15 synthesizer – Viking 242-2009-632 User Manual
Page 78
 
CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
6-6
March 1999
Part No. 001-2009-600
6.1.15 SYNTHESIZER
The synthesizer inputs/outputs are shown in Fig-
ures 6-1 and 6-3. The synthesizer output signal is the 
receiver first injection frequency. This signal is pro-
duced by a VCO (voltage-controller oscillator). The 
frequency of this oscillator is controlled by a DC volt-
age. This DC voltage is generated by integrating the 
pulses from the phase detector in synthesizer chip 
U209. This integration is performed by the synthe-
sizer loop filter which is made up of C805, C806 and 
R804 in the VCO circuitry.
Frequencies are selected by programming
counters in U209 to divide by a certain number. This 
programming is provided through J201, pins 12, 18 
and 20. The frequency stability of the synthesizer is 
established by the 
±
0.1 PPM stability of the high sta-
bility synthesizer loop consisting of OCXO, Synthe-
sizer U205, Y201 and Q206/Q207. The output from 
the high stability loop is stable from -40
°
C to +70
°
C
(-40
°
F to +158
°
F).
The VCO frequency of A006 is controlled by a
DC voltage produced by integrating the phase detector 
output pulses of U209. The phase detector senses the 
phase and frequency of two input signals (fR and fV) 
and causes the VCO control voltage to increase or 
decrease if they are not the same. When the frequen-
cies are the same the VCO is "locked" on frequency.
One input signal to the phase detector in U209 is
the reference frequency (fR). This is the 17.5 MHz 
TCXO frequency divided by the R (reference) counter 
to the channel spacing or 12.5 kHz.
The other input signal to the phase detector in
U209 is from the VCO frequency divided down by the 
"N" counter and prescaler in synthesizer U209 to 
12.5 kHz. The "N" counter is programmed through 
the synthesizer data line on J201, pin 20. U209 is pro-
grammed so that the phase detector input (fV) is iden-
tical to the reference frequency (fR) (12.5 kHz) when 
the VCO is locked on the correct frequency.
The synthesizer contains the R (reference), N,
and A counters, phase and lock detectors and counter 
programming circuitry. Frequencies are selected by 
programming the three counters in U209 to divide by 
assigned numbers. The programming of these 
counters is performed by circuitry in the Main Proces-
sor Card (MPC), which is buffered and latched 
through the Interface Alarm Card (IAC) and fed into 
the synthesizer on J201, pin 20 to Data input port 
U209, pin 19.
Data is loaded into U209 serially on the Data
input port U209, pin 19. Data is clocked into the shift 
registers a bit at a time by a low to high transition on 
the Clock input port U209, pin 18. The Clock pulses 
come from the MPC via the IAC to J201, pin 18.
As previously stated, the counter divide numbers
are chosen so that when the VCO is operating on the 
correct frequency, the VCO-derived input to the phase 
detector (fV) is the same frequency as the TCXO-
derived input (fR) which is 12.5 kHz.
The fR input is produced by dividing the 17.5
MHz TCXO frequency by 1400. This division is done 
by the "R" counter in U209. The counter always 
divides by 1400 regardless of the channel number. 
This produces a reference frequency (fR) of 12.5 kHz. 
Since the VCO is on frequency (receive frequency 
minus 52.95 MHz) and no multiplication is used, the 
channel frequencies change in 12.5 kHz steps and the 
reference frequency (fR) is 12.5 kHz for all channels 
selected by this receiver.
The fV input is produced by dividing the VCO
frequency using the prescaler and N counter in U209. 
The prescaler divides by 64 or 65. The divide number 
of the prescaler is controlled by the N and A counters 
in U209.
The N and A counters function as follows: both
the N and A counters begin counting down from their 
programmed number. When the A counter reaches 
zero, it halts until the N counter reaches zero. Both 
counters then reset and the cycle repeats. The A 
counter is always programmed with a smaller number 
than the N counter. While the A counter is counting 
down, the prescaler divides by 65. Then when the A 
counter is halted, the prescaler divides by 64.
Example: Assume a receive frequency of
898.5000 MHz (channel 200). Since the VCO is 
52.95 MHz below the receive frequency it must be 
845.5500 MHz for channel 200. To produce this fre-
quency, the N and A counters are programmed as fol-
lows: 
 N = 1056 A = 60