PathAlign-R
Spectracom Corporation
2200 / 2240 / 2241 PathAlign-R Manual
1-4
site's antenna. The PathAlign-R's are sold as, and used in, pairs... one at each antenna site.
Full duplex voice transmit/receive capability between sites is provided with the enclosed
headsets. A Variable Alignment Tone, switch selectable on the front panel, indicates signal
strength (path loss) via a variable tone, which can be heard thru the speaker or the headset.
Transmit/receive frequencies are selected with the front thumbwheel switches and path loss
measurements are displayed on the front panel meter. Four coax cable connectors (Super SMA
sparkplug connectors) on the front panel facilitate connection to the Antenna via the appropriate
coax-to-waveguide adapter.
The PathAlign-R has four bands of frequency ranges that are available at the front panel via the
Super SMA female sparkplug connector (50 ohm impedance). Specific frequencies within these
bands are selected with the front panel thumbwheel switches which provide 1-MHz resolution.
LEDs located over each connector indicate which output is active (only one band is active at a
time. The frequency ranges of the four bands are:
Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
Band 4
2200 1.5 GHz to 2.5 GHz 5.8 GHz to 6.6 GHz 11.0 GHz to 12.0 GHz 18.1 GHz to 19.4 GHz
2240 / 2241 1.5 GHz to 2.5 GHz 3.5 GHz to 5.0 GHz
5.8 GHz to 6.6 GHz
7.5 GHz to 10 GHz
11.0 GHz to 12 GHz
15 GHz
18.1 GHz to 19.4 GHz
22.0 GHz to 23.5 GHz
The 2200A, 2240A, and 2241A are identical in operation to the model 2200, 2240, and 2241.
They differ only in Frequency Band configuration. In the 'A', any combination of the Frequency
Bands (1, 2, 3, and/or 4) may be ordered, instead of all four bands found on the model 2200,
2240, 2241.
A 'Master/Slave' toggle switch, located on the front panel, selects whether an individual unit
transmits 20 MHz above the selected frequency (Master) or 19 MHz below the selected
frequency (Slave). The two PathAlign-R’s need to be set differently from one another. It does
not matter which unit is which as long as one PathAlign-R is 'Master' and the other PathAlign-R
is 'Slave'. The transmit/receive offset (39 MHz) allows for full duplex voice communication and
measurement over the link.
An internal microcontroller controls the operation of the PathAlign-R. The PathAlign-R's
transmitted frequency derives from a synthesized source which provides for very accurate
control of the output frequency. The output signal level is fixed at a constant 0 dBm, enough to
drive an antenna directly. This combination of frequency stability and output level makes path
alignment possible while severely reducing the possibility of interference to adjacent links. The
receive signal is detected via a broadband mixer and processed through a very narrow-band
filter, allowing accurate measurements of the receive signal while providing a very high rejection
of adjacent signals. Nominal measurements are displayed in dB, to a resolution of 0.1 dB, on
the front panel display.
The front panel has well-defined controls and indicators for selecting bands, frequency, and
resolution, using the thumbwheel switches. Toggle switches on the front panel select Power
ON/OFF and Audio (Alignment Tone or Voice). A 3.5 mm jack on the front panel provides
connection to the headset. A speaker is located just behind the circular graphic on the front
panel to monitor the audio when not using the headset. An Audio volume control adjusts the
headset earpiece volume as well as the speaker's output level.
