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RF Workbench v4.0a ReadMe file. August 25, 2001
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** CONDITIONS OF USE ** RF Workbench 4.0a is a Barterware(tm) edition of TxRx Designer. Copyright
(c) 1999 by Kirt Blattenberger 1639 Westbridge DriveErie, PA 16506
Use of this software implies that the user agrees to hold harmless Kirt Blattenberger and his business and
personal affiliates in connection with this software. You are permitted to use RF Workbench free of charge.
Distribution is encouraged. RF Workbench is fully protected by U.S. copyright laws. No change may be made to the
program or its documentation.
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If you are running Windows Vista and are having issues with running DOS programs, please
take a look at this
Windows Vista TechCenter page on the MS website. It appears to do a good job of answering questions and
providing.
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Although a $25 donation is requested , feel free to send a larger amount - or even a material donation such
as books, hardware, test equipment, or legal software. My interests include full scale and model airplanes,
so items pertaining to those activities will also be graciously accepted. Thank you. Please send
donations to: Kirt Blattenberger
1639 Westbridge DriveErie, PA 16506 "Barterware" is a
registered trademark of Waypoint Software & RF Cafe.
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** INSTALLATION ** UnZipping rfwb40a.zip should have created the directory structure that is required for
RF Workbench to run. If not, then launch "install.bat", which will create the directories under the c:\rfwb40
directory. After the install program has been run, you may move the entire \rfwb40 directory structure anywhere
you please. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** LAUNCHING
** Launch rfwb40.exe. An overlay file named rfwb40.ovr is included which must be in the same directory as
rfwb40.exe.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** RFWB.BAT PARAMETERS **
rfwb.bat is no longer required to launch RF Workbench 4.0a.
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** HISTORY ** RF Workbench 4.0a is the Barterware version of TxRx Designer, a highly successful effort that
was sold commercially for many years. An extensive user's manual was available for TxRx Designer that doubled as a
tutorial on RF system design. The level of detail of the on line help should make the manual unnecessary. However,
if you would like a manual, I will make one available for $25 (U.S. & Canada), or $30 elsewhere. RF
Workbook 4.0a corrects the run time error 200 message that was occurring when version 4.0 was run on some high
speed processors. The problem was due to a flaw in the Borland CRT unit that was fixed by a third party vendor.
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** MOUSE sitting in the upper left corner? ** RF Workbench requires a DOS mouse driver to function. If you
are running from Windows, you must assure that a DOS mouse driver is loaded prior to starting Windows. The
following modification to your autoexec.bat file will do the job: . --> <drive>:\<path to DOS mouse
driver>\mousewin.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** HINTS ** If you think RF
Workbench should be capable of performing a task, but cannot figure out how to do it, refer to the extensive on
line help. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions that are answered: Q. How do I restore the
graph scales that were saved with the system file? A. Immediately after loading the file, select "Restore Last
Scale" from the "Graph" menu (Alt+G,Alt+R). Q. Can I use the mouse to zoom in on the graph scale? A.
Yes, there are four modes for zooming. While in the graph area, use Alt+F to zoom only the frequency scale, Alt+L
to zoom only the power level scale, Alt+D to zoom only the group delay scale, or Alt+A to zoom all of the scales
at once. Q. How do I print the graph while the cursor is in the graph area? A. Use Alt+P to open the
print dialog window. Q. Can the scales of the Spur Web chart be changed manually? A. No, autoscaling is
performed by RF Workbench. Q. How many conversion stages can RF Workbench handle? A. Effectively
infinite since preceding stage output data is used as input data for the succeeding stage. Q. I need more
than seven components before or after the mixer stage. How do I model the other components? A. The simplest
method would be to combine two or more cascaded components and enter them on one line. To calculate parameter
values for the combinations, simply enter the values into an empty GAIN block dialog window and then transfer the
cascaded values into the line in your actual system GAIN dialog window. If you are running RF Workbench from
Windows, launching another instance of RF Workbench to use specifically for combining components will be most
convenient. Another method would be to use the stage as a no conversion stage by setting the LO for 0.001 Hz. The
mixer can be set for conversion loss and NF of 0, and intercept points and P1dB of +500 to effectively remove it
from the system. The extremely small LO frequency will usually not noticeably affect the system frequencies.
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** MIXER FILES ** The *.mf3 mixer files included with RF Workbench are example files provided as a basis
for establishing a library of mixer model files. Quantities recorded in the provided files originate from
the manufacturer's data sheets. If the data sheet did not include a particular single tone spur product
suppression value, then the worst case RF harmonic value was used to fill in the unspecified values in the table.
Actual tests will need to be performed if precise values are required. In all cases, the spur suppression
levels and all other parameters in the supplied mixer model files should be verified by the user prior to basing
design decisions on the tables. Some manufacturers specify parameters relative to the input while others specify
relative to the output. See the RF Workbench help screens for instructions on input-to-output or output-to-input
conversions. ** INITIAL PARAMETERS ** The "initsys.sf3" file that is created the first time RF Workbench
is launched has all component gains set for 0 dB with P1dB, IP3, and IP2 set to +250 dBm.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- RF Workbench v4.0a will prove
to be one of the most useful design aides that you will ever use. Short of employing an expensive CAE program no
greater value can be found. I can only continue to provide such high quality software if every copy used is
supported by a contribution to my effort. Your comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you. Sincerely, Kirt Blattenberger Owner
kirtrfc@aol.com |