A bit of extra info on that LNBF. The three holes are for 3 separate satellites to be received. All of the signals are circular polarized and need to switch between RH and LH. And all the switching is done with a modulated low frequency (less than 1 MHz) low bandwidth signal that is controlled by the receiver.
Wow. Great teardown. I didn't realize those guys were quite as complex inside. Filters and stubs galore! Neat. These LNBs actually use left and right hand circular polarization, rather than vertical/horizontal. Also, if I remember correctly, the duplication of the microwave section has to do with the unit being able to be split to two different outputs (via a 22khz or similar switch) and sent to two TV receivers, and each can tune to different channels at once, or possibly they use one LNA section for each polarization and switch between them at lower frequencies, rather than switching antennas at 12GHz.
This unit could be a DIRECTV SL3-SWM SlimLine Single Wire Ka/Ku Triple LNB With Built-In Multiswitch . Most "simple" LNBs use high audio tones to switch from RHCP to LHCP or linear polarizations. This unit uses a micro to switch 3 LBBs and polarizations. all for $15.99 The Ka band 26.5-40 gigahertz (GHz), i.e. wavelengths from slightly over one centimeter down to 7.5 millimeters. Receives three satellites signals - 99°, 101°, 103°. The two smaller feedhorns are most likely -99 and -103 and Ka band.
Yep, it is a multi-satellite LNB. These were first called simulsat systems by the satellite industry. The satellite TV services have definitely figured out how to stack satellites in elevated orbits as well as having cross-angled reforms to see adjacent satellites. This is a description of the SWiM technology. www.tech-faq.com/directv-swm.html
Wow! I recently found a couple of these, with receiver boxes. I'm very new to all this, and I practically gave up searching for a tear down video. For whatever reason, nothing was coming up with searching... I've yet to find one for the boxes.. I'm interested in building an audio amplifier, and am searching for where/what components to salvage.. Great video! Nice to observe someone doing what they enjoy. New subscriber! 🎉
wow! That was a sweet sweet teardown! The microwave PCB was nuts! I understand about the microstrip filters and stubs, but those stubs parallel to the signal path were new to me. This is surely microwave wizardy!
I never thought I could get this excited about a tear down. Very nicely done and thanks for sharing. It would be interesting to measure the length of those tiny antenna stubs on the front end to see if you back into the the device's operating frequency.
hello goodnight! A question is it possible to modify the lnb to capture the frequencies of the uhf ISDBT terrestrial digital tv bands from 450 to 860 mhz. mhz .I'm thinking of reusing the common fta receivers dvbs2 hd h264 .as if it were a common terrestrial digital converter.
Has regarding the three waveguides. I do remember remember that one time that I think it was DirecTV if I'm not mistaken pretty sure it was? They used to have the dish that would have three separate I've have a feeling it this was condensed down to one as in this model? Perhaps more recent than the ones I remember?
And with the screws you form one adjustable ressonant cavity ! The black things are GaAs fet's probably with some 1/4 wave feedback... Cool! You can modulate the fet dc power and make one 12Ghz Fm transmitter lol :)
I do enjoy his channel, but everything he does is not within the reach of the hobbyist. At least, not on my budget. He buys broken stuff for lots of money.
@@IMSAIGuy nice tear down, microwave at that level is really nice to look at I really like the Signal Path, particularly as I started my career in Radar and other marine navigation kit. Radar kit at that time was not much more advanced than a crystal set - no sat TV or LNB's for at lease a decade or so. If you wanted some amplification then iot was TWT (Travelling Wave Tubes) but only for the very expensive high end Radar sets... As it happens It was Shahriars review of the ERASynth micro signal generator. www.crowdsupply.com/era-instruments/erasynth-micro That convinced me to buy one. I must admit that it's very easy to get lab envy when looking at his lab and equipment setup. Andy
There was other digital stuff on that board, and oscillators on the back, so the 4046 is used in a PLL for some reference signal. Since that's a low frequency chip I suspect it is used for the 22kHz switching circuitry. (Satellite systems sometimes use 22kHz signals on the feed line to control switches of different outputs and such.)
I think the little silver guys are SAW filters. Man, those LNA chips probably have some killer specs --- they have to be relatively low noise and have good performance up to 13GHz to not distort the precision phase modulated signals coming in. Really neat stuff.
@@ruhnet This looks quite a bit different to the "european" LNBs I'm familiar with. The waveguide does not seem to be separating the beam into it's v and h polaraised components. Ones I took apart had some geometry inside the waveguide and two little "antennas" 90 degrees apart. Also they were much simpler. usually two chips, one for power and bias for those i presume FET amplifiers and other generates LO and switches the band according to the 22khz signal.
Also those "side" receiving channels, I have no idea what those are for. Only one F connector so only one satellite at a time could be possible. Maybe it's switched with DiSEqC? No idea.
Next time I want a high resolution microscope photo of the whole pcb board. Maybe you can use Photoshop to put together individual microscope photos to make a single high-resolution image 😁
I know what he needs to get that stupid thing apart perhaps even the plastic on The top? If it were a v e tappy tap tap! Big Clive the X-ray machine! Either or the vice of knowledge. Or photonicinduction. I ain't havin it where's my hammer! Or if it were Dave Jones of eevblog you would have to go medieval on it#!$ As big big Clive might do.
Looks like art work sorta. Why not get some Channellock 6" , alot cheaper, made in the USA and do the same job. What is that silvery board made of? Bet they aren't cheap items when new.Thanks for the look.
I have some 6" channellocks. used them for years. but the Knipix have a bit longer jaw, different shaped jaw that fits more things, and feels better in the hand. The board is made of ceramic
A bit of extra info on that LNBF. The three holes are for 3 separate satellites to be received. All of the signals are circular polarized and need to switch between RH and LH. And all the switching is done with a modulated low frequency (less than 1 MHz) low bandwidth signal that is controlled by the receiver.
Wow. Great teardown. I didn't realize those guys were quite as complex inside. Filters and stubs galore! Neat. These LNBs actually use left and right hand circular polarization, rather than vertical/horizontal. Also, if I remember correctly, the duplication of the microwave section has to do with the unit being able to be split to two different outputs (via a 22khz or similar switch) and sent to two TV receivers, and each can tune to different channels at once, or possibly they use one LNA section for each polarization and switch between them at lower frequencies, rather than switching antennas at 12GHz.
This unit could be a DIRECTV SL3-SWM SlimLine Single Wire Ka/Ku Triple LNB With Built-In Multiswitch . Most "simple" LNBs use high audio tones to switch from RHCP to LHCP or linear polarizations. This unit uses a micro to switch 3 LBBs and polarizations. all for $15.99
The Ka band 26.5-40 gigahertz (GHz), i.e. wavelengths from slightly over one centimeter down to 7.5 millimeters.
Receives three satellites signals - 99°, 101°, 103°. The two smaller feedhorns are most likely -99 and -103 and Ka band.
Yep, it is a multi-satellite LNB. These were first called simulsat systems by the satellite industry. The satellite TV services have definitely figured out how to stack satellites in elevated orbits as well as having cross-angled reforms to see adjacent satellites. This is a description of the SWiM technology. www.tech-faq.com/directv-swm.html
Wow! I recently found a couple of these, with receiver boxes. I'm very new to all this, and I practically gave up searching for a tear down video. For whatever reason, nothing was coming up with searching... I've yet to find one for the boxes.. I'm interested in building an audio amplifier, and am searching for where/what components to salvage.. Great video! Nice to observe someone doing what they enjoy. New subscriber! 🎉
wow! That was a sweet sweet teardown! The microwave PCB was nuts! I understand about the microstrip filters and stubs, but those stubs parallel to the signal path were new to me. This is surely microwave wizardy!
I never thought I could get this excited about a tear down. Very nicely done and thanks for sharing. It would be interesting to measure the length of those tiny antenna stubs on the front end to see if you back into the the device's operating frequency.
hello goodnight! A question is it possible to modify the lnb to capture the frequencies of the uhf ISDBT terrestrial digital tv bands from 450 to 860 mhz. mhz .I'm thinking of reusing the common fta receivers dvbs2 hd h264 .as if it were a common terrestrial digital converter.
Has regarding the three waveguides.
I do remember remember that one time that I think it was DirecTV if I'm not mistaken pretty sure it was?
They used to have the dish that would have three separate I've have a feeling it this was condensed down to one as in this model?
Perhaps more recent than the ones I remember?
Always like teardowns! Cool stuff
Archimedes - 'Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world.'
Witchcraft and black magic. Beautiful.
This was absolute fun , I love RF boards I think there is both art and science in it.
I think it’s more ART than science! It takes years of experience to achieve a production design that doesn’t require individual tweaking.
Cool. I'm trying to find a free dish for some satellite experiments
The "blobs" are DRO resonant ceramic pucks that function sortof like cavity oscillators. Their physical size determines the frequency of oscillation.
And with the screws you form one adjustable ressonant cavity ! The black things are GaAs fet's probably with some 1/4 wave feedback... Cool! You can modulate the fet dc power and make one 12Ghz Fm transmitter lol :)
there is a guy who turned one side around and make it transmit then used the two channels to do doppler radar.
@@IMSAIGuy cool!
@IMSAI Guy my aunt made this 10Ghz transmitter also haha (its in portuguese... But try translator)
www.qsl.net/py4zbz/1.htm#a
@@IMSAIGuy This is the guy: ruclips.net/video/kxoOVR-8Wwc/видео.html
To paraphrase Arthur C Clarke, microwave technology is indistinguishable from magic. Nice teardown, thanks.
One that front part of LNB is a Feed horn it gets up to 4 satellite too get 101, 119, 110, 99, 103, that’s satellite you can get. I know all about
It's actually pronounced "Kah - NIH - pecks"; I always thought it was "Nigh - pecks". Love their tools, worth the $$. Interesting tear down, thanks!
"Knip" means "pinch" in Swedish and Norwegian (it's "knib" in Danish).
The stubs coming off those long, thin traces are probably RF chokes for what is likely to be amplifier voltage rails.
Very cool tear down. Amazing how far we have come with the technology. Any manufacture dates?
Looks like a $10,000 spectrum analyser.
Send it to signal path. He might be able to decode magic and tell us what this is all about 😅
Are those monopoles inside the waveguide?? So it works same like a cantenna ?? 🤔
That looks alien!
Awsome tear down. A profesional could explain every detail of this to me until the end of time and I still would'nt understand it. LOL.
Those two SMD Quad pack chips might be SHF Synthesizer chips
Were you looking for The Signal Path channel, Shahriar is an industry expert on RF and Microwave
I do enjoy his channel, but everything he does is not within the reach of the hobbyist. At least, not on my budget. He buys broken stuff for lots of money.
@@IMSAIGuy yeah, he once took apart a million dollar oscilloscope that all of us can only dream of.
@@IMSAIGuy nice tear down, microwave at that level is really nice to look at
I really like the Signal Path, particularly as I started my career in Radar and other marine navigation kit. Radar kit at that time was not much more advanced than a crystal set - no sat TV or LNB's for at lease a decade or so. If you wanted some amplification then iot was TWT (Travelling Wave Tubes) but only for the very expensive high end Radar sets...
As it happens It was Shahriars review of the ERASynth micro signal generator.
www.crowdsupply.com/era-instruments/erasynth-micro
That convinced me to buy one.
I must admit that it's very easy to get lab envy when looking at his lab and equipment setup.
Andy
That is not the same as the LNB that I have up on the Satellite Dish which is a duel feed.
Your oscillators / mixers on the boring board are bandpass filters. The only oscillator I see is clearly labelled 32 MHz.
@ 18:38 yes probably these are dielectric resonant oscillator (DRO)
CD4046 is a low frequency (if I remember 1 MHz max) PLL chip. Why is it on the PSU board then?
There was other digital stuff on that board, and oscillators on the back, so the 4046 is used in a PLL for some reference signal. Since that's a low frequency chip I suspect it is used for the 22kHz switching circuitry. (Satellite systems sometimes use 22kHz signals on the feed line to control switches of different outputs and such.)
I think the little silver guys are SAW filters. Man, those LNA chips probably have some killer specs --- they have to be relatively low noise and have good performance up to 13GHz to not distort the precision phase modulated signals coming in. Really neat stuff.
@@ruhnet thanks for this , I didn't know about it , so the coax between the LNB and the receiver has DC + 44 khz ctrl + RF . Woow
@@ruhnet This looks quite a bit different to the "european" LNBs I'm familiar with. The waveguide does not seem to be separating the beam into it's v and h polaraised components. Ones I took apart had some geometry inside the waveguide and two little "antennas" 90 degrees apart. Also they were much simpler. usually two chips, one for power and bias for those i presume FET amplifiers and other generates LO and switches the band according to the 22khz signal.
Also those "side" receiving channels, I have no idea what those are for. Only one F connector so only one satellite at a time could be possible. Maybe it's switched with DiSEqC? No idea.
TSP The Signal Path
Next time I want a high resolution microscope photo of the whole pcb board.
Maybe you can use Photoshop to put together individual microscope photos to make a single high-resolution image 😁
Where's Xray Tony B when we need him?
Agree, I think the RF piece should be sent to TheSignalPath for some detailed reverse engineering! :)
It's Ke'nip pecks or Ke'nee pecks
Kni-pex :)
I know what he needs to get that stupid thing apart perhaps even the plastic on The top?
If it were a v e tappy tap tap!
Big Clive the X-ray machine!
Either or the vice of knowledge.
Or photonicinduction.
I ain't havin it where's my hammer!
Or if it were Dave Jones of eevblog you would have to go medieval on it#!$
As big big Clive might do.
It's pronounced "k-nip" "pex" so you hear the "k" in "knipex"
Looks like art work sorta. Why not get some Channellock 6" , alot cheaper, made in the USA and do the same job. What is that silvery board made of? Bet they aren't cheap items when new.Thanks for the look.
I have some 6" channellocks. used them for years. but the Knipix have a bit longer jaw, different shaped jaw that fits more things, and feels better in the hand.
The board is made of ceramic