Sierra Wireless MP215 User Manual

MP215 Modem

Installation Configuration and User’s Guide

Revision 1.0

Part Number: 2110036

June 1998

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MP215 Mobile Modem Installation, Configuration, and User’s Guide

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MP215 Mobile Modem Installation, Configuration, and User’s Guide

Important Notice

Because of the nature of wireless communications, transmission and reception of data can never be guaranteed. Data may be
delayed, corrupted (i.e., have errors) or be totally lost. Although significant delays or losses of data are rare when wireless
devices such as the Sierra Wireless modem are used in a normal manner with a well-constructed network, the Sierra Wireless
modem should not be used in situations where failure to transmit or receive data could result in damage of any kind to the user or
any other party, including but not limited to personal injury, death, or loss of property. Sierra Wireless, Inc., accepts no
responsibility for damages of any kind resulting from delays or errors in data transmitted or received using the Sierra Wireless
modem, or for failure of the Sierra Wireless modem to transmit or receive such data.

Patents

"Portions of this product are covered by some or all of the following US patents: D367062; D372248; D372701; 5515013;
5617106; 5629960; and other patents pending"

Part Number: 2110036, Revision 1.0
© 1997 Sierra Wireless, Inc. All rights reserved.
Printed in Canada.

First Printing: June, 1998.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without

the prior permission of the publisher.

The Watcher software described in this guide is © 1996 Sierra Wireless, Inc. All rights reserved.
AT is a trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
Hayes is a registered trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.
The information in this guide is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Sierra

Wireless, Inc. Sierra Wireless, Inc. shall not be liable for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the furnishing,
performance, or use of this manual.

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MP215 Mobile Modem Installation, Configuration, and User’s Guide

!!

installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can

!!

Regulatory Information

The equipment certifications appropriate to your device are marked on the device and the accompanying product specific
information. Where appropriate, the use of the equipment is subject to the following conditions.

CAUTION

Unauthorized modifications or changes not expressly approved by Sierra Wireless, Inc. could void
compliance with regulatory rules, and thereby your authority to use this equipment.

WARNING (EMI) - United States

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in an
appropriate installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communication. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular

be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is

connected

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

WARNING (EMI) - Canada

"This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus

as set out in the interference causing equipment standard entitled 'Digital Apparatus', ICES-003 of the
Department of Communications."

"Cet appareil numerique respecte les limites de bruits radioelectriques applicables aux appareils
numeriques de Classe B prescrites dans la norme sur le materiel brouilleur: 'Appareils Numeriques',
NHB-003 edictee par le ministre des Communications."

RSA Licensee

If you have purchased this product under a United States Government contract, it shall be subject to restrictions as set forth in
subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of Defense Federal Acquisitions Regulations (DFARs) Section 252.227-7013 for Department of Defense
contracts and as set forth in Federal Acquisitions Regulations (FARs) Section 52.227-19 for civilian agency contracts or any
successor regulations. If further government regulations apply, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with such
regulations.

Safety and Hazards

Do not operate the Sierra Wireless modem in areas where blasting is in progress, where explosive atmospheres may be present,
near medical equipment, near life support equipment, or any equipment which may be susceptible to any form of radio
interference. In such areas, the Sierra Wireless modem MUST BE TURNED OFF. The Sierra Wireless modem can transmit
signals, which could interfere with this equipment.

Do not operate the Sierra Wireless modem in any aircraft, whether the aircraft is on the ground or in flight. In aircraft, the Sierra
Wireless modem MUST BE TURNED OFF. The reason for this is that when operating in the CDPD or cellular circuit switched
mode, the Sierra Wireless modem can transmit signals, which could interfere with various onboard equipment systems.

The driver or operator of any vehicle should not operate the Sierra Wireless modem while in control of a vehicle. Doing so will
detract from the driver or operator’s control and operation of that vehicle. In some states and provinces, operating such
communications devices while in control of a vehicle is an offence.

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MP215 Mobile Modem Installation, Configuration, and User’s Guide

CCuussttoommeerr SSeerrvviicce

Sierra Wireless, Inc.

260 - Vanier Place,

Richmond, B.C. V2V 2J2

Canada

e

Help Desk

Open between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

604 231 1128

Sales Desk

Open between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PST

604 231 1100

Warranty and Service Desk

Open between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PST

604 231 1157

Email

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

Webpage

Consult our webpage for up-to-date product descriptions, documentation, application notes,

firmware upgrades, troubleshooting tips, and press releases:

wwwwww..ssiieerrrraawwiirreelleessss..ccoom

m

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MP215 Mobile Modem Installation, Configuration, and User’s Guide

Contents

1. Overview 1-1

1.1. CS-CDPD 1-1

1.2. MP215 Operating Modes 1-1

1.3. MP215 Host Interface 1-2

1.4. MP215 Wireless Expert and Watcher 1-2

2. MP215 Installation 2-1

2.1. Installing the Modem in a Vehicle 2-1

2.2. Installing the Cellular Antenna 2-1

2.3. Connecting the Serial Cable 2-1

2.4. Connecting the Power Supply 2-1

2.5. Warranty Registration 2-2

3. External Interfaces 3-1

3.1. Host interface 3-1

3.2. Power Supply Interface and On/Off Control 3-2

3.3. Modem Status Indicator 3-4

3.4. Speaker 3-4

Mating Connector Suggestions 3-5
Speaker Suggestions 3-5

3.5. I/O Connector 3-5

3.6. RF Antenna Connector 3-5

4. Installing MP215 Firmware and Utility Software4-1

4.1. Installing MP215 Firmware 4-1

4.2. Installing Wireless Expert and Watcher Software 4-2

5. Configuring the MP215 With Wireless Expert 5-1

5.1. Setup 5-1

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5.2. AMPS Provisioning 5-2

5.3. Programming the Dial Code 5-3

5.4. CDPD provisioning 5-3

NEI and Side Preference 5-3
DNS Configuration 5-4

6. Configuring the MP215 via AT Commands 6-1

6.1. Configuring the MP215 for CSC mode 6-1

Programming the NAM 6-1
Programming the CS-CDPD Modem Bank Dial Code 6-1

6.2. CDPD Provisioning 6-1

Programming the NEI 6-1
Programming the Channel Side Preference 6-2
Programming the SPINI (optional) 6-2

6.3. Autoswitch Provisioning 6-2

Maxidle Timer 6-2
Autocheck Timer 6-2
Maxcdpdscan Timer 6-3
Maxcdpdlost Timer 6-3
CDPDPresence Timer 6-3

7. Operating the MP215 via Watcher 7-1

7.1. MP215 Operating Modes 7-1

8. Operating the MP215 via AT Commands 8-1

9. Host Interface 9-1

9.1. General Description 9-1

9.2. AT Command Specifics 9-2

AT Commands 9-3
S-registers and +WS registers 9-4

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Figures

Figure 3-1 MP215 (front view) 3-1
Figure 3-2 RS-232-C Voltage Specifications 3-2
Figure 3-3 Modem DB9 Pin Designation 3-2
Figure 3-4 Power Connector Pin-out (cable side) 3-3
Figure 3-5 Power Supply Connection Diagram 3-4
Figure 3-6 MP215 Revision 3 audio jack pin

configuration - looking into MP215 RJ45 3-5

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Tables

Table 3-1 LED Indications 3-4

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1. Overview

1.1. CS-CDPD

The MP215 is a radio modem that supports CS-CDPD operation. CS-CDPD is a
specification for doing CDPD communications over a circuit-switched cellular
AMPS connection, and is described in detail in the CDPD Implementor Guideline
Part 1024 published by the CDPD Forum (now the Wireless Data Forum). Like
CDPD, CS-CDPD is a specialized service that must be available from a cellular
carrier in order for modem operation to be possible.

Basic CS-CDPD operation works as follows: the MP215 dials a pre-configured
1-800 number and establishes a circuit-switched cellular connection to a carrier’s
CS-CDPD modem bank. A connection is then established with the carrier’s
CS-CDPD router (a CMDIS), and the modem is registered on the CDPD network.
Regular IP-based data communication is now possible. Whether the modem is
connected via CDPD or CS-CDPD is transparent to the application at either end
of the communication link. After data transfer is complete, the cellular
connection is dropped, but the MP215 remains registered with the CDPD
network. In the event that data needs to be routed to or from the modem, either
the network or the MP215 initiates a cellular call and the data link is re­established.

1.2. MP215 Operating Modes

The MP215 can be configured to operate as a CS-CDPD-only modem, a CDPD­only modem, or an Autoswitching-modem that detects which service is available
and automatically switches from one service to the other, with preference for
CDPD. Autoswitching requires that various timers in the MP215 be configured
and reliable since operation of the modem is dependent on them. These timers are
pre-configured in the factory for optimum performance. Input from the cellular
carrier, system integrator, and Sierra Wireless is recommended if changes to these
timers are desired.

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1.3. MP215 Host Interface

The MP215 is not completely backwards compatible with existing Sierra Wireless
CDPD modems, as the nature of CS-CDPD operation makes this unfeasible. The
major differences relate to behavior in response to AT-commands. Section 9 of
this document describes how the host interface varies from the Sierra Wireless
standard.

1.4. MP215 Wireless Expert and Watcher

Wireless Expert is a utility designed by Sierra Wireless that provides a simple and
easy way to configure the MP215, as well as Windows95 or NT-based computers
that are to be connected to it. It automatically installs definition files, creates
registry files, and configures stacks. The modem can also be manually configured
via AT-commands. Watcher is a Sierra Wireless Utility that permits simple
operation and observation of the MP215 via a user-friendly GUI.

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