Radio Receiver Circuit (March 11, 2023)

Objectives:
Describe the uses and characteristics of fundamental receiver sensor circuits
● Tuner ● Audio detector ● Audio amplifier ● Reproducer
Directions: Read each question carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write in 1 whole sheet
of paper.
1. What is the function of a detector circuit?
a. rectifies the input signal b. provides audio signal
c. discards the carrier d. all of these
2. At what stage should a Superheterodyne principle provide selectivity?
a. IF stage b. RF stage c. Audio Stage d. Demodulating Stage
3. How can the selectivity of a receiver be improved?
a. Adding more gain b. Using a loudspeaker
c. Using more tuned circuits d. Using fewer tuned circuits
4. What is the process of recovering the information signal from the received carrier?
a. Fidelity b. Selectivity c. Sensitivity d. Demodulation
5. Which is NOT a part of the radio receiver circuit?
a. detector b. locator c. RF amplifier d. tuner
6. What is the correct function of an antenna in a radio transmitter?
a. It increases the power of the wave.
b. It converts the amplified signal to radio waves.
c. It provides an electrical signal to operate the transmitter.
d. It creates the alternating current, a carrier wave, that the transmitter
sends through the antenna.
7. Which describes a tuner in a radio receiver?
a. A length of wire that captures radio waves.
b. Responsible for separating the audio information from the carrier wave
c. It amplifies the weak signal that comes from the detector.
d. A circuit that can extract signals of a particular frequency from a mix of signals of different frequencies
38. What parameter enables a receiver to detect the weakest possible signal level?
a. fidelity b. selectivity c. sensitivity d. both a and b
9. What radio component amplifies a weak signal from a detector using a simple transistor amplifier
circuit?
a. antenna b. audio amplifier c. oscillator d. power supply
10. What is the correct order of the components of a radio receiver?
a. Antenna, RF amplifier, Tuner, Detector, Audio amplifier, Speaker
b. Speaker, Antenna, RF amplifier, Tuner, Detector, Audio amplifier
c. Tuner, Speaker, Antenna, RF amplifier, Detector, Audio amplifier
d. Audio amplifier, Speaker, Antenna, RF amplifier, Tuner, Detector

Radio Receiver Circuit

Radio wave has the most wavelengths among the members of the Electromagnetic Spectrum and
one of the most studied members of the Spectrum in the 19th century. The early studies conducted by
scientist Heinrich Hertz contributed to the nature of radio waves. In the previous lesson, you have learned
the differences between Amplitude Modulation and Frequency Modulation and how they are transmitted
and received. Way back in the golden era of radio, most Filipinos were delighted by the information and
entertainment they experienced from listening to the radio. Hence,
radio became a part of their everyday lives. Radio communication has two vital elements, namely: a radio
transmitter and a radio receiver. The two parts transmit and receive radio signals. In this lesson, you will
learn the components and uses of the radio receiver and transmitter.

The role of the radio receiver is the opposite of what a transmitter can do in radio communication.
The radio receiver is an electronic device that receives and converts the desired radio waves back to audio
or visual information. The receiver’s antenna detects and captures radio waves. The radio receiver can
select the information required from the radio signals. The illustration below shows the
components of a radio receiver.

A radio receiver is the opposite of a radio transmitter. It uses the following components:
Antenna: It is a piece or length of wire. It captures radio waves. When exposed to radio waves, the wave
induces a minimal alternating current in the antenna.

RF amplifier: It is a sensitive amplifier that amplifies the very weak radio frequency (RF) signal from the
antenna to be processed by the tuner.
Tuner: It extracts signals of a particular frequency from different frequencies. The antenna captures radio
waves of all the frequencies and sends them to the radio frequency (RF) amplifier, which amplifies them
all.
Detector: It is for the audio information to be separated from the carrier wave. A rectifying diode rectifies
the alternating current signal in the AM signals. A direct current signal that feeds to an audio amplifier
circuit is what remains on the
alternating current once passed into a rectifying diode. The detector circuit is a bit more complicated for
FM signals.
Audio amplifier: The weak signal that comes from the detector is amplified by this component using a
simple transistor amplifier circuit.

Figure 4. Basic AM Radio Receiver Diagram

There are numerous variations in the design of basic radio receivers. Some receivers include extra
filtering and tuning circuits to better lock on to the intended frequency or to produce better-quality audio
output and exclude other signals. In most receiver circuits, these basic elements are found.
Despite the many designs of the radio receiver circuit, they share common but important features.
These are sensitivity, selectivity, and fidelity. Selectivity measures a radio receiver's performance to
respond only to the radio signal tune in (such as a radio station) and to reject other signals nearby, such as
another broadcast on an adjacent channel. Receiver Sensitivity identifies and amplifies signals at the input
of the receiver. It tells us the weakest signal that a receiver will be able to identify and process. The
fidelity of a receiver is the ability to accurately reproduce, in its output, the signal that appears at its input.
The wider the band passed by the frequency selection circuit, the greater is the fidelity.

There are different types of a radio receiver, but the features and principles of operations are
classified into two, namely: the tuned radio frequency receiver or (TRF) and the Supersonic
heterodyne radio receiver Tuned radio frequency (TRF): This was the first radio receiver used. It
consists of a tuned circuit and a detector. Tune radio frequency was used in the early years of
wireless technology.
The Tune Radio Frequency receiver consists of three main sections: Tune radio frequency stages, a
signal detector, and an audio amplifier.
Tuned radio frequency stages: These consist of one or more amplifying and tuning stages. Early sets
often had several stages, each proving some gain and selectivity.
Signal detector: The detector enables the audio from the amplitude modulation signal to be extracted. It
uses a diode to rectify a signal.
Audio amplifier: This is where the audio signal amplifies.
 Figure 5. Tuned radio frequency receiver (TRF) block diagram

The TRF receiver gained popularity in 1920’s; however, the tuning took a little
while for each stage in the early radios requires separate adjustment. Later
superheterodyne receiver gained more popularity.
Figure 5 shows an example of a tuned circuit. Here the antenna captures radio waves,
and these waves pass through a series of RF amplifiers. The RF amplifier is composed
of a resonant circuit, a combination of an inductor and a capacitor. The resonant
circuit is also known as a tuned circuit. Through the process of ganged tuning, all RF
amplifiers tuned to signal a single frequency.

Tuning changes the frequency through mechanical or electrical means. Adding one more tuned
circuit allows the selection of one station at a time. Increasing one or more turned circuits will increase
the selectivity of the radio receiver. Tuned amplification includes increased sensitivity and increased
selectivity.
The detector reconstructs the information carried by the radio waves. The process of extracting
the original information from the carrier wave is called demodulation. A diode, a capacitor, and a resistor
make up the detector circuit. It removes high-frequency components. The AM demodulation has two
stages. First is the rectification of the amplifier by a diode. Second, the capacitor smooths out the
amplitude of the rectified signal. The audio signal is the result of the two stages that will be sent to the
audio amplifier to further amplify in the audio frequency amplifier (AF).
The signal is further amplified in an audio frequency (AF) amplifier after detection. The AF
amplifier amplifies the weak signal drives, the signal to the loudspeaker or an output device. The signal is
increased high enough to drive loads of devices. A speaker is used to hear the audio signal in the form of
sound. TRF receivers are easier to design. It has high sensitivity allowing broadcast frequency from 535
kHz to 1705 kHz. Problems of TRF receivers include difficulty in designing at very high frequency, poor
audio quality, instability, and poor selectivity.

Supersonic heterodyne wireless receiver

It was developed to provide an additional level of selectivity. This uses a heterodyne or mixing
process to convert signals done to a fixed intermediate frequency. Tuning of this radio is through the
effective changing of the local oscillator. Broadcast radio receivers, televisions, short wave receivers, and
commercial radios have used the superheterodyne principle as the basis of their operation. It was one of
the most successful forms of radio being used almost exclusively as the RF circuit design. It was Invented
in 1918 and overcoming the selectivity issue making it popular for nearly 100 years. The superheterodyne
was used in every form of radio from domestic broadcast radios to walkie talkies, television sets, through
to hi-fi tuners, and professional communications radios, satellite base stations, and much more.
 Figure 5. Superheterodyne Receiver System Diagram

The figure above shows the diagram of a superheterodyne receiver. The receiving antenna
captures and transforms radio waves to an intermediate frequency (IF). Through an RF amplifier, the IF
signal transmits. The RF amplifier amplifies the signal and sends it to the mixer. Ganged tuning is used to
tune amplifiers that will tune a single IF. There is a local oscillator that provides a signal to mix with
signals coming from the antenna. The mixer is the circuit that generates an output signal which contains
the sum and difference of the frequency of the two inputs. The only signal of interest is the difference
frequency or the IF.
All frequencies or signals received must be converted into IF. The conversion process is called
mixing or heterodyning. The mixer's output signal, which is equal to or very near to the IF, reaches the
detector. The detector reconstructs the information brought by the IF signal. Some frequencies are
rejected, due to the selectivity in the IF amplifier. AM broadcast band has the standard IF is 455 kHz. FM
broadcast and television broadcast bands have standard IFs of 10.7 MHz and 44 MHz, respectively. The
output from the detector may need amplification. A speaker is required to listen to the speech or music
carried by the signals.

Assessment 1:
Identify whether the statement is correct or incorrect. Write YES if it is correct. If
the statement is incorrect, change the highlighted word to make it correct.
1. Audio amplifier amplifies the weak signal that comes from the RF
amplifier so that it can be heard.
2. A detector captures radio waves in space.
3. A tuner extracts signals of a particular frequency from a mix signal of
different frequencies
4. A radio receiver is opposite of a transmitter.
5. A music or speech can be heard on the speaker
Assessment 2:
Truth or lie. Write Truth if the statement about the Tuned Radio Frequency and superheterodyne
receiver is correct and lie if it is incorrect.
1. In a TRF receiver, the antenna amplifies the radio signal.
2. The tuned radio frequency stages consisted of one or more amplifying and tuning stages.
3. Increasing one or more turned circuits will increase the selectivity of the radio receiver.
4. Difficulty in designing at very high frequency, poor audio quality, instability, and poor selectivity are
the problems in TRF receivers.
5. The audio amplifier enables the audio from the amplitude modulation signal to be extracted.
6. Through the process of ganged tuning, tuned amplifiers are tuned to a single frequency (IF).
7. Tuning of the superheterodyne receiver is through the changing of the local oscillator.
8. A supersonic heterodyne wireless receiver was developed to provide an additional level of fidelity.
9. The IF signals are transmitted through an RF amplifier, and the RF amplifier amplifies the signal and
sends it to the mixer.
10. An audio amplifier amplifies the video signal.