JM93 Radio

Transmitter
Service Manual Revision 1.0

Joseph Langr

Table of Contents
Block Diagram......................................................................................................... 2
Specifications.......................................................................................................... 3
Schematic Diagram................................................................................................. 3
Overall Schematic................................................................................................... 3
Transmitter/Oscillator Circuit Schematic..................................................................4
Amplifier Circuit Schematic..................................................................................... 5

Block Diagram

Microphone Input: This is an audio input from an electret condenser microphone.

The microphone outputs a signal of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz at a level of approximately
100 mVpp depending on the signal level of the audio signal.
Data Input: This input receives a 5 volt data signal of less than 1kbps. This signal is
then attenuated to prevent over-modulation in the Frequency Modulator
Frequency Modulator: This receives an input from either the microphone or data
input and modulates the signal. This occurs by changing the frequency the oscillator
produces proportionately to the input signal. With a microphone input of 100 mVpp,
the modulation bandwidth is 150 kHz. The data input is modulated at a bandwidth
of 150 kHz when the oscillator is tuned to 89 MHz. The modulation bandwidth
increases as the oscillator frequency decreases.
Oscillator: This is a tunable voltage controlled oscillator which produces a carrier
frequency of 76 MHz to 98 MHz. When including the modulated signal, the oscillator
will be at the carrier frequency +/- 75 kHz. One thing to note is the oscillator also
produces frequencies at harmonics of the carrier frequency.
Buffer Amplifier: This is a simple buffer amplifier to reduce carrier frequency drift
with changes in impedance of the load. The power level after this stage is around
-15dBm. Since there is a gain of 1, there is no change in the signal frequency or
level at this stage.
Band Pass Filter: This is primarily used to filter out any noise in the circuit at
frequency levels other than within the operating range of the oscillator. This allows
the harmonics to be attenuated significantly (45 dB) to prevent from also
broadcasting at high levels at the frequencies of the harmonics.
Power RF Amplifier: This is used to boost the signal so that the transmitter has a
higher output power and can transmit farther distances. After this stage, the output
signal is at a power level of -5 dBm.

Specifications

Tuning Range of 76 MHz to 98 MHz

Output power of -5 dBm
Harmonic suppression of 45 dB when operating at 98 MHz
Microphone input with good volume and fidelity
Deviation of +/- 75 kHz for audio input level of 100 mVpp
Audio frequency response of 100 Hz to 10 kHz
Data input for low bit rate digital data (less than 1kbps)
Deviation of 150 kHz at 89 MHz when connected to 5v data source

Schematic Diagram
Overall Schematic

Transmitter/Oscillator Circuit Schematic

The oscillator core oscillator is designed using transistor Q1. Refer to the schematic
diagram for DC bias voltages on specific circuit nodes. The oscillator produces a
periodic sine wave at the collector of Q1.
The frequency of the oscillator is primarily determined by the values of L1, C2, C3,
C4, and VR1. The values of L1, C2, C3, and C4 are fixed values for the circuit which
is essentially a LC bandpass filter. The frequency of oscillation is set by the resonant
frequency of this filter.
The frequency of oscillation can be changed by tuning the potentiometer R4. This
changes the DC voltage value on the varactor diode VR1 between 0 and 6 volts. The
varactor is essentially a variable capacitor. With a higher voltage, the capacitance of
VR1 decreases, and with a lower voltage, the capacitance of VR1 increases. This
capacitance change varies the frequency of oscillation by altering the resonant
frequency of the LC circuit.
Frequency modulation is produced by inputting a signal to VR1. As seen in the
schematic, the microphone (MIC1) input is attached to VR1 using R9 and C10 as
specified in the datasheet of the microphone. This signal must be small relative to
the DC voltage at this same node, otherwise the signal would be over-modulated.
Here, we are using a 100 mVpp signal and the DC voltage is 6v. This changes the
capacitance of VR1 enough to give +/- 75 kHz modulation.
U1 is a 6-volt voltage regulator. Capacitors C5 and C6 are external capacitors
required by the regulator. When the ~9v level is sent to the IN terminal, 6 volts is
produced at the OUT terminal. The purpose of the regulator for this circuit is to keep
the oscillator stable. Without it, as the battery voltage decreases, the tuned
frequency of the oscillator would change because the voltage on VR1 would change.
R2, R3, and R1 are used to bias the transistor Q1 to keep the DC voltage at the base
at 3v and the transistor in the active region. C1 is used as an AC ground at the base
of Q1. C2 and C3 are used as a capacitive voltage divide to attenuate the feedback
signal from the collector to the emitter. This allows us to set the loop gain of the
circuit which has to be greater than 1 for oscillation to occur.
A large value R5 is used because we want the DC current to be close to 0 going to
VR1. C7 is a coupling capacitor used to connect the signal at VR1 to the collector
node of Q1 such that only the AC signal can pass through. C8 is also a coupling
capacitor used for the same reasons.
R12 and R13 are used to attenuate the data input signal to a range that causes 150
kHz deviation when the oscillator is tuned at 89 MHz.
The transistor Q2 is used to make a basic common collector buffer amplifier. R6, R7,
and R8 are used to bias this transistor. The purpose of this buffer is to make the
oscillator circuit more stable with varying output loads. Without this, changes in load
resistances at the output could drastically change the tuning range of the oscillator.
C9 is used as a coupling capacitor. At the output of this amplifier, the voltage level
should be around 45 mVpp.

Amplifier Circuit Schematic

This is a cascode amplifier configuration. It is a two stage amplifier with Q3 in a

common emitter configuration and Q4 with a common base configuration. This
configuration, or a similar solution, is required at high frequencies to reduce the
effect of miller capacitance which if not dealt with, would cause a significant gain
reduction. R14, R15, R16, R17, and R18 are utilized to bias both of the transistors to
the DC values shown on the schematic.
At the input terminal, which is hooked to the output of the oscillator, C11, C12, and
L2 make up an impedance matching network. This is done to maximize the power
transfer since maximum power is transferred when a source impedance equals the
load impedance. Here we are using a 50 ohm matching network that makes the
input impedance of the amplifier 50 ohms.
C13, C14, C15, and C16 are all used as bypass capacitors to create an AC ground at
each of these nodes of the circuit. L3 serves a dual purpose at the output. It acts as
a resonant circuit to address the capacitive loading due to C16 and the miller
capacitance Ccb of Q4. It also is included as a part of an impedance matching
network to make the output impedance of the amplifier circuit 50 ohms. C17 is
acting as coupling capacitor. The voltage level at the output should be around 350
mVpp.