BW RBRX Encore User manual

1. The Encore Family
2. The RBRX Encore
3. Warranty
4. Safety
5. Front & Rear Panels
6. User Interface
7. Installation & Operation
8. System Configuration
9. Presets Configuration
10. Menu Structure
11. Routing and Block Diagram
12. Technical Specification

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About Encore 1
Welcome to the Encore family!
Encore is a modern, high-quality range of products designed around a common
hardware and software platform.
The Encore family includes:
§ Audio processors
§ RDS coders
§ Stereo generators
§ Rebroadcast receivers
§ Audio backup devices
§ Modulation analysers
§ …and is growing all the time!
Encore uses high-quality components, robust hardware and an innovative user
interface, which provides many benefits to broadcast technology users.
Modules and components are common to all products in the range – meaning ease of
service and minimal need to stock replacement parts.
For example, if you have an RDS coder, a modulation monitor and a backup audio
device, the same power supply, the same audio board and the same DSP board is used
in each one!
The rear panel is the same on every product. This means wiring can be standardised,
installation is simple and easy.
Front panels are consistent across the range – with OLED screens, LED displays, a scroll
knob and a few soft-keys, every products is easy to operate.
Encore has been designed to be very simple and intuitive to set up and operate –
everything is where you’d expect it to be and is easy to understand and use. Once
you’ve used one Encore product you can use them all!
The user interface is designed around the concept of ‘System’ and ‘Presets’ menus,
where the System menu is the same for every product and contains all the audio level
settings, the versatile and exclusive ‘Events and Alarms’ section as well the
communications, monitoring and telemetry system.

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All product-specific settings are contained within the ‘Presets’ menu – providing an
automobile radio -like interface which works just as well for profiles in an RDS encoder as
it does for settings in an audio processor, a modulation monitor or rebroadcast receiver.
The web remote control interface is common across all products, as is the API and the
internal language, so it’s simple to interface the whole Encore range of products with
your common monitoring and telemetry system.
Every Encore product includes, as standard:
§ Backup audio
§ Events and Triggers –based Telemetry
§ Comprehensive communication section
§ Analogue and Digital audio interfaces
§ Ethernet, USB and RS232 connectivity
§ Interactive Web remote system
§ SNMP and TelNet support
A common hardware and software family of products, which are easy to set up, easy to
use, easy to maintain and easy to service.
Innovation, usability, quality, and confidence are what you get from Encore!

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The RBRX Encore 2
The award winning RBRX1 was widely regarded as the best rebroadcast receiver on the
market, so improving on it has been no easy task. The RBRX Encore offers all the features
of the RBRX1 - and then some.
This premium rebroadcast receiver has two tuner cards as standard and a whole host of
new industry first features, including but not limited to dual tuner diversity blending using
advanced polarisation multi-path cancelling techniques. There's still the multi-band L-R
adaptive stereo noise reduction pioneered by the RBRX1.
The user has full control of dozens of audio and RF settings, including audio and IF
bandwidths, de-emphasis and blending for stereo, HF and ultrasonic noise. Control of
blending levels and attack & release times is also possible.
For re-transmission applications, the RBRX Encore adds DSP enhanced MPX outputs that
reconstruct a clean peak level and bandwidth limited waveform, eliminating worries
about studio transmitter link overshoots. We had amazing feedback from users about
the RBRX1's sound quality. You'll be pleased to know the RBRX Encore is even better,
thanks to its enhanced DSP audio limiter and stereo generator, both with continued
industry leading levels of backend aliasing distortion.
§ 2 DSP tuners now offer full diversity reception from both antenna inputs.
§ Increased RDS encoder capabilities with more monitor and decode facilities if
you wish to use it as an analyser or monitor.
§ Enhanced DSP audio limiter & stereo generator for even clearer sound quality.
§ Unique ‘FMSI’ signal processing to recover good quality stereo reception from
noisy or weak signals.

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Warranty 3
Please ensure the warranty registration process is completed upon receipt of this product. To do so, go
to www.bwbroadcast.com/warranty with your product’s serial number to hand. BW Broadcast warrants
the mechanical and electronic components of this product to be free of defects in material and
workmanship for a period of up to ten years from the original date of purchase, in accordance with the
warranty regulations described below. If the product shows any defects within the specified limited
warranty period that are not due to normal wear and tear and/or improper handling by the user, BW
Broadcast shall, at its sole discretion, either repair or replace the product. If the warranty claim proves
to be justified, the product will be returned to the user. The freight will be paid by BW Broadcast within
the first 2 years, thereafter freight will be the responsibility of the customer. Warranty claims other than
those indicated above are expressly excluded.
Note: The warranty registration process must be carried out as described above to enable warranty
cover for 10 years. Otherwise, a 2-year warranty period applies.
Return authorisation number: To obtain warranty service, the buyer (or his authorised dealer) must
contact BW Broadcast during normal business hours BEFORE returning the product. All inquiries must be
accompanied by a description of the problem. BW Broadcast will then issue a return authorisation
number. Subsequently, the product must be returned in its original shipping carton, together with the
return authorisation number to the address indicated by BW Broadcast.
Warranty regulations: Any product deemed eligible for repair or replacement by BW Broadcast under
the terms of this warranty will be repaired or replaced within 30 days of receipt of the product at BW
Broadcast. If the product needs to be modified or adapted in order to comply with applicable
technical or safety standards on a national or local level, in any country which is not the country for
which the product was originally developed and manufactured, this modification/adaptation shall not
be considered a defect in materials or workmanship. The warranty does not cover any such
modification/adaptation, irrespective of whether it was carried out properly or not. Under the terms of
this warranty, BW Broadcast shall not be held responsible for any cost resulting from such a
modification/adaptation. Free inspections and maintenance/repair work are expressly excluded from
this warranty, in particular, if caused by improper handling of the product by the user. This also applies
to defects caused by normal wear and tear, in particular, of faders, potentiometers, keys/buttons and
similar parts. Damages/defects caused by the following conditions are not covered by this warranty:
Misuse, neglect or failure to operate the unit in compliance with the instructions given in BW Broadcast
user or service manuals. Connection or operation of the unit in any way that does not comply with the
technical or safety regulations applicable in the country where the product is used. Damages/defects
caused by force majeure or any other condition that is beyond the control of BW Broadcast. Any repair
or opening of the unit carried out by unauthorized personnel (user included) will void the warranty. If an
inspection of the product by BW Broadcast shows that the defect in question is not covered by the
warranty, the inspection costs are payable by the customer. Products that do not meet the terms of this
warranty will be repaired exclusively at the buyer’s expense. BW Broadcast will inform the buyer of any
such circumstance.
Warranty transferability: This warranty is extended exclusively to the original buyer (customer of retail
dealer) and is not transferable to anyone who may subsequently purchase this product. No other
person (retail dealer, etc.) shall be entitled to give any warranty promise on behalf of BW Broadcast.
Claims for damages: Failure of BW Broadcast to provide proper warranty service shall not entitle the
buyer to claim (consequential) damages. In no event shall the liability of BW Broadcast exceed the
invoiced value of the product.
Other warranty rights and national law: This warranty does not exclude or limit the buyer’s statutory
rights provided by national law, in particular, any such rights against the seller that arise from a legally
effective purchase contract. The warranty regulations mentioned herein are applicable unless they
constitute an infringement of national warranty law.

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Safety 4
MAINS VOLTAGE: The Encore products operate from an AC power source between 110 and 240 V.
These power supplies use an IEC plug. The wiring format is:
Ground - GREEN/YELLOW
Neutral - BLUE
Live - BROWN
SWITCHED MODE POWER SUPPLY HAZARD Please note that the power supply unit in this equipment is of
the switched mode variety and has lethal voltages present internally. The switched mode supplies are
universal input fully approved type. They are non-serviceable modules and should be replaced if they
fail.
FUSES Only use fuses with the specified voltage and current ratings as stated on the back panel. Failure
to do so may increase the risk of equipment failure, shock and fire hazard.
TOXIC HAZARD This equipment may include R.F. components that may contain Beryllium oxide which is
a highly toxic substance that could be hazardous to health if inhaled or ingested. Care should be taken
when replacing or discarding such devices. Seek expert advice from the manufacturer should you
physically damage a device that contains Berillyium Oxide.
OTHER SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS Do not operate this equipment in the presence of flammable gases,
fumes or liquids Do not expose this equipment to rain or water.
CE CONFORMANCE This device complies with the requirements of the
1995/5/EC Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE). The
equipment will meet or exceed the following standards: EN 60215:1996 (Safety
Requirements for Radio Transmitting Equipment), EN301489-11 (ERM/EMC for
Radio Equipment, Part 11 Specific Conditions for FM Transmitters), EN 302 018-
2 ERM (Transmitting Equipment for FM Radio Broadcasting service)
WEEE COMPLIANCE BW Broadcast Ltd is registered with Northern Compliance PCS
number WEE/P3438PR/ SCH and has been issued with WEE/FA0268RX as its unique
producer ID by the appropriate environment agency. BW Broadcast Ltd full comply
with it explicit responsibilities, subject to WEEE Collections Policy outlined in their
General Terms and Conditions of Sale, when it sells Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (EEE) to B2B customers in the UK and EU.
This appliance has been designed and manufactured with high quality materials
and components that can be recycled and reused.
Electronic appliances are liable to contain parts that are necessary in order for the system to work
properly but which can become a health and environmental hazard if they are not handled and
disposed of in the proper way. Consequently, please do not throw your inoperative appliance with the
household waste. Having purchased this appliance, it is your responsibility to dispose of this equipment
appropriately.
CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electrical shock, do not remove the cover. No user serviceable parts
inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this appliance to rain or moisture.
!

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DETAILED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
All the safety and operation instructions should be read before the appliance is operated.
Retain Instructions: The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
Heed Warnings: All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
Follow instructions: All operation and user instructions should be followed.
Water and Moisture: The appliance should not be used near water (e.g. near a bathtub, washbowl,
kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool etc.). The appliance should not
be exposed to dripping or splashing and objects filled with liquids should not be placed on the appliance.
Ventilation: The appliance should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its
proper ventilation. For example, the appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar
surface that may block the ventilation openings, or placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase
or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings.
Heat: The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves,
or other appliance (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Power Source: The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type de- scribed in the
operating instructions or as marked on the appliance.
Grounding or Polarisation: Precautions should be taken so that the grounding or polarisation means of
an appliance is not defeated.
Power-Cord Protection: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on
or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords and plugs,
convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the appliance.
Cleaning: The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the manufacturer. Wash your
hands.
Non-use Periods: The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused
for a long period of time.
Object and Liquid Entry: Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into
the enclosure through openings.
Damage Requiring Service: The appliance should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:
§ The power supply cord or the plug has been damaged;
§ Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance;
§ The appliance has been exposed to rain;
§ The appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in
performance;
§ The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.
Servicing: The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that is described in the Operating
Instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.

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Front & Rear Panels 5
The Encore range uses several versions of the front panel, each using similar components
and featuring the same method of operation.
!
Multicolour LED
matrixes for level
displays
OLED displays for
menu system and
analysis
Scroll knob, LED ring and
buttons for control and
setup
Headphone
output for high
quality audio
monitoring

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Note: Some connectors on the rear panel are non-functional where appropriate to the
product.
Analog audio
inputs
Pin 1 0v Pin 2 + (hot) Pin 3 – (cold)
Analog
audio
outputs
Pin 1 0v
Pin 2 + (hot) Pin 3 – (cold)
MPX
inputs
and
outputs
(BNC)
Antenna
inputs
(BNC)
AES/EBU Digital
input and output
Pin 1 0v Pin 2 + (hot) Pin 3 – (cold)
USB
and
Ethernet
(LAN)
Events &
Triggers
Mains power
(IEC)
90-260v AC, 25w
RS232

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User Interface 6
6
NAVIGATING
The Encore products have an intuitive interface based around a pushable scroll knob,
surrounded by a ring of LEDs, with a series of buttons. Some products have three buttons,
some five and some six.
The buttons can be ‘soft keys’, and perform various functions denoted by icons shown
adjacent to them in the displays, or may be function-specific - in which case the buttons
are illuminated with the following symbols:
ONLINE
OFFLINE
DECODE
ENCODE
INPUT 1
INPUT 2
Audio is passing through the unit and is being
processed.
Input is connected to output and audio is not being
processed.
The unit is operating as a stereo generator, or
encoder, producing a composite (MPX) output
signal from the analog or digital inputs!
The unit is operating as a stereo decoder,
producing discrete left and right, analog and
digital outputs from a composite signal input.!
Switches the unit to tuner 1 or MPX input 1.!
Switches the unit to tuner 2 or MPX input 2.!

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The icons that can be shown against the softkeys are as follows:
If the ‘scroll screen left’ or ‘right’ icons are displayed, this indicates that there are
additional screens available. Pressing these buttons slides the displays to and
from these other screens.
‘Back’ will move back up one step in a menu tree.
‘Undo’ and ‘redo’ are typically used in an audio processor to perform an
‘A/B comparison’ between two presets, or between a modified and an
unmodified preset.
The ‘headphone’ button, when pressed, will cause the icon to flash indicating
that the headphone level may be directly adjusted by rotating the scroll knob
(rather than having to enter the System | Audio menu as described in Section 8).
This mode will time out after 5 seconds of inactivity, or when the button is pressed
again.
The ‘delete text’ and ‘accept text’ buttons are used when the virtual ‘qwerty’
keyboard is being employed to add or modify text, perhaps to name a preset or
to enter other alpha-numeric strings such as email addresses etc.
While navigating the menus, if an ‘info’ help-text is available for that parameter,
the ‘i’ symbol will illuminate next to a softkey. Pressing this softkey will show the
information; pressing it again (or pressing ‘back’) will dismiss the info.
The Encore’s high-quality OLED displays show various levels and parameters, plus allow
selection and editing of the various settings throughout the unit.
The menu system is navigated by rotating the knob to highlight an item and pushing it to
open a submenu, or to select the parameter for editing.
While in a submenu, pressing the ‘back’ softkey will return to the parent menu.

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EDITING A PARAMETER
To edit a parameter, navigate to it in the menu using the knob - square brackets [ … ]
will surround the currently highlighted parameter. Press the knob to select the
parameter, then rotate the knob to change it.
Changes happen immediately as you turn the knob; press the knob again to keep the
change; alternatively press the ‘back’ softkey to revert without changing.
The parameter setting will be shown on the OLED screen, numerically and with a
progress bar, as shown below:
EDITING A TEXT FIELD
When editing a text field, such as the system name or a preset name, a ‘qwerty’
keyboard will be shown on the OLED display.
Highlight the letter to be used by turning the knob and press to select. To delete a letter,
use the softkey adjacent to the ‘X’ icon .
To switch to a numerical keyboard, select the ‘123’ button with the scroll knob and press
to select.
To accept and save the new text, press the softkey indicated by the ‘check' icon .

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Installation 7
The RBRX Encore is extremely versatile, and be used in a number of ways:
§ Monitor receiver;
§ Rebroadcast receiver;
§ Stereo coder;
§ RDS generator;
§ A combination of these!
Please see section 11 for a comprehensive routing diagram.

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7.1 QUICK SETUP
To get you started, here is a description of the unit’s configuration with some common
uses:
CONFIGURING AS A MONITOR RECEIVER
1. From the home screen, highlight ‘presets’ and push the knob to enter the
presets submenu.
2. Preset 1 will be highlighted, along with the frequency that tuner 1 is currently set
to. Press the knob to enter the preset 1 submenu.
3. Scroll to highlight ‘tuner 1 frequency’, press the knob to select, then turn it to
enter the desired frequency. Press the knob to save this, then press ‘back’ three
times to return to the home screen.
4. Enter ‘system’, ‘audio i/o’. Highlight ‘outputs’ and press the knob to open the
submenu.
5. If you’re using the analog outputs, change ‘an output source’ to ‘tuner 1’; if
using the digital output, change ‘dig output source’ to ‘tuner 1’. You may also
need to change the ‘digital sample rate’ to that the equipment to which is
connected requires.
6. If you’d also like to monitor via headphones, set ‘headphone source’ to ‘tuner 1
audio’.
7. Connect a receive antenna to the rear-panel ‘FM1 IN’ connector.
8. Connect the analog, or digital outputs to a suitable amplifier/speakers or
mixing desk etc.
Note: The diagram shows only one antenna connected; The RBRX Encore has two
antenna inputs and two separate tuners – later in this manual we will learn the benefits
and applications of this.
Listen with pleasure!

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CONFIGURING AS A REBROADCAST RECEIVER
…with the received composite audio feeding the transmitter.
1. Carry out actions 1 through 3 in Section 7.1 above, to set tuner 1 to the
frequency of the transmission you wish to rebroadcast.
2. From the home screen, enter the ‘system’ menu and navigate to the ‘audio i/o’
submenu.
3. Enter the ‘outputs’ submenu.
4. Set the ‘mpx 1 source’ to ‘mpx generator’.
5. Set ‘mpx out level’ to your desired level.
6. Navigate to ‘MPX generator’, enter that menu and set the source to ‘tuner 1
audio’.
8. Set the pilot level to your desired level, probably 9%.
9. Press ‘back’ three times to return to the home screen.
Note: You could set ‘mpx 1 source’ to ‘tuner 1 mpx’ – then the received mpx signal
would pass through the unit unmolested; however you will not then be able to feel the
benefit of the complex ‘FMSI’ dsp-based signal processing, which can recover very
good stereo audio from a poor or noisy receive signal.
This is because, in the RBRX Encore, the ‘FMSI’ dsp signal processing is carried out in the
demodulated audio domain. We recommend you take advantage of this powerful
feature.
Connect the rear-panel ‘mpx1 output’ socket to your transmitter, and connect a
receive antenna to the rear panel ‘FM 1 IN’ connector.
Of course, if you’re using the RBRX Encore as a rebroadcast receiver, you can still
configure it as a monitor at the same time. You could also configure the audio and/or
headphone outputs to carry audio from tuner 2, which could be on another frequency,
including the frequency you’re transmitting, so you can hear your transmitted audio!

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The two tuners in the RBRX Encore are fully independent and can be set up on two
different frequencies (unless you’re using the ‘Diversity’ feature).
This gives you the opportunity of having a main and a backup frequency for
rebroadcast.
To do this, connect an antenna pointing at your main site to tuner 1, and set that tuner
to the main frequency.
Connect another antenna to tuner 2, pointing at your backup site, and tuned to that
site’s frequency.
Set the audio routing as above, but in addition, navigate to System | Events, and set up
an event the trigger of which is RSSI 1 – the signal strength being received by Tuner 1.
Set the condition to be ‘less than’, and the value to be one below which you consider
that signal to be too poor to use – say 30dBuV.
Set On Delay to maybe 5s, leave Load Preset at ‘none’, and set Revert to ‘delay’. Set
this delay to 5s.
In Set/Change, select ‘mpx gen src’, and set the To field to ‘tuner 2 audio’.
Now, when the signal being received by Tuner 1 drops below 30dBuV (such as when
that transmitter has gone off air) the RBRX Encore will wait 5 seconds, then switch to
relaying the signal being received on Tuner 2.
When the transmitter Tuner 1 is listening for returns, the RBRX will wait 5 seconds and then
return to relaying the main transmitter.
We suggest using delays of around 5 seconds to preclude false switching because of
noise bursts or if the transmitter takes time to stabilise when it returns to air.
In the same Events section, you could also set up the RBRX Encore to email you when
the main transmitter’s signal fails.
More anon.
!

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CONFIGURING AS A STEREO GENERATOR
1. Go to ‘system ‘, ‘audio i/o’, ‘outputs’, and set ‘mpx 1 source’ to ‘mpx
generator’.
2. In ‘system’, ‘mpx generator’, set source to ‘analog audio’ or ‘digital audio’
depending on how you’re feeding the unit.
3. Scroll to, and set your desired pilot level.
If you wish to add or modify RDS information to your composite stereo signal,
please then do the following:
4. From the home screen, navigate to ‘presets’, ‘preset 1’, ‘rds’… and set the RDS
parameters as you need.
5. Then back in ‘mpx generator’, set the RDS level to the percentage you need,
probably 2-4%.
And that’s it.
A more detailed description of the configuration of the RBRX Encore follows:
!

THE SYSTEM MENU
This menu contains all the fundamental unit configuration settings, and should be the first
place you go after taking the Encore out of its box!
These settings are peculiar to the installation, perhaps the transmitter site itself, as
opposed to the following ‘Presets’ section (Section 9) which are particular to the exact
usage and model of the unit.
Power the unit up, and from the home screen, highlight and press the ‘system’ button:
You’ll now see a list of submenus:
Audio i/o: Contains all audio input and output settings, as well as output
routing selections.
(Not present in all Encore products)
MPX generator: Settings for the mpx (‘composite’) generator.
(Not present in all Encore products)
Events: A comprehensive events/alarms/scheduling system.
Time: Manually setting the unit time and date, or automatically setting
this via ntp.
Users: Set up admin user and standard users.
Communication: A sub menu containing settings for identity, ethernet,
email, web remote, snmp, telnet, logging and RS232.
About: Unit information and power supply status.
Note: Certain menu items will be different or not present in some products, as
appropriate to their features.
Let’s take some time to discuss the contents of each of these menus:

8.1 AUDIO I/O
(Certain menu items are omitted in some products in the Encore range).
Within this there are two submenus –‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’.
‘Inputs’ allows you to set the operating level of the unit when referenced to the rest of
your installation. For both analog and digital reference level, please set these to your
maximum normal operating level.
For example, if you will be feeding analog audio into the unit that may reach but never
exceed +12dBu, set the ‘analog ref level’ to +12. (For PPM users, PPM4=+4, PPM5=+8,
PPM6=+12).
Similarly, if your digital levels may meet but not exceed -10dBFS, set ‘dig ref level’ to -10.
‘Outputs’ allows you to set output levels from each physical output, and choose what
source feeds those outputs.
The sections of this submenu are:
An (analog) output source: none
analog audio
digital audio
tuner 1 audio
tuner 2 audio
test tone (a 1kHz sine wave)
diversity
Analog output level: -18dBu to +24dBu
Dig (digital) output source: none
analog audio
digital audio
tuner 1 audio
tuner 2 audio
test tone
diversity
Dig output level: -20dBFS to 0dBFS
Dig output sample rate: 48kHz
96kHz
192kHz
MPX 1 source: none
mpx in 1*
tuner 2 mpx*
mpx generator
pilot tone
rds
MPX 1 out level: 0dBu to +12dBu**