Elster Solutions MMI01 Mini-Mobile Interrogator User Manual

Elster Solutions, LLC Mini-Mobile Interrogator

user manual

Table of Contents1. Overview ____________________________________________________________ 01.1 System Components ______________________________________________________ 12. Setup _______________________________________________________________ 23. Controls & Indicators__________________________________________________ 33.1 Power Supply____________________________________________________________ 33.2 Power/Status Panel _______________________________________________________ 43.3 Transmitter/Receiver _____________________________________________________ 54. Operation ___________________________________________________________ 64.1 Reading Mode ___________________________________________________________ 64.1.1 GPS Operation &Alarms________________________________________________________ 94.2 Performance Enhancement Features _______________________________________ 104.2.1 GEO Mode _________________________________________________________________ 104.2.2 Dynamic Window ____________________________________________________________ 114.2.3 Frequency Scan______________________________________________________________ 114.3 Command Mode ________________________________________________________ 124.3.1 Summary Command __________________________________________________________ 124.3.2 Tools Command _____________________________________________________________ 174.3.3 Quit Command ______________________________________________________________ 274.3.4. Help Command _____________________________________________________________ 295. Troubleshooting _____________________________________________________ 32Appendix A: File Formats _______________________________________________ 33A.1 GUIDE File ____________________________________________________________ 33A.2 READING.RTE File ____________________________________________________ 34A.3 .VAN File______________________________________________________________ 36Appendix B: Specifications ______________________________________________ 37
List of FiguresFigure 1. Mini-MI ______________________________________________________ 1Figure 2. MMI Status Indicators __________________________________________ 3Figure 3. Transmitter/Receiver Status Indicators _____________________________ 5Figure 4. Reading Mode Display___________________________________________ 8Figure 5. Summary Command Menus _____________________________________ 12Figure 6. Summayr Display Data Format __________________________________ 13Figure 7. Tools Command Menus_________________________________________ 17Figure 8. Trouble Shoot Display __________________________________________ 18Figure 9. System Setup Menu ____________________________________________ 20Figure 10. Route Scan Menu_____________________________________________ 22Figure 11. Backup Memory Menus________________________________________ 23Figure 12. Frequency Control Menu ______________________________________ 24Figure 13. Set Perm Menu_______________________________________________ 26Figure 14. Quit Command Menus_________________________________________ 27Figure 15. Help Command Menus ________________________________________ 29Figure 16. Location & Time Menu ________________________________________ 30Figure 17. Set Time & Date Menu ________________________________________ 31Figure 18. READING.RTE Header Format_________________________________ 34Figure 19. READING.RTE Record Format_________________________________ 34Figure 20. READING.RTE Example File __________________________________ 35Figure 21. VAN File Header Format______________________________________ 36Figure 22. VAN File Record Format ______________________________________ 36Figure 23. VAN File Example____________________________________________ 36
Chapter 1 OverviewChapter 1: Trace MMI OverviewThe Trace ® Mini-Mobile Interrogator (MMI) is a portable data retrieval and storagesystem designed to provide remote meter reading in conjunction with the Trace metertransponders. The Trace system is designed to convert the mechanical index reading of autility meter to a duplicate electronic register reading. This electronic register reading istransmitted via radio frequency (RF) signals to the MMI. The Trace MMI reads eachtransponder by use of an RF interrogation that consists of a unique serial number alongwith a command requesting the contents of the electronic register. Each transponder isselected for reading on either a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis, a latitude/longitude (L/L)basis, or a combination of the two GEO mode. The MMI obtains route data from acustomer supplied floppy disk containing the street address, latitude/longitude , and serialnumber of each transponder that is to be read.The MMI uses a GPS-based navigation system that tracks the vehicle position. If theLat/Lon mode of interrogation has been selected, whenever the MMI comes into therange of a particular transponder it begins to send an interrogation for that unit. Whenthe transponder receives a signal with the correct serial number it transmits its electronicregister reading, tamper status, and an error detection code.The MMI listens for each transponder reply using an 8-channel receiver. Reply dataintegrity is confirmed by monitoring receiver data tracking signals and by an errordetection code known as a BCH code. A transponder reply is only accepted if the BCHcode analysis is valid. This ensures that the data was received without error. The meterreading along with transponder status, receiver channel activity, time of the read, andvehicle position at the time of the read is stored in an output file contained on a floppydisk. Once the MMI has been initialized with the appropriate route data, the system willcollect readings automatically, allowing the operator to drive the route in a safe andefficient manner.
Chapter 1 OverviewMMI System ComponentsFigure 1. Mini-MIThe MMI system consists of several main components, as displayed in figure 1. Allcomponents are stored in the end covers during transportation. The entire systemconsists of a handheld terminal, GPS receiver, transmitter antenna, receiver antenna,power cord, and a main computer. The connection and usage of these components iscovered in chapter 2.
Chapter 2 SetupChapter 2: MMI SetupThe MMI is transported with all components contained in the carrying case. Before use,these components must be unpacked and connected. Setup is simple and fast, and theentire setup operation should take no more than five minutes. Use the followinginstructions for a fast and trouble free setup:• Unlatch the two latches on the rear cover door. Open the door slightly and then slidethe door off the two hinge pins. Now remove the GPS receiver, power cable, andboth antennas from their storage pouches. Store this door in a safe place.• Next, unlatch the two latches on the front cover door. As above, remove the door,then remove the handheld terminal and connecting cable, and the desired route diskfrom their storage pouches. Store this door in a safe place.• Now connect the transmit antenna to the appropriate connector and finger tightenuntil snug. Next connect the receive antenna by pushing in on the connector andtwisting ¼ turn until it locks. Both antennas use unique connectors which are keyed,so they cannot be connected backwards.• Place both antennas on the top of the vehicle, and make sure that they are separated byapproximately 3 feet. A separation distance of two arms length apart is sufficient.Typically the transmit antenna is placed at the front of the vehicle, and the receiveantenna at the rear. The coaxial cable may be routed over the top of the door on somevehicles, or it may be necessary to route the cable through a slightly opened window.Caution: If routing the cable over the top of the door, be certain to inspect thedistance between the top of the door and the vehicle frame to ensure there is adequateclearance for the cable to avoid crushing it.• Next connect the GPS receiver to the appropriate connector and finger tighten untilsnug. Next moisten the suction cups on the GPS mount, and attach the unit to theoutside top of the vehicle windshield. As with the transmit and receive antennas, thesignal cable may routed over the top of the door, or through a window.• The handheld terminal may now be connected using the supplied cable. Either end ofthe cable may be connected to the terminal.• Finally, connect the power cable to the appropriate MMI rear connector and fingertighten until snug. Continue by inserting the opposite connector into the vehiclecigarette lighter port.Now the MMI is properly setup and ready to receive a route disk. Please take time toread the following section to become familiar with the various controls and indicatorsfound on the MMI.
Chapter 3 Controls & IndicatorsControls & IndicatorsThe MMI uses a combination of LED’s (light emitting diodes), audible alarms, and thehandheld terminal to provide both status and a means of control to the operator. Theseindicators are used to convey the status of the power supply unit, external voltages,temperature, and transmitter/receiver operation. This section should be well understoodbefore operating the MMI. Failure to become familiar with the various status and controlfeatures built into the MMI could lead to poor performance, or even system damage.Power Supply Indicators:The power supply unit is equipped with 3 status LED’s. Each of these are illuminatedwhen the MMI is powered, and each respective supply voltage is operation normally. Asshown in figure 2, the LED’s denote whether the +5, +12, and -12 volt power supplies areworking properly. Also, the RF amplifier is equipped with an LED to indicate thecondition of the +12 volts used to power it. Under normal circumstances, all four ofthese LED’s should be illuminated at all times while the MMI is powered.Figure 2. MMI Status Indicators+5 volts OK+12 volts OK-12 volts OKRFAMPPowerOKRF AmplifierPower SupplyPower /StatusPanel+12BattTempAlarmAlarmSilenceSwitch MainPowerSwitchRFAMPEnabled
Chapter 3 Controls & IndicatorsPower/Status Panel Indicators & Control:The power/status panel shown in Figure 2 contains 2 switches and 4 LED’s used tomonitor and control the main power provided to the MMI as well as to monitor theinternal temperature. All four of the status LED’s should be off under normal conditions.The bottom switch is the main power switch and is used to power the MMI on and off.The alarm silence switch is a push-button used to silence the audible alarm which isactivated any time a new alarm condition is detected. Once an alarm condition isdetected, an audible alarm will beginning sounding on and off at about 2 beeps persecond. Also, the alarm LED will begin flashing at the same rate as the audible alarm.The audible alarm is used to alert the operator that a major status problem has beendetected, and requires immediate attention. If the alarm is chosen to be ignored, then thealarm silence push-button may be pressed, which will shut off the audible alarm. Thealarm LED will continue to flash, however, until the actual alarm condition ceases. Theaudible alarm will not sound again until all alarm conditions are eliminated and then oneor more conditions recur, or until the MMI is powered off then back on again. Thefollowing three items are monitored by the power/status module for proper operation:•+12 LED: This will be illuminated any time the external 12 volt supplyconnected to the cigarette lighter drops to an unusable voltage.This alarm may occur due to the power cable becomingdisconnected, or if the vehicle alternator is unable to produceadequate operating current.•Batt LED: This will be illuminated any time the internal battery voltage dropsto an unusable voltage. Once this alarm occurs, the MMI shouldbe immediately shut down. Ignoring this alarm could causeunpredictable behavior. The MMI is able to operate approximately10 minutes from the internal battery before the voltage becomesunusable.•Temp LED: This will be illuminated any time the internal MMI temperatureexceeds approximately 160° F. This condition may be causedby several factors, including cooling fan failure, blocked fanintakes, or excessive ambient temperature.•Alarm LED: This will flash on and off approximately 2 times per secondwhenever any or all of the +12, Batt, and Temp LED’s areilluminated. This LED will continue to flash until all of the+12, Batt, and Temp alarms are discontinued.
Chapter 3 Controls & IndicatorsTransmitter/Receiver Status Indicators:The MMI is equipped with eight receivers and one transmitter. All of these devices usephase-locked-loops (PLL’s) to control each frequency with a high degree of accuracy.The PLL’s also allow both transmitter and receiver frequencies to be easily changed withsoftware in real time. Many of the status LED’s to be described below display PLLprogramming status. Since each PLL is software programmable, it is important to be ableto instantly verify if a particular one has been programmed correctly. It is possible toimproperly, either intentionally or accidentally, program a PLL to a frequency where thetransmitter or receiver is not able to operate correctly. In this case, the PLL OK LEDwould be turned off.There are four receiver boards with two receivers on each board. These cards and theirlocations are displayed in figure 3. Each receiver channel has two LED’s to displayprogramming and data status. Each green LED on the receiver boards is used to verifythat particular channel has been programmed to a valid frequency. The green LED’sshould be illuminated at all times during operation except for approximately 7 secondsafter MMI power is initially applied. During this time, the LED’s may be either on or offrandomly. During normal operation, all green LED’s should be illuminated. The redLED’s will flash any time a particular channel is receiving valid data, visually verifyingthat the receiver is working properly.There is one transmitter board in the MMI and its location is shown in figure 3. Thetransmitter has three LED’s used to display its status. The Power OK LED should beilluminated any time the MMI is powered. As with the receiver PLL OK LED, thetransmitter PLL OK LED should be illuminated at all times. The TX On LED displayswhether the transmitter has been enabled by the software. Referring to figure 2, anytimethe TX On LED is illuminated, the RF Amp Enabled LED should be illuminated as well.This verifies that the RF amplifier is operating.Figure 3.Transmitter/Receiver StatusIndicatorsReceiver Cards#1&2 #3&4 #5&6 #7&8 TransmitterCardPLL OK DataPLL OK DataPower OKPLL OKNot usedTX OnCH1 CH3 CH5 CH7CH2 CH4 CH6 CH8
Chapter 4 OperationChapter 4 OperationOnce the MMI is unpacked and the external components are properly connected, the routedisk may be inserted. Once the MMI is powered on, it performs several internal self-checks. The indication and results of these tests are displayed on the hand-held terminal.Some self-check problems will require the operator to press a key to acknowledge theerror before continuing. Please consult the trouble-shooting section of this manual iferrors occur during testing which prevent normal usage of the MMI. Once the self-checkhas been completed, the MMI will read in a new route from the floppy disk (if the MMI isnot resuming a interrupted route). From here, the reading mode is automatically entered,and meter reading may begin. Initially, MMI operating parameters are determined by thesettings contained in the Guide file. Many of these parameters may be overridden usingthe system setup menu contained within the tools menu, discussed in the command modeoperating section.All MMI operations fall into one of two basic modes, the Reading mode, and theCommand mode. The Reading mode is entered as soon as the MMI has been initialized.The Command mode is used to analyze system data and parameters, alter operationalparameters, and perform miscellaneous tasks. The Command mode exists as a group offive main commands. Each main command has various sub-menus that are supported.The Reading mode does not require any operator input, and therefore has no menustructure. There are two operations available in the Reading mode, the mode of readingmay be changed with the back space key, or the Reading mode may be exited by pressingany other key. Pressing any of the yellow keys on the handheld terminal will invoke theparticular menu associated with that key.Reading ModeDuring normal operation of the MMI, the Latitude/Longitude (Lat/Lon or L/L) or GEOmode of interrogation is used, and only transponders in the interrogation window areinterrogated. The interrogation window is an imaginary area surrounding the MMI that isused to determine which transponders should be interrogated. This is simply a means inwhich only certain transponders are selected for interrogation. Correspondingly, theroute may be driven in any order, since the MMI is constantly computing whichtransponders are available for interrogation. A transponder will typically respond withindistances less than 2000 feet. The window size typically never needs to be changed, but itmay be necessary to reduce it, for example, when there are many transponders in a smallarea. The smaller window size will allow for a smaller group of transponders to beplaced in the interrogation window, allowing them to be polled more quickly. Thewindow size may also be increased if there is some inaccuracies in the stored position ofa transponder, and you want to be sure that it is interrogated. If the window size is toosmall, the MMI may never interrogate a particular transponder, which if interrogated,would probably respond. Likewise, if the window size is set too large, then too manytransponders may be located in the window, which will slow down the interrogation foreach one.
Chapter 4 OperationIf the transponder Lat/Lon database is known to be good, then the performanceenhancement feature known as Dynamic Windowing may be enabled. This featureexamines the route transponder density in real time, and adjusts the interrogation windowautomatically to allow only the optimum number of transponders into the window at agiven time.The MMI should typically be used in the GEO mode of interrogation, although there maybe some instances where the FIFO mode may be necessary. In the FIFO mode, the MMIscans the entire list of transponders in memory, and will attempt to read each unreadtransponder one-by-one. If there is a large number of unread transponders in the database,then this method can become very slow, even becoming ineffective. The FIFO modeshould only be used with a small number of transponders, and with the MMI eitherstationary, or moving slowly. The FIFO mode may be used in the unlikely event thatthere are problems with the navigation system. In FIFO mode, the vehicle location is notused, therefore the data from the GPS system is not needed.While in the Reading mode, various display items are used to provide feedback to theoperator. Using the parameters in the Guide file, or through the System Setup sub-menu,the option may be selected to display information for each transponder with a good statusas it is processed by the MMI. Along with this option, the MMI can be directed to beepwith each good read. If desired, all display options may be turned off, or any combinationof options may be turned on.The MMI may be placed in the Command mode at any time during operation. While inthe Command mode, the polling of transponders in the route is suspended. During theexecution of a particular route, the operator may change any of the System Setupparameters as needed. The altering of the various parameters will not affect any of thedata in the route, but improper settings may adversely affect the performance of the MMI.In the event that the System Setup parameters have been altered, and the original settingsare unknown, the operator may use the Break option, to halt the MMI. The MMI maythen be re-powered, and the default Guide file settings will be restored, and the priorprogress of the route will resume from the point where the Break option was used.If the MMI is inadvertently turned off before a proper exit is accomplished, the currentroute data will still be saved in backup memory. When the MMI is turned on again, theroute will continue from the point where it was at before it was turned off. The MMI maybe anywhere along the route when power is restored.The vehicle position is constantly calculated and updated by the GPS navigation system.The current vehicle position is used with the Lat/Lon or GEO mode of interrogation todetermine which transponders are within range of the vehicle, and may therefore beinterrogated. The current vehicle position is also used with either interrogation mode tomark the Lat/Lon coordinates at the moment a good read takes place. The resultingposition data is stored with the other data for the transponder that responded. The modeof interrogation may be changed at any time during the reading mode by pressing the
Chapter 4 Operationbackspace key. This will change the current interrogation mode from FIFO to GEO toL/L. The mode of interrogation may also be changed using the System Setup commandwithin the Tools sub-menu.As shown in figure 4, several pieces of information are displayed for a good transponderreply during the reading mode (if the option to do so has been enabled). The first itemdisplayed is the serial number. Next, the meter reading is displayed. The next item is thetamper status. A '.' is displayed for a non-tampered transponder. A 'T' is displayed for atampered transponder, ‘R’ for a tamper reset, and a 'F' is displayed if the tamper resetcommand failed. The last field displayed is the street address of the meter.Figure 4. Typical Reading Mode DisplayA status line, shown above, is displayed at the top of the screen during the reading mode.The time, mode of reading, number of good reads, GPS status, and number oftransponders inside the interrogation window are displayed. The GPS status area may beat one of three statuses; ‘A’ indicates the GPS receiver is communicating with the MMIand is producing valid position data, ‘S’ indicates that the GPS receiver iscommunicating, but is not producing valid position data, and the self-navigation option isactive and functioning. The status ‘N’ indicates the GPS receiver is communicating, butis not currently producing valid position data, and finally ‘-‘ indicates that the GPSreceiver is not communicating with the MMI properly. 2539216 1235 T 123 South Main St. 2558131 10144 . 96 Valley View Drive 0078067 9411 T 5995 Hagley Drive 0078067 . . . . . . . . R 5995 Hagley Drive 2121411 104551 T 4545 W. Brown Deer Rd. 2121411 . . . . . . . . F 4545 W. Brown Deer Rd. 10:22 | MODE : FIFO | Good : 200 | GPS : A | IW : ALL
Chapter 4 OperationGPS Self Navigation & Lost Coverage AlarmsWhile in the Reading mode using either L/L or GEO modes, the MMI depends on thecontinual position updates provided by the GPS receiver. Since the GPS receiver islistening to satellites at various positions in the sky, objects such as tall buildings, treesand high-growing foliage may block the view of some of the necessary satellites. Whensuch a blockage occurs, the GPS receiver is temporarily unable to provide Lat/Loncoordinates. This naturally presents a serious problem while in L/L or GEO modes.An option known as self-navigation is available that can continue producing Lat/Lonposition updates during brief GPS blockages. While in self-navigation mode, each timethe MMI receives a reply from a transponder, it takes the stored Lat/Lon coordinate forthat transponder and updates the vehicle position. While in self-navigation mode, theDynamic Window (see the performance enhancement section for a description) feature isdisabled, since the vehicle position may have a greater amount of error than normal. Aslong as the MMI is continually receiving transponder replies, and the time betweensuccessive reads is brief, then the self-navigation mode will continue. If however, aperiod of no read activity occurs, then the self-navigation mode will be terminated, andthe FIFO mode will become active. Once self-navigation mode is terminated, it will notresume again until the GPS status transitions from active to inactive. At the time validGPS position data becomes available again, the previous reading mode will becomeactive, and features such as Dynamic Window will be resumed, if enabled.The MMI will alert the operator whenever the GPS becomes unable to produce positiondata for any reason while in either L/L or GEO modes. Any time the GPS data becomesunavailable, both an audible and message alert will be presented on the handheldterminal. When the GPS position becomes unavailable, and self-navigation mode has notbeen enabled, then a message will be displayed indicating that the GPS is blocked, andFIFO mode is being initiated. If self-navigation mode was enabled at the time of GPSblockage, then another message will be displayed indicating that GPS data is unavailable,and the self-navigation mode is now active. If self-navigation mode is unable to continueto produce position data, and GPS data is still unavailable, then an alert will be givenindicating that no position data is available, and FIFO mode is being initiated. Finally,when GPS position data is restored, then another alert will be issued indicating this status.Upon the resumption of GPS data, the reading mode which was active prior to the loss ofposition data, as well as any performance enhancement features will be restored.
Chapter 4 OperationReading Mode Performance Enhancement FeaturesThis section describes three MMI performance enhancement features that are oftenemployed to achieve a greater read success in certain situations. These features are theGEO mode of interrogation, Dynamic Interrogation Window, and Frequency Scan. Theinterrogation mode and the Dynamic Interrogation option may be enabled or disabled atany time through the System Setup menu contained within the Tools command. Theinterrogation mode may also be changed by pressing the backspace key while in Readingmode. The Frequency Scan option is controlled from the Frequency Control menu withinthe Tools command.GEO ModeAs described in the Reading mode section, the GEO mode is similar to L/L mode in thatit uses the Lat/Lon locations of transponders to determine whether or not they should beinterrogated. However, it differs by also including in the interrogation window anytransponder that does not have a Lat/Lon coordinate. This most often occurs as newtransponders are added to an existing route. Most utilities do not have a means ofassigning a Lat/Lon coordinate at the time the transponder data is added to the route. Asa result, any new and uninitialized transponder would never be read while in L/L mode,which is the primary mode of interrogation. Ordinarily, such transponders would have tobe read using FIFO mode, which would require the operator to be aware of where eachuninitialized transponder was located, and then switch interrogation modes until thedesired uninitialized transponder reading was obtained. On all but the smallest routes,this need to constantly change interrogation modes would prove too unproductive to bepractical.It is when a small number of uninitialized transponders are mixed into the route, thatGEO mode is used. GEO gets its name since transponders without coordinates aregeocoded as they are read. Geocoding is simply an action that assigns a Lat/Loncoordinate to an object. Since the MMI records Lat/Lon information for each transponderas it is read, once a read occurs there now exists an approximate Lat/Lon coordinate forthat transponder that may be used the next time that transponder is uploaded to the MMI.Because the recorded Lat/Lon coordinate is the position where the MMI obtained thereading, and not where the transponder is actually located, an additional restriction isplaced on the transponder before its reading is accepted. Each time a transponder reply isreceived, a measure of its signal strength is recorded. The signal strength is proportionalto the distance to the transponder. As the MMI moves closer to the transponder, thereceived signal strength increases. Therefore, the goal is to ensure that an uninitializedtransponder is read in GEO mode at a shorter range than normal. This ensures that therecorded Lat/Lon coordinate will be effective the next time the transponder is read usingits new coordinates. To force this range restriction, a minimum signal strengthrequirement is set in the System Setup menu that will be applied only to uninitializedtransponders being read in GEO mode. Other transponders with Lat/Lon coordinates, aswell as any transponder in FIFO mode will not face this restriction. Any transponderreply
Chapter 4 Operationthat does not meet the signal strength requirement will result in a NO_RD status. This isthe same status which occurs any time the MMI does not receive a reply from atransponder. The default minimum signal strength setting will most not likely never needto be altered.Dynamic Interrogation WindowAnother performance enhancement feature implemented in the MMI is the DynamicInterrogation Window. Ordinarily, the interrogation window is set to a particular fixedradius, and is not altered. This is normally acceptable for routes that have a consistentinstallation density. However, on routes where there are widely varying installationdensities, a fixed interrogation window size can actually cause performance degradation.If an excessive non-adjustable window size is used on a dense route, then the MMI willnot have as much time to re-interrogate transponders that are close, but have not yet beenread. This would result in either missed transponder readings, or would require theoperator to slow the vehicle to an unacceptable speed. Likewise, if the non-adjustablewindow size becomes too small, then some transponders may never be interrogated at alldue to the vehicle speed and errors in the Lat/Lon coordinate information. To overcomethese limitations, the dynamic interrogation feature may be enabled by the System Setupmenu within the Tools command. When enabled, this feature will automatically adjustthe interrogation window size once per second to try to maintain a fixed number oftransponders in the window. This ensures that in situations where there are a largenumber of transponders in a small area, the interrogation window size will be keptsmaller, so time is not wasted on interrogating transponders that are farther away. Also, itensures that in situations where there is a small number of transponders in a large area,the interrogation window size will be allowed to grow, which prevents transponders fromnever being interrogated at all.Frequency ScanTo accommodate older transponders whose reply frequency has drifted down beyondnormal limits, the frequency scan feature may be enabled. This feature is enabled in theFrequency Control menu contained in the Tools command. This feature will tunereceiver channel 1 between two frequency limits defined in the Frequency Control menu.This allows transponder replies at abnormally low frequencies to be received, without anyspecial or additional effort. However, one caution should be noted when using thisfeature. Since a receiver channel 1 is changing frequencies quite often, a transponderreply may not be received since the receiver was at one frequency, while the transponderwas at another. This results in a potentially increased read time for transponders thathave abnormally low reply frequencies. The amount of speed degradation is related tohow wide the frequency scan is. The wider the frequency scan range, the potentiallyslower the response time will be for low frequency transponders. By default the upperfrequency limit for the scan is one channel below the lowest channel currentlyprogrammed in channels 2-8. Both limits may be arbitrarily changed within theFrequency Control menu.
Chapter 4 OperationCommand ModeThe operator may stop reading at any time by pressing any key other than the backspacekey on the hand-held terminal. Doing so will place the MMI in the Command mode,where various operations are available. Stopping the reading process in this manner willnot affect any previously read transponders, and the Reading mode may be entered orexited as often as necessary. All transponder data is stored in non-volatile memory whichprotects valuable data from being lost in the event of main power loss. This also allowsthe operator to quickly and easily pause the MMI while in the process of reading a route,and resume reading the remainder of the route at a later time. While in command mode,transponder interrogation is suspended.The Command mode consists of the following main commands: Summary, Reading,Tools, Quit, and Help. Each of these main commands have various sub-menus fromwhich to choose. On all Command mode menus the location of the menu squares on thedisplay roughly match their respective location on the keypad. Using the Summary menudisplay in figure 5 as an example, the ALL menu selection would be chosen by pressingthe ‘0’ key on the handheld terminal. Each command is discussed in more detail in theremainder of this section.Summary CommandThe Summary command menu is the invoked by pressing the ‘S’ key while in Readingmode, or while the main Command mode menu is displayed. The six Summary commandmenu selections display the total number of transponders having a particular status. Asan example, this information can be used to identify how many transponders have beentampered with, then display each address so that a visual inspection of the transpondermay be performed.Figure 5. Summary Command Sub-menusSUMMARY READING TOOLS QUIT HELPALL100GOOD90UNRD1UNINT4TMPD5InWIN3
Chapter 4 OperationThe Summary command menus display information in the format shown in Figure 6.When the operator selects a particular Summary command menu, the MMI searches theroute for only those transponders that have responded accordingly.Figure 6. Summary Display Data FormatThe six menus of the Summary command detail the various possible states for thetransponders in the route. This serves to give a quick, detailed look at the progress beingmade in the reading of the route. The definition of each Summary command menu andassociated transponder states are discussed below:All All transponders in the route will be displayed.Unrd Any unread transponders in the route will be displayed.Unint Any transponders that have never been polled will be displayed.Reminder: The MMI will not poll a transponder until it is in the interrogation window while in the Lat/Lon or GEO mode of reading,or unless it has not Lat/Lon coordinate, and GEO mode is active.Good Those transponders that have been successfully read, including tampered units, will be displayed. Refer to Table 1 for a summary of transponder statusdefinitions.Tmpr Any transponders which have returned a tamper status will be displayed.Inwin In the Lat/Lon mode of reading, all transponders which are in range of the MMIread window and are displayed. In the FIFO mode of reading, all unread transponders will be displayed as being in the window.Summary Entry # Address SN # Status Reading1 2804 Weber St. 2789321 G_NT 37492 12806 Weber St. 2930587 G_NT 97123 1474 Main St. 2002189 G_NT 78344 1795 North Main St. 2501987 G_NT 03284UP DOWN QUIT HELP
Chapter 4 OperationParticular entries may be searched for in any of the summary displays by using the S(search) key. This will allow the operator to input a street number, street name, serialnumber, or just a part of an entry that corresponds to a transponder of interest. Thesummary display will then display only those transponders that match the search stringand are in the main summary category initially selected.The operator may also jump to a particular entry in the summary display, by typing in thedesired entry number and pressing the Enter key. The display will then start at that entrya scroll down from there. The number displayed in the box above the S key is the totalnumber of entries contained in this summary. This number will change if the operatorinputs a search string and narrows the summary, and will then display only the number ofentries that match the search string. Help is available at any time in the summary screenby pressing the H key.Within some of the Summary sub-menus there are various status labels placed on eachtransponder entry. These statuses reflect the success of a transponder read or show why aread failure was detected. The Code field shown in Table 1 corresponds to the code fieldin the MMI output data file.Status Description Code Tamper Good Read Good StatusUNINT Uninterrogated 10 N/A No NoG_NT Good;Not Tampered 01 No Yes YesG_NR Good;Not Reset 03 Yes Yes YesG_TR Good;Tamper Reset 07 Yes Yes YesG_T_RF Good;Tamper Reset Failed 0B Yes Yes YesG_T_RP Good;Tamper Reset Pending 0F Yes Yes NoNO_RD No Read 20 N/A No NoBAD_RD Bad Read 40 N/A No No* BAD_MR Bad Meter Reading Checksum 41 N/A No No* BAD_ID Bad Serial Number Checksum 42 N/A No No* BAD_B2 Both Checksums Bad 43 N/A No NoN_T_RP No Read; Tamper Reset Pending 2F Yes Yes NoB_T_RP Bad Read;Tamper Reset Pending 4F Yes Yes NoPENDNG Pending;Was UNINT prior 90 N/A No NoPENDNG Pending;Was G_T_RP prior 8F Yes Yes NoPENDNG Pending;Was NO_RD prior A0 N/A No NoPENDNG Pending;Was BAD_RD prior C0 N/A No No* Status Pertains To 3rd Generation Transponders OnlyTable 1. Transponder Status DefinitionsThe transponder status definitions shown in Table 1 are described below:UNINT The transponder has never been polled because it has never been withinthe interrogation window. The Tamper field in Table 1 does not apply withthis status since the transponder has never been read.
Chapter 4 OperationG_NT The transponder has replied with a good read, no tamper condition.G_NR The transponder has replied with a good reading and is showing a tamperstatus, but the MMI is not going to reset the tamper condition as controlledby the system configuration. The system configuration may be changed inthe System Setup menu, or by changing the values in the Guide file.G_TR The transponder has replied with a good reading and was showing atamper status, and the MMI successfully reset the prior tamper condition.G_T_RF The transponder has replied with a good reading and is showing a tamper status, but the MMI cannot reset the tamper condition, possibly becausethe transponder is still in a position that is causing the tamper status.G_T_RP The transponder has replied with a good reading and is showing a tamperstatus, but the MMI was not able to verify if the tampered condition wasreset. This may occur if the MMI goes out of range of the transponderwhile still trying to interrogate it to verify the tamper status. The readingfor the transponder is good, but the tamper condition may or may not stillexist.NO_RD The transponder has been polled, but the minimum number of receiverchannels did not received enough good data to pass the channel matching.This usually occurs when a transponder is still too far away from the MMI.BAD_RD The transponder has been polled and the receiver was able to lock on tothe incoming data, but the BCH error detection has failed. This may occur ifthe MMI is in an area of strong interference, and is usually corrected whenthe MMI gets closer to a transponder.BAD_MR The 3rd generation transponder has replied with an indication that themeter reading checksum has failed. This could be due to a new batterybeing inserted in the transponder, or due to a malfunction. The transpondershould be checked and reprogrammed. The meter reading should not betrusted.BAD_ID The 3rd generation transponder has replied with an indication that theserial number checksum has failed. This could be due to a new battery beinginserted in the transponder, or due to a malfunction. The transpondershould be checked and reprogrammed. The meter reading should not betrusted.
Chapter 4 OperationBAD_B2 The 3rd generation transponder has replied with an indication that both themeter reading and serial number checksums have failed. This could be dueto a new battery being inserted in the transponder, or due to a malfunction.The transponder should be checked and reprogrammed. The meter readingshould not be trusted.N_T_RP The transponder has replied with a good reading and is showing a tamperstatus, but during the tamper reset verification, the transponder replyresulted in a NO_RD status. The reading for the transponder is good, butthe tamper condition may or may not still exist.B_T_RP The transponder has replied with a good reading and is showing a tamperstatus, but during the tamper reset verification, the transponder replyresulted in a BAD_RD status. The reading for the transponder is good,but the tamper condition may or may not still exist.PENDNG The transponder has replied with a particular non-good status, and is nowin a transition between the prior status, and a new status.
Chapter 4 OperationTools CommandThe Tools command consists of seven sub-menu options. These options are used fortrouble shooting a problem with one of the Trace system components, changing thesystem configuration, turning the transmitter on and off, searching and displayingexpanded data for a particular transponder, accessing stored data in the non-volatilebackup memory, or changing the default frequency control values. The Tools collectionof menus is by far the most involved and user-driven set of commands. Figure 7 showsthe location of the Tools command menu choices. Additionally, the ENTER key willtoggle the backlight on and off while in the Tools command. Figure 7. Tools Command Sub-menusSUMMARY READING TOOLS QUIT HELPROUTESCANSYSTMSETUP XMIT<ON>BKUPMEMORY FREQCTRLTRBLESHOOT SETPERM
Chapter 4 OperationTrouble Shoot Menu (key 4)The Trouble Shoot menu is used to interrogate 4 user-definable transponders, and displayuseful statistics for each one. The display used for this menu may be broken down intotwo parts; the bottom half is used for user entry of transponder serial numbers and basiccommands, while the top half is used for transponder response information. An exampleof the troubleshoot menu is shown in figure 8.Figure 8. Trouble Shoot Display FormatTroubleshoot User EntryThe keys 1-4 are used to enter a new transponder serial number. After choosing an entrybetween 1-4, the new transponder serial number is entered most significant digit (MSD)first, and will begin to be interrogated. As each active transponder entry is interrogated,the appropriate top-half display fields update accordingly. To reset the current displaydata, the ‘0’ key is used. The Troubleshooting sub-menu may be exited at any time bypressing the ‘Q’ key. Rx Chans Reading Tries % Good Status - - - - - - - - 0 41 0.00 - - - - + + * * 1234 41 95.97 *- - * + - - - - 999 41 85.22 T- - * * * - - - 38 41 88.65 M#1 - 0000000#2 - 2120045#3 - 0078067#4 - 25811910 : Reset Counts1-4 : Change Serial Number‘Q’ : Exit Trouble Shoot
Chapter 4 OperationThe top half of the display contains five columns. The channel activity displays which ofthe 8 receiver channels are receiving valid data using a + or * symbol. Channel 1 appearsat the left of the channel display, and channel 8 appears at the right. The next field is themeter reading. This data is not checked for any errors, and will be displayed with orwithout errors. Next is the interrogation count field. This is the number of times aninterrogation has been sent for a particular transponder. This field starts at 0 uponentering a new id, whenever the count rolls over from 99 , or whenever the ‘0’ key ispressed.The percentage of successful replies field is a running percentage of good replies whichthe MMI has received. As in the count field, this percentage is set to 0 by entering a newid or pressing the 0 key. The final field is the BCH/Tamper indication. A ‘*’ symbolindicates that a reply with a good BCH code and no tamper indication is being received.A ‘T’ symbol indicates that a good BCH code and a tamper indication is being received.The ‘+‘ symbol indicates that the received data does not pass BCH error code detection,but the receiver channel is locked on to the incoming data. This most often occurs if thereceiver delay is invalid, and does not match the transponders delay. An ‘M’ symbolindicates that a good BCH code and a meter reading checksum error is being received,most likely indicating that a transponder has undergone a software reset. The ‘M’ statuscan only be reset in the transponder by reprogramming it.
Chapter 4 OperationSystem Setup Menu (key 6)The System Setup sub-menu allows the operator to display and modify various systemoperation parameters. The default system parameters that the MMI uses after turn-on isstored in the floppy disk file Guide. A 6-digit password (which is also stored in theGuide file) must be entered correctly before access to the System Setup screen is allowed.The password digits are not echoed as they are entered, and no Enter key is required. Ifthe user fails to enter the correct password after the fourth attempt, all access to theSystem Setup menu is barred until the MMI is restarted. Figure 9 shows the layout ofthe System Setup screen.Figure 9. System Setup Menu DisplayAny of the System Setup options may be changed as many times as desired duringoperation. The following is a summary of each option:Option 0: This option is used to toggle the reading method between the Lat/Lon,GEO, and FIFO mode.Option 1: This selects whether the MMI will display the total number of goodreadings, the transponder serial number, meter reading, and street addressof a transponder after a good read. The options are YES and NO.S Y S T E M S E T U P0) Read Mode? (L/L, FIFO, GEO).………….…L/L1) Display good reads?………………………….Yes2) Beep with good reads?……………………….Yes3) Reset tampers?…………………………….…Yes4) Window size (x100 feet)..……………………..85) Sort unread summary display?…………….….Yes6) Dynamic window on?…………………………Yes7) Reject reads with checksum errors?…………..Yes8) Self-navigation on?……………………………Yes9) Minimum GEO mode signal strength……….…215Press ENTER to accept, Q to abandon.
Chapter 4 OperationOption 2: This selects whether the MMI will beep after each good reading. Theoptions are YES and NO.Option 3: This selects whether the MMI will attempt to reset a tamper indicationafter it performs a reading. The options are YES and NO.Option 4: This option allows the user to set the interrogation window size. Whenselected, the user must key in a new value, followed by the Enter key. Thevalue entered must be the desired window size divided by 100. Validranges are 1-99.Example: If a window size of 1500 feet is desired, enter 1 5.Option 5: Enabling this option allows the user to sort the unread displayin order of increasing distance from the MMI.Option 6: This option allows the Dynamic Window to be turned on and off. Theoptions are YES and NO.Option 7: This option determines whether or not transponder replies containinga meter reading checksum error will be allowed. Caution! Any meterreading information from a transponder with such a status should notbe trusted! The options are YES and NO.Option 8: This option allows the Self-navigation mode to be turned on and off.The options are YES and NO.Option 9: This option is used to set the minimum signal level that is requiredto accept a reply from an uninitialized transponder in GEO mode.Valid ranges are 0-255.Enter: Press this key to exit, and use any new settings.‘Q’ key: Press this key to exit, and abandon all changes.
Chapter 4 OperationRoute Scan Sub-menu (key 5)To view detailed transponder information not available with other menus, the Route Scanmenu may be used. Information such as read status, meter reading, street address, andlocation are displayed. If the transponder has not yet been read, then the Lat/Loncoordinates that are displayed are those which were read from the floppy disk. If thetransponder has a good read status, then the location of the MMI where the read wasobtained will be displayed as that transponders Lat/Lon. Upon entering the Route Scanmenu, the user is prompted for an ID number. At this point, the user must enter the serialnumber of the desired transponder followed by the Enter key. Leading zeros in the entryare not required. Once the current display is complete, the user may either choose a newtransponder to search for, or return to the main menu. Figure 10 shows a sample RouteScan menu display.Figure 10. Route Scan Sub-menu DisplayBackup Memory Menu (key 7)The Backup Memory menu allows the user to view and retrieve all the data stored in thebattery backed-up memory. This data may either be the data for the current route, or thedata for previously used routes. Figure 11 shows the menus available within the BackupMemory menu. The backup memory can store a maximum of 30,000 transponders or 30routes, and each route may contain up to 10,000 transponders. A discussion of eachBackup Memory menu is described below: Id .................... 2789324 Status .............. ( 10 ) Unint Reading ........... 0 Address ........... 1305 Philmont Ave. Latitude ........... 72.49987 Longitude ........ 38.20110 The distance to the MMI is : 407.23 feetBACKMAINSEARCHANOTHR
Chapter 4 OperationFigure 11. Backup Memory Sub-menusBrief TotalThe Brief Total sub-menu displays a description of all routes stored in memory. Thisdisplay shows the internal route number used by the MMI, the route name and date, andthe number of transponders (records) in the route. The route number is used by the MMIin other Backup Memory menus to select a particular route.Detail OneFor detailed route information, the route number should first be obtained using the BriefTotal option. Once the desired route has been identified, and the route number for thatroute has been obtained, the Detail One option may be used. At the Enter the routenumber prompt, the range of stored routes is displayed within the parenthesis. The usershould now enter the desired route number followed by the Enter key. Once the displayhas finished scrolling, pressing any key will return the user to the Backup Memory menu.LD_TO DiskThe LD_TO Disk option is used to save a selected route to floppy disk. This is useful if apreviously executed route was lost, or a copy of the route needs to be made. Uponselection of this option, the user is prompted for the number of the route to be saved.When the route is located, the disk is checked for available space, and the save operationproceeds, and a bargraph shows the completion status.QuitAs in other menus, the ‘Q’ key returns the user to the previous menu level, which in thiscase is the Tools command main menu.BRIEFTOTAL DETAILONE QUITLD_TODISK
Chapter 4 OperationFrequency Control Menu (key 9)The Frequency Control menu, shown in figure 12 below, enables complete control ofeach receiver channel frequency. It also allows control of the transmitter frequency withthe use of a factory password which is obtained by a special request to American MeterCompany. This menu is also used to setup and enable/disable the frequency scan optionon channel 1. The frequency for each channel is displayed in the frequency grid at the topof the display. The top line of the grid box displays the receiver channel number, and thebottom line of the grid box displays the frequency applied to that channel. The frequencydisplay is in the format ?.? which is an abbreviation of 41?.?. For example, if thefrequency display for channel 1 is displaying 3.1, then the frequency programmed intochannel 1 is 413.1. If the frequency display is flashing for any channel, then thatindicates that the channel has not accepted the programmed frequency. Thecorresponding green LED on the receiver channel will also be turned off (for additionalinformation on receiver status indicators, refer to the Transmitter/Receiver StatusIndicator section of the manual). The flashing display is usually a result of an out ofrange frequency being programmed into the channel, or because the channel is defective.The functions available through the frequency control menu are described below:Figure 12. Sample Frequency Control Menu ScreenFULL (key S): This option allows all receiver frequencies to be setup atone time by entering a base frequency for channel 1, and thenentering an offset frequency that will be applied to each successivechannel. Once the ‘S’ key is pressed, a flashing cursor block willappear over the digit to be changed. Simply press a key 0-9 orpress the ‘Q’ key to abandon any changes. Receiver / Transmitter Frequency Setup123456783.0 3.3 3.6 3.9 4.2 4.5 4.8 5.1 Chan 1 Scan: On Enter Lower Scan Limit: 41?.? MHz Enter Upper Scan Limit: 41?.? MHz Enter Base Frequency: 41?.? MHz Enter Chan Spacing: ?.? MHzFULL REDO XMIT QUIT SCAN
Chapter 4 OperationREDO (key R): This option simply re-initializes each receiver channel withthe frequencies displayed in the frequency grid.XMIT (key T): This allows the factory-set transmitter frequency to be adjusted.This command requires a special password acquired fromAmerican Meter Company to enable operation.QUIT (key Q): As with most menus, this exits out of the current menu.SCAN (key H): This option is used to enable or disable the frequency scanoption for channel #1, and allows the range of the frequencyscan to be set. Upon pressing the ‘H’ key, The ON/OFF field ofthe scan control line contains a flashing cursor. Pressing the ‘0’key disables the scan feature, and pressing the ‘1’ key enables it.If the scan control is enabled, then two additional lines will appearbelow the scan control status line. Pressing the ENTER key willmove the cursor to the lower scan limit line. Enter the frequencyhere as with other frequency control entries. Pressing ENTERagain will move the cursor to the upper scan limit line, which bydefault is set to the first channel below the lowest frequencyenabled on channels 2-8. Pressing the ENTER key a final timewill finish the scan control data entry. Any time the frequency scanoption is enabled, a flashing ‘S.S’ will appear in the frequencygrid for channel 1 to indicate that the frequency for channel 1is constantly changing.Keys 1-8: Pressing any of these keys will invoke the individual frequencycontrol entry. This allows for a single receiver channel to beprogrammed to an arbitrary frequency, without disturbing thefrequencies of any other channel.
Chapter 4 OperationSet Perm Menu (backspace key)This menu displays and allows control of all permanent settings stored in special non-volatile memory. Settings found in this menu never need to be loaded from the floppydisk, and typically never need changed. Special items such as the MMI electronic serialnumber, usage statistics, receiver delay parameters, licensed transmitter frequency, andservice history are shown in this menu, an example of which is shown in Figure 13.Non-authorized users may display this page, but may not modify any of the parameters.To change any of the settings, the menu must be unlocked by pressing the ‘T’ key andentering the factory unlock password.Figure 13. Set Perm Menu DisplayPermanent Settings *LOCKED* 1) S/N: 000000122 2) Usage: 000006041 3) Update: 100197:142358 4) Last svc: 000000 5) 2ndG_dly: 9230 6) 3rdG_dly: 9530 7) 4thG_dly: D000 8) Transmit: 4??.??? 9) Encrypt: F23A99C6 0) S_PWD: 12345678 P:001UNLCKQUIT0123456789ABCDEF<-- -->
Chapter 4 OperationQuit CommandThe Quit command consists of three menus which are used to conclude or pause theexecution of a route. Figure 14 is an example of the Quit command. An explanation ofeach sub-menu is given in the remainder of this section. Figure 14. Quit Command Sub-menusSave & ExitThe Save & Exit option is used to save the results of the current route to floppy disk, andthen exit the menu system. Before the route is saved, the floppy is checked for availabledisk space, and then either the route is saved, or the user is prompted to insert a disk withadequate storage space. Once the save is complete, the next time the MMI is used, it willattempt to load in a new route from disk. This option may be used at any time during aroute, even if no or few readings have been collected.Note: After saving a given route, the route data is still stored in backup memory until itis overwritten by subsequent route data.BreakThe Break option is used to pause the execution of the current route. This allows the userto completely shut down the MMI, then restart it at a later time, continuing the activeroute. The route information that was initially loaded from floppy disk is stored in thebackup memory, and this is the data that the MMI uses while executing a route. Even if adifferent floppy disk is inserted into the MMI during the break, the current route will stillbe resumed. If the user wishes to abort the reading of a route after returning from a break,the MMI must be powered on and then an Exit or Save&Exit command may be issued.SUMMARY READING TOOLS QUIT HELPEXITBREAKSAVE& EXIT
Chapter 4 OperationExitThe Exit option is used to exit out of the current route without saving it to floppy disk.After this option is used, the MMI will load a new route from disk the next time it ispowered up. This option may be used at any time during a route, even if no or fewreadings have been collected.Note: Even though the Exited route was not saved to disk, the entire route is still savedin the backup memory, and will remain there until it is overwritten by subsequent routedata.
Chapter 4 OperationHelp CommandThe Help command is used to display a brief on-line operation guide (Quick Manual),current vehicle position, to view or set the time/date (Loc & Time), and to execute andview self-check results, as well as display the firmware revision currently executing(About MMI). Figure 15 shows the Help sub-menus. Both sub-menus are described inmore detail below:Figure 15. Help Command Sub-menusQuick ManualThe Quick Manual option will display several pages of brief descriptions of various MMIcommands and transponder statuses. The user may scroll up or down through themanual, and exit from any page. The quick manual menu is intended to be used as aquick reference, not a complete guide. For detailed operating instructions andexplanations, please consult the appropriate section of this manual.SUMMARY READING TOOLS QUIT HELPABOUTMI QUICKManualLOC &TIME
Chapter 4 OperationLocation & TimeThe Location & Time menu displays GPS navigation information as well as the currentsystem time and date. This menu also allows the GPS, time, and date information to bechanged. An example of the Location & Time menu is displayed in figure 16.Figure 16. Location & Time Menu DisplayAs shown in figure 16, Both GPS and system time are displayed. The top of the displaydetails current GPS navigation system status. The GPS status indicator may one of threestatuses:No Response: This indicates that there is no data being received from the GPSreceiver by the MMI.No Position: This indicates that the MMI is receiving data from the GPS receiver,but there are not enough satellites in view to navigate with.Active: This is the normal status indication that the MMI is receiving data fromthe GPS receiver, and the receiver is producing good Lat/Lon positiondata.The next lines on the display show the current system date as well as both system andGPS time. The GPS UTC time is in a format known as universal time coordinated (UTC)which is a world-wide time. Depending on the location in the U.S., UTC time is a fewhours ahead of local time. UTC time is extremely accurate, as it is derived from atomicclocks abord the GPS satellites.Location & Time GPS: No Response GPS Sats: 0 GPS DOP: 0.0 System Time: 08:24:47 System Date: 10-29-97 GPS UTC Time: 13:25:16 GPS Latitude: 38.1345 GPS Longitude: 81.5516Time GPS QUIT
Chapter 4 OperationThe current system date and time may also be adjusted from with the Loc & Time displayusing the Time option by pressing the ‘S’ key. This will invoke the display shown infigure 17. New time or date digits are simply pressed on the handheld terminal, and thetwo arrow keys moves the flashing cursor over top of the digit to be changed. Also, thesystem time and date may be synchronized to the GPS UTC time and date by using theUTC option (key ‘T’). It should be noted, that in the U.S., UTC time will not match localtime. Pressing the ‘Q’ key exits back to the Loc & Time menu. Figure 17. Set Time & Date Menu ScreenSet System Time & Date Use the S & H keys to select the digityou wish to change. Press the ENTER keyto set the time, or press the Q key toabandon changes.08:24:47 10-29-1997<-- QUIT -->UTC
Chapter 5 TroubleshootingTroubleshootingThis section offers brief suggestions to try in the event that the MMI is not functioningproperly. The only items covered in this section are those which are user serviceable, orthose which the operator is responsible for properly setting up or checking duringoperation.••••Handheld terminal does not turn on, or does not respond.First verify that there are no illuminated and non-flashing red LED’s on any of themain computer boards at the upper left of the MMI. If nothing seen, theninspect that the main power cable is correctly connected. If there no obviouscabling problems, then the two internal fuses should be checked.These may be found just inside the rear cover door of the MMI which is openedby removing three small screws. There is a separate fuse holder for the externalpower connection as well as for the internal battery. These fuses are standardautomotive types. Replace with a 20-amp fuse.••••Poor reading performance or range.This should be verified by using the Troubleshoot menu contained within theTools command. Using a known good transponder, if it is verified that the transponderis difficult to communicate with, then check both antennas. The whip section ofeach antenna should be screwed down tightly to the base, and the transmit antennamust be screwed on the MMI connector until tight. Also verify that all thegreen PLL OK LED’s are illuminated on the transmitter and receiver boards.Also verify that both RF amplifier LED’s are illuminated.••••Uninitialized transponders are not read in GEO mode.Using the System Setup menu contained within the Tools command, verify thatthe minimum GEO mode signal strength requirement is not set too high. As acheck, this value may be set to 0 to disable the requirement.••••Transponders are able to be read in FIFO mode, but not in L/L mode.Verify that the GPS has an active status. If so, then turn off the dynamic windowfeature, then check the interrogation window size using the System Setup menu inthe Tools command. As a check, this value may be set to 20 to use a 2000-footwindow radius. If this still fails to produce readings in L/L mode, then verify thatthe MMI considers the transpoders in question to be within range by using theUNRD summary menu. This will display the distance between each unreadtransponder and the MMI. If the displayed distance is not what is expected, thenthe Lat/Lon coordinates for the transponders in question may be unitialized, orinvalid.
Appendix A File FormatsFile FormatsThe MI requires three important disk files for operation. These files consist of operatingparameters and transponder data which is usually generated with a PC, but may becreated with any system capable of accessing a 1.44Meg PC-formatted floppy disk.Normally the first two files, the Start and Guide files are not altered or re-created. Theymay be simply copied from a master source each time they are needed. The Reading.rtefile contains the transponder information, which is usually created from a larger databaseof transponder data, and only the transponders for a particular route are extracted andplaced in the file. The MMI also creates an output file ending with the extension .VANwhich contains transponder output data. This data in this file is typically read back intothe master database, and then erased off the floppy.The Start FileThe start. file is used by the operating system, and contains directions used only duringpower-up.The GUIDE FileThe GUIDE file contains system operation parameters that control how the MMIoperates. Each of these parameters may be displayed and changed while the MMI isoperating by using the System Setup option from the Tools command. A typical GUIDEfile configuration might look like this :0 1 1 1 15 0 000 123456 1 1 1 1 2.0 3.0where:1st entry: The mode of interrogation. 0 = Lat/Lon, 1 = FIFO, 2 = GEO.2nd entry: The option to display good reads. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.3rd entry: The option to send a beep with each good read. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.4th entry: The option to reset any tamper indications. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.5th entry: The interrogation window size in hundreds of feet (15 = 1500 feet).Range: 1-996th entry: This entry is not used in the MMI but remains as a place holder.7th entry: This entry is not used in the MMI but remains as a place holder.8th entry: The 6-digit password used to access the System Setup and the Set Timeoptions.9th entry: The option to sort summary unread display. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.10th entry: The dynamic window option enable. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.11th entry: Option to reject reads with checksum errors. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.12th entry: Frequency scan option enable. 0 = No, 1 = Yes.13th entry: Lower scan limit frequency in the format 41?.?.14th entry: Upper scan limit frequency in the format 41?.?.
Appendix A File FormatsThe READING.RTE FileThe data in the Reading.rte file specifies what transponders are to be read. This datacontains the transponder serial number, latitude, longitude, and street address. Thelatitude and longitude are used when the MI is in the Lat/Lon or GEO modes ofinterrogation. The list of transponders loaded from disk may be examined at any time byusing the options under the Summary command. This file is usually created from alarger, more centralized database using TICS, however it may be created using any meansavailable. The Reading.rte file consists of an input header, followed by up to 10000transponder entries. The format of the input file must be strictly adhered to, as even asingle character out of place will corrupt the file. The file format is shown below, andFigure 20 is a sample Reading.rte file listing.route name latitude longitude file creationdate total recordcountcolumns 1-3 5-10 12-17 19-24 26-30width 3 6 6 6 5type characters hexadecimal hexadecimal decimal decimalFigure 18. READING.RTE input file header formatserialnumber latitude longitude streetaddress placeidentifiercolumns 1-7 9-14 16-21 23-41 43-45width 7 6 6 19 3type decimal hexadecimalhexadecimalcharacters charactersFigure 19. READING.RTE input file record format:Notes: 1. The latitude and longitude in the file header may be the Lat/Lon of theplace where the file was created. This is for reference only.2. The latitude and longitude are stored as 24-bit binary quantities knownas BAMS which stands for Binary Angular Measurements. This is aformat which allows a number consisting of degrees, minutes, and seconds to bestored as a binary equivalent number. The binary format is faster andeasier for the MI to work with. A BAMS number is created as follows:BAMS = ( Total degrees ÷ 360 ) × 16777216Total degrees = Degrees + ( Minutes ÷ 60 ) + ( Seconds ÷ 3600 )
Appendix A File FormatsExample: Degrees/Minutes/Seconds value: 38° 27' 06"Total degrees = 38 + ( 27 ÷ 60 ) + ( 06 ÷ 3600 )Total degrees = 38.4517 (round result to 4 places right of the decimal)BAMS = ( 38.4517 ÷ 360 ) × 16777216BAMS = 1791979 decimal -or- 1B57EB hexadecimalFigure 20. READING.RTE Example File FormatAMR,1C5852,358B16,100292,000060011758,1B57EB,3A42A0,84 ERSKINE LANE ,WVA0011486,1B57EB,3A42A0,86 ERSKINE LANE ,WVA0012061,1B57EF,3A42A2,101 E. MAIN STREET,WVA0010783.1B57F0,3A42A2,123 E. MAIN STREET,WVA0011578,1B5921,3A43B3,96 VALLEY VIEW DR,WVA0011499,1B5A04,3A43C1,140 CASCADE DR ,WVA
Appendix A File FormatsThe .VAN Output FileEach time the MMI Save & Exit command is used, an output file is created on the floppydisk. This file contains transponder information such as the meter reading, the receiverchannel activity, and the status code. This file, like the Reading.rte file, has a headerfollowed by a variable number of transponder records. The actual filename used for thisfile is built from a combination of the route name stored in the Reading.rte file, thesystem month and day, and if needed, a single letter suffix. This method of filenamecreation allows for the same route to be read multiple times using the same disk, withoutoverwriting data from the previous route file. If the floppy disk is full when a .van file isto be written, the MMI will prompt for a disk change. The format of the .van file isshown below, and Figure 23 is a sample .van output file listing.route name recordcount file date load date load time quit date quit timecolumns 1-3 5-9 11-16 18-23 25-30 32-37 39-44width3 5 66666type characters decimal decimal decimal decimal decimal decimalFigure 21. VAN Output File Header Formatserial number status code reading latitude longitude channel activity timecolumns 1-7 9-10 12-19 21-26 28-33 35-40 42-48width 7 2 8 6 6 6 6type decimal hex decimal hex hex hex decimalFigure 22. VAN Output File Record FormatNotes: 1. See Table 1 for the definition of the status codes. 2. The Channel activity has a bit for each receiver channel that passed the BCH check.Figure 23. VAN Output File Sample ListingAMR,00006,100292,100392,133504,100392,1501430011758,01,00000127,1B57EB,3A42A0,03FC0C,1340030011486,01,00000035,1B57EB,3A42A0,0FFF0C,1345140012061,07,00000089,1B57EF,3A42A2,01B80C,1350550010783.01,00000039,1B57F0,3A42A2,00FF0C,1356320011578,0B,00000008,1B5921,3A4300,01FFCC,1402240011499,01,00000104,1B5A04,3A43C1,03EB0C,144312
Appendix B SpecificationsSpecificationsPower Source: 12 VDC Vehicle Power / Sealed Internal Gel-Cell BatteryPower Consumption: 120 Watts (10 Amps maximum current) fully loadedRF Transmitter: 5 Watts Nominal Power, Software TunableRF Receiver: 8 Independent Channels, Software Tunable,-106 dBm sensitivityFCC Compliance: Part 90:63 / FCC ID: G8JVAN01Operating Temperature: -5ºF to +160ºF Package Temperature-4ºF to +140ºF Handheld TerminalStorage Temperature: -40ºF to +185ºF Package Temperature-4ºF to +140ºF Handheld TerminalHumidity: 5% to 95% Non condensingSize: ???????????????Weight: (Approximate) 60 lbs.

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