Z10042A Manual

Z10042A
Broadband Norton Amplifier

Assembly and Operation Manual
Revised 11 September 2010
Clifton Laboratories
7236 Clifton Road
Clifton, VA 20124
(703) 830 0368
www.cliftonlaboratories.com
Table of Contents
Model Z10042A Broadband Norton Amplifier ............................................................................................................ 3
Trademarks and Copyright .........................................................................................................................................3
Warranty ............................................................................................................................................................................3
Safety Information .............................................................................................................................................................. 4
General Information and Specifications .................................................................................................................... 4
Description ........................................................................................................................................................................5
Specifications ....................................................................................................................................................................6
Assembly ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Parts Provided..................................................................................................................................................................7
Errata: ............................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Overview of Installing Surface Mount Parts ..................................................................................................... 11
Component Layout ...................................................................................................................................................... 13
Assembly Order ............................................................................................................................................................ 14
Post Construction Adjustment and Checkout .................................................................................................. 22
Input and Output Connections ............................................................................................................................... 24
Schematic and Theory of Operation and Troubleshooting .................................................................................. 27
Theory of Operation ................................................................................................................................................... 27
Schematic ........................................................................................................................................................................ 31
Voltage Troubleshooting Data ................................................................................................................................ 32
Resistance Troubleshooting Data ......................................................................................................................... 33
Appendix A Typical Performance Data ......................................................................................................................... 34
Bandwidth ........................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Noise Figure ........................................................................................................................................................................ 35
NF versus Frequency .................................................................................................................................................. 35
NF and Gain versus Idle Current ........................................................................................................................... 36
NF as function of supply voltage ........................................................................................................................... 37
Second and Third Order Intermodulation.............................................................................................................. 38
3rd Order Intercept .................................................................................................................................................... 38
2nd Order Intercept ...................................................................................................................................................... 39
Appendix B – PCB Mounting Hole Dimensions ......................................................................................................... 40
Appendix C – Norton Amplifier Patent, US Patent No. 3,891,934 ..................................................................... 41
Appendix E Manual Backdating ....................................................................................................................................... 47
Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 1

Appendix F Z10042A Performance Increased Gain ................................................................................................ 48
Applicability of Manual
This manual applies to the Z10042A printed circuit board revision 1.2 and later. The circuit board
revision is silk screened on the PCB, just below the model number.

Model Z10042A Broadband Norton Amplifier
Revised 11 September 2010
(c) 2010 Jack R. Smith d/b/a/ Clifton Laboratories.
Trademarks and Copyright

Material in this document copyrighted © 2010 Clifton Laboratories. All rights reserved. It is
provided to allow the Z10042A purchasers to maintain their equipment and such other purposes as
may not be prohibited by law.
Warranty
This warranty is effective as of the date of first consumer purchase.
What is covered: During the ninety (90) days after date of purchase, Clifton Laboratories will
correct any defects in the Z10042A due to defective parts or workmanship (if purchased as an
assembled unit) free of charge (post-paid). You must send the unit at your expense to Clifton
Laboratories, but we will pay return shipping. Clifton Laboratories’ warranty does not extend to
defects caused by your incorrect assembly or use of unauthorized parts or materials or
construction practices.
What is not covered: If the Z10042A is purchased as a kit, this warranty does not cover correction
of assembly errors or misalignment; repair of damage caused by misuse, negligence, or builder
modifications; or any performance malfunctions involving non-Clifton Laboratories accessory
equipment. The use of acid-core solder, water-soluble flux solder, or any corrosive or conductive flux
or solvent will void this warranty in its entirety. Damage to the Z10042A or equipment connected to
it caused by lightning strikes is not covered under the warranty. Whether purchased as an
assembled unit or as a kit, also not covered is reimbursement for loss of use, inconvenience,
customer assembly or alignment time, or cost of unauthorized service.
Limitation of incidental or consequential damages: This warranty does not extend to non-
Clifton Laboratories equipment or components used in conjunction with our products. Any such
repair or replacement is the responsibility of the customer. Clifton Laboratories will not be liable for
any special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages, including but not limited to any loss of
business or profits.
Under no circumstances is Clifton Laboratories liable for damage to your equipment

connected to the Z10042A resulting from use of the Z10042A, whether in accordance with
the instructions in this Manual or otherwise.

Safety Information
The Z10042A operates with a user-supplied DC power supply of 13 to 15 Volts at 100 to 120 mA.
The Z10042A, although designed as a low signal level preamplifier, is capable of RF output power
approaching the 1 watt level. This output power is capable of damaging receivers or the receiver
section of a transceiver or test equipment. It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that the Z10042A
is properly connected to whatever devices it will be used with.
The Z10042A has no replaceable fuses; rather a self-resetting polyfuse limits short circuit current
to approximately 200 mA.
The Z10042A is designed to be used only with receive-type power levels. It should not be used with
transmitting equipment. The Z10042A’s maximum permitted input RF power is 100 mW (+20
dBm). Power in excess of this level may damage the Z10042A or equipment connected to it, or both. In
addition, since the Z10042A has appreciable gain, output power levels sufficient to damage connected
equipment may occur with input signal levels well below +20 dBm.
Although the Z10042A contains protective measures, all of these protection measures assume that
the Z10042A is properly grounded and that good engineering practices have been used in its
installation and construction of the ground system. The Z10042A is not intended to survive a direct
lightning strike to an antenna connected to its input, whether powered up or not. However, the
protective measures incorporated into the Z10042A’s design should aid in reducing damage.

General Information and Specifications
Description
The term “Norton Amplifiers” refers to a class of transformer feedback amplifiers developed by Dr.
David Norton and described in his US Patent No. 3,891,934, granted June 24, 1975 and now in the
public domain. (A copy of Dr. Norton’s patent is Appendix C to this Manual.) A Norton amplifier
permits the distortion reducing benefits of negative feedback to be applied without impairing the
amplifier’s noise figure. Hence, Norton amplifiers are also known as “noiseless feedback” amplifiers.
The Z10042A is a broadband (50 KHz to 30 MHz) Norton-style amplifier providing 11 dB gain
(other gain values are possible) with very high 3rd order and 2nd order intermodulation intercepts,
IP3 and IP2, respectively, with a noise figure well below 2 dB over the range 10-30 MHz. The
Z10042A is designed for either indoor or outdoor use, with DC power supplied through either
separate connections or duplexed over the output coaxial cable. Optional indoor and outdoor die
cast enclosures are available for the Z10042A.
The Z10042A is derived from the Norton Amplifier developed by Dr. Dallas Lankford and described
in his publication Common Base Transformer Feedback Norton Amplifiers, dated 8 June 1994,
revised 21 May 2007, available at
http://www.kongsfjord.no/dl/Amplifiers/Common%20Base%20Transformer%20Feedback%20N
orton%20Amplifiers.pdf.
The Z10042A modifies Dr. Lankford’s design in several respects:
 Automatic input disconnect upon DC power removal along with over-voltage gas trap
protection
 Improved performance below 500 KHz.
 Over voltage and reverse voltage protection on the DC Power.
 DC power either separately or duplex power.
 Optional balanced or unbalanced input.
 Shunt fed to reduce effect of DC saturation of T2 and T4
Clifton Laboratories also offers the Z1203A DC power injector usable with the Z10042A to provide
DC power over the output coaxial cable. This is useful for remote mounted amplifiers.
The Z10042A is available as a kit, including a double sided, silk screened solder masked printed
circuit boards and all electronic parts or as an assembled and tested printed circuit board. Options
include an indoor enclosure with BNC connectors or an outdoor weatherproof die cast enclosure
with a choice of BNC, UHF or Type N connectors.
Typical kit construction time is three to five hours depending on your work practices. The kit is
suitable for relatively inexperienced builders, although Clifton Laboratories does not recommend it
to purchasers who have never built an electronic kit before. Also, if you have never wound a toroid
inductor or transformer, you might wish to ask an experienced builder to show you how it’s done.

Specifications
Parameter Value
3.50” x 2.50” x 0.75” vertical clearance required. (88.9mm x 63.5mm x 19mm).
PCB Dimensions Four mounting holes for 4-40 screws provided, template in Appendix B.
Maximum: 15V
Minimum: 13.8V [may not meet specifications below this voltage. See Appendix
D for performance versus supply voltage considerations.]
Negative to ground, typical DC current 60-100 mA depending on bias
adjustment.
DC Power Required
As an option, a reduced power version of the Z10042A is available, with
approximately 25 mA, usable down to 12V input. 2nd and 3rd order
intermodulation performance is degraded with this option; noise figure is
improved over normal idle current.
Do not exceed 100 milliwatts (+20 dBm). IP3 performance specifications are
Maximum RF Power based upon -10 dBm signal input; performance not warranted at greater input
Input levels.
Performance data is for a 1:11:4 turns ratio design, 13.8 VDC after adjusting
balance trimpots for minimum 2nd harmonic distortion. Unless otherwise
Test Conditions indicated, performance measurements are made with direct DC power, not
duplexed. Figures stated as “typical” are not warranted.
100 KHz – 30 MHz. Typical -3 dB bandwidth 50 KHz - 45 MHz

3 dB Bandwidth
Measured with 3 and 4 MHz input tones, adjusted for 0 dBm output from the
Z10042A. Protocol as discussed later in this manual. Intercepts are output
2nd and 3rd Order
referenced.
Intermodulation
OIP2: +80 dBm (typically > +90 dBm)
Intercept
OIP3: +45 dBm (typically +46 to +48 dBm)
11 dB nominal at 1 MHz.
Gain
1 dB Gain
Compression +19 dBm input.
Noise Figure
2.0 dB maximum 10-30 MHz. Typically 1.5 dB 10-30 MHz.
When terminated with 50 ohm load, input VSWR is less than 2:1 over the range
Input VSWR
300 KHz – 30 MHz, and is typically below 1.5:1 over this range.
Common Mode
Rejection in
Typically 50 dB at 1 MHz, decreases with increasing frequency.
Balanced Input
Mode

Assembly
Parts Provided
Before starting your build, please take a moment and inventory the parts provided against the list
below. The ruler is marked in decimal (tenths) inches. One inch is 25.4mm and 0.1 inch is 2.54mm.
(Some older photos use a ruler marked in fractions of an inch, such as 1/16th.)
Many parts in this kit are not marked and can easily be confused. Parts are provided in
individually labeled paper envelopes. Please keep parts in the associated envelope when not
being installed.
A note on how component values are identified in this manual
This document follows the international practice of using the value multiplier to indicate the
decimal point. Thus, a 1.0µF capacitor is identified as 1µ0 and a 10,000 ohm resistor is identified as
10K0.
Description and Component

Photograph Qty ID Comments Marking
C2, C3, C4, C6, 1uF X7R 25V, 1206 size

12 C7,C10, C11, C14, surface mount ceramic None
C15, C16, C17, C18, capacitors.
Same as above 10pF, C0G 50V, 1206

C20,C21,C22, C23
4 size surface mount None
ceramic capacitors
Same as above 1000pF, C0G 50V, 1206
2 C5, C8 size surface mount None
ceramic capacitors
10uF/25V 105°C
1 C19 aluminum electrolytic 10 EHA
capacitor.

1N400x
Silicon diode, 1A or where X
1 D1 greater, 100V or greater. may be any
Typically a 1N4007 part number
from 0 to 7
200 mA Raychem
“polyfuse” PTC varistor.
1 F1 The supplied part may XF020
or may not have a
“crimped” lead.
Surface mount ferrite

2 FB1,FB3 None
bead
These three
components are not
3 FB2, FB4 & FB5 used and are replaced 000
with 000 ohm 1206
jumpers
2 [3-
J1: 4-place
place]
J1, J2, J3 J2 & J3: 3 place None
1 [4-
0.1 inch header sockets
place]
Shorting jumper for 2

1 None place 0.1 inch header None
pins
G6H-2F-DC12 double
G6H-2F-
1 K1 pole, double throw 12V
12VDC
surface mount relay

L1, L2, L3, L4 & L5 1m0 RF choke

5 102
(shielded) high current
NPN transistor, UHF,

2 Q1, Q2 type NE85634, SOT-89 RE
package
¼ watt, 1% 1206 Surface Mount Resistors
2
R1,R6 560R 5600
49R9
2 R4,R12 49R9
2 R10, R5 1K50 1501
R2, R7,
4 10R0 10R0
R9,R11
2 R3, R8 100R Trim-pot 101
14mm dia. 18V over-

1 RV1 180M
voltage MOV

Spark gap
90V (and
Either of the following
date code)
may be provided:
2 SA1, SA2
90V
EC 75 (and
date code)
75V
None
Total of 12 pins
supplied. 2 pins for J4;
remaining pins for
12 J4 input/output wiring. None
Pins are 0.1 inch spaced,
0.025 inch square gold
flashed.
0.5 inch diameter ferrite
cores; builder to wind.
NOTE: DIFFERENT CORE
MATERIALS ARE USED
FOR T1/T3 AND T2/T4.
4 T1,T2,T3, T4 None
THE CORES ARE
SEPARATELY
PACKAGED. DO NOT
INTERCHANGE THE
CORES.
Z10042A
Printed circuit board.
1 PCB and revision
Identified as Z10042A
number
None 1 length #24 No. 24 AWG magnet

None None
wire wire, use for T2 and T4
None No. 26 AWG magnet
2 lengths #26 wire, use for T1 and T3.
None None
wire One length red, one
length green.
None 2 inches Length of ¼ inch (6mm)
(50mm) foam None wide, double sided None
tape foam tape
None 4 inches Teflon insulated solid
None
(100mm) wire

Errata:
D1 outline is on PCB; component ID is obscured by J3.
Overview of Installing Surface Mount Parts

1. If the component has one pad that is a ground, lightly tin the non-ground pad. If neither pad
is a ground connection, tin either one of the pads.
2. Using forceps or a very light touch with long nose pliers, slide the component into place
while heating the tinned pad. Check that the component is more or less centered on the
pads and remove the soldering iron when centered. Too much pressure will crack these
parts so use a light touch.
3. Solder the other pad. Touch up the first pad if necessary.
4. Although the Z10042A’s ground pads use “thermal relief” it may still be difficult to make
with a small soldering pencil, as the large foil area requires more heat capacity than a
normal floating pad.

The image below shows a Z10042A installed in the optional enclosure.

Component Layout
TopV iew
Bottom View

Assembly Order
The Z10042A is a relatively simple kit. The most complex part is winding the transformers, and
even this is not difficult.
If available, apply RMA flux from a flux pen, such as Kester 83-1000-0186 to all pads.
The assembly order starts with the bottom surface.
 Install 1uF capacitors at 7 places:

C10, C14, C15, C16, C18, C2 & C6
 Install 10pF capacitors at 4 places:

C20, C21, C22 & C23
 Install 1000pF capacitors at 2 places:

C5, C8
 Install C19, a 10uF electrolytic capacitor marked 10. This is a polarized part and must be
installed with the correct orientation. Negative is indicated with black stripe on the capacitor
body.
C19 may be difficult to properly solder as its leads are largely below the base insulator.
Before soldering, tin C9’s positive lead. Apply a small amount of solder to C9’s PCB pad.
While heating the positive pad with the soldering iron, hold C19 in place and apply a small
amount of pressure with your fingers or forceps. After soldering the positive pad, verify it is
properly attached; C19 should not move under light pressure. Then solder the negative
terminal.
 Install K1, a double pole, double throw relay, marked G6H-

2F.
K1 orientation should follow the photograph at the right;

the black strip on the relay body is next to the wide white
band on K1’s PCB outline.
When soldering K1 in place, tin one corner pad and slide

K1 into place whilst keeping the solder molten. Align K1’s
pins with the pads and remove the soldering iron. Then solder the remaining pins.
 Install R4 and R12, 49.9 ohm resistors, marked 49R9.
 This completes the bottom assembly. Check your work for missing parts and poor solder

joints.
The completed bottom surface is shown below.
Top Surface Components

 Install 1uF capacitors at 5 places:
C3, C11, C4, C7 & C17
 Install Q1 and Q2, NE85634 transistors, marked RE.
To install Q1 and Q2, Apply a small bit of solder to one outside pad. Hold the transistor in
place with tweezers and apply heat to the top of the pin, melting the solder on the pad
beneath the pin. Solder the remaining two pins in place and reflow the tacked pin. Then
solder the collector tab in place.
 Install 10R0 resistors, marked 10R0, at 4 places:

R2, R7, R9 & R11
 Install ferrite beads (unmarked) in 2 places:

FB1 & FB3.
 Install zero ohm jumpers (marked 000) in 3 places:

FB2, FB4 & FB5.
 Install 560R resistors (marked 5600) in 2 places:

R1 & R6
 Install 1K50 resistors (marked 1501) in 2 places:

R5 & R10

 Install 1m0 inductors (marked 102) at 5 places.
L1, L2, L3, L4 & L5
These inductors may be installed one of three ways:
 Clamp the inductor in place with a clamp made from a wooden spring clothespin.
Solder one pad and remove the clamp. Solder the remaining pad.
 Position the inductor, centering it on the pads. Carefully apply the soldering iron and
solder to one pad. The molten solder should flow around the inductor and hold it in
place. Solder the remaining pad.
 Tin one pad. Apply the soldering iron to the tinned pad and slide the inductor in
place. When positioned and after the solder has wetted the inductor tab, remove the
soldering iron and allow the joint to cool. Then solder the remaining pad.
After building many circuit boards with these inductors, I use the second method. If this is
the first time you have installed one of these parts, I recommend the first or third method.
 Install D1, the reverse polarity protection diode.

This will be a 1N400x series device, marked
1N400x where x may by any digit from 0 to 7.
The silk screen ID for D1 is obscured by J3, so refer

to the illustration at the right for D1’s location.
Observe polarity when installing the diode; the

diode body will be marked with a bar or ring
around one end. The lead from the marked end
goes into the pad marked with a bar and the + sign.
 Install F1 (RXE020 200 mA polyfuse, marked XF020). Depending on the available product,
this component may have parallel, crimped leads or angled leads.
To install the crimped lead version, slip one lead into the mounting hole so that the kink or
crimp snaps across the PCB. Put the second lead into the other mounting hole and gently pull
(with long nose pliers) the second lead from the underside of the board until it likewise
snaps into the mounting hole. If this process is too difficult, you may simply install F1 with
the crimped leads above the PCB surface. Solder.
If the angled leaded device is provided, install until the bend in the lead contacts the top of
the printed circuit board pad. Solder.
 Install RV1, the MOV over-voltage protector, marked 180M. RV1 is not polarized and may be
installed in either orientation.
 Install R3, a 100R trimpot, marked 101.
 Install R8, a 100R trimpot, marked 101.

 Install the three-pin header socket (female) at J2.
 Install SA1 and SA2,spark gaps, marked either 90V plus a date code or EC75 plus a date code.
SA1 and SA2 are not polarized and may be installed in either orientation. Be careful when
bending the leads as the ceramic body is fragile. SA1 and SA2 should be installed with their
body approximately 1/8th inch (3 mm) above the PCB surface.
 Install the three-pin header sockets (female) at J3
 Install the four-pin header sockets (female) at J1
 Locate the header pin (male) strip and break or cut two pins from the strip. Install the two
pins at J4. (The short side goes into the pad holes.)
At this point, all components should be installed on the PCB’s top surface, except for the four
transformers.
 Locate the No. 26 AWG magnet wire. (It is the smaller diameter of the two
wire sizes.) One length of green insulated wire is provided and one of red
insulated wire.
Cut four lengths of the wire:

Two pieces green, each 11 inches (280 mm) long.
Two pieces red, each 11 inches (280 mm) long.
Take one piece of red wire and one piece of green wire and twist
approximately 60 turns. Repeat for the second pair of red and green wires. (A
variable speed drill, running slow speed, speeds up the twisting process.)
At this point, you should have two twisted wire sections, each approximately 11 inches (280
mm) long, each twisted pair with one red and one green wire.
 Wind the twisted wire 10 turns onto one of the ferrite cores
marked as to be used for T1 and T3.
As a reminder, a turn is counted when the wire passes

through the hole in the core.
Start by inserting the cut end approximately one inch (25

mm) through the core. Thread the doubled end through and
wind 10 turns. Space the turns so that the windings occupy
approximately 75% of the core perimeter (270 degrees if you prefer to think in those terms).
Repeat for the second transformer, using a core identified as for T1 and T3.
Congratulations. You have completed winding two bifilar broadband transformers, T1 and

T3.
Locate the PCB and look at the silk screen outline for T1 and T3.
Note that each has four pads, comprised of three round pads and
one square pad, oriented as shown in the drawing.
The green wires connect to the two round pads on one side and the
red wires connect to the one square and one round pad on the
opposite side. [This is not critical and one can interchange the
green and red leads, but troubleshooting will be easier if all the
Z10042A’s are built the same way.]
Un-twist the pigtails so that you have four separated wires. Remove the insulation and tin
the four wires.
The wire leads should be formed as illustrated in the photo to the

right.
Cut a length of foam tape approximately 3/8ths of an inch long

(9mm) and apply it to the PCB within the T1 outline. Make sure
that tape does not block the pad holes, and trim if necessary.
Install T1 as shown in the drawing.
Note: The red and green wire supplied is

“solderable” and the insulation will melt if heated
with a blob of molten solder. This heating and
tinning must be done before the transformers are
installed in the PCB.
A common error in installing T1 and T3 (as well as

T2 and T4) is that the insulation is not fully removed
from the wire due to insufficient heating.
 Repeat the process for T3 and install

The remaining step is to wind T2 and T4, the matching and feedback transformers.
These transformers should be wound as identical as possible and must be phased (wound)
as described below or else you will build an oscillator instead of an amplifier. If you carefully
follow the instructions in this manual, your transformers will work the first time. Before
winding T2 and T4, take a moment to read the installation steps and study the drawing and
photographs.
This manual describes transformers resulting in 11 dB nominal gain, with a 1:11:4 winding

ratio. Other winding ratios are possible with different gain as described elsewhere in this
manual. In the context of drawing below, this configuration is N=11, M=4.
 Cut two lengths of #24 AWG magnet wire, each length

16 inches (400 mm) long.
This wire will be wound 15 turns on a ferrite core, as

illustrated at the right. The letters C…F on the drawing
correspond to T2 and T4’s PCB pads. Before winding
the transformers, take a moment and look at the PCB
outline for T2 and T4.
The cores used should be from the envelope marked for

use with T2 and T4.
Start by threading the wire through the core with approximately one inch (25 mm)
projecting from the core. This short starting end is C in the drawing.
Wind 11 turns (N) following the orientation shown in the drawing. Note the
direction of winding. (I’m left handed and this is how I wind a toroid. And, more
importantly, the sense of winding A-B, which is defined

by the PCB layout, is based upon following the winding
direction illustrated in the drawing.) When completed
with all 15 turns, the winding will occupy 80 to 85% of
the core perimeter.
As a reminder, a turn is counted when the wire passes

through the hole in the core.
Extend the 11th turn approximately one inch (25 mm)

and double it back. (The doubled wire will become ends D and E). Wind four more turns (M),
ending at end F. Trim the F wire to be approximately one inch (25 mm) long.
The photos below shows a transformer at this stage, before the loop is cut and the end wires
trimmed.


Cut the loop so that the two free ends are approximately one inch (25 mm) long. Remove the
insulation on all four ends and tin. You may find it helpful to fit the transformer into the PCB
to see how it fits before continuing to the next step.
 Cut a length of foam tape approximately ½ inch (12mm) long and apply it to the PCB within
the within the T2 outline. Make sure that tape does not block the pad holes, and trim if
necessary.
Insert the leads into T2 holes C, D, E and F, following the drawing, and solder these four
leads.
 Locate the short length of Teflon insulated wire and

cut it into two lengths and remove the insulation as
shown in the drawing. These will be the one turn
input winding between pads A and B.
Route the wire through T2’s center opening and to

pads A and B as shown in the photographs below. You
may find it easier to form the wire into a “U” form
before installing it. When
properly installed, the Teflon
wire will hold the transformer
core in place mechanically
against the foam tape and
PCB.

Repeat this process for T4 with the second transformer.
At this point, all components should be installed and your Z10042A should resemble the one
shown below.

Post Construction Adjustment and Checkout
Before powering up the Z10042A, take a moment to make resistance checks and pre-set R3
and R8.
 With an ohmmeter measure and adjust R3

and R8 to 63± 2 ohms. (Both measuring
points are with respect to ground, with the
negative lead of the ohmmeter to ground.)
R3: Measuring point is junction of R3 and

R2, as illustrated to the right.
R8: Measuring point is junction of R8 and

R7 as illustrated to the right.

You may wish to make a complete set of resistance measurements as developed in the
maintenance section of this manual.
 If you have not already done so, make up a power cable using a three-pin male header pin.
Positive to the center pin and negative to the two outside pins.
 The Z10042A will work with DC supply voltages up to 15V and down to 12V. Performance
data is based upon 13.8V DC.
The high performance transistors in the Z10042A are not as resistant to over-
voltage as the through-hole parts used in the Z10040B Norton Amplifier.
Accordingly, do not exceed 13.8V supply.
If a laboratory power supply with current limiting is available, set it for a

maximum short circuit current of 175 mA and set the voltage to 0V. Connect the
supply to the Z10042A at J3 (J4 duplex jumper open) and bring up the voltage
slowly whilst observing the current. With R3 and R8 set for 63 ohms, the maximum current
observed should be approximately 100 mA at 13.8V. If significant deviations from this
value are observed, immediately remove power and investigate.
Adjusting R3 and R8. With the normal DC supply voltage applied through J3 (J4 duplex
jumper open) preferably with a laboratory power supply with current limiting set to 175
mA, adjust R3 and R8.
Note: If you adjust R3 or R8 to the zero ohms extreme, it may be possible to

damage components in the Z10042A. Some current limiting is built into the circuit,
via R2 and R7, together with the resistance of L1 and L3. However, in order to
provide the maximum adjustment range to compensate for variations in Q1 and Q2,
complete protection against mis-adjustment is not possible. Accordingly, when adjusting
R3 and/or R8, it is imperative that you observe the total current being drawn by the
amplifier, and, if possible, use a power supply with current limiting set to 175 mA.
In addition, heatsinking of Q1 and Q2 is limited to that provided by the printed circuit

board.
Under no circumstances should Q1 or Q2 be biased to draw more than 60 mA each.
Clifton Laboratories recommends setting the idle emitter current to a nominal value
of 37.5 mA (35 to 40 mA range) per transistor. Of course, if the idle current balance
is adjusted for optimum OIP2 performance the two amplifier sections will likely
have slightly different idle current values.
To measure the current through Q1 and Q2, measure the voltage drop across R2 and R7, 10

ohm resistors. The emitter current (in mA) through the transistor is 1000 x V/10.0 where
V is the drop across R2 or R7 in volts, 1000 is to convert the result to mA and 10.0 is the
resistance of R2 and R7.
For the recommended 37.5 mA idle current, the voltage drop across R2 and R7 should be
0.375 volts nominal and in the range between 0.350V and 0.400V.
 Alternative 1: If you do not have the ability to measure 3rd order and 2nd order
intermodulation products, adjust R3 and R8 such that Q1 and Q2 have substantially equal
emitter currents of approximately 37.5 mA each, using the method above.
 Alternative 2: Adjust R3 and R8 for best 3rd and 2nd order intermodulation performance
using the test equipment configuration you normally use for these measurements. During
the adjustment process do not exceed 60 mA in either Q1 or Q2 as it is possible to damage
components with over-current.
Clifton Laboratories does not recommend and is not responsible for damage to the
Z10042A if the emitter current is set to exceed 60 mA per transistor. 37.5 mA should be the
target.
A bias adjustment service for kit builders not equipped to measure IP2 and IP3 is available.
Contact Clifton Laboratories for details.
Input and Output Connections

Output and DC power connections are made to the Z10042A with 3-pin headers. Since the outside
pins are always ground, either orientation is permitted. Input to the Z10042A is made with a 4-pin
header and may be configured for either balanced or unbalanced input.
Balanced Input
To make a balanced connection to the Z10042A, use
J1’s two center pins, as illustrated in the drawing to
the right.
If a shielded pair is used for the balanced input, the

shield should be connected to the two outside pins,
which are common with the Z10042A’s ground plane.
Unbalanced Input
Unbalanced (coaxial cable) input can be made to the Z10042A as illustrated below.

As always
when
making
connections to a
high gain amplifier,
shielded coaxial
cable should be
used on the output
(and the input if
unbalanced) and
the output cable
should not be
routed near the input. If balanced input is used, the input cable should be twisted pair or shielded
pair to avoid unwanted signal pickup or feedback and oscillation.

Connections Diagram
This completes the assembly and verification of your Z10042A Norton Amplifier.

Schematic and Theory of Operation and Troubleshooting
Theory of Operation
The Z10042A Norton amplifier consists of two identical amplifier sections arranged in push-pull.
The discussion below uses component designations for the section associated with Q1.
Each section is a common base (also known as “grounded base”) amplifier. As such, essentially
identical signal currents flow through all three sections of T2 and T1’s secondary winding. Gain is
achieved in the grounded base amplifier because the collector load, represented by T2’s n and m
windings operating as an auto-
transformer has greater impedance
than the emitter input, and hence
power gain results.
The figure at the right is a simplified

view of an amplifier section, with all
DC biasing and blocking components
removed so that we may concentrate
on the signal flow. The transformer
turns ratios are shown as 1:n:m, but
this does not mean the emitter
feedback winding must have only one turn. Rather, it is the ratio of turns that is important, so that if
the emitter winding has, for example, two turns, then the number of turns in windings n and m
should also be doubled.
Consider windings n and m and assume a load of impedance Z is connected from output to ground.
Windings n and m form an auto-transformer with Q1’s collector seeing an impedance of:
nm
2
ZC  ZO  
 m 
Since the same signal current flows through the emitter and collector (neglecting base current), the
gain of the common base amplifier is proportional Zc or n and m in this relationship.
The transformer turns ratios should not be arbitrarily selected, if the full benefits of the Norton
amplifier are to be realized. From Patent No. 3,891,934, the following equation governs the
transformer turns relationship:
R 
n  m 2  S   m  1
 RL 

( )
Where
RS is the source (input) impedance
RL is the load (output) impedance
n and m are the transformer winding ratios, normalized to an emitter winding with one turn.
In our case, we wish the input and output impedances to be equal, and hence RS/RL = 1. Thus the
turns relationship is simplified to:
n = m2-m-1
The amplifier’s transducer gain1 is stated as:
Again, since our normal operation is with equal input and output impedances, the transducer gain
Gt is simply m2.
Winding Ratio 1:n:m Transducer Gain (dB)

1:1:2 6.0
1:5:3 9.5
1:11:4 12.0
1:19:5 14.0
1:29:6 15.6
These figures are theoretical and the actual realizable gain is typically a dB or so less. See Appendix
F for measured data on a 1:29:6 amplifier.
One significant advantage of the Norton amplifier is that the input impedance automatically tracks
the output impedance. Thus, if terminated into a 50 ohm load, the input impedance is 50 ohms. If
the output impedance is changed to 75 ohms, the input impedance becomes 75 ohms. (This
relationship is again not perfect, but it is reasonably good with less than a 2:1 VSWR over the range
300 KHz – 30 MHz when measured in a 50 ohm system.)
DC power may be provided to the Z10042A via two feed points. First, a three-pin connector permits
direct DC power connection. Secondly, adding a jumper at connector J4 permits DC power to be
duplex fed over the coaxial cable transmission line carrying the amplifier’s output. Of course, an
1 Transducer gain is defined as: “the ratio of the power delivered by a network to a load (PdL) to the power available
from the source (Pas). Transducer gain is a function of the source and load reflection coefficients and the network s-
parameters.” http://www.maurymw.com/support/faqs/faqs/faq9.html

appropriate DC power injector, such as Clifton Laboratories model Z1203A, will be required and the
power source that is used should be selected to have low noise at the frequencies of interest.
Over current protection is provided by F1, a 200 mA positive temperature coefficient “polyfuse.”
Should the amplifier draw more than 200 mA, F1 will heat and switch to a high resistance state,
thereby limiting the current drawn by the power source. So long as the voltage remains applied, F1
will remain in the high resistance state.
Over voltage protection is provided by RV1, an 18V DC (nominal) bipolar metal oxide varistor. The
primary purpose of RV1 is to limit damage to the DC power source, should a nearby lightning strike
or other incident induce a greater than normal voltage on the DC power line. Although RV1 is rated
to begin clamping at 18V (1.0 mA clamp current at 18V), the actual onset voltage may be 20%
above this figure and the clamping voltage may rise as high as 36V at 50A clamping current. Hence,
even with RV1 in place and functioning properly, excessive over voltage may still occur if the
disturbing event is sufficiently energetic. (The ROV14-180M device used in the Z10042A is rated at
a one-time 1,000A clamp or two-times 500A clamp. However, at 1000A, the expected clamping
voltage is 80V.)
Reverse voltage protection is provided by D1, a 1N400x series diode connected to be forward
biased if the input polarity reverses. This causes two things to happen. First, the maximum voltage
across the DC power distribution circuitry will be limited to approximately 1V by D1. Secondly, fuse
F1 will enter into high resistance mode by virtue of the over current. Of course, a sufficiently robust
power supply connected with reverse polarity may destroy D1 before F1 can enter high resistance
mode.
The Z10042A’s input is through a bifilar wound, broadband transformer, T1. Both of T1’s primary
terminals are brought out to J1 through K1’s contacts so that either balanced or unbalanced input
may be used. Balanced input signals are applied across T1’s primary, which remains floating with
respect to ground. If unbalanced input is used, one of T1’s primary terminals is connected to ground
through appropriate jumper settings at J1, or via the ground connection modification discussed in
the assembly section of this manual.
Ferrite beads FB1 and FB3, along with C22 and C23 prevent VHF/UHF parasitic oscillations. (The
NE85634 transistors have appreciable gain above 5 GHz.)
DC power is supplied to Q1 and Q2 through RF chokes L2 and L4, with T2 and T4 output sections
being AC coupled by blocking capacitors C4 and C7. There is thus no DC current flowing in T2 and
T4’s windings, except for the emitter current through the one turn input winding. Removing DC
current from T2 and T4 from the majority of the windings reduces core saturation and improves
low frequency performance.
The Z10042A’s input circuit is protected in two ways. First, when DC power is removed from the
Z10042A, relay K1 removes the input connection and connects it to ground through R4 and R12,
49R9 ohm resistors. (If desired, the user may replace R4 and R12 with wire jumpers to the input
when power is removed.) Secondly, SA1 and SA2, “gas trap” or spark protector devices are always
connected across the Z10042A’s input connector. Although SA1 and SA2 limit the voltage for fast

rise time pulses, their break over voltage may be several hundred volts. The primary purpose of
SA1 and SA2 is to limit the voltage that might otherwise be coupled over the coaxial transmission
line and, secondarily, to provide some protection to the Z10040’s components.
When the input is configured as unbalanced, only one of SA1 and SA2 is operational. In balanced
mode, SA1 and SA2 are connected between the two balanced inputs and the Z10042A’s common
ground point. Likewise in balanced mode, when the Z10042A is unpowered, R4 and R12 are
connected across the balanced input to the Z10042A’s common ground point.
All of these protection measures assume that the Z10042A is properly grounded and that
good engineering practices have been used in its installation and construction of the ground
system. The Z10042A is not intended to survive a direct lightning strike to an antenna connected to
its input, whether powered up or not. However, the protective measures incorporated into the
Z10042A’s design should aid in reducing damage, particularly where the strike is not directly to the
antenna system.

Schematic
Voltage Troubleshooting Data

Resistance Troubleshooting Data

Appendix A Typical Performance Data
Except for common mode rejection, the data presented below is taken from one Z10042A amplifier.
While it is believed representative of Z10042A amplifiers, due to component tolerance, assembly

practices and test setup, the performance level seen in these measurements should be regarded as
typical and is not guaranteed.
Unless otherwise specifically noted, the data is taken with unbalanced input.
Bandwidth
Test Conditions: Direct DC feed.
15
10
Z10042A Norton Amplifier
Gain
5
Gain (dB)
0
Amplifier 1 MHz Gain -3 dB Points
Z10042A +11.15 dB 44 KHz - 44.8 MHz
-5
-10
10k 100k 1M 10M 100M
Frequency (Hz)
Noise Figure
NF versus Frequency
Data taken with an HP8970A noise figure meter and AIL 7615 noise source at 13.8V supply.

NF and Gain versus Idle Current
Test conditions: 13.8V supply voltage. Idle current adjusted between 11 mA and 66 mA. Noise
figure and gain measured at 10 MHz with an HP8970A noise figure meter and AIL 7615 noise
source.

NF as function of supply voltage
Test conditions: Idle current adjusted for approximately 37.5 mA emitter current (each transistor);
supply voltage varied between 9 and 16V. Noise figure measured at 10, 20 and 30 MHz with an
HP8970A noise figure meter and AIL 7615 noise source.

Second and Third Order Intermodulation
Test conditions: Three Z10042A amplifiers of consecutive serial number tested. Each adjusted for
optimum OIP2 with 13.8V DC supply voltage and emitter current 37.5 mA per transistor
(approximately). Supply voltage adjusted between 10.0V and 16.0V and 2nd and 3rd order intercepts
measured. Two test signals at 3007 KHz and 4011 KHz, adjusted to provide an output level of 0
dBm for each tone.
OPERATIONS AT VOLTAGES ABOVE 15.0V ARE NOT RECOMMENDED AND ARE EXCLUDED
FROM WARRANTY.
3rd Order Intercept

2nd Order Intercept

Appendix B – PCB Mounting Hole Dimensions
Drawing is not to scale. There is no change in mounting hole spacing and size between the Z10040A
and Z10042A.

Appendix C – Norton Amplifier Patent, US Patent No. 3,891,934

Appendix E Manual Backdating
There are no manual backdating pages.

Appendix F Z10042A Performance Increased Gain
This appendix describes the expected performance changes when a Z10042A is built with a 1:29:6
turns ratio. The data provided is from a sample of one Z10040B amplifier and while believed
accurate, some unit-to-unit variation may be expected. The Z10042A will have similar performance
vis-à-vis T2 and T4 transformer turns, so it safe to extrapolate performance from the through hole,
series feed Z10040B to the shunt fed, surface mount Z10042A amplifier. It is likely, however, that
the Z10042A will have better low frequency response with 1:29:6 turns than the sample Z10040B
amplifier.
As discussed earlier in this manual, a Norton amplifier’s gain is defined by the transformer (T2 and
T4) turns ratio, with the “normal” Z10042A being constructed with a 1:11:4 turns ratio. From the
Norton patent, the theoretical gain when built with a 1:29:6 turns ratio is 20*log10(6) or 15.6 dB. In
practice, a dB or so loss from theoretical gain should be added to reflect losses in the input and
output transformers among other sources.
The illustration below shows T2 built with a 1:29:6 turns ratio. #24 AWG wire can be used, but as
the photo shows, it’s a tight fit.

As might be expected, increased gain comes at a price; the upper -3 dB point is significantly below
the 1:11:4 standard Z10042A amplifier. The figure below shows 14.6 dB gain at 1 MHz, with the
upper -3 dB point being 19.1 MHz. (The standard 1:11:4 Z10042A has an upper -3 dB point around
40 MHz.) The lower -3 dB point is 65 KHz, essentially unchanged from the standard 1:11:4
amplifier.

With respect to other key performance measures, the 1:29:6 version shows:
 3rd order intermodulation intercept (output referenced) degrades to +32 dBm

 2nd order intermodulation intercept (output referenced) degrades to approx. +90 dBm
 Noise figure is not materially different from the 1:11:4 version.

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Z10042A

Broadband Norton Amplifier

Revised 11 September 2010

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 1

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 2

(c) 2010 Jack R. Smith d/b/a/ Clifton Laboratories.

Trademarks and Copyright

Under no circumstances is Clifton Laboratories liable for damage to your equipment

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 3

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 4

The Z10042A modifies Dr. Lankford’s design in several respects:

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 5

100 KHz – 30 MHz. Typical -3 dB bandwidth 50 KHz - 45 MHz

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 6

A note on how component values are identified in this manual

Description and Component

C2, C3, C4, C6, 1uF X7R 25V, 1206 size

Same as above 10pF, C0G 50V, 1206

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 7

Surface mount ferrite

Shorting jumper for 2

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 8

L1, L2, L3, L4 & L5 1m0 RF choke

NPN transistor, UHF,

¼ watt, 1% 1206 Surface Mount Resistors

2 R3, R8 100R Trim-pot 101

14mm dia. 18V over-

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 9

None 1 length #24 No. 24 AWG magnet

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 10

Overview of Installing Surface Mount Parts

3. Solder the other pad. Touch up the first pad if necessary.

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 11

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 12

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 13

The assembly order starts with the bottom surface.

 Install 1uF capacitors at 7 places:

 Install 10pF capacitors at 4 places:

 Install 1000pF capacitors at 2 places:

 Install K1, a double pole, double throw relay, marked G6H-

K1 orientation should follow the photograph at the right;

When soldering K1 in place, tin one corner pad and slide

 Install R4 and R12, 49.9 ohm resistors, marked 49R9.

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 14

The completed bottom surface is shown below.

Top Surface Components

 Install Q1 and Q2, NE85634 transistors, marked RE.

 Install 10R0 resistors, marked 10R0, at 4 places:

 Install ferrite beads (unmarked) in 2 places:

 Install zero ohm jumpers (marked 000) in 3 places:

 Install 560R resistors (marked 5600) in 2 places:

 Install 1K50 resistors (marked 1501) in 2 places:

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 15

These inductors may be installed one of three ways:

 Install D1, the reverse polarity protection diode.

The silk screen ID for D1 is obscured by J3, so refer

Observe polarity when installing the diode; the

 Install R3, a 100R trimpot, marked 101.

 Install R8, a 100R trimpot, marked 101.

Z10042A Construction and Operations Manual Page 16