FM Transceiver System Development for Campus Security Applications: Design Methodology and Quantitative Performance Assessment

Institutional security communications traditionally depend on commercial systems that inadequately address site-specific geographical and operational requirements. This research presents a systematic approach to designing, constructing, and validating a customized FM transceiver system for campus security at Kwara State Polytechnic, Nigeria. Two functional prototypes were developed using super regenerative receiver architecture and FM transmitter topology, operating at 95 MHz with transmission power of 100 mW. Design calculations encompassed antenna impedance matching (50Ω), link budget analysis (119 dB maximum path loss), and audio amplification (voltage gain of 200). Field testing across 15 campus locations employed standardized metrics: Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI: -68 to -90 dBm), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR: 13-37 dB), Mean Opinion Score for audio intelligibility (MOS: 4.2/5.0 average), and Communication Success Rate (CSR: 89.7%). The system achieved practical operational range of 1.8 km in open terrain and 450 m through building-dense areas, with 8.5-hour battery operation. Results demonstrate that systematically designed, locally developed FM transceiver systems can effectively meet institutional security communication requirements while fostering technical capacity in resource-constrained educational environments.