FM Rebroadcast Receiver

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Inovonics' AARON 640 is a premium FM rebroadcast/translator receiver developed to meet challenging reception scenarios. Boasting off air performance superior to even the most elite professional and consumer receivers, AARON 640 provides many of the features of it's big brother AARON 650, but at a budget-friendly price point.

The extremely sensitive and selective front end of the AARON 640 digitally decodes the entire Analog baseband. Outputs are low-latency MPX, Balanced Analog and AES-Digital signals for retransmission.

The back panel provides a 50 Ohm (N) antenna connector, a true (off air) composite outputs, Balanced Analog and AES-Digital audio, and remote IP access. Rear-panel and self-logging alarms constantly check for Audio Loss, RF Loss, and RDS Loss (or ‘hijacking’). Online notifications can alert personnel with e-mail or instant text messages when any of the alarms occur. The front panel displays left and right audio metering, local LED alarms and an LCD screen with jog wheel for advanced control and editing of all tuning and monitoring parameters.

AARON 640's "responsive" web interface allows complete setup, listening, logging and control of the unit from your PC, tablet or smartphone, and reliable 2-way connectivity is ensured with a built-in Dynamic DNS utility. Advanced off-air metering tools include an FM BandScanner and FFT of the MPX region. Reception bandwidth, auto-blending and many other receiver parameters are controlled via manual or automatic reception processing.

* pictured tablet not included.

Features


  • High-performance ‘Software-Defined-Radio’ design.

  • Synchronous (low-latency) off-air composite output

  • Balanced Analog and AES-Digital Program Line outputs

  • Active reception processing for Bandwidth, Stereo Blend, HF Blending and more

  • BandScanner for onsite RF Spectrum Analysis

  • Local alarm tallies plus self-logging alarms constantly check for Audio Loss, RF Loss and RDS Loss

  • Remote control web interface and listening + email and text notifications

  • Includes "N" to "F" antenna adapter


  Online Demo Available

Reviews

The selectivity and sensitivity of the receiver make the AARON a strong contender to be Number 1 in its class.

- Paul McLane - Radio World, Editor in Chief How to Pick the Right Inovonics AARON Receiver

Specifications


GENERAL PERFORMANCE

Tuning Range

Extended FM band: 65.0MHz–108.0MHz

Sensitivity/Noise Performance

Unweighted monaural SNR for AES Digital and L/R Analog line outputs referenced to ±75kHz carrier deviation at specified RF input levels:

  • 82dB Digital, >80dB Analog at 60dBμv
  • 78dB Digital, >76dB Analog at 40dBμv
  • 60dB Digital/Analog at 20dBμv
  • 50dB Digital/Analog at 10dBμv
  • 43dB Digital/Analog at 0dBμv

Selectable IF Bandwidths

  • 311kHz, 287kHz, 254kHz, 236kHz, 217kHz, 200kHz, 184kHz, 168kHz, 151kHz, 133kHz, 114kHz, 97kHz, 84kHz, 72kHz, 64kHz and 56kHz

Frequency Response

  • Composite/MPX Output (pass-through):  ±0.5dB, 20Hz–100kHz
  • AES Digital & L/R Analog Line Outputs: >±0.2dB, 20Hz–15kHz

Stereo Separation (at 1kHz)

  • Composite/MPX Output: >45dB
  • AES Digital & L/R Analog Line Outputs: >50dB

Program Signal Latency (Delay)

  • Composite/MPX Output: <250μs
  • AES Digital & L/R Analog Line Outputs: <2.0ms

Regional Settings

  • Tuning Steps: 200kHz, 100kHz or 10kHz
  • De-Emphasis (Line Outputs): 75μs or 50μs
  • Radio Data System: RBDS or RDS

REAR-PANEL APPOINTMENTS

Antenna Inputs

50-ohm (N)

Digital Line Output

The AES3 (XLR) stereo output is a 24-bit, 48kHz output that may be adjusted between –30dBFS and 0dBFS, corresponding to ±75kHz carrier deviation, with or without de-emphasis.

Analog Line Outputs

Active balanced (XLR) outputs are adjustable between –20dBu and +18dBu (+15.5dBm), corresponding to ±75kHz carrier deviation, with or without de- emphasis. Source impedance is 200 ohms.

Composite/MPX Outputs

The unbalanced (BNC) output may be adjusted between 1V p-p and 6V p-p, corresponding to ±75kHz carrier deviation. Source impedance is 75 ohms.

Composite Audio Processing

Up to 3dB of composite clipping may be applied to the composite/MPX output to better define the FM deviation limit. The 19kHz stereo pilot and the 57kHz RDS subcarrier are stripped, filtered and reinserted after the clipper. This clipping feature does not affect the demodulated L/R program outputs.

Network Port

An RJ45 jack accepts TCP/IP network connections for remote setup and operation of the AARON 640.

Headphone Jack

(Front Panel): A quarter-inch (TRS) headphone jack monitors the off-air program signal. Head- phone volume is a menu item.

USER INTERFACE

Front-Panel

A front-panel graphic display and jog wheel allow easy, menu-guided in-situ setup and operation of the AARON 640. LED “VU” meters display L/R program audio levels.

Software Control

The IP network port enables complete remote setup and operation of the AARON 640 over a local network or the Internet using any Desktop, tablet or mobile browser.

SNMP

SNMP remote monitoring supported

MISCELLANEOUS

Test Tone Generator

20Hz – 20kHz; 60dB attenuator

AC Mains Requirements

90–130VAC or 200–255VAC, 50/60Hz; 5W

Size

H: 1¾in/44mm, W: 19in/483mm, D: 9½in/240mm (1U)

Weight

9lb/4kg (net), 12lbs/5.4kg (shipping)

Environmental

Continuous operation at ambient temperatures between 32ºF/0ºC and 122ºF/50ºC; 0-95% relative humidity, non-condensing, altitudes to 10,000ft/3,048m.