STI Engineering RFI900 UHF Paging Transmitter User Manual FCC IC Certification Report

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Rhein Tech Laboratories, Inc.
360 Herndon Parkway
Suite 1400
Herndon, VA20170
http://www.rheintech.com
Appendix J:
Manual
Please refer to the following pages.
Client: STI Engineering
Model: RFI-900 250
FCC ID: P5MRFI900
Standards: FCC Part 90
Report #: 2018010
RFI-148 & RFI-900 HIGH OUTPUT
POWER PAGING TRANSMITTERS
USER MANUAL
RFI-148 & RFI-900 High Output Power Paging
Transmitters
User Manual
DISCLAIMER
Š 2018 STI Engineering Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
STI Engineering reserves the right to make improvements on the product in this manual at any time without
notice.
No part of this manual may be produced, copied, translated, or transmitted in any form or by any means
without the written permission of STI Engineering.
Information provided in this manual is intended to be accurate and reliable. However, STI Engineering
assumes no responsibility for its use or infringements upon the rights of third parties that may result from its
use.
Reference No. MAN00165
Revision 2.5
July 2018
Firmware Version 4.x
Contents
Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
2. Installation ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1 General Considerations ............................................................................................................................................................ 7
2.2 External Antennas .................................................................................................................................................................... 7
2.3 Product Installation .................................................................................................................................................................. 8
2.3.1 Installation Guidelines to Ensure Safe Exposure Levels .................................................................................................. 9
2.3.2 Typical Installation ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
2.4 Safety and Compliance ........................................................................................................................................................... 12
2.4.1 Human Exposure to Emissions, Safe Distances .............................................................................................................. 12
2.4.2 Equipment Installation .................................................................................................................................................... 12
2.4.3 Modifications .................................................................................................................................................................. 12
3. Configuration............................................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
3.2 Cruise Control ........................................................................................................................................................................ 13
3.2.1 Installation ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14
3.2.2 Connecting to the Paging Transmitter ............................................................................................................................ 14
3.2.3 Device Navigation .......................................................................................................................................................... 14
3.2.4 Sensor Gauges ................................................................................................................................................................ 14
3.2.5 Firmware Update ............................................................................................................................................................ 15
3.3 SNMP...................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
3.4 Terminal Menu Interface ........................................................................................................................................................ 17
3.5 Hayes AT Command Interface ................................................................................................................................................ 17
3.5.1 List Slicing Syntax .......................................................................................................................................................... 18
3.5.2 Sequenced AT Commands .............................................................................................................................................. 18
3.6 Front Panel Interface ............................................................................................................................................................. 19
3.7 LIU Interface .......................................................................................................................................................................... 20
4. Operation ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
4.1 Serial Port Operation ............................................................................................................................................................. 21
4.1.1 Overview......................................................................................................................................................................... 21
4.1.2 Configuration .................................................................................................................................................................. 21
4.1.3 Statistics .......................................................................................................................................................................... 21
4.2 Ethernet Operation ................................................................................................................................................................. 22
4.2.1 Overview......................................................................................................................................................................... 22
4.2.2 IP Addressing .................................................................................................................................................................. 22
4.2.3 Statistics .......................................................................................................................................................................... 22
4.3 Transmitter Operation ............................................................................................................................................................ 22
4.3.1 Transmit Power ............................................................................................................................................................... 22
4.3.2 Channel Selection ........................................................................................................................................................... 22
4.3.3 Push-To-Talk (PTT) ....................................................................................................................................................... 23
4.3.4 External Reference .......................................................................................................................................................... 25
4.3.5 Absolute Delay Adjustment ............................................................................................................................................ 25
4.3.6 RF Diagnostics ................................................................................................................................................................ 26
4.4 Data ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 26
4.4.1 4-Level Deviation Mapping ............................................................................................................................................ 26
4.4.2 Carrier Offset .................................................................................................................................................................. 27
4.4.3 Custom Deviation ........................................................................................................................................................... 27
4.5 Fan Control ............................................................................................................................................................................ 27
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Contents
4.5.1 Fan Override ................................................................................................................................................................... 27
4.5.2 Self-Test.......................................................................................................................................................................... 28
5. Diagnostics ................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
5.1 Status Monitoring ................................................................................................................................................................... 29
5.1.1 Conditional Cut-off Checking......................................................................................................................................... 29
5.1.2 Minimum and Maximum Sensor History ....................................................................................................................... 30
5.2 Faults ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
5.2.1 Fault Actions ................................................................................................................................................................... 30
5.2.2 Fleeting Faults ................................................................................................................................................................ 31
5.2.3 Combined Fault .............................................................................................................................................................. 31
5.2.4 Hardware Alarm Outputs ................................................................................................................................................ 31
5.3 Remote Firmware Update and Snapshot ................................................................................................................................ 31
5.3.1 Update ............................................................................................................................................................................. 31
5.3.2 Snapshot .......................................................................................................................................................................... 32
5.4 Time ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 33
5.4.1 Real Time Clock ............................................................................................................................................................. 33
5.4.2 SNTP Client .................................................................................................................................................................... 33
6. Internal Encoding ........................................................................................................................................................................ 34
6.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
6.2 POCSAG Settings ................................................................................................................................................................... 34
6.3 Protocols Supported ............................................................................................................................................................... 35
6.3.1 TNPP .............................................................................................................................................................................. 35
6.3.2 PET ................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
6.3.3 TAP ................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
6.3.4 Page Datagram ................................................................................................................................................................ 36
6.4 Test Functions ........................................................................................................................................................................ 38
7. Hot Standby Operation ............................................................................................................................................................... 39
7.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................. 39
7.2 Configuration ......................................................................................................................................................................... 39
7.3 Operation................................................................................................................................................................................ 40
7.4 Switchover Faults ................................................................................................................................................................... 40
7.5 Hardware Feedback ............................................................................................................................................................... 40
Appendix A Technical Specifications ............................................................................................................................................ 42
A.1 Type Approvals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 42
A.2 RFI-148/900250 Specifications .............................................................................................................................................. 42
A.3 Serial Connectors ................................................................................................................................................................... 45
A.3.1 Rear Serial Port ............................................................................................................................................................. 45
A.3.2 Front Serial Port (DCE) ................................................................................................................................................. 45
A.4 LIU Interface .......................................................................................................................................................................... 45
Appendix B Controller Configurations ......................................................................................................................................... 48
B.1 Motorola NIU Controller / FLEX Mode ................................................................................................................................ 48
B.2 Glenayre C2000 Controller / FLEX Mode ............................................................................................................................. 48
B.3 Glenayre C2000 Controller / POCSAG Mode ....................................................................................................................... 48
B.4 Zetron Model 66 Transmitter Controller / POCSAG Mode ................................................................................................... 49
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Contents
Appendix C Management Reference ............................................................................................................................................. 50
C.1 Serial Port Diagnostics .......................................................................................................................................................... 50
C.2 SNMP Diagnostic Parameters ............................................................................................................................................... 51
Appendix D Hayes AT Reference .................................................................................................................................................. 54
Appendix E Sensor and Fault List Reference ............................................................................................................................... 88
Appendix F Product Identification Table ..................................................................................................................................... 92
Appendix G Troubleshooting ......................................................................................................................................................... 93
G.1 Configuring Sensor Cutoffs ................................................................................................................................................... 93
G.2 Fault LED Active ................................................................................................................................................................... 93
G.2.1 External Reference Fail ................................................................................................................................................. 94
G.2.2 High Transmit Power .................................................................................................................................................... 95
G.2.3 High VSWR .................................................................................................................................................................. 95
G.2.4 Disable Transmit ........................................................................................................................................................... 95
G.3 Unit Won’t Transmit .............................................................................................................................................................. 96
G.3.1 PTT Override ................................................................................................................................................................. 96
G.3.2 Hardware or Auto PTT .................................................................................................................................................. 97
G.3.3 Profile Definition ........................................................................................................................................................... 97
G.4 Unit Transmits at Low Power ................................................................................................................................................ 97
Appendix H Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................................... 98
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
1. Introduction
The RFI-148 and RFI-900 are high power output paging transmitters operating in the VHF and UHF band,
respectively.
 RFI-148: VHF band operation (138 MHz –
174 MHz) with 2.5 MHz switching bandwidth
 RFI-900: UHF band operation (929 MHz –
932 MHz) with 3 MHz switching bandwidth
 Up to 250 W (54 dBm) maximum transmit
power
 Compatible with:

POCSAG 512, 1200, 2400 bps (2-level
FSK).

FLEX 1600 (2-level FSK), 3200 (2- or 4level FSK), 6400 bps (4-level FSK).
 Windows GUI for configuration and
diagnostics over serial or network (Cruise
Control).
 SNMP diagnostics.
 TNPP and PET/TAP support (decoder) over
serial or network.
 POCSAG encoder with in-built deployment
test and modulation self-test feature.
 DSP precision modulation.
 Integrated isolator.
 RF diagnostics port for in-rack receiver.
 Remote firmware update capability.
 Software selectable frequency offset.
 Adjustable absolute delay correction.
 Hardware alarm outputs.
 Front panel indicators for power output and
diagnostics.
 High frequency
reference option.
stability
and
external
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
2. Installation
2.1 General Considerations
There are a number of rules to observe when installing a paging transmitter.
Antenna selection is vital to a good RF link. Different antennas are required depending on the application.
Please contact your antenna manufacturer or STI Engineering for correct antenna selection.
Antenna placement has a significant impact on RF link performance. In general, higher antenna placement
results in a better communication link. A vantage point should be chosen to clear the propagation ellipsoid.
An unobstructed, line-of-sight link will always perform better than a cluttered or obstructed link.
Obstructions, such as walls and poles, will distort the antenna radiation pattern and VSWR, resulting in less
efficient transmission and reception.
Antennas in close proximity are potential sources of mutual interference. A transmitter can cause overload of
a nearby receiver, if due precautions are not taken in antenna location. Moreover, transmitters in close
proximity may cause intermodulation. Slight adjustments in antenna placement may help solving
interference problems.
All items of radio equipment, such as antennas, are sources of RF radiation. They should thus be placed
away from electrical equipment, such as computers, telephones or answering machines.
Serial cable runs between radio modem and attached terminal equipment (eg RTU or PC) should be kept as
small as possible. A maximum cable capacitance of 2,400 pF is recommended for transfer rates up to 19.2
kbit/s. If a non-shielded, 30 pF / foot cable is used, the maximum length should be limited to 80 feet
(approximately 24m). For higher interface speeds, the length of the serial cable should be shortened.
Long serial cables should also be avoided in areas with frequent lightning activity or static electricity buildup. Nearby lightning strikes or high levels of static electricity may lead to interface failure.
The Ethernet cable from the RFI-148/900250 to the Ethernet switch must be less than 10 metres long.
STI Engineering supplies a range of external data interface converters for applications requiring long cable
runs.
2.2 External Antennas
Long antenna feed lines cause RF loss, both in transmission and reception levels, and degrade link
performance. When long cable runs are required use a suitable low-loss cable.
As an example, RG58 (tinned-copper braid) will exhibit a loss of 7.1 dB / 30 m at 148 MHz – 174 MHz,
whereas RG58 CellFoil will exhibit 3 dB less (4.2 dB / 30 m).
Antennas should not be located within close reach of people, due to radiation hazard. Exposure guidelines
should be followed at all times.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
Use extreme caution when installing antennas and follow all instructions provided. Because external
antennas are subject lightning strikes, STI Engineering recommends protecting all antennas against lighting
strike by using lightning surge arrestors.
2.3 Product Installation
The back panel of the AC model paging transmitter is shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Paging Transmitter Back Panel (AC model shown)
1. System Ground: External connection for system ground. When connecting a 24 VDC supply the
negative line is connected to the system ground. When connecting a -48 VDC supply the positive
line is connected to the system ground
2. RF Output: Modulated RF output from the paging transmitter. N-type female connector.
3. External Frequency: External reference input for accurate channel synthesis. BNC female
connector.
4. Ethernet: Ethernet connection for configuration and diagnostics over UDP. RJ45 connector. The
Ethernet cable from the RFI-148/900250 to the Ethernet switch must be less than 10 metres long.
5. AC Switch: Power switch.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
6. Power Supply Input: The power supply input is model-specific. The AC input connector is shown in
Figure 1.
a. 24VDC Model: 20 to 31.2 VDC input range for 24 V nominal. Phoenix terminal block
connector.
b. -48VDC Model: -40.5 to -57 VDC input range for -48 V nominal. Phoenix terminal block
connector.
c. 110/240VAC Model: 100 to 250 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz
7. RF Diag: Sniffer port for diagnostics. TNC female connector.
8. 24V DC Output (RFI-900 only): Enabled via Cruise Control (Encoder Interface → 24 V DC
Output), the RFI-900 can source up to 2A at 24V to an external load. Phoenix terminal block
connector (plug supplied).
9. LIU Interface: Combined alarm and encoder interface. DC-37 female connector.
10. RS-232: Rear serial port.
a. RFI-148: DE-9 male connector (DTE)
b. RFI-900: DE-9 female connector (DCE).
2.3.1 Installation Guidelines to Ensure Safe Exposure Levels
The following installation guidelines ensure that safe exposure levels to radio frequency radiation are not
exceeded:
1. Ensure the unit is switched off, and the mains power supply is unplugged.
2. Properly connect antennas, and RF cabling.
3.
Connect other cabling, leaving power cables last.
4.
Ensure that the safe distance limits in Table 1 are met before powering and operating the unit, using
physical exclusion barriers if necessary.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
2.3.2 Typical Installation
Inside weather-proof structure
RFI-148/900 250
Paging
Transmitter
2 m EUPEN 5092HFLR cable
Antenna
Band-pass
cavity filter
5 m LDF4-50
cable
Huber+Suhner
3401 series
lightening
protector
30 m LDF4-50
cable
Figure 2: Typical installation components
In a typical installation the RFI-148/900 250 will be housed in a weather-proof structure. Inside the weatherproof structure a 2 m EUPEN 5092-HLFR cable will connect the antenna port of the RFI-148/900 250 to the
input of a band-pass cavity filter (CV1417-0111-11 for RFI-148 or CV9296-0511-11 for RFI-900) . A 5 m
run of LDF4-50 cable will connect to the output of the band-pass cavity filter, exit the weather-proof
structure into the input of a Huber+Suhner 3401 series lightening protector mounted on the outside of the
weather-proof structure. A 50 m run of LDF4-50 cable will connect to the output of the Huber+Suhner 3401
series lightening protector, run across to a 30 m antenna tower via a cable tray, then run up the tower to an
antenna (COL54 for RFI148 or COL806 for RFI-900) mounted at the top. The installation is completely
fenced off and secured with lock and key.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
A clear installation will provide optimal radio signal propagation.
Antenna
High rise building distance > 40 m
Antenna
height ≈
30 m
Weather-proof
structure containing
RFI-148/900 250
paging transmitter
Installation is completely
fenced off.
Figure 3: Typical installation site
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
2.4 Safety and Compliance
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
2.4.1 Human Exposure to Emissions, Safe Distances
RF radiation source
Safe distance
RFI-148/900 250 mechanical enclosure
> 15 cm
Transmit signal RF cabling
> 15 cm
Antenna < 6 dBi gain
>7m
Antenna < 8 dBi gain
>8m
Antenna < 10 dBi gain
> 10 m
Antenna < 12 dBi gain
> 13 m
Antenna < 14 dBi gain
> 16 m
Notes
These distances are used to
determine the minimum
antenna height and distance
to nearest high-rise
habitable structures
Table 1: Human exposure to emissions, safe distances
For further information on human RF exposure, contact your local health department. For example, Health
Canada’s Safety Code 6 provides a comprehensive set of Canadian guidelines.
2.4.2 Equipment Installation
Any devices that connect to the data ports must comply with clause 4.7 of EN 60950-1.
The installation should be in accordance with EN 50310:2010.
2.4.3 Modifications
CAUTION: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by STI Engineering will void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment legally, as well as any warranty provided.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
3. Configuration
3.1 Overview
There are six interfaces available for configuration and diagnostic information to be monitored:

Cruise Control management interface: All configuration and diagnostics parameters can be
accessed using the Windows-based Cruise Control Graphical User Interface (GUI).

SNMP interface: Support for diagnostics using SNMP through the RFI SNMP Proxy agent.

Terminal menu interface: A navigable menu system is available that has all the configuration and
diagnostics that Cruise Control provides.

AT command interface: The AT command interface provides a subset of the configuration and
diagnostic information available over Cruise Control with ASCII Hayes attention commands. For a
list of AT commands see Appendix D Hayes AT Reference.

Front panel interface: The front panel consists of six status LEDs and a transmit power gauge.

LIU interface: The combined LIU interface has digital inputs and alarm outputs for limited
configuration and diagnostic output.
3.2 Cruise Control
This section outlines how to use Cruise Control with the paging transmitter. For more information see the
Cruise Control User Manual. Figure 4 below is a screenshot of Cruise Control running on Windows 10.
Figure 4: Cruise Control Interface
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
3.2.1 Installation
The requirements for using the Cruise Control application are:

Pentium III+ Processor.

Windows XP (x86) or Windows 7 (x86 and x64).

At least 1 available serial port or a network connection to the device.
3.2.2 Connecting to the Paging Transmitter
SERIAL
To connect to a device with RS-232, attach the paging transmitter to the PC running Cruise Control via a
serial port. Configure the Cruise Control communication settings using Device -> Configure
Communications, ensure that Serial is selected from the dropdown box and enter in the serial settings
(The front serial port is locked to 19200 8N1).
Use the Device -> Connect to Local Device menu item to connect to the local device.
ETHERNET
To connect to a device over a network, the device IP address must be known. Configure the Cruise Control
communication settings using Device -> Configure Communications, ensure that UDP is selected
from the dropdown box and enter the device IP address. For the UDP port, enter 64250, 64251 or 64252.
The paging transmitter listens on UDP ports 64250, 64251 and 64252 for data and will not allow more than
one simultaneous session per port. If the paging transmitter does not respond to Cruise Control on a UDP
port, try another port as a connection could already be active on that port.
Use the Device -> Connect to Local Device menu item to connect to the device.
3.2.3 Device Navigation
Once all the settings have been downloaded from the device, the available configuration groups are
displayed in a tree on the left. Items that can be configured in each group are displayed in tables on the right.
The names of editable items are displayed in black. Read only items have their names in grey.
3.2.4 Sensor Gauges
Cruise Control can provide real-time operational information for paging transmitters using the Sensor
Gauges plugin. A screenshot of the Sensor Gauges plugin is shown below in Figure 5.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
Figure 5: Cruise Control Sensor Gauges Plugin
To view Sensor Gauges for a paging transmitter, first connect to the paging transmitter using Cruise Control.
Then use the Tools -> Plugins -> Sensor Gauges menu item to open the Sensor Gauges plugin.
The Sensor Gauges will automatically update, with the needles showing the current value of the gauge
parameter. The green region indicates the expected normal operating value for the parameter. The upper and
lower cut-off values for the sensor (see section 0) determine the range of the green region. There is a red
indicator below each gauge which turns on when the parameter exceeds the upper or lower cut-off value.
The Groups option box on the left shows the different groups of gauges available, grouped by the unit of
measurement of the sensor. There are also two additional groups, overview and all. The overview group
provides a subset of the most informative gauges for quick diagnostic troubleshooting. The all group shows
all of the gauges.
3.2.5 Firmware Update
Cruise Control supports the updating of device firmware. Cruise Control will only allow firmware images
that are compatible with the paging transmitter to be uploaded. For more information, see section 0.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
3.3 SNMP
RFI SNMP Proxy is an SNMP agent which allows configuration and diagnostics via SNMP. RFI SNMP
Proxy can be installed on a Windows or Debian Linux system, including embedded devices capable of
running Linux.
In smaller networks, RFI SNMP Proxy may be run on the same machine as an SNMP network monitoring
application. SNMP communication may be done via IP loopback as shown in Figure 6. Alternatively, RFI
SNMP Proxy may run on existing embedded devices connected to the transmitter by Ethernet, as shown in
Figure 7.
Figure 6: RFI SNMP Proxy running on a central server
SNMP versions 1 and 2c are supported. The community string ‘public’ should be used when issuing SNMP
requests. RFI SNMP Proxy is compatible with standard SNMP managers and other SNMP client
applications. An SMI MIB file defining OIDs for this product is available from STI Engineering.
RFI SNMP Proxy communicates with the paging transmitter via a proprietary protocol using UDP port
64252 through the Ethernet interface.
Not all configuration and diagnostic parameters may be accessed via SNMP. See Appendix C.2 for a list of
values which may be accessed via SNMP.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
Figure 7: RFI SNMP Proxy running on embedded hardware on remote sites
3.4 Terminal Menu Interface
The terminal menu provides access to all configuration parameters in the radio.
To access the terminal menu execute the AT? command at the Hayes AT command interface. See section 3.5
on page 17 for information on executing AT commands. The terminal menu will not be started if it is open
on another port, instead the BUSY response is returned.
The terminal menu is available over serial, UDP (ports 64250 and 64251) and TCP (port 23).
3.5 Hayes AT Command Interface
The paging transmitter supports Hayes ATtention commands. These are used to query and change device
configuration and probe performance parameters. AT commands are available via serial port, and via TCP
port 23 on the Ethernet interface.
The format for the query and configuration AT command is:
ATxxx<[I1, I2, … In]><=value>
Where:





AT is the attention code. All AT commands must be prefixed with AT. This is case insensitive, so
At, aT, or at can also be used.
xxx is the actual command. The list of valid AT commands is given in Appendix D on page 54.
<[I1, I2, … In]> is an optional section that allows the specification of an index. Indexes are
used to access one of an array of similar items. For example, the paging transmitter has a list of
sensor values which can be accessed using the ATI90 indexer. The command ATI90[0] will
read the PA temperature, while the command ATI90[1] will read the driver temperature.
<=value> is an optional section that is used to set the value of a configuration parameter. If this
section is omitted, then the value of the configuration parameter will be displayed.
 is the terminator for the AT command. A terminator can consist of a carriage return
(ASCII value 13Decimal) or a carriage return followed by a line feed (ASCII value 10Decimal).
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
A response is generated for each AT command issued. Responses to AT commands are shown in Table 2.
Response
Code
Response
Number
OK
Returned whenever a command is entered that is executed correctly.
ERROR
Returned whenever a command is invalid or could not be executed.
BUSY
Returned when an attempt is made to enable the menu via AT? but the menu
system is already enabled on the other serial port.
Description
Table 2: AT command response codes
3.5.1 List Slicing Syntax
Multiple indexes of an indexer can be queried in a single AT command using the list slicing syntax. AT
command sets cannot be used with the list slicing syntax. The list slice syntax uses the colon ‘:’ operator to
indicate a range of indexes to retrieve. Each value retrieved is printed on a new line.
For example, the AT command for retrieving a single sensor value is I90[n] where n is the index of the
sensor. To retrieve the first four sensor values (PA, Driver, PA Ambient, and Isolator temperatures) the
following syntax can be used:
ATI90[0:3]
45
42
39
30
OK
Figure 8: List slicing syntax on the current sensor value
Running the list slice operator ‘:’ without specifying the range will return the length of the indexer:
ATI90[:]
27
OK
Figure 9: List slicing syntax for the length of an indexer
3.5.2 Sequenced AT Commands
A series of get AT commands can be concatenated into a single AT command, known as a sequenced AT
command. AT command sets cannot be sequenced. A sequenced AT command begins with the attention
code, AT, followed by a number of commands, followed by the terminator.
For example, the AT commands for the serial number, current channel, and main serial port baud rate are I6,
S54 and S100[0], respectively. These commands can be run separately:
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
ATI6
F00012K01000
OK
ATS54
OK
ATS100[0]
OK
Figure 10: Separate AT commands
Alternatively, they can be concatenated and run as a sequenced command:
ATI6S54S100[0]
F00012K01000
OK
Figure 11: Sequenced AT command
3.6 Front Panel Interface
The front panel interface consists of six status LEDs and a transmit power gauge. The panel is illustrated in
Figure 12 and the function of each LED is described in Table 3.
LED
Colour
Description
Transmit On
Green
Turns on when the transmitter is on.
Fault
Red
Turns on when any fault is active. Will flash in unison with the
Serial/Ethernet LED if there are serial errors.
Low Power
Red
Turns on when the sensed transmit power is lower than the
lower cut-off value as specified in the sensor parameters.
High VSWR
Red
Turns on when the isolator VSWR is higher than the higher cutoff value as specified in the sensor parameters.
Serial/Ethernet
Green
Flashes when serial or Ethernet data is transmitted or received.
Power
Green
Turns on/off at 1 Hz while power is supplied.
Power Gauge
Green/Red
A bar graph displaying current transmit power.
Table 3: Front panel LED descriptions
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
TRANSMIT ON
FAULT
LOW POWER
HIGH VSWR
SERIAL/ETHERNET
POWER
25
125
250
TX POWER (W)
Figure 12: Front Panel Display
3.7 LIU Interface
The LIU interface is a DC-37 female connector at the rear of the paging transmitter. The pin-out for the LIU
Interface can be found in Appendix A.4. The LIU interface has nine digital inputs1 and fourteen alarm
outputs. The alarm outputs are numbered 1 to 13 with an additional combined alarm and are configurable.
The digital inputs are:










Frequency Select 1
Frequency Select 2
Frequency Select 3
Frequency Select 4
Protocol Select
Hardware PTT
Tx Data L-bit
Tx Data H-bit
Transmit Clock
Aux Input 1 (RFI-148 only)
Use of the hardware PTT, protocol select and frequency select inputs are all optional and may be disabled in
software. The use of the transmit clock is optional for 2-level protocols, but required for 4-level protocols.
RFi-148 has an extra, general purpose input “Aux Input 1,” for a combined total of 10.
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4. Operation
4.1 Serial Port Operation
Serial Ports -> [Rear|Front] Settings
4.1.1 Overview
The RFI-148/900250 has two RS-232 serial ports, providing support as shown in Table 1. The serial port
pin-outs can be found in Appendix A.3 on page 45.
Serial Ports
Female DE9 (DCE)
Connector Type
Front
TX, RX, GND.
Supported
RFI-148
RFI-900
Male DE9 (DTE)
Female DE9 (DCE)
Connector Type
Rear
Supported
TX, RX, and GND,
RTS and DTR outputs
CTS and DCD inputs
Table 4: Serial port availability.
4.1.2 Configuration
The rear serial port supports the following configuration options:




Baud rate: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 or 115200.
Data bits: 7 or 8.
Parity: None, odd, or even.
Stop bits: 1 or 2.
The front serial port is locked into a specific configuration to ensure a fail-safe way to communicate with the
paging transmitter:




Baud rate: 19200.
Data bits: 8.
Parity: None.
Stop bits: 1.
4.1.3 Statistics
Statistics are maintained for both serial ports. These statistics are listed in Table 21 in Appendix C.1. All
statistics are reset if power is removed.
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These statistics may be useful in troubleshooting. For example, Rx framing errors may indicate that the
serial port configuration does not match the serial port configuration of the link partner.
4.2 Ethernet Operation
LAN Interface
4.2.1 Overview
The paging transmitter has one 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX Ethernet port. Auto-negotiation of link speed is
supported, including duplex mode. There is also a software override for forcing the parameters of the link.
4.2.2 IP Addressing
The paging transmitter supports IPv4. The paging transmitter may have a statically assigned IP address or
obtain an IP address as a DHCP client.
A static IP address may be configured with a single static address. A subnet mask and default gateway may
be configured to allow communication across sub-networks.
The paging transmitter may act as a DHCP client. This allows a DHCP server to assign an IP address to the
paging transmitter. By default, the DHCP client is enabled and the hostname of the paging transmitter is of
the form “rfi-serial_number” where serial_number is the factory assigned serial number of the unit. If the
unit does not receive an IP address from the DHCP server, the IP interface will not work.
4.2.3 Statistics
Both IP and Ethernet packet statistics are independently recorded and presented as combined figures for all
active data streams since the transmitter was last powered-up. A power-cycle of the transmitter clears this
data.
4.3 Transmitter Operation
4.3.1 Transmit Power
Radio -> Power
The RFI-148/900250 supports transmit power from 20 to 250 Watts in 1 Watt increments.
POWER FOLDBACK
The power foldback is a configurable percentage which calculates the power to foldback to when the scale
transmit power fault action is latched. For example, for a transmit power of 250 W and a power foldback of
50%, the transmitter will transmit at 125 W when the scale transmit power fault action is latched. See section
5.2.1 for more information on fault actions.
4.3.2 Channel Selection
Radio -> Channel
The RFI-148/900250 has up to sixteen radio channels. Each channel represents a transmit frequency.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
The channel frequencies can be set anywhere within the radio switching bandwidth, but must equal integer
multiples of the raster frequency.
The channel to be used can be set by
adjusting the current channel setting.
Encoder Interface -> Encoder Channel Control
ENCODER CHANNEL CONTROL
The active channel can be set by adjusting the current channel setting in software. Alternatively, “Encoder
Channel Control” may be enabled and the channel set through the LIU interface as shown in Table 5 below.
If encoder channel control is used, the channel cannot be changed in software.
Channel
CH4
CH3
CH2
CH1
N/C
N/C
N/C
N/C
N/C
N/C
N/C
Gnd
N/C
N/C
Gnd
N/C
N/C
N/C
Gnd
Gnd
N/C
Gnd
N/C
N/C
N/C
Gnd
N/C
Gnd
N/C
Gnd
Gnd
N/C
N/C
Gnd
Gnd
Gnd
Gnd
N/C
N/C
N/C
10
Gnd
N/C
N/C
Gnd
11
Gnd
N/C
Gnd
N/C
12
Gnd
N/C
Gnd
Gnd
13
Gnd
Gnd
N/C
N/C
14
Gnd
Gnd
N/C
Gnd
15
Gnd
Gnd
Gnd
N/C
16
Gnd
Gnd
Gnd
Gnd
Table 5: Channel selection via LIU Interface
4.3.3 Push-To-Talk (PTT)
There are three methods available to turn the transmitter on:

Software PTT: Software PTT is available using Hayes AT commands, through the Cruise Control
GUI, or through the terminal menu interface. It is also selected implicitly when enabling TNPP or
PET/TAP on either a serial or Ethernet stream.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications

Hardware PTT: Hardware PTT is available through the LIU connector. Hardware PTT can be
configured to be active high or active low. The delay from hardware PTT to transmitter on and data
ready is 10 ms.

Auto PTT: Auto PTT is performed by detecting a change in the data bits on the LIU and turning on
the transmitter. When using auto PTT some preamble will be lost; some encoders may need to
increase preamble time.
Hardware PTT can be enabled using the “Encoder Hardware PTT” option and auto PTT can be enabled
using the “Auto PTT” option in the “Encoder Interface” menu. Hardware PTT and auto PTT cannot both be
enabled at the same time.
PTT TURN OFF DELAY
Radio -> PTT Turn Off Delay
The unit has the option to leave the transmitter on for a set duration after receiving a PTT off signal. This
delay is driven by software and typically accurate to 100 ms.
TRANSMIT TIMEOUT
Radio -> Transmit Timeout
The unit can automatically raise a fault if the transmitter has been transmitting for too long. By default, the
transmit timeout feature is disabled. If enabled, the transmit timeout fault causes the transmitter to key down
and set the PTT system override to disable transmit. See section 5.2.1 for
more information on fault actions.
Radio -> PTT Override
PTT OVERRIDE
Transmitter PTT can be completely disabled which stops the paging transmitter from transmitting. PTT
override can be changed using the “PTT override” setting.
In some cases the paging transmitter will disable itself from transmitting. If PTT override is disabling
transmit the “PTT Override Status” will describe what caused the override. There are five circumstances
where the paging transmitter will override PTT:

User: The PTT override has been configured to “Disable Transmit”.

Listening: The isolator mode is set for listening (for operation of the isolator see section 0).

Fault: The disable transmit fault action is active (for more on fault actions see section 0).

Loading Config: Cruise Control is loading a configuration file.

In Standby: The unit is in Standby due to the Hot Standby operation (see section 7 Hot Standby
Operation).
PTT is enabled once the source of the override is addressed.
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HARDWARE PTT EDGE OR LEVEL DETECTION
The transmitter keys up due to the rising or falling edge of the hardware PTT signal – it is based on edge
detection rather than sampling. However, there are three exceptions to this case where the hardware PTT
signal is sampled to check for key up:

When the unit powers up.

When the hardware PTT configuration is changed from Disabled to Enabled.

When the unit comes out of PTT Override.
Radio -> Reference
4.3.4 External Reference
The transmitter supports an external reference for channel frequency generation.
To use the external reference, a 5 or 10 MHz sine or square wave -20 dBm to +15 dBm signal must be
applied to the “External Frequency” input BNC connector on the back panel. The “Reference Mode” must
then be configured to “External With Failover”. The paging transmitter will use the internal reference by
default.
The external reference frequency must be configured correctly in order to lock to the external reference. By
default the external reference is configured to 10 MHz.
AUTOMATIC REFERENCE SWITCHOVER
If the external reference is selected as the default reference, the transmitter will switch to the internal
reference in the event of the external reference failing. There are two conditions which characterise an
external reference failure:

The external reference is not detected. The external reference won’t be detected if it is less than the
specified input power.

Cannot lock to external reference. If the frequency difference between the internal and external
reference drifts too far, the paging transmitter will not lock to the external reference.
NOTE: If the paging transmitter is transmitting when
reference switchover occurs, there may be data loss.
Radio -> Absolute Delay Adjustment
4.3.5 Absolute Delay Adjustment
The paging transmitter can insert a small artificial delay on data presented on the LIU interface before it is
passed to the digital synthesiser. The delay adjustment can be set from 0 to 40 ms in 5 Âľs steps. The
additional net delay is accurate to  3 µs.
Absolute delay adjustment can be used for matching delay in:

Simulcast networks where transmitters from different manufacturers are used.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications

Radio and leased line simulcast systems.
Radio -> Isolator
4.3.6 RF Diagnostics
The paging transmitter provides an RF diagnostics port output on the back panel. The RF diagnostics port
can be configured for two different modes using the “Isolator Mode” setting:

Set for Transmitting: The RF diagnostics port will output a signal identical to that of RF out but at a
much lower power level.

Set for Listening: Insertion loss from RF out to RF diag is decreased to 12 dB. This is a special mode
of operation used for network testing. NOTE: While in listening mode, PTT override is forced to
disable transmit.
LISTEN MODE TIMEOUT
A timeout can be enabled for listening mode. When the listening mode timeout is enabled, the isolator mode
will automatically revert to transmitting mode after the timeout expires. The timeout starts when the isolator
mode is set to listening mode. By default, the listening mode timeout is disabled.
ISOLATOR FEEDBACK
The isolator feedback is a read-only field that indicates the isolator status when the isolator is in listening
mode. When the isolator mode is set to listening, the feedback status will change to “Switching” for one
second and then change to “Listening Mode”. However, if the status changes to “Listening Failure” then
there may be a hardware failure of the mechanical attenuation switch-out.
4.4 Data
The RFI-148/900250 supports the following modulation formats:

POCSAG: Baud rates of 512, 1200 and 2400 bps (2-level FSK) are supported.

FLEX: Baud rates of 1600 (2-level FSK), 3200 (2-level or 4-level FSK) and 6400 bps (4-level FSK)
are supported.

Custom: A customizable deviation and FSK level at baud rates up to 6400 bps. See section 0.
2-level FSK protocol data may optionally be clocked into the paging transmitter using the external data
clock or may run asynchronously. 4-level FSK
protocols must use the external data clock.
Encoder Interface -> 4-Level Operation
4.4.1 4-Level Deviation Mapping
When using 4-level FSK the deviation with respect to the H and L bits is outlined in Table 6 below. Note
that two interpretations of the H-bit/L-bit are available, denoted as “Legacy” and “Normal” and configurable
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
via Encoder Interface → 4-Level Operation. The “Legacy/Normal” operation was introduced in firmware
4.0, firmware versions prior to this operate implicitly in “Legacy” mode.
H-Bit
L-bit
Deviation from Carrier (Hz)
Legacy
𝐹𝑑
Normal
𝐹𝑑
−
𝐹𝑑
N/C
N/C
N/C
Gnd
+ 𝐹𝑑
Gnd
N/C
−
𝐹𝑑
+ 𝐹𝑑
Gnd
Gnd
−𝐹𝑑
−𝐹𝑑
Table 6: Custom 4-level deviation frequency offsets
Where 𝐹𝑑 is
frequency in Hz.
the
deviation
Paging Protocols -> Profile [1|2] -> Carrier Offset
4.4.2 Carrier Offset
The carrier offset setting is provided for use in simulcast paging networks. The offset from the carrier
frequency can be specified for each protocol. The carrier offset can be set from +5000 to -5000 Hz in
increments of 1 Hz.
4.4.3 Custom Deviation
Paging Protocols -> Advanced
The transmitter supports generation of non-standard paging protocol settings. When the paging protocol
custom is selected, the custom deviation and FSK level are used for that protocol. The custom deviation
setting is useful for legacy paging systems with non-standard protocols and/or paging
receivers.
Fan Control
4.5 Fan Control
The transmitter has two fans for cooling; the front fan is an intake and the rear fan is the exhaust. The fans
turn on at the configured fan turn on temperature, and then turn off at the configured fan turn off
temperature. The temperature reference is configurable to either individual sensors, the hottest of all sensors,
or the hottest of all sensors on the PA and Isolator (‘PA Group Sensors’).
4.5.1 Fan Override
There is a fan override feature available to force the fans to turn on at full speed. When fan override is set to
always on the fans will turn on and ignore the reference temperature.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
4.5.2 Self-Test
The fan controller has a self-test feature which causes the fans to run at full speed for a minute so fan
operation can be verified. The self-test feature runs once every 24 hours by default.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
5. Diagnostics
5.1 Status Monitoring
Sensors -> Sensor Configuration
The paging transmitter has a number of sensors which are continuously monitored. The sensors are used to
monitor:




Internal voltage and current levels.
Ambient and transmitter temperature.
Fan operation.
Transmitted and reflected power.
Each sensor has configurable upper and lower cut-offs that will cause a fault when exceeded. For example, if
the driver temperature upper cut-off is exceeded, the high driver temperature fault will be set active.
A full list of sensors, units of measure, and range of values can be found in Appendix E.
5.1.1 Conditional Cut-off Checking
Some sensors are only compared against their upper and lower cut-offs under certain conditions, such as
when the transmitter is on. The following sensors have conditional cut-off checking:
During transmission:








Exciter current.
PA current.
Driver current.
Reverse power.
Transmit power.
Driver power.
Exciter power.
Isolator VSWR.
While the fans are turned on to full speed:
 Front and rear fan current.
 Front and rear fan RPM.
A sensor that falls outside its cut-offs while its checking condition is met will cause the respective fault to
become active. A non-latching fault will only be cleared once it has returned to within its cut-offs while its
checking condition is met. A latching fault must be cleared in software.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
5.1.2 Minimum and Maximum Sensor History
When a sensor exceeds a previous minimum or maximum value for that sensor, the new minimum or
maximum value is saved to non-volatile storage. The minimum and maximum sensor values also use the
conditional cut-off checking. For example, minimum and maximum transmit power values are only recorded
during transmission. The sensor history can be cleared to aid in
troubleshooting.
Faults -> Fault Configuration
5.2 Faults
Undesirable operating conditions are reported using the faults feature of the paging transmitter. In most
circumstances the paging transmitter should not have any active faults. Active faults indicate incorrect setup,
a hardware issue or misconfiguration of the paging transmitter.
Faults can be in one of four states:

Inactive: The fault is inactive.

Fleeting: The source of the fault is currently active; however it has not been active longer than the
minimum fault duration setting.

Active: The source of the fault is currently active.

Latched:
o For Faults: The fault was previously active but the source of the fault is no longer present.
o For Fault Actions: The fault action has been carried out.
A list of possible faults can be found in Appendix E.
5.2.1 Fault Actions
Each fault can be configured to perform an action when the fault transitions from the inactive (or fleeting) to
the active or latched state. The actions that are taken due to a fault are called Fault Actions. There are five
fault actions:

Reference switchover: The paging transmitter switches to the internal reference.

Disable transmission: Any current transmission is interrupted, the transmitter is keyed down and
future transmissions are disabled.

Scale transmit power: Transmit power is reduced to a configured percentage. See section 0.

Enable PA current fold-back: The PA current fold-back is engaged.

Enable reverse power fold-back: The reverse power fold-back is engaged.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
Each fault action operates as a fault itself; therefore when a fault action is taken, it can be seen as latched in
the faults menu and logged in the fault history. Fault actions are latch-only and can only be cleared through
user intervention. Any actions performed are reverted once the fault action is cleared.
5.2.2 Fleeting Faults
The minimum fault duration parameter determines how long the source of a fault is active until it is reported
to the fault interface. A fault that does not reach the minimum fault duration will not be logged, activate a
hardware alarm or trigger a fault action.
5.2.3 Combined Fault
The combined fault is an optional fault that will become active if any fault within the combined fault set
becomes active. Each fault can be configured to be part of the combined fault set. The combined fault will
only become inactive when all of the faults in the combined fault set return to inactive. The combined fault
has a dedicated alarm output.
5.2.4 Hardware Alarm Outputs
A hardware alarm output can be assigned to each fault (see Appendix A.4 for the LIU interface pin-outs).
When the fault is in the active or latched state, the respective alarm will be set to active. Multiple faults can
share the same alarm output. The alarm output will only be set inactive if all of the faults that use that alarm
output are inactive.
A list of hardware alarms available can be found in section 3.7.
5.3 Remote Firmware Update and Snapshot
Diagnostics -> Firmware Update
5.3.1 Update
The remote firmware update feature is used to upload a firmware image to a paging transmitter for feature
additions and/or bug fixes. Remote firmware update requires a Cruise Control connection to the paging
transmitter and a valid RFI-148/900250 firmware image file.
The firmware update process has two stages: uploading the firmware image to the paging transmitter and
applying the firmware image.
FIRMWARE IMAGE UPLOAD
To upload the firmware image to the paging transmitter first connect to the transmitter using Cruise Control.
In the Cruise Control interface select Device -> Load Firmware from the toolbar. In the new
window that appears, navigate to the directory where the firmware image file is located, select the file and
click Upload. The upload process is displayed on the status bar in Cruise Control, near the bottom right.
Once the upload is finished, the status will display “Monitoring”.
Note that at this point the firmware image has not been applied. The firmware image is kept in non-volatile
storage until it is required.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
Once the firmware image has been uploaded, at any later date the firmware image can be applied.
APPLYING FIRMWARE IMAGE
To apply an uploaded firmware image, run the “Update Firmware Now” routine. The paging transmitter will
reset to apply the image and will be unresponsive for up to one minute. Note that while the paging
transmitter is applying the firmware image, it will not transmit, respond to AT commands or connect with
Cruise Control.
Figure 13: “Update Firmware Now” routine
When the firmware starts up after applying the new image the “Version String” can be inspected to ensure
the new firmware image was loaded.
5.3.2 Snapshot
The paging transmitter has a firmware “Snapshot” used for recovering the paging transmitter to a previous
state. The snapshot contains a backup of the current firmware and configuration.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
To create a snapshot, run the “Take Firmware Snapshot” routine. The paging transmitter will continue
operating normally during the snapshot process, which takes up to one minute to complete. The progress of
the snapshot is displayed in the “Snapshot Progress” field.
The snapshot can be reverted to at any stage. This can be useful to revert back to a ‘known good state’ if the
paging transmitter has been misconfigured or has been updated with an unwanted firmware update. To revert
to the snapshot run the “Roll Back to Snapshot” routine. The paging transmitter will reset and take up to
ninety seconds to revert back to the snapshot firmware and configuration. After reverting to a snapshot the
paging transmitter will start up with the firmware update exception fault latched to notify that the snapshot
was used.
By default, the paging transmitter has a factory snapshot that contains default factory firmware and
configuration.
5.4 Time
5.4.1 Real Time Clock
Diagnostics -> Time
A battery-backed real time clock is used to track the passage of time. An accurate time is not essential for the
operation of the transmitter, but aids diagnostics and troubleshooting. The time is used for:

Generating time stamps for:
o The transmitter fault history.
o Firmware update images.

Transmitter uptime since power-up.

A short history of transmitter events (PTT on, off).
TIME ZONE
The time zone can be specified in hours and minutes as an offset from
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
LAN Interface -> SNTP
5.4.2 SNTP Client
The transmitter supports time synchronisation using the Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) version 4.
The SNTP client can be disabled or set to unicast mode. In unicast mode, the paging transmitter will query
the configured time server for time updates at a configurable interval. By default the SNTP client is disabled.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
6. Internal Encoding
6.1 Overview
The RFI PTX supports both internal and external page message encoding:

External Encoding: The historical and most common way of interfacing to the RFI PTX is by
clocking in pre-encoded paging data using the TTL inputs on the LIU. The RFI PTX will typically
interface with a Base Station Controller (BSC) that provides the encoded data.

Internal Encoding: The RFI PTX supports internal encoding of the POCSAG paging standard for
generating messages when submitted through the serial or Ethernet ports. Messages can be submitted
using the industry standard TNPP, TAP, or PET protocols. A custom protocol developed by STI
Engineering also provides an additional simple datagram protocol for submitting pages: “Page
Datagram”.
This section provides an overview of the internal encoding functionality.
When internal encoding is in use, the Hardware PTT and Auto PTT
functions are disabled.
Paging Protocols -> POCSAG
6.2 POCSAG Settings
The RFI PTX has several options for the POCSAG protocol in order to support differing networks:

Preamble Length: The POCSAG preamble is used to wake up paging receivers and allow them to
lock to the incoming signal. A default value of 576 bits is used which is the de facto standard for
POCSAG.

Function Override: Allows the function bits in a POCSAG address codeword to be overridden to this
value. By default the function bits will follow the message encoding (00: Numeric, 01: Tone-only,
11: Alpha-numeric). The function bits have also been known as the “Group Code”.

Purge Timeout: The RFI PTX waits up until the purge timer in order to collate incoming page
subsmissions into a single large transmission. This saves on overhead of having to repeat the
preamble. Shorter Purge Timeouts will produce lower latency on page submission to transmission, at
the possible expense of
lower throughput when
Paging Protocols -> POCSAG -> Page Repeat Rules
sending
many
page
messages.
PAGE REPEATING
The RFI PTX supports a set of rules that trigger the repetition of a submitted page messages. When a rule is
enabled any messages which match the cap code will be repeated Count number of times every Delay
seconds.
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Appendix A Technical Specifications
6.3 Protocols Supported
Paging Protocols -> Encoding Mode
All protocols are accessible through either the rear serial port or the Ethernet port via TCP or UDP port
64250.
Paging Protocols -> TNPP
6.3.1 TNPP
The RFI PTX supports the ETE REQ and CAP PAGE block types. The TNPP station address is
configurable.
6.3.2 PET
Paging Protocols -> TAP/PET
The RFI PTX supports the PG1 and PG3 page submission types. Note that the page “zone” for PG3 has no
effect on the RFI PTX and it only accepts this value for backwards compatibility. Also accepted is a
password up to length 6 characters. The password is not checked and also exists only for backwards
compatibility.
There are several options available to allow for differences in PET implementations:

Line Separator: The RFI PTX can print either a carriage return () or a carriage return and line
feed () for line separation. Note that the RFI PTX only accepts lines separated by .

Timeout: The timeout while expecting the next command string is configurable. The RFI PTX starts
a timer when it is expecting more data. If the timeout expires the RFI PTX PET parsing returns to
either the Idle or Logged In state.

Baud Rate: Due to PET not having a way to submit baud rate with page messages, the baud rate must
be pre-configured. Standard POCSAG baud rates of 512, 1200, and 2400 are supported.

Stay Logged In: This option allows the RFI PTX to remain in the Logged In state (ie, after the PG1
and password sequence) so messages can be submitted without having to handshake the connection
each time. This option can be used in conjunction with Implied Login to skip handshaking altogether.

Implied Login: If the  character (the start of a message submission) is sent to the RFI PTX
this option allows the RFI PTX to transition directly to message submission state and skip the login
handshaking.

Detect Numeric Pages: Encode a paging message as numeric if all characters within the message fit
the numeric encoding scheme (ie, all characters are any of the following: '0', '1', '2',
'3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '!',
'U', ' ', '-', ']', '[').
Paging Protocols -> TAP/PET
6.3.3 TAP
The TAP protocol is treated the same as PET, however with some extensions:
RFI-148 & RFI-900 High Output Power Paging Transmitters User Manual
Page 35 of 99
Appendix A Technical Specifications

Group Code: The RFI PTX can be configured to accept a group code that trails the pager ID during a
message submission. The group code can be ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, or ‘D’ when set for “Trailing Character”,
or ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘4’ when set to “Trailing Digit”.
Paging Protocols -> Page Datagram
6.3.4 Page Datagram
The Page Datagram protocol is request-response. The maximum datagram length including the sync and
CRC-32 fields is 265 bytes. Any datagrams larger than this will be dropped without response.
The general format of the protocol is (size in bytes of field shown in parenthesis):
Sync (1)
Length (2)
Type (1)
Source
Address (2)
0xCA
Sequence
number (2)
Packet-specific-data (x)
Header
CRC-32 (4)
Footer
Figure 14: Page datagram generic format
The general fields are:







Sync (1): The datagram sync byte, always 0xCA
Length (2): The length of the datagram, minus the 3-byte header (sync, length)
Type (1): The type of the page datagram, see below
Source Address (2): The address of the RTU to which the reply (if any) should be sent. This can be
set to 0xFFFF if unused
Sequence number (2): An incrementing sequence number for confirming replies. This can be set to 0
if unused
Packet-specific-data (x): Changes depending on the type field. Each type is shown in the following
section
CRC-32 (4): 32-bit CRC generated by the polynomial 0xEDB8832, with a starting value of
0xFFFFFFFF and the resulting value XOR’d with 0xFFFFFFFF. The CRC-32 is generated over the
whole datagram excluding the Sync and CRC field.
PAGE SUBMIT
Submits a page message for transmission by the RFI PTX. The format of the page submit packet is shown in
Figure 15.

Message
length (2)
Baud rate
(2)
Page
class (1)
Cap code
(4)
Function
override (1)
Message (x)

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