AXON

World-class Performance FM TRANSMITTER

Compact architecture

The best option for High-End Sound Lovers with the need to broadcast in extreme weather environments

AXON guarantees superior quality, reliability and professional features.

The Sound Quality of Music and the excellent audio fidelity are the most important features of our AXON transmitter.

With a warm softness of audio, AXON achieves a deep, clean and crystal sound, a very low signal to noise, a very low distortion and a high stereo separation.

AXON is the synthesis of robustness, easy maintenance, low energy consumption, Web Remote Control and a Big Sound.

AXON takes care of CREATING the FM signal starting from the Audio signal. AXON is the cradle of FM signal modulation.

AXON is produced in a wide range of powers from 30W up to 1.300W. For this reason, it is used as an Exciter for high power transmitters as well as a stand-alone unit, as a small or medium power radio transmitter.

HIS EXCELLENT AUDIO QUALITY HIGHLIGHTS THE SOUND AND MOOD OF YOUR RADIO!

Its unmatched features and outstanding technical characteristics make it ideal for any FM broadcasting applications, such as:

• Community radios FM transmitter
• Commercial radios FM transmitter
• Religious radios FM transmitter
• Educational radios FM transmitter
• Big National Networks FM transmitter
• Public Radios FM transmitter
• Politic Radios FM Transmitter

HIGHLIGHTS

• Dynamic RDS, remotely web programmable.
• HTML5 WEB TCP/IP and SNMP connectivity for remote Access.
• Very high S/N, typically 85 dB.
• High stereo performance coder with typical 65 dB Stereo Separation and Ultra Low distortion 0,01% thanks to a digital stereo coder.
• Exclusive Distortion-less Intelligent Soft Limiter keeps the maximum deviation in the 75kHz limits giving always the maximum possible volume without introducing any kind of distortion.

• Frequency Modulation from 87.5 MHz to 108.0 MHz. (JPN) JAPAN, Russian (OIRT 66 - 47 MHz), and more bands are available options.
• Selectable MPX (Composite), Stereo, AES/EBU, Mono audio input and modulation.
• Audio inputs automatic backup: IP Streaming, Pen Drive or Hard disk, MP3, MPX (Composite), Stereo, Digital AES/EBU or Mono (optional).
• AoIP (Audio over IP) or Pen Drive/HD MP3 play list (optional).
• DDS option available (optional).
• N+1 Profiles connector provides 7 different memories selection. Memory settings are in the internal memory. It can be set by remote or in local.
• Energy Saving Weekly scheduler output power derating for energy consumption optimization management.
• Friendly User Interface with LCD front panel display, Direct Keys and LED indicators. It shows the transmitter status and allows for smart browsing with ENTER and ESC Keys.
• Parallel Remote-Control Connectors.
• High precision aluminium Mechanical construction.
• High Reliability and robustness: Air filter, PCB boards tropicalized, Air ducted architecture, Protection against Lightning, Dust and Corrosion.
• RF Planar architecture and Copper Carrier on active power components such as LDMOS or unbalanced loads resistors.
• Easy maintenance.
• Uninterrupted service thanks to a failure-free design and intelligent software protections.
• The power supply is self-protected, and grants more reliability thanks to its wide voltage range.
• Designed to be rough itself, all components that determine the reliability are over-dimensioned: The Heatsink, LDMOS, Fans, and Power supply.
• Solid State LDMOS 50V 6th generation Planar technology up to 80% High Efficiency constant at any power level.
• Total spectral purity: better than -90 dBc spurious and harmonics.
• VSWR > 65:1 @ all Phase Angles, designed for enhanced ruggedness.
• Natural outclass green technologies up to 88% RF efficiency and 79% overall efficiency.

• The EFFICIENCY is maintained constant at any frequency and at any power level thanks to an intelligent algorithm that controls the Voltage Power Amplifier and the Bias.
• The output filter broad band keeps optimum performances on spectral purity without the need of tuning.
• Full Range power supply: 180-260 vac mains voltage with Integrated AC Mains filtering
• Compliant with all the standards: ETSI – CCIR – FCC. It meets all the most rigorous standards.
• A sturdy and careful packaging ensures a safe journey to your destination.

User Interface:

LCD front panel display, Direct Access Keys command and LED indicators allow immediate control and visualization of the overall status of the transmitter.

A quick and easy menu navigation creates a friendly User Interface, simple and intuitive, for immediate learning, offering full control and measurements of all working parameters: Output Power, Frequency (from 87.5 to 108 MHz), SCAs, Stereo/Mono/MPX, Dynamic Limiter etc.

• Direct access to main commands and smart navigation keys with esc command
• Overall status shown by LEDs allows immediate recognition of the operational conditions of the transmitter
• Smart browsing of all the transmitter parameters
• Touch screen brain control unit: the control unit has the specific function of supervising the transmitter; even in case of failure (or if turned off), the manual control override guarantees perfect operation.

Remote Control by TCP/IP: WEB + SNMP of all parameters

AXON has the most advanced WEB remote control on the market

• Direct internet connection: AXON has direct connection to the internet without the need of any external box or accessories.
• Extremely detailed web control with all main parameters fully controllable and adjustable.
• It has a graphics interface and runs on any kind of device: any PC browser, IOS or Android, smartphones and tablets.
• All these devices work without proprietary tools or Apps. No need to install any specific software.
• It sends an email in case of alarms or warnings.
• It is possible to program when to send info mails, which are sent Daily or weekly. These mails report the full status of all working parameters of the transmitter.
• Web log file: Up to 64000 events stored in the web board. It can save the log file in the PC in common text format (.txt).
• Remotely upgradable.
• Remote control by TCP/IP: WEB + SNMP of all signal parameters.
• Full Local or Remote control by username and password login.
• Display of forward/reflection power value and reflection high alarm.
• SNMP v2c with Traps and Informs.
• Remote deep diagnostic capability: it can handle a huge quantity of information to perform deep remote diagnosis.
• Measurements of more than 100 operational parameters including current, voltage and temperatures of each power supply and each RF module.

Protections

There are two kinds of protections: Fast Hardware Protection and Soft Software Protection.

In certain conditions, such as a short-circuit in the antenna or the coaxial cable, the protection must be hardware and it acts in few nanoseconds. The software, in this case, wouldn’t just be fast enough to grant protection of the equipment.

When the fault condition is soft, like an increase of VSWR caused by snow or humidity, a software protection can be used.

On the CORTEX series of FM Transmitters both are implemented: Fast Hardware Protections and Soft Software Protections.

The software protection reduces the output power without on-air interruption, keeping the RF devices always within safe operating parameters.

The transmitter is protected in case of:

• Environmental over-temperature
• Cooling failure
• Amplifier breakdown
• Over and Under AC Voltage
• RF and Power Supply Temperature
• RF Coaxial Output Open or Short Circuit Able of a long working time on Short/Open loads at all phase angles without any damage.
• Load mismatching, antenna short/open circuit.
• Capability of a long working time on Short/Open loads at all phase angles without any damage.

Beyond the Hardware or Software protection, the transmitter is designed to be rough itself, to keep it functioning perfectly even in the worst case of operating conditions.

To achieve this, the important components of the transmitter are over-dimensioned or hardware protected:

• 6th generation LD-MOS High Efficiency and VSWR 65:1.
• Over-dimensioned switching power supply with PFC (Power Factor Corrector).
• Over-dimensioned Heat Sinks and Fans.
• Integrated AC Mains filtering.
• Integrated lightning protection.
• Integrated overvoltage spikes on the mains protection.

Reliability and robustness: designed to be rough in itself

To ensure perfect reliability, all the components are over-dimensioned: heatsinks, fans, dummy loads, LDMOS, power supply.

• Air filter: it gives high protection to the internal components, mounted on the front panel and easy to clean or replace.
• Completely made in aluminium: for minimum weight and maximum robustness.
• The PCB boards and the wiring are fully tropicalized by a specific coating for electronic assembly.
• These precautions guarantee a long life in extreme environmental conditions, preventing damage due to corrosion and erosion, protecting the components from the inclemency of the tropical climate. Protection from humidity, salt and pollution.
• Over-dimensioned heatsinks.
• Over-dimensioned fans.
• Unbalanced dummy loads are twice the needed quantity.
• LDMOS RF amplifiers are 30% more powerful than needed.
• They are 65:1 VSWR tolerant.
• The power supply delivers 30% more power than the quantity used by the equipment at full rated power.
• Integrated AC Mains filtering.
• Integrated lightning protection.
• Integrated overvoltage spikes on the mains protection.

Final test and Burn-in

To get maximum reliability from a transmitter there are no shortcuts: good design, good component quality, and many, really many hours of work and time spent on final test and burn-in.

The final test, together with the "burn-in" are the only key to making a transmitter work well. It is a "sine qua non" condition.

Our engineers are obsessed with taking the final test for as long as possible, checking every detail, not neglecting a single parameter. When the transmitter is finally awarded the "pass" result, it means it works perfectly.

Mechanical construction

• The equipment is housed into a compact 2 Unit Aluminium cabinet rack.
• Exclusive design of the air flow inside the transmitter guides the air into aluminium ducts, avoiding contact with the electronic components.
• Every component that produces heat is mounted on a heat sink.
• The air passes exclusively into the aluminium heat sink avoiding contact with the electronic components.
• All the cover screws are 5mm in diameter. Typically, 3mm ones are used, but after opening the cover for the first time, some of them will be invariably damaged. A big effort was made to develop the mechanics with big screws, for a greater ease of manipulation of the transmitter when opening and closing the lid, and thus allowing for easy maintenance.
• The mechanic parts of the transmitter are all made in aluminium. This ensures low weight and robustness.

N+1 and Backups systems

• Conventional standby systems such as exciter standby, (n+1) Transmitter standby, passive standby and active output stage standby can be implemented.
• No additional control units are needed for the exciter standby and the active amplifier standby.
• N+1 Profiles connector: it provides 7 different memories selection. Memory settings are located in the internal memory and can be selected remotely or locally.
• Parallel Remote-Control Connector Interface with dry contact relay outputs and opto-isolated inputs with the following signals available: on/off, local/remote, alarm status, RF higher than a pre-set threshold, reset of alarms.

Compliant with all the standards: ETSI – CCIR - FCC.

CORTEX meets all the most rigorous electromagnetic quality standards.

Packing

Shock and vibration during transportation can compromise the result of an installation.

Optimizing the CELL Amplifier dimension and weight allows a small and smart package. Small weight and dimensions help to meet the most demanding transport conditions with: Hermetic temperature vibration control and Shock Isolation, handling light packs, aid the health of the operators.