GE MDS 4790 Series Installation & Operation Manual Download Page 1

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Inst

allation & Operation Guide

MDS 05-3438A01, Rev. F

SEPTEMBER 2008

400 MHz/900 MHz

Multiple Address System

Master Station Radio

MDS 4790/9790 Series

(including MDS 4790A/C/E/S, MDS 9790A)

RSPSupply - 1-888-532-2706 - www.RSPSupply.com

http://www.RSPSupply.com/p-8457-MDS-UP-9790X.aspx

Summary of Contents for MDS 4790 Series

Page 1: ...3438A01 Rev F SEPTEMBER 2008 400 MHz 900 MHz Multiple Address System Master Station Radio MDS 4790 9790 Series including MDS 4790A C E S MDS 9790A RSPSupply 1 888 532 2706 www RSPSupply com http www RSPSupply com p 8457 MDS UP 9790X aspx ...

Page 2: ...on Invisible place holder ACTIVE green This transceiver board A or B is the selected unit STBY yellow This transceiver board A or B is the standby unit redundant version only ALARM red General fault not covered by the other alarm categories RX ALR TX ALR I O ALR RX ALR red Difficulty receiving May be due to an antenna problem receiver fault or other condition causing a low received signal level TX...

Page 3: ...ction 9 Antenna System 9 Feedline Selection 9 4 0 INSTALLATION PROCEDURES 10 4 1 Unpacking and Inspection 11 4 2 Mounting the Radio 11 Rack Mounting 12 Tabletop Mounting 12 Remote Front Panel Mounting Optional Configuration 12 4 3 Primary Power 13 AC Powered Units 14 DC Powered Units 14 4 4 Backup Battery 15 Location of Battery Backup Switch 15 Low Voltage Disconnect Feature 16 Battery Reset Switc...

Page 4: ... 32 Commands and Command Parameters 33 6 3 Detailed Command Descriptions 37 ALARM 37 AMASK 0000 0000 FFFF FFFF 40 ASENSE HI LO 41 BATT ery ON OFF 41 BAUD xxxxx abc 42 BUFF ON OFF 42 CKEY ON OFF 43 CTS 0 255 43 DATAKEY ON OFF 44 DATE mmm dd yyyy 44 DKEY 45 DLINK ON OFF xxxx 45 DMGAP xx 45 DTYPE NODE ROOT GATE PEER 46 EMP ON OFF 46 HREV 46 INIT 46 KEY 47 LOG CLR 48 MADDR NONE 1 255 48 MODEL 48 MODEM...

Page 5: ... Changing radio functions 64 6 5 Screen Descriptions 64 Group 1 Startup Screen and Menu Directory page 69 64 Group 2 Configuration Screens Page 69 64 Group 3 Diagnostic Screens Page 78 65 Group 4 Event Log Page 80 65 7 0 LOCAL NETWORK WIDE PROBLEM SOLVING 79 7 1 Local Problem Solving 80 Front Panel LEDs 80 Chassis Mounted LEDs 81 Problem Solving Using a Connected PC 82 Problem Solving Using the Fr...

Page 6: ...ning 102 Free Space Path Loss 102 Fresnel Zone Boundary 102 Theoretical Signal Strength 102 Probability of System Fading 103 10 4 dBm Volts Watts Conversion Chart 104 Copyright Notice This Installation and Operation Guide and all software described herein are protected by copyright 2008 GE MDS All rights reserved GE MDS reserves its right to correct any errors and omissions in this publication Ope...

Page 7: ...esult in minor differences between the manual and the product shipped to you If you have addi tional questions or need an exact specification for a product please con tact our Customer Service Team using the information at the back of this guide In addition manual updates can often be found on our Web site at www GEmds com Warning 400 MHz Distress Beacons In the U S A the 406 to 406 1 MHz band is ...

Page 8: ...nces contained within To avoid dissemination of these substances into our environment and to diminish the demand on natural resources we encourage you to use the appropriate recycling systems for disposal These systems will reuse or recycle most of the materials found in this equipment in a sound way Please contact GE MDS or your supplier for more information on the proper disposal of this equipme...

Page 9: ...o uses microprocessor control and Digital Signal Processing DSP technology to provide highly reliable communications even under adverse condi tions The MDS 4790 is intended to be used in systems with compatible MDS 4710 Series remote radios it operates in the 400 MHz frequency band 380 to 512 MHz for A and C models 400 to 480 MHz for E models The MDS 4790S uses an over the air data rate of 9600 bp...

Page 10: ... system simultaneously You can use the MDS 4790 9790 Series Master Station to poll remote radios in its radio system for diagnostic data For more information on the implementation of network wide diagnostics refer to the GE MDS Network wide Diagnostics Handbook P N 05 3467A01 2 2 Redundant versus Non redundant Operation A redundant configuration means that the master station has two com plete tran...

Page 11: ...multipoint system using an MDS 4790 9790 Series master station This is a basic system consisting of a central master station and several associated remote units Figure 2 Typical MAS Network Repeater and Polling Remote Operation A MAS system using repeater and polling remote radios is shown in Figure 3 on Page 4 Notice that the polling remote radio operates in half duplex mode and the repeater oper...

Page 12: ...nal redundant version of the radio includes redun dant transceiver boards and power supply modules that automatically activate if a failure in either of the transceiver boards or power supplies occurs This ensures continued operation in the event of most trans ceiver board failures The following list highlights many of the radio s key features For a full listing of specifications refer to Section ...

Page 13: ... 03 3228A01 Orderwire Handset Allows orderwire communications with other stations in the network 12 1307A01 Cavity Filter Kit For MDS 9790x Removes or attenuates interfering 900 MHz signals from the receiver input Might be necessary in areas with high powered stations nearby such as paging transmitters Available for use with an internal or external duplexer 03 3621Axx RF Combiner Panel 9 24 MHz sp...

Page 14: ...ps for selecting an appropriate site choosing antennas and feedlines and minimizing the chance of interference Review this material before beginning equipment installation 3 1 General Requirements There are three main requirements for installing the radio adequate and stable primary power a good antenna system and the correct inter face between the radio and the data device Figure 4 shows a typica...

Page 15: ...a on a tower or other elevated structure that raises it high enough to clear surrounding terrain and other obstructions The requirement for a clear transmission path depends on the distance covered by the system If the system covers only a limited distance say 3 1 miles 5 km then some obstructions in the transmission path might be acceptable For longer range systems any obstruction might compro mi...

Page 16: ...isting operating frequencies are taken into account when allocating frequencies The risk of interference can be further reduced through prudent system design and configuration Allow adequate separation between frequen cies and radio systems Keep the following points in mind when setting up your radio system 1 Systems installed in lightly populated areas are least likely to encounter interference t...

Page 17: ...here short lengths of cable are used up to 8 meters 26 feet an inexpensive coax cable such as Type RG 213 might be acceptable For example 100 feet 30 meters of RG 58A U cable commonly used for frequencies below 100 MHz has an insertion loss of 5 dB at 450 MHz A 5 watt transmitter operating into such a feedline would pro duce only 1 6 watts at the antenna a similar loss in receiver sensitivity woul...

Page 18: ...able installation 4 0 INSTALLATION PROCEDURES This section presents the steps necessary for installing the radio and con necting it to associated equipment After completing these steps the radio is ready for in service operation Table 2 Feedline Loss Chart 450 MHz Cable Type 3 05 Meters 10 Feet 15 24 Meters 50 Feet 30 48 Meters 100 Feet 152 4 Meters 500 Feet RG 8A U 0 51 dB 2 53 dB 5 07 dB 25 35 d...

Page 19: ...ee environment that allows easy access to the rear panel connectors as well as the front panel con trols and indicators Air must pass freely over the heatsink on the rear panel Figure 7 on Page 12 shows the mounting dimensions of the radio Most commonly the radio is installed in a 2U 3 5 inch 88 90 mm rack mount configuration but you can also install it in a simple tabletop arrangement if desired ...

Page 20: ...le place holder Figure 7 Mounting Dimensions Remote Front Panel Mounting Optional Configuration If desired you can detach the front panel from the radio and mount it separately from the radio chassis This optional kit MDS P N 03 3228A01 is intended for rack mount installations where all connec tions and control must be performed from the rear of the radio The Aux iliary Mounting Plate P N 82 3189A...

Page 21: ...supplied in the kit 7 Attach the extension cable between the front panel modular connec tor and the in line splice connector on the radio chassis 4 3 Primary Power You can power the radio from a variety of standard AC and DC power sources ranging between 15 and 125 Vdc or 115 230 Vac The nominal input voltage is marked on the module at the rear of the radio or external power supply unit See Techni...

Page 22: ...pply module s replaceable fuse DC Powered Units Internal Units Figure 9 shows a rear view of in internal DC power supply Connection to the power supply is made with a three conductor plug in terminal strip Phoenix connector P N 73 1194A22 The radio operates in either a positive or negative ground configuration The center pin of the chassis connector is not connected within the radio Invisible plac...

Page 23: ...ing the front panel see Figure 11 on Page 16 To remove the front panel grasp it firmly along its bottom edge and pull it away from the radio chassis see Figure 8 on Page 13 Set the front panel aside using care not to damage the interconnecting cable In most cases the radio begins transmitting as soon as power is applied Be sure that a proper load is attached to the radio s RF output connector befo...

Page 24: ...it automatically disconnects the battery from the radio This stops operation of the radio and protects the battery from potential damage When AC power returns the battery is automat ically connected to the power supply for re charging and the radio resumes normal operation Battery Reset Switch SW1 LVD PCB Normally the operation of the Low Voltage Disconnect Assembly is fully automatic The only exc...

Page 25: ...ning of the antenna Regardless of the antenna brand mount the antenna as far away as pos sible from obstructions such as buildings metal objects and dense foliage Choose a location that provides a clear path in the direction of the associated stations NOTE Strong fields near the antenna can interfere with the operation of low level circuits and change the values of the received data For this reaso...

Page 26: ...panel see Figure 13 Refer to the following descriptions for specific information on these connections Invisible place holder Figure 13 Master Station Rear Panel TX Antenna and RX Coaxial Connectors Type N These are for connection to the station antenna or external equipment such as a duplexer or cavity filter The connectors present depend on whether the radio was shipped for operation with these e...

Page 27: ...lication 3 External Cavity Filter In some areas interference from strong signals such as paging transmit ters might require using a cavity filter A cavity filter is an exter nally mounted device tuned to the frequency of an interfering signal It removes or greatly attenuates the unwanted signal before it is detected by the master station receiver Contact the factory for filter ordering information...

Page 28: ... 17 In this case the right connector acts as the transmit output to the duplexer and the left connector acts as the receive input from the duplexer Figure 18 on Page 21 shows the required cable connections between the radio and an external duplexer and cavity filter if required Invisible place holder Figure 17 Coaxial Connectors for Older Radios For units intended to operate with an external duple...

Page 29: ... connection for the equipment attached to the DATA PORT to prevent damage Finally use lightning protectors where the antenna transmission lines enter the building bond them to the tower ground if it is nearby Diagnostics Connector J1 A DB 9 9 pin connector on the rear panel provides system diagnostics information The DIAGNOSTIC PORT is used to control and perform diagnostics on the radio system fr...

Page 30: ...nd 4 provide a receive audio output with a nominal 600 Ω impedance Pins 5 and 6 provide an external keying source Shorting pins 5 and 6 keys the radio Refer to Figure 22 on Page 24 for information on connecting the radio to a VOX assembly Figure 20 4 Wire Audio Connector J2 PIN 2 RXD PIN 3 TXD PIN 4 5 Vdc PIN 5 GROUND PIN 7 RTS Used when reprogramming the radio firmware with a PC UNUSED UNUSED UNU...

Page 31: ...XD Received Data Sends received data to the connected device 4 IN RTS Request to Send Input Keys the transmitter when RTS is asserted 5 OUT CTS Clear to Send Output Active after the programmed CTS delay time has elapsed 6 OUT DSR Data Set Ready Provides a 6 Vdc DSR signal through a 2 5 kΩ resistor 7 Signal Ground Connects to ground negative supply potential at the radio s PC board 8 OUT DCD Data C...

Page 32: ...for more information Alarm Contacts J10 J10 is a plug in terminal strip that provides connections for optional alarm circuits Figure 23 shows the function of each terminal as viewed from the rear panel 18 No Connection 19 OUT 14 0 Vdc Output Provides a regulated supply voltage at 1 5 A for low power accessories 20 No Connection 21 No Connection 22 No Connection 23 No Connection 24 Do not connect R...

Page 33: ... from minor to major alarm outputs or vice versa The ASENSE command is used to change the relay contacts from normally open NO to normally closed NC The contacts are rated for non inductive loads up to a maximum 60 Volts AC or DC at 1 A Invisible place holder Figure 23 Alarm Relay Connections MAJOR ALARM RELAY NORMALLY OPEN MINOR ALARM RELAY NORMALLY OPEN 4 1 2 3 5 6 PINS 5 6 RESERVED FOR FUTURE U...

Page 34: ... radio is normally continuously keyed and transmits when the power is switched on Ensure there is a suitable load on the antenna connector before switching the power on Operation of the radio can be started by simply connecting primary power to the unit and setting the rear panel POWER switch to ON Normal Indications When power is first applied the following events occur in a normally working unit...

Page 35: ...ting the normal flow of data in the system Transmit audio from the handset is then applied to the transmitter Your voice is then heard through a handset at the remote radio Since any noise over the handset interrupts transmission you should unplug the handset when it is not in use Troubleshooting Tip You can listen to network data activity using the handset While humans cannot interpret the data b...

Page 36: ... Normally only the green ACTIVE LED and in master stations config ured for redundant operation one of the yellow STBY LEDs are lit All other red LEDs are alarm indicators If lit they indicate a potential problem in the radio system Refer to Figure 25 Table 6 on Page 29 and the text that follows for a detailed explanation of the LED indicators Invisible place holder Figure 25 LED Indicators ENTER E...

Page 37: ...nd the use of the control buttons are described in Section 6 5 Screen Descriptions beginning on Page 64 Table 6 Explanation of Front Panel LEDs LED Name Color Meaning When Lit ACTIVE Green Transceiver board A or B is the selected unit STBY Yellow Transceiver board A or B is currently in stand by mode functional on master station configured for redundant operation only ALARM Red A major or minor al...

Page 38: ...uration and Programming using the Front Panel beginning on Page 60 Figure 27 PC Connected to the Master Station This section explains how to connect a PC to the master station and describes the commands you can use for programming and diagnostics 6 1 PC Connection 1 Set Jumper J15 on the vertical Interface Board to PC This removes 14 V from Pin 6 of the DIAGNOSTIC PORT TO DB 9 DIAGNOSTICS CONNECTO...

Page 39: ...ou are using a terminal emulation program Press the Space or Esc key several times at one second intervals until the prompt is shown indicating that the command interface is ready to accept input The diagnostic interface has an automatic baud rate detector which synchronize with your data rate If the unit does not recognize your data interface arrangement try the following settings Data Bits Eight...

Page 40: ... Multiple Address MADDR to be used with InSite version 6 3 software or higher For a detailed description of the networking arrangement refer to the InSite NMS software manual MDS P N 05 3696A01 This manual is available for download from the GE MDS Web site www GEmds com Operating Tips After establishing a connection to the radio enter the command DUMP The response is a complete listing of the curr...

Page 41: ...adio parameter change Parameters and their meanings are listed in the summary tables as well in the detailed command descriptions which follow The following conventions are used in the tables Command parameters if any are shown in brackets follow ing the command entry A string of lower case x s in a command parameter stands for a letter or number key xxx xxxxx stands for a decimal number the decim...

Page 42: ... Toggle between key on data and key on RTS ON Key on data OFF Key on RTS DATE mmm dd yyyy Details page 44 Set Date Details page 77 Set or display the current date DMGAP xx Details page 45 None Set the amount of time to wait after receiving a character before interpreting the next received character as the start of a new message EMP ON OFF Details page 46 Emphasis Details page 70 Enable or disable ...

Page 43: ...LEVEL 20 to 3 AUTO Details page 59 Transmit Level 20 to 3 AUTO Details page 74 Set or display the analog audio transmit level in dBm Table 8 PC Commands Diagnostics PC COMMAND FRONT PANEL MENU DESCRIPTION ALARM Details page 37 Active Radio Status Details page 77 Display current alarm status in hexadecimal format AMASK 0000 0000 FFFF FFFF Details page 40 Alarm Masks Details page 75 Set or display t...

Page 44: ... from DSP s chan nel equalizer STAT Details page 56 Active Radio Status Details page 77 Display current alarm event descriptions TEMP Details page 57 Show Temperature and Voltages Details page 78 Display the internal radio temperature Table 9 PC Commands Owner and Radio Information PC COMMAND FRONT PANEL MENU DESCRIPTION OPT Details page 50 None Display a list of available options and the cur rent...

Page 45: ...onse to the ALARM command is a simple message indicating whether or not alarms are present The second line is a hexa decimal numeric code representing the system alarm state Examples of responses are SREV Details page 55 Software Revision Details page 78 Display software revision information UNIT 10000 65000 Details page 59 Unit Diagnostic Address Details page 59 Display the radio s unit address T...

Page 46: ...lable 0800 0000 0000 1000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 4 One or both of the programmable synthesizers is reporting an out of lock condition 0400 0000 0000 0100 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 13 The transmitter timed out 0200 0000 0000 0010 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 6 A D fault 0100 0000 0000 0001 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 7 One or more of the radio s internal voltage regulators is reportin...

Page 47: ... 0000 0000 0000 18 A data framing error has been detected on the DB25 This sometimes means there is a baud rate mismatch between the radio and the RTU 0000 0800 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 0000 0000 20 Configuration error The modem setting is incorrect 0000 0015 21 Unit is running on back up battery power 0000 0016 22 Standby radio hardware not installed or available 0000 0040 0000 0000 0000 000...

Page 48: ...lassifying alarms does not disable alarm notification The front panel ALARM LED illuminates the alarm event is logged and the ALARM and STAT commands show the alarm status Entering the AMASK command alone displays the current setting of major alarm events in hexadecimal format Entering the AMASK com mand followed by an eight digit hexadecimal number reassigns each of the 32 possible alarm events a...

Page 49: ...ering the ASENSE command alone shows whether the alarm output is currently actively high or low Entering the ASENSE command followed by HI or LO resets the alarm output to the normally closed or normally open state ASENSE HI Contact set to be normally open ASENSE LO Contact set to be normally closed The default for a radio with a single transceiver board is normally open ASENSE HI Battery Backup M...

Page 50: ...8O2 and 8E2 are invalid communication settings If the data rate is faster than the radio s baud rate setting the DATA Port accepts a minimum of 500 data bytes in a single continuous data trans mission At baud rates of 9600 bps or less the radio supports unlimited continuous data transmission Under this condition the DATA Port hand shaking CTS would keep toggling on off for a long transmission or t...

Page 51: ...ed only for applications where the transmitter s baud rate is greater than or equal to the receiver s baud rate Enforcement of this rule is left up to the user Continuous Transmitter Keying CKEY ON OFF The CKEY command enables or disables continuous keying When CKEY is enabled ON the radio is continuously keyed The CKEY command is normally enabled when the radio is in a full duplex master configur...

Page 52: ...ata ON or key on RTS OFF Entering the DATAKEY com mand followed by a parameter controls whether or not the radio will automatically key on receipt of data The default mode is key on data ON NOTE Key on data mode is only applicable when the input data source is digital When the input data source is analog the DATAKEY setting is irrelevant Event Log Date Format DATE mmm dd yyyy This command sets or ...

Page 53: ...ate sets the baud rate bps of the RJ 11 DIAG port The following baud rate selections are allowed 2400 4800 9600 19200 default setting Example DLINK 4800 sets the RJ 11 DIAG port to operate at 4800 bps The same baud rate must be entered into the InSite Equipment List s BAUD field The default setting is DLINK ON Diagnostics Message Gap Time DMGAP xx The DMGAP command sets the amount of time in milli...

Page 54: ...ostics Handbook P N 05 3467A01 for a complete explanation of remote diagnostics TX RX Emphasis EMP ON OFF Use this command to enable or disable pre emphasis and de emphasis on the analog input and output signals Pre emphasis is a function used in older analog radios where the trans mitter s modulating signal is increased at the higher frequencies to increase system performance De emphasis compensa...

Page 55: ...DS x790A 9600 MDS 4790C 19200 MDS x790E 4800 Owner s Message Blank Owner s Name Blank Power Output 37 dBm 5 W Pre De Emphasis Control Off PTT Delay 0 msec Radio Selection Auto with redundant hardware installed Repeater Mode Disabled RTS CTS delay 0 msec RTU Simulator RTU Off RX Level 10 dB RX Mute Off Soft Carrier Dekey SCD 0 msec Timeout Timer 30 seconds ON TX Level Auto Unit Diagnostic Service D...

Page 56: ...k management system software can poll master stations through the COS bus to receive the master unit s diagnostic information The MADDR command works on MDS x790 master stations with software version 1 7 or later installed For more details see Connecting Multiple Masters at One Site on Page 32 Display Unit Model Number Code MODEL This command displays the radio s model number The characters and nu...

Page 57: ...major alarm at a redundant master sta tion causes switch over to the other transceiver board By reconfiguring a minor alarm as a major alarm a minor alarm condition can force a transceiver board switch over Reclassifying alarms does not disable alarm notification The front panel ALARM LED illuminates the alarm event is logged and the ALARM and STAT commands show the alarm status Entering the NMASK...

Page 58: ...name The entry can contain up to 30 characters and will appear on the default screen of the front panel interface Push to Talk Keying Delay PTT 0 255 This command sets or displays the amount of time to wait after the radio receives a keying signal from either the PTT Push to Talk or RTS Request to Send lines before actually keying the transmitter Entering the PTT command without a parameter displa...

Page 59: ...there is only one transceiver board installed This allows you to easily upgrade the master station at a future date by simply inserting another transceiver board Entering the RADIO command without a parameter shows the equipped active inactive status for both the A and B radios Example RADIO Radio response RADIO A RADIO A IS ACTIVE RADIO B IS INACTIVE Entering the RADIO command with a parameter of...

Page 60: ...an also use this command to set the RTU s address Use the internal RTU for testing system payload data and pseudo bit error rate testing It can help you isolate a problem to either the external RTU or a transceiver board For more information on using the RTU simulator in a polling environ ment refer to Publication 05 3467A01 Receive Frequency RX xxx This command displays or changes the radio s rec...

Page 61: ...N enables muting entering OFF disables it After issuing the RXMUTE ON command you can specify a receive muting time Use the RXMUTE nn command where nn is a time in milli seconds This causes the receive muting feature to assert for nn millisec onds following the end of a transmission Receive Data Attenuator RXPAD ON OFF This command enables or disables the receive attenuator for the receive audio l...

Page 62: ...mmediately following removal of a keying signal see Simplex and Switched Carrier Operation on Page 4 If you experience problems with repeater operation after changing the CTS PTT or SCD values contact GE MDS Technical Support Serial Number SER This command displays the radio s serial number as recorded at the fac tory Show Selected Parameters SHOW DC PWR CURRENT RADIO The SHOW command discloses di...

Page 63: ...rt to enter an SNR update mode The DIAGNOSTIC PORT displays an updated SNR output line at roughly a 2 second interval refresh rate The diagnostic port stays in this mode until you press the Enter key at the PC The SNR command provides a one time reading and display of SNR at the diagnostic port Software firmware Revision Level SREV SREV displays the software release number revision and build date ...

Page 64: ...es a user friendly interactive way to view alarm status the ALARM command Page 37 summarizes alarm codes in hexadecimal format If no alarm event conditions are active the message NO ALARMS PRESENT is shown If alarms are present they are shown in ascending order starting with the lowest event number Major alarms are displayed first followed by minor alarms The command output shows the event number ...

Page 65: ...nd time see DATE mmm dd yyyy on Page 44 Table 13 Text Messages of Alarm Event Codes Event Number Text Message 01 Hardware mismatch 02 Model number not programmed 03 Authorization fault 04 Synthesizer out of lock 06 A D fault 07 Voltage regulator fault detected 08 Radio not calibrated 10 EEPROM write failure 12 Receiver timeout 13 Transmitter timeout 15 Output power fault 16 Unit address not progra...

Page 66: ...enable the timer enter TOT ON To disable the timer enter TOT OFF The default is TOT ON To set the timer value enter the TOT command followed by a parameter ranging from 1 to 255 seconds The default is 30 seconds Transmit Frequency TX xxxx This command displays or changes the radio s transmit frequency Nor mally the radio ships to the customer programmed with the cus tomer specified frequency If yo...

Page 67: ...udio level in dBm Entering the TXLEVEL command followed by AUTO causes the radio to set the transmit level automatically The default set ting is AUTO Evaluate system performance in the AUTO mode In most cases this setting provides satisfactory performance If it does not evaluate the BER at the other settings Unit Diagnostic Address UNIT 10000 65000 This command sets or displays the radio s unit ad...

Page 68: ...g Status screen This is a special screen found under the Diagnostics main menu This screen displays key status RSSI and SNR if applicable The screen does not time out and is preserved during power outages and radio switchovers Changing the front panel display to configuration mode is described in Switching the Front Panel Display to Configuration Mode on Page 63 Figure 29 on Page 61 provides an ov...

Page 69: ...smit Gain disabled Receive Pad disabled Alarm Masks Major None Minor None Alarm Sense is HI Display Contrast 0 50 100 Backlight Intensity 0 50 100 Set Owner Message North Master 2 Set Time 11 34 56PM June12 2003 Set Date 11 34 56PM June12 2003 Operating Status TX dekeyed RSSI 60 dBm S N 10 dB Active Radio Status no alarms present S N Ratio 10 dB Radio Selection AUTO Radio A is Active Transmitter S...

Page 70: ...nu hierarchy start up screen or menu directory Its use in radio configura tion is described in Use of Control Buttons in Configuration Mode on Page 63 Up down arrow buttons On the start up screen pressing the up or down arrow button shows the menu directory On the menu directory screen Figure 31 the up and down arrow buttons cycle a selection arrow through the main menu items On the individual men...

Page 71: ...g any of these buttons twice shows the start up screen Switching the Front Panel Display to Configuration Mode As explained in Table 14 on Page 60 the front panel display has two modes safe mode and configuration mode The front panel display is normally in safe mode To activate configuration mode 1 From the start up screen press the down arrow button to show the menu directory 2 On the menu direct...

Page 72: ...ct the digit to change press the left or right arrow button to move the cursor _ under the digit to change for example to change 30 to 40 move the cusor under the 3 Then press the up or down arrow buttons to increase or decrease the number or hold down the arrow button to scroll through choices more rapidly 3 Press the ENTER button again when the desired choice is shown or press the ESCAPE button ...

Page 73: ...page 41 Enable or disable alarm generation when the back up battery falls below 13 0 Vdc Backlight Intensity Details page 76 Set or show front panel display s background brightness Baud Rate Format Details page 70 BAUD xxxxx abc Details page 42 Set or show data interface port communica tion attributes Clear to Send Delay Details page 70 CTS 0 255 Details page 43 Set or show the time to wait after ...

Page 74: ...ls page 53 Set or show the amount of time to wait without data receipt before generating an alarm and switching to the stand by transceiver board Set Date Details page 77 DATE mmm dd yyyy Details page 44 Set or show the date Set Time Details page 77 TIME hh mm ss Details page 57 Set or show the time Standby Equipment Details page 73 STANDBY ON OFF Details page 56 Enable or disable the monitoring o...

Page 75: ...er Status Details page 78 Show the transmitter state keyed or dekeyed Table 17 Front Panel Screens Owner and Radio Information FRONT PANEL SCREEN TERMINAL COMMAND DESCRIPTION Serial Number Details page 78 SER Details page 54 Show the active transceiver board s serial number not the radio serial number Set Owner Message Details page 76 OWM xxxxx Details page 50 Set or show the owner message or site...

Page 76: ...set the front panel screen to configuration mode by selecting a level of access There are two levels NONE This is the default setting upon power up safe mode You can view all radio settings change the access level and change the front panel screen s brightness and contrast All other settings are shown only and cannot be changed USER Make changes to any radio parameter configuration mode To select ...

Page 77: ... Page 89 before making a change Output Power Setting 37 20 Use this screen to set or show the transmit power output setting Set power output from 37 dBm to 20 dBm To change this value press ENTER then use the left right arrow buttons to select a digit Use the up down arrow buttons to increase or decrease the number Refer to Table 18 to convert dBm to watts if necessary Press ENTER to make the chan...

Page 78: ...ISABLED Press ENTER to make the change Clear to Send Delay Use this screen to set or show the Clear to Send Delay This specifies the amount of time to wait after RTS is asserted by the host computer on the data port before asserting the CTS line When the delay is 0 data is sent from the data port without imposing a keying delay To change the delay press ENTER then use the left right arrow buttons ...

Page 79: ...e 72 Transmit Timeout is automatically disabled To change the duration press ENTER then use the left right arrow buttons to select the digit to change Use the up down arrow buttons to increase or decrease the digit Repeat for the other digit if necessary Press ENTER again to make the change RX Timeout NONE 1 1440 Use this screen to set or show the RX Timeout Timer duration This is the amount of ti...

Page 80: ...agnostics menu Page 78 To key the transmitter press ENTER then use the up down arrow buttons to select ENABLE manual keying Press ENTER again to key the transmitter To dekey the transmitter press ENTER then use the up down arrow buttons to select DISABLE manual de keying Press ENTER again to dekey the transmitter Multi Drop Address MADDR The radio s Multi Drop Address uniquely identifies this radi...

Page 81: ...screen to set or show the monitoring of the internal back up battery voltage condition and if you want the radio to send an alarm when the radio is operating from the internal back up battery or the voltage falls below 13 Vdc Battery Backup not defined means the battery is not installed or you do not desire to monitor its condition defined indicates that monitoring is enabled and an alarm message ...

Page 82: ...he up down arrow buttons to show the desired setting Press ENTER again to make the change Note This screen is associated with Network wide Diagnostics For more information refer to the Network wide Diagnostics manual P N 05 3467A01 available from GE MDS Diagnostic Type Use this screen to set or show the radio s function in a network wide diagnostics system The allowable settings for the radio are ...

Page 83: ...e receive attenuator for the receive audio level Alarm Masks Use this screen to display hexadecimal codes which specify whether each alarm event will cause an alarm output relay to assert a radio switch over The screen also shows the alarm sense setting For an explanation or to change the alarm masks see the following PC commands Display Contrast Use this screen to set the intensity of the front p...

Page 84: ...select a character for the owner name Figure 32 A caret shows the current character position Press the up arrow button to move the cursor to the left until it is under the first character of the owner name As you scroll to the left the character under the cursor appears above the caret Press the right arrow button once to move the caret one character position to the right Press the up or down arro...

Page 85: ...ived Signal Strength Indication RSSI and Signal to Noise S N ratio Unlike other screens the information shown on the Operating Status screen is preserved across power outages and radio switchovers This screen has no timeout and will show until changed by an operator Active Radio Status Use this screen to show alarm conditions if any Major and minor alarm events are listed in Table 13 on Page 57 If...

Page 86: ... dekeyed means the transmitter cannot transmit Configure the transmitter to keyed or dekeyed by selecting Manual Key from the Configuration menu Page 72 Use this setting when working on the radio and the radio must be keyed to evaluate transmitter output power ShowTemperature and Voltages This screen shows the radio s internal temperature and voltages The input voltage is the voltage that connects...

Page 87: ... problem is out side or inside the radio and if in the radio how to restore operation as quickly as possible GE MDS does not recommend component level repairs in the field However you can replace the radio s major assemblies without using tools or test equipment Section 8 0 REPLACING ASSEMBLIES beginning on Page 86 covers this in detail If you cannot solve a system problem with the information pro...

Page 88: ...ble 19 Explanation of Front Panel LEDs LED Name Color Meaning When Lit ACTIVE Green Transceiver board A or B is the selected unit STBY Yellow Transceiver board A or B is currently in stand by mode functional on master station configured for redundant operation only ALARM Red A major or minor alarm event has occurred Use the front panel s Active Radio Status screen to list current alarm events see ...

Page 89: ...us of the radio circuitry To view the chassis LEDs remove the front panel by grasping it along the bottom edge and pulling straight out see Figure 34 Invisible place holder Figure 34 Front Panel Removal Refer to Figure 35 and the text that follows for an explanation of the LED functions Invisible place holder Figure 35 Chassis Mounted LEDs Front Panel Removed A PWR MJR ALM MNR ALM RTS CTS TXD DCD ...

Page 90: ...he cause of a problem Event log messages are also helpful when calling GE MDS for technical assistance Table 20 Explanation of Chassis Mounted LEDs LED Name Meaning When Lit PWR Power is applied to the radio MJR ALM Major Alarm Indicates a hardware failure or other abnormal condition that prevents or seriously hampers further operation of the radio Factory service might be required MNR ALM Minor A...

Page 91: ...Page 25 System Bench Testing Set up Figure 36 on Page 84 shows a sample test setup that you can use to verify the basic operation of master and remote radios You can perform this test with any number of remote radios by using a power divider with the appropriate number of output connections MDS x710A and x790A radios include an internal RTU simulator Use the RTU command see RTU ON OFF 0 80 on Page...

Page 92: ...e the InSite Radio System Management Soft ware User s Guide You can find a complete explanation of remote diagnostics in the GE MDS Network wide Diagnostics Handbook P N 05 3467A01 Refer to the handbook for more information about the basic diagnostic procedures outlined below 1 Program one radio in the network as the root radio by entering the DTYPE ROOT command at the radio 2 At the root radio us...

Page 93: ...37 To connect a PC to the radio s DIAGNOSTICS port an RJ 11 to DB 9 adapter MDS P N 03 3246A01 is required If desired you can construct an adapter cable from scratch using the information shown in Figure 38 on Page 86 7 Launch the MDS InSite software at the PC See the InSite Radio System Management Software User s Guide for instructions Invisible place holder Figure 37 Network Wide Remote Diagnost...

Page 94: ...emoval and installa tion of these assemblies Disconnect primary power to the radio before removing or installing transceiver board or power supply assemblies 8 1 Transceiver Board and Power Supply Assemblies To remove either of these assemblies loosen the two captive thumb screws at each side of the module then slide the module straight out as shown in Figure 39 on Page 87 There are no cables to d...

Page 95: ...crews on each side of the chassis and remove the top cover of the radio When handling the backup battery be careful not to short the terminals on the radio chassis Doing so can cause damage to the battery and cause personal injury 3 Place the battery in the chassis in the area provided see Figure 40 on Page 88 and secure the battery clamp over the battery The bat tery should be a minimum rating of...

Page 96: ...perate the radio from an AC power for at least 6 hours before battery backup is available 6 This completes the installation of the backup battery To remove the battery from the radio reverse these steps 8 3 Front Panel The front panel is secured to the chassis with spring loaded latches To remove the panel simply pull out at the bottom edge until it is free from the chassis Figure 41 on Page 89 Yo...

Page 97: ... The circuits also attenuate out of band signals that could interfere with receiver operation Changes in transmit operating frequency of granter than 100 kHz from the factory settings will require retuning of the duplexer Likewise changes in receive operating frequency greater than 5 MHz will require retuning of the duplexer and or the receiver s front end helical circuits see MDS 4790 970 Front E...

Page 98: ...y It is highly recommended that you return duplexers needing re alignment to GE MDS or the original duplexer manufac turer for alignment In some cases it may be more economical to replace the unit than to have it re aligned MDS 9790 Bandpass Type Duplexers These duplexers Figure 43 typically allow the transmitter frequency to change up to 500 kHz without undesired results Since this type of duplex...

Page 99: ... Module MDS 4790 970 Front End Helical Coil Alignment Changing the radio s receive frequency by more than 5 MHz requires re alignment of the receiver s front end helical coil set Significant deg radation in receive bit error rate BER is likely if the coils are not aligned properly For assistance contact GE MDS Technical Support for details about the tuning procedure 8 5 Testing and Removing an Int...

Page 100: ...ame as radio s transmit and receive frequencies or within the nominal operating range 100 kHz for 400 MHz radios and 500 kHz for 900 MHz radios Removing the Internal Duplexer To remove the internal duplexer follow these steps 1 Disconnect the cables from the back of the duplexer see Figure 45 Figure 45 Internal Duplexer Cabling NOTE A number of different duplexers can be installed in the radio Whi...

Page 101: ...on Refer to Operating Frequency Change Considerations on Page 89 for information on the internal duplexer Testing If you suspect that the antenna switch is not functioning properly per form the following steps to determine if it requires replacement 1 Measure the RF power out of the antenna jack If the power registers approximately 37 dBm 5 watts the antenna switch is functioning correctly see dBm...

Page 102: ...ernate transmitter and again measure the RF power output If the alternate transmitter registers 39 dBm the antenna switch probably requires replacement 5 Before replacing the antenna switch make sure that 14 Vdc is present on Pin 2 of J14 and Pin 1 is less than 1 Vdc on the PCB interface Removing the Antenna Switch To remove the antenna switch module 1 Remove the four screws that mount the antenna...

Page 103: ...a radio with a new modulation type For example an MDS 4790B which is compatible with the MDS 4100 4310 family can be changed to an MDS 4790A to be compatible with the newer generation of DSP based radios by changing the soft ware and authorization code Contact GE MDS Technical Support for modem change information If a radio is changed to a new modulation type you should also obtain a new Installat...

Page 104: ...guration Software to load the file into your radios You can also download the configuration software if needed NOTE By default the MDS x790 will install the software into the redundant radio without interrupting its normal operation Non redundant radios will experience an interruption in service during the code download 9 3 Downloading New Code Procedure 1 Start the Radio Configuration Program and...

Page 105: ...ory for additional information TX RX Split MDS 4790 Simplex to 132 MHz MDS 9790 Simplex to 160 MHz Tunable Bandwidth 5 MHz maximum without alignment of RX helical filters Frequency Step Size 6 25 kHz 5 0 kHz All models Unit Diagnostic Address 0 65000 reprogrammable from 10000 65000 DATA CHARACTERISTICS Signaling Standard EIA 232 Connector DB 25 Female Data Rates for locally connected equipment 110...

Page 106: ...onic 3rd harmonic and higher 73 dBc 67 dBc Transmitter Keying Data activated or RTS Agency Approvals MDS 4790A FCC Part 90 Industry Canada MDS 4790E ETSI ETS 300 113 EMC EN 300 279 CE Mark MDS 9790A FCC Part 101 Industry Canada RECEIVER Maximum Usable Sensitivity MDS x790A 110 dBm 10 6 BER MDS x790C 105 dBm 10 6 BER MDS 4790E 114 dBm 10 6 BER MDS 4790S 103 dBm 10 6 BER Co Channel Rejection 0 to 12...

Page 107: ...d path results and to check the overall operation of the radio system Errors at High Input Levels 1 dBm at BER 10 4 Bandwidth 12 5 kHz 25 kHz for C model Intermodulation 70 dB ENVIRONMENTAL Temperature Range with Full Performance 30 to 60 C 22 to 140 F Humidity 95 at 40 C non condensing Shock and Vibration MIL 810E shipping APPROVALS MDS 4790A FCC Part 90 Industry Canada ENTELA safety MDS 4790E ET...

Page 108: ...ignal obstructions in the first Fresnel zone may also cause multipath interference due to reflective and refractive signal paths The reflected or refracted signal might arrive at the receiver out of phase with the desired signal and cause a cancelling effect Invisible place holder Figure 49 Fresnel Zone Obstructions As a matter of practice 60 percent of the first Fresnel zone must be clear of obst...

Page 109: ...tion conditions while trop ical areas and those near large bodies of water have adverse conditions Calculating Path Loss Assuming that we have satisfied the line of sight and first Fresnel zone clearance requirements we can calculate the path loss At 450 MHz the loss between two isotropic radiators 0 dBi antennas that are 1 km apart is 86 dB For every doubling of distance the loss increases by an ...

Page 110: ...αfs free space path loss in dB Gra receive antenna gain in dBi Lrfl receive feedline loss in dB Ltfl transmit feedline loss in dB Gta transmit antenna gain in dBi Probability of System Fading where FProb probability of fading more than F a terrain factor 4 is used for very smooth terrain such as over water 1 is used for average terrain with moderate roughness 0 25 is used for mountainous or very r...

Page 111: ... 080 125mW 10 071 10mW 11 064 12 058 13 050 14 045 15 040 16 0355 dBm mV Po 17 31 5 18 28 5 19 25 1 20 22 5 01mW 21 20 0 22 17 9 23 15 9 24 14 1 25 12 8 26 11 5 27 10 0 28 8 9 29 8 0 30 7 1 001mW 31 6 25 32 5 8 33 5 0 34 4 5 35 4 0 36 3 5 37 3 2 38 2 85 39 2 5 40 2 25 1µW 41 2 0 42 1 8 43 1 6 44 1 4 45 1 25 46 1 18 47 1 00 48 0 90 dBm mV Po 49 0 80 50 0 71 01µW 51 0 64 52 0 57 53 0 50 54 0 45 55 0...

Page 112: ...104 MDS 4790 9790 Series I O Guide MDS 05 3438A01 Rev F RSPSupply 1 888 532 2706 www RSPSupply com http www RSPSupply com p 8457 MDS UP 9790X aspx ...

Page 113: ... the ratio between two signal levels Frequently used to express the gain or loss of a system DSP Digital Signal Processing Advanced circuit technique to increase radio perfor mance primarily in modulation and demodula tion DTE Data Terminal Equipment In data com munications terminology this is the computer side of a computer to modem connection Connects to the DCE device Fade Margin The maximum to...

Page 114: ...ing communications Diagnostic data is collected non intrusively over a period of time polling messages are carried with SCADA system data contrast with active mes saging Payload data This is the application s user communication data which is sent over the radio network It is the radio data that is the pri mary purpose of the radio communications RSSI Received signal strength indication Expressed i...

Page 115: ...een 76 Backup battery battery on off switch 15 installation removal 87 BAUD command set display communication attributes for DATA INTERFACE port 42 Baud rate set display baud rate format Baud Rate Format screen 70 setting for RJ 11 DIAG port DLINK command 45 84 Baud Rate Format screen 70 Bench test setup 83 illustrated 84 BUFF command set display received data handling mode 42 C Cables coax 9 18 D...

Page 116: ...an maintenance 95 CTS command set display clear to send timer 43 D Data characteristics 97 connector pinouts table 23 connector illustrated 23 connector installing 22 enable disable buffering LCD screen 74 Data Buffering screen 74 Data interface port set display communication attributes for BAUD com mand 42 set display received data handling mode BUFF com mand 42 DATAKEY command set display key on...

Page 117: ...ansmitter state Transmitter Status screen 78 Display Contrast screen 75 DKEY command deactivate transmitter See also KEY com mand 45 DLINK command enable disable network wide diagnostics description 45 use of 84 DMGAP command set time to wait between characters 45 DTYPE command set radio to root or node for diagnostics description 46 use of 84 E Emphasis enable disable Emphasis screen 70 Emphasis ...

Page 118: ...panel 18 repeater and polling remote network 4 RJ 11 to DB 9 adapter cable 86 shipment contents 11 station arrangement 6 INIT command reset customer programmable settings 46 InSite software using to perform remote diagnostics 84 Installation alarm contacts 24 antenna and feedline selection 9 audio connector 22 battery power connecting 15 data connector 22 diagnostics port connection 21 feedline 17...

Page 119: ...ount 12 remote front panel mount 12 tabletop mount 12 N Network wide diagnostics enable disable DLINK command 45 enable disable internal RTU RTU command 52 illustrated 85 set radio to root or node DTYPE command 46 set time to wait between characters DMGAP command 45 NMASK command classify minor alarm events See also AMASK command 49 O Operation 26 63 normal indications 26 start up 26 OPT command l...

Page 120: ...emblies 86 front panel 88 front panel illustrated 89 internal duplexer 89 93 internal duplexer illustrated 93 transceiver boards about 86 REPEATER command enable disable repeater configuration 51 Repeater Mode screen 71 Repeater operation 3 illustrated 4 set display Repeater Mode screen 71 Replacing assemblies 86 transceiver board 86 Requirements for installation 6 RF propagation planning 99 RSSI ...

Page 121: ... 73 radio as root or node DTYPE command 46 radio functions using front panel LCD 64 radio s address UNIT command 59 receive frequency Receive Frequency screen 69 receive frequency RX command 52 receive time out timer value RXTOT command 53 received data handling mode BUFF command 42 repeater mode Repeater Mode screen 71 RF forward output power PWR command 51 RX timeout RX Timeout screen 71 signal ...

Page 122: ... display time out timer 58 Transceiver board assembly 86 display active RADIO command 51 removal illustrated 87 removing or replacing 2 86 Transmit audio boost enable disable Transmit Gain screen 75 level set display Transmit Level screen 74 timeout value display Transmit Timeout screen 71 timeout value set Transmit Timeout Duration screen 71 Transmit Frequency screen 68 Transmit Gain screen 75 Tr...

Page 123: ...tions If return of the equipment is necessary you will be issued a Service Request Order SRO number The SRO number will help expedite the repair so that the equipment can be repaired and returned to you as quickly as possible Please be sure to include the SRO number on the outside of the ship ping box and on any correspondence relating to the repair No equipment will be accepted for repair without...

Page 124: ...DS LLC Rochester NY 14620 General Business 1 585 242 9600 FAX 1 585 242 9620 Web www GEmds com 175 Science Parkway RSPSupply 1 888 532 2706 www RSPSupply com http www RSPSupply com p 8457 MDS UP 9790X aspx ...

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