RF-Amp

RF Amplifier Features

• Class A (Common Emitter) Amplifier
  • Emitter resistor bypassed with capacitor for higher AC gain
  • Transformer coupled input/output for impedance matching to 50Ω
  • Capacitively coupled input
• Single 2N3904 NPN transistor
• Useful as an gain block in various applications
  • Radio Transmitter/Receiver IF Amplifier
  • Radio Transmitter/Receiver Antenna Amplifier
  • Radio Transmitter Microphone amplifier (with minor modifications)
• As RF Amplifier
  • Measured Gain Bandwidth (GBW) of 150
  • Measured Gain @7 MHz, +25.2 dB at 12V
  • Measured Gain @9 MHz, +24.7 dB at 12V
  • Measured Gain @30 MHz, +13.8 dB at 12V
• As a microphone amplifier
  • Approximately 20 dB at 1 KHz
• Input connectors: SMA, BNC, or direct solder coax to SMA etches
• +12V nominal power
  • 12-14 VDC
  • 5 mm terminal block for power
• 49x49mm card
• 4x 4-40 mounting holes

Source Materials

• From Charlie Morris' (ZL2CTM) Go QRP Portable SSB Rig
  • Charlie references Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur (pp 19-20)

HFE at 10 mA

RF Amplifier Design

Schematic

LT Spice Simulation

As Built - Rev 1

• LTspice Simulation - GitHub source file
  • +28.4 dB at 9 MHz

Additional Resistor

• Insert 4.7 Ω resistor to emitter bypass capacitor
  • Reduces maximum gain
  • Increases gain over 1-30 MHz bandwidth
  • Possible better for Antenna Amplifier application at lower frequencies
• +22.4 dB at 9 MHz

Charlie Morris Design Calculations

• From Charlie's notes with mods for my use
  • Charlie Morris' (ZL2CTM) Go QRP Portable SSB Rig
  • Charlie describes the design in detail in his video Simple SSB Rig: Part 6 - IF Amplifiers (Feb 2021)
  • Based on the Class A RF Amplifier in Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur pp 19-20
• 2N3904 data sheet
• Emitter Resistance - helpful paper

Beta DC

• Geometric mean min/max beta at operating current
  • =sqrt(100*300) = 173

Beta AC

• Gain bandwidth product divided by operating frequency
  • Assume operating frequency of 9 MHz (IF frequency)
  • = 300/9 = 33.3

DC Operating Point

• Max HFE RF gain at CE current of 10 mA
  • If Vce = 6V, this is 60 mW power dissipation
• Assume Ve (voltage across emitter resistor) = 1/10 Vcc = 12V/10 = 1.2V
  • R3 is Re (emitter resistor) = 1.2V/0.01A = 120 Ω
• VCE = 0.7V (typical from data sheet)
• V(emitter) at 10% of Vcc rule of thumb = 1.2V
• V(base) = V(emitter) + VCE = 1.9V
• Base current is collector current divided by Beta DC
  • Biasing resistors = 10x current needed by base current
  • 10 mA in C-E, beta DC less = 10 mA/173 = 58 uA
  • 10x the current in the biasing resistors = 580 uA (calculated)
• R2 is 1.9V at 580 uA = 3.29KΩ use 3.3KΩ
• R1 sources current to R2 and transistor base
  • Voltage = Vcc (12V) - 1.9V = 10.1V
  • Current = 577 uA + 58 uA = 635 uA
  • R1 = 10.1 / .635 mA = 15.9KΩ, use 15KΩ

Measured DC operating point

• Measured with no input
• Vcc = 11.96V
• Current draw = 12 mA
  • Quick test for wiring and more or less correct parts
  • Expected 11 mA - close enough
• +BUFF = 11.84V
  • 0.12V which is 12 mA through R4 at 10 Ω - expected
• V emitter = 1.41V
  • 1.41V/12Ω = 11.75 mA close to 12 mA total measured current
• V on input divider = 2.06V
  • Vbase + 0.7V - close
  • Measured Vbe = 2.06-1.41 = 0.65 - close

Input resistance

• Xc for 0.1uF cap from emitter to ground
  • C=0.1uF
  • F=10MHz
  • 1/2*pi*F*C = 0.16Ω
• Parallel resistors R1, R2 paralleled with transistor input impedance
  • R1=15KΩ, R2=3.3KΩ
  • Transistor resistance = Beta AC (33.3) times re
    • re = 26 / Ie (10 mA in mA) = 26/10 = 2.6
    • SSDRA uses 25 as constant - close enough
      • 26 comes from Ebers-Moll approximation
    • Beta AC * re = 33.3*2.6 = 83.3Ω - predominates
  • All in parallel are 80.8Ω

Gain calculation

• Approximation
• Ic = 0.01A
• Rc = 200
• Vrc = 2V
• Gain = Vrc / vt
  • vt = 26 mV at room temperature
  • Gain = 2V / .026V = 79.2 V/V
  • Gain = +37 dB

Input/Output Transformers

• Using FT37-43 Toroid

Tracks

Input Transformer

• Input Transformer (T1 on Charlie's - T2 on this board)
• Need to calculate turns ratio
• 50:80.8 Ω
• n = sqrt(Zout/Zin)sqrt(80.8/50) = 1.27 turns ratio
• Turns choices
• Minimum number of turns
• Rule of thumb - want Xl (coil impedance smallest value) to be least 4-5X the load
  • Load = 80.8 Ω
  • 5 * 80.8 Ω = 404.2 Ω minimum
    • More turns = larger capacitance and drops bandwidth
  • Toroid is FT37-43
  • From Toroid page
    • Xl = 404.4Ω at 9 MHz is 4.5 turns, round up to 5
  • Try nearest integer numbers turns ratios
    • 5:6 = 6% error
    • 6:8 = -4.6%
    • 7:9 = -1.1% << good choice
    • 8:10 = +1.7%
    • 9:11 = +4.0%
    • 10:13 = -2.19%
• Use 7:9 turns ratio for optimal input transformer

Output Transformer

• Output transformer (T2 on Charlie's - T1 on this board)
• T2 - different than Charlie's design since my Crystal filters are all 50 Ω in/out
• SSDRA suggest presenting 200 Ω load to the collector
  • Can't find reference in SSDRA
  • Reflecting back 50 Ω load to 200 Ω collector...
• 200:50 Ω
• n = sqrt(200/50) = 2.0:1 turns ratio
• 10:5 turns
  • 10 turns primary (on transistor collector)
    • 10 turns = 35 uH
  • 5 turns secondary (towards output)
    • 5 turns = 8.75 uH
  • 15 turns = 9.5 in

Charlie's Notes

NanoVNA Measurements

• Goal: Measure RF-Amp performance using a NanoVNA running NanoSaver software on PC
• S21 (gain) needs to be measured with a 40 dB attenuator on input to RF-Amp to avoid compression on the output
• S11 (reflection) input impedance can't be measured with input 40 dB attenuator because S11 just ends up measuring the attenuator
  • Output should be terminated to 50 Ω for S11 measurement
• DC current = 12 mA

Measure S21

• Put 40 dB attenuator on RF-Amp input, measure S21 at output
  • NanoVNA provides 50 Ω load to RF-Amp to properly terminate output
• Measure S21 with 9:11 input transformer
  • S21 @ 100 KHz = -8 dB dB
  • S21 @ 1.45 MHz = 35.4 dB (peak gain)
  • S21 @ 9.1 MHz = 24.3 dB
  • S21 @ 16 MHz = 20.1 dB
  • S21 @ 30 MHz = 12.7 dB
• Peak gain justifies use of 40 dB attenuator to protect NanoVNA

LTspice vs NanoVNA

• LTspice simulation was pretty similar to NanoVNA results
  • -10 dB at 100 KHz
  • +32 dB at peak
  • Lower output at higher frequencies

Measure Input Compression

• Is there compression if the NanoVNA drives the input directly?
  • Test by driving directly from NanoVNA set to CW = 9 MHz
  • Measured output with scope - not clipped at 9 MHz
    • Approx. 1Vpp input = +22.1 dBm gain which matches the S21 with the attenuator on the input
    • Vpp = 12.4V with 50 Ω load resistor
  • Starts clipping at 7 Mhz and down
• Therefore, can measure input impedance at 9 MHz
• Other evidence of compression
  • Compare S21 gain with no input attenuator, put external 40 dB RF Attenuators on output of RF-Amp to protect NanoVNA input
  • S21 shows lower gain in lower frequencies so clipping/compression is happening
  • Was: 35 dB at 1.4 MHz
  • Is: 23.1 dB at 1.5 MHz
• Due to compression can't accurately measure lower frequencies with attenuator at output
• Compression below 7 MHz matches what was on scope

W2AEW S11 Measurement Method

• Can't drive the RF Amp directly from the NanoVNA
  • High output level from the NanoVNA overdrives the RF Amp
  • W2AEW provides a way of driving the RF Amp card without overdriving and still measure S11

• Calibrate NanoVNA using External 30 dB Attenuator
  • See W2AEW #337 video above
  • Insert 30 dB attenuator and calibrate with attenuator installed
  • Open/sort/thru at the output side of the attenuator using NanoVNA RF Demo Kit
    • NanoVNA RF Demo Kit has similar connectors, etc to RF Amp
• Scan 1-30 Mhz
  • Overdriven at 1 MHz which "swamps" the RF Amp
• Re-calibrated at 1.5-31.5 MHz
  • Peak gain at 1 MHz = 32 dB
    • Does not overdrive the Amp or NanoVNA
    • Downsize is a lot of noise in the return loss
• Tested two units
  • Unit 1 has a 7:10 input transformer (T2) ratio
  • Unit 2 has a 7:9 input transformer (T2) ratio

Unit 1

• 9 MHz measurements
  • VSWR = 1.172
  • S11 (Return Loss) = -22.014 dB
  • S21 (Gain) = +23.624 dB

Unit 2

• 9 MHz measurement
  • VSWR = 1.182
  • S11 (Return Loss) = -21.565 dB
  • S21 (Gain) = +24.656 dB
• 20 dB gain at 15 MHz
  • Gain Bandwidth (GBW) = ~150
  • GBW is a good predictor of gain at particular frequencies
  • Calculated Gain of 14 dB at 30 MHz - measured at +12.8 dB
  • Measured at +26 dB at 7 MHz

Compare RF Amp vs Kits and Parts Amp

• RF-Amp
  • 2N3904 transistor
  • Ft is is 300
  • Measured at 150 GBW
• Kits and Parts - Universal Wideband Small Signal RF Amplifier
  • 2SC5551A transistor
  • Much higher Ft 3.5 GHz
    • Gain is much flatter over bandwidth
      • 1.5 Mhz = 26.6 dB
      • 30 Mhz = 24.9 dB
  • Good as broadband amplifier
• Both would be equivalent at 9 MHz as IF Amp
• Kits and Parts would be better as Antenna Amplifier
• RF Amp card current draws 11 mA
• Kits and Parts card current draws 30 mA

Use of Card as a Microphone Amp

• Charlie's video

Charlie's Schematic/Calculations

• Charlie's page
• This was from a couple of months later than the video

Test with Electret Microphone

• Charlie assumes voltage/current - didn't measure
• I chose to determine Electret operating point through measurement
• DC powered
• AC coupled output
• 13.8VDC (max) power
• Attach decade resistor box between power supply + side and Electret mic + side
  • Adjust decade resistance value to measure 4V across mic with 13.8 VDC supply
  • 2V with 12V power supply
• Selected value = 33K Ω pullup to 13.8V gets 4V across mic
• 2V out with 12V supply
• Secure with zip ties and secure with superglue

Wiring up Mic to Amp

• Electret Condenser Microphone
  • Removed from KY-037 microphone (Arduino sensor card)

• Install Electret Condenser Microphone on small perf board
• Cable using 18" RG-174 coax to input of RF Amp card

Schematic Mods

Part Value Changes

• No transformers
  • Transformers replaced by passives/jumpers
• R1 - 15K Ω
• R2 - 3K (small difference vs 3.3K on RF Amp)
• R3 - 120 Ω
• R4 - 10 Ω
• R5 - 50 Ω
  • Install R5 to simulate balanced modulator 50 Ω load
  • Install R5 on long leads to easily remove
• 33K Ω pullup to bias Electret mic
• T1 primary winding - 560 Ω
• C1 - 0.1 uF
• C2 - 10 uF
• C3 - 47 uF
• Add 10 uF capacitor from Vc point (transistor collector and 560 Ω resistor) to T1 output side
• Install output SMA connector
• Built SMA to RCA cable
  • Cut in half SMA male-male
  • Made 2 SMA to RCA cables

Tested

• In application output goes to Balanced Modulator
  • Output level should be +7dBm for ADE-1 Mixers
• Tested into AudioAmp386 - works

Mic Amp LTspice Simulation

• Low frequency response can be improved by increasing the value of the emitter bypass capacitor

• With 100uF cap across emitter resistor

Assembly Sheet

• RF Amplifier Assembly Sheet