Fork me on GitHub

Project Notes

#648 The Electronics of Radio

Book notes: The Electronics of Radio, by David B. Rutledge. First published August 13, 1999.

Build

Notes

See also:

Kit available from:

Studied in EE 322/322L Electronics II – Wireless Communication Electronics

NorCal QRP Club - a repository of manuals, instructions, schematics for current and past NorCal projects

Contents

1 The Wireless World 1

  • 1.1 Kirchhoff’s Laws 2
  • 1.2 Frequency 5
  • 1.3 Modulation 8
  • 1.4 Amplifiers 10
  • 1.5 Decibels 10
  • 1.6 Mixers 11
  • 1.7 Filters 12
  • 1.8 Direct-Conversion Receivers 13
  • 1.9 Superheterodyne Receivers 15
  • 1.10 The NorCal 40A 17

2 Components 20

  • 2.1 Resistors 20
  • 2.2 Sources 22
  • 2.3 Dividers 25
  • 2.4 Look-Back Resistance 26
  • 2.5 Capacitors 28
  • 2.6 Energy Storage in Capacitors 30
  • 2.7 RC Circuits 31
  • 2.8 Diodes 33
  • 2.9 Inductors 35
  • 2.10 Energy Storage in Inductors 36
  • 2.11 RL Circuits 37
    • PROBLEM 1. Resistors 39
    • PROBLEM 2. Sources 40
    • PROBLEM 3. Capacitors 41
    • PROBLEM 4. Diode Detectors 44
    • PROBLEM 5. Inductors 45
    • PROBLEM 6. Diode Snubbers 48

3 Phasors 49

  • 3.1 Complex Numbers 49
  • 3.2 Exponential Function 52
  • 3.3 Phasors 53
  • 3.4 Impedance 56
  • 3.5 RC Filters 57
  • 3.6 Series Resonance 59
  • 3.7 Parallel Resonance 62
  • 3.8 Phasor Power 63
    • PROBLEM 7. Parallel-to-Series Conversion 65
    • PROBLEM 8. Series Resonance 66
    • PROBLEM 9. Parallel Resonance 68

4 Transmission Lines 71

  • 4.1 Distributed Capacitance and Inductance 71
  • 4.2 Telegraphist’s Equations 73
  • 4.3 Waves 74
  • 4.4 Phasors for Waves 77
  • 4.5 General Lines 78
  • 4.6 Dispersion 80
  • 4.7 Reflections 83
  • 4.8 Available Power 85
  • 4.9 Resonance 86
  • 4.10 Quality Factor 89
  • 4.11 Lines with Loads 90
    • PROBLEM 10. Coaxial Cable 92
    • PROBLEM 11. Waves 94
    • PROBLEM 12. Resonance 95

5 Filters 97

  • 5.1 Ladder Filters 97
  • 5.2 Filter Tables 100
  • 5.3 Examples 101
  • 5.4 Band-Pass Filters 104
  • 5.5 Crystals 107
  • 5.6 Impedance Inverters 109
    • PROBLEM 13. Harmonic Filter 112
    • PROBLEM 14. IF Filter 114

6 Transformers 119

  • 6.1 Inductance Formulas 119
  • 6.2 Transformers 120
  • 6.3 Ideal Transformers 122
  • 6.4 Magnetizing Current 123
    • PROBLEM 15. Driver Transformer 124
    • PROBLEM 16. Tuned Transformers 126

7 Acoustics 131

  • 7.1 Equations of Sound 131
  • 7.2 Hearing 134
  • 7.3 Masking 136
  • 7.4 rms Voltages 137
    • PROBLEM 17. Tuned Speaker 138
    • PROBLEM 18. Acoustic Standing-Wave Ratio 141

8 Transistor Switches 142

  • 8.1 Bipolar Transistors 143
  • 8.2 Transistor Models 144
  • 8.3 Transistor Switches 146
    • PROBLEM 19. Receiver Switch 149
    • PROBLEM 20. Transmitter Switch 151

9 Transistor Amplifiers 154

  • 9.1 Common-Emitter Amplifier 154
  • 9.2 Maximum Efficiency of Class-A Amplifiers 156
  • 9.3 Amplifier Gain 158
  • 9.4 IV Curves 159
  • 9.5 Base Resistance 161
  • 9.6 Emitter Degeneration 162
  • 9.7 Emitter Follower 166
  • 9.8 Differential Amplifier 168
  • 9.9 Field-Effect Transistors 170
  • 9.10 Source Follower 174
    • PROBLEM 21. Driver Amplifier 175
    • PROBLEM 22. Emitter Degeneration 177
    • PROBLEM 23. Buffer Amplifier 178

10 Power Amplifiers 180

  • 10.1 Class-C Amplifiers 182
  • 10.2 NorCal 40A Power Amplifier 185
  • 10.3 Class D 188
  • 10.4 Class E 190
  • 10.5 Class F 192
  • 10.6 Class B 193
  • 10.7 Thermal Modeling 196
    • PROBLEM 24. Power Amplifier 199
    • PROBLEM 25. Thermal Modeling 200

11 Oscillators 204

  • 11.1 Criteria for Oscillation 204
  • 11.2 Clapp Oscillator 207
  • 11.3 Variable-Frequency Oscillator 210
  • 11.4 Gain Limiting 211
  • 11.5 Crystal Oscillators 214
  • 11.6 Phase Noise 217
    • PROBLEM 26. VFO 219
    • PROBLEM 27. Gain Limiting 221

12 Mixers 226

  • 12.1 Gilbert Cell 226
  • 12.2 Mixer Mathematics 228
  • 12.3 Spurious Responses 230
  • 12.4 Broad-Band Receivers 231
  • 12.5 Key Clicks 233
    • PROBLEM 28. RF Mixer 237
    • PROBLEM 29. Product Detector 239
    • PROBLEM 30. Transmit Mixer 242

13 Audio Circuits 245

  • 13.1 Audio Amplifier 245
  • 13.2 Op Amps 247
  • 13.3 JFETs as Variable Resistors 249
    • PROBLEM 31. Audio Amplifier 250
    • PROBLEM 32. Automatic Gain Control 254
    • PROBLEM 33. Alignment 256

14 Noise and Intermodulation 261

  • 14.1 Noise 261
  • 14.2 Noise Phasors 263
  • 14.3 Nyquist’s Formula 264
  • 14.4 Attenuator Noise 267
  • 14.5 Cascading Components 268
  • 14.6 Measuring Noise 270
  • 14.7 Intermodulation 270
  • 14.8 Dynamic Range 273
    • PROBLEM 34. Receiver Response 274
    • PROBLEM 35. Intermodulation 276
    • PROBLEM 36. Demonstration 277

15 Antennas and Propagation 278

  • 15.1 Radio Waves 278
  • 15.2 Impedance 280
  • 15.3 Directions and Solid Angles 281
  • 15.4 Transmitting Antennas 282
  • 15.5 Receiving Antennas 283
  • 15.6 Friis Formula 284
  • 15.7 Antenna Theorem 287
  • 15.8 Reciprocity 288
  • 15.9 Dipoles 290
  • 15.10 Whip Antennas 292
  • 15.11 Ionosphere 294
  • 15.12 Radio Waves in the Ionosphere 297
  • 15.13 Critical Frequency 299
  • 15.14 Maximum Usable Frequency 301
    • PROBLEM 37. Antennas 305
    • PROBLEM 38. Propagation 306
    • PROBLEM 39. Listening 308

Appendices

  • A Equipment and Parts 315
  • A.1 Equipment 315
  • A.2 Vendors 316
  • A.3 Parts 316
  • B Fourier Series 329
  • B.1 Fourier Coefficients 329
  • B.2 Square Wave 331
  • B.3 Rectified Cosine 332
  • B.4 Narrow Pulses 333
  • C Puff 2.1 335
  • C.1 Windows 336
  • C.2 Getting Started 337
  • C.3 Scattering Parameters 340
  • C.4 Examples 341
  • C.5 Parts Window 344
  • C.6 Layout Window 349
  • C.7 Board Window 351
  • C.8 Plot Window 352
  • C.9 Component Sweep 353
  • D Component Data 355
    • Table D.1. Resistors, inductors and capacitors 356
    • Table D.2. Iron and ferrite cores 356
    • 1N5817 Schottky barrier rectifier 357
    • MVAM108 silicon tuning diode 363
    • P2N2222A general purpose npn silicon transistor 365
    • 2N3553 2.5-W high-frequency npn silicon transistor 371
    • 2N3906 general purpose pnp silicon transistor 373
    • 2N4124 general purpose npn silicon transistor 379
    • J309 n-channel VHF/UHF JFET 385
    • MC78L08AC three-terminal low-current, positive-
    • voltage regulator 391
    • LM386N-1 National Semiconductor low-voltage audio
    • power amplifier 399
    • 1N4148 high-speed diode 408
    • SA602AN double-balanced mixer and oscillator 415
About LEAP#648 BooksRadio

This page is a web-friendly rendering of my project notes shared in the LEAP GitHub repository.

Project Source on GitHub Return to the LEAP Catalog
About LEAP

LEAP is my personal collection of electronics projects - usually involving an Arduino or other microprocessor in one way or another. Some are full-blown projects, while many are trivial breadboard experiments, intended to learn and explore something interesting.

Projects are often inspired by things found wild on the net, or ideas from the many great electronics podcasts and YouTube channels. Feel free to borrow liberally, and if you spot any issues do let me know or send a pull-request.

NOTE: For a while I included various scale modelling projects here too, but I've now split them off into a new repository: check out LittleModelArt if you are looking for these projects.

Project Gallery view the projects as an image gallery Notebook reference materials and other notes Follow the Blog follow projects and notes as they are published in your favourite feed reader