Rockford Fosgate PUNCH 100ix User manual

®®
INSTALLATION & OPERATION
MANUAL
PUNCH 40ix / PUNCH 60ix
PUNCH 100ix / PUNCH 200ix
2-CHANNEL DSM AMPLIFIERS


Dear Customer,
Congratulations on your purchase of the world's finest brand of car audio
amplifiers. At Rockford Fosgate we are committed to musical reproduction at its
best, and we are pleased you chose our product. Through years of engineering
expertise, hand craftsmanship and critical testing procedures, we have created a
wide range of products that reproduce music with all the clarity and richness you
deserve.
For maximum performance we recommend you have your new Rockford Fosgate
product installed by an Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer, as we provide
specializedtrainingthroughRockfordTechnicalTrainingInstitute(RTTI). Please
read your warranty and retain your receipt and original carton for possible future
use.
ToaddthefinishingtouchtoyournewRockfordFosgateimageorderyourRockford
accessories, which include everything from T-shirts and jackets to hats and
sunglasses.
To get a free brochure on Rockford Fosgate products and Rockford accessories, in
the U.S. call 602-967-3565 or FAX [phone]. For all other countries, call
+001-602-967-3565 or FAX [phone].
The serial number can be found on the outside of the box. Please record it
in the space provided below as your permanent record. This will serve as
verification of your factory warranty and may become useful in recovering
your amplifier if it is ever stolen.
Serial Number: ____________________
Model Number:____________________
If, after reading your manual, you still have questions regarding this
product, we recommend that you see your Rockford Fosgate dealer. If you
needfurtherassistance,youcancallusdirectat1-800-795-2385.Besureto
have your serial number, model number and date of purchase available
when you call.
PRACTICE SAFE SOUND™
CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE TO SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS
OVER100dBMAYCAUSEPERMANENTHEARINGLOSS.HIGH
POWEREDAUTOSOUNDSYSTEMSMAYPRODUCESOUND
PRESSURE LEVELS WELL OVER 130dB. USE COMMON SENSE
AND PRACTICE SAFE SOUND.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ...................................................................................... 1
Punch 2-Channel Amplifier Accessory Pack...................................... 1
Rockford Fosgate Accessories............................................................ 2
Technical Design Features ................................................................ 3
Design Features................................................................................. 6
Installation Considerations ................................................................ 8
Mounting Location............................................................................ 9
Battery and Charging....................................................................... 10
Wiring the System ........................................................................... 10
Using the XCard.............................................................................. 13
Basic Connections........................................................................... 14
System Diagrams............................................................................. 18
Troubleshooting .............................................................................. 22
Dynamic Power Measurements....................................................... 24
Specifications.................................................................................. 26
Warranty Information...................................................................... 28
GETTING STARTED
Welcome to Rockford Fosgate! This manual is designed to provide
information for the owner, salesperson and installer. For those of
you who want quick information on how to install this product,
please turn to the Basic System Diagrams in the Installation section
ofthismanual.OtherinformationcanbelocatedbyusingtheTable
of Contents. We, at Rockford Fosgate, have worked very hard to
make sure all the information in this manual is current. But, as we
are constantly finding new ways to improve our product, this
information is subject to change without notice.

– 1 –
INTRODUCTION
Rockford engineers designed the Punch 2-channel amplifiers to
withstand the rugged automotive environment while delivering
superior sound quality in a flexible, reliable, and efficient pack-
age.AgroundingtechniquecalledTOPAZwasusedtoeliminate
noiseproblemsassociatedwithcaraudiosystems,whileflexibil-
itywasaccomplishedwiththeuseofabuilt-inXCard.Reliability
was accomplished with the use of protection circuits called RTP
and NOMAD, while MOSFET and DSM technology improve
amplifier efficiency. The result of these components give the
Punch amplifier awesome sound quality in a “Bullet Proof”
package.Anexplanationofthesetechnologies,someexclusively
designed by Rockford, are described in the Technical Design
Features.
PUNCH 2-CHANNEL AMPLIFIER
ACCESSORY PACK
TheaccessorypackshippedwiththePunch2-channelamplifiers
includesthemounting hardware necessary tosecure them to the
vehicle as well as attaching the end caps.
Installation & Operation Manual
Punch Verification Certificate
(1) 17' (518.16cm) Red Power Wire
(1) 12' (365.76cm) Remote Turn-On Wire
(1) 1.5' (45.72cm) Black Grounding Wire
(1) Female Connector for Remote Turn-On Wire
(1) Ring Terminal for Ground Wire
(1) Ring Terminal for Battery Post
(1) ATC Inline Fuseholder (Punch 40ix, 60ix, 100ix)
(1) AGU Inline Fuseholder (Punch 200ix)
(6) Hex Head Screws for speaker and power connectors
(4) Mounting Screws for end caps
(4) Mounting Screws for amplifier
(1) Allen Wrench 7/64"
(1) Allen Wrench 3/32"

– 2 –
ROCKFORD FOSGATE ACCESSORIES
Thefollowingaccessorieswere designed to enhance the perfor-
mance of the Punch 2-channel amplifiers.
Energy Storage Capacitor
ThePunchcapacitorsareusedtoprovideextracurrentneededby
amplifiers to reproduce musical transients. The Punch Caps also
havethenaturalabilitytofilterACripplecausedbythealternator,
reducing the chance of noise in the system. The Punch Caps will
maximizeboththesoundqualityandperformancethatRockford
Fosgate amplifiers can deliver.
Punch Link (FG-LINK)
The Punch Link is a specially cast heatsink interconnect which
allows you to join any of our current Punch or Punch Power
amplifiers together. While providing additional cooling through
thecouplingprocess, the PunchLink adds thefinishing touch by
giving you the look of one awesome amplifier.
XCard
Additional crossover card frequencies are available for special-
ized requirements. You can get the following XCards from your
Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer.
XM50 = 50Hz XM275 = 275Hz
XM70 = 70Hz XM400 = 400Hz
XM100 = 100Hz XM4.5k = 4,500Hz
XM150 = 150Hz XM6.5k = 6,500Hz
XM200 = 200Hz XM00 = Blank card for
custom crossover

– 3 –
TECHNICAL DESIGN FEATURES
◆TOPAZ (Tracking Operation Pre-Amplifier Zone)
The TOPAZ (Tracking Operation Pre-Amplifier Zone) circuitry
solves ground loop noise problems common to automotive
amplifierdesign.Thisinnovativenewdevelopmentallowsvastly
improved isolation of the input signal grounds from the power
supplygroundoftheamplifier.Thisisaccomplishedbyallowing
the source unit to control the potential “environment” of the
entire input structure or “zone” of the amplifier. This process
improves the noise rejection of the amplifier by 30-40dB – an
astounding 30-100 times better than amplifiers without TOPAZ.
THE RESULT: Elimination of troublesome ground loop noise
between source and amplifier.
◆RTP (Real Time Protection)
NOMAD (NOn-Multiplying Advanced
Decision)
The Punch and Power amplifiers use an analog computer
process to maximize safe output power under all operating
conditions. Rockford Fosgate pioneered and developed RTP
(Real Time Protection), a crucial element in the performance
edgeofouramplifiers.Theinnovative NOMAD (NOn-Multiply-
ingAdvancedDecision)systemisthemostsophisticatedversion
of this technique ever used, bringing previously unavailable
levels of accuracy, stability, temperature immunity and reliabil-
ity to this critical process. NOMAD makes advanced decisions
basedondevicevoltagestopreciselycontroltheawesomelevels
of current available in the output MOSFETs to safe values –but
only when absolutely needed.
THE RESULT: Extremely fast protection system that always
protects the amplifier and never degrades the sound.

– 4 –
◆DSM (Discrete Surface Mount) Technology
The DSM (Discrete Surface Mount) manufacturing process com-
binestheadvantagesofbothdiscretecomponentsandintegrated
circuitry.RockfordFosgateistheonlyAmericanamplifiermanu-
facturertohaveinvestedmillionsintothisprocess.DSMcompo-
nents differ from conventional discrete components in three
different ways. They are more compact, more rugged, and they
take much better advantage of the PC board to allow them to get
rid of any heat they generate. Using them wherever appropriate
allows the advantages associated with discrete circuitry to be
retained while also providing room for both highly advanced
processing features and generous PC board copper paths where
needed. Their short lead-out structures allow maximum audio
performance and highest signal-to-noise ratios to be obtained in
amplifiers of desirable package size without resorting to “ampli-
fier-on-a-chip”shortcuts. These advantages are shown below in
Figure 1.
Figure 1
Thru-Hole Surface Mount
Component
Solder
THE RESULT: Fewer connections, improved reliability, shorter
signal paths, superior signal-to-noise ratio and awesome sonic
performance.
Solder

– 5 –
◆XCard (Internal Crossover)
The Punch and Power amplifiers utilize internal active crossovers.
Thesecrossovershavemanyperformanceadvantagessuchas using
discrete components for exact frequency adjustments which are far
superior to potentiometers. Additionally, the XCard can be config-
ured for high-pass, low-pass and full range operation. With slight
modifications,manycrossoverfrequenciesandslopeconfigurations
can be achieved.
THE RESULT: Increased system design flexibility with a precise
electronic crossover without the limitations of conventional poten-
tiometer designs.
◆MOSFET Devices
Rockford Fosgate is one of the few manufacturers in the sound
community to utilize MOSFET devices in both the power supply
and the output stages . MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor
Field Effect Transistor) devices offer several important inherent
advantages over the 30 year old technology of bi-polar design.
These advantages include: thermal stability, switching speed,
ultra low output impedance and wider bandwidth linearity. In
addition, MOSFETs and vacuum tubes share many important
operatingcharacteristics. However, theMOSFET deviceis much
faster,widerinbandwidth,measurablylowerindistortionandfar
more linear than vacuum tubes.
THE RESULT: Operational characteristics of vacuum tubes
without the performance limitations of tube design.

DESIGN FEATURES
1. Cast Aluminum Heatsink – The cast aluminum heatsink of the
Punch amplifier dissipates heat generated by the amplifier's
circuitry. The inherent advantage of casting provides a 30%
improvement of cooling over conventional extrusion heatsink
designs.
2. End Caps – Interchangeable end caps conceal the wiring and
input cables, giving the amplifier a clean “stealth”look.
– 6 –
3. SpeakerTerminals–Theheavyduty,gold-platedterminalblock
connectors (+ and –) will accept wire sizes from 8 AWG to 18
AWG. These gold-plated connectors are immune to corrosion
that can cause signal deterioration.
4. Power Terminals – The power and ground connectors on the
Punch amplifier are gold-plated and will accommodate up to 8
AWG wire maximizing the input current capability of the
amplifier.
5. REM Terminal – This spade terminal is used for the AP (auto
power) or remote turn on of the Punch amplifier.
49 5
GNDB+
LED
REM
+R–+L–Bass
Right
Gain
Right
Input
Left
Input
Left
GainTreble
Speaker Speaker
3 8 7 7
6 6 83

6. RCA Input Jacks – The industry standard RCA jacks provide
easyconnections forsignal levelinput.Theyaregold-plated to
resist the signal degradation caused by corrosion.
7. Input Sensitivity Controls – The input level controls are preset
for 825mV which will match the output of most source units.
Theycanbeadjustedtomatchinputlevelsrangingfrom150mV
to 3V.
8. Punch Equalization Controls – ThePunch EQ helpscorrect for
acoustical deficiencies of the listening environment. The Bass
control allows a narrow band adjustment of up to 18dB
centered at 45Hz. The Treble control is a wide band hinged
adjustment with a maximum of 18dB at 20kHz. The Punch EQ
can be bypassed by turning the controls to their minimum or
counterclockwise position.
9. LED Power Indicator – The LED illuminates when the unit is
turned on.
10. XCard (Internal Crossover) – This built-in crossover card is
configurable for a multitude of operating frequencies. The
orientation of the card in its socket determines the function of
high-pass, low-pass, or full range operation.
– 7 –
Front
XCard
10
Low-Pass Full RangeHigh-Pass
HP
➝
➝
LP
HP
➝
➝
LP FULL
↕
DSM
®
MOSFET AMPLIFIER
®
100 Watts RMS continuous power per
channel into 4 Ohms with less than 0.05%
Total Harmonic Distortion from 20-20kHz.
ROCKFORD CORPORATION
MADE IN THE USA
®
XCard

INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
– 8 –
This section focuses on some of the vehicle considerations for
installing your new Punch amplifier. Checking your battery and
presentsoundsystem,aswellaspre-planningyoursystemlayoutand
best wiring routes will save installation time. When deciding how to
lay out your new system, be sure that each component will be easily
accessible for making adjustments.
Beforebeginninganyinstallation,besuretofollowthesesimplerules:
1. Be sure to carefully read and understand the instructions before
attempting to install the amplifier.
2. For safety, disconnect the negative lead from the battery prior to
beginning the installation.
3. For easier assembly, we suggest you run all wires prior to
mounting your amplifier in place.
4. Route all of the RCA cables close together and away from any
high current wires.
5. Use high quality connectors for a reliable installation and to
minimize signal or power loss.
6. Thinkbeforeyoudrill! Becarefulnottocutordrillintogastanks,
fuel lines, brake or hydraulic lines, vacuum lines or electrical
wiring when working on any vehicle.
7. Never run wires underneath the vehicle. Running the wires
inside the vehicle provides the best protection.
8. Avoid running wiresoveror through sharpedges. Use rubberor
plastic grommets to protect any wires routed through metal,
especially the firewall.
9. ALWAYS protect the battery and electrical system from damage
with proper fusing. Install a fuseholder and appropriate fuse on
the+12Vpowerwirewithin18”(45.7cm)ofthebatteryterminal.
10. When grounding to the chassis of the vehicle, scrape all paint
from the metal to ensure a good, clean ground connection.
Groundingconnectionsshouldbeasshortaspossibleandalways
beconnectedtometalthatisweldedtothemainbody,orchassis,
of the vehicle.
The following is a list of tools you will need for installing the Punch
amplifier:
Allen wrenches 7/64" & 3/32" (included) Voltmeter
Wire strippers Battery post wrench
Electric hand drill w/assorted bits Wire cutters
Wire crimpers Assorted connectors

MOUNTING LOCATION
– 9 –
Themountinglocationandpositionofyouramplifierwillhaveagreat
effect on its ability to dissipate the heat generated during normal
operation. The design of our cast aluminum heatsink serves to easily
dissipate the heat generated over a wide range of operating condi-
tions.However,tomaximizetheperformanceofyouramplifier,care
should be taken to ensure adequate ventilation.
Trunk Mounting
Mounting the amplifier vertically on a surface with the fin grooves
running up and down will provide the best cooling of the amplifier.
Mountingtheamplifieronthefloorofthetrunkwillworkbutprovides
less cooling capability than vertical mounting.
Mountingtheamplifierupsidedowntothereardeckofthetrunkwill
not provide proper cooling and will severely affect the performance
of the amplifier and is strongly not recommended.
Passenger Compartment Mounting
Mounting the amplifier in the passenger compartment will work as
longasyouprovideasufficientamountofairfortheamplifiertocool
itself. If you are going to mount the amplifier under the seat of the
vehicle, you must have at least 1" (2.54cm) of air gap around the
amplifier's heatsink.
Mounting the amplifier with less than 1" (2.54cm) of air gap around
the amplifier's heatsink in the passenger compartment will not
providepropercoolingandwillseverelyaffecttheperformanceofthe
amplifier and is strongly not recommended.
Engine Compartment Mounting
Rockford Fosgate amplifiers should never be mounted in the engine
compartment.Not only willthis voidyourwarranty butcould create
an embarrassing situation caused by the ridicule from your friends.

Amplifiers will put an increased load on the vehicle's battery and
charging system. We recommend checking your alternator and
battery condition to ensure that the electrical system has enough
capacity to handle the increased load of your stereo system. Stock
electrical systems which are in good condition should be able to
handle the extra load of any Rockford amplifier without problems,
although battery and alternator life can be reduced slightly. To
maximize the performance of your Rockford Fosgate amplifier, we
suggesttheuseofaheavydutybattery,highoutputalternatorandan
energy storage capacitor.
– 10 –
BATTERY AND CHARGING
WIRING THE SYSTEM
CAUTION: Avoid running power wires near the low level input
cables,antenna,power leads,sensitiveequipmentor harnesses.The
powerwirescarrysubstantialcurrentandcouldinducenoiseintothe
audio system.
• For safety, disconnect the negative lead from the battery prior to
beginning the installation.
1. Plan the wire routing. Take care when running signal level RCA
cablestokeepthemclosetogetherbutisolatedfromtheamplifier's
power cables and any high power auto accessories, especially
electric motors. This is done to prevent coupling the noise from
radiated electrical fields into the audio signal. When feeding the
wires through the firewall or any metal barrier, protect them with
plastic or rubber grommets to prevent short circuits. Leave the
wires long at this point to adjust for a precise fit at a later time.
2. Prepare the Power cable for attachment to the amplifier by
stripping 5/8" of insulation from the end of the wire. The use of 8
gauge power cable can interfere with the installation of the end
caps. Proper wire dress can prevent this from occurring. To
prevent the wire from fraying, strip the insulation at a 45°angle.
Insertthebared wireintotheB+terminalwiththe longsideofthe
insulationonthetop.Bendthecabledownata90°angle.Tighten
the set screw to secure the cable in place.

– 11 –
Punch 40ix, 60ix, 100ix
Trimthepowercabletowithin18"ofthebatteryandinstallthe
protective rubber boot, which is packed with the fuseholder,
over the end of the wire. Strip 3/8" of insulation from the wire
andinsertintotheendofthefuseholder,thencrimpitinplace.
Slide the rubber boot into place to cover the connection. Use
thesectionofcablethatwastrimmedearlier andconnectitto
the other end of the fuseholder.
Punch 200ix
Mountthefuseholderwithin18"ofthebatteryusingtwo(2)#8
screws.Disassemblethefuseholder.Youshouldhave2black
plasticend caps,2 gold-platedfuse clips,a plasticspacer and
the fuseholder body. Trim the amplifier power cable to reach
thefuseholderandstripthewire3/8".Slideoneoftheendcaps
over the wire (narrow end first) and insert the wire into one of
the fuse clips. Tighten the set screw. Screw the black end cap
to the fuseholder body to secure the cable. Use the section of
cablethat wastrimmedearlier andconnectittothe otherend
of the fuseholder. Install the plastic spacer in the fuseholder
and attach the cable to the fuseholder body.
NOTE: The B+ cable MUST be fused 18" or less from the
vehicle's battery. Install the fuseholder under the hood and
prepare the cable ends as stated above. Connections should
be water tight.
3. Strip 3/8" from the battery end of the power cable and crimp
the large ring terminal to the cable. Use the ring terminal to
connecttothebatterypositiveterminal.Donotinstallthefuse
at this time.
4. Preparealengthofcabletobeusedforthegroundconnection.
Strip 5/8" of insulation from the end of the cable as described
previously and connect to the appropriate terminal of the
amplifier. Prepare the chassis ground by scraping any paint
fromthemetalsurfaceandthoroughlycleantheareaofalldirt
and grease. Strip the other end of the wire and attach a ring
connector. Fasten the cable to the chassis using a non-
anodized screw and star washers.

5. Prepare the REM turn-on wire for connection to the amplifier
bystripping5/8"ofinsulationfromthewireendandcrimping
an insulated spade connector in place. Slide the connector
overtheREMterminalontheamplifier.Connecttheotherend
of the REM wire to a switched 12 volt positive source. The
switched signal is usually taken from the source unit's auto
antennaortheaccessorylead.Ifthesourceunitdoesnothave
these outputs available, the recommended solution is to wire
a mechanical switch in line with a 12 volt source to activate
the amplifier.
6. ConnectthesourcesignaltotheamplifierbypluggingtheRCA
cables into the input jacks at the amplifier.
7. Connect the speakers. Strip the speaker wires 5/8" and insert
intotheappropriateterminalontheamplifier.Insertthebared
wire into the speaker terminal and tighten the set screw to
secureintoplace. Besuretomaintainproperspeakerpolarity.
DO NOT chassis ground any of the speaker leads as unstable
operation may result.
8. Performafinalcheckofthecompletedsystemwiringtoensure
thatallconnectionsareaccurate.Checkallpowerandground
connections for frayed wires and loose connections which
could cause problems.
9. After the final inspection is complete, install the power fuse
and enjoy listening. During the initial listening period, you
may need to “fine tune” any phasing and level settings within
your particular vehicle. To aid in this procedure, play a track
with high musical content and cruise around your neighbor-
hood. After fully evaluating the transient response of your
system and making any final adjustments, all your neighbors
within a 1 mile radius will assume that you have just success-
fully completed another upgrade to your audio system for
which they will probably spill thumbtacks on your driveway.
– 12 –

– 13 –
USING THE XCARD
The crossover functions are controlled through the use of an
XCard and can be set for high-pass, low-pass or full range
operation. Each crossover card has two faces: one face operates
FullRange,theotherhasarrowstoindicatetheedgeforselecting
HP (high-pass) or LP (low-pass) operation. Orient the card with
the desired operating edge, indicated by the arrow, toward the
socket terminals inside the amplifier. Firmly, but carefully, plug
the card into the socket.
Thecrossoverpointcanbealteredbychangingtheresistorvalue.
Usethefollowingformulatoselecttheappropriateresistorvalue
to be placed on the XCard.
3386
fo= R (in kΩ) for .047µf cap
= R (in kΩ) for .022µf cap
7234
fo
Where: R = Ω
fo= desired crossover frequency
c = capacitor in farads
ex: .047 x 10-6 for .047mf cap
Crossover Card
High Pass
Low Pass
Full Range
R1 R2 R1 R2
FULL
The actual formula is:
R = 1
2πfoc
Low-Pass Full RangeHigh-Pass
FULL
↕
HP
➝
➝
LP
HP
➝
➝
LP

BASIC CONNECTIONS
– 14 –
*Keep grounds as short as possible.
LED
REM
Connect to remote
turn-on lead of
source unit.
Connect to chassis
ground of vehicle*
Connect to B+ of battery with
appropriate fuse value.
Less than 18"
GNDB+
P40ix
P60ix
P100ix
P200ix
- 20A
- 30A
- 40A
- 50A
Power Connections

– 15 –
Stereo Operation
Bass
Right
Gain
Right
Input
Left
Input
Left
GainTreble
–
+
+L–
Speaker +R– Speaker
–
+
RCA Input
•RCA inputs are connected to both left and right channels.
•Gain for left and right channels operate independently.
•Impedance for each channel should be 2Ωminimum.
•XCard can be set for High-Pass, Low-Pass or Full Range.

– 16 –
Bass
Right
Gain
Right
Input
Left
Input
Left
GainTreble
+–
+L–
Speaker +R– Speaker
RCA Input
4Ω
Mono Operation
•RCA inputs are connected to both left and right channels.
•Gain for left and right channels are set equally to balance
the subwoofer.
•Impedance for mono channel should be 4Ωminimum.
•XCard can be set for High-Pass, Low-Pass or Full Range.