VA 16X - Solidyne
Contents
1. ccccsseeeees 17 3 2 6 Stereo Phase VeCtol cccscsseeseseeeeeeeeeees 18 3 2 7 Frequency ReESPOnse ccscceseseeeeeeeeeeeees 18 3 2 8 Harmonic Distortion sccseceeeeeeeeeeeeees 19 3 3 Measurement of the Operating Parametros 20 Chapter 4 Append LCD Models 21 4 1 Models VA16 LCD P with LCD 21 4 1 2 Menu OptIONS occcocccoccconcconaconacinaconancnnroncnnos 21 4 1 3 Tuning in a radio station 21 4 1 4 Other Options from the Menu 21 4 1 5 Information Visualization Displays 21 4 2 Cristal calibration only units with option CAL csceeeeeeeeeeeees 22 VA 16 Virtual Monitor 3 Chapter 5 Tech specifications 23 5 1 Input amp OUtpUt ccooccocccocccocconconconnonccncnnns 23 5 2 FM digital recelVer oooocconcconnconocoonnconnnnnos 23 5 3 Stereo AA 23 5 4 Test measurements amp digital processing cccessseeeeeeees 23 5 5 Printed records of on air performance 24 5 6 Models amp Options ccccccseceeeeeeeeeeees 24 SOLIDYNE VA 16 Virtual Monitor Chapter 1 Installation 1 1 Description The system Monitor VA 16X is composed by e VA 16XX digital receiver e CD ROM with the application software runs under Windows XP 2003 Vista Seven e Connection cable RS 232 e USB to RS232 adapter with installation disc e FM antenna with magnetic base The models VA 16X RK VA 16X L2. Create a link between two Device Servers Finish remote job SOLIDYNE Specify the Virtual Serial Port Select existing VSP Port name COM2 v Specify the Device Server O Device Server is not accessible from this PC Device Server is accessible from this PC C Enable MAC gt IP mapping IP address 132 TB 0 m A Access method for wizard configuration process Dut of Band UDP v Access port 65535 Select from the list Jae Virtual serial port must install in each PC from which it is desired to accede to VA 16X IP Once installed the virtual serial port it must appear in the Windows Devices Manager Archivo Acci n Wer Ayuda Hee g 4 LABOZ005 a Adaptadores de pantalla E8 Adaptadores de red e Controladoras de bus serie universal ISB E Controladoras IDE ATA ATAPI E zag Controladoras SCSI y RAID Controladores de disquete H Dispositivos de sistema Dispositivos de sonido video y juegos 3 Equipo e Monitor 1 Mouse y otros dispositivos se aladores Otros dispositivos Procesadores Puertos COM amp LPT A Puerto de comunicaciones COM1 A Puerto de impresora ECP LPT1 Ff El FR A A A E firtual Serial Port CO Teclados See Unidades de disco A An dea A Finally set the VA16 software so that it uses the new serial port in example COM2 Application VA 16X defines its serial port in the configuration file SERIAL INI
3. a Enable Port Forwarding ACT Bota m Current Port Forwarding Table Wo priver Type PonRange Comment Selec 1 192 168 0 11 TCP UDP 1001 VAB O 2 192 168 0 11 UDP 65535 VAlbaux O Firewall Delete Selected Delete All Reset Some routers offer the option Virtual Server that is similar but more outpost than the Port Forwarding Soon you will have to install in your PC with Connection Wizard the virtual serial port The IP address here entered is the external address of the local area network Specify the Device Server Device Server is not accessible from this PC Device Server is accessible from this PC C Enable MAC gt IP mapping IP address 200 42 72 152 Access method for Wizard configuration process Dutof Band UDP Y Access port 165535 In order to know the external IP you must see the settings information of your router Now you can run VA 16X end user software so that that it communicates with your VA 16X unit via Internet SOLIDYNE 1 5 Alarms Panel The Alarm Panel is made up of two applications vaPanel and vaAlarm vaPanel runs with VA 16X and monitoring the state of all the variables When a variable exceeds the allowed value vaPanel sends a notification to vaAlarm which can be running in any terminal of the LAN or even on a remote PC connected to Internet vaA
4. Eh dy IGITAL POWEA 3 de Febrero 3254 CP 1429 Buenos Aires Argentina Phone 54 11 4702 0090 e mail info solidynepro com Fax 54 11 4702 2375 Web site www SolidynePRO com MODELS VA 16XX RK VA 16XX LCD Y VA 16XX LCD P VA 16X virtual Analyzer FM digital monitor User s Manual Last revision January 2013 SOLIDYNE VA 16 Virtual Monitor Table of contents Chapter 1 Installation 5 1 1 DescriptiON occooccocccoccccanococonccnnnoncnncnnnanos 5 1 2 Rear pannel conections 00 5 1 2 1 P W r SOUTO cele 5 1 2 2 Connecting the Antenna ccceesseeeeeeeees 5 PAE A a deta deeacaeeidaoieaecseaeas 5 1 2 3 Modulation Meter Calibrator optional 5 1 2 5 Slow time only models VA 16X cscceeeeseeeees 6 1 2 6 RDS analyzer opcional VA 16X ccccesseeeeees 6 12T ROL li nes ee er ener 6 1 2 7 1 USB a RS 232 adapter cccconccccccoccncccnocncononoss 6 1 3 VA 16X P LCD Models 0om00000000 0 6 1 4 Software Installation oooccocccocoono 6 1 4 1 SERIAL DOM coin ete 6 1 4 1 1 USB to RS 232 adapter oooccccccooccncccccnnniconos 6 1 4 2 IP CONNECTION ccccccesseeceeceeseeeeeeaees 7 A SOUUD a csenen a eet oucioresemcaeiiees eee eee 7 1 4 2 2 Accessing from the LAN ccsceceeeseeeeeeees 8 1 4 2 3 Access from Internet oooccnccconcncccocnninccononos 9 1 5 Alarms Panels 9 lol Var a
5. VA 16 Virtual Monitor 8 1 4 2 3 Access from Internet If you want access to a VA 16X located outside your LAN there are two possible ways in which the device can be connected to the network The device is connected directly to Internet In this case you must enter the IP address assigned by the Internet provider ISP The device is connected in another LAN with shared Internet access In order to accede from an remote PC to the LAN you must configure the router of that LAN to redirect the packages incoming by port 1001 to local IP address assigned to VA16 in our example 192 168 0 11 and redirect also the port 65535 The following is an illustrative example the screen of present configuration depends on your router Q atras f Ss x a B squeda Sie Favoritos amp lt Er z LJ Direcci n http 192 168 0 1 index asp j Er o v nculos gt Google Gi y Go o Ey YY Bookmarkse 1762 blocked Y Check gt Q Settings 3 gt NETWORKING PEOPLE TOGETHER CM hi Y Tauck Setup General Setup Status Info ystem Tools System Port Forwarding e WAN Entries in this table allow you to automatically redirect common network services to a LAN specific machine behind the NAT firewall These settings are only necessary if you wish to host some sort of server like a web server or mail server on the private local network Wireless behind your Gateway s NAT firewall QoS SNAT
6. The connection is similar to the already seen but obviously they don t require permanent connection to the AC power They operate with autonomy bigger than 4 hours having an on off switch located at the front side and lightly sunken to avoid accidental switch on When they are connected to the AC power the batteries of Nickel cadmium are recharged A complete charge requires 20 hours If the VA 16X P LCD remains for several weeks without using its recommended to recharge them before using When the equipment is used in outside measurements doesn t require the use of a PC since the LCD allows to SOLIDYNE measure the 12 main parameters to carry out an excellent remote measurement of the Radio But if you prefer a Laptop can be used to keep data in the Hard Disk When you inserts the connector D9 of the RS232 output the VA16 leaves of being controlled from the JOG wheel and it becomes controlled from the PC But the LCD will continue marking in parallel the same values that in the screen of the PC When the portable system is used in a car the antenna should be placed in the center of the roof of the car This way you get constant and precise readings 1 4 Software Installation VA 16X software runs on Windows XP 2003 Vista Seven Browse at VirtualAnalyzer CD ROM and install running SETUP EXE CD ROM includes 8 audio files for the frequency response tests They are located at the AUDIO folder and they are 8 files for the
7. LEVEL 20 to 5 dB L R amp L R Mode user selected 2 state VU Ballistic amp Peak STEREO PHASE Phase Correlation from 0 to 180 degrees It indicates the true stereo sensation the audience is hearing Analog Vectorscope and Digital mode MONO amp INVERSE phase RADIATED POWER Relative radiated power measured from 0 to 5 it indicates the increase at the RF power due to the audio SOLIDYNE VA 16 Virtual Monitor 23 processing chain A unity value means a standard audio compressor 12 dB peak average ratio A value of 4 indicates a 100 modulation with continuous sine wave MULTIPATH DISTORTION Relative indication from BAD to 5 levels of GOOD NOISE L amp R noise level 40 to 90 dBa 3 dB 20 10 KHz A weighted Automatic measure using brief samples of the silences associated with the normal FM program STEREO CROSSTALK L R and R L separation from O to 50 dBa 2 dB Automatic measurement during brief samples of music with panning effects used by recording engineers HARMONIC DISTORTION 0 02 to 5 It measures 2nd and even harmonic distortion due to the FM modulation process Automatic measurement is performed using the speaker voice and measuring the Modulation Transfer Function of the voice Then is processed DSP using the Bonello algorithms FREQ RESPONSE 30 Hz to 15 KHz 1 dB Automatic measurement using 8 spots of 5 sec each to be aired during night only one spot each hour is enough The spots are provi
8. Mode You can print the next reports in text mode Text Mode 20010517 Left and Right level Time Left Right Time 00 fi a 0 0 01 01 1 Average Radiated Power hour 2 Maximum Modulation Values 3 Pauses per hour silences that lasts more than 3 sec s VA 16 Virtual Monitor 11 4 Inverted Phase Occurrences hour 5 L amp RLevel average 6 Phase Vector average In order to print this valuable information press Text Mode at the ON AIR PERFORMANCE section of the main screen You will see this screen Press PRINT if you wish to print this values Only the tuned radio station will make this control files named EES YYMMDD log That is if you need to control Radio A during a full week then the VA 16X must be tuned at Radio A during that week These values are stored in AAMMDD log files Year Month Day These files will be created only when the MAKE LOG FILES option is activated in the ADVANCED window 2 3 2 Graphic Mode You can print all the graphics in full color like the Main Screen Spectrum Analyzer FM Band Scanner Frequency response and Analyze Data In all the cases you must press the PRINT MODE button in order to make a preview of the graphic to be printed and then press PRINT poh E I e du ation g a L 4 ik E a 5 LTT MT TT gt HH a tet 13 5 3 brea I Hered Ph ve Aig td Level TOT A AONOOAN ABANDO LL You
9. can print a complete and valuable 24 Hour Report in graphic mode about the following measurrements Modulation Radiated Power L amp R levels Pauses Silences Phase and Inverted Phase For print this reports press Performance Log in the general VA16 screen Then press PRINT MODE and you will see a preview of the graphics For a detailed view expand the image using the ZOOM control The COMMENTS area is used for a commentary text that can be printed with the graphics Pressing PRINT the impression will start SOLIDYNE 2 3 3 Printing the tuned station Take in mind that when the option Make Log Files activates which allows to create files that soon will be printed the current tuned radio is who generates these files Therefore if you want to have files of another station during one week VA 16X must remain tuned one week in that radio station 2 3 4 Remote Printing You can print from any PC computer not connected to the VA 16X receiver Please load the VA 16X software in the PC you wish to use for printing Then run the software When the PC do not find the VA 16X connected at the RS 232 port it gives you the choice of running it in DEMO MODE Choose this option and then you will be able to print all the Analyze Data parameters You must transport the YYMMDD log files using a pen drive or the LAN Local Area Network or from a different City using a Modem or Internet This feature allows a Radio Network to have info
10. highest peak retained The highest peak is indicated by two red vertical bars whose recovery is slow For this measurement the L amp R key must be activated At the right of VU bars the values are showed in dB s for a more exact indication The Zero VU value has been factory calibrated to coincide with a stereo signal modulating 100 at 1 KHz Audio signals above 0 dB value often implies being overmodulated However there are an audio processing techniques which allow supermodulation of complex audio signals in such a way as to achieve audio levels higher than O dB without exceeding 100 modulation 16 3 2 2 L R amp L R Audio Level On the same indicator referred to previously activating the L R L R key one can measure the addition and subtraction levels of the L and R channels Therefore on the upper VU meter the mono component L R of the signal transmitted will be indicated and on the lower VU meter the component of the L R channel difference which is the one that modulates the 38 KHz stereo subcarrier 3 2 3 L amp R Noise Level The background noise is measured and expressed in dB A referred to 100 modulation For this purpose an A weighting filter is available which measures between 30 Hz 10 KHz The DSP processor takes 10 samples per second and always retains on the memory the maximum S N value In this way during the brief fragments of silence 50 ms are sufficient the signal noise ratio is me
11. indicator Measurements ra ES in peak mode are without a integration time Indication mode a switches from the PC software WEE 5 mS VirtualAnalyzer In models with LCD Va16X LCD y VA16X LCD P the modulation meter will ALWAYS indicates PEAK values when the unit is used not linked to VirtualAnalyzer software When VA16X is controlled by software LCD shows Peak or Integrated according to software settings 1 2 6 RDS analyzer opcional VA 16X This optional module allows to decode an analyze all the RDS features For details please contact us at info solidynepro com 1 2 7 RS 232 The RS 232 have a D9 connector to connect to the computer using the cable provided with VA16 If the distance between the PC and the VA 16X its big because you need to connect the receiver far from the PC an extension cable can be built very easily that replaces the one given by factory If you want to make this cable yourself you need a shielded cable with two wires type microphone The connection is Connection between two D 9 connectors In both ends ground to pin 5 The pins 2 connected between them The pins 3 connected between them 1 2 7 1 USB a RS 232 adapter If your computer only has USB ports using USB to RS 232 supplied with the equipment When connecting the adapter to the computer Windows will ask the drivers to be installed using the CD ROM provided with the adapter cable 1 3 VA 16X P LCD Models
12. internal RDS receiver and decoder for RDS parameters analyzer DIMENSIONS 19 rack mount Module one 44 4 mm Weight 6 Kg POWER 100 V 240V user selectable 50 60 Hz or Ni Cad battery in models P SOLIDYNE VA 16 Virtual Monitor 24
13. normal programming SOLIDYNE The first topic to consider is the audio processor s behavior When a sound engineer carries out response tests the normal thing is to adjust the processor to flat response This gives us very flattened out curves but which have nothing to do with reality This is due to the fact that modern processors have dynamic audio equalizers the band compressors are essentially dynamic equalizers and the response obtained will depend on the adjustment of the audio processor The technology which we have developed for a real and effective measurement is as follows VA16 CD Rom includes 8 test files On the left channel they have the audio tones recorded each one of them with a different frequency from 30 Hz to 15 KHz The recording level is reduced in several frequencies so as not to bother the listener and also not to saturate the transmitter The right channel contains a musical arpeggio which is specially reprocessed digitally to have a flat spectral energy like the pink noise test signal measured with an analyzer in thirds of an octave The test files are aired in with the commercials Ads or radio promotions Normal procedure is to place one each hour In this way in 8 hours we have the result without the audience noticing that we are carrying out tests because they will only hear a 5 second arpeggio and in some cases an audio tone in extreme frequencies the tone is masked by the arpeggio To ma
14. of an FM digital receiver with a capacity for processing the information digitally and autonomously This digital receiver is connected to a conventional PC by means of an RS 232 cable to allow for reading on screen the 16 measuring instruments which provide the data as also to register the data permanently and print it subsequently The software operates on Windows 98 XP 2000 NT allowing for the simultaneous use of the PC with other programs 2 2 Tuning adjustment To select the tuning of the FM stations we are monitoring there are two procedures a immediate tuning with the Remote Control b to have up to 16 preset frequencies In order to change the frequency we must go to the Tuner If we press Remote a remote control is opened which is very convenient for quick operation and for use with a touch screen PC This control can be moved to any part of the screen To select a frequency we press the numbers in sequence for example for 105 1 we press in succession 1 O 5 1 and then OK to confirm it To erase that frequency we press Cls and then we can input the new frequency To close the remote control press the key at upper left In order to have radio stations pre tuned we open the adjustment window by pressing Set and a keyboard with 16 keys opens up On pressing them we change the different radio stations pre tuned To add or modify a radio station the procedure is as follows SOLIDYNE a Press the key correspond
15. open up VA 16 Virtual Monitor 19 S VIN 8 he 9hs 10hs ihs Ris 1 460 000O0O008000000000000000000 If we press the arrow on the File window we see all the daily registers in the format Year Month Day the year having its four digits and the Month and Day two each We select a day and on screen in the form of a perforated paper like paper registers the six values will appear hour by hour This allows for important analyses of the behavior of the equipment and of the procedures used at the radio station during each one of the operation shifts This graphic can be printed out by pressing the Print Screen key which enables Windows to print out a screen We can also verify these numbers value by value For that we press Text Mode and a window will appear with each one of the numerical values of each hour of transmission SOLIDYNE VA 16 Virtual Monitor 20 4 Append LCD Models Models 4 1 Models VA16 LCD amp P with LCD VA16 models with LCD liquid crystal display are stand alone units that do not need a host PC although for some measurements to be performed a computer must be connected to the unit If a RS232 Serial cable is connected to the VA 16 LCD the internal control from the LCD display is disabled as the PC controls now the unit Nevertheless the LCD will still show all information in slave mode VA 16 LCD adds extra versatility to Virtual Analyzers as it can be easily placed near the FM tra
16. 8 frequencies to measure They come in standard WAV format and can be played using any soundcard They are also included into CD ROM like audio tracks that can be played with any CD player Copy the 8 files to the corresponding folders of your on air automation software The 8 frequencies in ascending order from 30 Hz must be programmed to be aired we suggest during the night once per hour File length are only 5 seconds This way when concluding the eighth file VA16 can draw the curve of frequency response of your station If you want immediate information the test files can be programmed one after other one but use a small separator between the test files 1 4 1 SERIAL port VA16 connects to the PC using a standard RS 232 cable provided with the unit If the length were insufficient you can use a prolongation By default VA 16X software uses the COM 1 port 1 If you need to connect VA16 to another port you must edit the SERIAL INI file in the following line only ports 1 to 9 are supported In Windows 7 you nedd to open the file with administrator comm port 2 comm port 1 49 default 1 1 4 1 1 USB to RS 232 adapter If your computer don t have serial port use the RS232 to USB adapter cable provided with VA 16X Drivers are installed by VirtualAnalyzer software if the correspondent check box remains enabled Once installed check the COM assigned by Windows to enter it in the VA 16XX config file In Windows
17. 91 to send the notifications to the remote terminal Make sure that no firewall blocks that port E mail in each parameter defines the address to send an e mail notifying the event Fields E mail account located on the foot of the window allows to enter the user name and password of the e mail account that vaPanel will use to send the mails to the destiny address Cell phone The SMS notifications are sent using the Gateways provided by the mobile telephony companies i e personal net com to ar using protocol smtp e mail The use of this service can generate additional costs Consult with your cell phone provider the conditions of use of this service e mail to SMS Example In Argentine is required the area code without the cell phones extension 15 So the mobile in Buenos Aires 15 4447 7308 must be entered into the Cell phone field as following 1144477308 that is to say with the area extension 11 Buenos Aires and without 15 If this number is in the company Telecom Personal an e mail can be sent to this number writing to 1144477308 personal net com ar The cell phone will receive the e mail as SMS The drop down menu allows to choose a cellular telephony provider not being necessary to enter the complete e mail address in Cellphone You only need to select your company from the listing and to enter the number as it was explained above If your company is not in the list you can enter the complet
18. Analyzer This diagram advanced mathematical algorithms used to show the probability of occurrence of signals at each point on the graph which represents the field intensity versus frequency To achieve VA16X spectrum analysis performed hundreds of times to calculate statistical values which are represented by a color nomenclature Red indicates a high probability of occurrence yellow a low occurrence and green medium occurrence The black portions of the SOLIDYNE chart 3D Spectrum indicate values with zero probability which means that never happened What is the utility of 3D spectrum The graphic shows see below all values of the field intensity dB uV inclusive of overlapped stations that is to say over the RF level of the carrier and side bands as if all the radio stations had been turned off to measure Noise floor Shows the noise floor of each area of the FM band due to intermodulation among FM stations and spurious emissions FM transmitters The evaluation of the noise floor is very important in making various decisions For example if you are planning a new radio station outside the city the background noise is very important to evaluate the power you need to get a good reception in the city center It is very common to hear a broadcaster wonder why your radio reaches to the city A and difficulty reaching the city B if both are at the same distance Coverage mapping Knowing the noise floor yields an a
19. CD and VA 16X P LCD are designed to operate in areas with high field intensity They possess metallic cabinet that can be mounted in rack or also eliminating the lateral supports they can be used as table cabinet They include a vertical antenna of solid construction with magnetic base to be located at the top of the rack or in the roof of a car 1 2 Rear pannel conections BALANCED OUTPUTS y TEST O SET amp gt EXTERNAL 100 O SLOW ANTENNA OPTIONAL CALIBRATO o GT MX TIME OUT RS 232 TO PC LEFT IN IP_OPTION Ethernet OPTIONAL RDS ANALYZER TCP IP 1 2 1 Power source The receiver will be connected to 117 220 volts Make sure that the voltage is the correct one observing the voltage switch in the rear panel of the receiver NEVER CONNECT THE EQUIPMENT WITHOUT CHECK IT 1 2 2 Connecting the Antenna VA 16X all models has a BNC connector for antenna Connect here the whip antenna that comes with the equipment or an external antenna if you want monitoring radios outside the primary area of coverage fields smaller than 1 mV m that is to say 60 dBuV The operation of the quarter wave antenna provided will be satisfactory in the reception of local stations In particular a location near big windows is always preferable When the building is a one or two plants and construction of bricks the operation with internal antenna is satisfactory However if it is an offices building with concrete a
20. Configuraci n avanzada de COM3 Usar b feres FIFO requiere UART compa Seleccione un valor menor para corregir pr By default VA 1 6X software USES Seleccione un valor mayor para mejorar el port 1 A If you wants to use another port you must edit the config file B fer de Bajo 1 recepci n SERIAL INI B fer de Bajo 1 transmision o CiProgram Files Solidyne VA N mero de puerto COM coma vw 16X at line comm port 1 SOLIDYNE 1 4 2 IP CONNECTION Models IP allows to manage the unit via TCP IP protocol Before the detailed explanation a brief enumeration on the settings needed to use VA 16X via IP s a Connect VA16 to the LAN b Check the IP address of the unit using DS Manager software c A PC will be used to run the software and to access to the VA16 hardware We call to this PC remote computer Install in the remote computer the VA16 Monitor software d Install in the remote computer the Virtual Serial Port If there is a Firewall software or hardware it must enable port 1001 for the communication with the VA 16X e Configure VA16 software so it use this virtual port serial ini f To access from outside the LAN please refers to 1 2 7 3 Access from Internet 1 4 2 1 Set up Connect VA 16X to the LAN and turn on Next to the connector RJ45 a green LED will light If amber LED lights then the network detected is of 100Mbps Install and run DS Ma
21. Latitud Longitud Altitud Print Mode Uy Spectal Zoom Mode 3D Spectrum Analyzer To generate a measurement click Add A window appears where you enter a name with which the measurement is stored You can also enter the geographic location where the measurement is being made To start scanning press Start arrow Note that the scan 3D Spectrum unlike Zoom Spectral analyzer does not make a single band scan but it is a cumulative process So the more number of scans performed more accurately will the 3D graphic There are situations where it is necessary to operate for several hours for a complete statistical SUMMARY To get a quick view of the spectrum use the mode Spectral Zoom To have a statistical display deemed minimal surface 60 sweeps each full band scan delay 10 seconds Lower values are meaningless because in that case will be used as Spectral zoom To generate a deeper statistical graph must cease operating the computer for hours How many hours is a decision that depends on the measurement objective For SOLIDYNE VA 16 Virtual Monitor example if you want to know the noise floor of the channel 60 to 90 minutes is sufficient But if you are looking intermittent interference will require longer periods 3 2 Parameters of Audio Quality 3 2 1 L amp R Audio Level Stereo Audio Level There are two VU meters with double reading of average audio level ballistic VU and value of
22. MHz FM CHANNELS 50 KHz steps PRESET FM STATIONS 16 Preset Memories including Name FRONT END Dual Gate Mosfet IMAGE REJECTION 50 dB IF REJECTION 80 dB SENSIBILITY 40 dB uV for 12bB SINAD NOISE S N ratio gt 60 dBa THD gt 0 5 at 1 KHz 100 mod IF BANDWIDTH 270 KHz for audio 10 KHz Bandwidth and Spectrum FREQ RESPONSE 20 60 KHz 0 2 dB 5 3 Stereo Decoder Output Level 4 dBu Balanced a SNR gt 85 dBA THD gt 0 02 Mono amp Stereo e Stereo Separation 50 dB 1Khz Pilot Tone attenuation 50 dB De emphasis 75 usec 5 4 Test measurements and digital processing MODULATION FM Modulation from 1 to 160 Error less than 2 at 100 modulation e 0 1 precision crystal calibrator for 100 Modulation Fast Peak measure less than 200 uS or Peak Weighting 5 2 1 0 5 msec FM deviation peak from 0 to 112 KHz OVERMODULATION peaks minute counter over 105 FIELD INTENSITY 40 to 99 dBuv with user defined correction factor for antenna gain Error les than 2 dB at 100 MHz PILOT TONE LEVEL 19 KHz pilot level from 0 to 20 in 0 1 steps 0 5 PILOT TONE FREQUENCY Frequency error from 99 to 99 Hz 0 5 Hz RDS SUBCARRIER LEVEL 57 KHz pilot level from 0 to 10 in 0 1 steps 0 5 PILOT FREQUENCY Frequency error from 99 to 99 Hz 0 5 Hz CARRIER DEVIATION Digital display 9 9 KHz in 0 1 KHz steps Error lt 0 2 KHz STEREO
23. asured for both stereo channels It is therefore not necessary to have a special test signal nor to go off air the transmission The real value of S R can take several hours to obtain since there must be a fraction of a second s silence On some radio stations this happens often but on others with denser formats this can take more time The measurement of noise is associated with the radio which has been preset at the tuner so that when it is tuned into again the former value measured appears If the reset RST key is pressed this process reverts to zero and the measurement begins again It is important to note as we have done before that this measurement involves the whole audio and RF chain of the radio station as also possible interference from other far away stations It is a real and effective value generally with a lower S R ratio than the laboratory measurements 3 2 4 Crosstalk With a similar methodology to that applied for measuring S R the L R channels separation is measured In this case the signal on L channel is compared instantaneously with the residual on R channel and vice versa The maximum values are stored and displayed on screen After a certain amount of time the value becomes stable indicating the crosstalk In this case a test signal is not required either This value is memorized in association with the preset radio 3 2 5 Effective Radiated Power This important parameter is er measured for the f
24. ccurate map of the coverage area considering not only the level of field strength at the antenna but how much of that level is the carrier of interest Distant radio stations As said VA 16X can detect the presence of distant radio stations and their field strength measured even when the signal is under major radio stations These signals allow you to evaluate two things a The reduction of the S R effective powerful local radio with the consequent degradation of sound quality b Calculates in case we move away from the city how far distant radio signal interferes with the radio And know that directive diagram of the antenna diagram or increase in power will be convenient to avoid this problem Interference As a statistical method it is possible to detect the presence of intermittent signals This is of great importance when assessing the interference problems which are difficult to record and diagnose VA 16 Virtual Monitor 15 Spectrum Analizer 3D Spectrum Analyzer Red zone In band noise floor o gt gt gt gt due to IM products Noise floor of the band 13 3 100 0 100 5 107 0 101 5 Tr I T T T 7 T T 102 0 102 5 Different energy level due to audio processing Clean channel MHz Comentario 24Hs analisis from Pinamar City Argentina Frecuencia de Inicio Frecuencia de Finalizaci n Numero de Adquisiciones Estado oe Jun 2010 06 32 Hs Fecha 07
25. d above the frequency then push the knob to confirm Now the blinking cursor disappears Turning the wheel will change tuning frequency Frequency moves in 50 KHz steps to accommodate any station throughout the world When the desired frequency is displayed push the knob to confirm The VA16 Synthesizer will tune to it Turn left the JOG wheel and select QUIT then push the knob to leave the tuning menu 4 1 4 Other Options from the Menu There are four more options in the Main Menu of the VA16 To change these options use the same procedure just described above The parameters that can be modified are the following a Change Vu Meters from standard L R Mode Left and Right level meters to L R L R Mode sum of channels at L VU and difference at R VU RESET to zero THD measurement Channel Separation and Noise Level meters See Operation Manual for details b fa c LCD models have a backlight energy saver which is very useful when battery operated This timer shuts off the LCD backlight after a presetable amount of time If the backlight is set to ON then it will never turn off Each time the JOG is moved the backlight is turned on again for NN seconds d ee FIELD option allows the user to set an antenna gain correction factor in order to calibrate the Field Intensity meter for the specific antenna and coax length in use Please see Operation Manual for details 4 1 5 Information Visualization Displays In o
26. ded with the VA 16XX CD ROM WAV files SPECTRUM ANALYZER Selectable frequency span from 250 KHz to 1 MHz in 25 50 and 100 KHz steps Bandwidth is 10 KHz Measure range 50 dB 3 dB MODULATION BANDWIDTH Graph of MOD from zero to 150 KHz BW of measure 10 KHz SCANNER Frequency scan of all the odd FM band channels from 87 5 to 108 MHz in 100 kHz or 50 kHz steps 5 5 Printed records of on air performance The VA 16XX can store at the PC computer record files of the total performance of the FM Radio 24 hrs a day one file each day Several months can be stored and sent by E mail to the main Engineering Office to be audited The On Air performance can be seen from the PC screen or can be printed in color lt is updated every hour and has the following items RADIATED POWER Average of radiated power during each hour Last hour is shown on screen It gives information about the quality of the audio processing chain and the average coverage area of the Radio MAX MODULATION The peak value of modulation is stored each hour Last hour is shown on screen It gives valuable information about the quality of the audio processors and the efforts of your Chief Engineer to avoid overmodulation 3 SEC SILENCE If a silence of 3 sec or more is produced program gap this event is stored You can control the number of gaps hour Last hour shown on screen It allows the manager to know the commitment level of the djs and audio opera
27. e e mail in the field cellphone vaPanel will use that direction ignoring the predetermined company SOLIDYNE The window Events takes a registry of the exceeded values TEST button sends an alarm to verify the reception Once the data is entered and checked press Minimize to leave the program running in background 1 5 2 vaAlarm vaAlarm This application must runs in the destiny terminal The events keep indicating date and hour Whenever it appears an event the application jumps to first plane showing the event that firing the alarm vaAlarm can receive messages of several VA 16X terminals The application runs in background and appears as an icon in the Systray vaAlarm uses port 9091 to receive the notifications from vaPanel If the terminal this in a LAN and the notification comes from a remote PC from Internet you must configure your router to redirect the packages that use this port to the vaAlarm terminal In case of conflict of port with another application you can change the default port by editing the vaPanel INI and defining another port For example Settings port 9090 gt default is 3091 In order to install vaAlarm in another terminal you only needs to copy vaAlarm EXE Config file vaPanel INl must be copied ONLY if the port used in not the default port SOLIDYNE LICENSEES YOU TO USE vaAlarm in OTHER PC different that s using VA 16X vaAlarm client can receive notifications from several VA 16X unit
28. er minute counter Peak are modulation transients that exceeds 105 In some country s the laws do not tolerate any modulation peak 3 1 2 Field Intensity This is measured in dB uV dB relative to a field intensity of ONE microvolt metro and so that this value shall be reasonably exact the receiver should be subject to a correction coefficient to compensate the gain of the antenna and its location within the building as seen in Chapter 1 VA 16 Virtual Monitor 13 3 1 3 Carrier Deviation The deviation in KHz of the FM carrier is measured This value normally is very small A deviation may appear only if the FM transmitter has flaws According to the laws of each countries deviation values from 1KHz to 2KHz are accepted 3 1 4 Pilot Signal Level The level of the 19 KHz pilot signal is measured in percentages This value is fixed by transmission standards at approximately 10 and values between 8 and 12 can be acceptable 3 1 5 Pilot Signal Frequency Error 19 KHz Frequency Error Measurement of the error is made on a 19 KHz frequency with a precision of 0 5 Hz Modern stereo generators are usually controlled by crystal and therefore the error must be less than 2 Hz 3 1 6 RDS signal RDS Level Indicates the modulation depth of the RDS subcarrier This value usually is around 3 to 5 In some regions the laws fix values to the RDS modulation ES Important The RDS modulation like happens with the
29. ges the processing to obtain RRP 2 this means that you have increased the effective power to 10 x 2 0 1 5 13 3 kW In other words you will have the same coverage area reducing the power to 10 x 1 5 2 0 7 5 KW VA 16 Virtual Monitor 17 3 2 6 Stereo Phase Vector An important indicator of the quality of transmission sound is the Phase Vector because it indicates the degree of stereo sensation the FM radio station transmits This is linked quite clearly to the satisfaction index that the listener feels and to the sensation of sound quality In the long run this also affects the radio station s income for good or for bad The Phase Vector indicator is calibrated in degrees of phase difference This simplifies the understanding of the values read for the radio technicians That is to say that if we input a senoidal wave on L and on R with different phases what the Audio Vector will show us is the position of the phase vector on a 180 degree quadrant indicating underneath in numbers the phase difference In other words if the value is 90 degrees it will mark a vertical segment on the quadrant If the phase difference is zero degrees mono signal it will mark a horizontal segment on the right hand quadrant We wonder however what happens when we are not dealing with sinusoidal waves but with complex signals such as music and the spoken word In this case what the VA 16X indicates is a somewhat more complex va
30. go to Control Panel System Hardware Device Manager option COM amp LPT Ports VA 16 Virtual Monitor 6 g Administrador de dispositivos AE Archivo Acci n Yer Ayuda e 4628 Y Adaptadores de pantalla BB Adaptadores de red Controladoras de bus serie universal USB 23 Controladoras IDE ATA ATAPI 4 Controladores de disquete 43 Dispositivos de interfaz de usuario HID 4 Dispositivos de sistema Dispositivos de sonido v deo y juegos Equipo Hardware WinPic600 Monitor 15 Mouse y otros dispositivos se aladores 2 Procesadores 4 Puertos COM amp LPT Y Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port COM3 Y Puerto de comunicaciones COM1 Puerto de impresora ECP LPT1 Teclados Jf TiePie Se Unidades de disco 43 Unidades de disquete Unidades de DYD CD ROM In case that the assigned port number was bigger than COMO it must be changed manually within the range COM1 COMO9 right clicking on USB to Serial and choose Properties Propiedades de Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port COM3 General Configuraci n de puerto Controlador Detalles Bits por segundo 3600 Bits de datos 8 Paridad Ninguno o Bits de parada Control de flujo Ninguno Opciones avanzadas Restaurar valores predeterminados Press on Advanced options and change the port number using from menu COM number
31. he lidad 9 1 5 2 Va Alal Mi a a aa 10 1 5 3 Software Upgrades oooooccoccccccooconococnonccnnnconcnnnos 10 Chapter 2 Operation 11 2 1 INUOGUCUON iii 11 2 2 Tuning adjustment ccseeseeeeeeeees 11 2 3 How to print the information 11 23 1 TO Mode conside 11 2 3 2 Graphic Modena dsd 12 2 3 3 Printing the tuned statiON ocoococccccccconnno 12 2 3 4 Remote Printing c cccccssecseeeeseeeeseeeeseeeeeees 12 SOLIDYNE Chapter 3 Measurement features 13 3 1 Signal TransmisSsSi0N ooocccccccccnnconnnnnnnor 13 3 1 1 Modulation Meter oooccononconncococcococcooroornaronros 13 3 1 2 Field IntenSity oocoooocconcccocccoooncocnnnonanonanrnnano 13 3 1 3 Carrier DeViatiONn cccccsseeessseeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 14 3 1 4 Pilot Signal Levell ccccsssseesseeeseeeeeeeees 14 3 1 5 Pilot Signal Frequency Error 14 LORDS Sima dni 14 3 1 7 MultiPath Distortion 14 3 1 8 Spectrum ANalyZeT oooccconcncconnnocccncroancnnronnnos 14 3 1 9 FM Band ScCannet ccccscceeeeeeeeeeeseeeeseeees 15 3 1 10 Spectral Zoom Analyzer 15 3 1 11 3D Spectrum AnalyZer ccccscecseseeeseeeees 15 3 2 Measurement of Audio Quality Parametros 17 3 2 1 L amp R Audio Level Stereo Audio Level 17 3 2 2 L R 8 L R Audio Level ooococonnnconcccocccocnnnncnas 17 3 2 3 L amp R Noise LeVel cooiconsnian e 17 324 Crosstalk sec ee 17 3 2 5 Effective Radiated Powetl
32. ing to the new memory we wish to add or modify i e key 12 b Press Set c Using the mouse go to the frequency window and type the frequency selected omitting the decimal point Now with the mouse mark the text window and write the name of the radio station for example FM Sunshine d Press Save and the new radio station will remain recorded in the memory ERASING FROM THE MEMORY Press Set then the key with the number in the memory and finally press Delete The preset memories window is closed by pressing OK PRESET OPERATION VALUES If at the former window we press Advanced a dialog box will open to a Modify the gain value for the antenna to achieve a correct field intensity This has already been seen under 1 Installation b Also a check mark can be placed with the mouse in the square which enables saving on the Hard Disk the operating data of the radio station day by day Make Log Files If this square is activated the VA 16X software will make out an up dated log each day which can then be seen on screen and printed out see further on the mode Analyze Data This file contains information about the selected radio and not about the 16 quick access memories The format of this file is YYMMDD log It can be printed in another PC copying the YYMMDD log files and using VA 16X software running in DEMO mode This mode is confirmed by closing the dialog box with OK 2 3 How to print the information 2 3 1 Text
33. ion vs Bandwidth This curve brings to you a clear image of the modulation intensity produced inside and outside the 75 KHz band To generate this curve press the RUN button the VA 16XX will take samples of the maximum values of energy using for this analysis a bandwidth of 10 KHz Modulation Bandwidth Graph X Mod Stat Time 031816 pm Stop Time 09 19 28p m Samples 6 100 J a 0 2 50 75 100 125 150 Run Print Mode Cancel l The signal energy changes according to the modulation The values obtained in each pass are compared with the previous measurements maintaining always the maximum ones Each pass means a complete analysis from O to 150 KHz At the top of this graphic the indication SAMPLES XX show how many loops has been performed We recommend to make 10 samples as minimum to obtain precise values When the number of desired samples are completed press STOP 3 1 9 FM Band Scanner This allows for the complete FM band to be shown on screen or printed together with all the stations that are operating and their levels of field intensity in dB uV In this way an analysis is made of the field levels placed in different areas in which the VA 16XX is operated and they are compared with the signals of competitors stations Band Scanner Channels New Run Print Mode Odd C 250Khz Ok i Euan 7 TA To make a scan press Open at main window and then New Run o
34. irst time in FM radio transmissions lts purpose is to inform the FM radio engineer of the effectiveness of the audio processing chain This Effective Power with Processing called RRP SOLIDYNE Relative Radiated Power is of a magnitude whose unit RRP 1 indicates the RF nominal power of the FM radio station using a wide band instantaneous attack audio compressor and slow recovery With the human voice or music a compressor of this standard type has a ratio between the peak of the signal and the program average of about 12dB This is the reference value When using modern multiband processors with peak simmetrizers and clippers the ratio between the peak and the average value of the program signal increases This indicates that we are airing more power on the lateral bands which are the ones that finally reach the receivers That is to say as already known we convert the carriers RF power which does not transmit information into power for the lateral bands which do transmit it This phenomenon is the one which allows modern audio processors to increase the range of an FM radio station But until now this effect was known but no method for practical measurement existed The first theoretical method was proposed by Mr Bonello of Solidyne quite some time ago New Improvements in Audio Signal Processing O Bonello AES Journal New York June 1976 nevertheless only now does a device exist which is capable of
35. ke this measurement on the Frequency Response window of the PC screen the OFF key should be activated which will then be ON In this way the measuring system is activated and ready to capture the different frequency tones Under these conditions the VA 16X permanently carries out a DSP spectral analysis of the left channel to detect the presence of an invariable frequency pure tone When it detects one it measures its value and stores it in its memory When the 8 values have been completed they are entered on the PC to be seen by the user in the form of a curve and also printed in color if so wished The response curve appears in the reduced mode on the VA 16X general screen To see it enlarged activate Open The values measured are memorized and remain associated with the preset radio station Note 1 The measurement procedure is based on the fact that audio processors analyze the two channels separately but take a joint decision which involves the same compression or equalization value for the left channel as for the right Therefore on receiving the arpeggio which because of its higher level governs both channels the band compression acquires maximum flatness because the energy on each band is the same in fact the arpeggio has the same spectrum as the pink noise It is under those ideal conditions that the VA 16X measures the response to frequencies indicating the real value of the existing chain between the VA 16 Virtual Monit
36. larm receives the notification and reacts warning the user in that terminal on parameter outside range it pop ups on the screen and sending mails and SMS to cellular telephones to the designated addressees Next both modules are explained 1 5 1 vaPanel vaPanel operates as Alarm Settings Panel For each parameter available you can define the value for the alarm activation usertamalserver com mails mailserver com The alarm is repeated hourly if the anomalous value stays vaPanel sends a warning via TCP IP to the application vaAlarm and this one sends mails to the corresponding indicated addressees vaPanel must be working in the same computer that the VA 16X EXE VA 16 Virtual Monitor 9 Three parameters are supervised MODULATION CARRIER LEVEL AUDIO LEVEL Each alarm has its own addressee e mail and telephone As well each alarm allows defining the text of the message that will be sent Msg It agrees to use short phrases supports up to 80 characters since this text will be the title or subject of the message being the body the values of the measurement Send alarm to host it defines the network terminal that will receive the alarm warning In this terminal vaAlarm must be running The application vaAlarm can be running on a PC of the LAN or in a remote Internet terminal You can define the computer name i e LABO2005 IP address or URL name i e gerenciatecnica radiomundo com vaPanel uses port 90
37. lue to define which is the phase correlation between two functions in this case the left channel s signal and the right one This correlation value between two complex signals which are variable in time attains its maximum value when the two signals are the same mono signal The calculation of this function and its final expression in degrees is done internally by the VA 16X An interesting additional piece of information that this measurement technique allows us is the possibility of detecting the phase inversion between both channels This produces a bothersome effect on FM reception particularly with small receivers such as radio tape recorders where because they operate monaural singers voices radio announcers and even news are canceled out In spite of the complexity of the subject the measurement of the Phase Vector provides a simple way of seeing in graphic form the sensation of stereo effect that the listener will have The greater the value of the phase vector in degrees the better will be the effect A radio station with little stereo effect will have values of less than 60 degrees A good stereo sensation is achieved between 60 and 90 degrees and an excellent one surpassing 110 degrees 3 2 Frequency Response The frequency response is the only parameter measured by the VA 16X which requires a test signal However far from having to stop transmission to measure it it is possible to do this during transmission of
38. measuring it economically and efficiently The measurement is based on the fact that as the power radiated on lateral bands is proportional to the demodulated audio power it will be proportional to the square of the demodulated audio tension Va That is to say that the instantaneous power is Pw K Va2 Where K is a proportionality constant whose value is not of interest because we shall measure relative power and not absolute power To arrive at the power exercised throughout time by a processed audio signal we must integrate this instantaneous power in this way P w KV dt 0 The VA 16X digital receiver with its internal computer works out this integral continuously limiting the period of integration to a few seconds and continually displaying the result in relative values P w P ref where P ref is the value obtained with that same signal if it had had a peak average ratio of 12 dB corresponding to a single band compressor VA16 instruments indication implies the multiplication factor of the transmitter power For example if a 1 KW transmitter indicates a value of 2 5 RRP this indicates that with that processor and that processing settings it will have the same coverage area as a 2 5 kW transmitter equipped with a conventional audio compressor Another application is to compare different processing adjustments For example a radio station has a 10 KW transmitter and operates with an RRP of 1 5 If now you chan
39. n 75KHz The indicator registers the instantaneous peak of the Deviation and the recovery constant is very slow to make the reading easier Both the Modulation and the Deviation can be measured with the instantaneous peak or with integration constant settled on rear panel In some countries the integrated value with 2 ms is accepted as the maximum value Finally the indicator to the right of the Modulation Meter marks the amount of overmodulation peaks per minute Pk Min That is to say each time 105 modulation is reached one pulse is added to the counter and the value of pulses per minute is shown This is done for those radio stations which occasionally decide to overmodulate in SOLIDYNE Pmt A20 Lu Print MY Minimize MY Power O Radiated Power Max Modulation 3 sec silence Inverted phase 1 order to know the density of the overmodulation peaks they are transmitting It should be remembered that in several countries the FCC s USA recommendations on modulation are followed Recommendation 73 268 indicates that the FM modulation should be kept as high as possible but without exceeding 100 on frequently recurring peaks In no case is it to exceed 100 on peaks of frequent recurrence This indicates that on momentary peaks and which are not frequent 100 modulation can be exceeded while still remaining within the legal framework In order to calculate the peak recurrence VA16X includes a peak p
40. n Band Scanner window VA 16XX will scan the entire FM band odd and right channels and takes VA 16 Virtual Monitor 14 less than a minute During this time the VA 16X stops transmitting other data The presence of radios on the band is indicated by their field intensities measured in dB uV In this way it is easy to compare the field intensities of each one of them Using the options Channels you can see e all channels e only odd channels e only right channels e at intervals of 250 KHz used in some countries Requires a NEW SCANNING To make the reading of the graph easier each channel is marked by a color bar which indicates the frequency decimal of each channel For example for the odd channels the color code are RED channels ending in 1MHz GREEN channels ending in 3MHz BLUE channels ending in 5MHz YELLOW channels ending in 7MHz VIOLET channels ending in 9 MHz All graphics can be printed pressing PRINT MODE button 3 1 10 Spectral Zoom Analyzer You define the start and end frequencies and the VA 16X makes a detailed analysis with 10 KHz wide band Central frequencies and FM lateral bands appears showing antenna or transmitter problems Spectral Zoom Analyzer 100 a 103 7 pu 102 7 103 1 107 5 105 5 107 9 105 7 105 9 106 9 106 7 dB 101 5 1020 1025 1030 1035 1040 1045 1050 1055 1060 1065 1070 1075 108 0 En 3 1 11 3D Spectrum
41. n the CD as CD audio tracks If you introduce the CD into a standard CD player you can play the audio test tones with no more equipment Note 7 Since the measurements are instantaneous different measures may have slight differences If possible it should repeat the measurement of frequency response to average the results 3 2 6 Harmonic Distortion The importance of measuring this parameter is unquestionable Nevertheless until now it had been considered impossible to achieve without interrupting transmission to place a test signal 1 KHz sinusoidal wave The VA 16X employs a new method The normal program signal of a radio station is far from being a pure sinusoidal wave which can be used to measure its harmonic components Also the harmonics of a signal between 30 Hz and 15 KHz are either masked by the signal itself or outside the band over 15 KHz where they are masked by the signal band L R centered on 38KHz To all intents and purposes the direct measurement of harmonics appears to be impossible Nevertheless during the exhaustive investigation carried out a phenomenon appeared concurrently with the distortion process the appearance of subsonic components due to the DC components and intermodulation products linked to the harmonic distortion process From the mathematical analysis of the distortion process of a polyharmonic signal the appearance of a DC component can be seen which is associated to the D value of dist
42. nager tool which provides in VA 16X CDROM folder CONEXION IP This tool will show all active VA 16X units connected to your LAN Each unit has a MAC address Ethernet card address that is unique and comes fixed from factory and an IP address that you can change freely Fie Access mode Device Server Help Auto Discovery Address Book Status MAC IP TEREE er domo 192 168 011 local FM POWERAVAIE IP AAA a AAA A Settings Upgrade Routing Status Change IP Add Find Device Server is operating normally LS gt Connection is closed Device Server is idle Select the unit from the list and press the button Settings Here you can define a new IP In the showed example the local area network uses directions type 192 168 0 x to accede from any terminal of that network to VA 16X is necessary that IP address is compatible Assign a fixed IP that it does not generate conflicts with other terminals in our example 192 168 0 11 If you have a DHCP server you can obtain a dynamic IP address although if IP changes frequently will require changes in the configuration of the clients or in the LAN like for the access from Internet VA 16 Virtual Monitor T Network Connection Serial port Outbound packets All Owner name Fd POWER Device name WATE IF MAC address 0 202 0 1 15 22 DHCP 0 Disabled IP address 192 168 0 Part 1001 Registration at dDNS Server O Disabled Auto regist
43. nd steel beams it will be necessary to use mainly to measure FM stations far away an external antenna This antenna can be omni directional or directive Yaghi type of several elements and it must be connected with coaxial cable RG 58 or similar SOLIDYNE 1 2 2 1 Calibration Each receiver VA 16X it is individually calibrated at factory to indicate the field intensity present at the BNC connector This value is measured in dB uV dB with reference to a microvolt for meter of field intensity The maximum value is 100 dB uV Therefore the VA 16X will always give perfect relative indications of the intensities of field of the stations of radio of the dial However to get absolute measurements it is required a constant of calibration for antenna The software of the VA 16X allows to enter this constant To modify this value go to Memory Frequency Manager Pressing SET a keypad appears with 16 frequencies pressing ADVANCED you can set the sensibility correction value in dB This value is added to the field indication present at the input of the VA 16X Correction in positive values or it is subtracted when directional antennas with high gain are used the antenna gain is entered as a negative value For example our quarter wave antenna has a loss of 6 dB approximately with relationship to an ideal dipole we will place 6 dB in the dialogue box and the measurements presented on screen they will be increased by 6 dB To change thi
44. nsmitter or even on the processor rack as a stand alone unit used for fine tuning of technical settings At the same time a remote PC at the Studios can be connected to perform 24 hours log of all the measured parameters The LCD stand alone unit is able to display almost all the transmission data The only ones measurements that mandatory needs a computer are Spectrum Analysis Band Scanner Freq Response and 24 Hs logging The portable VA 16 LCD P model avoids the use of Laptop computers for on the field measurements while at the same time giving reliable measures in a rugged one piece of equipment transforming the VA 16 in the ultimate machine for make measurements of the FM Radio performance on the field 4 1 2 Menu Options All VA 16 LCD units have a front panel JOG wheel with push button from which the unit is controlled Rotating the wheel the different options form the menu are selected In order to select a certain option the JOB wheel has to be pressed down To display the Menu Option just push down the JOG wheel once A blinking cursor will show the selected option from the menu Turn the wheel and push it once to select an option To leave the Menu turn select the QUIT option using the JOG wheel and push the knob to confirm 4 1 3 Tuning in a radio station While in the Menu jog the wheel until the cursor is on the TUNE option Push the knob to change frequency SOLIDYNE Jog the wheel until the cursor is place
45. or 18 console and the audio transmitter For the first time this value includes the equalization of the audio processor Note 2 The measuring of frequencies response requires at least 25 dB separation between L and R channels Note 3 Make sure that the radio station doesn t transmit with L R channels inverted If this occurs the VA 16X test tones will not be recognized and the frequency response measurement will fail Remember the test tones must be played on the air on the left channel Note 4 After activation of the frequency response test when the key is ON you can close the VA 16X program or you can switch off the PC The internal VA 16X computer will perform the job needed to get the frequency response When you re open the VA 16X software you will find the activation KEY in OFF and the frequency response displayed Note 5 If you find that sometimes the frequency test is not performed probably it is due to heavy noise in the FM reception during one of the eight tone tests Or maybe the radio operator misses to send the test tone to air In this case you will notice that the activation key remains ON Then you might to press the ON key it changes to OFF and the response curve is displayed using the available test tones you need at least 2 tones At the bottom of the curve display you will find the available frequencies and then you will know which test tones are missing Note 6 Audio test tones are also included i
46. ortion by second harmonic as also a frequency difference component These components are located outside the program s signal band and therefore are not masked by it The possibility exists then of employing a very selective subsonic filter to recover the SOLIDYNE signals present in the transmission below 4 Hz This subsonic signal will contain components proportional to the harmonic distortion But in order that a percentual value can be extracted from them their value must be correlated with that of the audio signal present in the musical program or in the announcer s voice This is done by means of extraction algorithms with DSP processing In the VA 16X the mean value increases with time because the algorithms need to find a specific ratio between the harmonic components of the radio station s program signal After about one hour this value becomes stable If the tuning in of the radio station is maintained during many hours we shall detect the maximum distortion value which occurs in conditions of maximum modulation On occasions the maximum value is not wanted but rather an average value For that the key that reverts to zero or reset RST should be pressed and in this way the memory is erased and the process begins again The distortion values are stored in the memory and are brought to the screen again together with the preset memory on returning to that radio station E The distortion values measured are total because the
47. ration on Link Sere 0 Disabled PPPoE mode O Disabled Gateway P address 192 165 0 1 Subnet mask 200 20 255 0 Also assign the Gateway address usually 192 168 0 1 and the subnet mask This is necessary if you wish to accede to VA 16X from outside of your LAN If you don t know these values contacts to your network administrator The used port is 1001 you can change it if appears conflicts with another application in the terminal client who uses the same port but this Is little probable In the Serial Port section ensures that the DTR mode is set to 1 Indicate connection status Once configured you can make a PING to verify the access to VA16 from the terminal Another option is to use the button BUZZ from the main window of the DS Manager and you will see the LEDS of connector RJ45 to blink during one second 1 4 2 2 Accessing from the LAN The client PC must have installed TCP IP protocol If there is a Firewall software or hardware it must enable port 1001 for the communication with the VA 16X You must install the driver Virtual serial port that allows to communicate with the VA 16X IP The tool is Connection Wizard with this you must create a new serial port lt gt IP address connection Select the kind of link you wish to create Create a link between a Virtual Serial Port and a Device Server Configure a Device Server for direct communications with an application on this PC
48. rder to exit the Main Menu turn the wheel to QUIT option and push the knob Now you can navigate using the wheel between the four screens of the VA16 In them you will find all the technical Information that the VA16 measure Turn the JOG to change the screens The screens are the following VA 16 Virtual Monitor 21 Note that the Mp indicator first screen is a multipath distortion meter that helps the user to locate the antenna in a multipath free location If the meter shows a GOOD caption then all measurements are reliable In portable models at the upper right corner of the second screen the battery charge indicator appears When the battery is very low a warning label appear in all the screens The unit should be charged as soon as possible to extend battery life 4 2 Cristal calibration only units with option CAL It is an absolute system of calibration developed by Solidyne to guarantee precision of laboratory in the measurement of 100 of FM modulation It consists of two frequency generators controlled by crystal that allow a fine readjustment for calibration in factory These generators are commuted at 400 Hertz to generate a square wave in frequency modulation The signal of the calipers is injected to the Intermediate frequency of the VA16 replacing to the air signal The frequency generators are fit to 10 7 MHz 75 KHz that is to say F1 10 775 KHz F2 10 625 KHz These values are calibrated in Solid
49. rmation of all the broadcasting network located in several cities from a central PC location Having several VA16 units located at different cities the LOG files can be downloaded from the Central PC via Internet If you need interactive control from a Central PC station to one or several slaves a software like Carbon Copy PC Anywhere or Real VNC can be used to link via Internet or Modem both computers Then from the central location you can perform a remote Scan analysis or Spectrum or Bandwidth analysis of all the remote affiliated Radio stations and of course of all FM radios of that area Please refer to Chapter 4 for detail on IP access VA 16 Virtual Monitor 12 Chapter 3 Measurement features features 3 1 Signal Transmission VA 16X virtual Analizer FM Monitor of RF amp Audio IAA IANA L R LR 3 1 1 Modulation Meter The exact value of the instantaneous maximum peak is measured This value must be at 100 in order not to infringe the transmission standards that regulate the activity In most countries of the world modulating above 100 gives rise to fines or warnings for the FM stations Modulation excess produces interference at other radio stations The modulation meter on a wide scale possesses a virtual reality format which likens it to the optical galvanometers Its ballistics are instantaneous attack and semi slow recovery Also the VA 16X indicates the Frequency Deviation in KHz 100 modulatio
50. s 1 5 3 Software updates The improvements in the software can be downloaded from our WEBSITE www solidynepro com VA 16 Virtual Monitor 10 Chapter 2 Operation 2 1 Introduction The importance of measuring the technical parameters of an FM transmission is unquestionable Some of them such as the modulation percentage pilot tone level AM residual modulation intensity of field etc are subject to severe regulatory rules due to their potential capacity to generate interference to third parties Others such as the channel separation signal noise ratio harmonic distortion response to frequencies etc are those responsible for the quality of sound perceived by the listener and which affect the commercial income of the radio station Until now no equipment existed which would allow for measuring all the technical parameters of an FM transmission In fact in order to measure a few of them it was necessary to invest a great deal of money in various instruments which were operated manually situated inside the transmission plant itself as also a considerable amount of effort on the part of engineers and technicians For these reasons we have invested considerable research efforts to create a practical system which allows one to control all technical parameters that define a stereo FM transmission The control is carried out taking the air signal of any FM transmission station within its primary coverage area by means
51. s value we must press MODIFY E The quarter wave antenna with magnetic base that comes with the equipment requires a constant of 6 dB to indicate absolute values of field intensity This is applied when it is mounted over the car s roof or in a terrace This value is approximated since the included antenna is not a patron antenna For assembly in interiors please remember that the field inside a building is very different that in the outside Also remember that it should be added a field correction for antenna height since the charts of field attenuation with distance used in Radio broadcasting usually uses antenna heights from 9 to 12 meters 1 2 3 Modulation Meter Calibrator optional VA 16X units are factory calibrated but if you want they can incorporate a Modulation Meter Calibration optional in order to adjust the 100 modulation measurement In the rear panel there is a TEST button and a SET 100 preset e To start the calibration disconnect the antenna and press TEST A 100 modulation signal will be generated 0 1 e Just adjust the SET 100 preset to obtain a read of 100 0 5 on screen Modulation Meter VA 16 Virtual Monitor 5 1 2 5 Integration time only models VA 16X Sita Weighting Defines the peak weighting for modulation meter in average its 05ms mode Peak weighting is a method for allowing brief baths ims modulation peaks to be ignored an by the
52. stereo pilot subcarrier contributes to the total modulation of the FM carrier therefore the higher the RDS modulation the lower the modulation available for the audio band 57 KHz freq error Indicates la deviation of the subcarrier RDS This indication must show a variable value due to the digital modulation A fixed vale could be indicate a problem in the RDS signal 3 1 7 MultiPath Distortion The FM signal arrives at the receiver aerial using multiple paths One is the direct path and the others are reflected paths This situation deteriorates the sound quality the stereo separation and the measured FM modulation In order to be sure that the VA 16X measurements are correct and exact the Multipath indicator must be at GOOD without blinking A BAD indication could generate measurement errors reduced signal noise or audio distortion 3 1 8 Spectrum Analyzer This measurement makes it possible to determine whether the transmission spectrum of the modulated carrier fulfills the operating conditions imposed by the legislation of each country The Digital Receiver obviously also measures every other signal present on the channel for which reason this measurement is only exact when the VA16 is near a radio station To carry out this measurement the Digital Receiver modifies its usual SOLIDYNE bandwidth 300 KHz to another narrow band of only 10 KHz The Modulation Bandwidth graph is a graphical representation of the Modulat
53. tors REVERSE PHASE Each time a spot commercial musical tune etc is aired with its stereo phase reversed the event is stored Last hour is shown on screen It gives information about the care your Engineers take to avoid bad audio connections L 8 R LEVEL Left 8 Right average audio level is recorded each hour STEREO PHASE The stereo correlation phase is averaged and recorded each hour It gives information about the average stereo quality sensation of the CDs and music sound sources the Radio is using 24 Hrs printed log includes all the above and Field Intensity Channel Separation L Noise R Noise Pilot Error Pilot Level Carrier Deviation and THD Distortion 5 6 Models amp options VA 16X RK Model for use in rack or table top with steel case and vertical whip antenna with magnetic base VA 16X LCD Idem model RK PC operated or stand alone unit With 2 x 40 backlighted LCD display VA 16X P LCD Portable model with carring bag and whip antenna Internal Battery 4 hs continuous operation for stand alone or Laptop use Internal battery charger 220 117 V 50 60 Hz operation ICAL Crystal calibrator for 0 1 modulation precision NP Ethernet connection for working with remote control without PC AR202 Software for 2 channels recording at the PC Then the sound of the radio station is available from any place using Internet ADA102 This encoder allows for real time MP3 streaming transmission of the tuned radio station RDS Additional
54. y involve the audio processor under a dynamic state not a static one as is generally measured as also the stereo coder the transmitter the antenna the propagation multipath distortion and the existence of other far distant radio stations which affect the lateral stereo bands of the FM station For this reason the value measured is in general worse than the specification value of each one of the pieces of equipment 3 3 Measurement of the Operating Parameters The system proposed stores the results of the analysis on the PC s Hard Disk for its later analysis always provided that that option has been requested on the Advanced mode see Introduction Preset Values The values for each transmission hour are stored to be displayed on graphics during 24 hours a day and information can be stored for many months The items stored are 1 Average energy broadcast per hour 2 Maximum modulation value 3 Number of silence gaps per hour silences lasting more than 3 seconds 4 Number of cases of inverted phases per hour 5 Average L amp R level 6 Average of the Phase Vector stereo sensation Four of these values are displayed permanently on the screen corresponding to the last hour of transmission for the operator s information ON AIR performance In order to see in detail the historic records of these transmission quality values press the Analyze key in the ON AIR performance sector and an analysis window will
55. yne using a Hewlett Packard 5328A with Certification of TMI Labs USA tracing in NIST The allowed maximum error is 10 Hertz which gives exactitude of 100 of modulation on the Crystal Calipers of 0 015 Measurement Tracing If for legal reasons you wish to verify this calibration you can measure frequencies F1 and F2 at the test points indicated in the following figure For make this you must use a digital Frequency meter of 8 digits with base of time of one second SOLIDYNE _ e e TP1 Calibration card viewed from components side To access remove the top cover The correct values can be readjusted if the frequency deviation error surpasses 0 1 it corresponds to 75 Hertz of frequency error Use trimmers associate to each oscillator to make the readjusted VA 16 Virtual Monitor 22 Chapter 5 Technical specifications 5 1 Input amp Output RF INPUT BNC connector AUDIO OUTPUT L8R two XLR balanced 4 dBu MPX INPUT 1Vrms for 100 mod MPX OUTPUT 1Vrms for 100 mod Z out 220 ohm e HEADPHONE front panel 1 8 Stereo volume control 32 600 ohm PEAK WEIGHTING SELECTOR DIP switch 5 2 1 0 5 msec RS232 CONTROL 9 pin D Female Connector OPTIONAL Ethernet TCP IP Control Module RJ45 RDS ANALYZER USB connector type B status led s aux Headphone output id MODULATION CALIBRATOR Test button preset adjust 5 2 FM Digital receiver FREQUENCY RANGE 87 5 108
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