Drexel University

Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept

Advanced Electronics II, ECE-E422

TITLE:

Superheterodyne AM Receiver Design Final Exam

NAMES:

Stephen Watt

DATE PERFORMED:

May 30, 2014

DATE DUE:

June 2, 2014

DATE RECEIVED:

Superheterodyne Receiver Circuit

Frequency: 535kHz - 1705kHz (AM)
IF Frequency: 455 kHz

Rx Antenna

ECE-E422 Final Exam

By: Stephen Watt

RF

LO

RF_Amp
Amp1

AGC_Circuit
AGC_1

Mixer
Mixer1

LNA Gain
set to 20dB

Speaker
8ohm

Audio_Amp
AudioAmp_1
Audio Amp Gain
set to 20dB

LO
LO_1

BJT Tuned Amplifier (RF Amplifier)

Set AC Bias Values
Var
Eqn

VAR
VAR1
CC=1uF
RFC=200uH

Tune Amp for 1000 kHz

The function of the RF amplifier is to select and amplify

a desired frequency from all those received while rejecting
all other frequencies (image frequency). A BJT single stage
amplifier is configured as an RF amplifier with a single
tuned tank circuit. Since it is a tuned amplifier, it is highly
frequency selective and attenuates all signals but the one
to which it is tuned. The amplified AM signal from the RF
amplifier is then fed to the mixer where it is combined with
the output from the local oscillator.

R
R1
R=80 kOhm

L
L3
L=RFC
R=

f0=1/(2*pi*sqrt(LC))

R
R4
R=2

C=1/(4*pi^2*f0^2*L)
C
C3
C=710 pF

L
L1
L=32 uH
R=

To Mixer

From Rx Antenna
C
C4
C=CC

C
C1
C=CC

L
L2
L=RFC

Design Issues
Since the selectivity of the RF amplifier is very important,
an extra LC resonant tank circuit can be used at the
input of the amplifier to increase the overall selectivity.

R
R2
R=50 kOhm

pb_hp_HBFP0420_19980529
Q1

R
RE1
R=1k

C
C2
C=1.0 pF

Set AC Bias Values

Var
Eqn

VAR
VAR1
CC=1uF
C=11pF
R=20 kOhm
RFC=200uH

Local Oscillator (LO) Circuit

The f requency of the oscillator is important in design f or the

superhetrody ne receiv er, the f requency should be v ariable
(tuned using v ariable capacitors). The oscillator is a f eedback
sy stem that meets two requirements (the Barkhausen criteria):
(1) The f eedback signal must be in phase with the original
input signal at the loop closure point
(2) The ov erall steady state gain around the f eedback loop
must be equal to or greater than unity (Av B).

R
R1
R=1 Mohm

R
RC
R=5 kOhm

Tune Amp f or 910 kHz (2*IF)

w0=1/(sqrt(6)*C*R)

Design Issues
The RC phase shif t oscillator circuit can be f ollowed by an
emitter f ollower circuit to ensure the loop gain requirements
of the circuit are met f or a broader range of component v alues.

C
C1
C=C

C
C5
C=C

R
R5
R=R

R
R6
R=R

To Mixer

R
R8
R=16 kOhm

C
C6
C=C

C
C4
C=CC
pb_hp_HBFP0420_19980529
Q1

R
R2
R=1 Mohm

MOSFET Mixer Circuit

R
R1
R=80 kOhm

L
L1
L=10.5 uH
R=

Set Bias Values

Va r
Eq n

VAR
VAR1
CC=1uF
RFC=200uH

R
R4
R=2

L
L3
L=RFC
R=

XFERP
XFer1
N=1.0

Tank circuit tuned to IF frequency (455 kHz)

and is used to filter out unwanted frequency
components of the mixer output.
C
C3
C=11.66 nF

fres=1/(2*pi*sqrt(LC))

To IF Amp

From RF Amp
C
C1
C=CC

C
CE
C=1.0 pF

R
RE1
R=1k

C
C4
C=CC
L
L2
L=RFC

MOSFET_NMOS
MOSFET1

R
R2
R=50 kOhm

From LO

A mixer is a device that converts a signal from one frequency to another. Most high frequency receivers
use a mixer to down convert the received RF signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. A mixer in
RF systems always refers to a circuit with a non-linear component that causes sum and difference
frequencies of the input signals to be generated. The mixer is achieved by applying the local oscillator
(LO) signal to one mixer port and the Radio Frequency (RF) signal to the other port.

XFERP
XFer2
N=1.0

V_DC
SRC1
Vdc=Vbias

Design Issues
Ground loops can present noise and humming issue in the mixer circuitry. For this reason,
transformers can be used for the RF and LO signal inputs.

AGC Circuit (IF and Detector Stages)

IF Amplifier Stage

AM Detector Stage

R
R1
R=50 kOhm

Set AC Bias Values

Va r
Eq n

VAR
VAR1
CC=1uF
RFC=200uH

R
R2
R=50 kOhm
C
C7
C=10 uF

Diode
DIODE1

To Audio Amplifier

C
C8
C=10 uF

R
R5
R=50 kOhm

C
C4
C=CC

XFERP
XFer2
N=1.0

From Mixer

The signal strength of the received signal in an AM radio can change

dramatically depending on the location and environment (in an
automobile, for example). Automatic gain control (AGC) is used to
minimize the effect of the varying signal strength on speaker output
C
volume. AGC increases the gain of the IF amplifier when the signal
CE
C=1.0 pF strength is low, and decreases the gain when the signal strength
increases. The two basic components of the circuit are an IF amplifier
and an AM detector circuit.

BJT_PNP
BJT1

XFERP
XFer1
N=1.0

R
RE1
R=1k
C
C2
C=10 uF

Audio Amplif ier (Preamp & Audio Amplif ier)

Preamplifier Stage

Main Amplifier Stage

R
R1
R=4 kOhm

Var
Eqn

VAR
VAR1
CC=220uF
Vcc=30V
RFC=200uH

R
R6
R=360 kOhm

R
R7
R=4.4 kOhm

Set Bias Values

R
R4
R=3.3 kOhm

R
R8
R=200 kOhm

BJT_NPN
BJT3

To Speaker

BJT_NPN
BJT5
R
R5
BJT_NPN
R=1 kOhm BJT6

BJT_PNP
BJT7
BJT_PNP
BJT2

From AGC Circuit

C
C1
C=CC
C
C6
C=1uF

pb_hp_HBFP0420_19980529
R
Q1
R9
R=6.9 kOhm
R
C
RE2
C7
R=25
C=1uF

BJT_NPN
BJT4

R
R2
R=40 kOhm

R
RE1
R=400

C
C2
C=CC

C
C4
C=CC