RF Central RFX-RMR User manual

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 1 of 41
RACK MOUNT RECEIVER (RFX-RMR)
OPERATORS MANUAL
Copyright 2005 RF Central

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 2 of 41
CONTENTS
1GENERAL SAFETY INFORMATION..............................................................................................4
1.1 Health & Safety.......................................................................................................................5
1.2 Maximum RF Power Density Limits ........................................................................................6
1.3 Issue Status ............................................................................................................................6
2INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................7
3SPECIFICATIONS..........................................................................................................................8
4OVERVIEW OF RFX-RMR RECEIVER........................................................................................10
5FRONT PANEL CONTROLS........................................................................................................12
6REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS....................................................................................................13
6.1 RF I/P....................................................................................................................................13
6.2 Digital Receive Section - Video output (BNC connectors) ....................................................13
6.3 Analog Receive Section – Video output (BNC connector)....................................................13
6.4 Digital Receive Section Analog - Audio outputs (XLR connectors).......................................13
6.5 Analog Receive Section Analog - Audio outputs (XLR connectors)......................................14
6.6 Power Connector ..................................................................................................................14
6.7 User data (future option).......................................................................................................14
6.8 Remote Monitoring and Control ............................................................................................15
6.9 IF monitor..............................................................................................................................15
6.10 Auxiliary connector................................................................................................................15
7CIRCUIT DESCRIPTIONS............................................................................................................16
Module locations...............................................................................................................................16
7.1 1st Down-converter................................................................................................................17
7.2 “3 in 1” Multi Down-converter................................................................................................18
7.3 COFDM demodulator/MPEG decoder Board........................................................................19
7.4 ANALOG DEMODULATOR – TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. ...............................................20
8INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................21
8.1 R.F. input circuit operation. ...................................................................................................21
8.2 Base-band video processing.................................................................................................21
8.3 A1 and A2 audio demodulators.............................................................................................21
8.4 Analog demodulator Power supplies and monitoring............................................................22
8.5 Front Panel Controller / Display Board..................................................................................22
8.6 Mother Board ........................................................................................................................23
8.7 RFX-RMR - Power supplies and monitoring .........................................................................25
9CONFIGURING THE RECEIVER.................................................................................................26
9.1 “Switches” and Key pad” control modes ...............................................................................26
9.2 Status Monitoring..................................................................................................................26
9.3 Top level Menu......................................................................................................................26
9.3.1 Initialization Menu.................................................................................................... 26
9.3.2 Top level and Current Operational State................................................................. 27
9.4 Operational menu –Digital RX mode.....................................................................................27
9.4.1 Ch / Frequency Menu.............................................................................................. 27
9.4.2 Rx mode .................................................................................................................. 27
9.4.3 Audio 1 Menu........................................................................................................... 27
9.5 Engineering Menu – Digital receiving mode..........................................................................28
9.5.1 “Switches and Key-pad” Control Mode.................................................................... 28
9.5.2 SW Inventory........................................................................................................... 28

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 3 of 41
9.5.3 Channel Plan........................................................................................................... 28
9.5.4 Video Format........................................................................................................... 28
9.5.5 Video Output Configuration ..................................................................................... 28
9.5.6 SDI / ASI Output Configuration................................................................................ 29
9.5.7 ASI Output Format................................................................................................... 29
9.5.8 Aux. supply.............................................................................................................. 29
9.5.9 Relay 1 and Relay 2 ................................................................................................ 29
9.5.10 LCD Timeout............................................................................................................ 29
9.5.11 Audio offset.............................................................................................................. 30
9.5.12 Prog Channels......................................................................................................... 30
9.6 Operations Menu – Analog mode .........................................................................................30
9.6.1 Ch / Frequency Menu.............................................................................................. 30
9.6.2 Rx mode .................................................................................................................. 30
9.7 Engineering Menu – Analog mode........................................................................................30
9.7.1 “Switches and Key-pad” Control Mode.................................................................... 30
9.7.2 SW Inventory........................................................................................................... 30
9.7.3 Channel Plan........................................................................................................... 31
9.7.4 Audio frequency 1 and 2.......................................................................................... 31
9.7.5 Aux. supply.............................................................................................................. 31
9.7.6 Relay 1 and Relay 2 ................................................................................................ 31
9.7.7 LCD Timeout............................................................................................................ 31
9.7.8 Prog Channels......................................................................................................... 31
10 PREPARING FOR OPERATION..............................................................................................37
10.1 The RFX-RMR Receiver .......................................................................................................37
10.1.1 Antennas.................................................................................................................. 37
10.1.2 Checks..................................................................................................................... 37
10.2 The Transmitting Equipment.................................................................................................38
10.3 Transmitter / Receiver tests ..................................................................................................38
11 SYSTEM REMOTE MONITORING AND SETUP.....................................................................39
12 APPENDIX A - MPEG ENCODER PARAMETER SETS..........................................................40
13 APPENDIX B - TABLE OF DVB-T NON-HIERARCHICAL BIT RATES....................................41
The information contained in this manual is the property of RF Central and may not be used, disclosed, or reproduced in any
other form without the prior written permission of RF Central.
RF Central reserves the right to alter the equipment and specification appertaining to the equipment described in this manual
without notification.

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 4 of 41
1 GENERAL SAFETY INFORMATION
The information that follows, together with local site regulations, should be studied by
personnel involved with the operation or maintenance of this equipment, to ensure awareness
of potential hazards.
WARNING- RF Power Hazard: High levels of RF power are present in the unit. Exposure to RF or
microwave power can cause burns and may be harmful to health.
Switch off supplies before removing covers or disconnecting any RF cables, and before inspecting
damaged cables or antennas.
Avoid standing in front of high gain antennas (such as a dish) and never look into the open end of a
waveguide or cable where RF power may be present.
Users are strongly recommended to return any equipment that requires RF servicing to RF Central.
WARNING- GaAs / BeO Hazard: Certain components inside the equipment contain Gallium Arsenide
and Beryllium Oxide that are toxic substances. Whilst safe to handle under normal circumstances,
individual components must not be cut, broken apart, incinerated, or chemically processed. In the
case of Beryllium Oxide, a white ceramic material, the principal hazard is from the dust or fumes which
are carcinogenic if ingested, inhaled, or entering damaged skin.
Please consult your local authority before disposing of these components.
CAUTION - Tantalum Capacitors: When subjected to reverse or excess forward voltage, ripple
current or temperature these components may rupture and could potentially cause personal injury.
CAUTION: This system contains MOS devices. Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) precautions should be
employed to prevent accidental damage.

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 5 of 41
1.1 Health & Safety
Exposure to Non-Ionizing (RF) Radiation/Safe Working Distances
The safe working distance from a transmitting antenna may be calculated from the relationship:
D = √ PT. GR
4π.w
In which D = safe working distance (meters)
PT = transmitter or combiner power output (watts)
GR = antenna gain ratio = anti log (gain dBi ÷10)
w = power density (watts/square meter)
The RF power density value is determined by reference to safety guidelines for exposure of the
human body to non-ionizing radiation. It is important to note that the guidelines adopted differ
throughout the world and are from time-to-time re-issued with revised guidelines. For RF Central use,
a maximum power density limit of 1w/m² is to be applied when calculating minimum safe working
distances.
Important Note: It must be remembered that any transmitting equipment radiating power at
frequencies of 100 kHz and higher, has the potential to produce thermal and athermal effects upon the
human body.
To be safe:
a) Operators should not stand or walk in front of any antenna, nor should they allow anyone else
to do so.
b) Operators should not operate any RF transmitter or power amplifier with any of its covers
removed, nor should they allow anyone else to do so.
Worked examples
Antenna Transmitter Power
Type Gain (dBi) Gain Ratio 2W 4W 10W 30W
OMNI 4 2.5 1 1 1.5 2.5
HELIX 20 100 4 5.6 9 15.5
PARABOLIC
DISH 35 3,162 22.5 32 50 87
MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE (METERS)

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 6 of 41
1.2 Maximum RF Power Density Limits
The RF Radiation Power Density limit figure recommended by RF Central is based upon guideline
levels published in:
a. IEEE standard C95.1 1999 - IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with respect to Human Exposure
to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz.
b. Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Time-varying Electric, Magnetic & Electromagnetic Fields
(up to 300 GHz) published in 1998 by the Secretariat of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
Both documents define guideline RF power density limits for "Controlled" and "Uncontrolled"
environments. An uncontrolled environment is defined as one in which the person subjected to the RF
radiation may be unaware of and has no control over the radiation energy received. The uncontrolled
environment conditions can arise, even in the best-regulated operations and for this reason the limits
defined for the uncontrolled environment have been assumed for the RF Central recommended limit.
Documents a) and b) also show the RF power density guidelines to be frequency dependent. Different
power density / frequency characteristics are presented in the two documents. To avoid complexity
and to avoid areas of uncertainty, RF Central recommends the use of a single power density limit
across the frequency range 100 kHz to 300 GHz. The 1w/m² power density limit we recommend
satisfies the most stringent of the guidelines published to date.
Footnote: The IICNIRP document may be freely downloaded from the internet at
www.icnirp.de/documents/emfgdl.pdf (PDF file).
1.3 Issue Status
Issue Date Changes
Issue 1.0 November 2006 First issue

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 7 of 41
2 INTRODUCTION
This manual is to be used in conjunction with the RFX-RMR rack-mount switchable analog/digital
Receiver. When in digital mode the RFX-RMR offers significant features including ASI, SDI, composite
and component video outputs together with 4 audios (analog, AES digital). In analog mode the
receiver offers composite video and 2 audios.
The RF Central RFX-RMR is designed for permanent rack-mounted applications, such as ENG
truck/vehicle or fixed link applications. The Receiver comprises a 19” inch rack mount (2 ‘U’) unit that
contains both a digital and analog section, with common power supplies.
The digital section of the Receiver comprises a COFDM demodulator, video decoder, and audio
decoder. The analog section comprises an integral FM demodulator for one video channel with two
associated audio channels.
The RFX-RMR has a common RF input for both analog and digital receive modes, selection of mode
is via the front panel control push button selection and LCD display.
At the transmit site a range of RF Central analog/digital transmitters may be used. Examples include
the RFX-RMT switchable analog/digital rack mounted transmitter, the RFX-PHT 5 watt portable
transmitter or the RFX-CMT “Clip-On” camera mount transmitter. Please consult the separate manual
for information detailing the operation of transmitters.

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 8 of 41
3 SPECIFICATIONS
Frequency Band 1.97 – 2.50GHz band
Tuning Range As per US BAS allocation (current and future plans)
Receiver Noise Factor 4dB (nom.)
IF Frequencies 1st IF In the range 600-1500MHz
2nd IF 70MHz
Digital Receiver Specifications
Receiver Threshold -92dBm to BER 10-5 (nom., QPSK)
Receive Antenna Compatible with all RF Central antennas
Demodulation COFDM DVB-T 2k
Demodulation Modes QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM
FEC: 1/22/33/45/67/8
Guard interval: 1/32 1/16 1/81/4
Data Rate 4.98 to 31.7 Mbit/s (automatic selection)
Bandwidth 8MHz (7 & 6MHz automatic selection)
Decoding Options MPEG 2 4:2:0/4:2:2 high quality video (DVB standard)
Latency Selectable to less than 2 frames minimum, Tx to Rx
Video Output Digital: SDI 270Mbit/s
Analog: Y/C component (qty 1) or composite (PAL/NTSC) (qty
2)
Genlock Optional (PAL/NTSC)
ASI Output ASI transport stream (selectable 188, 204, byte)
Audio Output Digital: 2 x AES3 outputs
Analog: 2 x stereo / 4 x mono outputs
Analog Receiver Specifications
Video Performance
Signal-to-Noise 55dB min. (LW)
LF Noise 50dB min.
Frequency Response 2.5dB to 5.8GHz
Differential Phase 2 degrees
Differential Gain 2%
Field tilt 3%K
Chrom/Lum Gain 2dB
Chrom/Lum Delay 25ns
Linearity 2.5%
Audio Performance

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 9 of 41
No. of Channels 2
Sub-Carriers Audio1 4.5 to 5.1MHz, Audio2 5.5 to 6.2MHz
(selectable by front panel control)
De-emphasis 75 µS
Levels +9dBm balanced line level out, for 200kHz peak-to-peak deviation.
Audio Performance (analog receiver)
Frequency Response ±1.0dB 50Hz to 12kHz
Distortion 2% max.
Signal-to-Noise 50dB
Control and Monitoring Menu selectable via the front panel control
COFDM demodulator / MPEG 2 decoder parameters
RF Received signal level
CSI
BER
Summary front panel alarm / comprehensive internal lock alarms
Power Supply 11 to 18V DC. 30 Watts
Mechanical Interface Tripods, mast, scaffold and special mounts available.
Size 2 U rack mount, Depth 350mm
Weight 7.0kg
Environmental Safe use: -20° to +50°C
To spec: -10° to +45°C
Altitude: 4500m
Humidity: 95% long term
Specifications may alter at the discretion of RF Central or to meet customer specific requirements.

RFX-RMR Issue 1.0 page 10 of 41
4 OVERVIEW OF RFX-RMR RECEIVER
RF input
Motherboard
Multi down
converter
Front Panel
Module
1s
t
down
converter
Analog
Receiver
Module
70MHz
IF amp.
630MHz filter
COFDM
demodulator
and MPEG
decoder
The RFX-RMR comprises six main modules or assemblies:-
1. Motherboard. This board accommodates the COFDM demodulator and MPEG digital decoder
boards, as well as providing DC, signal, and I2C communications routing to/from all other
modules. The motherboard also has a 70MHz buffer amplifier on it. The DC PSU is mounted
on the under-side.
2. 1st Down-converter. This module accepts the receiver RF input, includes the PLL for receiver
tuning, and outputs an IF of 630MHz to the multi down-converter