GE MDS TD220 User Manual
GE MDS TD220 Manual
Version 12
TD220_manual12.doc Page 1 of 38 1/10/2011
Table of Contents
1 Important Information ............................................................................................................ 3
1.1 Antenna Installation Warnings ........................................................................................ 3
1.2 ESD Notice ..................................................................................................................... 3
1.3 FCC Approval Notice ...................................................................................................... 3
1.4 FCC Part 15 Notice ........................................................................................................ 3
1.5 FCC Part 80 Notice ........................................................................................................ 3
1.6 Industry Canada ICES-003 and RSS-119 ...................................................................... 4
2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 5
3 Interfaces .............................................................................................................................. 7
3.1 Data Interface (DB-25) ................................................................................................... 7
3.2 USB ................................................................................................................................ 8
3.3 Power .............................................................................................................................. 8
3.4 Antenna Connector ......................................................................................................... 8
4 Common Setup Tasks ........................................................................................................... 9
4.1 Key the Transmitter for Test Purposes ........................................................................... 9
4.2 Prepare the Network Interface for a Radio ..................................................................... 9
4.3 Set Up a Base Unit ......................................................................................................... 9
4.4 Set Up a Mobile Unit ....................................................................................................... 10
4.5 Perform Test Polling ....................................................................................................... 10
5 Menu Interface ...................................................................................................................... 16
5.1 Main Menu ...................................................................................................................... 17
5.2 Network Configuration Menus ........................................................................................ 18
5.3 Base System Configuration Menus ................................................................................ 21
5.4 Mobile System Configuration Menu ............................................................................... 23
5.5 Radio Configuration Menu .............................................................................................. 24
5.6 GPS Configuration Menu ................................................................................................ 25
5.7 Security Configuration Menu .......................................................................................... 25
5.8 Statistics/Logging Menus ................................................................................................ 26
5.9 Device Information Menus .............................................................................................. 30
5.10 Maintenance/Tools Menus ............................................................................................. 31
6 Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................... 34
7 ITCSLOG Utility ..................................................................................................................... 35
8 Change Log ........................................................................................................................... 38
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1 Important Information
0-
6 dBi
6-
10 dBi
10-
16.5 dBi
Minimum RF Safety
Distance
1.50 meters
2.37 meters
5.01 meters
Radio Power Setting
ERP Maximum Antenna Gain
2 W 4 W 3 dBd (5.2 dBi)
4 W 4 W 0 dBd (2.2 dBi)
2 W 20 W
10dBd (12.2 dBi)
1.1 Antenna Installation Warnings
1. All antenna installation and servicing is to be performed by qualified technical personnel
only. When servicing the antenna, or working at distances closer than those listed below,
ensure the transmitter has been disabled.
2. Depending upon the application and the gain of the antenna, the total composite power
could exceed 90 watts EIRP. For fixed/mobile configuration, the distances in the table below
must be followed.
Antenna Gain vs. Minimum Safety Distance
(Based upon a 50% Duty Cycle, 0 dB Feedline Loss) Controlled Exposure limits
Fixed/Mobile Antenna Gain
1.2 ESD Notice
To prevent malfunction or damage to this product, which may be caused by Electrostatic Discharge
(ESD), the radio should be properly grounded at the time of installation. In addition, the installer or
maintainer should follow proper ESD precautions, such as touching a bare metal object to dissipate
body charge, prior to touching components or connecting/disconnecting cables.
1.3 FCC Approval Notice
This device is offered as a licensed transmitter per FCC Parts 80, 90, and 95. It is approved for use
under the following conditions: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance will void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
1.4 FCC Part 15 Notice
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible
for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
1.5 FCC Part 80 Notice
For FCC Part 80, the Effective Radiated Power (ERP) must be less than or equal to 4 Watts for mobile
use and 20 Watts for fixed use. This can be accomplished by adjusting the output power of the
radio and selecting an antenna with appropriate gain. Consult the following table for assistance in
setting the output power and selecting an antenna to maintain compliance. The table provides
examples, however other combinations can be used.
TD220_manual12.doc Page 3 of 38 1/10/2011
10 W
20 W
3 dBd (5.2 dBi)
20 W
20 W
0 dBd (2.2 dBi)
1.6 Industry Canada ICES-003 and RSS-119
This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003 and with RSS-119. Cet appareil
numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
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2 Introduction
The GE MDS TD 220 is a 25-Watt 220 MHz GMSK data radio intended for bridging ITCS messages
over the air between locomotives and wayside devices. The data interface is Ethernet, with UDPencapsulated ITCS message payload.
Each second is divided into 8 133-byte time slots. The first of the 8 timeslots each second is always
reserved for bases A, B, or C to transmit beacon information to the mobiles in the area. Following
the beacon are 4 (or 5) time slots that are always reserved for mobiles to transmit. At the end of
each second, are 3 (or 2) time slots that can be used by bases or mobiles. These slots are used with
the following priority: the previous base, the current base, and then mobiles. In other words, during
second 1 in the table below, base A actually has priority over the last three slots. If A does not use
them, B can use them. If B does not use them, mobiles can. Bases reserve these time slots with
flags in the beacon. This scheme maximizes the potential for utilizing all slots.
Second 0 Second 1 Second 2
0 A B C <- Beacon slots always used by a specific base
1 M M M <- Slots available for CW-based mobile transmissions
2 M M M <- Slots available for CW-based mobile transmissions
3 M M M <- Slots available for CW-based mobile transmissions
4 M M M <- Slots available for CW-based mobile transmissions
5 C or A or M A or B or M B or C or M <- Slots that can be used by one of two bases
6 C or A or M A or B or M B or C or M <- Slots that can be used by one of two bases
7 C or A or M A or B or M B or C or M <- Slots that can be used by one of two bases
While this radio has been designed to pass ITCS messages, it can pass generic UDP traffic
following the conventions outlined in the following figures.
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UDP Header stripped by
UDP Header added by
BASE MOBILE
UDP Header added by
UDP Header stripped by
Base Radio
IP Address of Base Radio,
Port Number on which the
Base is configured to listen
Mobile Radio
IP Address and Port Number
to which the Mobile is
configured to send
Payload
Payload
Over the Air
Payload
Figure 1. Base to Mobile Communications – Many to One
BASE MOBILE
Base Radio
IP Address and Port Number
as triggered by address
embedded in payload
Mobile Radio
IP Address of Mobile Radio,
Port Number on which the
Mobile is configured to listen
Payload
Payload
Over the Air
Payload
Figure 2. Mobile to base Communications – Many to Many
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3 Interfaces
Notes
Reserved
GPS NMEA Data Expected
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
For TTL PPS, leave this open
For TTL PPS, use this input
Console
Console
3.1 Data Interface (DB-25)
The Data Interface has several ports integrated into one connector: Ethernet, COM1 and COM2
Serial Ports, and GPS signaling. Note that COM3 is connected internally and therefore not available
on pins labeled with “COM3.”
DB-25
Pin
1 COM3_DCD Input
2 COM2_TXD Input
3 COM2_RXD Output
4 COM2_RTS Input
5 COM2_CTS Output
6 COM3_TXD Output
7 GND Input/Output
8 COM2_DCD Output
9 COM3_CTS Input
10 COM3_RTS Output
11 COM3_DTR Output
12 COM3_RXD Input
13 GND Input/Output
14 ETH_TX_H Output
15 ETH_TX_L Output
16 ETH_RX_H Input
17 ETH_RX_L Input
18 EXT_KEY Output
19 EXT_DET Input
20 COM2_DTR Input
21 ALARM_OUT Output
22 GPS_PPS_L Input
23 GPS_PPS_H Input
24 COM1_RXD Input
25 COM1_TXD Output
The DB-25 connector is female, and the orientation of the connector as looking into the front panel
of the unit is as shown below.
13
Signal
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Direction WRT MDS
Equipment
24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14
25
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3.2 USB
Pin Signal Name
Description
1 PC_USB_+5V
+5 VDC
2 USBD
- USB Data Minus
3 USBD+
USB Data Plus
4 GROUND
Ground
Pin Signal Name
Direction with respect to MDS Equipment
Description
1 (L) PWR
Input
13.8 VDC input, 7
2 (R) GROUND
Input
Power return.
Voltage (V)
RF Power Out
Duty Cycle (%)
Current Required
Thermal
12 0 (RX)
100 0.3 TBSL
12 2 100 TBSL
TBSL
12 10 50 TBSL
TBSL
12 25 30 TBSL
TBSL
13.8 0 (RX)
100 0.3 TBSL
13.8 2 100 1.2 14
13.8 10 50 3.2 15
13.8 25 30 5.5 15
The radio provides a USB Port conforming to version 1.1 of the USB standard. This port is provided
for future features such as ITCS logging to text files on a memory stick. Consult GE MDS for
information on this feature. The pinout for this connector is given in the table below.
3.3 Power
The power connector is a screw-secured 2-pin connector.
Amps maximum.
The pin orientation as looking into the connector is shown below.
L R
Consult the following table to determine how much current is required for receiving or transmitting
vs. input voltage and RF power output.
(W)
(A)
Dissipation (W)
3.4 Antenna Connector
The Antenna Connector is a type N female connector with 50-Ohm characteristic impedance.
TD220_manual12.doc Page 8 of 38 1/10/2011
4 Common Setup Tasks
4.1 Key the Transmitter for Test Purposes
1. Log in to the radio on its COM1 console using a serial terminal emulator program.
2. Go to the Radio Configuration menu.
3. Select the frequency for the test transmission.
4. Select the RF Output Power to use. Note that power levels greater than 2 Watts will
timeout after a 5-second period by default. Ensure ventilation with supplemental forced
airflow if longer durations are desired.
5. Select the Force TX Key menu option.
6. When finished, deselect the Force TX Key menu option.
4.2 Prepare the Network Interface for a Radio
Each radio is assigned an IP Address, a Netmask, and a Gateway IP Address. The IP Address and
Netmask should be chosen carefully. The radio will network directly with other equipment with IP
Addresses that are on a common Subnet. IP Addresses that begin with the same numerical IP
address bits where the Netmask is one will be on the same Subnet. For example, if the IP Address is
10.4.100.1 and the Netmask is 255.255.0.0, the radio will attempt direct Ethernet communication
with any node whose IP Address begins with 10.4. If a message is bound for a node outside of the
10.4 network, it will be sent to the Gateway IP address instead so that it can be placed from the
radio’s subnet onto another subnet.
1. Log in to the radio on its COM1 console using a serial terminal emulator program.
2. Go to the IP Configuration menu.
3. Set the IP address of the radio, plus the Netmask and Gateway.
4. Go to the Maintenance/Tools Menu and select the Ping Utility.
5. Enter the IP address of a known node on the network.
6. Execute the Ping and observe the results. If the network interface is working properly, Ping
responses should be received.
4.3 Set Up a Base Unit
1. If not already done, complete steps from 4.2 above.
2. Connect the RS-232 NMEA serial data output from the GPS receiver to the Base Radio via
the radio’s COM2 port. Drive serial data into the radio on DB-25 pin 2.
3. Connect the GPS’s PPS output to the Base Radio. Drive TTL into the radio on DB-25 pin 23.
4. Log in to the radio.
5. Go to the System Configuration menu.
6. Set the unit to Base mode and reboot if necessary.
7. Set the base type (A, B, or C).
8. Set the window size. Mobiles will transmit in a randomly selected available slot among
2^(Window Size) slots. For small networks, this can be 1. For larger networks, use a
Window Size that provides double or quadruple the number of mobiles expected under one
base at a time.
9. Set the IP Port on which the base will receive UDP messages from wayside devices.
10. Set up an ITCS Translation Table. For test purposes, this may be as simple as setting up one
known address with a mask of all “F’s”.
11. Verify Ethernet Link using the Ping utility in the Maintenance/Tools Menu.
12. Begin sending UDP data.
13. Verify the TX LED illuminates and the radio begins transmitting over the air.
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4.4 Set Up a Mobile Unit
1. If not already done, complete steps from 4.2 above.
2. Log in to the radio.
3. Go to the System Configuration menu.
4. Set the unit to Mobile mode and reboot if necessary.
5. Set the IP Port to which the mobile will send messages received over the air.
6. Set the IP Port on which the mobile will accept incoming messages for transmission over
the air.
7. Verify Ethernet Link using the Ping utility in the Maintenance/Tools Menu.
8. Ensure at least one base is present in the neighborhood of this radio so that it can detect
beacons and synchronize timing.
9. Begin sending UDP data from a polling program.
10. Verify the TX LED illuminates and the radio begins transmitting over the air.
4.5 Perform Test Polling
1. Set up the Base and Mobile as above.
2. Connect as shown in the following diagram. Note: this is for bench testing only, i.e. not for
sensitivity testing. Sensitivity testing requires complete RF isolation or mixed operation to
prevent the leakage path from being the dominant RF path between units. For bench
testing, use attenuation so that the signal level at every unit that is participating is around
–70 to –50 dBm.
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40 dB/ 10 W
Test Polling Setup
30 dB/ 50 W
TD220 Base
Set for 2 Watts
13.8 VDC < 5 Amps
Radio
COM1 to PC
Serial Port
30 dB/ 50 W
TD220 Mobile
Set for 2 Watts
Ethernet Hub
13.8 VDC < 5 Amps
Test PC
Radio
COM1 to PC
Serial Port
TD220_manual12.doc Page 11 of 38 1/10/2011
3. Configure the Base as follows:
System Configuration Menu
-==========================================================================-
A) Unit Type Base
B) Base Unit Zone A
C) Window Size 2
D) ITCS UDP Receive Port 50000
E) Timing Signal Timeout 60 Seconds
F) ITCS Translation Table
Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
ITCS Translation Table Menu
-========================================================================== Dest Addr Addr Mask Dest IP Addr Dest Port RSSI Opt
------------------------------------------------------------------------- A) 12345678 FFFFFFFF 10.4.147.170 53000 NO
B) New Entry
Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
Radio Configuration Menu
-==========================================================================-
A) Base Transmit Frequency 221.900000 MHz
B) Mobile Transmit Frequency 221.900000 MHz
C) Transmit Slots 4
D) Output Power 2 W
E) Force Tx Key Normal
F) TX Key Timeout 5 sec
Select a letter to configure an item, <ESC> for the prev menu
4. Reboot the Base
5. Obtain the Parametric Poller (parm_poller.exe) from GE MDS. This utility saves its settings
to parm_poller.ini in the current directory, so make one directory for the base and a
different directory for the mobile.
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