Contemporary Research 232-FMA User Manual
Product Manual
232-FMA
Stereo FM Tuner
Rev 1.3 August 11, 2005
17630 Davenport Road, Suite 113 • Dallas, TX 75252
Phone: 972-931-2728 • Toll-Free: 888-972-2728 • Fax: 972-931-2765
E-Mail: Sales@crwww.com
• Website: www.crwww.com
Table of Contents
Overview.............................................................................................................................................3
Specifications......................................................................................................................................4
Physical.................................................................................................................................................4
Front Panel............................................................................................................................................4
Rear Panel.............................................................................................................................................4
Includes ................................................................................................................................................4
Front Panel Programming...................................................................................................................5
Mode 0: RF Tune Select..........................................................................................................................5
Mode 1: Baud Rate Select.......................................................................................................................5
Mode 2: Unit Address Select....................................................................................................................5
Mode 3: Not used...................................................................................................................................5
Mode 4: Front Panel Disable level............................................................................................................5
Mode 5: Power-up Volume level ..............................................................................................................5
Mode 6: Special Test Mode (for factory testing)........................................................................................5
Mode 7: Audio Decoding.........................................................................................................................5
Mode 8: Bass setting fixed at 0dB............................................................................................................5
Mode 9: Treble setting fixed at 0dB .........................................................................................................6
Front Panel Programming Quick Reference .......................................................................................6
RS-232 Control Protocol.....................................................................................................................7
Overview...............................................................................................................................................7
General protocol specifications ................................................................................................................7
Command String Structure......................................................................................................................7
General RS-232 Commands.....................................................................................................................8
Terminal Communication Commands .......................................................................................................9
RS-232 Command Hints and Tips.............................................................................................................9
Response Strings .............................................................................................................................. 10
Frequency/Source Status Response String..............................................................................................10
Audio Status Response String................................................................................................................10
Front Panel Mode Status Response String...............................................................................................10
Control Cable Connections................................................................................................................11
Single Tuner ........................................................................................................................................11
Multiple Tuners, AV6x4 Router ..............................................................................................................11
Rack Mounting..................................................................................................................................12
RK1 Single Unit Rack Mount..................................................................................................................12
RK2 Side-by-Side Rack Kit.....................................................................................................................12
Safety Instructions...........................................................................................................................13
Limited Warranty and Disclaimer.....................................................................................................14
Contemporary Research 2 232-FMA FM Stereo Tuner
Overview
The Contemporary Research 232-FMA is a versatile RS-232 controlled FM tuner featuring stereo
audio, 10-preset memory, front-panel operation and feedback, and intelligent control. Fully
programmable, the unit can restore all settings on power-up from non-volatile memory.
The front-panel buttons and LED display can be used for general operation and to program basic
features for tuning, RS-232 baud rate and local control. Full setup, control, and feedback is provided
by RS-232. Up to three FM, TV tuners, and AV6x4 Routers can be controlled from a single RS-232
port. In addition, remote preset up and down operation can be accessed through contact closure
inputs.
• Tunes FM stereo broadcasts with local/DX modes, auto stereo/mono operation
• Interacts with PCs and control systems via RS-232, using simple ASCII-format commands and
feedback, up to 3 tuners can be linked to a single RS-232 control port
• Stores up to 10 presets in onboard memory, unlimited presets via external control system
• Accesses presets via front-panel control, RS-232, and contact closures
• Provides front-panel control for A/V Mute, Seek up/down, and Preset up/down; with LED
feedback for Mute, current frequency and programming mode
• Restores all operation status after loss of power from data stored in non-volatile memory
• Mutes audio with front-panel LED indicator
• Enables and disables front-panel operation via front-panel and RS-232 commands
• Mounts in 19" rack with optional RK1 or RK2 kit for dual side-by-side installation
Contemporary Research 3 232-FMA FM Stereo Tuner
Specifications
Physical
Size: 8.5" [216mm] wide x 1.75" [38mm] height (1RU) x 6.0" [153mm] deep
Weight: 1.25 lbs [0.57kg]
Enclosure: All aluminum with durable black powder coat paint
Mounting: Rack mounting for one or two units side-by-side optional (RK1, RK2)
Front Panel
Push Buttons: Preset up and down, Seek up and down, and Mute All A/V
Indicators: Red LED: Mute All A/V status
3 digit, 7 segment red LED display for frequency and stereo/mono mode
Rear Panel
Power In: 2.1mm coaxial jack (inside center conductor positive)
11.5 to 16.5 VDC, 12 VDC typical, 100 mA max (may be unregulated)
RS-232 Control: DB-9 male
User selectable 300 to 9600 (default) baud, 8 data bits, No parity, 1 stop bit
All standard ASCII keyboard character strings available from any terminal program
2 momentary closure inputs close to ground (pin 5) to select stored presets
Preset Up (Pin 4), Preset Down (Pin 9)
Antenna: F female antenna connector
87.7 to 108MHz automatic fine tuning to 1 KHz
+35dBmV maximum, -20dBmV minimum input level (DX Mode)
–20dBmV typical local mode attenuation (Local mode)
Video Output: RCA female, not implemented presently
Audio Outputs: Stereo RCA female, left and right channels
Unbalanced line level, 600 ohm impedance
40Hz to 14KHz response
3% maximum, <1% typical total harmonic distortion (THD)
24dB minimum, 28dB typical stereo channel separation
68dB typical signal to noise ratio
160mV RMS typical output level (or mute)
Includes
12 VDC Power Supply (North America shipments only)
Contemporary Research 4 232-FMA FM Stereo Tuner
Front Panel Programming
To Enter a Front Panel Programming Mode:
1. Press and hold the Mute A/V button such that the red LED light above is lit (indicating Mute On).
2. Press Seek Up.
3. Release all buttons, the 232-FMA will now be in the front panel programming mode.
4. The front panel display is dedicated to programming information display while in this mode.
5. Changes are saved in non-volatile memory as they are entered.
6. The Seek up/down buttons scroll through programming modes 0 through 9.
7. The Preset up/down buttons scroll through possible parameters for each mode.
To Exit the Front Panel Mode
Push and release the Mute All A/V button.
Front Panel Modes
Mode 0: RF Tune Select
Selects U.S. standard FM odd frequency presets or both even and odd FM frequencies for international use.
Factory default is odd frequencies only.
Mode 1: Baud Rate Select
Selects the baud rate for the RS-232 control port. Factory default is 9600 baud. Higher baud rates are
recommended for quicker response time.
Mode 2: Unit Address Select
Selects unit address used in RS-232 remote control protocol. Factory default is unit address 1 and should
only be 2 or 3 if multiple units are RS-232 daisy chained.
Mode 3: Not used
Mode 4: Front Panel Disable level
Selects front panel buttons to be disabled. Different levels of lockout are possible.
Levels are as follows:
Level Buttons Disabled
0 None (normal operation)
1 Preset Up/Dn
2 Seek Up/Dn
3 Preset & Seek Up/Dn
4 Mute A/V
5 Preset Up/Dn & Mute A/V
6 Seek Up/Dn & Mute A/V
7 All (complete front panel disable)
Mode 5: Power-up Volume level
Seeks the audio volume level at power-up. ‘0’ restores volume to previous muted or full level, ‘1’ restores
volume to full level. May be set from 0 – 63, but any value above zero sets volume to full on.
Mode 6: Special Test Mode (for factory testing)
Displays unit software version. Holding Preset Up button while exiting this mode will return the unit to all
factory default settings: 9600 baud, unit #1, panel lockout level 0, power-up volume restore, stereo local
Mode 7: Audio Decoding
Seeks mono/local, stereo/local, mono/DX or stereo/DX.
Mode 8: Bass setting fixed at 0dB
Contemporary Research 5 232-FMA FM Stereo Tuner
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