Unlocked YTO PLL

Operation

The All YTO is locked to two other oscillators, the Roller PLL’s Main Oscillator and the Offset PLL’s Sampling Oscillator. For LO spans of 1.01 MHz and above, either the FM or Main Coil of the YTO is swept directly. For LO spans of 1 MHz and below, the Roller PLL’s Main Oscillator is swept. The Sampling Oscillator remains fixed-tuned during all sweeps.

The output of All YTO feeds through the A7 LO Distribution Amplifier (LODA) to the A15A2 Sampler. The Offset PLL’s Sampling Oscillator, which drives the sampler, oscillates between 280 and 298 MHz. The sampler generates harmonics of the Sampling Oscillator and one of these harmonics mixes with the YTO frequency to generate the Sampler IF frequency. As a result, the frequency of the Sampler IF is determined by the following equation:

FIF = FYTO - (Nz&)

Where:

FIF is the Sampler IF

FYTO is the YTO’s frequency

N is the desired Sampling Oscillator harmonic

FSAMP is the Sampling Oscillator frequency

Notice that FIF can be positive or negative depending upon whether the Sampling Oscillator harmonic used is below or above the YTO frequency. Of course, the actual Sampler IF is always positive, but the sign is carried along as a “bookkeeping” function which determines which way to sweep the Roller Oscillator (up or down) and what polarity the YTO error voltage should have (positive or negative) to maintain lock.

To check if a negative Sampler IF is selected, press [CAL), MORE, FREQ DIAGNOSE ,

MAIN ROLLER. If the Main Roller Oscillator frequency is positive, the Sampler IF is also positive. A negative Main Roller frequency indicates that the Sampler IF is negative.

Notice that the polarity of the YTO loop error voltage (YTO LOOP ERROR) out of the YTO Loop phase/frequency detector changes as a function of the polarity of the Sampler IF. That is, for positive Sampler IF’s, an increasing YTO frequency results in an increasing YTO LOOP ERROR signal. For negative Sampler IF’s, a decreasing YTO frequency results in a decreasing YTO LOOP ERROR signal. This implies that to maintain lock in both cases, the sense of YTO LOOP ERROR must be reversed such that, with

a negative Sampler IF, an increasing YTO LOOP ERROR results in an increasing YTO frequency. This is accomplished with error-sign amplifier, A14U328D. This amplifier can be firmware-controlled to operate as either an inverting or non-inverting amplifier. Digital control line ERRSGN (from A14U313 pin 12) controls the polarity of this amplifier. When ERRSGN is high, the amplifier has a positive polarity.

In Roller Spans (LO Spans <l MHz) the YTO remains locked to the sweeping Roller Oscillator PLL. Thus, the Sampler IF must always equal the Main Roller Oscillator frequency (conditions for lock). Since the YTO must always sweep up in frequency, for

Synthesizer Section lo-23