Technalogix TAVD-500 User manual

TAVD-500
POWER AMPLIFIER

You’ve already unpacked it, haven’t you? You’ve unpacked
it and plugged it in and turned it on and fiddled with the
knobs. No? Okay, good. Please take a few minutes to read
the manual and familiarize yourself with your new
Technalogix power amplifier.
We believe that this manual, and of course our equipment,
should be everything you need to get on the air with superb
broadcast quality video. We understand that a capable and
confident user will get the most out of our product and we
have made every attempt to educate readers of all technical
levels. If there is something that is not clear, or you require
further information, please do not hesitate to contact us and
we’ll be glad to help out.
Technalogix Ltd.
#4, 8021 Edgar Industrial Place
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
T4P 3R3
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
URL: www.technalogix.ca
Email: [e-mail]
[e-mail]
We truly appreciate that you have chosen us as your
television broadcast system supplier. Happy viewing.

Table of Contents
SECTION I- SAFEGUARDS................................................................................................................. I-1
SAFETY AND FIRST AID.................................................................................................................... I-2
OPERATING SAFEGUARDS ............................................................................................................... I-3
SECTION II -WARRANTY ................................................................................................................ II-1
SECTION III -OVERVIEW................................................................................................................. III-1
STANDARD FEATURES ................................................................................................................... III-1
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION ............................................................................................................. III-2
BLOCK DIAGRAM (TAVD-500)....................................................................................................... III-3
RF SIGNAL PATH........................................................................................................................... III-4
BLOCK DIAGRAM (TAVD-500)....................................................................................................... III-3
SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................ III-5
SECTION IV -RF COMPONENTS......................................................................................................IV-1
AMPLIFIER PALLETS ......................................................................................................................IV-1
SPLITTER/COMBINER .....................................................................................................................IV-4
DIRECTIONAL COUPLER.................................................................................................................IV-4
ISOLATOR......................................................................................................................................IV-4
FILTER ..........................................................................................................................................IV-4
SECTION V-POWER SUPPLY SECTION............................................................................................V-1
SECTION VI -MONITOR AND CONTROL SYSTEM ..............................................................................VI-1
CONTROL BOARD OVERVIEW (INSIGHT)..........................................................................................VI-1
USER INTERFACE MODULE .............................................................................................................VI-2
COUPLER CONDITIOING MODULE ....................................................................................................VI-3
RF CONDITIONING MODULE ...........................................................................................................VI-3
TEMPERATURE SENSOR MODULE...................................................................................................VI-3
TXNET MODULE.............................................................................................................................VI-3
REMOTE PORT...............................................................................................................................VI-4
FAULT SHUTDOWN.........................................................................................................................VI-5
BILL OF MATERIALS ......................................................................................................................VI-6
SCHEMATICS ...............................................................................................................................VI-12
SECTION VII -MECHANICAL SECTION ............................................................................................VII-1
SECTION VIII -INSTALLATION.......................................................................................................VIII-1
BUILDING RECOMMENDATIONS.....................................................................................................VIII-1
HEATING AND COOLING REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................................VIII-2
ELECTRICAL SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................VIII-3
ANTENNA AND TOWER RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................VIII-4
SHELTER SECURITY.....................................................................................................................VIII-5
UNPACKING AND INSPECTION.......................................................................................................VIII-6
LOCATION AND FUNCTION OF CONTROLS AND CONNECTORS (TAVD-500 POWER AMPLIFIER).......VIII-7
LOCATION AND FUNCTION OF CONTROLS AND CONNECTORS (COMBINER ENCLOSURE .................VIII-11

INITIAL HOOK UP……………………………………………………………………………………… VIII-13
SECTION IX -OPERATING PROCEDURE...........................................................................................IX-1
SECTION X-MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING.......................................................................X-1
TROUBLESHOOTING........................................................................................................................X-2

I-1
Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
Section I - Safeguards
General Safeguards
This section is written as a general guide to keep all 5 fingers on your hand and is intended for
those having previous knowledge and experience with these kinds of equipment. It is not intended
to contain a complete statement of all safety precautions, which should be observed by personnel
using this or other electronic equipment.
DOCUMENTATION-Read,retainandfollowinstructions before operatingthe equipment.
There is a lot of useful information in the manual, and besides, we spent a lot of time
writing it!
ENVIRONMENT - To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this
equipment to rain, moisture, or rye and sodas at the company Christmas party. Refer all
servicing to qualified service personnel.
SERVICING - Do not attempt to service this equipment yourself as opening or removing
covers can result in a warm tingly feeling and will void the warranty. Refer all servicing to
qualified service personnel.

I-2
Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
Safety and First Aid
Personnel engaged in the installation, operation,maintenance,or servicing of electronicequipment
are exposed to the hazard of high voltage. It is imperative that all safety regulations and
precautions are consistently observed. Knowledge of first aid procedures is recommended. The
following information is presented as a reference only.
•At all times, avoid placing any part of the body in series between ground and circuit points,
whether power is on or off.
•Dangerous voltage may be present in equipment even though power is off. Do not open the
cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
•It is the duty of all personnel to be prepared to give adequate emergency first aid treatment and
thereby prevent avoidable loss of life.
•There are three principle degrees of burns, recognizable as follows:
•a first-degree burn reddens the skin.
•a second-degree burn blisters the skin.
•a third degree burn chars the flesh and frequently places the victim in a state of shock
accompanied by respiratory paralysis.
•Respiratory paralysis can cause death by suffocation within seconds. It is imperative that the
approvedmethods of artificial respiration areinitiated immediatelyandcontinue untilthe victim’s
breathing is normal.
•A muscular spasm of unconsciousness may render the victim unable to break free of the
electric power. If this is the case, turn the power off immediately.
DO NOT TOUCH THE VICTIM OR YOU MAY SHARE THE SAME
PREDICAMENT.
•If the power cannot be turned off immediately, very carefully loop a dry rope, article of clothing,
length of strong cloth or a rolled-up newspaper around the victim and pull the victim free of the
power source. Carefully avoid touching the victim or clothing.
•Once free of the power source, the victim must be placed in a reclining position and covered
with a blanket or newspapers to keep warm. At the first opportunity, enlist help in
summoning a doctor. If a doctor cannot be summoned, transport the victim to the doctor or
a hospital. Be sure the victim is kept well covered and warm while awaiting professional
treatment.

I-3
Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
Operating Safeguards
It is a known fact that our broadcast transmitters and translators enjoy 50-ohm load
impedances. So much so, that it is imperative you maintain 50-ohm impedances throughout
your system. In return, your equipment will provide you with maximum power transfer to the
antenna and decreased reflected power heading back towards the amplifier pallets, reducing
the amount of magic smoke that gets let out of the power amplifier. Before anything is turned
on, ensure that there is a 50-ohm path from the output of each stage to the input of the next, all
the way to the antenna.
In addition to maintaining proper 50-ohm impedances throughout the signal chain, it is also
important, whenever possible, to make sure the RF drive going to the input of the power
amplifier is removed before turning on or turning off the DC power supply. This is because all of
the RF transistors used in the individual amplifier pallets are fabricated with LDMOS (Laterally
Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technology. Nice and linear yes, but they do not like to
make any RF power when their supply voltages are not within a specific range. When you first
turn your power amplifier on or off, the DC power supply’s output voltage may take a while to
stable out to a safe operating voltage. Ten seconds wait before applying the RF drive will
ensure no issues arise.
Our power amplifiers are designed to reliably generate a specific RF output power. Failing to
adhere to overdriven amplifier warnings can decrease the reliability of your system, and frankly,
makes our repair department busy and grumpy. If you need to transmit to a little larger
coverage, you are better off increasing antenna gain, and more importantly, antenna height
above average terrain. On TV and FM broadcast frequencies, insufficient antenna height puts
an upper limit on your range, regardless of power levels, as the distance from your antenna to
the radio horizon is limited.

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
II-1
Section II - Warranty
Our legalese is straightforward. It is simplydesignedto give youpeaceof mind and helpsyou resist
the temptation to have your electronics friend try to repair your Technalogix product.
Technalogix Ltd. products have been completely tested and found to meet specifications and bein
proper operating condition. They are warranted to be free from defects in materials and
workmanshipfor a period of oneyear from the date ofshipment. If the system becomesdamaged in
shipment and there are obvious signsof damage to theoutsideof the packaging, notifyyour courier
immediately before that courier walks out the door.
Technalogix Ltd. will not be liable for damages of whatever nature arising out of or in connection
with the equipment or its use thereof. Technalogix does not assume responsibility for injury or
damage resulting from the practices of untrained or unqualified personnel in the handling of this
equipment.
Technalogix Ltd. warranty does not include:
•misuse, neglect or accident.
•incorrect wiring and /or improper installation.
•unauthorized repairs, modifications or use in violation of instructions issued by Technalogix.
•incidental or consequential damages as a result of any defect.
•reshipment cost or insurance of the unit or replacement units or parts.
•acts of nature or terrorism.
Technalogix agrees, at our option, to remedy warranted defects or furnish a new part in exchange
forany part of a unitwhich, under normal installation, useand service, becomes defective. Theuser
will pay for transportation costs to and from the repair center. If you require technicalservice on the
site, the cost to you will be $800.00 US per day plus air fare and meals.

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
II-2
To claim your rights under this warranty:
•Contact Technalogix and describe the problem in as much detail as possible. See
troubleshooting section in this manual. If a solution cannot be found at this time, it may be
determined that the unit will have to be returned to Technalogix for repair, once a Return
Materials Authorization (RMA) number is provided. Please look under our web site
(www.technalogix.ca) for the RMA form (Service) and fill it out. Either fax it to us or email to us.
•Packageequipment carefully for prepaid shipmentto Technalogix. Include a written description
of the problem experienced, a copy of the original invoice establishing warranty status, and the
RMA.
Technalogix reserves the right to make revisions in current production of the equipment and
assumes no obligation to incorporate these changes in earlier models.
Shipping Address:
Technalogix Ltd.
ATTN:RMA#
#4, 8021 Edgar Industrial Place
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
T4P 3R3
Ph: 403.347.5400
Made in Canada, returned for repairs

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
II-3
Terms & Conditions of Sale
Sales by Technalogix Ltd (“Seller”) are made only on the terms which are contained in this
Terms and Conditions of Sale Policy. Seller hereby gives notice of its objection to any different
or additional terms and conditions. All sales are expressly conditional upon Buyers’ assent to
the terms and conditions set forth below. These terms and conditions may be modified or
supplemented only by a written document sighed by the authorized representative of Seller.
These terms and conditions supersede any prior and/or contemporaneous agreements or
correspondence between Buyer and Seller. Any order received and accepted by Technalogix
Ltd (Seller) shall be construed as an acceptance of Seller’s offer to sell its products to the
purchaser (Buyer) in accordance with the terms and conditions of sale set forth herein. No
waiver, whether express or implied, by Seller of any of the terms or conditions hereof shall be
deemed a continuing waiver or trade custom between the parties, but shall apply solely to the
instance to which the waiver is directed.
Ordering Information
All orders must be in writing and/or accompanied by a PO. 50% down payment is required with
all orders. No orders are considered an order until the down payment has been paid.
Order Confirmation
A purchase order is not binding on Seller until Buyer has received Seller’s order confirmation or
acknowledgement.
Pricing Policy
Prices for products do not include taxes or any additional charges. All prices are FOB shipping
point and prices do not include freight/handling charges and insurance charges. All prices are
in U.S. currency.
All prices published or quoted by Seller may be changed at any time without notice. Unless
otherwise specified, written quotations expire thirty (30) days from the date issued and are
subject to change or termination by notice during this period.
Taxes
Prices for all products do not include any sales, use, excise or other taxes. Buyer agrees to pay
all applicable federal, state, and local taxes, duties and other fees on product and services
ordered. If Buyer claims an exemption form any tax, Buyer shall submit to Seller the
appropriate exemption certificates.
Shipping
Shipping is the responsibility of the Buyer. This includes all freight, custom and brokerage
charges and duties.

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
II-4
Terms of Payment
Seller will provide credit terms to Buyer at its discretion. Such terms are subject to change at all
times. If credit is provided, Seller will invoice Buyer on the date the product is ordered. Such
invoices will be due and payable net thirty (30) days from date of invoice, subject to credit
approval. If credit is not established or maintained, terms shall be net cash on or prior to the
Delivery Date. Seller reserves the right, at its sole discretion at any time to revoke any credit
previously extended.
Past due accounts shall be charged two percent (2%) per month, or the highest rate permitted
by Alberta law, whichever is less, and will be added to the outstanding balance. In the event
Buyer defaults on payment, Buyer shall be liable for all collection cost, including reasonable
attorney’s fees and costs.
Changes and Cancellation
Purchase orders that have been accepted by Seller may not be changed or cancelled, in whole
or in part, without written consent of Seller. All changes must be include in a change order
reflecting the purchase order number and submitted to the Seller. All other changes will not be
accepted or acknowledged. Changes may affect delivery dates. Expenses incurred because of
the changes shall be charged to the Buyer. Buyer will be liable for Seller’s costs incurred, plus
a reasonable profit, for the portion of the work terminated, in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principle, together with cancellation charges.
Orders for standard product may be changed by Buyer, with no penalty to the Buyer, provided
that Buyer provides Technalogix notification at least 30 days prior to the scheduled ship date.
Order changes received within 30 days of the scheduled ship date may be subject to an order
change charge; a schedule detailing these charges will be forwarded to Buyer when Buyer’s
change order is acknowledged. In no event can any aspect of the order be changed after
product shipment has occurred.
Orders for custom product may be canceled by Buyer, provided that Buyer pays Seller for
completed work allocated to Buyer’s order at the time of termination of the work at the unit
selling price and all costs, direct and indirect for work-in-progress as well as costs resulting from
cancellation and a reasonable profit therein. Specific cancellation charges will be dependent on
the type of custom product ordered; a schedule detailing these charges will be forwarded to
Buyer when Buyer’s cancellation is acknowledged. Orders for custom product are subject to a
cancellation fee of up to 100% of the order, depending on the stage of completion of the order
at the date the cancellation or revision is accepted.
Custom Products Policy
Custom items are not returnable; items other than “off the shelf” products are considered
custom. Custom products, by their nature, are products and materials which have been altered,
modified, cut, amended and customized to your order, and are not resalable or returnable.

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
II-5
Orders for custom product are subject to a cancellation fee of up to 100% of the order,
depending on the stage of completion of the order at the date the cancellation or revision is
accepted.
Returns
The return of Products without a written authorization by Seller will not be accepted. Returns
are accepted only with a valid Return Material Authorization (RMA) number for items to be
returned. To receive authorization for Product return, please call customer service. There is a
standard 25% restocking cost assessed on most returns.
All returned products must be unused, and in original condition. No refund or credit shall be
given for damaged products.
We do not accept return packages without a valid RMA number and we do not accept postage-
due or C.O.D. packages at any time for any reason.
Excusable Delay
Seller shall not be liable for any loss or damage resulting from any delay in delivery or failure to
deliver which is due to any cause beyond Seller’s control, including, without limitation, acts of
nature, unavailability of supplies or sources of energy, riots, wars, fires, floods, epidemics,
lockouts, strikes and slowdowns, delays in delivery by supplies, or acts or omissions of the
Buyer. The Buyer shall be liable for stage charges, including but not limited to all third party
costs and expenses incurred by Seller, in holding or storing products for the Buyer or at the
Buyer’s request.
Assignment
Buyer shall not assign any duties nor assign any order or any interest therein without the written
consent of the Seller. Any such actual or attempted assignment shall entitle Seller to cancel the
order upon written notice to Buyer.
Installation
Seller assumes no obligation to install any product sold or to place any products in working
order at Buyer’s premises
Validity of Separate Clauses
If any provisions of this agreement shall be held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the validity,
legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
III-1
Section III – Overview
Standard Features
•Narrow output bandpass filter allows adjacent channel operation
•Front panel Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) to monitor forward and reflected RF power, and DC
voltage
•Microcontroller-based monitoring and control ensures amplifier will never be overdriven and
high VSWR will not damage amplifier
•AC circuit breaker on back panel to eliminate replacement of fuses
•All aluminium enclosure maintains power amplifier’s light weight
•Simple design using commonly available parts ensures reliable operation

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
III-2
Principle of Operation
The TAVD-500 power amplifier supplies a 500-watt (rms) 8VSB television signal onany of the VHF
television channels 2 through 13. Please note that channel selection must be made at time of
order, as the transmitter or translator is calibrated and tested to the channel requested and is not
field tuneable. The TAVD-500 power amplifier is a modular solid-state system comprised a TAVD-
500 500-watt broadcast amplifier utilizing readilyavailableRF componentswherever possible, thus
enhancing the serviceability of the equipment.
Each TAVD-500 is comprised of a VHFTV-25 and a VHFTV-200 driver pallet and (4) VHFTV-400
final pallets that are combined to create 500 watts (rms) 8VSB power. The amplifier modules are
stable for high reliability and long service life.
The TAVD-500 features ultra linear amplification and individual channel RF output bandpass
filtering.
The following block diagram illustrates the 500-watt system.

FILTER
TAVD-500 AMPLIFIER
Modulator or
Processor
External
power
supply
RF Out
TAVD-500 BLOCK DIAGRAM
Date: May 21, 2009 Page: 1 of 1
Rev ID

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
III-4
TAVD-500 Block Diagram
The RF signal enters through the RF Input connector on the power amplifier enclosure from the
modulator or processor. It then passes through an RF attenuator to limit the output power level
of the power amplifier and to help buffer any transients that may come into the power amplifier.
After attenuation, the signal gets preamplified through the two driver pallets before the signal
gets split into (4) signals for final amplification. The output of the (4) final amplifier pallets get
combined and passes through an isolator. Finally, the signal passes through a dual directional
coupler for monitoring purposes before heading out to the combiner/filter enclosure and then
through to the antenna.

VHFTV-200 Driver
Pallet
VHFTV-25 Driver
Pallet
A=-0.05dB typical
A=-0.5dB typical
To Wattmeter
and Antenna
VHFTV-400H FINAL
AMPLIFIER PALLET
VHFTV-400H FINAL
AMPLIFIER PALLET
4 WAY SPLIITER 4 WAY COMBINER
RF INPUT RF OUT
Directional C
TERMINATION
50 OHM
ATTENUATION
TAVD-500 Power Amplifier Block Diagram
Date: May 21, 2009 Page: 1 of 1
Rev ID

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
III-6
Specifications
Electrical specifications that are specific to the unit are included with the shipment in addition to
being kept on file at Technalogix.
Physical Characteristics
Power Requirements Power Supply 220 VAC, 11 AAC
Operating Temperature 0 - 50°C
Dimensions TAVD-500 Power Amplifier W-19" flange (17” encl.), D-25-¼", H-101/2”
(6U)
Filter W-19" flange (17” encl.), D-25-¼", H-8-¾”
(5U)
Power Supply W-19" flange (17” encl.), D-25-¼", H-5-1/4”
(3U)

Technalogix Ltd TAVD-500 Transmitter
IV-1
Section IV – RF Components
Amplifier Pallets
The VHFTV-25 pallet is a two stage ultra linear class-Alinear pallet. TheVHFTV-25-Lhas a typical
gain of 36dB and the VHFTV-25-H has a typical gain of 34dB. These pallets draw no more than
3.5Adc total drain current (the exact bias and drain currents of your system are found in the spec
sheet supplied with each manual). The quiescent and drain currents can be measured on the
VHFTV-25 pallet by measuring the voltage drop across the current sense resistor found directly at
the DC power supply lead input to the pallet. This resistance is 0.01-ohms, providing a 10mV per
ampere ratio.
The VHFTV-200 pallet is a two stage ultra linear class-A linear pallet. The VHFTV-200-L and –H
pallets have a typical gain of 20dB and the VHFTV-200-H has a typicalgain of 18dB. These pallets
draw no more than 4 Adc total drain current (the exact bias and drain currents of your system are
found in the spec sheet supplied with each manual).
The final amplifier stage is comprised of a VHFTV-400-L or VHFTV-400-H amplifier pallet and
are characterized with typical gains of 18 dB (low band) or 16dB (high band) and maximum
drain currents of 17 A (low and high band) for 8VSB systems.
Each of the amplifier pallets is connectorized. All amplifier pallets must have the transistor drain
voltages reach at least 26Vdc before the RF drive is applied.