60,R75,R79,R80,R111,
R118,R119,R121
70 2 R26,R69 5k6 RES 1/8W
71 1 R27 330 RES 1/8W
72 1 R28 15k RES 1/8W
73 4 R30,R36,R40,R62 33k RES 1/8W
74 2 R33,R32 100 RES 1/8W
75 1 R43 680R 1/8W
76 2 R45,R44 31K6 1% 1/4W
77 2 R47,R46 10K 1% 1/4W
78 2 R48,R49 169K 1% 1/4W
79 2 R138,R50 5K6
80 2 R51,R137 1M
81 1 R52 3K3 RES 1/8W
82 4 R53,R57,R71,R72 4K7 RES 1/8W
WARNING: During frequency setting operation, it is better to turn the equipment off
(if the contraves option is not present).
3 - If the transmitter has only an internal frequency setting, for changing the frequency you have to
open the cover of the modulator and use internal dip switches.
To find the correct dip switches configuration corresponding to the FM channel you need, refer to
the following example relating to the 98 MHz frequency.
3b - Set the dip switch to its OFF position with a maximum weight lower than or equal to the
frequency you want to select (for example, f 0 = 98 MHz sets the 81.92 MHz switch to its OFF
position)
3c - It remains to be selected 98 - 81.92=16.08 MHz . 10.24 proves to be the maximum weight
lower than or equal to 16.08 MHz, so set the corresponding switch to its OFF position.
3d - It remains to be selected 16.08 - 10.24 = 5.84 MHz . 5.12 MHz proves to be the maximum
weight lower than or equal to 5.84 MHz, so set the corresponding switch to its OFF position.
3e - It remains to be selected 5.84 - 5.12 = 0.72 MHz. 0.64 MHz proves to be the maximum weight
lower than or equal to 0.72 MHz, so set the corresponding switch to its OFF position.
3f - It remains to be selected 0.72 - 0.64 = 0.08 MHz. There is a weight exactly equal to 0.08 MHz,
so set the corresponding switch on OFF position, in order to complete the setting.
4 - Adjust the desired output power using the “PWR adj.” front panel potentiometer (n°8 Fig. 1.1).
7. 30 W AMPLIFIER STAGE
The amplifier stage is realized by the new 30W MOSFET amplifier board (DB 0110_010A). This
board is basically composed of four amplification WIDE BAND stages.
The first stage uses a BFQ19 transistor to amplify the input level. The second and the third
transistors are 2N4427. The last amplification stage uses a BLF245 MOSFET to obtain an output
RF power 30 W maximum.
The P3 trimmer (see Fig. 7.2) in the AMP30 board allows to adjust the mosfet bias current.
.An external panel trimmer and the P2 trimmer in the AMP30 board allows to adjust the
output power.
The AMP30 board is equipped with an initial 5-6 seconds delay to avoid accidental out of
band emissions in the initial PLL locking period.
Fig. 7.4 - L.P.F. AND DIRECTIONAL COUPLER COMPONENT LAYOUT (DB 9605-013)
1 1 C1 1u ELET. 25V
2 1 C3 100p POLY
3 11 C4,C5,C6,C7,C8,C9,C10, 1000p CERAMICO
C11,C16,C19,C20
4 6 C12,C14,C42,C43,C45,C48 10u ELET. 25V
5 5 C13,C15,C46,C47,C53 10n POLY
6 12 C17,C18,C30,C31,C32,C33, 100n POLY
C38,C39,C40,C41,C44,C49
7 8 C21,C22,C23,C24,C27,C34, 1n CERAMICO
C35,C36
8 1 C25 100uF CERAMICO
9 1 C26 47u CERAMICO
10 1 C28 1uF ELET. 25V
11 1 C29 22uF CERAMICO
12 1 C37 10uF ELETTR.
13 2 C56,C50 100n
14 2 C55,C54 10n
15 2 C58,C57 1n
16 1 D1 LED LOCK
17 6 D2,D3,D27,D28,D40,D41 1N4148
18 1 D4 STEREO
19 1 D5 REMOTE
20 15 D6,D7,D8,D9,D10,D11,D12, grn led 3mm
D13,D14,D15,D16,D17,D18,
D19,D20
21 5 D21,D22,D23,D24,D25 grn
22 1 D26 PWR
23 1 D29 LED VSWR
24 6 D30,D31,D32,D33,D34,D35 red led 3mm
25 1 D36 FWD led 3mm
27 1 JP1 AMP24
28 6 JP2,JP20,JP21,JP22,JP23,JP25 JP JUMPER
29 4 JP3,JP5,JP6,JP10 JP
30 3 JP7,JP8,JP9 JP
31 1 J1 CON14AP
32 2 J3,J2 CON20AP
33 1 J6 AMP4
34 6 Q1,Q2,Q3,Q4,Q5,Q6 BC237
35 5 RR1,RR2,RR3,RR4,RR5 680Rx4
36 20 R1,R7,R13,R15,R17,R19, 1k 1/4W
R21,R24,R25,R27,R35,R37,
R76,R83,R84,R85,R86,R87,
R88,R93
37 21 R2,R4,R8,R10,R14,R18,R23, 10k 1/4W
R26,R32,R33,R36,R64,R67,
R68,R78,R79,R80,R81,R89,
R90,R91
38 3 R3,R62,R69 100k 1/4W
39 1 R5 13k 1/4W
40 7 R6,R12,R16,R20,R28,R30, 10k TRIMMER MONOG
R34
41 4 R22,R29,R63,R94 2k2 1/4W
42 1 R31 1k47 1/4W
43 3 R38,R39,R40 1k2 1/4W
44 1 R65 5k TRIMMER MONOG
45 1 R66 0R 1/4W
46 1 R70 1M 1/4W
47 1 R71 22K 1/4W
48 2 R72,R77 33k 1/4W
49 1 R73 1K TRIMMER MONOG
50 2 R74,R75 47k 1/4W
51 1 R82 560R 1/4W
52 1 R92 39k 1/4W
53 1 R95 10k
54 1 R101 680R 1/2W (0R for KE/G)
55 1 SW1 PULS
56 1 SW2 PULS. N.A.
57 3 S1,S2,S3 SW
58 2 U3,U1 TL084
59 1 U1 TL084 OPERAZ
60 2 U6,U7 LM3914
61 1 U8 4013 CMOS
62 1 U9 4029 CMOS
63 1 U10 4093 CMOS
64 1 U11 4028 CMOS
65 1 U12 4051 CMOS
66 1 U13 79L05
67 1 U14 4049 CMOS
68 1 U15 TL082 CMOS
9. IN-AUDIO BOARD
Fig. 9.1 - IN-AUDIO BOARD ELECTRICAL SCHEMATIC
8 4 L1,L2,L3,L4 10uH
9 2 PR,PL XLRF90CS
10 2 RL,RR 5K 10GROP
11 1 R1 470R 1/4W
12 1 TMPX 10K 10GROP
13 3 TSC1,TSC2,TSC3 1K 10GROP
On the synthesized board the dip-switches are changed with a 20 pin connector, so that it is
possible connect with a flat type cable this circuit (that manage PLL) to a microprocessor.
The frequency change is fast, because it is only necessary put directly the frequency using the
contraves on the front panel.
1 1 CN1 CONN 20
2 1 CN2 CONN 10
3 2 C2,C1 10p cer
4 3 C3,C4,C6 10u
5 3 C5,C7,C8 100n pol
6 21 D1 - D22 1N4148
7 1 D21 LED d3
8 9 JP1,JP2,JP3,JP4,JP5, jumper
JP6,JP7,JP8,JP9,JP10
9 4 R1,R2,R3,R4 47K
10 1 R5 1k
11 1 R6 2M2
12 2 R8,R7 10k
13 5 S1,S2,S3,S4,S5 CONTRAVES
14 1 U1 78L05
15 1 U2 MC68HC705C8P
16 1 X1 2-4 MHz
12. TROUBLESHOOTING
In the following table the most frequent malfunctions of the KE 20 exciter/transmitter, the relative
alarming signals and the possible solutions are listed.
CAUSE SIGNAL COUNTERMEASURES
AC mains absent -PWR led OFF when the Check the connection of the
transmitter is switched ON equipment to the electric line
and the integrity of the
corresponding cable.
Check the integrity of the fuse
on the rear panel
(n°43 Fig. 1.1).
If the fuse has burned, check the
voltage of the electric line is the
setted one on the rear panel
switch (n°44 Fig. 1.1) and then
replace the fuse.
VSWR or defective lock of the - No output power If on the front panel the VSWR
PLL circuit on the modulator. -VSWR led ON or LOCK led led is ON, check the integrity of
OFF. the output load (antenna or
dummy load) and of the
corresponding cables, then, if
all is right, RESET, pressing the
reset push-button (n°7 Fig. 1.1).
If on the front panel the lock led
is off, you have to control the
dc voltage of the audio and the
SCA inputs (the dc should be
lower than 1 V, otherwise there
may be PLL locking problems):
if it is correct, open the cover of
the transmitter and of the
modulator box respectively and
13. APPENDIX A
The pattern below shows how to connect the cables of the audio signal to the female XLR
connectors for balanced or unbalanced signal.
1 ground ground
2 " +" ground
3 "–" signal