Fleetwood Group ACS-TX216 Antenna combiner and amplifier User Manual ACSMAN

Fleetwood Group Inc Antenna combiner and amplifier ACSMAN

Users manual

Fleetwood Group Inc. FCC ID: FBR-ACS-TX216 User Manual Page 1 of 6File Name: ACSMAN.DOC Date: 04/20/99Reply Antenna Combining System (ACS)The Reply ® ACS simplifies large installations by extending system rangeand reducing the number of required antennas.In most cases the ACS will provide 2X to 4X range improvement without anychange in the required antenna placement. When even more range is neededthe ACS simplifies antenna placement.The ACS is designed for high reliability. It uses hi-rel and military gradecomponents, thermal management, and amplifier protection circuitry.This manual describes the system and how to get the best performance.1.0 Connecting the ACS SystemHooking up the ACS is much simpler than using a separate antenna set for eachinterface.An ACS consists of:1. Two powered receive antennas2. An extended range transmit antenna3. A receive antenna amplifier/splitter unit4. A transmit antenna combiner unitThe ACS supports up to 8 channels of Reply® and Reply DL® interface units.1.1 Transmit Combiner ConnectionsTransmit Combiner connections are diagrammed in Figure 1.Figure 1. Connecting to the Transmit CombinerTXTXTXTXTX IN TX OutSingle TX Antenna(24 Inch Long)24 V DCPowerUp to 8 TX Connections fromReply® or Reply DL®Interface UnitsACS Transmit Combiner
Fleetwood Group Inc. FCC ID: FBR-ACS-TX216 User Manual Page 2 of 6File Name: ACSMAN.DOC Date: 04/20/99The Transmit Combiner accepts transmitter connections from up to 8 Reply ®interfaces and performs an arithmetic summation of each signal to provide asingle output with less then 0.1 % distortion. This output is applied to the range-extending Transmit Antenna (24 in long). Since there is only one TransmitAntenna, it is easy to locate in an advantaged arrangement (see Section 2).1.2 Receive Amplifier/Splitter ConnectionsReceiver Amplifier/Splitter connections are diagrammed in Figure 2.Figure 2. Connecting to the Receive Amplifier/SplitterThe Receive Amplifier/Splitter accepts connections from 2 powered antennasand splits the RF signals for application to up to 8 Reply ® interfaces. Thepowered Receive Antennas have an indicator lamp to verify continuity betweenantenna and ACS. Since there are only 2 Receive Antennas, they are easilylocated in an advantaged arrangement (see Section 2).15 V DCPowerUp to 16 RX Connections fromup to 8 Reply® or Reply DL®Interface UnitsACS Receive Amplifier/SplitterLeft RXOutRight RXOutRX RXRX RXRX RXRX RXACS Powered Receive AntennasWith Power IndicatorRight RX InLeft RX In
Fleetwood Group Inc. FCC ID: FBR-ACS-TX216 User Manual Page 3 of 6File Name: ACSMAN.DOC Date: 04/20/99The Receive Antennas and Amplifier/Splitter are designed for compatibility.Together they provide:• Interference rejection• Greatly increased range (with or without advantaged antenna locations; seeSection 2)• Tolerance to very long cables (that may have high loss)2.0 System Arrangement and RangeThis Section discusses the factors that effect system range and how to optimizerange.2.1 Range FactorsThe Reply ® and Reply DL® systems are designed to operate within legaltransmit power limits. The legal limits are established to allow co-existence ofmany types of radio systems. However, when the transmit power is limited thesystem’s useful range may only be extended by:1. Improving the receiver sensitivity or2. Reducing the path loss between transmitted and receiverThe ACS provides improved receiver sensitivity and facilitates lower path loss bymaking it easier to set the interface (base) antennas inadvantaged locations.2.2 Advantaged Antenna LocationsThere are several useful ‘rules of thumb’ for evaluating a proposed antennalocation:Rule 1: Path loss increases by only a factor of 4 each time the range is doubledas long as there is a direct, unobstructed line-of-sight path between the keypadand interface antenna. This is called a Line-of-Sight (LOS) link. A LOS link is thebest that you can achieve and the ACS will give better than 1000 foot* range inan LOS arrangement.Rule2: Path loss increases by a factor of about 10 each time the range is doubledif there are a lot of obstructions between the keypad and interface. This is calleda complex environment. Depending on how complex, the ACS will give 100 to300 foot range.Rule 3: Path loss decreases by a factor of 4 each time the interface (base)antenna height is doubled. This applies until a LOS path is achieved, then thereis no more improvement.
Fleetwood Group Inc. FCC ID: FBR-ACS-TX216 User Manual Page 4 of 6File Name: ACSMAN.DOC Date: 04/20/99Rule 4: Cable loss increase is insignificant compared to the potentialimprovement when antenna height is increased. For all practical purposes, yourantenna can never be too high.Rule 5: The two (diversity) receive antennas should be at least 3 feet apart. Infact, some locations benefit from even wider spacing if a LOS path is establishedfrom at least one of the antennas to all points in the room.* Note: Reply keypads built after March 1999 have roughly 2X the range compared to pre-3/99 units. The above ranges are based on post-3/99 units.These rules lead to some conclusions:a) Smaller rooms (25 to 50 ft range) can get by with antennas set just aboutanywhere. See Figure 3b) To cover medium size rooms raise the antennas up. The 6 to 8 ft level shouldcover to about 100 ft, depending on how complex the environmenmt is. SeeFigure 4.c) For very large rooms the antennas should be on booms (like a MIC stand) orset in the catwalk, etc. See Figure 5.Figure 3 – ACS used in a Small RoomPossible ReplyEquipment LocationSeating Area
Fleetwood Group Inc. FCC ID: FBR-ACS-TX216 User Manual Page 5 of 6File Name: ACSMAN.DOC Date: 04/20/99Possible Reply Equipment LocationRight RX AntennaAntennas should be elevated to 6-8 ftLeft RX AntennaTX AntennaFigure 4 – ACS Used in a Medium Sized Room
Fleetwood Group Inc. FCC ID: FBR-ACS-TX216 User Manual Page 6 of 6File Name: ACSMAN.DOC Date: 04/20/99Figure 5 – ACS Used in a Very Large RoomAntennaLocationStageLine-of-Sight toAudience/Keypads

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