RADIO RECEIVERS

1.1 Introduction

The signal to be transmitted is impressed onto a carrier wave in any of the modulation

methods, and it is amplified and applied to a transmitting antenna, the modulated signal is

radiated, propagated and a little of it is collected by a receiving antenna. The signal at this

point is generally quite weak, therefore the receiver first amplify the received signal. Since

the signal is quite likely to be accompanied by lots of other unwanted signals, probably at

neighboring frequencies, it must be selected and the others rejected. Since modulation took

place in transmitter, the reverse process of this demodulation, must be performed in the

receiver to recover the original modulating voltage, and display it in desired manner.

1.2 Classification of Radio Receivers

Radio receivers are classified according to the type of task they are design to handle.

Accordingly there are:

1. AM broadcast receivers: These are used for listening to broadcast of speech and
music radiated from an AM broadcast transmitters, operating on LW, MW and SW
bands.
2. FM broadcast receivers: These are used for receiving broadcasting programs
from FM broadcast. Transmitters operating usual in the VHF bands (88-108) MHz.
3. TV receivers: These are used for receiving TV programs in the VHF and UHF
bands.
4. Communication receivers: These are superheterodyne receivers used for
reception of short wave telephone and telegraphy signals.
5. Code receivers: These are general simple superheterodyne receivers used for the
reception of telegraph codes.
6. Radar receivers: They are used for receiving radar signals.

1
1. 3 Silent Features of Broadcast Receivers

1. Simplicity of operation
The simplest broadcast receiver has four controls:
 The band switch for selecting different band of frequencies.
 Tuning control for tuning in the desired station.
 Volume control adjusting the level of the reproduced sound.
 ON/OFF switch for switching on and off the receiver.

2. Good Fidelity
That is a reasonable large and uniform frequency response over almost entire audio
frequency band.

3. Good selectivity
That is ability to discriminate the desired signal from unwanted signals at other
frequencies.

4. Average Sensitivity
That is ability to receive signals of medium or low strength.

5. Adaptability
Adaptability to different types of aerials, a broadcast receiver should be able to operate
satisfactory with any types of aerial.

1.4 Types Receivers

Based on the technique of operation radio receivers may be put into two categories:
1. Tuned radio frequency (TRF) receivers: operate in a straight forward manner
without any frequency conversion.
2. Superheterodyne receivers: converts all the incoming frequency signal to a standard
“Intermediate Frequency” before detection takes place.

1.4.1 TUNED RADIO FREQUENCY (TRF) RECEIVER

Figure 1.1: Tuned radio frequency (TRF) receiver

2
A tuned radio frequency receiver (or TRF receiver): is a type of radio receiver that is

composed of one or more tuned radio frequency (RF) amplifier stages followed by a

detector (demodulator) circuit to extract the audio signal and usually an audio frequency

amplifier.

OPERATION

The received signal is weak and noisy, therefore, it is given to broadband RF amplifier.

The RF amplifier enhances signal to noise ratio and amplifies the signal. It is then passed

through AM detector. The output of AM detector is audio signal. The detected audio signal

is then amplified by audio power amplifier. The speaker finally produces the sound.

NOTE: The RF amplifier is tuned to specific frequency which is to be received. Hence if

other frequency is to received, then another TRF receiver should be used. This problem

can be solved by using the RF amplifier tuned to wide range of frequencies. But this

reduces selectivity of the receiver.

Advantages of TRF receiver

1. Most simplest type of receiver since it does not involve mixing and IF operation.
2. Very much suitable to receive single frequency.
3. TRF receivers have good sensitivity.

Disadvantages of TRF receiver

1. Bandwidth changes with center frequency, when TRF receiver is used to receive
wide range of frequencies.
2. Multiple stages of RF amplifiers are used. This can lead to instability since they all
are tuned to same center frequency. Hence stagger tunning is to be used.
3. The gain of the TRF receiver is not uniform over wide range of frequencies.
- Variation in bandwidth over the tuning range.

3
 - Instability due to the large number of RF amplifiers all tuned to same center
frequency.
- Their gains are not uniform over a very wide frequency range
Due to above disadvantages, Tuned Radio Frequency TRF receivers are not practically

used in AM receiption. Superheterodyne receivers are commonly used since they offer

many advantages.

1.4.2 SUPERHETERODYNE RECEIVER

The problems of TRF receiver are overcomed by using superheterodyne receiver. The

superheterodyne receiver converts all incoming RF frequencies to a fixed lower frequency,

called Intermediate Frequency (IF). This IF is then amplified and detected to get the

original signal. Figure 1.2 shows the block diagram of superheterodyne receiver.

Figure 1.2: The superheterodyne receiver

OPERATION
The antenna receives all the frequency signals and gives it to RF amplifier. The RF stage
select the required signal and amplify it, reject other signals and reduces effect of noise.
The output of the RF amplifier is given to the mixer stage. The local oscillator output is
also applied to the mixer.

Assuming that local oscillator frequency is ƒLO and signal frequency is ƒS. The mixer
mixes these two signals and generates signals of ƒS, ƒLO, (ƒL0 + ƒS) and (ƒLO – ƒS). The
difference (ƒLO – ƒS). is produced at the output of mixer. This frequency is called
Intermediate Frequency (IF). The IF signal is amplified by one or more IF amplifier
stages and given to the detector.

4
Note: Most of the gain and selectivity is provided by these IF amplifiers. Normally IF is
fixed for the AM receivers. To select a particular station, the local oscillator frequency ƒ0 is
changed in such a way that the frequency ‘ƒs‘ of that station and ‘ƒ0‘ has the difference
equal to IF. Thus whatever is the station being tuned, the IF is fixed. Thus the IF amplifiers
and detector operate at the single frequency IF. Hence the bandwidth of the IF amplifiers is
relatively narrow.

A constant frequency difference is maintained between the local oscillator and the RF
circuits, normally through capacitive tuning, in which all the capacitors are ganged and
operated in uniform by one control knob.

A part of output is taken from the detector and it is applied to RF amplifier, mixer and IF
amplifiers for gain control. This is called Automatic Gain Control or AGC. This AGC
keep the output voltage constant. The detector obtains the modulating signal from the
modulated IF. The output of detector is amplified and given to the speaker.

Advantages of superheterodyne receiver

1. No variation in bandwidth.
2. High sensitivity and selectivity.
3. High adjacent channel rejection

The advantage of the superhetrodyne receiver make it the most suitable type for the great

majority of radio receiver applications, AM, FM, communications, SSB, TV and even

radar receivers all use it with slight modifications in principle. It may be considered

today’s standard form of radio receiver.

AM RECEIVER
 The AM super heterodyne receiver takes the amplitude modulated wave as an input
and produces the original audio signal as an output.
 The sensitivity of a radio receiver is its ability to amplify weak signals.
 The selectivity of a radio receiver is its ability to reject adjacent or unwanted
signals.
 The earlier radio receivers have drawbacks such as poor sensitivity and selectivity. To
overcome these drawbacks, superheterodyne receiver was invented. The block
diagram of AM receiver is shown in the Figure.

5
 Figure 1.3: AM receiver

RF Tuner Section
The amplitude modulated wave received by the antenna is first passed to the tuner
circuit through a transformer. The tuner circuit is nothing but a LC circuit, which is also
called as resonant or tank circuit. It selects the frequency, desired by the AM receiver. It
also tunes the local oscillator and the RF filter at the same time.

The advantages of having RF amplifier/RF amplifiers in a radio receiver are as

follows:-
 Greater gain, i.e better sensitivity
 Improved image frequency rejection.
 Improve signal to noise ratio.
 Improve rejection of adjacent unwanted signals, i.e better selectivity.
 Better coupling of receiver to the antenna.
 Prevention of spurious frequencies from entering the mixer.

RF Mixer
The signal from the tuner output is sent to the RF-IF converter, which acts as a mixer. It
has a local oscillator, which produces a constant frequency. The mixing process is done
here, having the received signal as one input and the local oscillator frequency as the other
input. The mixer down converts the received signal to the Intermediate Frequency
(IF).
The production of IF helps in the demodulation of any station signal having any carrier
frequency. Hence, all signals are translated to a fixed carrier frequency for adequate
selectivity.

IF Filter
Intermediate frequency filter is a band pass filter, which passes the desired frequency. It
eliminates all other unwanted frequency components present in it. This is the advantage
of IF filter, which allows only IF frequency.

AM Demodulator
- Demodulate the AM wave.
- Extracts the information signal.

6
Audio Amplifier
This is the power amplifier stage, which is used to amplify the detected audio signal. The
processed signal is strengthened to be effective. This signal is passed on to the
loudspeaker to get the original sound signal.

IMAGE FREQUENCY AND ITS REJECTION

In a standard broadcast receiver, the local oscillator frequency is made higher than the
incoming signal frequency (RF signal) for reasons that will become apparent. It is made
equal at all times to the signal frequency plus the intermediate frequency. Thus, or

or , no matter what the signal may be, when and

are mixed, the difference frequency, which is one of the by-product, is equal to . As
such, it is the only one passed and amplified by the IF stage. If a frequency manages to
reach the mixer, such that , and that, , then this
frequency will also produce when mixed with unfortunately, this spurious
intermediate frequency signal will also be amplified by the IF stage and will therefore
provide interference. This has effect of two sections being received simultaneously and is
naturally undesirable.
The term is called the image frequency and is defined as the signal frequency plus
twice the intermediate frequency i.e.

The rejection of an image frequency by single tuned circuit (IF rejection ratio), i.e the
ratio of the gain at signal frequency to the gain at the image frequency, is given by:

where,

= Rejection ratio
= loaded of tuned circuit

If the receiver has an RF stage, then there are two tuned circuits, both tuned to , the
rejection of each will be calculated by the same formula, and the total rejection will be the
product of the two. Image rejection depends on the front-end selectivity of the receiver,
must be achieved before the IF stage. Once the spurious signal enter the first stage, it
becomes impossible to remove it from the wanted signal.

7
Example 2.1
In a broadcast receiver having no RF amplifier, the loaded Q of the antenna coupling
circuit is 100. If the IF is 455 KHz, calculate:
(a) The image frequency and its rejection ratio at 1000 KHz.
(b) The image frequency and its rejection ratio at 25 MHz.

Solution
(a)

This is 42dB and considered adequate for domestic receivers in MF band.

It is obvious that this rejection will be insufficient for a practical receiver in HF

band.

8
 FM RECEIVER
The block diagram of FM receiver is shown in the following figure.

Figure 1.3: FM receiver

This block diagram of FM receiver is similar to the block diagram of AM receiver. The
two blocks Amplitude limiter and De-emphasis network are included before and after
FM demodulator. The operation of the remaining blocks is the same as that of AM
receiver.
Amplitude limiter
Ideally: Frequency modulation; amplitude remains constant.

Practically: Random noise add other signals get added. Therefore, amplitude changes. This
changes must be eliminated. Amplitude limiter removes all these unwanted signals.
De-emphasis network
In FM transmitter, the pre-emphasis network (High pass filter), which is present before
FM modulator. This is used to improve the SNR of high frequency audio signal. The
reverse process of pre-emphasis is known as de-emphasis. Thus, in this FM receiver, the
de-emphasis network (Low pass filter) is included after FM demodulator. This signal is
passed to the audio amplifier to increase the power level. Finally, we get the original
sound signal from the loudspeaker.

Assignment 1
1. What is demodulator?

2. List any two (2) types of FM demodulators.

3. With the aid of circuit diagram, briefly describe the two types of demodulators that
you mention in question (2) above.