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05-4669A01, Rev. B

MDS SD4 Startup Guide

 

9

 

TROUBLESHOOTING

 

For proper operation, all radios in the network must meet these basic 
requirements:

• Adequate and stable primary power
• Secure connections (RF, data and power)
• A clear transmission path between stations
• An efficient and properly aligned antenna system providing 

adequate received signal strength.

• Proper programming of the transceiver’s operating parameters
• The correct interface between the transceiver and the connected 

data equipment (correct cable wiring, proper data format, tim-
ing, etc.)

 

LED Indicators

 

The LED status indicators (

Figure 7

) are an important troubleshooting 

aid and should be checked whenever a problem is suspected. 

Table 3

 

describes the function of each status LED on the top panel of the radio.

In addition to the top panel LEDs, the 

 

ETHERNET/LAN

 

 connector has 

two integrated LEDs. A steady green LED indicates that an Ethernet 
link has been established, a flashing green indicates data activity, and 
a yellow LED indicates 100 Mbps operation.

 

STAT

 

Display radio status and alarms.

 

TEMP

 

Display the internal temperature of the radio 
in degrees C.

 

TX [xxx.xxxx]

 

Set or display the transmit frequency.

 

Table 2. Command Summary 

 

(Cont’d)

 

Command Name 

Function

Summary of Contents for MDS SD4 Series

Page 1: ...Start Up Guide Firmware Release 1 x x MDS 05 4669A01 Rev B 1 NOV 2008 MDS SD4 Software Controlled Digital Communications ...

Page 2: ...es the US mark of approval CSA US The CSA Certification is in accordance with CSA STD C22 2 No 213 M1987 CSA Conditions of Approval The transceiver is not acceptable as a stand alone unit for use in the hazardous locations described above It must either be mounted within another piece of equipment which is certified for hazardous locations or installed within guidelines or conditions of approval a...

Page 3: ...ons using one hardware platform They employ microprocessor control and Digital Signal Processing DSP tech nology to provide robust communications even under adverse condi tions Figure 1 SD4 Data Transceiver The transceiver is designed for trouble free operation with data equip ment provided by other manufacturers including remote terminal units RTUs programmable logic controllers PLCs flow com put...

Page 4: ...iagnostics DB 9 COM2 Payload Data DB 9 ANTENNA TNC A list of LED functions is presented in Table 3 on Page 10 Accessories Table 1 lists available accessories for the transceiver The contents of a shipment may have been modified to reflect customer specific requirements given at the time of order Additional accessories are available for our products Contact your factory representative for assistanc...

Page 5: ...anel connections Table 1 SD4 Available Accessories Accessory Description Part Number DC Power Plug 2 pin polarized Mates with power connector on radio Screw terminals provided for wires threaded locking screws to prevent accidental disconnect 73 1194A39 Retrofit Kit Digital Contains all items needed to replace an existing MDS x710A C M digital transceiver 98 6190ACC1 Retrofit Kit Analog Contains a...

Page 6: ...brackets supplied with the radio Begin by attaching the radio s mounting brackets to the bottom of the transceiver case if not already attached using the four 6 32 x 1 4 inch 6 mm screws supplied Figure 4 shows the mounting bracket dimensions NOTE To prevent moisture from entering the radio do not mount the case with the cable connectors pointing up Also dress all cables to prevent moisture from r...

Page 7: ...rovides a clear path to the associated master station Use low loss coaxial feedline and keep the cable as short as possible 3 Connect the data equipment to COM2 on the front panel The radio is hardwired as a DCE device A straight thru cable may be used in most applications Check Table 5 on Page 14 for pin wir ing details Note The radio s LAN port is used for reprogramming the radio s firmware Refe...

Page 8: ...signed for quick installation with a minimum of software configuration required a Connect a PC to the transceiver s DB 9 COM1 connector as shown in Figure 6 A straight through cable may be used in most applications If desired a cable may be built using the information shown on Page 13 of this guide b Launch a terminal communications program such as Hyper Terminal included with most WindowsTM syste...

Page 9: ...by entering RX xxx xxxx where xxx xxxx is the frequency in MHz Press The response PROGRAMMED OK indicates successful entry e Set the radio s modem type if necessary using the MODEM xxxx command where xxxx is the modem selection typically 4800 or 9600 The default setting is 9600 f Set the radio s serial data interface rate typically BAUD 9600 8N1 This completes the initial setup and configuration o...

Page 10: ... PORT RS232 RS485 Selects signaling standard to be used on COM2 DATA port For RS 485 operation see Reference Manual PWR 20 37 Set or display the transmit power setting PTTSIG ON OFF Set display push to talk configuration RSSI Display the Received Signal Strength Indication RTSKEY Set display how the radio responds to RTS keying Default is RTSKEY ON which causes the radio to key the transmitter whe...

Page 11: ...ring proper data format tim ing etc LED Indicators The LED status indicators Figure 7 are an important troubleshooting aid and should be checked whenever a problem is suspected Table 3 describes the function of each status LED on the top panel of the radio In addition to the top panel LEDs the ETHERNET LAN connector has two integrated LEDs A steady green LED indicates that an Ethernet link has bee...

Page 12: ...alarms exist the message NO ALARMS PRESENT appears on the display If an alarm does exist a two digit alarm code 00 31 is displayed and the event is identified as a Major or Minor Alarm A brief description of the alarm is also given Table 3 LED Status Indicators LED Name Description PWR Continuous Power applied no problems detected Rapid flash 5 times per second Alarm indication LAN Continuous Loca...

Page 13: ... a listing of event codes that may be reported by the transceiver The codes shown are a subset of a larger pool of codes used for various GE MDS products For this reason the table does not show a sequential listing of all code numbers Only the codes appli cable to this product are shown Table 4 Event Codes Event Code Event Class Description 01 Major Improper software detected for this radio model ...

Page 14: ...y creates a received signal strength indication RSSI vs frequency plot for the frequency and sur rounding signals By analyzing the display you can determine the presence of other signals near the transceiver s operating frequency This information can be helpful in troubleshooting interference prob lems 18 Minor A data framing error has been detected on the COM2 INTERFACE connector This may indicat...

Page 15: ... manage ment or diagnostics A straight through cable is required that connects Pin 2 RXD Pin 3 TXD and Pin 5 Ground See Figure 9 Invisibleplaceholder Figure 9 COM1 Wiring to Computer NOTE To prevent unintended keying of the transmitter during management activities set PTTSIG to OFF or do not connect to Pin 6 of the COM1 port RXD TXD GND 2 3 5 RXD TXD GND 2 3 5 DB 9 FEMALE COMPUTER DB 9 MALE RADIO ...

Page 16: ...t unintended keying of the transmitter on RTS set RTSKEY to OFF or do not connect to Pin 7 RTS of the COM2 port Pin Descriptions RS EIA 232 Mode Table 5 lists the COM connector pin functions when configured to operate in RS EIA 232 mode For RS EIA 422 485 mode refer to the Reference Manual NOTE The radio is hard wired as a DCE device Figure 10 COM2 Connector DB 9F As viewed from outside the radio ...

Page 17: ...rcuits in a remote radio This allows for greatly reduced power consumption yet preserves the radio s ability to be quickly brought on line See Using the Radio s Sleep Mode for details 5 Signal Ground Connects to ground negative supply potential on chassis 6 OUT Alarm Output DSR An RS 232 high space 5 0 Vdc on this pin indicates an alarm condition An RS 232 low mark 5 0 Vdc indicates normal operati...

Page 18: ...Female connector COM2 Data Rates 300 115200 bps asynchronous Data Latency 10 ms maximum PRIMARY POWER Voltage 13 8 Vdc Nominal 10 5 to 16 Vdc Negative Ground Systems Only TX Supply Current 2 0 Amperes Typical 5 Watts RF Output RX Supply Current Operational 125 mA Nominal Fuse 5 Ampere internal ENVIRONMENTAL Humidity 95 at 40 degrees C 104 F non condensing Temperature Range 40 to 70 degrees C 40 F ...

Page 19: ...Installation Guide ...

Page 20: ...GE MDS LLC Rochester NY 14620 General Business 1 585 242 9600 FAX 1 585 242 9620 Web www GEmds com 175 Science Parkway ...

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