GE MDS SD 1, MDS SD 2, MDS SD 9, MDS SD 4 Quick Start Manual

PANEL

CONNECTOR (RJ

-

45)

POWER

CONNECTORS (DB

-9)

NECTOR (TNC)

1 INTRODUCTION

The MDS SD transceiver (Figure 1) is a software-configurable,
industrial radio for use in wireless telemetry applications. Models
offered at the time of printing include: MDS SD2 (215-235 MHz),
SD4 (350-512 MHz), and SD9 (928-960 MHz). The term SD is
used for information common to all models of the radio.

The radio supports both polled and report-by-exception data net­works, and interfaces with a variety of data control equipment
such as remote terminal units (RTUs), programmable logic con­trollers (PLCs), flow computers, and similar devices. Data inter­face connections support both Ethernet and serial (RS-232/485)
protocols.

LED INDICATOR

DC INPUT

ETHERNET

MDS SD Series

Quick Start Guide

NOTE: Retrofit Kits are available to ease installation at former
MDS x710 digital and analog sites. Consult your factory repre­sentative for ordering details.

2.1 Installation Steps

In most cases, the steps given here are sufficient to install the
transceiver. Refer to the Technical Manual for additional details,
as required.

1. Mount the transceiver. Attach the supplied brackets to the

bottom of the transceiver case (if not already attached), using
the four 6-32 x 1/4 inch (6 mm) screws. Mounting bracket
dimensions are shown in Figure 3. If DIN Rail mounting
brackets are to be used, consult the Technical Manual for
instructions.

NOTE: To prevent moisture from entering the radio, do not mount
the case with the cable connectors pointing up. Also, dress all ca­bles to prevent moisture from running along the cables and into
the radio.

ANTENNA SYSTEM

ANTENNA SYSTEM

Master Stations typically use

Master Stations typically use

omni-directional antenna

omni-directional antenna

SERIAL DATA

ANTENNA CON-

Figure 1. MDS SD Data Transceiver

1.1 Additional Information

This Setup Guide covers the essential installation and startup for
all SD transceivers except those operating in x710 mode. Alter­nate information is available in English, (see 05-4846A01 Tech­nical Manual). GE MDS manuals, Setup guides, Firmware, driv­ers and Application Notes are available free of charge at

www.gemds.com.

GE MDS has produced a series of instructional
videos for configuration and setup of the Orbit
products on YouTube. These are available in
English, free of charge at: http://ti-

nyurl.com/pey2ull

1.1.1 x710 Mode—Different Manuals Required

The radio may be configured to emulate a corresponding MDS
x710 transceiver. For x710 mode information, consult these man­uals instead:

Setup Guide (05-4669A01)
Technical Manual (05-4670A01)

2 INSTALLATION

There are three main requirements for installing the transceiver:

Adequate and stable primary power
An efficient and properly installed antenna system
Correct interface connections between the transceiver and the

data equipment.

Figure 2 shows a typical installation of the radio.

POWER SUPPLY

POWER SUPPLY

10.5-30 VDC @ 2.5A

10.5-30 VDC @ 2.5A

Negative Ground Only

Negative Ground Only

ETHERNET

ETHERNET

OR SERIAL

OR SERIAL

DATA TELEMETRY DEVICE

DATA TELEMETRY DEVICE

OR HOST COMPUTER

OR HOST COMPUTER

Figure 2. Typical Installation (Remote Site Shown)

Figure 3. Mounting Bracket Dimensions

2. Install the antenna and feedline. The antenna must be de-

signed to operate in the radio’s frequency band, and be
mounted in a location providing a clear path to associated sta­tion(s). At Remote sites, aim directional antennas toward the
Master Station. Low loss coaxial feedline should be used and
it should be kept as short as possible.

05-4847A01-GB, Rev. B MDS SD Series Setup Guide 1

3. Connect the data equipment. Connection may be made us-

Transceiver

Session

ing Ethernet signaling, Serial protocols (RS-232/RS-485), or
both.

If Ethernet is to be used, connect your data equipment to the

front panel Ethernet port next to the PWR connector.

If serial is to be used, connect your data equipment to the

COM1 or COM2 port on the front panel. (Typically, COM2 is
used for connecting data equipment and COM1 is used for
serial management of the radio. Other assignments are pos­sible. (Refer to the Technical Manual for details.) In all
cases, the radio is hardwired as a DCE device. A straight­thru cable may be used in most applications.

NOTE: Do not connect the Ethernet port to a LAN with high traffic
levels. Excessive traffic will overload the port and Ethernet com­munications will be temporarily disabled.

4. Connect primary power. Input power must be 10.0 to 30

Vdc and capable of providing at least 2.5 Amperes. A power
connector with screw-terminals is provided (see Figure 4).
Strip the wire leads to 6 mm (1/4 inch) and insert them into
the wire ports. Be sure to observe proper polarity as shown
below. Tighten the binding screws securely.

NOTE: Some early models supported 10.5 to 16 Vdc power, not

10.0 to 30 Vdc. Always check the labeling above the Power con-
nector to verify the proper range for your unit.

Lead

Lead
Binding

Binding
Screws (2)

Screws (2)

factory shipped radio is 192.168.1.1. The default subnet
mask is 255.255.255.0.

3. Enter the radio’s IP address in a web browser window, just as
you would enter a website address. When the login screen
appears (Figure 6), enter the User Name and Password for
the radio. The default entries for a new radio are both admin.
Click OK.

Figure 6. Login Screen

4. The Basic Setup Wizard (Figure 7) begins automatically upon
connection to a new factory shipped radio. It displays a series
of screens with key selections as follows:

TX/RX Frequencies (entries must match station license)
RF Power Output
Operating Mode
Modem Type
Serial Port Configuration
Ethernet Bridging
Encryption Setting
AP or Remote Service

Continue through each wizard screen until all selections have
been made. (You may back up to previous screens if required, to
review or change settings.) Contact your network administrator if
you are unsure about a setting.

Retaining

Retaining
Screws (2)

Wire Ports (2)

Wire Ports (2)

(Polarity: Left +, Right -)

(Polarity: Left +, Right -)

Figure 4. DC Power Connector

CAUTION: The unit is designed for use with negative-ground

systems only. The power supply should be equipped with over­load protection (NEC Class 2 rating), to protect against a short
circuit between its output terminals and the radio’s power con­nector.

Screws (2)

2.1.1 Configuration Settings

PC Running Terminal

Figure 5. Setup for PC Configuration

The SD Radio contains a Setup Wizard for fast, easy configura­tion of key settings. On a new radio shipped from the factory, the
wizard starts as soon as you are connected to the radio. Follow
the steps below to connect and use the wizard.

1. Connect an Ethernet cable (straight-thru or crossover)
between the radio and a PC as shown in Figure 5.

2. Configure your PC network settings to an IP address on the

same subnet as the radio. The default IP address on a new

Figure 7. Basic Setup Wizard

5. At the conclusion of the wizard, click Done. Configuration is

now complete for this radio. Run Remote Management Wiz­ard, if required, for other installed radios in the network.

A summary of all SD settings (Figure 8) may be viewed, by
clicking Overview. The Overview screen may be formatted
for printing, by clicking Printer friendly configuration (at the
bottom of the screen.

6. When finished, log out of the Device Manager by clicking

Logout in the upper right hand side of the screen.

05-4847A01-GB, Rev. B MDS SD Series Setup Guide 2