EXHIBIT VIII
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
OF THE
MCC-545B
PACKET DATA RADIO
OP ERATION AND MA IN TENANCE
OF THE
MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
MAN-OM-545B
December 2000
Meteor Communications Corporation
8631 So.212th St..
Kent, WA 98031
Tel: (253) 872-2521
Fax: (253) 872-7662
E-mail: mcc@meteorcomm.com
2000 by Meteor Communications Corporation
all rights reserved
This page MUST be inserted for any copy of this manual going to the United Kingdom.
WARNING WARNING WARNING
Certain power transistors used in this equipment and their associated heatsink components are
manufactured partly or wholly from a beryllium compound. Normally these can be handled
without risk of toxicity, but there is a toxic hazard if dust or finely-divided particles of the
material are inhaled or enter the body through a cut. Consequently, great care must be taken, and
hands must be washed after handling.
Any cuts or abrasions on the hands must be covered by dressings while such components are
being handled. If beryllium dust does enter the skin through a cut or abrasion, the affected part
must be washed thoroughly and treated by a doctor.
Components containing beryllium may only be machined, cut, abraded, or heated above 400 C
under strictly controlled conditions approved by the appropriate Safety Authority.
Disposal of Beryllium
Disposal of faulty components must be carried out according to special arrangements. Should a
component containing Beryllium be broken, its parts and particles must be gathered carefully
using a moistened tissue (preferably while wearing plastic or rubber gloves), placed in a plastic
bag together with any contaminated materials, sealed, labeled, and disposed of in a manner
approved of by the Safety Authority.
Beryllium Components in MCC-545B RF Power Components
RF power components in the modules listed below incorporate some Beryllium within the
transistor package and must be handled as specified in the above warning notice.
TRANSISTOR CIRCUIT MODULE MANUFACTURER REFERENCE
545B 100W Transmitter (54505302-01) Advanced Semi Corp
Motorola
Q1,Q4
Q2
GENERAL WARRANTY
Meteor Communications Corporation (MCC)
published specifications and are free from manufacturing and material defects for one year after
shipment. Warranty-covered equipment that fails during the warranty period will be promptly
repaired at MCC’s facility in Kent, Washington.
International customers shall pay shipping costs to the MCC facility, with Seattle as the point of
U.S. entry. MCC shall pay incoming U.S. duty fees. MCC shall pay for shipping costs to return
the equipment to the customer, with the customer paying any and all return duty fees.
This warranty is contingent upon proper use of the equipment and does not cover equipment that
has been modified in any way without MCC’s approval or has been subjected to unusual
physical or electrical stress, or on which the original identification marks have been removed or
altered.
warrants that its products conform to the
REVISION PAGE
Document Title MCC-545B INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONS Manual
Document Number:
Revision # Date Revision
Redline 11/10/2000 Redline Release
12/11/2000 Initial Release
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Presentation...................................................................................................... 1-1
1.2 Support Documents.......................................................................................... 1-2
1.3 Conventions...................................................................................................... 1-2
2.0 DESCRIPTION
2.1 General Description............................................................................................. 2-1
2.2 Send and Receive Messages................................................................................ 2-1
2.3 Data Logging....................................................................................................... 2-1
2.4 Position Location................................................................................................. 2-2
2.5 Maintenance Features.......................................................................................... 2-3
2.6 Hardware Organization and Layout.................................................................... 2-3
2.6.1 MCC-545B Transceiver Assembly......................................................... 2-4
2.6.2 MCC-545B Power Amplifier.................................................................. 2-7
2.6.3 MCC-545B Microprocessor.................................................................... 2-7
3.0 INSTALLATION
3.1 Site Selection...................................................................................................... 3-1
3.1.1 External Noise/Interference .................................................................... 3-1
3.1.2 Horizon Angle......................................................................................... 3-3
3.1.3 Power Source........................................................................................... 3-3
3.1.4 Site Dimensions....................................................................................... 3-3
3.1.5 Antenna Considerations.......................................................................... 3-3
3.2 Equipment Installation........................................................................................ 3-5
3.2.1 Antenna Installation................................................................................ 3-5
3.2.2 Cable Connections................................................................................... 3-5
3.2.2.1 DC Power................................................................................... 3-8
3.2.2.2 Antenna...................................................................................... 3-8
3.2.2.3 Ground Wire............................................................................... 3-8
3.2.2.4 Operator Port.............................................................................. 3-8
3.2.2.5 Data Port.................................................................................... 3-8
3.2.2.6 Auxiliary (AUX) Port ................................................................ 3-8
3.3 Power-Up Se quence ............................................................................................ 3-9
3.3.1 Internal Battery........................................................................................ 3-9
3.3.2 Power On................................................................................................. 3-9
3.3.3 Set Unit ID............................................................................................... 3-11
3.3.4 Set and VerifyTx/Rx Frequencies........................................................... 3-11
3.3.5 Perform RF Test...................................................................................... 3-12
....................................................................................................... 2-1
................................................................................................... 1-1
.................................................................................................... 3-1
4.0 OPERATIONS
4.1 Getting Sta rted..................................................................................................... 4-1
4.1.1 Command Entry and Editing................................................................... 4-1
4.1.2 Unit Name and Station ID....................................................................... 4-2
...................................................................................................... 4-1
Title Page
4.1.3 HELP Command .................................................................................... 4-2
4.1.4 System Time and Date ............................................................................ 4-2
4.2 Station Operational Parameters........................................................................... 4-3
4.2.1 Configuring the 545B.............................................................................. 4-3
4.2.2 Selecting 545B Remote/Master Operation.............................................. 4-5
4.2.3 Selecting Network Parameters................................................................ 4-5
4.2.4 Selecting the Burst Monitor .................................................................... 4-7
4.2.5 Controlling the Hourly Statistics Report................................................. 4-8
4.2.6 Scheduling 545B Events ......................................................................... 4-8
4.2.7 Setting Timeout Durations ...................................................................... 4-9
4.2.8 Setting Frequencies ................................................................................. 4-9
4.2.9 Defining Data Relays.............................................................................. 4-10
4.2.10 Scaling A/D Readings............................................................................. 4-11
4.3 Sending and Receiving Messages....................................................................... 4-12
4.3.1 Entering and Deleting Messages............................................................. 4-12
4.3.2 Sending Commands to Remote Stations................................................. 4-14
4.3.3 Editing Messages..................................................................................... 4-14
4.3.4 Transmitting Messages............................................................................ 4-15
4.3.5 Receiving Messages............................................................................... 4-16
4.3.6 Examining/Revising Messages Queues................................................... 4-16
4.3.7 Examining Messa ge Statistics................................................................. 4-18
4.3.8 Entering Canned Messages...................................................................... 4-18
4.3.9 Printing Canned Messages ...................................................................... 4-19
4.4 Data Loggers....................................................................................................... 4-19
4.5 Reporting Position Location................................................................................ 4-19
4.6 Master Simulator Mode....................................................................................... 4-20
4.7 Examining Stat ion Statistics ................................................................................ 4-22
4.8 Configuring an RF Network................................................................................ 4-23
4.8.1 Types of Networks .................................................................................. 4-23
4.8.1.1 Meteor Burst Networks............................................................ 4-24
4.8.1.1.1 Full Duplex Network.............................................. 4-25
4.8.1.1.2 Half Duplex Network............................................. 4-26
4.8.1.1.3 Master Probe/Transpond Role................................ 4-26
4.8.1.1.4 Master Active/Passive Role.................................... 4-26
4.8.1.2 Line-of-Sight Networks............................................................ 4-27
4.8.1.2.1 Multi-Master Mode ................................................ 4-27
4.8.1.2.2 Base/Repeater Mode .............................................. 4-28
4.8.2 Remote to Master Assignment................................................................ 4-30
4.8.2.1 Fixed Master Selection............................................................. 4-30
4.8.2.2 Preferred Master Selection....................................................... 4-30
4.8.2.3 Automatic Master Selection..................................................... 4-32
4.8.3 Destination Considerations...................................................................... 4-32
4.8.4 Source and Group Routing...................................................................... 4-33
4.8.5 Network Parameters................................................................................ 4-34
Title Page
4.9 Command Reference List.................................................................................... 4-37
APPENDIX A
Command Printouts
Unsolicited Printouts
APPENDIX B
Data Logger Interface
APPENDIX C
GPS Interface
APPENDIX D
Application Note: MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO Warning Software
APPENDIX E
Application Note: CR10X Data Logger
APPENDIX F
Event Programming
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
2.1 MCC-545B Photograph............................................................................................. 2-2
2.2 MCC-545B Block Diagram....................................................................................... 2-5
2.3 MCC-545B Outline Drawing.................................................................................... 2-6
3.1 Remote Station antenna Height for Meteor Burst..................................................... 3-4
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
2.1 MCC-545B General Specifications........................................................................... 2-8
2.2 MCC-545B Receiver Specifications......................................................................... 2-8
2.3 MCC-545B Transmitter Specifications..................................................................... 2-9
2.4 MCC-545B Multiprocessor Specifications............................................................... 2-9
3.1 MCC-545B Interface Connections............................................................................ 3-6
4.1 MCC-545B Sca ling Factors...................................................................................... 4-11
4.2 MCC-545B Commands............................................................................................. 4-40
INTRODUCTION 1-1
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO is part of a Meteor Burst Communications System
(MBCS) that allows short and long range communications between any two Stations in the
system. The system offers continuous radio signal propagation via ground wave and meteor
burst. Ground wave covers short distances, up to 100 km (60 miles). Meteor burst covers longer
distances, up to 1,600 km (1,000 miles), reflecting signals off ionized electron trails created by
meteors entering the atmosphere at a height of about 100 km (60 miles) above the earth's surface.
These trails, called bursts, are random but predictable in number and last from a few
milliseconds to several seconds. During this time, information can be exchanged between two
Stations. The height of the trails (60 miles) gives the system its 1,000 mile range.
1.1 Presentation
This manual is divided into five major sections:
Section 2. DESCRIPTION
Discusses specifications of each module included in the 545B.
Section 3: INSTALLATION
Presents a brief outline of installation procedures for the 545B. Includes
considerations for set-up and cabling, as well as power-up procedures.
Section 4: OPERATION
Outlines operating procedures for hardware and software.
Appendix A contains printouts of 545B commands and command responses.
Appendix B contains for interfacing the Pharos Marine Data Acquisition Unit.
Appendix C contains a list of GPS units supported and instructions for interfacing each unit to
the 545B.
Appendix D contains information on configuring the 545B for use in a Flood Warning System.
Appendix E contains information on interfacing to the Campbell Scientific CR10X Data Logger.
Appendix F contains information on the event and I/O programming capability of the 545B.
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INTRODUCTION 1-2
1.2 Support Documents
Customer Specific System Manual
MCC-520B/MCC-520C Operations Manual
1.3 Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
Any system-dependent options are indicated with an "*".
When presented in the text, user commands and computer printout are boldfaced; e.g., Enter
DELETE.
parameters are enclosed in brackets; e.g.,
Names of terminal keys are capitalized and enclosed in square brackets when mentioned in the
text; e.g., Press [ESC].
Command parameters are presented in lower case; e.g.,
TIME
{,hh:mm:ss}
DEFINE
,id. Optional
Names of hardware switches, meters, etc. are capitalized; e.g., PWR ON switch.
NOTE
Used for special emphasis of material
IMPORTANT
Used for added emphasis of material.
CAUTION
Signals the operator to proceed carefully.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
Used in cases where failure to heed the message may result in personal injury or equipment
damage.
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DESCRIPTION 2-1
2.0 DESCRIPTION
2.1 General Description
The MCC-545B Packet Data Radio provides versatile communications from fixed or mobile
sites. The 545B can be used for sending and receiving messages, position reporting, data logging,
or other specific applications. Designed to operate over a fading groundwave and an intermittent
meteor burst communications channel, the unit's low standby-power consumption (<1 watt)
makes it ideal for remote locations or mobile operation.
The 545B features rugged construction in a weather-resistant enclosure that measures 10.6 " x
4.0" x 2.42" and weighs less than 3.5 pounds.
A photograph of the 545B is given in Figure 2.1.
The unit operates in a half-duplex mode and contains a solid state Tx/Rx switch that allows a
common antenna to be shared for both transmit and receive. It can be operated with a single
frequency or on two separate frequencies.
The unit utilizes three phase locked frequency synthesizers to set the Tx and Rx frequencies.
The operator can set the frequency to any authorized frequency (10KHz steps) within a 2 MHz
band. A factory-trained technician is required to retune the transmitter and synthesizer if
operation outside a 2 MHz band is desired. The unit can be factory tuned across the full 37 to 50
MHz band
2.2 Send and Receive Messages
The 545B provides full text message capability. With a portable operating terminal, or a PC
running terminal emulation software, you can exchange messages with any other Remote Station
in the network.
Messages may be plain text or binary data. They can be routed to single or multiple destinations
or, to a Host Computer or Data Center.
2.3 Data Logging
The 545B can be programmed to acquire, store, and transmit data from the various I/O signals
noted below. Any analog or digital input can be used to trigger a transmission or to set a discrete
output level. Output levels can also be set hi or low via a command received from a distant unit.
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DESCRIPTION 2-2
I/O CAPABILITY OF MCC 545B
NAME RANGE QUANTITY
Analog Inputs 0 to +5V 6
Digital Inputs Optical isolated 4
Digital Outputs RS232 (+/- 10V) 2
Digital Outputs 0 to +5V ( 10 ma) 3
Digital Inputs 0 to + 5V or +/-10V 2
Relay Outputs Form C 2 amp rating 2
MCC-545B PHOTOGRAPH
FIGURE 2.1
Refer to Appendix E for detailed operation and control of the I/O capability of the MCC 545B.
The MCC can also be connected via an RS 232 port to a variety of Data Loggers such as the
Campbell Scientific CR10X or CR23. Data from these loggers can be collected, stored, and
transmitted to a distant unit. Refer to Appendix B and E for a description of data logger
interface.
2.4 Position Location
The 545B delivers location data from either a built 12 channel GPS (optional) or from an
external GPS with NEMA 0183 format, positioning equipment used in mobile units on land, in
the air, and at sea. The 545B sends the position location to a Master or Base Station, which
forwards the information to a Data Center or Host Computer for processing. This data can be
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DESCRIPTION 2-3
used in dispatch centers, corporate/district offices, and other monitoring Stations for updating
map displays or additional functions. Refer to Appendix B for a description of the GPS
commands.
2.5 Maintenance Features
An operator terminal or a remote command from a distant unit can also be used to read and
display the 545B's status such as radio propagation channel statistics, battery voltage during
transmission (loaded), battery voltage when not transmitting (unloaded), RF forward and
reflected power (checks antenna), and receiver noise levels. It can also be used to display and
configure the 545B's operating characteristics, as detailed in Chapter 4.
An internal Li ion battery is used to maintain the internal real time clock and battery backed
RAM. This battery is capable of operating the clock in a power down state for a period of
approximately 6 months. This battery should be removed if the unit is stored without power for
extended periods of time.
2.6 Hardware Organization and Layout
The unit contains five printed circuit assemblies:
A 100 watt all solid-state 2 stage power amplifier.
A 2 watt 2 stage preamplifier and power switch.
A BPSK 4 KB/sec transceiver containing a BPSK receiver, vector phase modulator (+13Dbm
output) and three frequency synthesizers.
A low-power microprocessor controller used to perform radio control and link and network
protocol functions. This assembly also contains a digital signal processor (DSP)and
digital to analog converter (DAC)for generating the in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase
(Q) base band signals required to generate the BPSK RF signal.
An 8 channel GPS receiver (optional)
The following paragraphs contain a brief description of each of the five main hardware elements
in the 545B. Figure 2.2 presents a block diagram for the 545B. Figure 2.3 presents an outline
drawing showing mounting holes, connectors, and dimensions.
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DESCRIPTION 2-4
2.6.1 MCC-545B Transceiver Assembly
The receiver assembly contains a complete 4K baud Bi Phase Shift Key (BPSK) receiver, a
transmit and receive frequency synthesizer module, and a 4K baud BPSK modulator.
BPSK Receiver
!
Input band pass filter (37-50 MHz)
!
RF amplifier (17 dB)
!
Low pass image filter (Fc=50 MHz)
!
Mixer
!
IF amplifiers and filters (10.7 MHz)
!
Noise blanker
!
Mixer, 2
!
Coherent Costas Carrier Tracking Loop
!
BPSK bit detector and clock generator
Synthesizer (1
!
Reference Oscillator (12.8 MHz +/- 2.5 PPM)
!
Tx phase lock loop ( 74-100 MHz output, 20 KHz steps)
!
A divide by 2 circuit (37-50 MHz output, 10 KHz steps)
!
Rx 1
!
Rx 2nd local oscillator phase lock loop (10.6 MHz)
!
PIC Microcontroller
nd
IF filter and amplifier (100 KHz), and RSSI circuit
st
and 2nd local oscillator and transmit oscillator)
st
local oscillator phase lock loop (47.7-60.7 MHz output, 10 KHz steps)
BPSK Modulator
1.
2.
I/Q Vector Phase Modulator (BPSK)
Pre amplifier (+13 DBM output)
All components are located on a 8.5”by 3.5” two sided printed circuit board. All components are
soldered in (surface mounted). As an option the board can be conformal-coated with an acrylic
encapsulate that contains a tropicalizing, anti-fungal agent to increase durability and provide
protection against moisture and contamination.
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DESCRIPTION 2-5
BPSK TRANSCEIVER
54506303-01
A1BPF1 BPF2
16 DB 16 DB
FREQ DEV = +/- 2400 HZ
GMSK MODULATION 0 DBM
DATA RATE = 9600 BAUD
BT = .5
RX INPUT
CO-AX
VR
COUPLER
FINAL POWER AMP 54505306-01
CO-AX
FC=50 MHZ 10.7 MHZ
VCOFr+10.7 MHZ
DC CTRL
DC CTRL
Ft
/2
COMPLEX
PHASE
MODULATOR
VF
DIR
FC = 60 MHZ
NOISE BLANKER
LOG
CERAMIC
CERAMIC
A1
CERAMICLO1
SWITCH
A1
ERA-5SM
SWITCH
FILTER
REF OSC
12.8/10.0 MHZ
TXKEY
100W
T/R
G=7DB G=13DB G=10DBG=10DB
VLB100-12 MRF 455
DUAL
PHASE LOCKED
LOOP
I II
Q
LPF
ONE
COMP
SHOT
FIRST IF 10.7 MHZ
CRYSTAL
A2 A2 A2
FILTER
16 DB
PHASE
LOCKED
LOOP
20W
2ND IF 14.2 MHZ
CRYSTAL BPSK BASEBAND
FILTER
DC CTRL
VCO
2W
LO2 114.9 MHZ
EMI
EMI
EMI
V_R
V_F
VCC2
AD607
IF AMP/DETECTOR
PIC CONTROL
NB ENABLE
2 ND IF TPFILTER AMP
LPFLBPF
4.2 MHZ
DET RF
MODULATOR OUT
POWER
CONTROL & SWITCH
.1W
VLB1-12
FRONT END PA & POWER CONTROL
CO-AX
.020W
VHB121-12T
+13 DBM
54505305-01
CONTROL
TO SYNTH
VCXO
CTL
LIMITED COSTAS
COSTAS
I&D DATA
PLL
LOCK
COMPARE
5.7VRX
5.7V
5.7VPR
SWITCH DSP
REGULATOR
+12 VOLT POWER
PROCESSOR
MICRO
4.192
MHZ
CONTROL
DET RF
RX ENABLE
SYNTH LOCKSYNTH LOCK
Q
OSC
RX DATA
RX CLK
RXLOCK
BRATE
SP
TX KEY
TXLIMITEMI
I/O7
TEMP
VF
+12VBATT
PIC
PCI BUS
Q
USARTFILTER
D/A
DUAL
PROCESSOR
I DATAVCC1
Q DATA
DET RF
TX CLK
F1/16
OPTION
QUADGATE
USART
1MEG X 16
IMEG (OPTIONAL)
DISCRETE
OUTPUTS
RELAY
OUTPUTS
INPUTSDATA+12BATT
ANALOG INPUTS (6)
10 BIT
11 CHVRVCC3
BRATE
GPS
4 OPER
2
FLASH
MEMORY
RAM
512K X 16
OPTO
A/D
9600 BAUD
19.6608 MHZ
COUNTER
F1
ANTENNA BNC
54505304-01
MAINRSSI
PROCESSOR
68332VCO TCXO
SYNC
TX DATA
PROCESSOR
PROCESSOR RUN (ON) LED (FLASH)
TX POWER OK = AMBER LED VSWR = RED LED
RS 232
0
DATA
139-50 MHZ
AUX
(3)
(2)
(4)
CLK
12 V BATT
GPS
ANT
I/O
CONN
44 PIN
LED
LED
MCC 545B BLOCK DIAGRAM
FIGURE 2.2
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DESCRIPTION 2-6
MCC 545B OUTLINE DRAWING
FIGURE 2.3
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DESCRIPTION 2-7
2.6.2 MCC-545B Power Amplifier
The power amplifier assembly contains two printed circuit boards. One board, the 100 watt
power amplifier, is mounted inside an aluminum enclosure to provide RF shielding between the
low level phase lock loop synthesizers and the high power output. This board contains a T/R
switch for half-duplex operation, a harmonic low pass filter, and a dual directional coupler for
power level control.
The second board contains two low level amplifiers which amplify the 20 milliwatt input signal
from the modulator to a two watt level required by the final power amplifier stage.
All transmitter components are located on a two 4.0" x 3.5’’ printed circuit boards. All
components are soldered in place. As an option the boards can be conformal-coated with an
acrylic encapsulate that contains a tropicalizing, anti-fungal agent to increase durability and
provide protection against moisture and contamination.
Both printed circuit boards are mounted to an aluminum heat sink assembly.
2.6.3 MCC-545B Microprocessor
The microprocessor is a Motorola-based, embedded computer housed on a single PCB that
contains:
! 512K x 16 of non-volatile flash memory for program storage
! Additional 512K x 16 of non-volatile flash memory for parameter storage
! 1024K x 8 of static RAM for data storage (optionally 2048K x 8)
! External RS-232 I/O ports (3)
! Internal TTL GPS port
! Transmitter communication port
! Receiver communication port
! 10-bit 11 channel A/D converter (6 channels available for external sensors)
! Real-time clock
! Power fail detection circuitry
! Digital Signal Processor with D/A converters
! Optically iso lated digital input s (6)
! Form C Relay Outputs (2) with current rating of 2 amps.
All I/O ports are RS 232 compatible and can be programmed to adapt to various customer
protocols. The DATA port contains full flow control hardware lines.
The A/D converter measures TX forward and reverse power, battery voltage, antenna noise
voltage, transmitter board temperature, and 6 channels of 0-5V external sensor inputs.
All processor components are located on a 198mm x 95mm (7.8” x 3.75”). All components are
soldered in place using the latest in surface mount technologies. As an option the board can be
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DESCRIPTION 2-8
conformal-coated with an acrylic encapsulate that contains a tropicalizing, anti-fungal agent to
increase durability and provide increased protection against moisture and contamination.
Specifications for the unit and the individual circuit boards are given in Tables 2.1 through 2.4.
MCC-545B GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
CHARACTERISTIC SPECIFICATION
Dimensions 10.6”L X 4.0”W X 2.42”H
Weight 2.7 kg (3 lbs.)
Temperature Range
-30° to 60° C (-22° to 140° F)
Power Requirements Standby: 100 ma (Continuous)
Transmit: 25 Amps Nominal (100 msec)
12 VDC Nominal (10-14 VDC)
TABLE 2.1
MCC-545B RECEIVER SPECIFICATIONS
CHARACTERISTIC SPECIFICATION
Frequency 37-50 MHz .0005% Synthesized 10KHz
steps
Modulation
Type
Rate
Format
BPSK
4 KBPS
NRZ
Noise Figure < 7 dB minimum
Sensitivity
Bit Error Rate < 10
-3
at 4 kbps -120 dBm
IF Bandwidth (3/80 dB) 13/40 KHz typical
RF Bandwidth (3 dB) 13 MHz typical
Signal Acquisition Time < 5 msec
3rd Order Intercept Point >- 4 dBm
Image Response Attenuation > 70 dB minimum
Spurious Response Attenuation > 70 dB minimum
SP Threshold Adj. From –115 to –106 dBm
Triggered by DET RF and Demodulator Lock
Noise Blanker > 20 dB Reduction in Impulse Noise
I/O MCC St anda rd
TABLE 2.2
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DESCRIPTION 2-9
MCC-545B TRANSMITTER SPECIFICATIONS
CHARACTERISTIC SPECIFICATION
Frequency 36-50 MHz .0005% Synthesized 10KHz
steps
RF Power Output > 100 Watts at 12 VDC Input
Load VSWR < 2:1 for Rated Power
Harmonic Levels 70 dB below Unmodulated Carrier
Modulation
Type
Rate
Format
Spurious > 70 dB below Unmodulated Carrier
Transmit Modulation Spectrum 10 KHz offset – 40 dB
Tx Duty Cycle 16% Max without shutting down
T/R Swit c h Soli d -State
I/O MCC St anda rd
Protection
High VSWR Withstands Infinite VSWR
BPSK
4 KBPS
NRZ
25 KHz offset – 70 dB
20% shuts down transmitter
Switching Time < 100 micro sec
TABLE 2.3
MCC-545B MULTIPROCESSOR SPECIFICATIONS
CHARACTERISTIC SPECIFICATION
Main Processor Motorola MC68332FC 32-bit Embedded
Controller
Memory: Program Stora ge
Data Storage
Parameter Storage
Switches: S1 Momentary System Reset
Jumper: JP2
JP3
JP4
Memory: Program Storage
TABLE 2.4
512K x 16 non-volatile Flash memory
1024K x 8 static RAM (optional 2048K x 8)
512K x 16 non-volatile Flash memory
Modulation Select (In for BPSK)
(Out for BPSK)
DSP Clock Select (pins 1-2)
Mod Filter Select (In for BT=.5)
(Out for BT=1.0)
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INSTALLATION 3-1
3.0 INSTALLATION
This section provides general information on site selection and installation of the 545B, as well
as 545B power-up procedures.
3.1 Site Se lection
One of the most important considerations in the proper operation of the MBCS is the selection of
the 545B-operating site. There are a number of factors, which influence selection:
1. External Noise/Interference
2. Horizon angle
3. DC power source
4. Site dimensions
5. Antenna considerations
3.1.1 External Noise/Interference
Noise and signal interference can reduce the performance of the 545B. There are several sources
of interference; following are the most common sources:
! Cosmic Noise
! Power Line Noise
! Auto Ignition Noise
! Computer-Generated Interference
! External Signal Interference
Cosmic Noise
Cosmic noise is the limiting noise factor in a meteor burst system, especially in the low
frequency band (40-50 MHz). The noise is generated by star systems in the galaxy and is
frequency dependent. The noise is approximately 15 dB above thermal at 40 MHz, and 13 dB
above thermal at 50 MHz. The noise is also diurnal in nature, being the highest when the
antennas are pointed directly at the center of the galaxy and lowest when they are pointed at right
angles to it. Daily variations of 3 to 4 dB are to be expected. An optimal meteor burst site is one
that is limited only by cosmic noise.
The 545B STAT command is very useful in determining the site antenna noise levels. Since the
Receiver has an IF bandwidth of 13 KHz, the STAT reading should read from –120 to –115
dBM if the Receiver to antenna line loss is about 1 to 2 dB (100-200 ft of RG-214). The noise
blanker is not effective for cosmic noise, so the noise readings are the same whether the blanker
is on or off.
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INSTALLATION 3-2
Power Line Noise
One of the main sources of external noise are the high voltage power lines common throughout
the country. Noise on these lines is generated by high voltage breakdown occurring on power
line hardware such as transformers, insulators, etc. This noise shows up at the Receiver IF test
point (using a scope) as a series of spikes that occur every 8 ms (1/60 Hz) or every 10 ms (1/50
Hz). The level of the spikes will be much higher than the normal background noise floor. The
number of spikes can vary, depending upon the level of interference, from one or two every 8-10
ms to several dozen every 8-10 ms. The impulse noise blanker can remove a large amount of this
noise. However, as the number of spikes increases, the effectiveness of the blanker is reduced.
When setting up a site always look at the IF test point with a scope to determine the level of the
power line noise interference. It is mandatory that power line noise be avoided. Try to set up Rx
antennas well away from power lines and try not to point the antennas directly toward nearby
power lines.
NOTE.
Local power companies should maintain power lines to reduce noise. Call your local utility in
case of severe noise.
Auto Ignition Noise
Auto ignition noise is generated by any gasoline engine and is a result of the high voltage
required to fire the spark plugs in automobiles. A basic characteristic of auto ignition noise is
that it is similar to power line noise (i.e., this type of noise generates a DET RF spike visible with
an oscilloscope), but it does not have the 8-10 ms period which is associated with power line
noise. If the unit is operated on a vehicle, care must be taken to ensure that the vehicle ignition
system, any DC motors, and any other source of electrical noise are isolated through shielding,
ferrite beads, and-or bypass capacitors.
Computer-Generated Interference
All computers and printers contain high-speed logic circuits which generate spurious signals
throughout the 37-50 MHz band. If one of these signals occurs at the receive frequency,
interference results when the spurious computer signal is picked up by the receive antenna. To
avoid this type of interference keep the antenna away from buildings that contain computers.
Separating the antennas from the computers by 100 to 300 feet generally prevents this
interference. The noise blanker does not suppress computer-generated interference.
Signal Interference
This type of interference occurs whenever the unit is set up in an area where another transmitter
is operating on the desired receiver center frequency. Antenna nulling and spatial separation can
be used to reduce this type on interference.
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INSTALLATION 3-3
3.1.2 Horizon Angle
The second consideration in site selection is the horizon angle in the direction of the Master
Station. To achieve optimum performance at ranges of up to 1600 km (1000 miles), the horizon
or look angle must be free from obstructions, buildings, bridges, etc., and must be within 2 or 3
degrees of horizontal. Trees and other shrubbery do not present a problem if they are not within
6.1 m (20 ft) of any element of the antenna. At shorter ranges the horizon angle can be higher.
3.1.3 Power Source
The 545B requires a 12 VDC power source. An automobile battery provides an excellent power
source. Care must be taken to ensure that proper wiring is used to support the 545B high in-rush
current during transmission. Typical transmit current is 25 to 30 amps for a period of about .10
seconds. A #14 wire (or two #16 wires) should be used for both +12 VDC and ground. Keep the
wire length shorter than 10 feet. Remember that this is 20 feet counting the ground return. The
545B contains a 20 amp internal fuse and a special circuit that protects the unit from a power line
reversal. The fuse will have to be replaced if the power lines are reversed.
3.1.4 Site Dimensions
In order to obtain the maximum performance from a Meteor Burst Communications System, the
Station must be set up on level flat ground. The terrain in front of the antenna must be flat and be
free of buildings and other structures for a distance of at least 30 times the height of the antenna.
Operation in an area that does not have a ground plane to support ground reflection can reduce
meteor performance by a factor of two.
3.1.5 Antenna Considerations
The final consideration in setting up a site is selecting the antenna and co-ax cable. Any antenna
that provides a 50 ohm load will work. This impedance must be maintained at both Tx and Rx
frequency. In a single frequency system, a very narrow bandwidth antenna can be used. The
information bandwidth of the system is less than 15 KHz.
The higher the antenna gain the better the performance. Yagi antennas work better than dipoles
(2 to 4 times improvement). Always maintain the same polarization as the Master Station
antenna. For example, if you use a whip antenna with the 545B, the Master Station antenna must
be vertically polarized.
In a Meteor Burst System, the height of the antenna should be optimized as a function of the
distance between the Master Station and the Remote Station. A plot of best antenna height vs.
range is given in Figure 3.1-1 below.
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INSTALLATION 3-4
In a LOS or ELOS System, the higher the antenna the better. In general every time the height is
double the system gain is increased by approximately 6 dB.
Best Antenna Height
30
25
20
15
40 Mhz
45 Mhz
50 Mhz
10
Antenna Height (ft)
5
0
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
RANGE (mi)
REMOTE STATION ANTENNA HEIGHT FOR METEOR BURST
FIGURE 3.1-1
Antenna coax cable length must be kept as short as possible, to minimize line loss. Maintain a
line loss between antenna and 545 of less than 1 dB if possible. A table of cable loss (at 50 MHz)
for various types of co-ax is given below for reference.
CABLE Loss/100 feet dB Diam. Inches Weight/100 feet lbs.
RG 223, RG 58 3.0 .211 3.4
RG 214, RG 8 1.8 .425 12.6
RG 17 1.2 .870 20.1
LDF4A-50 ½ inch heliax .48 .500 15.0
LDF5A-50 7/8 inch heliax .26 .875 33.0
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INSTALLATION 3-5
3.2 Equipment Installation
Although the 545B is housed in a metal enclosure, it is not waterproof. If your application
requires using the 545B outside of an environmentally controlled shelter or vehicle, you must
install the 545B inside a waterproof enclosure. A NEMA enclosure is generally used in outdoor
installations. The unit operates over a temperature range of -30°C to +60°C.
3.2.1 Antenna Installation
MCC buys all antennas from an antenna vendor. Each antenna is shipped with a set of assembly
instructions. Refer to these instructions for assembly details.
Antenna installation is entirely dependent on site conditions. You should always consult with
MCC's engineering department for help in the proper placement of antennas. Remember that
antenna placement can make the difference between a system that performs marginally and one
that performs well.
3.2.2 Cable Connections
The following is a general description of cable connections for the 545B. The 545B connection
data is shown in Table 3.1, along with general connection information.
To ensure proper operation, shielded cable must be used for all connections. All cabling must be
grounded at the 545B enclosure. All cables must have adequate strain relief and a weatherproof
seal provided at the entry point to the enclosure.
The 545B has one 44 pin I/O connector, that contains three RS232 port wires and one
digital/analog data I/O wires. MCC provides a standard cable harness that breaks out the 37 pin
connector to three 9 pin RS 232 connectors and one 25 pin I/O connector. A schematic for this
connector is given in Figure 3.2 . Table 3.1 describes the pin out of the four I/O connectors.
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INSTALLATION 3-6
CONNECTOR FUNCTION
Power Input power connector, attaches to battery.
Antenna BNC antenna connector.
Operator Port RS-232 port for connection of local operator terminal. D Connector
9S from 14001252 adapter cable.
Data Port RS-232 port for connection of data logger, GPS or other serial device.
D connector 9S from 14001252 adapter cable.
Auxiliary Port RS-232 port for connection of GPS unit (or other serial device). Also
supports MCC test equipment (pins 6, 8, 9). D Connector 9S from
14001252 adapter cable.
I/O Port Contains analog inputs, digital inputs and outputs, relay outputs, opto
coupled inputs, power, ADC reference voltage, and DET RF test
point. D connector 25S from 14001252 adapter cable.
GPS Antenna
(optional)
Pin Signal Pin Signal
OPERATOR PORT –9S DATA PORT – 9S AUX PORT – 9S
Pin Signal Pin Signal Pin Signal
1CD
(tied to pin 4 and 6)
2Tx Data
(from 545B)
3Rx Data
(to 545B)
4DTR
(tied to pin 1 and 6)
5 Ground 5 Ground 5 Ground
6DSR
(tied to pin 1 and 4)
7RTS
(tied to pin 8)
8CTS
(tied to pin 7)
9 Not Used 9 Ring Ind.
SMA connector
ANTENNA POWER
-- BNC Connector 1 +12V
2 +12V
3 Ground
4 Ground
1 Not Used 1 Not Used
2Tx Data
(from 545B)
3Rx Data
(to 545B)
4DTR
(to 545B)
6DSR
(from 545B)
7RTS
(to 545B)
8CTS
(from 545B)
(from 545B)
MCC-545B INTERFACE CONNECTIONS
TABLE 3.1 (1 of 2)
2Tx Data
(from 545B)
3Rx Data
(to 545B)
4 Not Used
6 Ant. Clock
(from 545B)
7 Not Used
8 Ant. Dir.
(from 545B)
9 Ant. Sel.
(from 545B)
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MCC-545B INTERFACE CONNECTIONS
I/O Connector pin FUNCTION
1 Optocoupled input #1 positive ( 500 ohm resistor)
2 Optocoupled input #1 return
3 Optocoupled input #2 positive ( 500 ohm resistor)
4 Optocoupled input #2 return
5 Optocoupled input #3 positive ( 500 ohm resistor)
6 Optocoupled input #3 return
7 Optocoupled input #4 positive ( 500 ohm resistor)
8 Optocoupled input #4 return
9 Ground
10 Relay Output #1 Normally Open (2Amp rating)
11 Relay Output #1 Common
12 Relay Output #1 Normally Closed (2Amp rating)
13 Relay Output #2 Normally Open (2Amp rating)
14 Relay Output #2 Common
15 Relay Output #2 Normally Closed (2Amp rating)
16 Ground
17 Analog Input #1 ( 0 to 5 V)
18 Analog Input #2 ( 0 to 5 V)
19 Analog Input #3 ( 0 to 5 V)
20 Analog Input #4 ( 0 to 5 V)
21 Analog Input #5 ( 0 to 5 V)
22 Analog Input #6 ( 0 to 5 V)
23 +5V Reference (10mA for sensor excitation)
24 +12V (0.5A maximum)
25 Detected RF Test Point
INSTALLATION 3-7
MCC-545B INTERFACE CONNECTIONS
TABLE 3.1 (2 of 2)
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INSTALLATION 3-8
3.2.2.1 DC Power
Connect +12 to +14VDC to the power plug that mates with the power connector on the 545B
front panel. Refer to Table 3.1 for location and proper connections. Use large gauge wire (#16),
since the unit can draw up to 30 Amps during transmission. The power connector can only
accept #16 wires maximum. Use 2 #16 wires for positive and 2 #16 wires for negative. If runs
longer than about 6 feet are necessary, splice a large gauge wire (#10) onto the 2 #16 wires for
both positive and negative. The splice should be done within a foot or two of the 545B. (MCC
part number 14001261-03 is a 6' power cable with lugs for 3/8" post connection).
The shorter the DC power cable, the more RF power will be available for transmitting since there
will be less voltage dropped in the wires.
3.2.2.2 Antenna
Connect the antenna cable to the "BNC" RF connector on the front panel. Use double shielded
cable, such as RG-214 for long runs (100 feet). RG-223 can be used for runs less than 20 feet.
3.2.2.3 Ground Wire
Connect a heavy duty ground wire (#12 or larger) between the front panel ground stud and the
Station shelter ground.
3.2.2.4 Operator Port
Connect a standard RS-232 cable with a 9-pin male D connector to the OPERATOR port on the
front panel. Connect the other end of the cable to the local operator terminal
3.2.2.5 Data Port
Connect a standard RS-232 cable with a 9-pin male D connector to the DATA port on the front
panel. Connect the other end of the cable to the data-logging device. Refer to Appendix B for
more information on the 545B-to-data logger interface.
3.2.2.6 Auxiliary (AUX) Port
Connect a standard RS-232 cable with a 9-pin male D connector to the AUX port on the front
panel. Connect the other end of the cable to the GPS or other position location device. Refer to
Appendix C for more information on the 545B-to-GPS interface.
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INSTALLATION 3-9
IMPORTANT
The AUX port connector has three extra pins (pins 6, 8, and 9) whose signals do not conform to
the RS-232 standard. These are for MCC test purposes and are not used at this time. These pins
will NOT interfere with a normal 3-wire RS-232 connector (pins 2, 3, and 5).
3.3 Power-Up Sequence
IMPORTANT
Before you apply power to the 545B, check all connections between the 545B and external
equipment (power, antenna, operator terminal, GPS receiver, data logger(s), etc.). Refer to
Section 3.2 for complete cabling instructions.
3.3.1 Internal Battery
When the 545B is shipped from the factory, it does NOT have the internal LiIon battery
connected to the processor RAM. This battery is used to provide battery back-up of time and
date in the event of a power failure. Check to make certain battery is correctly installed.
3.3.2 Power On
CAUTION
Disconnect antenna cable until unit ID is set (see paragraph 3.3.3).
To power up the 545B, apply +12VDC to the power connector. When the unit transmits, it will
draw up to 25 amps, so make sure that you use a large at least two # 16 gage wires for the power
and two for the ground. Limit cable lengths to less than 10 feet. If larger runs are required use
larger diameter wires. The voltage drop in the power wires plus the drop in the battery voltage
should be less than 2 VDC for proper operation of the unit.
The 545B processor should come start up and print a greeting message on the operator terminal,
assuming it was turned on and set to the baud rate that matches the processor on the 545B. The
545B's default baud rate setting is 9600 baud, with no parity, 8-bit data bit, and 1 stop bit.
However, the current baud rate is determined by the last configuration settings saved in the
545B's flash memory. If necessary, refer to Chapter 4 for changing the 545B baud rate settings
with the SETBAUD and SAVE commands.
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INSTALLATION 3-10
MCC 545B INTERFACE CABLE SCHEMATIC
MCC P/N 14001352-01
FIGURE 3.2
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INSTALLATION 3-11
3.3.3 Set Unit ID
It is very important that the unit ID be set correctly before operation on an antenna. If the unit
transmits with the wrong ID, it may conflict with another unit in the system and result in data or
messages being misrouted or lost and network topography and statistics being confused. Use the
ID Command to set the unit ID:
ID,nnnn,mmm{,aaaa},INIT
where nnn is the unit ID, mmm is the Master Station assignment and aaaa is the Master
connectivity initial setting for Remote operation. Obtain these numbers from your network
manager. The 545B will save the ID (and total configuration) and reboot.
3.3.4 Set and Verify Tx/Rx Frequencies
The MCC 545B contains an internal frequency synthesizer that is used to set the Tx frequency
and two receiver local oscillator frequencies. The first local oscillator frequency is set to 10.7
MHz above the desired receive frequency. The second local oscillator frequency is set at 10.6
MHz and can not be changed. The unit is programmed by a factory-trained technician to operate
on a number of authorized frequency channels. Once programmed , these frequencies can be
selected by the operator.
You can set or display the TX and RX frequencies using the following command:
FREQUENCIES, XXXX,YYYY
Where XXXX is the desired transmit frequency and YYYY is the desired receive frequency
Example: FREQUENCIES,4550,4550 for Tx and Rx on 45.50 MHz
You can only select those frequencies programmed into the unit at the factory.
Once the frequencies are selected, you must make sure that the synthesizer is “ON” and locked,
by entering the following command:
SYNTHESIZER, ON
The unit will respond with
SYNTHESIZER, ON Locked or Unlocked
If the synthesizer returns an unlocked response, check the frequency command to insure that you
have entered the proper frequencies. Note that the unit will not transmit if the synthesizer is not
locked.
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INSTALLATION 3-12
3.3.5 Perform RF Test
A simple, but very thorough RF test can be accomplished by typing TEST[CR]. TEST forces the
processor to key the transmitter and check for the amount of forward and reverse RF power that
is transmitted. It also checks the battery voltage under load and the antenna noise voltage.
The following command response results:
Syncs Xmits Acks pwr-fwd pwr-rev v-bat det-RF
XXXX YYYY ZZZZ AAAA BBBB CCC DDD
where: XXXX = # Of sync patterns heard from the master
YYYY = # Of transmissions
ZZZZ = # Of Acknowledgements from master
AAAA = Forward power in watts >80
BBBB = Reflected power in watts <5.0
CCC = Battery voltage under load (while transmitting) >10.6 volts
DDD = Received signal strength (usually noise at antenna) in DBM
For full power 545Bs, the forward power should exceed 80 watts. If not, check the battery
voltage on the printout. It should be greater than 10.6 VDC. If it is low, check the power source
and cables. If the forward power is OK, the reverse RF power should be less than 5 watts. If not,
check the antenna and RF cables. Also check the antenna and cables if both the forward and
reverse power are low and the battery voltage is okay, since the transmitter is probably shutting
down due to an excessive antenna VSWR (>3:1).
This completes the power up of the 545B. If you followed the above check list and everything
was satisfactory, the unit should be ready for operation. Refer to Chapter 4 for detailed operating
instructions.
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OPERATIONS 4-1
4.0 OPERATIONS
This chapter covers the fundamental operating procedures and is functionally divided into seven
sections:
! Getting Started
! Station Operational Parameters
! Sending and Receiving Messages
! Data Logging
! Reporting Position Location
! Master Mode Functions
! Examinin g Systems Statistics
4.1 Getting Sta rted
4.1.1 Command Entry and Editing
You must enter carriage returns after every command. A list of operator commands follows the
operating instructions (Table 4.2).
When a command is accepted, the operator terminal prints the system time. For a description of
printouts, see Appendix A.
Before you begin, you should know about the special editing functions that you can use when
entering commands:
[DEL] Deletes last character entered.
[CTRL] Prints command line on next line down.
[CTRL]-R Repeats last command line
\X Removes current line from command buffer.
[CR] Terminates line and causes command entered to be executed.
or
[LF]
or
[ENTER]
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OPERATIONS 4-2
4.1.2 Unit Name and Station ID
In command descriptions, the parameter "name" is the assigned Station name. The name is the
numeric Station ID. For more information on 545B operation as either a Remote or Master, refer
to Section 4.2.1. Station IDs, represented by "nnnn", can be assigned as follows:
1 – 245 Master Station
256 – 4095 Remote
Verify the ID is set correctly:
ID
If it is not correct, refer to section 3.3 for procedures to set it.
4.1.3 HELP Command
Information about many 545B commands can be obtained via the HELP command. Typing
HELP with no parameters produces a single page display of an alphabetized command list. For
selected commands, typing HELP,command yields a summary explanation of how to use the
specified command. For example, typing HELP,ASSIGN explains the format to use when you
enter the ASSIGN command, along with a brief description of the command's function.
4.1.4 System Time and Date
The system calendar is maintained during power outages. If the date and/or time shown is
incorrect, the calendar can be initialized with the following commands:
DATE,mm/dd/yy
TIME,hh:mm{:ss}
The time of day maintained at the 545B is transmitted to all Remote Stations, thus maintaining
all units on the same time reference. If the time of day received at a Remote Station is greater
than two minutes from the internal Remote clock, the Remote sets its clock to the received time
of day.
To properly manage time, each Master and Remote must know how its own time zone relates to
UTC and the system time. This relationship is established by relating its time zone to known
reference points. UTC is always referenced to GMT; however, system time can be referenced to
any desired time zone. The time zone offset in the MCC-520B is defined with the following
command:
TIME ZONE,UTC offset,system offset
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OPERATIONS 4-3
4.2 Station Operational Parameters
Configure the 545B for operation in your network. Configuration requirements vary from
application to application. Refer to your systems manual or consult your systems manager for
correct settings.
Use the CONFIG and ASSIGN commands to verify proper configurations. Use the commands
described in this section to set the configuration as required.
Finally, enter the SAVE command to write the configuration into the EEPROM for non-volatile
storage.
4.2.1 Configuring the 545B
In order for the 545B to operate correctly in your network, it must be properly configured.
Configuration parameters include the unit ID, the Master Station assignment, I/O port functions
and baud rates, transmit and receive parameters and network parameters. Commands which
allow you to display/modify the configuration are marked with an * in the command table.
Parameters or operational states set by these commands are retained and determine the way in
which the 545B will interact with other equipment at the site and with the communications
network.
Most configuration parameters can be viewed with the "config" and the "assign" commands. You
should use these commands to verify that the configuration is correct. If it is not correct, use the
appropriate command(s) to correct the configuration, then enter the "save" command to write the
configuration parameters into the EEPROM.
Saving and Restoring the Configuration - The Theory
In order to understand how the 545B operational configuration is saved and restored, it is
necessary to understand a little of the hardware and design philosophy of the 545B.
The 545B is designed to operate unattended in a variety of environments where power may be
applied continuously or intermittently. The goal is for the unit to continue to operate without loss
of messages, data or configuration even if power is randomly turned on and off. Therefore the
software is designed to operate continuously, to save all operational information when power is
off and to resume operation from that point when power is restored.
To support this philosophy, the 545B has three types of memory PROM, RAM and EEPROM.
Refer to Figure 4.1-1 (MCC-545B Configuration Management Functional Diagram) to see how
these memories interact. First, the PROM is non-volatile memory that has been programmed
with the 545B's operational software. This software contains the initial value of all operational
parameters. The values are referred to as the "factory defaults" because they are present in the
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OPERATIONS 4-4
factory when the unit is first manufactured. The ROM can only be changed by replacing the chip
with one programmed with the new data.
Second, the RAM contains all dynamic data for the 545B. Any data logger data, positional data,
messages, etc. entered into the 545B are stored in RAM. Also, any command parameters - such
as configuration changes are stored in RAM. But RAM is volatile. It can only retain information
while power is applied. Normally turning off or disconnecting power would cause all RAM
information to be lost. In order to prevent this, a small internal NiCad battery is used to maintain
power to the RAM when external power is off.
So for normal operation of the 545B, the software operates from the data and parameters in the
RAM - even when power has been turned off for several days, then back on. Unfortunately, there
are always situations where the RAM data is lost or corrupted. For instance, it the 545B is being
stored, the jumper for the NiCad battery should be removed to prevent total discharge of the
battery over time. Or the software may fail (crash) and invalidate the RAM data. Or the user may
want to clear everything out and start over. Since we do not want these cases to lose our
configuration data, we have a third type of memory.
The third type of memory is EEPROM. It is nonvolatile (retains data even when power is
removed) and needs special access to program – thus it is not easily corrupted. The 545B can
retain a copy of all configuration parameters in EEPROM. But EEPROM is limited to 10,000
write cycles per memory location so the 545B only writes to EEPROM on special commands "ID" and "SAVE". And then only values that have changed are written. A validation checksum is
saved in the 545B to verify its data is correct.
When the 545B ships from the factory it is in a default configuration. The Operator Port (port 0)
is set for 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, ASCII protocol, no flow control. This
provides a known starting point for communicating with the unit with a terminal or computer.
From this point, the user can enter the unit ID and other operational parameters and then enter
the "Save" command to write them to EEPROM. Note that as soon as parameters are entered
they take effect, BUT once the software is rebooted or restart due to a crash or failure of the
battery backup RAM, all changes will be lost unless they are saved in EEPROM.
Saving and Restoring Configuration - The Operation
Thus, the sequence is as follows -
1. The software normally executes using data and parameters from RAM. When the unit is
turned off or power is disconnected, the RAM information is maintained by battery
backup. When main power is restored, the unit continues operation from RAM.
2. If the Reboot command is issued, the white Reset button (S1) is pressed, the internal
battery backup is disconnected (by removing jumper JP1 while external power is off), the
NiCad battery fails or the software crashes and restarts, the RAM contents is lost. The
software detects this and copies the values in EEPROM into RAM when it continues
operation.
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OPERATIONS 4-5
3. If the contents of the EEPROM is invalid - possibly because of EEPROM failure,
software version in PROM is changed or and image has never been written to EEPROM,
then the software will revert to the factory settings contained in the PROM.
The user should beware that it is possible to "get in trouble" with this configuration process. For
example, assume you accidentally set the protocol for the operator port to MSC. If you do not
have the ability to interface using MSC protocol you will immediately lose contact with the
545B. You can no longer issue commands. Power cycling will not help because your change is
retained in RAM and lives through power cycling. However, in this case you can recover by
removing the lid on the 545B and pressing and releasing the Reset button (S1). The software will
reboot and restore the EEPROM settings.
As a variation, assume you want to change the operator port to MSC. You connect in ASCII
protocol, command the change to MSC protocol, then switch you PC to also use MSC protocol.
Operation resumes and you are happy. But do not forget to do a save - or if the software ever
reboots, its back to ASCII. And remember that once you do the save you are committed to MSC
protocol. The reset button now reboots to MSC. There is no easy way back to the factory
defaults. You will need an MSC capability to command a change back to ASCII.
4.2.2 Selecting 545B Remote/Master Operation
The 545B can operate as either a Remote Station or as a limited Master Station. Use the
DEVICE command to select the mode you need.
For normal 545B Remote operation, enter:
DEVICE,REMOTE
For 545B operation as a limited Master Station, enter:
DEVICE,MASTER
NOTE
Additional 545B commands are available when DEVICE,MASTER is selected (No help for this
command).
4.2.3 Selecting Network P ara meters
MCC recommends using the given default network parameters (values set on power-up or after
reset). If you choose to change these parameters, first review the discussion here and in Section
4.8.5 and then use the following command to change the desired settings:
SNP{,pname,value}
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where "pname" is the network parameter, and "value" is a limit dependent on "pname". The
"pname" parameters are as follows:
TTL – time-to-live in minutes (default 120 minutes); i.e., the time limit for a message to
reach its destination before it is deleted from the queue.
The time-to-live parameter input is truncated to a 10-minute boundary for
utilization by the 545B (e.g., if you enter 66 or 64, the TTL for the next message
starts at 60). A resultant value of 0 (parameter range 0 – 9) means never time out.
TTR – time-to-retransmit in minutes (default 20 minutes); i.e., the message is
retransmitted if it has not reached its destinations in this time frame.
NUP – neighbor-up threshold (default 20 acquisitions); the number of times a Station
must hear from another Station in one minute before it becomes a neighbor.
NDOWN – neighbor-down threshold in minutes (default 20 minutes); if there is no
communication with a neighbor Station within the set time, the route to that
neighbor is ignored. Setting NDOWN to 0 keeps a neighbor defined indefinitely.
RDOWN – Remote-down threshold in minutes (default 1,440 minutes); if there is no
communication with a Remote Station within set time, the Remote is declared
down and is removed from the Remote table. Setting RDOWN to 0 keeps a
Remote defined indefinitely. (MASTER OPERATION ONLY)
OTL – outstanding text limit (default 20 texts); the number of messages a Station is
allowed to send to another Station without an end-to-end acknowledgment.
CONNP – connectivity message precedence (default 1 precedence); information on changes
in the connectivity table is given highest precedence (automatic feature).
(MASTER OPERATION ONLY)
ETEAP – end-to-end ACK message precedence (default 0 [zero] precedence); the
acknowledgment of a message when it reaches its final destination is given
highest precedence.
HTO – history file timeout in minutes (default 10 minutes); maintains information for
duplicate filtering.
TEXTL – text size in segments (default 32 segments). (MASTER OPERATION ONLY)
FLOODP – partial "flooding" precedence level (default A precedence). Messages of this
precedence level and above are transmitted over all routes of minimum length;
messages below this precedence are not sent over all minimum length routes, but
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are sent only over the route where the shortest transmit queues exist. (MASTER
OPERATION ONLY)
INF – infinity hop quantity (default 8 hops). Defines the width of the network in hops
plus one to determine when connectivity to a node is broken. Should be as low as
possible to minimize auto-connectivity traffic in the network, but large enough to
not erroneously flag nodes as being offline. (MASTER OPERATION ONLY)
RELAY – relay function specification (default ON). Specifies whether the 545B should act
like a Remote in terms of relay functionality (i.e., does not share connectivity
table with other Masters. (MASTER OPERATION ONLY)
DATAP – priority of data reports initiated at the MCC-545B (default Y precedence). When
used in any data collection network, this setting defines the precedence of data
reports generated asynchronously by the equipment itself. Typically, it should be
lower than operator entered messages and commands.
MBHOP – meteor burst link hop weight (default 1 hop). Defines the number of network
hops to associate with a meteor burst Master Station link when determining the
minimum path to use in routing a message. Should be high enough to prevent a
meteor burst Master Station link to be picked over a line-of-sight Remote to
Remote link in a generally line-of-sight network.
4.2.4 Selecting the Burst Monitor
The 545B has a unique meteor burst monitor capability that allows you to monitor the number of
characters received, the RF signal level, and other parameters on each reception.
To turn on the burst monitor and record statistics on meteor bursts, type:
MON{,d{,r}}
The two optional parameters are designed to limit the printout. The burst monitor generates two
or three lines of printout for every burst. This could conceivably create hundreds of pages of
printout a day in a network environment. The first parameter is the duration character count
limit. Only meteors lasting long enough to deliver "d" characters will be monitored. The second
parameter is the received character count limit; if at least "r" characters are received on the burst,
a monitor line will be generated. The default values are 100 for "d" and 1 for "r". For example, to
limit the printout, but still get some maintenance benefit from the monitor, enter:
MON,500,100
This limits the printout to meteors that have a duration character count greater than 500, or a
received character count greater than 100. You can adjust these parameters as desired.
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The command MONOFF turns off the burst monitor.
4.2.5 Controlling the Hourly Statistics Report
By default, an hourly statistics report is generated on the maintenance terminal port on the hour.
This report consists of the same statistics reports generated by the BINS, MEM, and STAT
commands.
The hourly report can be disabled by entering the command:
HOURLIES,OFF
The hourly report can be re-enabled by entering the command:
HOURLIES,ON
4.2.6 Scheduling 545B Events
The 545B SCHED command allows you to schedule automated command "events". An "event"
simply consists giving one or more 545B commands a trigger time. When the 545B's real-time
clock reaches the trigger time, the scheduler invokes the command as though you had entered it
from the 545B's operator terminal.
Two different types of time trigger options are provided for command scheduling: INTERVAL
and TIME. The INTERVAL trigger allows you to schedule a command to be invoked at periodic
intervals within a 24-hour time period; the TIME trigger allows you to schedule a command to
be invoked only once at a specified point within a 24 hour time period. The command schedule
list is restarted each time the real-time clock reaches midnight.
To display current schedule list, enter:
SCHED
To add a new command to the schedule list, enter:
SCHED,type,time{OFFSET,time},command
where: type = INTERVAL or TIME
time = hours:minutes:seconds
OFFSET,hh:mm:ss = time offset from specified timeframe (optional)
command = any 545B command (with parameters)
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NOTE
The scheduler ignores certain 545B commands due to their interactive nature. The MESSAGE
command is currently the only ignored command
To remove command event(s) from the schedule list:
SCHED,DEL,xxx
where: xxx = ALL (erases entire schedule)
or
= schedule list number (removes single scheduled event from schedule list)
IMPORTANT
The 545B currently supports up to 50 scheduled command events. The schedule list will be
erased if the system software re-boots (not to be confused with power failure recovery, which
will preserve the schedule list).
You can schedule several command events to trigger at the same time; however, you cannot
force one command to execute before or after another. After assigning command events to the
schedule, the order of commands displayed in the schedule list is the order in which the events
will trigger for any given trigger time (i.e., an event with a low schedule number occurs before
an event with a high schedule number).
4.2.7 Setting Timeout Duration
There is one programmable time limit for I/O port input on the 545B. MCC recommends using
the given default timeout parameter. If you choose to change the timeout, use the following
command. Time limits are set by entering the number of seconds, from 0 to 32767. Enter a 0 to
turn off the time limit.
Command Description
STT,secs Set Teleprinter Timeout. Time limit for characters at maintenance terminal.
Default is 60 seconds (1 minute).
4.2.8 Setting Frequencies
The FREQUENCIES command is used in systems using synthesized frequencies only (see
Section 2.7.4). To enable setting frequencies, you must first enter the following command to
identify the system as a synthesized frequency system:
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SYNTH,ON
You can then display/set the TX and RX frequencies using the following command:
FREQ{ UENCIES{,aaaa,bbbb}}
where: aaaa = Tx Frequency (e.g., 4053 for 40.53 MHz)
bbbb = Rx Frequency (e.g., 4153 for 41.53 MHz)
IMPORTANT
Componentry in the MCC-545B limits the usable frequency range to a 2 MHz bandwidth. If
frequencies are to be changed outside this bandwidth, hardware modifications must also be made
to the MCC-545B.
If the synthesizer is unable to establish phase-lock when the SYN TH,ON command is entered,
the MCC-545B will respond UNLOCKED to the request and turn off the TX key. It will try
once a minute thereafter to establish phase-lock. If it fails, the message Synthesizer unlocked
will be displayed; if it succeeds, the MCC-545B will respond LOCKED and turn on the TX key.
4.2.9 Defining Data Relays
Performance at meteor mode Remote units having poor communication paths with a Master
Station due to ambient noise conditions, etc., can be enhanced by using an MCC-545B PACKET
DATA RADIO located in a quiet location line of sight with the Remote units as a data relay.
When used as a data relay, the 545B will concentrate data reports from one or more Remote units
and forward them to the Master Station.
When used as a relay, the MCC-545B must be defined as a Master Station and the Remote units
to be relayed use the relay as their preferred Master. The relay will receive MCC-550C sensor
data GROUP reports (see MCC-550C Operations Manual), repackage them and forward them to
the Master Station. A relay unit can handle up to a total of sixteen GROUP reports. These
reports can be in any combination; i.e., four groups from each of four Remote units, one group
from each of sixteen Remote units or any combination in between. Substitution tables must be
established in both the relay unit and also the Master Station to manage the relay function.
When a designated GROUP report is received at the relay, it will substitute its own ID and group
number in the report as defined in its substitution table and forward the data to a 520B Master
Station using 550C RF format rather than standard 545B message format. When relayed data is
received at the 520B, it will reconstruct the original data report based on its own substitution
table and route the report as required.
The following command is used to define entries in the substitution table for a relay unit:
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SUBST,relay_id,relay_group,remote_id,remote_group
where: relay_id is the relay unit's ID
relay_group is the data group report number at the relay
remote_id is the originating Remote unit's ID
remote_group is the data group report number at the originating Remote unit
4.2.10 Scaling A/D Readings
The 545B appropriately scales readings from its A/D converter for operator use. The readings
that require scaling are battery level, detected RF and transmit power. The scaling factors
required for these readings depend on the type of hardware configuration in the 545B and are set
by operator command using the SCALE command as summarized in Table 4.1.
There are four values that need to be scaled differently depending on the equipment
configuration:
! Battery Voltage (STAT/TEST commands)
! Detected RF in dB (MM command, meteor monitor, BINS command)
! Detected RF in microvolts (STAT/TEST commands)
! Transmit power level (STAT/TEST commands)
The required scaling factors are determined by the power supply used in the PACKET DATA
RADIO; however, the receiver type (RXTYPE command) is also significant since the 527 and
543 receiver calibration curves which relate detected RF (in dB) to microvolts are
nonlinear and significantly different.
To apply the scaling factors, the transmit power A/D reading value must first be squared then
then multiply by the factor in the table. For the other values, take the A/D reading directly
and multiply by the factor.
MCC-545B SCALING FACTORS
PARAMETER STANDARD
545B, 12V
BAT
DETRF
TXPWR
RXTYPE
0.0623 0.05 0.1749
0.0188 0.1074 0.0188
0.000353 0.00116 0.000353
527 543 527
TABLE 4.1
EGYPT
543, 36V
NORWAY
545B, 28V
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4.3 Sending and Receiving Messages
4.3.1 Entering and Deleting Messages
Entering Messages
There are two ways to enter messages:
1. If you want to send a message to your 545B's default destination (set with the
DESTINATION command), enter the MESSAGE command with no parameters by
following these steps:
a. Type MESSAGE. The computer enters the edit mode. If you decide to exit the edit
mode before transmitting a message, type [CTRL]A.
b. Enter a message up to 3,570 characters in length, pressing [CR] at the end of each 80
character line. To correct mistakes made upon entering the message, see Section
4.3.3.
c. After entering the message, press the [ESC] key. The [ESC] key queues the message
for transmission.
The computer prints the following message:
hh:mm:ss Message No: name:sss, nnnn chars, nnn segments
hh:mm:ss ROUTING name :sss TXT sss/nn TO: name
NOTE
If you want to use source routing, enter 0 for the destination ID. When the Master Station
receives your message, it will send the message to the appropriate destination, based on its link
table showing which destination(s) are linked with your Station (the source Station where the
message was sent from). Refer to the Master Station manual for more information on source
routing.
Messages entered in this fashion have a priority of R. If you want to send a message with a
higher (or lower) priority to your default destination Station, enter MESSAGE,p where "p" is any
letter A (top priority) to Z (lowest priority). If you also want to send the message to another
Station, refer to step 2 following.
2. If you want to send a message to another Station in addition to or instead of your default
destination, enter the MESSAGE command with priority and destination parameters by
following these steps:
a. Type: MESSAGE,p,dest1,dest2...
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where "p" is any letter from A to Z (A is top priority, and Z is the lowest priority).
When you enter the message destinations as command parameters ("dest1", "dest2", etc.),
the message is automatically routed to those Stations when you enter the message and
press [ESC]. Destination is the Station numerical ID.
.
NOTE
If you also want to send a copy of the message to your default destination, you must enter its
Station numerical ID as one of the command parameters ("dest1", "dest2", etc.) as specified
above.
b. Enter a message up to 3,570 characters in length, pressing [CR] at the end of each 80
character line. To correct mistakes made upon entering the message, see Section 4.3.3.
c. After entering the message, press the [ESC] key. The [ESC] key queues the message for
transmission.
The computer prints the following message:
hh:mm:ss Message No: name:sss, nnnn chars, nnn segments
hh:mm:ss ROUTING name :sss TXT sss/nn TO: name
Special Features
1. Retransmit a Previously Entered Message.
You can resend the previous message by simply pressing [ESC] before any other key
when the terminal prints ENTER TEXT. The message is sent to any destination(s) you
entered when you typed MESSAGE, or to the default destination if you did not enter any
destinations.
2. Revise a Previously Entered Message.
You can add to the previous message or recover an abort by typing a [CTRL]T as the first
character after the ENTER TEXT: prompt. The previous message prints, and leaves the
cursor at the end of the message. You can now resume editing; press [ESC] to send the
message, or [CTRL]D to erase the message.
Deleting Messages
To delete a message once you have placed it on-the-air (maintenance terminal only), type:
DEL MSG,id:sss
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where: id - numerical Station ID
sss - message serial number
The maintenance terminal prints the date and time, followed by MESSAGE DELETED. Other
commands that you can enter to delete messages are described in Section 4.3.6. See Appendix A
for a description of the printouts.
4.3.2 Sending Commands to Remote Stations
Commands may be sent to any Remote Station, in the form of text messages. The commands
may be any valid command for that type of Remote, except for message entry. The response text
for the command is transmitted back to the 545B in the form of command response packets, and
it is displayed on both the console and alternate console ports. The command entry is similar to
the MESSAGE command, which is shown in the Section 4.3.1.
To send a command to a Remote, enter the following:
REMCMD,p,dest1,...destn
where: p - the priority character A to Z
dest1...destn Remote numeric ID
The operator is prompted for the text of the single command to be entered using the message
editor. Once the command is entered, press the [ESC] key to send the command. The operator
terminal prints:
Hh:mm:ss Message No: name:sss, nnnn chars, nnn segments
Master ID number of 14-character segments
Message Number number of characters
(0 – 255)
The message is enqueued as a type CMD (as displayed by the SMS command). The response is a
type MON message.
4.3.3 Editing Messages
There are several keys on the maintenance terminal that provide editing functions while the
computer is in the edit mode. If you have left the edit mode by pressing the [ESC] key, you can
further edit the message by typing MESSAGE, then [CTRL]T. The contents of the message you
have just entered is displayed. You can then edit the message using the following keys:
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[DEL] Deletes the last character entered.
[CTRL]R Prints the current line of text on the next line down.
[CTRL]I Performs a fixed tab function.
\ Removes the current line from the edit buffer.
[CR] Performs a carriage return and line feed.
[LF] Performs a carriage return and line feed.
[CTRL]X Removes the current line from the edit buffer and places the cursor at the end of
the previous line.
[CTRL]T Prints the contents of the edit buffer.
[CTRL]D Erases the entire contents of the edit buffer.
[CTRL]A Aborts the edit mode and returns to the command mode.
A + indicates the command mode.
[ESC]B Leaves text edit mode and queues message for transmission.
4.3.4 Transmitting Messages
You automatically transmit messages by entering messages with the MESSAGE command. Each
message is placed in the transmit queue in order by assigned priority - messages of equal priority
are placed in the queue in the order that you enter it. As the originating 545B begins to transmit
the message, it prints the following message on the maintenance terminal:
hh:mm:ss Message No: name:sss, nnnn chars, nnn segments
hh:mm:ss ROUTING name :sss TXT sss/nn TO: name
Messages are transmitted in units called packets. Packets can be independently routed to the
destination Station. When the next Station receives a message packet, you see an
acknowledgement text line formatted as:
mm/dd/yy hh:mm:ss TXTMSG ACK name:sss, xxxx CHARS FROM name
When the message has been delivered to its destination, you will see an end-to-end
acknowledgement:
hh:mm:ss END-TO-END ACK OF name:sss FROM name
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If the end-to-end ACK is not received within the time-to-live limit, the 545B purges the message
from the queue and print the following message:
hh:mm:ss MESSAGE TIME-TO-LIVE EXPIRED, MSG.NO: sss,DESTN: name
You must then reenter the message. If this printout recurs often, you should examine the
performance of the equipment. Continued failure to transmit a message indicates that something
is wrong with the equipment, or the link (such as too much noise interference).
4.3.5 Receiving Messa ges
Whenever the header of a new message is received, the message is announced by the following
printout:
hh:mm:ss RECEIVING name:sss TXT sss/nn FROM name ROUTED TO: name
The 545B then generates an ACK of the message packet and transmits the ACK back to the
neighbor it received the message from:
hh:mm:ss TXTMSG ACK name:sss, nnnn CHARS FROM name
When the destination 545B receives a complete message, it prints the message to the same port
at which it was input at the source Station, e.g., it outputs it to the message port if it was input on
the message port at the source Station. Messages print in the following format:
hh:mm:ss MSG RECEIVED name:sss, xxxx CHARS
text........................................
** end-of-message **
where "name:sss" is the message serial number.
Messages are deleted as they are printed, unless they are also being forwarded to further
destinations.
4.3.6 Examining/Revising Message Queues
There are two types of queues for messages:
Queue Name Description
TXQ Transmit queue for all transmitting messages. There is a separate transmit queue
(Transmit for each neighbor Station in network. For example, if you enter a message for
Queue) DEST1, that message is placed in DEST1's transmit queue if DEST1 is a neighbor
or in a neighbor Station's transmit queue on the route to DEST1.
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RXQ Receive queue for all messages being received. There is a separate receive queue
(Receive for each neighbor Station in the network. For example, to examine message
Queue) statistics from NODE5, examine the receive queue from NODE5.
To examine the contents of any of the queues, type:
SHOW TXQ,id or SHOW RXQ,id
For the receive and transmit queues, you must specify the queue by centering either the Station
ID or a wild card (-) as a parameter. For example, SHOW TXQ,006 prints statistics for all
messages being transmitted to Station 006. See Appendix A for a description of queue printouts.
You can only examine the receive and transmit queues for neighbor Stations in the network.
To delete transmit and receive queues, you must specify the exact queue by entering a Station
name:
FLUSH TXQ,id or FLUSH RXQ,id
For each message deleted, the terminal prints:
id:sss unlinked {and deleted}
The "and deleted" text appears only if the message is not present in another queue. When all
message have been deleted, the terminal prints:
queue flushed
To delete a specific message, enter:
DEL MSG,id:sss
The terminal prints:
Message deleted
To delete all messages from all queues, enter:
FLUSH MSG
For each message deleted, the terminal prints:
id:sss deleted
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Entering the FLUSH MSG command deletes all messages in all queues for every node of the
network, including connectivity and end-to-end acknowledgment messages.
4.3.7 Examining Messa ge Status
The software allows the user to examine message status. These commands display data only for
your Station. Since the message queues are dynamic, this information constantly changes. After
messages have been transmitted to their destinations (i.e., ETEs have been received by the
originating Station), the messages are deleted from the queues.
To see message status, enter "show message status":
SMS{,id}
These commands accept wild cards for parameters; i.e, a "*" replaces one character of text, and a
"-" replaces any number of characters. Since received messages are deleted after they are
completely transferred and printed, the "show message" command does not affect receive queue.
See Appendix A for a description of printouts.
4.3.8 Entering Canned Messages
You can put the 545B into canned message mode, and it automatically generates messages for
transmission to an assigned neighbor until you terminate the mode. Canned message mode
cannot have more than 25 messages in the queue at one time. You can either send a message that
you have composed, or you can send a message that is generated from the alphabet.
To enter a canned message generated from the alphabet, enter:
CANMSG,id,msg length{,min. queue depth}
where "id" is your neighbor's Station ID, the message length is from 1 to 3000 characters, and
the minimum queue depth is from 1 to 25. The default minimum queue depth is 5. If the number
of canned messages in the queue falls below the minimum queue depth, additional canned
messages are injected.
To enter a canned message that you compose, enter:
CANMSG,id
where "id" is your neighbor's Station ID. The Station puts you in the edit mode. Compose your
message and press [ESC]. The Station routes one canned message, then generates up to 25
messages. After the messages are generated, they are routed in sequence to the destination
Station.
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Canned messages are ACKed as each message finishes transmitting to the selected neighbor. No
ETE is generated.
To terminate the mode, enter:
CANMSG OFF,id
Where "id" is the ID the messages were generating for.
4.3.9 Printing Canned Messages
In the default state, canned messages do not print. To print canned messages as they are received,
enter:
CANMSG MODE,PRINT
To turn off the print mode, enter:
CANMSG MODE,NO PRINT
4.4 Data Loggers
The 545B can transmit data that has been collected and stored by a data logger unit. Although
each type of data logger operates differently, the 545B allows you to gather data from a
supported data logger and deliver it, via a Master Station, to a central Host Computer or Data
Center, where it can be placed in a database and/or manipulated for other programs, such as
forecasting, modeling, etc.
The 545B interfaces with a number of different data logger units. You can select the data logger
you are using by entering the given parameter as part of the ASSIGN command. Refer to
Appendix B for specifics on selecting and using each individual type of data logger with the
545B.
MCC is constantly updating its list of data loggers supported by the 545B. Consult the factory
for the latest list of supported devices.
4.5 Reporting Position Location
The 545B can transmit position location information supplied by a standard GPS or LORAN
unit. This position location can be sent, via the Master Station, to a central Host Computer or
Data Center. This data can be used in dispatch centers, corporate district offices, and other
monitoring Stations for updating map displays or additional functions.
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The 545B interfaces with a number of different GPS or LORAN units and supports various GPS
protocols. You can select the GPS unit and protocol you are using by entering the given
parameter as part of the ASSIGN and POS commands. Refer to Appendix C for specifics on
selecting and using each individual type of GPS unit with the 545B.
MCC is constantly updating its list of GPS units supported by the 545B. Consult the factory for
the latest list of supported devices.
4.6 Master Simulator Mode
When in Master Simulator mode, the 545B can generate repeated Master Station probe signals
and receive "acquired" signals from answering Remotes. After receiving an acquire, the 545B
communicates with the Remote as a Master Station would - the 545B can receive and
acknowledge sensor reports and RF performance stats, send and receive messages, and send
Remote commands and receive the appropriate command responses.
CAUTION
Unless specifically directed, you should only use Master Simulator mode with the special, lowpower 545B configuration. Changes for this low-power configuration include transmitting at 2
watts with the transmit limiter disabled. Consult MCC before operating a full-power 545B in
Master Simulator mode.
Master Simulator Set-up
CAUTION
When using the 545B to generate probe signals, make certain you have a suitable antenna
connected to the 545B's antenna connector and that the RF link to the Remote unit is balanced.
1. The 545B must be set to Master mode in order to generate probe signals. Set 545B's
device type by typing:
DEVICE,MASTER
2. The 545B's bit rate must match that of the Remote unit you want to generate probes for.
The typical MCC Remote unit uses a 4K bit rate. Set transmit/receive bit rate to 4K by
typing:
BRATE,4K
3. The 545B's uses BPSK modulation. You must select this modulation by typing
MODULATION,BPSK
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4. The 545B must transmit in half-duplex mode, due to its built-in T/R switch. Set transmit
mode to half-duplex by typing:
HALFDUPLEX
IMPORTANT
The 545B cannot communicate using full-duplex mode. If you place the 545B in full-duplex
mode (in order to simulate a full-duplex Master), the 545B's receiver is disabled by the built-in
T/R switch.
The 545B can use two different "roles" when generating probe signals (see also the explanation
of the P command following step 6).
If you want to generate repeated probe signals (like a Master Station's "idle" or enquire
probe), set 545B role to probe by typing:
ROLE,PROBE
If you only want to produce single pulse probes (for testing an individual Remote's
responsiveness), or to probe very slowly, set 545B role to transpond by typing:
ROLE,TRANSPOND
Optionally, you can set the low and high threshold numbers for determination of LOS
operation when setting ROLE to TRANSPOND and/or the initial state of the mode (MB
or LOS). When operating in the LOS mode, the 545B waits a random number of idle
probes between each probe.
6. The 545B's ID must match the assigned Master ID for the Remote unit(s) being probed.
Set ID by typing:
ID,n,INIT
where "n" is the assigned Master ID of the Remote unit.
IMPORTANT
If you change the 545B's ID, the software reboots after you enter the INIT parameter and press
[CR]. The SAVE command is automatically performed, ensuring that your configuration
changes are kept in EEPROM (and not lost after power cycling). However, if you do not need to
change the 545B's ID (i.e., it was already set to the same ID as the Remote unit's assigned
Master), make certain you use the SAVE command before starting to probe or any configuration
changes you have made will be lost if the 545B is rebooted.
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OPERATIONS 4-22
Now you can generate probes using the 545B.
If you are using the 545B in a pulse probe mode, you need to use the P command to generate
probe signals. The P command has the following uses:
P Transmit a single probe.
P,? Display current pulse probe mode settings (whether or not periodic pulses are enabled,
and if so, what the period is).
P,x Send a single periodic probe once every "x" seconds (if you set "x" to 60, the 545B
generates a single probe once a minute).
P,OFF Turn off periodic pulse mode (you can still enter P to transmit single probes).
4. 7 E x a min in g Sta t io n Sta t i st ic s
Statistics on Station operation, meteor bursts, and warnings print hourly at the maintenance
terminal (unless HOURLIES has been set to OFF). If you want to see these statistics more
frequently, you must request a printout by entering the following commands at the maintenance
terminal. Some statistics, such as the receive and transmit statistics, print only on request. See the
command table for a more detailed description of these commands. The printouts generated by
these commands are explained in Appendix A.
To generate a printout of Station statistics, type:
STAT
The meteor burst statistics and maintenance parameters are automatically posted for transmission
from 545B to the Master Station at intervals dictated by using the STAT TIME command. The
burst statistic values are accumulated for each period. The RF power, battery, and noise
maintenance parameters are among those values read.
To change the time when the 545B's statistics are transmitted to the Master Station, type:
STAT TIME,xx
where "xx" is the time interval (from 1 to 24 hours, starting at midnight) when the statistics are
transmitted. For example, if you want the 545B to transmit its statistics every six hours (at 6
a.m., noon, 6 p.m., and midnight), you would enter STAT TIME,6. If you want to transmit
statistics only at 6 p.m. in the evening, you would enter
STAT TIME,18.
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To display 545B meteor burst statistics, type:
BINS
To examine memory utilization, type:
MEM
To make the 545B send a test transmission, type:
TEST
These are the most common statistics commands. For information on message statistics, see
Section 4.3.7. For information on meteor burst statistics, see Section 4.2.3 and Appendix A. For
additional commands that are useful for maintenance purposes see the command table list at the
end of this chapter.
4.8 Configuring an RF Network
Configuring MCC Master Stations and Remotes can be a tedious process. This application note
is intended to make the task easier by explaining the process in a layered approach that tends to
group features in logical groups rather than taking each parameter individually. The
configuration process is accomplished in several steps. It is best to take care of identifying the
modem first, then set up the network parameters, then the RF link parameters, then configure all
of the I/O ports. The last step is to monitor operation for a time to be sure everything is working.
Do not leave a Remote location without the unit working or a repeat trip will in the near future.
A script file will usually be set up for all the units in a system of a given type. At a minimum,
the ID must be different for each unit and sometimes there are other network related parameters
that are different for each unit and can not be duplicated in a script file.
4.8.1 Types of Networks
The various types of PACKET DATA RADIOs made by MCC can be configured to operate in a
variety of ways to accommodate customer requirements. This discussion attempts to present the
RF configuration parameters for the most common types of system configurations. Systems are
usually divided into two major categories having to do with the geographic size of the network.
Master Stations provide the backbone of a network, and provide all the connectivity management
and routing required to route data and message traffic between Remote Stations and user Host
systems.
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OPERATIONS 4-24
METEOR
TRAIL
MASTER
STATION
PROBE
Meteor Burst
EARTHS
SURFACE
IONOSPHERE
REMOTE
STATION
TRANSPOND
MASTER
STATION
EARTHS
SURFACE
Line of Sight
typenet.dwg
REMOTE
STATION
The Meteor Burst (MB) network is used to cover large areas. Each Master Station can cover an
area up to 1,200 miles in diameter depending on many physical and data rate requirements. Each
Master Station can support up to 3,840 Remote Stations. Typically, this type of system is used
for data acquisition where the data acquired by Remote Stations is transmitted to a Master
Station at a slow update rate. Typical update rates are usually measured in hours. The RF burst
data rate varies from 4,000 to 9,600 bits per second (depending on equipment configuration), and
the interval between bursts varies randomly from a few seconds to many minutes. The Master
Station is usually a MCC-520B, and the Remotes are a MCC-550B/C Data Acquisition Unit,
MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO or a combination of both.
A Line of Sight (LOS) network is used in smaller areas or when required data throughput is
higher than a Meteor Burst (MB) network can provide. The MCC-545B PACKET DATA
RADIO is used for the network Repeater and Base Master Stations. MCC-550B/C Data
Acquisition Units or MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIOs with CR10X Data Loggers are used
for data acquisition applications and MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIOs are used for
message and GPS location applications. Each MCC-545B that is set up as a Master Station can
operate with up to 80 other Master Stations and up to 256 Remote Stations.
The two types of networks can be combined in a seamless manner to provide both MB and LOS
capability when properly designed for optimum performance. Each of these types of networks
are discussed in the following sections.
4.8.1.1 Meteor Burst Networks
MB networks use the MCC-520B as Master Stations and are used when the Remotes are beyond
line-of-sight range from the Masters. If the area to be covered is too large for one Master
Station, then multiple Masters can be used. Depending on throughput requirements and whether
the Remote Stations need to be able to operate with only one Master or must be able to switch to
another Master during maintenance periods, there are several configurations possible. The
modes are defined by the “role” of the Master Stations and by whether they are full duplex - dual
frequency, or half duplex - single frequency as explained below.
Set up the ID first using the command: ID,MM,INIT where MM is the Master ID (1-245).
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Set up the synthesizer mode: SYNTH,ON or SYNTH,OFF
4.8.1.1.1 Full Duplex Network
The Master Station(s) can be set up to communicate between themselves in a full duplex, two
frequency mode. This provides a high efficiency data transfer between Masters that is about four
times faster than the data rate between Remotes and Masters. Remote Stations always
communicate to their Master Station in a half duplex mode.
TX-1
TX-2 TEXT
METEOR
IDLE ACQ ACQ TTD TTD TTD EOTTTD
IDLE ACQ SOM TEXT TEXT TEXT SOM TEXT
CFG
NAK NAK NAK NAK NAK NAKNAK
BURST
ERROR
TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT EOT
IDLE
IDLE
Full Duplex Masters
Operating with two frequencies requires the transmit and receive frequencies of the units to be
matched to achieve the desired network topology. This situation means that the Tx frequency of
one Master must match the Rx frequency of the other Master. Remotes set up to match the
frequencies of one Master can not communicate with a Master using the opposite Tx/Rx
frequency pair. All Master Stations in this type of network can be set to ROLE,PROBE which
means they can continually transmit idle probes and there will be no contention because of the
matched frequency pairs. This setup is the best choice for networks having only one or two
Master Stations. To select this mode, enter the command: FULL DUPLEX
TX-1 IDLE
TX-2
METEOR
IDLE
IDLE
ACQ
SOM
TEXT TEXT
ACQ
TEXT TEXT
TTD
Full Duplex Master
Half Duplex Remote
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4.8.1.1.2 Half Duplex Network
Some situations require a dense connectivity between Masters and Remotes where any Remote
can communicate to any Master, and any Master can communicate with any other Master. This
topology requires a single Tx and Rx frequency and therefore can not operate in a full duplex
mode. The Masters are set up to operate in half duplex and some contention can result between
Masters that is solved by one of the following methods. To select this mode, enter the command:
HALF DUPLEX, MS where MS is the number of milliseconds between idle probes.
METEOR
IDLE IDLE
ACQ
SOM
TEXT TEXT
ACQ
TEXT TEXT
Half Duplex Master
Half Duplex Remote
4.8.1.1.3 Master Probe/Transpond Role
Adjacent half duplex Master Stations will have difficulty establishing an RF link quick enough to
make efficient use of meteor trails if they both transmit idle probes continuously. This state
occurs because the use of a single frequency causes contention when both transmit at the same
time. The Masters must take turns transmitting. One way to do this is to set one Master to a
probe role, while the other is set to transpond role. The prober continually transmits the idle
probe while the transponder is in a receive-only mode. When the transponder receives the probe
from the other Master, it transmits a response and the two Masters exchange data. Note that
while this setup allows good performance between Masters, one of them is not transmitting idle
probes and cannot initiate communication with a Remote Station.
Example: ROLE, PROBE or
ROLE, TRANSPOND
4.8.1.1.4 Master Active/Passive Role
This network operation mode allows full or half duplex communication between two Masters
and also allows both Masters to communicate with Remotes. This condition is accomplished by
assigning time slots for each of the Masters to transmit idle probes. The Master in the active role
transmits idle probes during even minutes. The Master in the passive role transmits idle probes
during odd minutes. They effectively swap between the probe and transpond roles each minute.
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The Masters can communicate between themselves at any time since they are in complementary
roles; they can communicate with their Remotes when it is their time slot to transmit idle probes.
Example: ROLE, ACTIVE Set to active role. (Master with lowest ID)
ROLE, PASSIVE, N Set to passive role and wait N minutes for time probe from
ACTIVE Master before starting to transmit idle probes
(Master with highest ID)
4.8.1.2 Line of Sight Networks
An LOS network has all of its member units interconnected with RF links of a short enough
range where the meteor burst RF protocols are not necessary. The total width of the network
may exceed LOS range but the intermediate hops must be within LOS range. A slow rate idle
probe is used to let each Master identify itself and to establish connectivity, but a CSMA
protocol is used for link acquisition and communication. A special TDMA mode is used for
GPS location reporting. Units are assigned to be either Master Stations or Remotes. The Master
Stations provide a network backbone and the Remotes are the units connected to user equipment.
There are two modes of LOS network operation: multi-Master and Base/Repeater. The multiMaster mode allows Master Stations to interconnect automatically and establish a network
backbone. The Base/Repeater mode is manually setup for Masters to act as either a Base Station
or a Repeater; Bases connect directly to a land line WAN and Repeaters connect via a Base.
Commands used are:
DEVICE, MASTER identify unit type
ID, MM, INIT define the ID (MM) of a Master
DEVICE, REM O TE identify unit type
ID, NNNN, MM, AUTO, INIT define the ID (NNNN) and Master-select mode
(MM,AUTO) of a Remote
ROLE, LOS setup the line-of-sight role and CSMA RF protocols.
LOSCHECKIN, P,R setup the CSMA period (P) and retry count (R).
4.8.1.2.1 Multi-Master Mode
With the BASE and REPEATER features disabled, a Master will connect to any other Master it
can hear well enough to get the required number of idle probe counts per minute. A Master will
connect to any Remote that acquires it, letting the Remote choose its best Master. Complete
Master-to-Master and Master-to-Remote connectivity tables are automatically exchanged
between Masters. Routing from any source unit to any destination unit is accomplished by the
Master Stations. Complete networks with no land line connections are supported in this manner.
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Connectivity between Masters can be limited to prevent accidental connections that do not work
well if so desired. The multi-Master network looks like:
REMOTE
MASTER MASTER MASTER
REMOTE REMOTE
REMOTE
CLIENT CLIENT CLIENT
USER-A USER-B USER-C
REMOTE REMOTE REMOTE
MASTER
REMOTE REMOTE
Remotes can be any combination of type with fixed or mobile connectivity. Each message must
be routed to a specific destination ID.
Each Master and Remote is configured with the following commands:
BASE, OFF Disable Base feature
REPEATER, OFF Disable Repeater feature
CONNECT, N,N,N Used to limit connectivity to specified Master list (N,N,N) or
CONNECT, OFF Used if manual override of connectivity is not required
4.8.1.2.2 Base/Repeater Mode
The Base/Repeater mode is used when land lines are available to form the backbone of the
network using WAN technology. Selected Master Stations are setup to be Base Stations and
have direct land line connections into the WAN. Repeaters are then defined, where required, to
cover areas where there are no direct land lines and the backbone must be extended to provide
RF coverage; multiple Repeaters may be used to establish a WAN connection to a given area.
Mobile Remotes, operating with the ID,NNNN,MM,AUTO configuration can then travel
anywhere in the backbone of Master Stations and get connected to the WAN. The Base/Repeater
network looks like:
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OPERATIONS 4-29
REMOTE
REPEATER
REMOTE REMOTE
BASE BASE BASE
CLIENT CLIENT CLIENT
USER-A USER-B USER-C
REMOTE REMOTE REMOTE
WAN
DATA
CENTER
HOST
SERVER
WAN
All routing from Remote to Repeater to Base is handled by the PACKET DATA RADIO
software. Routing between Base Stations is handled by the WAN Data Center computer. Client
applications access the central host server databases to access data and send/receive messages,
email, etc. Data, position reports and messages are routed to the Host by using DESTINATION,
1 which causes Remotes and Repeaters to route information to the nearest Base for output to the
Host. This feature is used in any unit, (Remote, Base or Repeater) that has a BASE command
defined. No Master (Base or Repeater) can have an actual ID set to 1 when using this type of
network. The following table defines the routing logic used when Destination is set to 1:
Type of unit Routing Logic used when Destination = 1
Remote Send to current “Master” which could be another Remote, Repeater or Base
Repeater Send to Master unit to which it is a Repeater, which could be another Repeater
or Base
Base Print on MNT, DTA and ALT ports for delivery to the Host Computer
In this way, a Remote anywhere in the network can get a message to the Host Computer by
assuming it is ID 1. In any network where the units have BASE set to OFF a Master can have its
ID set to 1.
In these types of networks, each of the RF sub-networks is independent of the others except
through the Host. If a Base looses its Host connection, it is desirable to force the Remotes to
select a different Base, if one is available.
This behavior can be controlled using the HOSTMODE command; its options are:
HOSTMODE, OFF Ignore connection state, continue transmitting.
HOSTMODE, STOP Stop transmitter if Host connection lost.
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HOSTMODE, CONTINUE Continue transmitting if Host connection lost, but use
Commands used are:
DEVICE, MASTER Identify unit type
ID, MM, INIT Define the ID (MM) of a Master
BASE, L,H ALL units must know low and high ID range for Bases.
REPEATER, B Any Repeater must know the Base to which it repeats.
CONNECT, N,N,N Used to limit connectivity to specified Master list (N,N,N) or
CONNECT, OFF Used if manual override of connectivity is not required.
HOSTMODE, AAAA Define transmit mode when DTA port in MCS protocol mode
DESTINATION, 1 Default destination for Remotes set to “special” ID for Host
OPERATIONS 4-30
idle probes to indicate the Host connection is lost so
Remotes can pick a different Master who has a host
connection.
fails. This can be set to OFF, STOP or CONTINUE.
Computer
4.8.2 Remote To Master Assignment
Meteor Burst networks are usually static in nature. There is usually no reason for Remotes to
move around although mobile networks are possible. To minimize manual bookkeeping at the
Master Stations and to provide reliable efficient routing of messages and remote commands from
Masters to Remotes, Remotes are each configured to select their own Master. Remotes can be
configured to select their own Master Station in a fixed, preferred or automatic way using the ID
command as discussed in the following paragraphs. Usable Remote IDs range from 256 to 4095
and usable Master IDs range from 1 to 245.
4.8.2.1 Fixed Master Selection
Each Remote is told to use a particular Master Station. All other Master Stations are ignored. If
a Master Station goes offline, its Remotes are no longer accessible in the network. The ID
command defines both the Remote ID and its Master ID. The command used is:
ID,NNNN,MM where NNNN is the Remote ID and MM is the Master ID
4.8.2.2 Preferred Master Selection
In networks with more than one Master, it is desirable to let data Remotes send their data to any
Master but still allow a single route between Master and Remote for outbound remote commands
and text messages. Also, if one Master is offline, it is desirable for the Remote to use another
Master to deliver its data through. This mode lets the Remote pick the best Master by counting
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idle probes from each one it receives and then selecting the one it hears the most during a
specific period of time.
The MCC-545B and the MCC-545 OEM Transceiver both have this capability. The MCC550B/C DAU does not, but it can operate with up to four Masters at a time. It will transmit data
reports and text messages to any Master in its ID list. The MCC-550B/C ID command is entered
as shown below:
ID,NNNN,M1,M2,M3,M4
where NNNN is the Remote ID and M1 - M4 are the usable Masters
The MCC-545 OEM Transceiver always operates in this mode. The UR command allows up to
four Master Station IDs where the first Master on the list is the preferred Master. Singlesegment data reports are sent to any of the defined Masters but text messages, no-text check-ins
and longer data reports are sent only to the preferred Master. A fixed 30-minute period is used to
count idle probes and select the preferred Master.
The MCC-545 OEM Transceiver ID command is entered as:
UR,NNNN,M1,M2,M3,M4
Where NNNN is the Remote ID,
M1 - M4 are the usable Masters with
M1 being the current preferred Master
The MCC-545B is set up using the ID and SNP commands. It will only operate with its
preferred Master. Data reports will not be transmitted to other Masters. It will choose its
preferred Master at the interval given in the SNP,NDOWN command from among all Masters it
receives.
The commands used are:
ID,NNNN,MM, PREF, INIT
where NNNN is the Remote ID,
MM is the initial preferred Master ID,
PREF enables the preferred mode of Master selection.
SNP,NUP,N
where N is the minimum number of idle probes per minute to qualify as a Master
SNP,NDOWN,D
Where D is the period in minutes to count idle probes and choose a preferred Master
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4.8.2.3 Automatic Master Selection
The MCC-545B has the ability to automatically select its Master based on an algorithm more
suited for LOS mobile networks. When a Remote has no online Master, it monitors all the other
units (Masters and Remotes) it can hear for a one minute period. All transmissions made by
those units are counted and the average detected RF level for the last two transmissions for each
unit is calculated. At the end of the one minute interval the Remote picks the best one from its
list to be its Master. The criteria for its choice are:
a) Count must be greater than or equal to SNP,NUP count.
b) Unit must have the highest detected RF level.
c) If several units have the same highest detected RF level, it will choose one with a different
ID than the previous Master.
d) For a Remote, only transmissions to a Master will be counted.
e) A Remote will prefer a BASE over a REPEATER and a REPEATER over another Remote.
The Remote chooses the best one, if there is one, clears all the other units out of its temporary
counting list and attempts to acquire that unit for the next SNP,NDOWN period. When no
successful exchange and acknowledgement have been made for the SNP,NDOWN period, the
choice process begins again.
The commands used are:
ID,NNNN,MM, AUTO, INIT
where NNNN is the Remote ID,
MM is the current Master,
AUTO is the mode option.
SNP,NUP,N
where N is the minimum number of counts per minute to be considered
SNP,NDOWN,D
where D is the maximum number of minutes to wait for a good exchange with current Master
before declaring it offline and starting to choose a new one.
4.8.3. Destination Considerations
Messages, position reports and data reports can be routed from any origin (Remote or Master) to
any other destination unit (Remote or Master). Messages can have multiple destination IDs
embedded in the report and position reports can have only a single destination ID embedded;
data reports cannot have any destination ID embedded. Moreover, the destination(s) can be
entered in the command for messages but position reports and data reports will look at the
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OPERATIONS 4-33
default destination assignment for their routing destination(s). This destination is specified using
the DESTINATION command:
DESTINATION,OFF Causes error in text message entry, data reports print
locally and are not transmitted.
DESTINATION,0 Specifies source routing (see paragraph 4.8.3.1)
DESTINATION,1 Special Base to Host routing (see paragraph 4.8.3.2)
DESTINATION,D1,D2,D3,D4 Up to 4 destinations can be given
Data reports which use the MCC-550 type of sensor report formats have no bits within the
transmitted frame to specify where the report is to be routed or who originated the data. This
condition is not an oversight; it is designed that way to be compatible with the older format that
is optimized for minimum overhead. If data reports must be forwarded to multiple destinations,
they are sent on by the Master using message format; an exception to this rule occurs when the
Master is using a substitution table (SUBST command), in which case, the proper ID is
substituted according to the table and sent on as though originated at that node.
Position reports sent on to multiple destinations are sent as multiple reports, each containing a
single destination ID. Text messages, packet protocol data, remote commands and remote
command responses all contain fields for source and destination addresses.
When MCC-550 type sensor frames are received by a Master, the assumption is that the
originator is the Remote that transmitted the data frame and that the DESTINATION is 0 (i.e.,
source routing). Sensor data reports and position reports are transmitted from the originating
unit in the shortest possible format with minimum overhead. This approach provides the best
throughput in meteor burst networks where the Remote has a MB Master. In LOS networks this
criterion is not as critical but all extra bits transmitted contribute to wasting system capacity. In
networks where the message or data must be transmitted multiple hops, the longer message
format must be used because the relay units are not the originating unit and the origination ID
and destination ID must be contained in the message.
4.8.4 Source and Group Routing
Data with no destination and text messages with “0” being the destination can be routed by a
Master Station that has a source routing table. This table gives a list of destinations for each
data-source Remote. A 520B/C can load this table from its 520B.INI file; whereas, the 545B can
only support one table entry that is given in the SOURCE RELAY, ID command. If the
Master’s ID is in the table for the source of the data report being received, the Master has no
table or there is no entry for the source Remote, the Master will print the report on the MNT,
DTA, and ALT ports for delivery to the Host Computer. The LINK, DEST, SOURCE,
SOURCE, SOURCE, command is used to build the table in the 520B/C Master, for example:
LINK,1000,1200,1201,1202,1203
LINK,1001,1300,1301,1302
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Group routing is provided in the 520B/C Master to facilitate the construction of the source
routing tables. A list of source IDs can by defined by a group name, then the group name can be
used in the LINK command, for example:
GROUP,G1,1200,1201,1203
GROUP,G2,1300,1301,1302
LINK,1000,G1
LINK,1001,G2
LINK,2,G1,G2
The equivalent functionality is provided in a 545B Master using the SOURCE RELAY
command, for example:
SOURCE RELAY,2
4.8.5. Network Parameters
Network parameters control how the unit responds in the network. The MCC-550B/C can only
be used as a data acquisition Remote. Therefore, their only network related command is to
assign the ID code for the Remote and its Master as discussed above in paragraph 4.8.2.1.
The MCC-545B and MCC-520B/C have the following network commands listed below. Each of
them are discussed in detail following the list.
SNP,TTL Message time-to-live
SNP,TTR Message time-to-retry
SNP,TEXTL Message packet size
SNP,NUP Number of receptions for neighbor up
SNP,NDOWN Number of minutes for neighbor down
SNP,RDOWN Number of minutes for Remote down
SNP,OTL Congestion control outstanding text limit
SNP,CONNP Priority for connectivity messages
SNP,ETEAP Priority for end-to-end-ack messages
SNP,FLOODP Priority level to initiate “flood-routing”
SNP,DATAP Priority for data reports
SNP,HTO History timeout in minutes for duplicate filtering
SNP,INF Infinity hop count
SNP,MBHOP Meteor burst link hop weight
SNP,RELAY Enable/disable Master’s ability to relay messages for other
destinations
SNP,TTL Message time-to-live
SNP,TTR Message time-to-retry
SNP,TEXTL Message packet size
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This paragraph explains how message accountability is used to guarantee that text messages get
delivered to their proper destinations within an allotted time. Data reports, position reports, and
remote commands/responses will not get this guarantee. They get only one chance to get
through the network.
Networks can have units go offline for various reasons; local noise can interfere with RF links,
congestion can slow throughput to a crawl, RF link bit errors can cause segments of a message to
get lost, etc. The more complex a network is, the more chances there are to be problems.
Messages entered at each source unit specify a time-to-live (TTL); this time is the maximum
time to attempt to deliver it. If it is not delivered in this time, the operator at the source unit is
informed so something can be done about it. The time-to-retry (TTR) is the number of minutes
between attempts to deliver the message. Once a message is sent, it goes through the network
one hop at a time and can get blocked at some point if the connectivity changes suddenly. The
retry attempts are separated to allow network changes to settle out and establish alternate routes.
When a message is received by a destination, an end-to-end-acknowledgement (ETE) is sent
from the destination back to the source to stop any more retries and let the operator know the
message was received.
The maximum message size is determined by the text length (TEXTL) setting. A message
packet can consist of up to 3570 characters and is further subdivided into segments. Each
message is uniquely identified so it can be tracked through the network and the ETE can be sent
for each individual message. The message ID consists of the originator ID (16 bits) and message
serial number (8 bits). Serial numbers range from 1 to 255 and are assigned in round-robin
order. Each message is then split into 14-byte segments which are in sequence from 0 to 255.
The segments allow the message to be transmitted a little at a time over short meteor bursts. The
segment sequence numbers are used by the RF link software to identify which ones are
acknowledged and to indicate where to resume on each burst.
The first segment (sequence number 0) is the message header and contains all the network
overhead (originator ID, message serial number, priority, I/O port entered on, message type,
number of destinations, number of segments, time to live, retry count, multi-packet message
serial number, packet sequence number, total number of packets and first destination ID code).
If the message has only one destination, segment 1 is the start of the actual text. If there are
multiple destinations, segment(s) 1, . . . n contain the remaining destination codes, 7 destination
codes per segment. The text starts on the next segment after the last destination code.
SNP,NUP Number of receptions for neighbor-up
SNP,NDOWN Number of minutes for Master neighbor down
SNP,RDOWN Number of minutes for Remote neighbor down
Network connectivity tables are automatically created and updated each time a Master detects a
new neighbor unit or times out an existing unit. The NUP parameter gives the number of
transmissions that must be received in one minute to declare a new neighbor. The NDOWN
parameter gives the number of minutes with no receptions to time out a Master neighbor. The
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OPERATIONS 4-36
RDOWN parameter gives the number of minutes to time out a Remote neighbor. Setting
NDOWN or RDOWN to “0” disables the feature (i.e., never declare neighbors down).
SNP,OTL Congestion control outstanding text limit
The OTL parameter specifies the maximum number of messages that will be transmitted while
waiting for ETEs. Limiting messages, as cars are limited to entering the freeway at rush hour,
tends to reduce congestion and memory buffer usage in the network and reduce the number of
retries that happen as a result. Sending messages one at a time does not take advantage of the
overlap caused by the ETE needing to come back through the network and does not take
advantage of an occasional large burst that can significantly improve throughput.
SNP,CONNP Priority for connectivity messages
SNP,ETEAP Priority for end-to-end-ack messages
SNP,FLOODP Priority level to initiate “flood-routing”
SNP,DATAP Priority for data reports
The priority of network control messages should be set higher than the data traffic. This setting
makes sense if you realize that messages can not get delivered as fast if the network connectivity
is incorrect. Certain applications may have reasons for altering these values but any revision to
the default priority scheme should be implemented carefully.
SNP,HTO History timeout for duplicate filtering
As each message is received by a unit, the originator ID and message serial number are retained
in a history table. The HTO parameter specifies how long to retain each entry. Each received
message ID is compared to this table and if the message was previously received and has not
timed out, it is considered a duplicate message. The ETE is sent to the originator if it is a text
message type but the duplicates are not output to the I/O ports. Duplicates happen due to
network connectivity changes and retries.
SNP,INF Infinity hop count
The INF parameter specifies the maximum width of a network in hops + 1. If this parameter is
set lower that the actual network width, units will be declared offline when they are not. If the
number is set too high, extra connectivity packets are exchanged when a unit goes offline and the
system looks for alternate routes.
SNP,MBHOP Meteor burst link hop weight
The MBHOP parameter defines the number of network hops to associate with a meteor burst
Master Station link when determining the minimum path to use in routing a message. This
parameter should be set high enough to prevent a meteor burst Master Station link to be picked
over a line-of-sight Remote to Remote link in a generally line-of-sight network.
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-37
SNP,RELAY Enable/disable Master’s ability to relay messages for other destinations
The 545B, when configured as a Master Station, will report all its neighbor connectivity to its
neighbors with SNP,RELAY set ON. If it is set OFF, it will not report any neighbor
connectivity. The OFF setting keeps neighbor units from finding alternate network paths
through that node. This option should be left ON unless there is a very good reason to have it
OFF for some specific customer requirement.
4.9 Command Reference List
MCC-545B COMMANDS
All implemented 545B commands are listed in Table 4.2 alphabetically for ease of reference.
However, many commands are used in conjunction with others. These functional groups are
given below. You may also type HELP or HELP,COMMAND to receive an explanation of any
listed command. Command responses and unsolicited printouts are shown in Appendix A.
STATION CONFIGURATION
COMMANDS
†*ASSIGN †RCT BINS CANMSG
*BRATE †REMOTE TYPE CLS CANMSG MODE
*CHECKIN †RXTYPE CONFIG CANMSG OFF
†CLOSE PORT SAVE *HOURLIES †COMPRESSION
†CONNECT †SCALE MEM DEL MSG
DATE †SCHED MODE DQE RXQ
*DESTINATION SERIAL †MON DQE TXQ
*DEVICE *SET BAUD †MONOFF FLUSH MSG
*DUTY CYCLE †*SNP †NETMON FLUSH RXQ
*FREQUENCIES *SOURCE RELAY STAT FLUSH TXQ
†HOST MODE †START *STAT TIME *HOLD
†*ID †STOP T MESSAGE
†LOGOFF †STT T EST *MSG
†LOGON †SUBST *PRINT
*LOS CHECKIN *SYNTH REMCMD
*MODULATION TIME
†NEW
PASSWORD
†OPEN PORT *TXLIMIT †*POS †RED
†PASSWORDMO
DE
†TIME ZONE
STATUS
COMMANDS
POSITION LOCATION COMMANDS
†POSRPT †RTCM
MESSAGE
COMMANDS
MODE CONTROL COMMANDS
†CORPAT †*HALF DUPLEX *P
*FULL DUPLEX †*ROLE
MASTER SIMULATOR COMMANDS
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-38
MAINTENANCE COMMANDS
BOOT SHOW TXQ †SWCTL SWMON
RESET SMS
REV UPDT
SHOW RXQ FLASH HELP
WARNING/WEATHER SYSTEM
COMMANDS
†FLOOD
TIMEOUT
†GLOF †STATION TYPE †$PENTM
†GLOF
MONITOR
†HORN †WARNING
†PRIORITY †WEATHER
CR10X COMMANDS
CR10X CR10X,ORDER CR10X,SETPTR
†CR10X,ACQMODE CR10X,REGISTER CR10X,SIGNATURE
†CR10X,GROUP CR10X,RESET CR10X,STAT
†CR10X,INTERVAL †CR10X,SCALE †CR10X,TIME
CR10X,MAXQ CR10X,SECURITY CR10X,UPLOAD
†SENSOR P77 SDATA
†WARNING
TIMEOUT
DUAL MASTER STATION COMMANDS
UTILI TY COMM ANDS
DATA LOGGER COMMANDS
MASTER MODE COMMANDS
*BA SE NET STAT SHOW MAINTE N ANCE
MONITOR
CLEAR MAINTENANCE
MONITOR
CONFIGURATION †POLL SHOW RXQ
LISTM PRG SHOW TXQ
LISTT REMOTE STAT SML
MM *REPEATER SMS
NET RX STAT TYPE
* Parameters/settings specified by these commands are stored in the EEPROM. Changes
specified by these commands take effect immediately but are lost when the unit is rebooted
unless the SAVE command is issued to write the changes to EEPROM. Changing the unit ID
automatically saves the entire configuration.
† Parameters/settings specified by these commands are stored in battery backed-up RAM.
Changes specified by these commands take effect immediately but are lost when the unit is
rebooted unless the SAVE command is issued to write the changes to BBU RAM; in addition,
the BBU jumper must be in place to enable RAM back-up.
NET STAT PERIOD SHOW REMOTES
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-39
If both symbols are present on a command, certain aspects are stored in one way and other
aspects are stored in the other. See command table below for clarification.
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-40
MCC-545B COMMANDS
COMMAND DESCRIPTION PARAMETERS RANGE
†*ASSIGN
{,function,port,protocol
{,timeout}}
NOTE
function, port and protocol
information for ports 0, 1,
2 are stored in EEPROM;
this information for port 3
and all timeout information
is stored in BBU RAM.
*BASE{,nnn,nnn} Set display range of Master Station IDs reserved for use
BINS
BOOT
Control allocation of user interface functions among
physical device channels. When no parameters are
entered, displays I/O configurations. Port definitions are
as follows:
Front Panel
Port Connector
0 OPERATOR PORT
1 DATA PORT
2 AUXILIARY PORT
3 DIAGNOSTICS PORT (Internal)
NOTE
It is possible to “lose control” of the 545B software by
assigning control functions to ports with no devices
attached or by turning off control functions. For
example, if you turn off the Operator Port
(ASSIGN,MNT,OFF), you will not be able to enter
commands or view printouts from the 545B. You must
open the 545B and press the Reset button on the
microprocessor board to re-enable the Operator Port.
as Base Stations
Print link distribution statistics
Cold start of Station software. All volatile memory is
lost.
function = user
interface function
port = physical
device channel
protocol = link
level protocol
timeout in
seconds
nnn = Master
Station ID
OFF = no Bases
MNT, POS, MSG,
ALT, DTA, C&S,
0-2, OFF
APCL5, ASCII,
CR10X,
DATALITE, ENAV,
FWS, GPS, GYRO ,
IDA, IHS, MSC,
PHAROS, PKT,
RTCM, TM8T
0 – 32767
2 – 245
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-41
*BRATE,rate Set transmit bit rate in kilobits per second. There is a
low or high rate setting; effective rate at either setting is
based on the componentry installed in the bit clock
generator.
CANMSG,nnnn (,msg
length {,min queue depth})
CANMSG MODE
{,mode)
CANMSG OFF,nnnn Turn canned message mode off nnnn = Station ID
*CHECKIN{,ii} Select check-in interval in seconds ii = interval
CLEAR
MAINTENANCE
MONITOR
Automatically generate a message of specified length
that repeats until turned off with CANMSG OFF
command. You can compose the message by entering
only the destination name (not message length or
minimum queue depth). Destination node must be a
neighbor node. CANMSG cannot contain more than 25
messages in its queue. If the number of canned message
in queue falls below minimum queue depth, additional
canned messages will be injected.
Set reception of canned message to two of the following
states:
PRINT – print all messages
NO PRINT – does not print messages
Clear monitor Station
rate = 4K/4.8K or
8K/4K
nnnn = Station ID
Master = 1 –
4095
Remote = 256 –
4095
msg le n gt h =
number of
characters in
message
min queue depth
= min. # of
canned messages
in queue
mode = PRINT
NO
PRINT
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 -
4095
1 – 4095
1 – 3000
0 – 25
1 – 4095
1 – 65535
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-42
†CLOSE PORT,function
{,function,…}
CLS
†COMPRESSION{,action}Enable/disable data compression on outbound
CONFIG
CONFIGURATION
†CONNECT,{nnn…} Limits Master-to-Master connectivity for lab and field
CORPAT
Close specified 545B port from operation. You can enter
more than one port name to close, using commas to
separate the names on the same line.
CAUTION
The OPEN/CLOSE PORT commands directly affect
545B network activity and message flow. Do NOT use
these commands unless directed to do so.
Print current values, then clear link statistics (see STAT).
messages/data reports. Intermediate nodes pass on the
information in compressed form. The destination
decompresses the information.
Show current configuration parameters report.
NOTE
Configuration in EEPROM may differ unless the SAVE
command is used after configuration changes are made.
List major Master Station configuration settings.
network configuration
Without parameters, display report of available
correlation patterns and indicate usage.
function = user
interface function
action =
ON – enable
OFF – disable
nnn = Master
Station
OFF = no
limitation
MNT, POS, MSG,
ALT, DTA, C&S
1 – 245
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-43
†CORPAT,RX,action
{,pppp...}
†CORPAT,TX,pppp
{,ALWAYS}
CR10X
†CR10X,ACQMODE,modeSet CR10X acquisition mode - Get all reports since last
Define Receiver correlation patterns to recognize.
Pattern 1 is the default and is the only pattern recognized
if no others specified. Up to 16 pre-defined patterns are
recognized.
Define Transmitter correlation pattern to send. Pattern 1
is the default and is the only pattern recognized if no
other specified. Up to 16 pre-defined patterns may be
used.
Display CR10X configuration parameters
UPDT
action = ON –
define patterns
or
OFF – use only
default pattern
pppp = pattern
number; ALL
means
recognize all
patterns
pppp = pattern
number
ALWAYS means
use specified
pattern instead
of received
pattern
mode =
ALL – get all
reports since last
update
CURRENT –
get only the
current data
report
LAST,n – get
last “n” data
reports
1 – 8
1-- 8
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
†CR10X,GROUP,source Specify source of data report group assignment. source =
545B – 545B
assi gns group
numbers; CR10X
internal group
number matches
data array
CR10X –
CR10X assigns
group numbers;
545B gets group
number from
first sensor
†CR10 X,INTERVAL,n Acquisition scan interval in seconds. OFF disables acq.
scan
CR10X,MAXQ,nnn Set maximum number of reports to queue for each scan
of the CR10X
CR10X,ORDER,order Specify order of final storage data (currently only FIFO
is available).
CR10X,REGISTER,n{,ddd}Read/Set internal storage register. n = register
n = seconds
nnn = number of
reports
order =
FIFO – first in,
first out
LIFO – last in,
last out
number
ddd = value
OPERATIONS 4-44
0 – 32767
1 – 200
1 – 28
Signed floating point
number (see CR10X
manual)
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-45
CR10X,RESET
†CR10X,SCALE,type Define sensor scaling type. type =
CR10X,SECURITY,nnnn,
nnnn,nnnn
CR10X,SETPTR,DATE,
TIME
Reset CR10X internal error counters to zero
545B – data
scaled in integer
hexadecimal
units
CR10X – data
scaled in
Campbell
Scientific
floating point
format
Enter CR10X Internal Security Codes. See CR10X
manual. If CR10X program contains security codes, this
command (with correct security codes) must precede any
other command for CR10X to respond.
Manual set up of last data pointer in the MCC-545B DATE = mmddyy
nnnn = security
code
TIME = hhmm
0 - 9999
mm = 1 - 12
dd = 1 - 31
yy = 0 - 99
hh = 0 - 23
mm = 0 - 59
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-46
CR10X,SIGNATURE
CR10X,STAT
†CR10X,TIME,source Specify source of data report group timestamp. source =
DATE{,mm/dd/yy} Set system date. If no parameters are given, show
DEL MSG,nnnn:sss Delete specified message. nnnn = Station ID
*DESTINATION{,nnnn....}Set default message/data destination(s). Enter 0 to use
*DEVICE{,type} Select device type mode of operation (i.e., the 545B acts
Read and Display Current CR10X program signature.
The Signature is a checksum of program bytes.
Read and display CR10X internal pointers and error
statistics.
current date. If parameters are given, DOS calendar will
also be updated.
source routing at the Master Station. If you turn off the
545B’s default destination, no data will be queued, and
the message editor will ask you to enter a destination
before sending a message. Up to four destinations may
be specified.
as a Remote or a limited Master Station).
Signature =
checksum
545B – 545B
assigns
timestamp
CR10X –
CR10X assigns
timestamp; 545B
gets timestamp
from second and
third sensors
mm = month
dd = day
yy = year
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
sss = message
serial #
nnnn = OFF, 0 or
Station ID:
Master = 1 –
245
Remote = 256 –
4095
type =
REMOTE
MASTER
0 - FF (hex)
1 – 12
1 – 31
0 – 99
1 – 4095
1 – 255
0 – 4095
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-47
DQERXQ,nnnn:sss Delete specified message from the receive queue nnnn=Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
sss = msg serial
number
DQETXQ,nnnn:sss Delete specified message from the transmit queue nnnn=Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
sss = msg serial
number
*DUTY CYCLE
{,percent}
FLASH
†FLOOD TIMEOUT{,t} Display/set timeout period in minutes for the time after a
FLUSH MSG
FLUSH RXQ,nnnn Delete all elements of specified Station from receive
FLUSH TXQ,nnnn Delete all elements of specified Station from transmit
Set transmitter duty cycle (default is 10%). Duty cycle
increases in increments of 5%.
Initiate flash memory download. You must type a dozen
or so “f” characters after entering the command to cause
the bootstrap to take control and initiate the download
dialog.
flood that the Stations are to report once a minute
Delete all messages from all queues.
queue.
queue.
percent = 1 – 100
t = timeout in
minutes
nnnn = Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
nnnn = Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
1 – 4095
1 – 245
1 – 4095
1 – 245
1 – 100
1 – 1440
1 – 4095
1 – 4095
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-48
*FREQ{UENCIES}{,tx,rx}Set operating frequencies of the MCC-545B/S.
Componentry in the MCC-545B/S limits the usable
frequency range to a 2 MHz bandwidth. If frequencies
are to be changed outside this bandwidth, hardware
modifications must also be made. The Frequency
Synthesizer must be enabled via the SYNTH,ON
command for FREQ{UENCIES} to have any effect.
This command is meaningless on an MCC-545B.
*FULL DUPLEX
†GLOF{,nnnn,nnnn} Define the IDs for use as GLOF sensor Stations/display
†GLOF
MONITOR,t,action
Set 545B in full-duplex mode.
IMPORTANT
When set to full-duplex mode, the 545B’s receiver is
disabled by the built-in Tx/Rx switch.
total GLOF setup.
Setup timeout (in seconds) and action for the GLOF
MONI TOR Stat ion
tx = Tx frequency
in MHz times 100
rx = Rx frequency
in MHz times 100
nnnn = Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
OFF disables
GLOF sensor
Stations
t = timeout in
seconds
action = ALERT,
FLOOD
4000 – 5000
4000 – 5000
1 – 4095
10 – 3600
†*HALF DUPLEX{,n}
NOTE
Duplex state is kept in
EEPROM and probe
interval is kept in BBU
RAM.
Set Master Station to half-duplex mode and specify
number of milliseconds between idle probes. If no
parameter specified, last setting is used (default = 30).
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
n = milliseconds
between idle
probes
30 – 30,000
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-49
HELP{,command} Display help information on specified command. If no
parameter entered, all commands are sequentially
displayed in alphabetical order.
*HOLD
†HORN,function{,open,
close,on,off,duration}
Select message hold mode.
Defines horn timing setup function = TEST,
command = valid
545B command
FLOOD,
STAGE 2,
STAGE3, ALL
CLEAR
open = valve
opening time
close = valve
closing time
on = on time
off = off time
duration = overall
duration for
on/off cycle
All times in seconds
1 – 15
1 – 15
1 – 3600
1 – 3600
1 - 3600
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-50
†HOST MODE{,mode} Define host mode functionality in composite networks
when host link is not available.
*HOURLIES{,action} Turn on/off hourly statistics. action =
STOP = stop
transmitting if
host connection
lost
CONTINUE =
keep transmitting
if host
connection lost,
but set bit
fla g ging lo ss in
probe
OFF = ignore
host connection
state; keep
transmitting and
do not set bit
fla g ging lo ss in
probe
ON – enable
OFF – disable
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-51
If device – Remote:
Normal operation
†*ID{,nnn,mmm{,mode}
{,INIT}}
NOTE
Remote and Master IDs are
kept in EEPROM and
mode is kept in BBU
RAM.
†ID,mode Change " mode" as discussed above without affecting ID;
If device = Master:
*ID{,nnn{,INIT}}
Set 545B’s assigned Master Station ID to number “nnn”.
When no parameters are given, current ID is displayed.
When system is already initialized, you must enter the
INIT parameter to change ID. INIT gives “OK” to save
configuration and reboot unit with new ID. ID changes
are automatically saved with the entire configuration in
EEPROM. “mode” parameter (if used) specifies initial
connectivity with specified Master. PREF means
Remote considers connectivity established. AUTO
means no connectivity established. FIXED (Default)
means connect only with specified Master.
NOTE
If command does not change the ID or Master Station,
the SAVE and reboot are not performed.
no reboot performed.
Set 545B’s assigned Master Station ID to number “nnn”.
When no parameters are given, current ID is displayed.
When system is already initialized, you must enter the
INIT parameter to change ID. INIT gives “OK” to save
configuration and reboot unit with new ID. ID changes
are automatically saved with the entire configuration in
EEPROM.
nnn = Remote ID
mmm = Master
ID
mode = PREF,
AUTO or
FIXED
mode = PREF,
AUTO or FIXED
nnn = assigned
Master ID
256 – 4095
1 – 245
1 – 245
CAUTION
If you enter INIT, you will lose all current message
information.
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-52
LISTM{,nnnnn…} Display Remotes with burst monitor bit set (all Remotes
or given IDs up to 12).
LISTT{,nnnnn} Display Remotes with “Type” flag set (all Remotes or
given IDs up to 12)
†LOGOFF
†LOGON,password LOGON used to allow operator commands. To log onto
*LOS CHECKIN{,ii,rr} Select check-in interval (in seconds) and retry count for
MEM
Used to disallow operator commands with automatic 10
minute timeout for LOS role and 60 minute timeout for
TRANSPOND role. Logs you off, disables ALL
following operator commands except LOGON,
$PENTM, or SDATA.
a unit, enter the LOGON command followed by the
current password. This will remain in effect for a timeout
period (10 or 60 minutes depending on operating mode),
or until you log off. Default = MCC-545B
LOS operation.
Show usage of dynamic pool memory.
nnnnn = Station
ID
Master = 1 –
245
Remote = 256 -
4095
nnnnn = Station
ID
Master = 1 –
245
Remote = 256 -
4095
password = 3-20
character
password
ii = interval
rr = retry
1 – 4095
1 – 4095
A-Z, 0-9, -
1 – 65535
1 – 65535
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-53
MESSAGE
{,p{,dest1…destn}}
MM
MODE
*MODULATION,degree,
encoding
†MON{,d{,r}} Turn on burst monitor. Only meteors lasting long
MONITOR{action{,nnn
{,nnn,…,nnn}}}
Enter a message with text editor. Message priority and
destination are optional parameters. After entering
message, press [ESC] to queue for transmission. If you
do not enter a destination ID, the 545B automatically
sends your message to its default destination (set with the
DESTINATION command). If you want to use source
rounting, enter 0 for the destination.
Print current value of RF signal on Receiver
Print operating mode information.
Set the transmit modulation and data encoding.
IMPORTANT
545B modulation must be the same as other units in the
network.
enough to deliver “d” characters will be monitored. If at
least “r” characters were received, a monitor line is
generated.
Control monitoring of individual units and print burst
statistics. Overrides MONOFF command and causes
monitor lines to print for each reception from this unit.
p = priority
dest1. . .destn =
destination(s)
name = node
name
nnnn = Station ID
Master = 1 –
245
Remote = 256 –
4095
degree = 90 or 30
encoding = MAN
for Manchester,
DIFF for
differential
d = duration
character count
limit
r = received
character count
limit
action =
ON – enable
OFF – disable
nnn = units to be
monitored
ALL – default
Master = 1 –
245
Remote = 256 4095
A – Z, 0 – 9
A – Z, 0 – 9
1 – 4095
0 – 32767
0 – 32767
1 - 4095
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-54
†MONOFF
*MSG
NET
NET STAT
NET STAT
PERIOD{,minutes}
NEWPASSWORD,old
password, new password
†OPEN PORT Resume activity on specified closed port. You can enter
Turn off burst monitor
Display and delete top operator message in receive queue
when message HOLD is enabled.
Display network routing table for all selected neighbors.
NET – no neighbors
NET1,2 – 1,2, etc. neighbors
NET,all – all neighbors
Display network statistics. Statistics accumulate from
the beginning of each hour and are cleared at the end of
the hour.
Enable display of network statistics and set period
between displays (in minutes). Disable display by setting
period to zero (0).
Used to change the password. The NEW PASSWORD
command is used to change the internal stored password.
You must be logged on and know the old password. The
password will automatically be saved.
more than one port name to open, using commas to
separate the names on the same line.
Minutes =
number of
minutes between
each display
password = 3-20
character
password
function = user
interface function
0 - 32767
A-Z, 0-9, -
MNT, POS, MSG,
ALT, DTA, C&S
CAUTION
The OPEN/CLOSE PORT commands directly affect
545B network activity and message flow. Do NOT use
these commands.
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-55
*P{,?}{,xxx}{,OFF} Configures 545B for pulse probe mode. If no parameters
are entered, transmit single pulse probe. Enter transmit
single pulse probe. Enter P,? to display current pulse
probe mode settings. Enter P,xxx to send a single
periodic probe once every “xxx” seconds. Enter P,OFF
to turn off periodic pulse mode (you can still transmit
single pulses with P).
P77
†PASSWORDMODE,acti
on, password
$PENTM
†$PENTM,
ALERTEVENTS{,mask}
The P77 command must be used to place the Julian date
into position one, and Hour/Minute into position two.
With this setup, the MCC 545B will strip off the first two
sensor values and place the date and time derived from
these values into the standard MCC 550B report.
Used to enable/disable use of passwords. Default is
disabled. To enable or disable the operation with
passwords, enter this command giving the desired action
along with the current password for the unit. This will
trigger an automatic "save" operation. If set to the ON
mode, the state of the unit will be set to "logged-off". All
operator and remote commands except scheduled
commands, $PENTM commands, and SDATA
commands will respond with "ACCESS DENIED!".
You will not be able to turn off the mode without first
logging on.
Without parameter string, display report of current Entek
MDP configuration.
Set bit mask indicating Entek MDP status bits regarding
as alarms. Status bits are checked against this mask on
intercepted position reports and an alert message is sent
to the local MNT and DTA ports for each match.
? = current
settings
xxx = periodic
pulse period (in
seconds)
OFF = turn off
periodic pulse
mode
action =
ON – enable
OFF – disable
password = 3-20
character
password
mask =
hexadecimal bit
mask
A-Z, 0-9, -
0 – FFFF
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-56
†$PENTM,ALERTMSG
S {,nnn...}
$PENTM,command string Send command string to local Entek MDP. command string =
†$PENTM,action Enable/disable Entek MDP interface. When enabled,
†POLL{interval,offset,
duration,retry}{,ALWAYS
}
*POS{,interval,format,
protocol}
Define canned messages constituting an alert. Any
number may be defined (up to 10 per line). Intercepted
messages matching one of these numbers cause an alert
message to be sent to the local MNT and DTA ports.
allows communication with mobile data processor in
vehicle tracking applications and causes received status
bits from the MDP to be included with the position data
in the Remote's data reports.
Define/display polling schedule for Base/Repeater
Station. If ALWAYS parameter specified, do not
timeout on-line units (i.e., ignore retry count in this case).
Display/initialize internal 545B timing for reporting GPS
position data. Specify update period in seconds, in either
binary or text format, using given protocol.
nnn = canned
message number
any valid Entek
MDP command
string
action =
ON – enable
OFF – disable
interval = polling
interval in
seconds
offset = offset
from top of
minute
duration = length
of poll
retry = retry count
for failed polls
interval =
reporting interval
in seconds
format = display
format
protocol = GPS
unit protocol
1 – 120
1 – 86400
1 – 59
1 – 10
1 – 99
0 – 65535
BINARY, TEXT
NMEA, ARNAV,
TAIP, TRANSAS
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-57
†POS,LOCAL{,interval} Display/initialize timing for local output of position
reports on MNT and DTA ports as well as sending them.
†POSRPT{,action} Enable/disable echoing of intercepted position reports to
local MNT and DTA ports. Also used to enable/disable
duplicate filtering and control format of these reports.
PRG,nnn Undefine 545B Station from network. nnn = Master
*PRINT
†PRIORITY,message
type,p
Enable messages to print as they are received.
Define priority characters for each message type. message type =
interval =
reporting interval
in seconds; OFF
disables local
output
action =
ON – enable
OFF – disable
DUPL,ON –
enable
duplicate
filtering
DUPL,OFF –
disable
duplicate
filtering
FORMAT,LON
G – output
report on two
lines
FORMAT,SHO
RT – output
report on one
line
Station ID
FLOOD,
ALERT,
ROUTINE
p = priority
1 – 86400
1 - 245
A – Z, 0 – 9
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-58
†RCT{,action} Display/set remote control terminal functionality. This
functionality is applicable to Packet protocol systems
only and controls whether the unit ignores intercepted
data reports. If enabled, intercepted reports are ignored.
RED
†RED,ID,nn-nnn Enables reception of remote emergency indications from
†RED,NUM,n Set dead-band interval in which repeated RED
†RED,OFF
RED,TEST
RED,TX
REMCMD
,p,dest1{,…destn}
Without parameters, generates report of current RED
setup.
an MCC Remote Emergency Device (RED). The entered
ID code is used with RED messages generated by the
545B using RED,TEST or RED,TX.
activations do not generate another alert message.
Disable reception of remote emergency indications from
an MCC Remote Emergency Device (RED).
Simulate a RED test message. Unlike a true RED test
button depression, this message is also echoed to the
local MNT and DTA ports.
Simulate a RED alert message. Unlike a true RED alert
button depression, this message is also echoed to the
local MNT and DTA ports.
With the text editor, enter a command to be sent to a
Remote. After entering command, press [ESC] to send
the command.
action =
ON – enable
OFF – disable
nn = call sign
prefix
nnn = call sign
suffix
n = dead-band
interval in
seconds
p = priority
dest1…destn
destination(s)
name = node
name
nnnn = Station
ID
Master = 1 –
245
Remote = 256 –
4095
0 – 99
0 – 999
1 – 120
A – Z, 0 – 9
A – Z, 0 – 9
1 – 4095
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-59
REMOTE
STAT{,nnnnn…}
†REMOTE
TYPE{,aaaaa}
*REPEATER{,nnn} Define/display Base Station to which the Repeater site
RESET
REV
Display transmit/receive statistics for all Remote Stations
or for given IDs (up to 12).
Display/set communication characteristics of the unit.
Determines how certain statistics are reported and how
remote commands/messages are framed.
repeats.
Perform hardware reset to clear and reinitialize I/O
channels and RF controller. This command retains
previous network configurations and message traffic.
Display part and revision numbers of current Link
Controller and Tx/Rx Controller software.
nnnn = Station ID
Master = 1 –
245
Remote = 256 –
4095
aaaaa =
COMM
DATA
PACKET
nnn = Base
Station ID
OFF clears a
previously
established
definition
1 – 4095
1 – 245
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-60
†*ROLE{,role{,low,high}
{,mode}}
NOTE
Role is kept in EEPROM
and low, high and mode
are kept in BBU RAM.
†RTCM{,nnn} Define time latency in seconds between beacon receiver
RX STAT{,CLEAR} Display statistics for the 545B Receiver CLEAR = clear
SAVE
Define role played in network, either SILENT (never
transmits), TRANSPOND (responds to probes), PROBE
(actively probes), or LOS (line of sight) mode. If role is
set to T RANSPOND, the low and high parameters can
be used to specify the threshold values for automatic
meteor burst vs. line of sight modes of operation and the
mode parameter can set the starting mode (meteor burst
or line of sight).
Thresholds are specified in idle probes per minute. To
prevent LOS operation altogether, set the low threshold
to 1000 if the unit’s Master is half duplex or 5500 if it is
full duplex.
and local time. Without parameter, display report of
satellites in view by beacon receiver.
Save CONFIG parameters in EEPROM. Reboot of
545B (or restart due to software failure) returns unit to
configuration saved in EEPROM.
role = SILENT,
LOS,
TRANSPOND
or
PROBE
low = threshold
for switching
from LOS to
MB mode in idle
probes per
minute
high = threshold
for switching
from MB to
LOS mode in
idle probes per
minute
mode = MB or
LOS
nnn = latency in
seconds
all statistics after
display
0 – 32767
0 – 32767
0 – 59
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-61
†SCALE{,parameter,value}Display set A/D scaling factors for the unit. Factors
depend on type of receiver and power supply used in the
545B.
†SCHED{,basis,hh:mm:ss
{,OFFSET,hh:mm:ss},
command string}
IMPORTANT
SCHED ignores the
MESSAGE command. Up
to 50 events can be
scheduled.
†SCHED,DEL,nn Delete specified schedule item number. If nn = ALL, the
SDATA,g,c,time stamp,
value...
Schedule execution of the specified command string. If
timeframe basis = INTERVAL, the command string will
be executed whenever the specified time interval elapses
during the day. If timeframe basis = TIME, the
command string will be executed at the specified time.
The OFFSET option allows specification of an offset
from the timeframe basis.
entire schedule will be cleared.
Enter an MCC-550C data report directly from the serial
I/O port. Up to 16 values may be entered. Use the
LINK command to route the data.
parameter =
BAT – battery
voltage
DETRF –
detected RF
TXPWR –
transmit
power
value = scale
factor
basis = TIME or
INTERVAL
hh - hours
mm - minutes
ss - seconds
nn = schedule
item number
g = group number
c = sensor count
time stamp =
mmdddhhmn
value = ASCII
hex sensor value
0 – 23
0 – 59
0 – 59
1 – 50
1 – 4
1 – 16
mm 1 – 12
ddd 1 –365
hh 0 – 23
mn 0 – 59
0 – FFFF
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-62
†SENSOR{function}
{weight}{low,high}}}
SERIAL{,sss} Set next packet serial number. Parameter “sss” is serial
*SET BAUD
{,function,rate,flow}
SHOW REMOTES
SHOW RXQ,nnnn Display contents of receive queue for the originating
SHOW TXQ,nnnn Display contents of transmit queue for the destination
Defines the GLOF sensor data limit for fail/dry/wet
determination. Gives the “weight” (i.e., how significant)
of each case for the flood calculation.
number of last packet transmitted.
Adjust baud rate and flow control of specified port.
When no parameters are entered, this command displays
I/O configurations.
Display ID and assigned 520B of each Remote in system.
Station.
Station.
Function:
DRY
WET
FLOOD
FAIL
sss = message
serial number
function = user
interface
function
rate = baud rate
flow = flow
control
nnnn =
originating
Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
nnnn =
destination
Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
LOW 1 - 99
HIGH 1 – 9999
WEIGHT 1 - 99
1 – 255
MNT, POS, MSG,
ALT, DTA,
CANDS,
110, 150, 300, 600,
1200, 2400, 4800,
9600
Y or N
1 – 4095
1 – 4095
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-63
SML{,nnnn} Display names and serial numbers of message packets in
specified message list. If parameter is not entered, all
message packet names and numbers are displayed.
SMS{,nnnn} Display status of message packet in specified message
list.
nnnn =
destination
Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
nnnn = Station ID
Master = 1 – 245
Remote = 256 –
4095
1 – 4095
1 – 4095
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
OPERATIONS 4-64
†*SNP{pname,value}
NOTE
Some network parameters
are only for use in Master
Operation mode
(RDOWN, CONNP,
TEXTL, FLOODP, INF,
RELAY).
NOTE
TTL, TTR, NUP,
NDOWN, RDOWN,
OTL, HTO, TEXTL,
CONNP, ETEAP,
FLOODP, RELAY and
INF are kept in EEPROM;
DATAP and MBHOP are
kept in BBU RAM.
Set network parameters. See range column for values
entered for each parameter.
pnam e –
live
TTR
retransmit
N UP
N DOWN
down
R DOWN
down
OTL
limit
CONNP
msg. precedence
ETEAP
ACK precedence
HTO
timeout
TEXTL
segments
FLOODP
flooding prec. level
INF
quantity
DATAP
data reports created by
545B
MBHOP
lin k hop weight for
MS meteor burst links
RELAY
function control
TTL
time-to-
time-to-
neighbor up
neighbor
Remo te
outs tanding te xt
connectivity
End- t o-End
his tory file
text size in
par tial
infinity hop
priority of
meteor burst
relay
0 – 2550
10 min. bnd ry)
default =
0 – 255
default =
1 – 255
default =
1 – 255
default =
0 – 32767
default =
1 – 255
default =
0 – 9, A – Z
default =
0 – 9, A – Z
default =
1 – 255
default =
5 – 255
default =
A – I
default =
2 = 255
default =
A – Z
default =
1 – 99
default =
ON, OFF
min. (trunc ated to
120
min.
20
acq.
20
min.
20
1440
20
1
0
min.
120
32
A
hop
8
Y
1
O&M of the MCC-545B PACKET DATA RADIO
12/2000
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