Bird Technologies ACMI User Manual
NETWORK ENABLED
ANTENNA & CABLE MONITOR
SERIES ACMI
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
This is a preliminary manual. Specifications, limits, and text are subject to
change without notice. The information within this manual was as complete
as possible at the time of printing. Bird Electronic Corporation is not liable
for errors.
©Copyright 2014 by Bird Electronic Corporation
Instruction Book P/N 920-ACMI Rev. P1
Thruline® is a registered trademark of
Bird Electronic Corporation
Microsoft® and Windows® are registered
trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation
This page is not blank
Safety Precautions
The following are general safety precautions that are not necessarily related to
any specific part or procedure, and do not necessarily appear elsewhere in this
publication. These precautions must be thoroughly understood and apply to all
phases of operation and maintenance.
WARNING
Keep Away From Live Circuits
Oper
ating Personnel must at all times observe general safety precautions. Do
not replace components or make adjustments to the inside of the test
equipment with the high voltage supply turned on. To avoid casualties,
always remove power.
WARNING
Shock Hazard
Do not attempt to remove the RF transmission line while RF power is present.
WARNING
Do Not Service Or Adjust Alone
Under no circumstances should any person reach into an enclosure for the
purpose of service or adjustment of equipment except in the presence of
someone who is capable of rendering aid.
WARNING
Safety Earth Ground
An uniterruptible earth safety ground must be supplied from the main power
source to test instruments. Grounding one conductor of a two conductor
power cable is not sufficient protection. Serious injury or death can occur if
this grounding is not properly supplied.
WARNING
Resuscitation
Personnel working with or near high voltages should be familiar with modern
methods of resuscitation.
WARNING
Remove Power
Observe general safety precautions. Do not open the instrument with the
power on.
iii
Safety Symbols
WARNING
Warning notes call attention to a procedure, which if not correctly
performed, could result in personal injury.
CAUTION
Caution notes call attention to a procedure, which if not correctly performed,
could result in damage to the instrument.
Note: Calls attention to supplemental information.
Warning Statements
The following safety warnings appear in the text where there is danger to operating and maintenance personnel, and are repeated here for emphasis.
WARNING
Leaking RF energy is a potential health hazard. Never attempt to connect or
disconnect equipment from the transmission line while RF power is being applied.
Severe burns, electrical shock, or death can occur.
See page 7.
WARNING
Do not touch the center conductor of the power monitor ports while RF
power is being applied.
See page 8.
WARNING
Disconnect the unit from the RF power source and the AC line before any
disassembly. The potential for electrical shock exists.
See page 11 and 21.
iv
Caution Statements
The following equipment cautions appear in the text and are repeated here for
emphasis.
CAUTION
The input voltage must be clean and stable. Be sure that the input voltage
does not surge and does not contain spikes. Failure to comply may result in
permanent damage to the instrument.
See page 8.
CAUTION
The maximum input voltage differential is 72 V for High Voltage models, 36
V for Medium Voltage models, and 18 V for Low Voltage Models. Do not
apply an input voltage differential greater than the voltage limit for the
model. Failure to comply may result in permanent damage to the
instrument.
See page 8.
CAUTION
Do not use harsh or abrasive detergents for cleaning.
See page 21.
v
Safety Statements
USAGE
ANY USE OF THIS INSTRUMENT IN A MANNER NOT
SPECIFIED BY THE MANUFACTURER MAY IMPAIR THE
INSTRUMENT’S SAFETY PROTECTION.
USO
EL USO DE ESTE INSTRUMENTO DE MANERA NO
ESPECIFICADA POR EL FABRICANTE, PUEDE ANULAR LA
PROTECCIÓN DE SEGURIDAD DEL INSTRUMENTO.
BENUTZUNG
WIRD DAS GERÄT AUF ANDERE WEISE VERWENDET ALS VOM
HERSTELLER BESCHRIEBEN, KANN DIE GERÄTESICHERHEIT
BEEINTRÄCHTIGT WERDEN.
UTILISATION
TOUTE UTILISATION DE CET INSTRUMENT QUI N’EST PAS
EXPLICITEMENT PRÉVUE PAR LE FABRICANT PEUT
ENDOMMAGER LE DISPOSITIF DE PROTECTION DE
L’INSTRUMENT.
IMPIEGO
QUALORA QUESTO STRUMENTO VENISSE UTILIZZATO IN
MODO DIVERSO DA COME SPECIFICATO DAL PRODUTTORE
LA PROZIONE DI SICUREZZA POTREBBE VENIRNE
COMPROMESSA.
vi
SERVICE
SERVICING INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR USE BY SERVICE TRAINED PERSONNEL ONLY. TO AVOID DANGEROUS
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT PERFORM ANY SERVICING
UNLESS QUALIFIED TO DO SO.
SERVICIO
LAS INSTRUCCIONES DE SERVICIO SON PARA USO
EXCLUSIVO DEL PERSONAL DE SERVICIO CAPACITADO. PARA
EVITAR EL PELIGRO DE DESCARGAS ELÉCTRICAS, NO
REALICE NINGÚN SERVICIO A MENOS QUE ESTÉ
CAPACITADO PARA HACERIO.
WARTUNG
ANWEISUNGEN FÜR DIE WARTUNG DES GERÄTES GELTEN
NUR FÜR GESCHULTES FACHPERSONAL.
ZUR VERMEIDUNG GEFÄHRLICHE, ELEKTRISCHE SCHOCKS,
SIND WARTUNGSARBEITEN AUSSCHLIEßLICH VON
QUALIFIZIERTEM SERVICEPERSONAL DURCHZUFÜHREN.
ENTRENTIEN
L’EMPLOI DES INSTRUCTIONS D’ENTRETIEN DOIT ÊTRE
RÉSERVÉ AU PERSONNEL FORMÉ AUX OPÉRATIONS
D’ENTRETIEN. POUR PRÉVENIR UN CHOC ÉLECTRIQUE
DANGEREUX, NE PAS EFFECTUER D’ENTRETIEN SI L’ON N’A
PAS ÉTÉ QUALIFIÉ POUR CE FAIRE.
ASSISTENZA TECNICA
LE ISTRUZIONI RELATIVE ALL’ASSISTENZA SONO PREVISTE
ESCLUSIVAMENTE PER IL PERSONALE OPPORTUNAMENTE
ADDESTRATO. PER EVITARE PERICOLOSE SCOSSE
ELETTRICHE NON EFFETTUARRE ALCUNA RIPARAZIONE A
MENO CHE QUALIFICATI A FARLA.
vii
About This Manual
Sample Model ACM–M–DMNFTL
470 – 960 MHz ACM with male 7/16 input, female N output,
female TNC monitor ports, requiring a low voltage power supply
Base
Model
ACMI L0 108 – 138 NMMale N N Female N L +/- (9 to 18)
ACMI
500
Frequency Range
(MHz)
L1 136 – 225 NF Female NT Female
L2 225 – 520 DMMale 7/
M 470 – 960 DF Female
H 960 – 2400
RF
Connectors
16 DIN
7/16 DIN
Monitor Port
Connectors
TNC
B Female
BNC
Power Supply
Voltage
VDC)
H ± (36 to 72)
VDC
M +/- (18 to 36)
VDC
Note: Exception: Models in ACMI500 series do not support frequency
range L0 and H and any of its variations.
viii
Changes to this Manual
We have made every effort to ensure this manual is accurate. If you discover
any errors, or if you have suggestions for improving this manual, please send
your comments to our Solon, Ohio factory. This manual may be periodically
updated. When inquiring about updates to this manual refer to the part number
and revision on the title page.
Chapter Layout
Introduction — Identifies the parts and functions of the ACMI.
Theory of Operation — Describes the ACMI’s alarm options.
Installation — Provides instructions for installing the ACMI at a site, as well as
detailed information on the cable connections.
Operating Instructions — Explains computer commands for controlling the
ACMI and describes operation of the PCTool software.
Maintenance — Lists routine maintenance tasks for the ACMI, as well as trou-
bleshooting information for common problems. Specifications and parts lists are
also included.
ix
x
Table of Contents
Safety Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Safety Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Warning Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Caution Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Safety Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Changes to this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Chapter Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Items Supplied . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Component Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2 Theory of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Alarm Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Alarm Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Alarm Latching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
VSWR Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Alarm on Zero Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
High Power Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Low Power Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Push-to-Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 3 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Unpacking and Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Power/Alarm Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Ethernet Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
WebTool Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Computer Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
xi
Bird Technologies
Chapter 4 Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
WebTool Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Main Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Stats Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Data Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Day Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Get Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Day Detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Config Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Alarm Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Admin Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Network Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Email Alerts Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SNMP Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Password Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Help Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Push-to-Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Setting Push-to-Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Analog Output Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 5 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Inspection and Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Frequency Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
RF Power Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Insertion Loss, Max. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
VSWR, Max. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
xii
Chapter 1 Introduction
Designed for 50 ohm coaxial transmission lines, the Bird Antenna & Cable Monitor is
the solution for monitoring transmission antenna systems. Service providers and
end users can rely on it to keep their critical sites up and running. Designed to detect
antenna and cable faults that transmitter-internal VSWR monitors may not detect, it
also provides accurate in-line power measurement functionality.
Features
Measures forward and reflected power as well as VSWR and Return Loss.
Measures true average power of pulses with high peak-to-average
ratios - works with any modulation.
When monitoring transmitter output power, alarms available for low
or high power.
Accurately monitors antenna and cable system VSWR. Alarm triggered
if antenna or cable fails.
Integral coupler measures small changes in VSWR through high feeder
and interface losses.
Note: High directivity maximizes measurement accuracy.
Sampling ports allow signal measurements without requiring system
downtime.
Excellent passive intermod allows the unit to be inserted into multi-
channel systems with a single Tx/Rx antenna with no desensing or deg-
radation of receiver performance.
Can be rack mounted at the output of transmitter combiner or linear
power amplifier.
Setup and operation via built-in PCTool software.
Items Supplied
ACMI Unit
Instruction Manual
Optional Accessories
Note: See “Replacement Parts” on page 33 for part numbers of
accessories.
PCTool Software - PC software for locating ACMI units on a network.
DB-15 Power/Alarm Cables - Connects the Antenna Monitor to a power
supply and to external controllers. 50 feet long with male/female connectors.
Note: Refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 on page 8 for pin layout.
DB-15 Interface Connector - Allows easy custom data cable connections to
the ACM.
1
Component Description
Figure 1 Antenna & Cable Monitor Outline
1 RF Input Connects to the amplifier or combiner
2 Forward Monitor Port Samples the forward travelling wave
3 Reflected Monitor Port Samples the reflected wave
4 RF Output Connects to the antenna or feeder
5 Reset Switch Resets the alarm. If an alarm trigger is still present,
the alarm will reactivate
6 Operation/Test LED Green LED indicates when the unit is powered
7 Alarm LED Red LED indicates when an alarm is triggered
8 Ethernet Port RJ-45 connector. Interface to a PC using a Cat5
Ethernet cable
9 Power/Alarm Parallel
Port
15 pin female connector. Connects to the power
supply using a male 15 pin cable.
remote operation.
Also used for
2
Chapter 2 Theory of Operation
Alarm Response
When an alarm is triggered, the Bird Antenna & Cable Monitor turns on the
alarm LED and and de-asserts a TTL logic line (pulls low). In addition, depending
on configuration settings, one Form C dry contact relay changes state (i.e. activates or de-acitvates) as a result of the VSWR alarm activating. A second Form
C dry contact relay changes state as a result of either the low power or high
power alarms activating. Refer to the Power/Alarm Connector pins for proper
connection and Alarm configuration for set-up.
The LED activates the TTL logic line de-asserts as a result any of the three alarm
conditions (VSWR, low or high power).
If power to the unit is lost, both relays default to their de-energized condition.
The PCTool software can configure whether the relays energize or de-energize
during initialization or in response to an alarm when the unit is operating. Refer
to the section on Alarms for instructions on setting alarm response behavior.
Alarm Reset
Alarms can be reset locally with the reset switch.
Alarms are reset when the reset pin on the Power/Alarm port is acti-
vated by a TTL compatible logic low signal (0 to 0.8 VDC).
The PCTool can reset the unit through the Ethernet port by sending a
“Reset Alarm” command.
Reset events clear all three alarms (VSWR, High Power, Low Power)
and reset both relays.
Alarm Latching
The alarm defaults to latching operation. In this mode, the alarm will stay active
until reset. In non-latching mode, the VSWR alarm will reset automatically about
forty seconds after the trigger condition is corrected, power alarms will reset in
about one-and-half seconds after the power condition is corrected.
VSWR Alarm
The ACM continuously monitors forward and reflected power. From the power
measurements, the VSWR is calculated and compared to the allowed maximum
(default of 1.5 to 1). Based on the results of the comparison, possible actions
include:
3
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