Tait TB8100 User manual

TB8100 base station
Service Manual
MBA-00016-02
Issue 2
September 2006

2TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
Contact Information
Tait Radio Communications
Corporate Head Office
Tait Electronics Limited
P.O. Box 1645
Christchurch
New Zealand
For the address and telephone number of regional
offices, refer to the TaitWorld website:
We b s i te : http://www.taitworld.com
Technical Support
For assistance with specific technical issues, contact
Technical Support:
E-mail: [email protected]
We b s i te : http://support.taitworld.com
Copyright and Trademarks
All information contained in this manual is the property
of Tait Electronics Limited. All rights reserved.
This manual may not, in whole or in part, be copied,
photocopied, reproduced, translated, stored, or reduced
to any electronic medium or machine-readable form,
without prior written permission from Tait Electronics
Limited.
The word TAIT and the TAIT logo are trademarks of
Tait Electronics Limited.
All trade names referenced are the service mark,
trademark or registered trademark of the respective
manufacturers.
Disclaimer
There are no warranties extended or granted by this
manual. Tait Electronics Limited accepts no
responsibility for damage arising from use of the
information contained in the manual or of the
equipment and software it describes. It is the
responsibility of the user to ensure that use of such
information, equipment and software complies with the
laws, rules and regulations of the applicable
jurisdictions.
Enquiries and Comments
If you have any enquiries regarding this manual, or any
comments, suggestions and notifications of errors,
please contact Technical Support.
Updates of Manual and Equipment
In the interests of improving the performance, reliability
or servicing of the equipment, Tait Electronics Limited
reserves the right to update the equipment or this
manual or both without prior notice.
Intellectual Property Rights
This product may be protected by one or more patents
of Tait Electronics Limited together with their
international equivalents, pending patent applications
and registered trade marks: NZ508054, NZ508340,
NZ508806, NZ508807, NZ509242, NZ509640,
NZ509959, NZ510496, NZ511155, NZ511421,
NZ516280/519742, NZ519118, NZ519344,
NZ520650/537902, NZ521450, NZ524509,
NZ524537, NZ524630, NZ530819, NZ534475,
NZ534692, NZ535471, NZ536945, NZ537434,
NZ534369, NZ522236, NZ524378, AU2003281447,
AU2002235062, AU2004216984, CA2439018,
EU03784706.8, EU02701829.0, EU04714053.8,
GB23865476, GB2386010, GB2413249,
GB0516092.4, US60/613748, US60/539617, US10/
520827, US10/468740, US5,745,840, US10/520827.
To Our European Customers
Tait Electronics Limited is an
environmentally responsible company
which supports waste minimization and
material recovery. The European Union’s
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Directive requires that this product be disposed of
separately from the general waste stream when its
service life is over. Please be environmentally
responsible and dispose through the original supplier,
your local municipal waste “separate collection” service,
or contact Tait Electronics Limited.

TB8100 Service Manual 3
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Scope of Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Associated Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Publication Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1 Safety and Servicing Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.1 Personal Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.1.1 Lethal Voltages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.1.2 Explosive Environments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.1.3 Beryllium Oxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.1.4 Proximity to RF Transmissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.1.5 High Temperatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.2 Equipment Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.2.1 ESD Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.2.2 Antenna Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.3 Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.3.1 Distress Frequencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.3.2 FCC Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.3.3 Unauthorised Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.4 General Servicing Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.4.1 Repair Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.4.2 Accreditation of Service Centres. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.4.3 Skills and Resources for Level-1 Repairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.4.4 Skills and Resources for Level-2 Repairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.4.5 Website Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1.4.6 Items Available on Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1.4.7 PCB Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.4.8 Tait FOCUS Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.5 Recommended Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1.6 Identifying Screw Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1.6.1 Torx Recess Head Screws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1.6.2 Allen Recess Head UNC Screws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1.6.3 Pozidriv Recess Head Screws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1.7 Replacing Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.7.1 Surface Mount Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.7.2 Leaded Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.7.3 Cased Mica Capacitors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2 Reciter Circuit Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.1 Digital Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.1.1 Digital IF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.1.2 Digital Signal Processor (DSP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

4TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
2.1.3 Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.1.4 40MHz Digital Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2 Reference Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2.1 Synthesizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2.2 VCXO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.2.3 Reference Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.3 Receiver RF Circuitry - VHF Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.3.1 Front End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.3.2 Mixer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.3.3 IF Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.3.4 Synthesizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
2.3.5 VCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
2.4 Receiver RF Circuitry - UHF Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.4.1 Front End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.4.2 Mixer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.4.3 IF Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.4.4 Synthesizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.4.5 VCO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
2.4.6 AGC (H Band Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2.5 Exciter RF Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
2.5.1 Frequency Control Loop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
2.5.2 Synthesizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
2.5.3 VCO - VHF Reciter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
2.5.4 VCO - UHF Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
2.5.5 Exciter Control Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
2.6 System Interface Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
2.7 Power Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
3 Reciter Fault Finding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
3.1 Identifying the Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
3.2 Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
3.3 Software and Firmware Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
3.4 Board Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
3.5 Initial Checks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
3.6 Visual Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
3.7 Digital IF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
3.8 Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
3.9 Exciter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
3.10 Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
3.11 Final Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
4 Reciter Disassembly and Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
4.1 Screw Torque Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
4.2 Removing the Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

TB8100 Service Manual 5
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
4.3 Removing the Front and Rear Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
4.4 Refitting the Front and Rear Panels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
4.5 Refitting the Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
5 Reciter Board Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
5.1 Replacing the System Interface Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
6 Reciter Spare Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
7 Power Amplifier Circuit Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
7.1 Microprocessor Control Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
7.1.1 Diagnostics and Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
7.1.2 PA-Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
7.1.3 Power Foldback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
7.1.4 Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
7.1.5 Power Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
7.1.6 Fan Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
7.1.7 Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
7.1.8 Temperature Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
7.1.9 Ambient Air Temperature Sensor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
7.2 RF Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
7.2.1 6W Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
7.2.2 60W Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
7.2.3 Low Pass Filter and Directional Coupler Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
7.2.4 Splitter and Combiner Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
7.2.5 Interconnect Boards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
7.3 Boost Regulator Circuitry (12V PA Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
8 Power Amplifier Fault Finding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
8.1 Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
8.1.1 Personal Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
8.1.2 Equipment Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
8.2 Identifying the PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
8.3 Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
8.4 Software and Firmware Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
8.5 Board Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
8.6 Initial Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
8.7 Visual Inspection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
8.8 Control Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
8.9 6W Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
8.10 Splitter and Combiner Boards (100W PA Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
8.11 60W Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
8.12 Low Pass Filter and Directional Coupler Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
8.13 Boost Regulator Board (12V PA Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

6TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
8.14 Final Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
9 Power Amplifier Disassembly and Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
9.1 Screw Torque Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
9.2 Removing the Airflow Duct and Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
9.3 Removing the Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
9.4 Refitting the Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
9.5 Refitting the Cover and Airflow Duct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
10 Power Amplifier Board Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
10.1 Circuit Board Connecting Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
10.2 Replacing the 6W Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
10.3 Replacing the 60W Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
10.4 Replacing the 60W RF Power Transistor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
10.5 Replacing the Control Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
10.6 Replacing the Low Pass Filter/Directional Coupler Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
10.7 Replacing the Splitter/Combiner Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
10.8 Replacing the Interconnect Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
10.9 Replacing the Boost Regulator Board in a 12V PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
11 Power Amplifier Spare Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
12 Power Management Unit Circuit Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
12.1 Microprocessor Control Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
12.2 AC Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
12.3 DC Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
13 Power Management Unit Fault Finding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
13.1 Safety Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
13.1.1 Personal Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
13.1.2 Equipment Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
13.2 Identifying the PMU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
13.2.1 Colour Coding of Circuit Boards and Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
13.3 Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
13.4 Software and Firmware Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
13.5 Board Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
13.6 Initial Checks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
13.7 Auxiliary Power Supply Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
13.8 DC Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
13.8.1 DC Converter without Microprocessor Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
13.8.2 DC Converter with Microprocessor Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

TB8100 Service Manual 7
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
13.8.3 PMU Operation on DC Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
13.9 AC Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
13.10 Modifying the PFC Control Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
13.11 Final Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
14 Power Management Unit Disassembly and Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
14.1 Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
14.1.1 Personal Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
14.1.2 Equipment Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
14.2 Mechanical Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
14.3 Screw Torque Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
14.4 Removing the Top and Bottom Covers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
14.5 Removing the Front and Rear Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
14.6 Disconnecting the AC and DC Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
14.7 Reconnecting the AC and DC Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
14.8 Refitting the Front and Rear Panels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
14.9 Refitting the Top and Bottom Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
15 Power Management Unit Card and Board Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259
15.1 Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
15.1.1 Personal Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
15.1.2 Equipment Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
15.2 Colour Coding of Circuit Boards and Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
15.3 Replacing the Plug-in Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
15.4 Replacing the Auxiliary Power Supply Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
16 Power Management Unit Spare Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267
17 Control Panel Circuit Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
17.1 Control Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
17.2 Audio Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
17.3 Power Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
17.4 Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
18 Control Panel Servicing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277
18.1 Identifying the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
18.2 Screw Torque Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
18.3 Replacing the Circuit Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
18.4 Replacing the Speaker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
18.5 Spare Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

8TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
19 Subrack Servicing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295

TB8100 Service Manual 9
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
List of Illustrations
Safety and Servicing Information
Figure 1.1 Typical antistatic bench set-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Figure 1.2 Identifying Torx screws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 1.3 Identifying Pozidriv and Phillips screws and screwdrivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Reciter Circuit Description
Figure 2.1 Reciter high level block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 2.2 Reciter digital circuitry block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Figure 2.3 Reciter RISC functional block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Figure 2.4 Reciter external reference block diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Figure 2.5 Reciter VHF receiver RF circuitry block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 2.6 Reciter receiver synthesizer block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Figure 2.7 Reciter UHF receiver RF circuitry block diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Figure 2.8 Reciter receiver synthesizer block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Figure 2.9 Comparison of VCXO and VCO modulation responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Figure 2.10 Reciter exciter synthesizer modulator block diagram - B, C and H bands . . . . . 49
Figure 2.11 Reciter exciter synthesizer modulator block diagram - K and L bands. . . . . . . . 50
Figure 2.12 Reciter system interface board block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Figure 2.13 Reciter power supply block diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Figure 2.14 Identifying the circuitry on the digital and system interface boards . . . . . . . . . . 61
Figure 2.15 Identifying the circuitry on the RF board - B and C bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Figure 2.16 Identifying the circuitry on the RF board - H band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Figure 2.17 Identifying the circuitry on the RF board - K and L bands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Reciter Fault Finding
Figure 3.1 Identifying the reciter boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Figure 3.2 Recommended test equipment set-up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Figure 3.3 Typical 12.8MHz clock wave form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Figure 3.4 Location of the 12.8MHz clock test point on the RF board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Figure 3.5 Visual inspection points for the reciter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Figure 3.6 Recommended test equipment set-up for audio checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Figure 3.7 Location of audio test points on the digital board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Figure 3.8 Location of audio test points on the system interface board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Reciter Disassembly and Reassembly
Figure 4.1 Removing the front and rear panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Reciter Board Replacement
Figure 5.1 Replacing the system interface board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Figure 5.2 Reconnecting the flexible connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Reciter Spare Parts
Figure 6.1 Reciter mechanical assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

10 TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
Power Amplifier Circuit Description
Figure 7.1 PA high level block diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Figure 7.2 PA control, RF and power supply circuitry block diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Figure 7.3 Identifying the circuitry on the 28V PA boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Figure 7.4 Identifying the circuitry on the 12V PA boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Power Amplifier Fault Finding
Figure 8.1 Identifying the circuit boards in a 28V PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Figure 8.2 Identifying the circuit boards in a 12V PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Figure 8.3 Recommended test equipment set-up for initial checks - 28V PA . . . . . . . . . 134
Figure 8.4 Recommended test equipment set-up for initial checks - 12V PA . . . . . . . . . 135
Figure 8.5 Connections on the fan contact board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Figure 8.6 Visual inspection points for a 28V PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Figure 8.7 Additional visual inspection points for a 12V PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Figure 8.8 Recommended test equipment set-up for circuit board checks - 28V PA . . . . 149
Figure 8.9 Recommended test equipment set-up for circuit board checks - 12V PA . . . . 150
Figure 8.10 Location of test points on the control board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Figure 8.11 Location of test points on the 6W board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Figure 8.12 Location of test points on the splitter and combiner boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Figure 8.13 Location of test points on the 60W board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Figure 8.14 Location of the test points and input coupling components on the
LPF/directional coupler board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Figure 8.15 Test equipment set-up for the boost regulator board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Figure 8.16 Location of test points on the boost regulator board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Power Amplifier Disassembly and Reassembly
Figure 9.1 Removing the airflow duct and cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Figure 9.2 Removing the front panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Power Amplifier Board Replacement
Figure 10.1 Circuit board connecting links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Figure 10.2 Replacing the 6W board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Figure 10.3 Replacing the 60W board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Figure 10.4 Replacing the 60W RF power transistor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Figure 10.5 Replacing the control board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Figure 10.6 Replacing the LPF/directional coupler board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Figure 10.7 Replacing the splitter/combiner boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Figure 10.8 Replacing the boost regulator board in a 12V PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Power Amplifier Spare Parts
Figure 11.1 PA mechanical assembly - 28V PAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Figure 11.2 PA mechanical assembly - 12V PAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Figure 11.3 PA mechanical assembly - covers and airflow duct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Power Management Unit Circuit Description
Figure 12.1 PMU high level block diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Figure 12.2 PMU microprocessor functional block diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Figure 12.3 PMU AC module block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Figure 12.4 PMU DC module block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Figure 12.5 Identifying the circuitry in the AC module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

TB8100 Service Manual 11
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
Figure 12.6 Identifying the circuitry in the DC module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Power Management Unit Fault Finding
Figure 13.1 Identifying the boards and cards in the PMU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Figure 13.2 Recommended test equipment set-up for initial and DC checks. . . . . . . . . . . 222
Figure 13.3 Location of indicator LEDs and DC output connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Figure 13.4 Connections on the fan contact board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Figure 13.5 Checking the DC converter without microprocessor control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Figure 13.6 Location of test point on the battery control card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Figure 13.7 Location of test points on the DC control card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Figure 13.8 Checking the DC converter with microprocessor control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Figure 13.9 PMU alarm thresholds and voltage limits when operating on DC. . . . . . . . . . 238
Figure 13.10 Location of test points on the AC converter board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Figure 13.11 AC converter test equipment set-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Figure 13.12 Typical gate-source and drain-source waveforms for FETs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Figure 13.13 Modifying the PFC control card for testing the AC converter . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Power Management Unit Disassembly and Reassembly
Figure 14.1 Removing the front and rear panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Figure 14.2 Disconnecting the AC and DC modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Figure 14.3 Reconnecting the AC and DC modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Power Management Unit Card and Board Replacement
Figure 15.1 Replacing the plug-in cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Figure 15.2 Replacing the auxiliary power supply board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Power Management Unit Spare Parts
Figure 16.1 PMU mechanical assembly - sheet 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Figure 16.2 PMU mechanical assembly - sheet 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Control Panel Circuit Description
Figure 17.1 Standard, dual base station, and Power Save control panel high level
block diagrams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Figure 17.2 Multi-reciter control panel high level block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Control Panel Servicing
Figure 18.1 Replacing the control panel board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Figure 18.2 Reconnecting the flexible connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Figure 18.3 Replacing the speaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Figure 18.4 Control panel mechanical assembly - standard, Power Save, and
dual base station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Figure 18.5 Control panel mechanical assembly - multi-reciter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Subrack Servicing
Figure 19.1 Front panel mechanical assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Figure 19.2 Subrack mechanical assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Figure 19.3 Cable identification - sheet 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Figure 19.4 Cable identification - sheet 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Figure 19.5 Cables and mechanical parts used in the multi-reciter subrack. . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

12 TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
Preface
Scope of Manual
This manual contains information on servicing the TB8100 base station.
Included are circuit descriptions, fault finding procedures, and mechanical
assembly drawings for each module.
Note TB9100 PAs and PMUs can also be serviced using this manual.
TB9100 reciters can be serviced using this manual in conjunction
with the TB9100 Reciter Service Manual (MBA-00017-xx). The
TB9100 Reciter Service Manual contains information on the net-
work board, and provides additional information specific to the
operation of a reciter in a TB9100 system.
The 100W PA is not available in all markets. A lower power level is also
available if required. Consult your nearest Tait Dealer or Customer Service
Organisation for more information.
Document Conventions
“File > Open” means “click File on the menu bar, then click Open on the
list of commands that pops up”. “Monitor > Module Details > Reciter”
means “click the Monitor icon on the toolbar, then in the navigation pane
find the Module Details group, and select Reciter from it”.
Within this manual, four types of alerts are given to the reader: Warning,
Caution, Important and Note. The following paragraphs illustrate each type
of alert and its associated symbol.
Warning!! This alert is used when there is a potential risk
of death or serious injury.
Caution This alert is used when there is a risk of minor or
moderate injury to people.
Important This alert is used to warn about the risk of equipment dam-
age or malfunction.
Note This alert is used to highlight information that is required to
ensure procedures are performed correctly.

TB8100 Service Manual 13
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
Associated Documentation
The following associated documentation is available for this product:
■MBA-00001-xx TB8100 Specifications Manual.
■MBA-00005-xx TB8100 Installation and Operation Manual.
■MBA-00009-xx TB8100 Installation Guide. This is a subset of the
Installation and Operation Manual.
■MBA-00010-xx TB8100 Service Kit User’s Manual.
■MBA-00011-xx TB8100 Calibration Kit User’s Manual.
■MB8100-80-00-806 TB8100 Alarm Center User’s Manual.
■MBA-00013-xx TBA0STU/TBA0STP Calibration and Test Unit
Operation Manual.
The characters xx represent the issue number of the documentation.
Technical notes are published from time to time to describe applications for
Tait products, to provide technical details not included in manuals, and to
offer solutions for any problems that arise.
All available TB8100 product documentation is provided on the Product
CD supplied with the base station. Updates may also be published on the
Tait Technical Support website (http://support.taitworld.com).

14 TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
Publication Record
Issue Publication Date Description
1 April 2004 first release
2 September 2006
(MBA-00016-02)
Fault Finding chapters added for the
reciter, PA, and PMU
information added for the following
frequency bands: B, C, H4, K and L
information added for the following
products:
■12V PA
■multi-reciter subrack and control
panel
■TaitNet Ethernet and TaitNet RS-232
system interface boards
■spare parts
Servicing chapters for the reciter, PA
and PMU divided into three new
chapters:
■Disassembly and Reassembly
■Board Replacement
■Spare Parts
minor corrections and additions

TB8100 Service Manual Safety and Servicing Information 15
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
1 Safety and Servicing Information
This chapter contains general information on safety and servicing
procedures for the TB8100 base station modules:
■reciter
■power amplifier (PA)
■power management unit (PMU)
■control panel.
You will find specific safety and servicing information about individual
modules in the appropriate chapters.
1.1 Personal Safety
1.1.1 Lethal Voltages
Warning!! The PMU contains voltages that may be lethal.
Refer to the ratings label on the rear of the
module.
Disconnect the mains IEC connector and wait for five minutes for
the internal voltages to self-discharge before dismantling. The AC
power on/off switch does not isolate the PMU from the mains. It
breaks only the phase circuit, not the neutral. The DC power on/
off switch disables only the control circuitry. The DC input is still
connected to the power circuitry.
Warning!! These switches do not totally isolate the internal
circuitry of the PMU from the AC or DC power
supplies. You must disconnect the AC and DC
supplies from the PMU before dismantling or
carrying out any maintenance.
The PMU should be serviced only by qualified technicians. All servicing
should be carried out only when the PMU is powered through a mains
isolating transformer of sufficient rating. We strongly recommend that
the mains power to the whole of the repair and test area is supplied via an
earth leakage circuit breaker.

16 Safety and Servicing Information TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
1.1.2 Explosive Environments
Warning!! Do not operate TB8100 equipment near electri-
cal blasting caps or in an explosive atmosphere.
Operating the equipment in these environments
is a definite safety hazard.
1.1.3 Beryllium Oxide
Caution Beryllium Oxide
The termination resistors used in the 100W power
amplifier contain some beryllium oxide. This sub-
stance is perfectly harmless in its normal solid form,
but can become a severe health hazard when it has
been reduced to dust. For this reason the termina-
tion resistors should not be broken open, mutilated,
filed, machined, or physically damaged in any way
that can produce dust particles. You should safely
dispose of all used or obsolete components accord-
ing to your local regulations.
1.1.4 Proximity to RF Transmissions
Do not operate the transmitter when someone is standing within 90cm (3ft)
of the antenna. Do not operate the transmitter unless you have checked that
all RF connectors are secure.
1.1.5 High Temperatures
Take care when handling a PMU or PA which has been operating recently.
Under extreme operating conditions (+60°C [+140°F] ambient air
temperature) or high duty cycles the external surfaces of the PMU and PA
can reach temperatures of up to +80°C (+176°F).
Caution The magnetics and power devices attached to the
heatsink in the PMU get hot when they are operat-
ing. Take care when working on a PMU that has
been in recent use.
Caution Touching high-power RF components or circuits
can cause serious burns. We strongly recommend
you do not touch any RF components or tracks in
the PA while it is transmitting.

TB8100 Service Manual Safety and Servicing Information 17
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
1.2 Equipment Safety
1.2.1 ESD Precautions
Important This equipment contains devices which are susceptible to
damage from static charges. You must handle these devices
carefully and according to the procedures described in the
manufacturers’ data books.
We recommend you purchase an antistatic bench kit from a reputable
manufacturer and install and test it according to the manufacturer’s
instructions. Figure 1.1 shows a typical antistatic bench set-up.
You can obtain further information on antistatic precautions and the dangers
of electrostatic discharge (ESD) from standards such as ANSI/ESD
S20.20-1999 or BS EN 100015-4 1994. The Electrostactic Discharge
Association website is http://www.esda.org.
1.2.2 Antenna Load
Important The PA may be damaged if the load is removed or switched
while the PA is transmitting.
To protect the PA output stage from load transients (i.e. switching or
removing the load), we recommend that you fit an isolator between the PA
and the load. Fit the isolator as close as possible to the RF output connector
on the PA. Do not connect any switching or combining equipment
between the isolator and the PA.
Figure 1.1 Typical antistatic bench set-up
common point ground
(building ground or
mains ground via 1M
ohm series resistor)
conductive wrist strap dissipative rubber
bench mat

18 Safety and Servicing Information TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
1.3 Regulatory Information
1.3.1 Distress Frequencies
The 406 to 406.1MHz frequency range is reserved worldwide for use by
Distress Beacons. Do not program transmitters to operate in this frequency
range.
1.3.2 FCC Compliance1
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject
to the condition that this device does not cause harmful interference.
1.3.3 Unauthorised Modifications
Any modifications you make to this equipment which are not authorised by
Tait Electronics Limited may invalidate your compliance authority’s approval
to operate the equipment.
1. Refer to the TB8100 Specifications Manual (MBA-00001-xx) for more information on the
compliance standards to which TB8100 equipment has been tested and approved.

TB8100 Service Manual Safety and Servicing Information 19
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
1.4 General Servicing Information
1.4.1 Repair Levels
This manual covers level-1 and specific level-2 repairs of TB8100
equipment. Level-1 repairs comprise the replacement of circuit boards and
plug-in cards; level-2 repairs comprise replacement of the RF power
transistors in the PA.
1.4.2 Accreditation of Service Centres
Service centres that wish to achieve Accredited Service Centre (ASC) status
should contact Technical Support. They will need to provide evidence that
they meet the criteria required for accreditation; Technical Support will
supply details of these criteria. These centres must then make available
suitable staff for training by Tait Electronics Limited personnel, allow their
service facilities to be assessed, and provide adequate documentation of their
processes. They will be accorded ASC status and endorsed for repairs of
TB8100 equipment after their staff have been trained and their facilities
confirmed as suitable. Existing ASCs need to apply for and be granted an
endorsement for repairs of TB8100 equipment. All ASCs with the
necessary endorsements may carry out level-1 and level-2 repairs of TB8100
equipment, whether under warranty or not.
1.4.3 Skills and Resources for Level-1 Repairs
For level-1 repairs basic electronic repair skills are sufficient. Apart from the
standard tools and equipment of any service centre, certain torque drivers
are required, as well as a Service Kit, Calibration Kit (with dongle), and
Calibration and Test Unit (CTU).
1.4.4 Skills and Resources for Level-2 Repairs
For level-2 repairs expertise is required in handling and replacing insulated
gate FET transistors.

20 Safety and Servicing Information TB8100 Service Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited September 2006
1.4.5 Website Access
To carry out level-1 and level-2 repairs, service centres need access to the
secured portion of the Tait Technical Support website
(http://support.taitworld.com ). There are different access levels; those
required for level-1 and level-2 repairs are:
■level-1 repairs: associate access
■level-2 repairs: ASC and Tait-only access
Log-in passwords are needed for associate and Tait-only access; Technical
Support supplies service centres with the necessary log-in information. The
unsecured portion of the Technical Support website is accessible to the
general public. This type of access is called public access, and no log-in
password is required.
1.4.6 Items Available on Website
The information available on the website is summarized in the following list.
The PCB information is discussed in more detail below.
Note Access to some types of information will depend on your level of
accreditation. Contact your nearest Customer Service Organisa-
tion for more details.
■Application Notes
■Firmware
■Fitting Instructions
■Installation Guides
■Installation and Operation Manuals
■PCB Information
■Product Alerts
■Programming Software
■Programming User Manuals
■Service Kit Templates
■Service Manual
■Software Release Notes
■Specifications
■Technical Notes