Using INTOSC 32Mhz as RF Radio Control and Data Communication

[Ioannis]

Why not put 2 MARs in series to amplify the Transmitter signal?

Ioannis

[dhouston]

Why not put 2 MARs in series to amplify the Transmitter signal?

I've tested with 3 MAR-6 on the receiver end just to see if it would work. It did, but you can easily overwhelm some receivers.

At much higher frequencies (~300MHz), many people have reported this tip http://davehouston.org/passive.htm worked for them. One fellow with access to a lab, measured 10dB gain in all directions. Most small battery powered transmitters have very inefficient loop antennas formed by a PCB trace. Their range is frequently poor and this can make quite a difference. I have no idea whether it might work (or be at all practical) at longer wavelengths.

[rayzrocket]

hi Dave, what do you mean 'but you can easily overwhelm some receivers' ?

I would guess one would do this for the receiver:
Ant -> Filter -> Amp -> Filter -> Amp -> Filter -> Amp -> Schmitt Trigger ->Data input Pin on a PIC.

The amp i tried as mentioned above (Avago) is very similar to the 'MAR' amps.
(BTW, I've given up on testing this at the moment and resorted to using the 'Radiotronix' low cost modules to move forward with my project).

What is important here is to get a good SNR (signal to noise ratio)...where both are the ~32Mhz frequency but one is the 'intended signal' and the other is 'unwanted background noise' (sometimes called the noise floor).
One can do this several ways...
a. make a really hi power transmitter and weak reciever.
b. use AGC algorithm/control on reciever or on both reciever & transmitter.
c. both the above.
d. others...

I am trading several methods, but i normally gravitate towards the LOWEST COST options, especially when i can replace hardware with code techniques or algorithms.

[rayzrocket]

I did try the amp on the transmitter side, it did not work.
Clk out pin -> capacitor -> amp -> wire antenna

BUT, i got a Schmitt trigger to generate the full 5v supply swing the 32Mhz about a wire antenna by just Clk out pin -> Schmitt trigger -> wire antenna... only problem was that i did not see a stronger (higher voltage) reception.

There is some impedance matching (or decoupling) that needs to be done from Clk Out Pin to the radiating Antenna.
I need help with this part.

thanks.

[dhouston]

hi Dave, what do you mean 'but you can easily overwhelm some receivers' ?

My experience has mostly been with 300-434MHz where there are dozens of suppliers of small, inexpensive superregenerative receivers (http://davehouston.org/modules.htm ) and somewhat more costly superhet or hybrid receivers. I cascaded 3 MAR-6 amps between ANT & RCVR (w/o any filtering). This worked fine with the superhet & hybrid receivers and with most of the superregenerative receivers. However, there was one manufacturer whose superregenerative receiver had much wider bandwidth than most and it did not deal well with the higher signal levels. This was disappointing as the wider bamdwidth was a desirable trait as several devices of interest (automation & security) to me were in the 308-320MHz range. http://www.e-madeinchn.com/ReceiverModules.html And, they were dirt cheap, costing about $1 each even with some requested mods and in relatively modest (~100 pcs) quantities.

Noise is not much of a problem as most of these receivers employ a data slicer circuit (a simple comparator) that gives an extremely noise free data output. http://davehouston.org/rf-noise.htm.

As it's against FCC rules to futz with the transmitters (or TX antenna) but not with the receiver, I always use better antennas (http://davehouston.org/eggbeater.htm) and MAR-6 based preamps on the receiver side.

Most of the superregenerative receivers also have an analog output which is merely the raw signal at the comparator input. You can measure the modulation depth and get a rough measure of the signal level (rough, because the AGC circuits also affect this amplitude) which you can use for comparing before/after (antenna, preamp) scenarios.

I have no idea what might be available at 27MHz. I did look at this briefly a few years ago as it was/is(?) used by one of the audio receiver makers for remote control. (It's been too long for my ancient gray cells to remember details.)