Wave Bubble Analog/Digital tuning
Analog/Digital tuning

This subcircuit does the work of tuning and generating the waveform for the VCOs. The main control is an atmega88. The micro has a bunch of tasks:

  1. Generate the DC offset for the jammers with the PWM subsystem on chip
  2. Tune the bandwidth to be jammed by configuring the digital potentiometers
  3. Switching between high/low frequency generation
  4. Talking to the PLL and verifying the frequencies being jammed

The 555 and related subcircuit is used to generate the sawtooth wave that sweeps between the desired bandwidth. The frequency-setting resistor is tied to a microcontroller pin; when the pin is pulled high, a 20Khz wave is generated. When the pin is set as a pull-up input, a 100Hz wave is generated so that the micro's A/D has enough time to read the PLL output.

Parts
Part # & Datasheets
Name
Description
Distributor
Qty
Cost
Total
IC5
8-bit microcontroller, an atmega48 is fine if take out the self-tuning stuff or dont want a bootloader. Atmega8 is probably OK too.

Digikey
Sample

1
$3.76
$3.76
*AD8402ARZ10
IC6
Dual digital 10K potentiomenter
1
$3.78
$3.78
*LMC555 (or any CMOS 555 equiv)
IC7
CMOS 555

Digikey
Mouser
Sample

1
$0.65
$0.65
*LM358D
IC8, IC9
Dual rail/rail high voltage op-amp
1
$0.22
$0.22
MMBT3906
Q1
PNP SOT-23 transistor
1
$0.05
$0.05
 
JP2
2x3 male reprogramming header
Digikey
Mouser
1
   
 
JP1

F/M matching header for serial comm

Digikey
Mouser
1
   
LED2
LED (1206) any really, but the recommended one is right-angle mount
1
$0.16
$0.16
0.1uF ceramic 1206 capacitor
C21, C24, C25, C31, C32, C35
0.1uF Bypass cap
4
$0.08
$0.32
C1206C475Z4VAC7800
C22, C23, C33, C34
4.7uF 1206 ceramic capacitor
4
$0.30
$1.20
68ohm 5% 1206 resistor
R12
Current source set resistor, reduce for higher freq.
1
$0.08
$0.08
1K 5% 1206 resistor
L5, L6
Use inductors to reduce PWM noise
2
$0.08
$0.16
10K 5% 1206 resistor
R10, R14, R16, R17, R18
various 10K's
5
$0.08
$0.40
20K 5% 1206 resistor
R11
Sets bias for current source
1
$0.08
$0.08
39K 5% 1206 resistor
R13
Sets gain for VCO1 adjust as necessary
Digikey
1
$0.08
$0.08
47K 5% 1206 resistor
R15
Sets gain for VCO2 adjust as necessary
Digikey
1
$0.08
$0.08

1206 resistor

R8
placement optional: to set max gain for VCO1
Digikey
1
$0.08
$0.08
1206 resistor
R9
placement optional: to set max gain for VCO2
Digikey
1
$0.08
$0.08
Total
        $3-$10
Assembly

Get parts for soldering in the microcontroller, led, and programming header

Solder in the header and led/resistor on one side.
Solder in the microcontroller on the opposite side
Attach your favorite AVR programmer to the 6 pin header
Burn the fuses, then compile the code with the LED test uncommented.

 

The green led should blink once per second to indicate the fuses are correct and programming was successful.

Next, test the PWM output. Comment out the LED test and uncomment the PWM test.

Probe the PWM outputs (L5 and L6 input). You should get a sweeping 16KHz squarewave.

Solder in the RC filter (L5/L6 & C22/C23) Then probe at their junction to see a slowly increasing/decreasing DC offset
Solder in the 555 sawtooth generator and buffer opamp.

Reprogram the chip with the sawtooth frequency test. Probe the output of the buffer and notice it switching between 100Hz and 20KHz. A good multimeter with frequency counting can also do this.
Solder in the remainder of the wave generator.

Test the adjustable resistors (digital pots) by programming in the potentiometer test and then probing the wipers of the digipots. You should see a varying amplitude sawtooth.
May 17, 2011 20:07