Automatic frequency control: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Radio circuit}}

{{Unreferenced|date=December 2009}}

In [[radio]] equipment, '''Automatic Frequency Control''' (AFC), also called '''Automatic Fine Tuning''' (AFT), is a method or circuit to automatically keep a [[resonant circuit]] [[Tuner (electronics)|tuned]] to the [[frequency]] of an incoming [[radio signal]]. It is primarily used in [[radio receiver]]s to keep the receiver tuned to the frequency of the desired station.

[[File:APCh2.svg|thumb|Basic automatic frequency control in a radio receiver. У = RF amplifier stages, Д = frequency discriminator stage]]

In [[radio communication]], AFC is needed because, after the [[bandpass]] frequency of a receiver is tuned to the frequency of a [[transmitter]], the two frequencies may drift apart, interrupting the reception. This can be caused by a poorly controlled transmitter frequency, but the most common cause is drift of the center bandpass frequency of the receiver, due to thermal or mechanical drift in the values of the electronic components.

In [[radio]] equipment, '''Automatic Frequency Control''' ('''AFC'''), also called '''Automatic Fine Tuning''' ('''AFT'''), is a method or circuit to automatically keep a [[resonant circuit]] [[Tuner (electronics)|tuned]] to the [[frequency]] of an incoming [[radio signal]].<ref>Rider 1937, pp. 2-3.</ref> It is primarily used in [[radio receiver]]s to keep the receiver tuned to the frequency of the desired station.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

In [[radio communication]], AFC is needed because, after the [[bandpass]] frequency of a receiver is tuned to the frequency of a [[transmitter]], the two frequencies may drift apart, interrupting the reception. This can be caused by a poorly controlled transmitter frequency, but the most common cause is drift of the center bandpass frequency of the receiver, due to thermal or mechanical drift in the values of the electronic components.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

Assuming that a receiver is nearly tuned to the desired frequency, the AFC [[electrical network|circuit]] in the receiver develops an error [[voltage]] proportional to the degree to which the receiver is mistuned. This error voltage is then [[Feedback|fed back]] to the tuning circuit in such a way that the tuning error is reduced.<ref>Rider 1937, p. 7.</ref> In most [[frequency modulation]] (FM) detectors, an error voltage of this type is easily available.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} See [[Negative feedback]].

==Use==

AFC was mainly used in radios and television sets around the mid-20th century. In the 1970s, receivers began to be designed using [[frequency synthesizer]] circuits, which synthesized the receiver's input frequency from a [[crystal oscillator]] using the vibrations of an ultra-stable [[crystal oscillator|quartz crystal]]. These maintained sufficiently stable frequencies that AFC's were no longer needed.

{{Unreferenced section|date=DecemberJune 20092025}}

AFC was mainly used in radios and television sets around the mid-20th century. In the 1970s, receivers began to be designed using [[frequency synthesizer]] circuits, which synthesized the receiver's input frequency from a [[crystal oscillator]] using the vibrations of an ultra-stable [[crystal oscillator|quartz crystal]]. These maintained sufficiently stable frequencies that AFC'sAFCs were no longer needed.

== See also ==

* [[Frequency drift]]

*[[Automatic gain control]] (AGC)

* [[Phase-locked loop]] (PLL)

*[[Frequency drift]]

* [[Phase-lockedAutomatic gain loopcontrol]] (PLLAGC)

==Notes==

== External links ==

{{reflist}}

* [http://www.radartutorial.eu/09.receivers/rx11.en.html Radar tutorial]

==References==

*{{Cite book |last=Rider |first=John F. |url=http://www.tubebooks.org/Books/afcs.pdf |title=Automatic Frequency Control Systems |publisher=John F. Rider |year=1937 |___location=New York City}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.radartutorial.eu/09.receivers/rx11.en.html Radar tutorialTutorial]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Automatic Frequency Control}}

[[Category:Communication circuits]]

[[Category:Wireless tuning and filtering]]