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MDS SD Series 

Quick Start Guide

 

 

05-4847A01-GB, Rev. B 

MDS SD Series Setup Guide 

1  INTRODUCTION 

The MDS SD transceiver (

Figure 1

) is a software-configurable, 

industrial radio for use in wireless telemetry applications. Models 

offered at the time of printing include: 

MDS SD2

 (215-235 MHz), 

SD4

 (350-512 MHz), and 

SD9

 (928-960 MHz). The term 

SD

 is 

used for information common to all models of the radio.   
The radio supports both polled and report-by-exception data net-

works, and interfaces with a variety of data control equipment 

such as remote terminal units (RTUs), programmable logic con-

trollers (PLCs), flow computers, and similar devices. Data inter-

face connections support both Ethernet and serial (RS-232/485) 

protocols.   

Figure 1. MDS SD Data Transceiver 

1.1  Additional Information 

This Setup Guide covers the essential installation and startup for 

all SD transceivers except those operating in x710 mode. Alter-

nate information is available in English, (see 05-4846A01 Tech-

nical Manual). GE MDS manuals, Setup guides, Firmware, driv-

ers and Application Notes are available free of charge at 

www.gemds.com

GE MDS has produced a series of instructional 

videos for configuration and setup of the Orbit 

products on YouTube. These are available in 

English, free of charge at: 

http://ti-

nyurl.com/pey2ull

   

 

 

1.1.1  x710 Mode—Different Manuals Required 

The radio may be configured to emulate a corresponding MDS 

x710 transceiver. For x710 mode information, consult these man-

uals instead:   

Setup Guide (05-4669A01) 
Technical Manual (05-4670A01) 

 

2  INSTALLATION 

 

There are three main requirements for installing the transceiver: 

Adequate and stable primary power 
An efficient and properly installed antenna system 
Correct interface connections between the transceiver and the 

data equipment.   

Figure 2

 shows a typical installation of the radio. 

NOTE:

 Retrofit Kits are available to ease installation at former 

MDS x710 digital and analog sites. Consult your factory repre-

sentative for ordering details. 

2.1  Installation Steps 

In most cases, the steps given here are sufficient to install the 

transceiver. Refer to the 

Technical Manual

 for additional details, 

as required. 
1.  

Mount the transceiver. 

Attach the supplied brackets to the 

bottom of the transceiver case (if not already attached), using 

the four 6-32 x 1/4 inch (6 mm) screws. Mounting bracket 

dimensions are shown in 

Figure 3

. If DIN Rail mounting 

brackets are to be used, consult the 

Technical Manual

 for 

instructions. 

NOTE

: To prevent moisture from entering the radio, do not mount 

the case with the cable connectors pointing up. Also, dress all ca-

bles to prevent moisture from running along the cables and into 

the radio. 

POWER SUPPLY

10.5-30 VDC @ 2.5A

Negative Ground Only

ANTENNA SYSTEM

Master Stations typically use 

omni-directional antenna

DATA TELEMETRY DEVICE 

OR HOST COMPUTER

ETHERNET

OR SERIAL

POWER SUPPLY

10.5-30 VDC @ 2.5A

Negative Ground Only

ANTENNA SYSTEM

Master Stations typically use 

omni-directional antenna

DATA TELEMETRY DEVICE 

OR HOST COMPUTER

ETHERNET

OR SERIAL

 

Figure 2. Typical Installation (Remote Site Shown)   

Figure 3. Mounting Bracket Dimensions 

2.  

Install the antenna and feedline.

 The antenna must be de-

signed to operate in the radio’s frequency band, and be 

mounted in a location providing a clear path to associated sta-

tion(s). At Remote sites, aim directional antennas toward the 

Master Station. Low loss coaxial feedline should be used and 

it should be kept as short as possible. 

LED INDICATOR 

PANEL 

ETHERNET   

CONNECTOR (RJ-45) 

DC INPUT   

POWER 

SERIAL DATA 

CONNECTORS (DB-9) 

ANTENNA CON-

NECTOR (TNC) 

Summary of Contents for MDS SD 1

Page 1: ...tenna system Correct interface connections between the transceiver and the data equipment Figure 2 shows a typical installation of the radio NOTE Retrofit Kits are available to ease installation at former MDS x710 digital and analog sites Consult your factory repre sentative for ordering details 2 1 Installation Steps In most cases the steps given here are sufficient to install the transceiver Ref...

Page 2: ...pped from the factory the wizard starts as soon as you are connected to the radio Follow the steps below to connect and use the wizard 1 Connect an Ethernet cable straight thru or crossover between the radio and a PC as shown in Figure 5 2 Configure your PC network settings to an IP address on the same subnet as the radio The default IP address on a new factory shipped radio is 192 168 1 1 The def...

Page 3: ...c onds after making each adjustment so that the RSSI accurately reflects the new heading With RSSI readings the less negative the number the stronger the incoming signal NOTE The radio s RSSI facility limits the maximum displayed signal strength to 60 dBm A receive signal attenuator is availa ble in the Configuration Radio Advanced Settings screen 3 Troubleshooting All radios in the network must m...

Page 4: ...low when the transmitter is oper ating More information on RF exposure can be found online at the following website www fcc gov oet info documents bulletins Antenna Gain vs Minimum RF Safety Distance Antenna Gain Safety Distance 0 5 dBi 5 10 dBi 10 16 5 dBi SD4 0 79 meter 1 41 meters 3 05 meters SD9 0 46 meter 82 meters 1 74 meters SD1 For SD1 maintain an RF safety distance of 1 80 meters for a 7 ...

Page 5: ...ic battery information Batteries are marked with a symbol which may include lettering to indicate cadmium Cd lead Pb or mercury Hg For proper recycling return the battery to your supplier or to a designated col lection point For more information see www weeerohsinfo com Product Test Data Sheets Test Data Sheets showing the original factory test results for this unit are available upon request from...

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