Simoco EMEA SB2K5354N2N2V SB2025NT/Atlas 4100/ Atlas 4200/ Atlas 4300 User Manual Manual

Simoco EMEA Ltd SB2025NT/Atlas 4100/ Atlas 4200/ Atlas 4300 Manual

Manual

       SB2025NT BASE STATION  TECHNICAL AND USER MANUALS  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Issue –1.0   REVISION  1.0 DATE  January 2012 PREPARED BY  PJ APPROVED  JW POSITION  Dev. Eng.    Team Simoco Ltd. Field House, Uttoxeter Old Road Derby DE1 1NH Tel:  +44 (0) 1332 375500 FAX:  +44 (0) 1332 375501 http://www.teamsimoco.com  ComGroup Australia Pty Ltd. 1270 Ferntree Gully Road, Scoresby Victoria, 3179 Australia Tel:  +61 (0)3 9730 3999 FAX:  +61 (0)3 9730 3988 http://www.comgroup.net.au ©Simoco 2012
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page ii  PREFACE PREFACE DECLARATION This Manual covers the SB2025NT Base Station.   It is broken down into two parts: Part 1 is the Technical Manual for the base station; and Part 2 is the User Manual for the Engineering Terminal (ET). Any performance figures quoted are subject to normal manufacturing and service tolerances.  The right  is  reserved  to  alter  the  equipment  described  in  this  manual  in  the  light  of  future  technical development. Changes or  modifications  not  expressly  approved  by the  party  responsible  for  compliance  could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. NOTE. The manufacturer is not responsible for any radio or television interference caused by unauthorized  modifications  to  this  equipment.    Such  modifications  could  void  the user’s authority to operate the equipment. COPYRIGHT All information contained in this document is the property of Simoco.  All rights are reserved.  This document may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, stored, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form, without prior written permission from Simoco. DISCLAIMER There are no warranties extended or granted by this document.  Simoco accepts no responsibility for damage arising from use of the information contained in the document or of the equipment and software  it  describes.    It  is  the  responsibility  of  the  user  to  ensure  that  use  of  such information, equipment  and  software  complies  with  the  laws,  rules  and  regulations  of  the  applicable jurisdictions. EQUIPMENT AND MANUAL UPDATES In  the  interests  of  improving  the  performance,  reliability  or  servicing  of  the  equipment,  Simoco reserves the right to update the equipment or this document or both without prior notice. ERRORS AND OMISSIONS The usefulness of this publication depends upon the accuracy and completeness of the information contained within it.  Whilst every endeavour has been made to eliminate any errors, some may still exist.    It  is  requested  that  any  errors  or  omissions  noted  should  be  reported  to  either  of  the following who are part of the Simoco group: Team Simoco Ltd. Field House Uttoxeter Old Road Derby DE1 1NH UK ComGroup 1270 Ferntree Gully Road Scoresby Victoria 3179 Australia Tel: +44 (0) 871 741 1050  Tel: +61 (0)3 9730 3800 E-mail: customerservice@teamsimoco.com  E-mail: comgroup@comgroup.net.au
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page iii  PREFACE DOCUMENT HISTORY Issue  Date  Comments 0.1  December 2011  First Draft Issue.  Distributed for comment. 1.0  January 2012  Initial Issue.            RELATED DOCUMENTS Nil.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page iv  CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS   Page Title Page ....................................................................................................................................... i Preface .......................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents (this list)  ........................................................................................................ iv PERSONAL SAFETY .................................................................................................................... v EQUIPMENT SAFETY ................................................................................................................. vii WEEE Notice  ............................................................................................................................. viii General Notes  ............................................................................................................................. ix Support – Contact Information  ................................................................................................... x Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. xii Glossary  ..................................................................................................................................... xv  PART 1.  SB2025NT TECHNICAL MANUAL.  PART 2.  ENGINEERING TERMINAL USER MANUAL.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page v  WARNINGS PERSONAL SAFETY Safety Precautions These Safety Precautions, Warnings and Cautions advise personnel of specific hazards which may be encountered during the procedures contained in this document and that control measures are required to prevent injury to personnel, and damage to equipment and/or the environment. Before  commencing  the  installation  or  any  maintenance  of  this  equipment,  personnel  are  to acquaint themselves with all risk assessments relevant to the work site and the task.  They must then comply with the control measures detailed in those risk assessments. References  covering  safety  regulations,  health  hazards  and  hazardous  substances  are  detailed under the WARNINGS section below.  These are referred to in the tasks, when encountered. Adequate precautions must be taken to ensure that other personnel do not activate any equipment that has been switched off for maintenance.  Refer to the Electricity at Work regulations 1992. Where  dangerous  voltages  are  exposed  during  a  task,  safety  personnel  are  to  be  provided  as detailed in the Electricity at Work regulations 1992.  Where safety personnel are required for any other reason, management are to ensure that the personnel detailed are aware of the hazard and are fully briefed on the action to be taken in an emergency. Where  equipment  contains  heavy  components  or  units  that  require  lifting,  lowering,  pulling  or pushing  operations  to  be  performed  on  them  during  maintenance  tasks,  all  managers  and tradesmen  are  to  be  conversant  with  the  Manual  Handling  Operations  Regulations  1992,  ISBN 0110259203. Hazardous Substances Before using any hazardous  substance or material, the  user  must  be conversant  with the safety precautions and first aid instructions: •  On the label of the container in which it was supplied. •  On the material Safety Data Sheet. •  In any local Safety Orders and Regulations. WARNINGS Radio Frequency Radiation  WARNING RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) RADIATION.  A RF RADIATION HAZARD EXISTS IN THIS EQUIPMENT.  TO AVOID RF INJURY, DO NOT TOUCH THE ANTENNA WHEN THE TRANSMITTER (TX) IS IN USE.  DO NOT OPERATE TX WITH ANTENNA DISCONNECTED.  REFER TO EU DIRECTIVE 2004/40/EC DATED 29 APRIL 2004.  WARNING THERMAL OR RF BURNS.  DO NOT ATTEMPT INTERNAL SERVICING WHILE TRANSMITTING.  THERMAL OR RF BURNS MAY RESULT FROM TOUCHING CERTAIN COMPONENTS WITHIN THE POWER AMPLIFIER MODULE WHILE TRANSMITTING OR OPERATING THE TX.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page vi  WARNINGS Dangerous Voltages Although there are no mains voltages present within the equipment, other voltages do exist in the equipment.  The following general safety precautions as would normally apply, should be observed during all phases of operation, service and repair of this equipment.  WARNING TO MINIMISE ANY POSSIBLE SHOCK HAZARD FROM AN EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY OR LIGHTNING STRIKE, THE CHASSIS OF THE EQUIPMENT CABINET MUST TO BE CONNECTED TO AN ELECTRICAL SAFETY EARTH CONNECTION.   WARNING DO NOT OPERATE IN AN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE. DO NOT OPERATE THIS EQUIPMENT IN THE PRESENCE OF FLAMMABLE GASES OR FUMES.  OPERATION OF ANY ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT CONSTITUTES A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD.   WARNING DO NOT SUBSTITUTE PARTS OR MODIFY THE EQUIPMENT. BECAUSE OF THE DANGER OF INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL HAZARDS, DO NOT INSTALL SUBSTITUTE OR LOWER VOLTAGE PARTS TO THE EQUIPMENT.  RETURN TO YOUR AUTHORISED DISTRIBUTOR.  Beryllium and Beryllia  WARNING BERYLLIUM AND BERYLLIA.  MOST RF POWER TRANSISTORS AND SOME RF POWER HYBRIDS CONTAIN BERYLLIUM OXIDE.  REFER TO THE CONTROL OF SUBSTANCES HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH REGULATIONS (COSHH) 2002 AND/OR THE APPROPRIATE SAFETY DATA SHEET.  CONSULT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY FOR CORRECT DISPOSAL THEREOF.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page vii  WARNINGS EQUIPMENT SAFETY Installation and Maintenance The  SB2025NT  Series  of  base  stations  should  only  be  installed  and  maintained  by  qualified personnel. Cautions  CAUTION The Antenna System must to be protected against lightning by means of an earthing system and surge protection device. Do not connect Antenna Lightning conductors to the base station or Mains Earth.  Maintenance Precautions  CAUTION Electrostatic Discharge Sensitive Devices (ESDS Devices).  This equipment contains ESDS Devices, the handling procedures detailed in BS EN 61340-5-1:2007 or ANSI/ESD S20.20-1999 are to be observed.  WARRANTY CONDITIONS AND PRECAUTIONS The following conditions are not covered by the warranty of the SB2025.  Please ensure that the SB2025 is not subject to: 1.  Over voltage or Reverse Power Supply Voltage. 2.  Operation  in  locations  subject  to  abnormal  environmental  conditions  such  as  extreme temperatures or ingress of moisture. 3.  Operation of the SB2025 Tx output into an open or short circuit or an incorrectly terminated load.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page viii  WEEE NOTICE WASTE  ELECTRICAL  AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT (WEEE) NOTICE The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive became law in  most  EU  countries  during  2005.    The  directive  applies  to  the  disposal  of waste  electrical  and  electronic  equipment  within  the  member  states  of  the European Union. As  part  of  the  legislation,  electrical  and  electronic  equipment  will  feature  the crossed  out  wheeled  bin  symbol  (see  image  at  left)  on  the  product  or  in  the documentation to show that these products must be disposed of in accordance with the WEEE Directive. In  the  European  Union,  this  label  indicates  that  this  product  should  not  be  disposed  of  with domestic or “ordinary” waste.  It should be deposited at an appropriate facility to enable recovery and recycling.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page ix  GENERAL NOTES GENERAL NOTES MANUAL COMPILATION This manual  provides detailed information  on  the  SB2025NT  base  station.    It  is  divided into two parts. Part 1 – Technical Manual Part 1 is the Technical Manual, which includes information on Installation and Operation, General Description,  Technical  Description,  Alignment  and  Testing,  Fault  Finding  and  Drawings  for  the base stations.   Details of both “basic” and “optional units” have been included in the Technical Manual, therefore, some  material  may  not  be  relevant  to  every  system.    Configuration  is  dependent  upon  the specification by the customer when the equipment was ordered and installed. The  manual  has  been  compiled  with  a  two-tier  maintenance  policy  in  mind,  i.e.  first-line  fault location  and  repair  by  replacement,  followed  by  subsequent  bench-testing  of  sub-assemblies  to specification.  Consequently, some “overlap” and/or duplication of information has resulted. Part 2 – User Manual Part  2  is  the  User  Manual  for  the  ET  software  application.    The  ET  is  the  primary  source  for controlling, configuring and monitoring the Solar 2 Modules fitted within the SB2025 series of base stations. PAGINATION Each part of the manual is divided into a number of sections, each section deals with one aspect of the system. Following  initial  issue,  any  page  that  has  been  amended  or  updated  will  also  bear  an  updated reference. PARTS LISTING A Composite List of Replaceable Assemblies (i.e. a list of all components used in the system) is included at Part 1, Section 9.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page x  SUPPORT DISTRIBUTORS  Australia     ComGroup Australia Pty Ltd. Scoresby, Vic www.comgroup.net.au Tel: +61 (0)3 9730 3999 Fax: +61 (0)3 9730 3988 comgroup@comgroup.net.au      United Kingdom      Team Simoco Ltd Field House, Uttoxeter Old Road Derby, DE1 1NH, England Tel: +44 (0) 1332 375 500 Fax: +44 (0) 1332 375 401 customerservice@teamsimoco.com  CONTACT INFORMATION At  Simoco  we  welcome  your  comments,  feedback  and  suggestions.    Departmental  contacts  for both Team Simoco and ComGroup, which are part of the Simoco group, have been provided for your quick reference below. TECHNICAL SUPPORT Technical Support services to assist in resolving any malfunctions or other technical issues are as follows. COMGROUP (AUSTRALIA) Technical Help Desk Tel:  Within Australia:  1300 36 36 07   International:  +61 (0)3 9730 3800 Fax:    +61 (0)3 9730 3968 E-mail:    simoco@simoco.com.au  TEAM SIMOCO (UK) Technical Support Helpline Tel:  +44 (0) 871 741 1040 E-mail:  techsupport@teamsimoco.com
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page xi  SUPPORT SALES & SERVICE ENQUIRES For information regarding distributor agreements, general product and pricing information, contact Simoco’s Account Management Teams. COMGROUP (AUSTRALIA) Tel:  Within Australia:  1300 36 36 07   International:  +61 (0)3 9730 3800 Fax:    +61 (0)3 9730 3988 E-mail:    simoco@simoco.com.au  TEAM SIMOCO (UK) Customer Services Tel:  +44 (0) 871 741 1050 Fax:  +44 (0) 871 741 1051 E-mail:  customerservice@teamaimoco.com Sales E-mail  sales@teamsimoco.com Marketing For  general  corporate  information,  marketing  programmes,  public  relations  and  other  general questions. E-mail  marketing@teamsimoco.com
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page xii  ABBREVIATIONS ABBREVIATIONS The following abbreviations are used throughout this document.  Wherever practicable, whenever the abbreviation is first used,  the full meaning is given with the  abbreviation in  parenthesis, after that only the abbreviation will be used. Abbreviation  Meaning 1PPS  One Pulse Per Second (timing signal) 1U  One Unit AC  Alternating Current Ae  Aerial/Antenna AFSI  Analogue Fixed Station Interface AMBE+2  Advanced Multi-Band Excitation+2 BER  Bit Error Rate BNC  Bayonet Neill-Concelman C4FM  Continuous 4 Level Frequency Modulation CDCSS  Continuous Digital Coded Squelch System CMOS  Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor COR  Carrier Operated Relay COSHH  Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health csv  comma separated variables CTCSS  Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System CTS  Communications Test Set DC  Direct Current DCS  Digital Coded Squelch DFSI  Digital Fixed Station Interface DHCP  Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol DIP  Dual In-line Package DSP  Digital Signals Processor EEPROM  Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory EEROM  Electrically Erasable Read Only Memory EMI  Electromagnetic Interference EPROM  Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory ESDS Devices  Electrostatic Discharge Sensitive Devices ET  Engineering Terminal FET  Field Effect Transistor FFSK  Fast Frequency Shift Keying FM  Frequency Modulation FW  FirmWare GPS  Global Positioning System ID  IDentification IF  Intermediate Frequency I/O  Input/Output IP  Internet Protocol I/P  Input LDMOS  Laterally Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor LED  Light Emitting Diode MDR  Mini Data Ribbon
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page xiii  ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviation  Meaning MIB  Management Information Base MMIC  Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit MTBF  Mean Time Between Failure NAC  Network Access Code NC  Not Connected NI  Network Interface NMEA  National Marine Electronics Association NMS  Network Management System OEM  Original Equipment Manufacturer OIDs  Object IDentifiers O/P  Output PA  Power Amplifier PAT  Packet Arrival Time PC  Personal Computer PCB  Printed Circuit Board PIC  Programmable Intelligent Computer PLL  Phase Locked Loop PMR  Private Mobile Radio PSL  Peak System Level PSU  Power Supply Unit PTT  Press (Push) To Talk PWM  Pulse Width Modulation RAM  Random Access Memory R&TTE  Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment RF  Radio Frequency RFI  Radio Frequency Interference RSSI  Received Signal Strength Indicator RTN  Return RTS  Radio Test Set Rx  Receive, Receiver SBC  Signal Board Computer SINAD  SIgnal to Noise and Distortion SNMP  Simple Network Management Protocol SNR  Signal to Noise Ratio TCXO  Temperature Controlled Crystal Oscillator TGID  Talk Group IDentification TIA  Telecommunications Industry Association TM  Traffic Manager TOT  Total Output Time TRC  Tone Remote Control T/T  TalkThrough TTL  Transistor Transistor Logic Tx  Transmit, Transmitter UART  Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter UHF  Ultra High Frequency USB  Universal Serial Bus
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page xiv  ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviation  Meaning UTC  Universal Time Coordinated VCO  Voltage Controlled Oscillator VF  Voice Frequency VHF  Very High Frequency VoIP  Voice over Internet Protocol VSWR  Voltage Standing Wave Ratio WEEE  Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page xv  GLOSSARY GLOSSARY OF TERMS The following terms are used through out this document. Term  Meaning ‘……’  Reference to a setting or feature (exactly as it is displayed) that may be selected or enabled either directly or through a software application, e.g. ‘Button’, ‘Control’, ‘Switch’. 0 V  The internal negative supply line to which the internal circuitry is referenced. 1PPS  A One Pulse Per Second timing signal (timed from the leading or rising edge). Audio Frequency  A composite audio band signal that may include tones. CTCSS  A sub-audio tone used for validating a received signal (also known as a PL tone). Closed Contact  Connects to the common or pole contact when a relay is not energised (off). Firmware  The embedded code that makes SB2025 function. Ground/Gnd  A connection that is the same potential as the chassis or case (earth). Go/GO  A signal that flows towards the base station Tx. In  A signal that is entering the SB2025 base station. Key/Keyed  A signal that can cause transmit mode or the transmit condition itself. Loader  The software application used to install the Programmable Intelligent Computer (PIC) Firmware. Open Contact  Connects to the common or pole contact when a relay is energised (on). Out  A signal that is leaving the SB2025 base station. PAT  Packet Arrival Time – a value indicating the network latency. Press To Talk  The action or signal that causes the equipment to be placed into transmit mode or to be keyed. RS422  A balanced/differential line serial data signal. Return/RTN  A signal that flows from the base station Rx (receive). SELV  Safety Extra Low Voltage – within the definition used by EN60950. Sig/Signalling  A state or tone that is used to indicate a defined condition. TTL  A logic signal where a ‘Low’ is represented by a voltage of less than 0.7 V and a ‘High’ by a voltage >3 V but ≤5 V. Vote/voting  The selection of the best received signal from a collection of signals presented individually and simultaneously.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM Jan 12  Page xvi  GLOSSARY    Intentionally left blank.
          PART 1   SB2025NT TECHNICAL MANUAL
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 3  CONTENTS PART 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS   Page Table of Contents (this list)  ......................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures  .............................................................................................................................. 6 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ 7  1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 SB2025 APPLICATIONS...................................................................................................... 9 1.2 SOLAR 2 – BRIEF DESCRIPTION........................................................................................... 9 1.2.1 Method of Operation .............................................................................................. 10 1.2.2 Basic I/O Facility .................................................................................................... 10 1.2.3 PMR Wide-Area Cover Facilities ............................................................................ 10 1.3 SOLAR 2 – STYLE............................................................................................................. 10 1.4 SOLAR 2 P25 ................................................................................................................... 11 2 SPECIFICATIONS............................................................................................................... 13 2.1 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS................................................................................................ 13 2.2 TRANSMITTER SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................... 13 2.3 RECEIVER SPECIFICATIONS............................................................................................... 13 2.4 P25 (APCO-25) SPECIFICATIONS...................................................................................... 14 3 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION.................................................................................... 15 3.1 INSTALLATION.................................................................................................................. 15 3.2 OPERATION...................................................................................................................... 16 3.2.1 MxTools Utility........................................................................................................ 16 3.2.2 Setting to Work....................................................................................................... 16 3.2.2.1 Setting Micro Controller Jumpers .................................................................. 16 3.2.2.2 Select Operating Mode ................................................................................. 17 3.2.2.3 Select Operating Channel ............................................................................. 18 3.2.2.4 Configure Alarms/M Lead.............................................................................. 18 3.2.2.5 Configure Digital I/O...................................................................................... 18 3.2.3 Adjustments ........................................................................................................... 19 4 GENERAL DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................. 20 4.1 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................... 20 4.1.1 Front Panel ............................................................................................................ 21 4.1.1.1 LED Indicators .............................................................................................. 22 4.1.1.2 Traffic Manager LED Indicator....................................................................... 22 4.1.1.3 Network Interface LED Indicator.................................................................... 22 4.1.1.4 USB Connector ............................................................................................. 23 4.1.2 Rear Panel ............................................................................................................. 23 4.1.2.1 GPS (1PPS Timing Signal Input)................................................................... 24 4.1.2.2 Environment I/O ............................................................................................ 24 4.1.2.3 DC Power Input............................................................................................. 24 4.1.2.4 Transmitter Output ........................................................................................ 24 4.1.2.5 Receiver Input............................................................................................... 25 4.1.2.6 High Stability Oscillator Input (BNC).............................................................. 25 4.1.2.7 Ethernet ........................................................................................................ 25
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 4  CONTENTS 4.1.3 Connector Pin-outs ................................................................................................ 25 4.1.3.1 Environment I/O ............................................................................................ 25 4.1.3.2 GPS (1PPS Timing Signal Input)................................................................... 25 4.1.3.3 DC Power Input............................................................................................. 26 4.1.3.4 Ethernet ........................................................................................................ 26 4.2 ENVIRONMENT I/O OVERVIEW............................................................................................ 27 4.2.1 Inputs and Outputs................................................................................................. 27 4.2.2 Input ‘Polarity’ ........................................................................................................ 27 4.2.3 Output ‘Polarity’...................................................................................................... 27 4.2.4 Electrical Constraints.............................................................................................. 27 4.3 MODULE FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION.................................................................................. 28 4.3.1 Exciter Module ....................................................................................................... 28 4.3.2 Receiver Module .................................................................................................... 28 4.3.3 Power Amplifier Module ......................................................................................... 28 4.3.4 Micro Controller Board ........................................................................................... 29 4.3.5 Network Interface ................................................................................................... 29 4.3.6 ITX ......................................................................................................................... 29 4.3.7 Compact Flash....................................................................................................... 29 4.3.8 SBC Support PCB.................................................................................................. 30 4.3.9 Aux PCB ................................................................................................................ 30 4.3.10 Pico PSU................................................................................................................ 30 5 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION............................................................................................... 31 5.1 EXCITER MODULE............................................................................................................. 31 5.2 RECEIVER MODULE........................................................................................................... 31 5.3 POWER AMPLIFIER MODULE.............................................................................................. 32 5.3.1 Wide Band PA (50 Watt Model).............................................................................. 32 5.3.2 Wide Band PA (100 Watt Model)............................................................................ 32 5.4 MICRO CONTROLLER BOARD............................................................................................ 33 5.4.1 Overall Radio Management.................................................................................... 33 5.4.2 Tx Signal Processing.............................................................................................. 34 5.4.3 Rx Signal Processing ............................................................................................. 34 5.4.4 RF Power Control................................................................................................... 35 5.4.5 User Interface ........................................................................................................ 35 5.5 SOLAR TRAFFIC MANAGER............................................................................................... 35 5.6 SOLAR NETWORK INTERFACE............................................................................................ 36 6 ALIGNMENT AND TESTING .............................................................................................. 38 6.1 TRANSCEIVER SETUP, CALIBRATION AND ALIGNMENT........................................................ 38 6.1.1 Sending Model Number and Serial Number to the Radio ....................................... 38 6.1.2 Sending Configuration Information ......................................................................... 39 6.1.3 Sending Channel Information................................................................................. 39 6.1.4 Setting Alignment Channel..................................................................................... 39 6.1.5 Power Calibration................................................................................................... 39 6.1.6 RSSI Calibration..................................................................................................... 40 6.1.7 Temperature Calibration......................................................................................... 40 6.1.8 Tx Power Adjustment ............................................................................................. 40 6.1.9 Peak Deviation and Modulation Balance Configuration .......................................... 41 6.1.9.1 Station NI/SB2025......................................................................................... 41
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 5  CONTENTS 6.1.10 Mute Threshold Setting .......................................................................................... 50 6.2 MODULE LEVEL TEST PROCEDURES.................................................................................. 52 6.2.1 Exciter Module ....................................................................................................... 52 6.2.2 Receiver Module .................................................................................................... 53 6.2.3 Power Amplifier Module ......................................................................................... 55 6.2.4 VCO Board............................................................................................................. 56 6.2.5 Microcontroller Module........................................................................................... 57 7 FAULT FINDING PROCEDURES ....................................................................................... 58 7.1 SB2025 BASE STATION.................................................................................................... 58 7.1.1 Transmitter Section ................................................................................................ 58 7.1.2 Receiver Section .................................................................................................... 59 7.2 MICRO CONTROLLER PCB ................................................................................................ 59 7.3 RECEIVER MODULE........................................................................................................... 60 7.3.1 VCO Locking.......................................................................................................... 60 7.3.2 Rx Front End.......................................................................................................... 60 7.3.3 IF Section............................................................................................................... 60 7.4 EXCITER MODULE............................................................................................................. 61 7.4.1 VCO Locking.......................................................................................................... 61 7.4.2 RF Power............................................................................................................... 61 7.5 POWER AMPLIFIER............................................................................................................ 61 8 DRAWINGS......................................................................................................................... 63 8.1 CURRENT DRAWINGS........................................................................................................ 63 9 SPARES.............................................................................................................................. 71  APPENDICES A  SB2025 Frequency Bands. B  Channel Select DIP Switch Settings. C  Configuration Procedure Cable Requirements. D  SB2025 Micro Controller PCB Link Settings.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 6  CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES   Page Figure 1.  SB2025NT Top and Rear Views. .................................................................................. 21 Figure 2.  SB2025NT Front Panel. ................................................................................................ 21 Figure 3.  SB2025NT Rear Panel.................................................................................................. 23 Figure 4.  SB2025NT Block Diagram. ........................................................................................... 37 Figure 5.  HyperTerminal – Menu.................................................................................................. 42 Figure 6.  NI ET – Audio Mode to ‘Remote’................................................................................... 43 Figure 7.  NI Engineering – Main Audio tab, ‘In Audio Sensitivity’ settings. ................................... 44 Figure 8.  NI Engineering – Facilities tab, Test Tone settings........................................................ 45 Figure 9.  NI Engineering – Signalling tab, Manual Trigger. .......................................................... 45 Figure 10.  MxTools – Set Software Channel to tick button. .......................................................... 46 Figure 11.  NI Engineering – Facilities tab, Test Tone Frequency. ................................................ 47 Figure 12.  MxTools – Channel Edit page. .................................................................................... 47 Figure 13.  Typical result for Tx Modulation displayed on RTS...................................................... 48 Figure 14.  Rx Component Overlay............................................................................................... 64 Figure 15.  Exciter Component Overlay. ....................................................................................... 64 Figure 15.  Exciter Component Overlay. ....................................................................................... 65 Figure 16.  PA Component Overlay – Superseded Version........................................................... 65 Figure 16.  PA Component Overlay – Superseded Version........................................................... 66 Figure 17.  PA Component Overlay – New Wide Band PA Version............................................... 67 Figure 18.  Micro Controller Component Overlay (Rev S). ............................................................ 68 Figure 19.  Tx and Rx VCO Component Overlay Bands A to Q3................................................... 69 Figure 20.  Tx and Rx VCO Component Overlay Bands R to X..................................................... 69 Figure 21.  HP Rx VCO Component Overlay Bands A to Q. ......................................................... 70 Figure 22.  Tx/Rx V3 VCO Component Overlay. ........................................................................... 70 Figure C-1.  T36 Module Serial Cable – wiring details................................................................... 75 Figure D-1.  Micro Controller Jumper and Link locations............................................................... 77
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 7  CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES   Page Table 1.  General Specifications. .................................................................................................. 13 Table 2.  Transmitter Specifications. ............................................................................................. 13 Table 3.  Receiver Specifications.................................................................................................. 13 Table 4.  Functions and Default Positions of the Micro Controller Jumpers................................... 16 Table 5.  DIP Switch 2 Settings..................................................................................................... 18 Table 6.  SB2025NT LED Functions. ............................................................................................ 22 Table 7.  TM Status Indicator. ....................................................................................................... 22 Table 8.  NI Status Indicator.......................................................................................................... 23 Table 9.  Rear Panel Connections. ............................................................................................... 24 Table 10.  20-way MDR Socket – Environment I/O. ...................................................................... 25 Table 11.  15-way D Socket – GPS/1PPS Timing Signal. ............................................................. 26 Table 12.  DC Power Connector. .................................................................................................. 26 Table 13.  RJ45 – Standard Network wiring. ................................................................................. 26 Table 14.  100 W PA Banding Information. ................................................................................... 33 Table 15.  Microprocessor Port Parameters.................................................................................. 33 Table 16.  MxTools, Channel Edit Settings.................................................................................... 46 Table 17.  Drawings. ..................................................................................................................... 63 Table A-1.  SB2025 Frequency Bands. ......................................................................................... 72 Table A-2.  FCC Type Approvals for SB2025................................................................................ 72 Table B-1.  Channel Select DIP Switch Settings. .......................................................................... 73
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  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 9  INTRODUCTION 1  INTRODUCTION The SB2025 Series of Base Stations are based on the SB2000 base station with integrated Solar 2 hardware to give additional functionality. They  employ  state  of  the  art  design  and  construction  methods  to  deliver  a  range  of  high performance,  ultra  reliable  radio  transceivers.    They  are  ideally  suited  for  use  in  Very  High Frequency (VHF) or Ultra High Frequency (UHF) two-way analogue and P25 voice radio systems, however, the SB2025 can perform in a range of applications. The SB2025NT is an SB2000 with integrated Solar 2 Traffic Manager (TM) and Network Interface (NI) units. 1.1  SB2025 APPLICATIONS The flexibility of the SB2025 series allows it to be configured for a wide range of applications. Standard SB2025 applications include: • Solar Analogue/P25 Repeater (with Digital Fixed Station Interface (DFSI) – SB2025NT). • Full duplex or simplex base station. • Voice Repeater. • Simulcast Tx. • Quasi-Sync offset Tx. The SB2025 incorporates special technical features, of which the key ones are listed below: • Extremely low conducted emissions. • Extremely low Tx spurious. • Very Wide RF switching bandwidth. • No re-tune Rx or Tx. • Fully software programmable. • Built in diagnostics. In addition, the SB2025 can be fitted with many options, not being limited to the following: • Programmable channel spacing. • External reference oscillator input. • High stability options. • Special high performance Rx options. • Other custom features on special request. For further information, please contact Simoco. 1.2  SOLAR 2 – BRIEF DESCRIPTION The Solar NI System enables the connection of multi RF Base Stations over an Internet Protocol (IP) network using wideband Voice over IP (VoIP) techniques to construct a wide area coverage Analogue or P25 Private Mobile Radio (PMR) channel.  There are additional, secondary features integral to  Solar  that  are designed to  be of  use  to  systems integrators  in the  building  of  a  radio system to meet user requirements without the use of additional hardware.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 10  INTRODUCTION A  radio  system  will  necessitate  the  use  of  a  number  of  Solar  NIs  and  one  or  more  Solar  TMs, which together are configured to meet the  operational requirement.    The Solar NI operates as a Central  NI  or  a  Station  NI;  they  are  the  same  unit.    They  are  fully  duplex  and  include  all  the features;  it  is  a  matter  of  system  configuration to  define which is  which  and  how  they are  used.  System configuration, base station Rx selection, packet organisation and distribution are the core functions  performed  by  the  Solar  TM unit.    Solar  network changes  for  operational purposes  can also be made via the Solar TM Unit. All variants of the SB2025 contain a Station NI, which can be associated with either a separate TM or, in the case of the SB2025NT, a TM built into the same unit.  The interface between the Station NI and the base station is entirely internal to the SB2025.  There is no analogue audio interface to the unit. As well as managing the operation of a channel, the TM provides a standard DFSI conforming to TIA-102.BAHA. 1.2.1  Method of Operation The Solar Central NI is designed as the analogue interface, port, or gateway, to a packet switching network; the network is entirely the responsibility of the systems integrator.  The Solar TM routes all  Solar  traffic  and  maintains  the  system  configuration  information.    To  fulfil  this  role  the  TM  is configured to communicate with all other Solar elements on the network, as defined by the system design.  Provided the network has sufficient data carrying capacity, there is no requirement for the network traffic to be uniquely Solar. 1.2.2  Basic I/O Facility With Solar TMs and Solar NIs inter-connected by an IP network, in analogue mode the result will be  that  what  goes  into  one  NI  will  come  out  of  another  NI.    The  full  audio  bandwidth  has  been profiled  at  300  Hz  to  >3.4  kHz  and  has  a  true  transfer  profile.    This  means  that  control  and selective  calling  tones  will  be  faithfully  reproduced  at  the  output  Solar  NI.    The  input  signal  is digitized, packetized and delivered to the network – at the destination Solar NI unit(s) the reverse process takes place ensuring that the output is a true reflection of the original input.  In P25 mode, audio into the Central NI will be Advanced Multi-Band Excitation +2 (AMBE+2) coded and output from the Station NI(s) and, hence, from the SB2025 Tx(s) as a TIA-102 P25 compliant signal.  A received and voted P25 signal will be AMBE decoded and output from the Central NI as audio. 1.2.3  PMR Wide-Area Cover Facilities A  number  of  Solar  NIs  and  a  minimum  of  one  Solar  TM  are  required  to  provide  infrastructure facilities  for  wide  area  coverage,  multi  RF  Base  Stations,  PMR  system;  not  including  Packet Switching  Network  or  Control  Console  –  all  other  requirements  for  a  common  PMR  system  are included.    The  Solar  NI  System  would  usually  be  configured  to  connect  an  operator/dispatcher terminal/console through a Central NI or DFSI connection via a Solar TM to a number of Station NIs  each  wired  directly  to  a  Base  Station.    Solar  will  also  deliver  all  the  signalling  functions necessary for system operation. 1.3  SOLAR 2 – STYLE Solar  can be  used  in PMR  systems  in  several  styles but  the  style  can  only be  activated  by the factory programmed “Facility Key” in the TM.  The basic information on the three core styles is as follows: (a).  Simulcast Style. Solar has facilities for the synchronization of audio as follows: •••• GO path – Talk Out direction.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 11  INTRODUCTION •••• Return (RTN) path – Talk In direction. The  synchronization  process  requires  access  to  a  globally  available  1PPS  (Global  Positioning System  (GPS));  when  configured  as  ‘enabled’  the  process  is  automatic;  there  is  no  manual version,  although  the  average  value  of  delays  being  experienced  across  the  network  will  be displayed on the Engineering Terminal (ET). (b).  Multicast style Solar will operate in systems that are built as Multicast, i.e. where multiple Base Tx’s are triggered simultaneously  but  there  is  no  requirement  for  GO  audio  synchronization  as  the  Tx’s  are  on different frequencies.  Therefore, this mode of operation does not require GPS. (c).  Transmitter Steering Style Solar  is  able  to  be  configured  to  operate  in  a  Tx  Steering  Mode  using  commands  from  a  host console system via an IP connection.  This feature is implemented to suit specific console models. (d).  Single Tx, Voted Receivers Style A Solar SB2025NT can be configured to  operate as a receive-only unit to provide better receive coverage for hand portable users. 1.4  SOLAR 2 P25 Solar  2  provides  the  means  to  deliver  synchronised  audio  that  is  carried  over  an  IP  network  to multiple  base  station  transmitters  for  simulcast  operation.    Building  upon  this  well  proven “synchronising engine” the SB2025 supports simulcast analogue and P25. A Solar 2 P25 system will comprise of at least one Solar TM and a number of Station NIs.  A single TM may be used as a standalone entity or be paired with a second unit working in duplicated mode for enhanced resilience (1+1 operation). As with the original version of Solar, the TM is capable of controlling a maximum of 32 Station NIs, which may be deployed across more than one channel to a maximum of four.  A DFSI connection can be made to each channel in the TM or one or more NIs may be used in Central mode (Central NI) to provide the console Analogue Fixed Station Interface (AFSI) to an analogue or P25 channel. On Solar P25 systems, a channel may be configured to operate in either analogue only mode, P25 only mode, or automatic mode.  The latter mode enables mixed operation on a call-by-call basis as might be necessary during system migration. All Solar 2 P25 Station NIs and TM units must be provided with a global timing signal to achieve system wide synchronisation; this is not mandatory for Central NI units, which can take timing from the TM.  The global timing signal is normally derived from a GPS Rx, and equipment that meets that requirement and is a direct plug-in to Solar 2 is available from DTS. The  TM  receives  IP  packets  from,  and  sends  IP  packets  to,  every  NI  on  the  system.    The  IP packets are formatted in exactly the same way as for Solar 1, in order to maintain commonality as well  as  using  time-proven  format  and  simplifying  processing  when  signals  are  conventional analogue and not P25.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 12  INTRODUCTION In  the  Tx direction  (outgoing),  the  TM constructs  the  P25  frames from the  voice  data  bit  stream coming from  the Central NI  or  DFSI  in  IP  packets or  from the  voted  Station NI  if  in  Talkthrough (T/T) mode.  The TM sends out the P25 frames in IP packets to every Station NI on the channel.  In non-P25 mode, the packets from the Central NI or voted Station NI are basically replicated for each Station NI.  In the Rx direction (incoming), the TM reads the data in the packets to determine the  mode  of  signal.    For  P25  signals,  the  TM  checks  for  errors  and  applies  error  correction.  Received  Signal  Strength  Indication  (RSSI)  information  is  used  for  signal  quality  comparison measurements, so that the site offering the best incoming signal is selected or voted. The site that is presenting the best quality signal will be selected and data packets passed to the Central NI or DFSI, which will decode the plain or P25 audio as appropriate and output analogue audio to the console system with any corresponding signalling.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 13  SPECIFICATIONS 2  SPECIFICATIONS 2.1  GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS Table 1.  General Specifications. Antenna Connections  Tx and Rx both 50 Ω Female N-type connectors.  (N-type Female simplex option). Analogue – Direct Frequency Modulation (FM) two point method. Modulation  ±2.5 kHz narrow band, ±5 kHz wide band Channel Spacing  Analogue – Programmable 25/12.5 kHz. Channels  255 PC software selectable. Supply Voltage  13.8 V DC ±20% or optional AC mains input. Operating Temperature -30 °C to +60 °C (-22 °F to 140 °F) Frequency Bands:  A full list of available frequency bands is contained in Appendix A. Size  2U Height 19” rack mountable. Weight  <9 kg  2.2  TRANSMITTER SPECIFICATIONS Table 2.  Transmitter Specifications. Power Output  1 W to 50 W (100 W option). Frequency Stability  1.5 ppm std; UHF - 2.5 ppm; VHF – 5 ppm; VHF-Low – 20 ppm; 800 MHz – 1.0 ppm Analogue Audio Response  Flat within +1 dB, -3 dB across B/W. Analogue Audio Bandwidth  300 Hz – 3000 Hz. Analogue Modulation Distortion <2% @ 60% deviation.  2.3  RECEIVER SPECIFICATIONS Table 3.  Receiver Specifications. Sensitivity  Better than -117 dB for 12 dB SINAD, typically -120 dB.  P25 – better than -117 dB for 5% BER. Audio Bandwidth  300 Hz – 3000 Hz (+1/-3 dB) Intermodulation Immunity  Better than 82 dB Blocking  Better than 100 dB at ±1 MHz point Distortion  <2% @ 60% deviation.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 14  SPECIFICATIONS 2.4  P25 (APCO-25) SPECIFICATIONS • Repeats Mixed Mode P25 Digital and Analogue transmissions. • Automatically switches to P25 mode on reception of P25 carrier. • Passes P25 Network Access Codes (NACs) unchanged if required. • Passes P25 private calls and group calls. • Passes P25 clear or encrypted.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 15  INSTALLATION & OPERATION 3  INSTALLATION AND OPERATION 3.1  INSTALLATION SB2025  series  radios  are  securely  packed  for  transport  with  special  moulded  packers  within  a pasteboard container.  Before unpacking the SB2025 radio, please inspect the packaging for signs of damage and report any damage to your SB2025 distributor. Upon unpacking of the SB2025 radio, please ensure that all items shipped were received, report any missing items to your SB2025 distributor. All ports on the rear of the radio should be carefully examined to ensure that packaging has  not become wedged inside them.  It is very important to examine the fan as operation of the radio will be affected if any packaging or shipping damage causes the fan to stop working. If  you  intend  to  install the  radio  in  an  equipment rack  consult the  supplier’s instructions for  your system.    Simoco recommends that  the radio  be  secured  into the  rack system  using four  screws through the mounting holes in the front panel and supported on a rack shelf.  If the radio is to be used  in  a  stand-alone  configuration,  ensure  that  it  is  in  a  secure,  dry  location  with  sufficient  air space around it to allow for adequate ventilation. It is recommended that the chassis is earthed to the equipment rack.  A grounding screw terminal is provided on the left side of the main chassis for connection to the site ground point (Protective Earth).  The wire is terminated with a closed loop ring terminal (eyelet) connector which is fixed to the earthing screw with  a  lock  washer  to  stop them  working  loose.  It is important that the earth wire connector is located at bottom, closest to the chassis. The  earthing  conductor  should  be  connected  to  the  best  possible  earth,  such  as  an  earthed mounting  plate  or  an  earth  rod.    Remember  that  the  earthing  conductor  must  be  as  short  as possible and lowest resistance typically <0.1 Ω. It is recommended to protect the Base Station from lightning, by using a lightning arrestor.  There are many publications covering antennas and their installation.  Consult with your local dealer for more information and recommendations. Equipment connection details are located in Section 4.  The SB2025 will draw approximately 10 A (band dependent) on transmit and the gauge of the DC cable fitted to the 12 V supply connector should be  adequate to  ensure  less than  0.5  V volt-drop at  this  current.   To maintain compliance with  Radio  and  Telecommunications  Terminal  Equipment  (R&TTE)  (CE)  approval,  the  DC  cable length should not exceed three metres. Note. The  SB2025  contains  No  reverse  polarity  protection.    Ensure  both  the  positive  (red) and  negative  (black)  terminals  are  correctly connected  and an inline  15  Amp  fuse is fitted on the Positive wire.  See example in picture below (Not include).    Fuse Link15Amp FuseIn lin e F useHolder
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 16  INSTALLATION & OPERATION 3.2  OPERATION The SB2025 can operate in stand alone repeater mode as part of a Solar channel, or, in the case of  the  SB2025NT,  may  be  remotely  controlled  through  the  Ethernet  port  using  the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) DFSI protocol.  Setting up the SB2025 to operate in the wanted mode is straightforward and involves four main steps. 1.  Using  the  SB2025  programming  utilities  ‘MxTools’  and  the  ET  to  set  the  software configurable parameters. 2.  Setting the hardware jumpers on the Micro Controller for the required options. 3.  Adjusting the levels where necessary. 4.  Making the necessary electrical connections to the radio and your system. Generally,  if  the  requirements  have  been  fully  specified  at  time  of  purchase,  Steps  1  to  3  will already have been done at the factory. In the following sections, the hardware aspects of the setup procedure are described. 3.2.1  MxTools Utility MxTools  is  a  programming  utility  used  to  program  channel  data,  configure  and  perform  remote diagnostics  on  the  SB2025.    It  runs  on  a  compatible  Personal  Computer  (PC)  and  the  MxTools Inbuilt help menus cover use of the program. 3.2.2  Setting to Work The following sections describe the steps necessary to set the SB2025 to operate as required. 3.2.2.1  Setting Micro Controller Jumpers The  Micro  Controller  component  layout  is  shown  in  Figure  20  in  Section  8  –  Drawings.    The functions and default positions of the jumpers and Dual In-line Package (DIP) switches are shown below. The  jumpers  and  DIP  switches  are  used  for  setting  the  general  configuration  of  the  audio processing for both the Tx and Rx paths as well as various miscellaneous functions. A summary of the functions of the Micro Controller Jumpers is shown below in Table 4. Table 4.  Functions and Default Positions of the Micro Controller Jumpers. Jumper  Function/Description  Default Selection Default Position JMP1  Selects either default RUN or EMULATE mode for the microprocessor. Run  2-3 JMP2  Enables the WATCHDOG auto reset function in the microprocessor. Enabled  1-2 JMP3  No effect in SB2025.    1-2 JMP4  No effect in SB2025.    1-2 JMP5  No effect in SB2025.    2-3 JMP6  No effect in SB2025.    2-3 JMP7  No effect in SB2025.    2-3 JMP8  Enables a direct connection to the Tx modulator.  Select either Wide Band or Wide Band filtered and limited or nil. DC-FM  2-3 JMP9  No effect in SB2025.    1-2
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 17  INSTALLATION & OPERATION Jumper  Function/Description  Default Selection Default Position JMP10  Controls the direction of the RS-232 Tx and Rx data.  Swap  2-3 JMP11  Controls the direction of the RS-232 Tx and Rx data.  Swap  2-3 JMP12  No effect in SB2025.    1-2 JMP13  No effect in SB2025.    1-2 JMP14  No effect in SB2025.    1-2 JMP15  No effect in SB2025.    2-3 JMP16  No effect in SB2025.    2-3 JMP17  Selects the Mute/Squelch output polarity to either normally high or low. Active low  1-2 JMP18  No effect in SB2025.  Active low  1-2 JMP19  No effect in SB2025.  Pull up  2-3 JMP22  No effect in SB2025.  Low gain  Not fitted JMP23  No effect in SB2025.  Disabled  Not fitted JMP24  No effect in SB2025.    1-2 Mute defeat enable.  Mute defeat cannot be used if RX TALK line is required.  To use mute defeat remove JMP12 and fit JMP 25.  The control signal polarity can be inverted by changing the position of JMP25. Active low control:  JMP25  2-3 JMP25 Active high control:  JMP25  1-2 Disabled  Not fitted JMP26  CTCSS O/P / Tx VF Loopback control  Tx VF Loopback 2-3 JMP27  CTCSS I/P / WB DCFM I/P  WB DCFM I/P 2-3 T99  Option Link    IN  When the SB2025 option card is not fitted, there is no connection made to SKK (Aux 2 connector) on the Micro Controller.  Links should be placed across SKK1-2 (Discriminator audio), SKK11-12 (Tx supply) and SKK13-14 (Rx supply).  These links are normally fitted in production. 3.2.2.2  Select Operating Mode The SB2025 can operate in a number of different modes.  The primary alternatives are full duplex, which  is  the  default  mode,  repeater  and  simplex.    Using  MxTools,  the  operating  mode  is programmed for each channel.  When a channel is selected in operation, the SB2025 adopts the mode programmed for that channel. The operating mode programmed in the software can be modified by the settings of DIP Switch 2.  The functions of this switch are detailed overleaf in Table 5.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 18  INSTALLATION & OPERATION Table 5.  DIP Switch 2 Settings. SW 2  Function  Description  Default Select 1  PTT Delay  Enables 50 ms delay of PTT for use with simplex function.  OFF 2  Simplex Enable  Enables simplex function*  ON 3  Tx Timer  Sets programmable Tx time out timer on  ON 4  Repeater Enable  Enables repeater function*  ON 5  Tx VCO on continuously Switches Tx VCO on continuously.  OFF 6  Scan on  Selects the Rx to enable the scanning of programmed scan channels.  OFF Note. For the Repeater Enable functions, if the switch is ON and the channel is programmed as a repeater channel (using MxTools) the SB2025 will act as a repeater.  If the switch is OFF the SB2025 will remain in full duplex mode even if the channel is programmed as a repeater.  The Simplex Enable operates in a similar way. 3.2.2.3  Select Operating Channel The SB2025 has  a  channel  capacity of  255.    The RF  and  Continuous  Tone  Coded Sub-audible Squelch  (CTCSS)  frequencies  for  each  channel  are  programmed  using  the  MxTools  Channel Information screen.  There are two ways of selecting the operating channel. 1.  DIP Switch  8-way.   DIP  switch SW1  provides a  binary channel  selection  facility.  When  a switch is ON it is read as a logical 1.  When all switches are off the software channel select mode is enabled. 2.  Software Channel Select.  If DIP switch SW1 is set to 0 (zero) then it is possible to send a software command to the radio to select the channel. The following rules apply. Note. The  assumptions  of  logic  levels  are  base  on  the  factory  default  setup.    The  Active state is Low. DIP1  switches  have  priority  over  channel change.    If  any  of  DIP1 switches  are  set  to  ON  (logic low), the rear inputs and the software Channel command will be ignored. If DIP1 switches are set to OFF (logic high), the software commands will select the channel. 3.2.2.4  Configure Alarms/M Lead The SB2025 has three open collector outputs.  Two of these are assigned as alarm outputs and one  (Output  1)  may  be  configured  as  either  an  alarm  output  or  an  M  Lead  output.    However, Output  1  should  be  configured  as  an  M  Lead,  this  line  is  active  when  mute  is  open  and CTCSS/DCS  (Digital  Coded  Squelch)  is  decoded.    These  outputs  are  assigned  on  the Configuration screen of MxTools. 3.2.2.5  Configure Digital I/O The SB2025 has 16 digital Input/Output (I/Os).  These are configured using the ET.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 19  INSTALLATION & OPERATION 3.2.3  Adjustments There are two categories of adjustable parameters in the SB2025: • those that are controlled by conventional potentiometers, which may be manually adjusted; and • those controlled by digital potentiometers, which are under the control of the Micro Controller. The latter category of items comprises Tx power, Tx Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) deviation, Tx reference oscillator deviation and Tx reference oscillator frequency.  All of these are adjusted with the aid of the MxTools programming utility, and all except Tx power should only be adjusted as a part of a full Tx VF path alignment procedure. Following adjustment of a digipot controlled parameter, the value must then be saved to the radio to make the change permanent. Refer to Section 6 – Alignment and Testing for details.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 20  GENERAL DESCRIPTION 4  GENERAL DESCRIPTION The SB2025 series employs state of the art design and construction methods to deliver a range of high performance, ultra reliable radio transceivers.  They are ideally suited for use in VHF or UHF two way voice radio systems, however, the SB2025 can perform in a range of applications where the added advantage of linear frequency and phase response from DC to 3.4 kHz can be utilised.  The  SB2025  uses  a  two-point  modulation  method  synthesiser  for  extended  low-end  Voice Frequency (VF) transmit frequency response.  The Receiver, Exciter and Power Amplifier (PA) are contained  in their  own specialised  aluminium module  and  can  be  easily removed  from the  main chassis. The flexibility of the SB2025 series allows it to be configured for a wide range of applications. 4.1  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION The SB2025 base  station  is  a  compact lightweight standard 19” rack mounting transceiver.   It  is designed to mount horizontally in a 19” rack frame and occupies 2U (89mm).  The depth of the unit is 330 mm and the weight is less than 10 kg. The unit  consists  of six  main  sub  assemblies  an  Exciter  Module,  a  Rx  Module, a  PA  Module, a Micro Controller Board, and Solar 2 NI and, optionally, a TM unit.  These modules are housed in a fully welded steel case. The  SB2025  base  stations  feature  a  high  degree  of  Radio  Frequency  Interference  (RFI)  and Electro-Magnetic  Interference  (EMI)  screening  throughout  the  design  and  construction.    The  Rx and Exciter (low power Tx) modules are contained in solid aluminium enclosures and, for additional screening, each interface pin in the modules is individually filtered.  The PA module is contained in a special compact efficient extrusion for minimum harmonic radiation.  This design  results in low conducted and radiated emissions and minimal susceptibility to RFI and EMI. User interface is via the front and rear panels.  The rear panel provides access to all connectors and the standard front panel provides six Light Emitting Diode (LED) indicators of the radio status. For  reference  purposes,  the  top  and  rear  views  of  a  typical  SB2025NT  are  shown  overleaf  in Figure 1. In Figure 1, the main modules and Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are numbered and refer to the following: 1.  Rx Module.  8.  Rear Panel Ethernet PCB. 2.  Exciter Module.  9.  Power Distribution and LED PCB. 3.  T36 Option – Tx Reference Oscillator.  10.  Environment PCB. 4.  Micro Controller PCB.  11.  Management PCB. 5.  Network Interface PCB.  12.  Switch PCB. 6.  Compact Flash Adapter PCB.  13.  Power Amplifier. 7.  Pico ITX Motherboard.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 21  GENERAL DESCRIPTION Figure 1.  SB2025NT Top and Rear Views.  4.1.1  Front Panel The SB2025NT front panel is illustrated below in Figure 2.  Custom versions of the front panel can be supplied to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers. Figure 2.  SB2025NT Front Panel. 12345678910111213LED IndicatorsUSBConnectorFan grill
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 22  GENERAL DESCRIPTION 4.1.1.1  LED Indicators The functions  of the front  panel  LEDs are  explained  in  Table  6 below.   Each  LED  indicates the status of the SB2025NT in real time. Table 6.  SB2025NT LED Functions. LED  FUNCTION PWR  Indicates the power supply voltage is within software selectable limits. Rx  The Rx is receiving a signal or the receiver’s squelch is open. Tx  The Tx is transmitting RF power. ALARM  A pre-arranged alarm condition exists. M  This is a tri-colour status LED that indicates the condition of the TM module if fitted.  The conditions that can be indicated are detailed in Table 7 below. N  This is a tri-colour status LED that indicates the condition of the NI module.  The conditions that can be indicated are detailed in Table 8 below.  4.1.1.2  Traffic Manager LED Indicator The conditions indicated by the state and colour of the tri-colour status LED for a TM Module are listed below in Table 7. Table 7.  TM Status Indicator. Colour  State  Condition Green  Steady  Normal Operation Yellow  Flashing (approx 1 Hz)  Power ON and booting, for about 40 s from Power ON. Green  Flashing (approx 1 Hz)  Traffic Manager firmware starting (about 40 s after a Power ON or immediately after a firmware change) Red  Steady  Unacknowledged system alarm Yellow  Steady  Acknowledged system alarm still present  4.1.1.3  Network Interface LED Indicator When  power  is  first  applied  to  the  NI,  the  LED  will  not  show  the  valid  status  of  the  module  for several seconds.  The unit becomes operational in under 5 seconds, although it will take longer for the  Phase  Locked  Loop  (PLL)  to  become  locked  when  absolute  synchronisation  is  achieved assuming that the 1PPS timing signal is present at Power ON.  If a GPS Rx is being powered by the Solar unit, the GPS acquisition time will need to be included. The conditions  indicated by the  state  and  colour  of the tri-colour LED for  a  NI Module  are  listed overleaf in Table 8.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 23  GENERAL DESCRIPTION Table 8.  NI Status Indicator. Colour  State  Condition  Precedence Green  Steady  Normal Operation – Idle  5 Central NI = Voted Signal is present Yellow  Flashing (approx 0.5 Hz)  Station NI = Rx Signal/squelch active  4 Central NI = Tx Key I/P is present Yellow  Steady  Station NI = Tx Keyed  3 Red  Flashing (approx 0.5 Hz)  Loss of 1PPS signal or an inhibit condition is applied  2 Red  Steady  No Network Communications  1 The precedence column shows what indication will be displayed when two or more states coincide; the highest level is 1, the lowest level is 5. 4.1.1.4  USB Connector The Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type B connector is used for basic connection of the ET. 4.1.2  Rear Panel The rear panel of the SB2025 series base station is identical for all models and is illustrated below in Figure 3.  The functions of each connector on the rear panel are detailed overleaf in Table 9. Figure 3.  SB2025NT Rear Panel.   DC PowerInputCN8 N-TypeTx OutputCN9RJ45CN7 BNC 10 MHzHigh Stab. Osc. InputCN1GPS 1PPSTiming SignalCN3 I/OEnvironmentThermallyControlled FanCN6 N-TypeRx Input
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 24  GENERAL DESCRIPTION Table 9.  Rear Panel Connections. Connector # Conn Type Function  Description CN5  3 PIN  DC Power I/P  13.8 V DC power I/P.  Also +28 V I/P on spare pin if required. CN6  N TYPE  N type Rx I/P  N-Type connector can used for the I/P to the Rx for full duplex operation. CN7  BNC  Rx I/P  Standard BNC connector for the 10 MHz High Stability Oscillator I/P. CN8  N TYPE  Tx O/P  The RF power O/P from the Tx for full duplex operation. CN9  RJ45  Ethernet  10/100 base-T RJ45 Ethernet connector. CN3  20-way MDR-F  Environment I/O  Provided for monitoring and control of external devices.  Has 16 configurable I/Os. CN1  DB15-F  GPS 1PPS Timing Provides the GPS interface, if required.  4.1.2.1  GPS (1PPS Timing Signal Input) The 1PPS input can be accepted in either RS422 or TTL voltage format; the connections made to this  connector  must  match  the  input  type  and  be  correctly  identified  in  the  configuration parameters.  GPS National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) data such as presented by the Dalman GPS Rx 40762 will be displayed on the GPS page of the ET, however, this data input can only be accepted in RS422 format. 4.1.2.2  Environment I/O Integral  to  Solar  is  the  provision  for  monitoring  and  control  of  external  devices.    All  signals  are relative to ground and have voltage input and current switching limits.  A low current 12 V supply is also available from this connector to drive switching circuits (see Section 4.2 – Environment I/O Overview). 4.1.2.3  DC Power Input DC  power  is  connected  to  the  base  station  via  this  three  pin  male  connector.    For  50  W transceivers, pins 2 and 3 are used for the 12 V DC pin 1 is unused.  The DC input is fully isolated from  chassis  and  the  equipment  supply  rails,  making  this  option  suitable  for  any  supply  earth arrangement. 4.1.2.4  Transmitter Output The Tx antenna connection on the SB2025 base stations is  provided with a 50  Ω female  N-type socket. The antenna  cable  connections must  be made  with  50  Ω  N-types on  flexible  tails.    The  Voltage Standing Wave  Ratio  (VSWR)  of  these  connections  should  be  tested prior  to  use  by  using  of  a suitable test set, e.g. an Anritsu/Wiltron S331A.  A good VSWR of 1.5:1 or better at the relevant Tx and Rx frequencies should be ensured. Mating  connectors  should  be  galvanically  compatible  with  nickel  outer  and  gold  centre  pin  to minimise passive intermodulation. A  minimum  of  85  dB  transmit-receive  isolation  should  be  provided  by  the  antenna  system  and associated filters. It is recommended that  a good  quality flexible co-axial cable  is used,  e.g. with double-screening braid and multi-strand copper inner.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 25  GENERAL DESCRIPTION  CAUTION The Antenna System must to be protected against lightning by means of an earthing system and surge protection device. Do not connect Antenna Lightning conductors to the base station or Mains Earth.  4.1.2.5  Receiver Input This is a 50 Ω female N-type socket, which is used for the RF Rx input in duplex operation. 4.1.2.6  High Stability Oscillator Input (BNC) This is a Bayonet Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector used as the 10 MHz high stability input. 4.1.2.7  Ethernet The Ethernet socket is a 10/100 base-T RJ45 connection.  The Ethernet socket provides a 10Base Ethernet connection for the NI module and/or the TM module.  If only the NI module is fitted, the connection speed will be 10 Mbps, half duplex.  If the TM module is fitted, the connection speed will be 10/100Mbps as negotiated with the host Ethernet network. 4.1.3  Connector Pin-outs 4.1.3.1  Environment I/O The connector pin-outs for the 20-way Mini Data Ribbon (MDR) Environment I/O socket are shown below in Table 10. Table 10.  20-way MDR Socket – Environment I/O. Pin  Function  Pin  Function 1  Input/Output # 1  11  Input/Output # 9 2  Input/Output # 2  12  Input/Output # 10 3  Input/Output # 3  13  Input/Output # 11 4  Input/Output # 4  14  Input/Output # 12 5  Input/Output # 5  15  Input/Output # 13 6  Input/Output # 6  16  Input/Output # 14 7  Input/Output # 7  17  Input/Output # 15 8  Input/Output # 8  18  Input/Output # 16 9  0 V – Common/Ground  19  0 V – Common/Ground 10  +12 V supply (max 300 mA)  20  +12 V supply (max 300 mA)  4.1.3.2  GPS (1PPS Timing Signal Input) The connector pin-outs for the  15-way D GPS/1PPS Timing Signal socket  are shown overleaf  in Table 11.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 26  GENERAL DESCRIPTION Table 11.  15-way D Socket – GPS/1PPS Timing Signal. Pin  Function 1  +12 V supply (reverse feed & current limited protection) 2  GPS Data I/P – RS422 ‘A’ 3  GPS Data I/P – RS422 ‘B’ 4  1PPS Signal I/P – RS422 ‘A’ 5  1PPS Signal I/P – RS422 ‘B’ 6  Not Connected (NC) 7  NC 8  NC 9  NC 10  Data to GPS Rx – RS422 ‘A’ (not normally used) 11  Data to GPS Rx – RS422 ‘B’ (not normally used) 12  0 V – Common/Ground 13  NC 14  1PPS Signal TTL Input – reference to 0 V 15  NC Shell Cable screen  4.1.3.3  DC Power Input DC  –  3-pin  male  connector:  only  two  pins  are  wired  to  suit  the voltage range. Table 12.  DC Power Connector. Pin  Function 1  Unused 2  Ground 3  +13.8 VDC  4.1.3.4  Ethernet The standard network cable wiring for an RJ45 is shown below in Table 13. Table 13.  RJ45 – Standard Network wiring. Pin Description  Pin Description 1  Tx Data+, balanced I/P 1  5  NC 2  Tx Data−, balanced I/P 2  6  Rx Data−, balanced O/P 2 3  Rx Data+, balanced O/P 1  7  NC 4  NC  8  NC  18312+ -
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 27  GENERAL DESCRIPTION 4.2  ENVIRONMENT I/O OVERVIEW The Environment I/O  interface module in Solar  provides a facility to monitor and  control external devices in a simple “ON/OFF” or “Active/Inactive” state.  This information is conveyed via the data packet protocol such  that a  change in input status and  output  change command  will be notified, typically within 1 second. There are sixteen connection points; each point can be designated as an input or an output to suit the needs  of the  equipment environment.    The  input  conditions are signalled back  to the  TM  for display  or  notification,  which  is  also  the  point  of  operation  of  the  control  outputs.    Monitoring  of inputs and operation of outputs may also be conducted locally. Their purpose may be a mixture of anything the user finds useful – e.g. radio base station alarms, monitoring the building state, control equipment switching, etc. 4.2.1  Inputs and Outputs The I/Os are in binary form, i.e. On/Off, High/Low etc.  Setting the “polarity” of the inputs (monitor points) is important if they are to be used as Alarm triggers.  Each port can be “named” to assist in identification of the function connected to it; these names are entered into the unit via the ET.  The names are passed down to the TM as part of the Supervision Data link. Connection  to  these  I/O  ports  is  not  intended  to  be  ‘universal’  and,  therefore,  requires  some thought in order to achieve the required functionality.  Particularly, the external wiring of the Inputs (Monitor  Points)  needs  to  be  addressed  with  some  care  both  from  the  electrical  as  well  as  the functional point of view. Bear in mind the effect on the function if the plug connecting the Environment is disconnected.  If the  function  has  been  wired  to  be  open circuit  in  its  normal  state  and  closed  circuit  to  show  an alarm or error, then, with the connector removed, the alarm state can never be detected.  Perhaps it would be an advantage to wire the other way round, then an alarm is detected – even if it is only to show the connector has been removed. 4.2.2  Input ‘Polarity’ In order to assist with the detection of an “error” state or at least to get the status indicators to work in a  logical sense,  a method of  inverting the  “polarity”  of  the sense  is  provided via  the  ET.   If  a spare  input  is available,  it  may be  useful  to  link  this  to  ground  within the mating connector  and, therefore, reflect the state of the connector being present or not. 4.2.3  Output ‘Polarity’ The  “CONDITION  ON”  state  for  each  input  may  be  defined  as  input  low  or  input  high  as appropriate on an individual input basis.  Similarly, the “ON” state for each output may be defined as “Button IN” or “Button OUT” on an individual output by output basis to suit the required purpose. 4.2.4  Electrical Constraints The source of an input signal may be in the form of dry switch contacts, open collector, or ‘Hi/Lo’ voltages where a “Hi” voltage is ≥1.3 V and <50 V, and a “Lo” voltage is ≤1.0 V.  An open circuit will ‘float’ up to approximately 3 V as a 3.3 kΩ pull-up resistor is used and, therefore, an external input must present less than a 2 kΩ resistance to be registered as a low state. The outputs are high current open-collector Darlington arrays and can be used on loads supplied externally to a maximum voltage of 50 V and switch a maximum current of 350 mA.  At this current, the ‘ON’ output voltage will be approximately 1 V.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 28  GENERAL DESCRIPTION The environment I/O is arranged into two groups where each group connects to the same physical device (integrated circuit).  To keep the power dissipation of each device within operating limits, the total current that may be switched by all the control outputs in one group must not exceed 500 mA when all outputs are “ON”. 4.3  MODULE FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION 4.3.1  Exciter Module The Exciter module generates the low level, on frequency, RF Tx signal that is  later amplified to nominal output power level by the PA module.  The Exciter consists of a VCO and associated main RF board,  which, in  conjunction  with  the  reference  oscillator  and the  PLL  circuitry,  forms  a  two-point modulation programmable frequency synthesiser.  Frequency programming data is received from the Micro Controller via a 3-wire serial data bus. The Exciter module features a modulation bandwidth from DC with an ultra wide RF bandwidth of 20 MHz to 1000 MHz at an average RF output power of 300 mW.  To change from one band to another, all that is required is to change the plug-in VCO board and reprogram the radio.  No other manual adjustment or change is required. Should  a  high  stability  reference  be  required,  the  exciter  can  be  fitted  with  a  connector  for  an external reference oscillator input. The fractional N synthesiser provides ultra low spurii while still maintaining fast lock times even at 6.25 kHz step size. An optional built-in turn around mixer provides advanced diagnostics such as Rx sensitivity tests. 4.3.2  Receiver Module The Rx module accepts the low level RF input signal and amplifies, filters and conditions the signal prior  to  detecting  the  wanted  audio  component.    The  Rx  module  features  the  same  advanced synthesiser and wide bandwidth as the Exciter.  Only the front-end bandpass filter and VCO need to be changed in order to  support different frequency bands, resulting in significant flexibility and end-user cost savings.  The purpose built front-end bandpass filter has a wide no-adjust bandwidth equal to the band allocation (refer to Appendix A for details of the band allocations). The  Rx  has  high  sensitivity  while  maintaining  excellent  intermodulation  immunity  and  adjacent channel  rejection.    A  dual  first  Intermediate  Frequency  (IF)  filter  provides  excellent  rejection  to common  known  spurious  responses.    High  blocking  of  over  100  dB  typical  ensures  that  strong interfering signals do not desensitise the Rx when receiving weak signals. 4.3.3  Power Amplifier Module RF from the Exciter passes via a coaxial cable to the input of the PA Module and is first attenuated by  a  50  Ω  pad,  which  is  used  to  provide  a  good  50  Ω  source  impedance  for  the  first  Laterally Diffused  Metal  Oxide  Semiconductor  (LDMOS)  driver  amplifier.    The  RF  is  amplified  to  around 5 Watts  at  the  driver  output,  and  is  band  dependant.    (Note.    This  point  does  not  have  50  Ω impedance and the drive power cannot be measured directly with a 50 Ω Wattmeter).  The signal from  the  driver  is  then  matched  by  a  broadband  network  to  drive  the  low  input  impedance associated with the final transmit LDMOS PA transistor.   The transistor’s low drain impedance is then  also  matched  back  to  50  Ω  by  a  broadband  matching  network  covering  a  very  wide bandwidth.    Prior  to  transmission,  a  low  loss  13  element  elliptical  low  pass  filter,  filters  out  the unwanted harmonics to less than –90 dBc. A dual directional coupler consists of coupled microstrip transmission lines fabricated on the PCB artwork.  The sampled RF energy is rectified to provide a proportional DC voltage output.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 29  GENERAL DESCRIPTION The  Press  (Push)  To  Talk  (PTT)  signal  enables  the  amplifier  circuit  by  providing  bias  to  the transistors.    A  thermistor  TS1,  physically  located  on  the  PA  heatsink  monitors  the  heatsink’s temperature and is monitored by the Micro Controller. The PA is very compact and  efficient for high reliability and  low cost.    The heatsink  has minimal temperature rise even under continuous operation, ensuring the best Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) obtainable for a practical design. 4.3.4  Micro Controller Board The Micro Controller Board  is physically  located behind  the rear panel connectors and all signal connections (apart from the RF connections) external to the transceiver are made via the controller card.    User  settable  jumpers  and DIP  switches  are  located  on  the  card  as  are  level  adjustment potentiometers. The Micro Controller controls the operation of the RF modules and acts as the interface between the Solar NI, indicators and the RF modules.  It also processes transmit and received audio to and from the Exciter and Rx modules. The circuit board has an onboard Electrically Erasable Read-Only Memory (EEROM), which stores all of the user channel related data such as frequencies.  A serial port at the front of the SB2025 provides  access  to  the  NI  and  Controller  card  and,  in  conjunction  with  the  Simoco  ‘Engineering Terminal’  and  ‘MxTools’  programming  utilities,  allows  the  user  fully  configure  the  SB2025  base stations. Digipots  under  the  control  of  the  processor  ensure  that  user  set  up  levels  for  Tx  deviation  and power levels are correctly set for each channel. 4.3.5  Network Interface The Network Interface is physically located on a sub-chassis mounted above the Micro Controller Board.  Signal connections are made to the Micro Controller Board for audio, Tx/Rx control and a serial data  link for  configuration of  the  Micro Controller.   Other  connections  are  made  via Molex and  RJ45  connectors  for  serial  data,  1PPS  timing/NMEA  data  and  Ethernet.    On  receive,  the Network Interface samples the Rx demodulator output  at 24 kHz  and processes  the  data before sending  it  to  the  TM.    On  an  analogue  call,  the  Digital  Signals  Processor  (DSP)  carries  out CTCSS/Continuous Digital Coded Squelch System (CDCSS) decoding and g.726 encoding of the received audio.  The micro controller adds additional information such as RSSI and any detected sub-audio tone/code before packaging and sending to  the TM.  On a P25 call the DSP provides Continuous 4 Level Frequency Modulation (C4FM) demodulation. On transmit, the NI receives Ethernet packets from the TM and generates appropriate analogue or P25  signals for  passing to  the  wideband modulation input  of  the Exciter via the  Micro  Controller Board.  CTCSS/CDCSS is generated in the correct phase and mixed with the analogue audio. A  PLL  is  maintained  locked  to  the  1PPS  timing  reference  and  along  with  time  stamps  in  the Ethernet  packets  ensures  transmitted  audio/P25  data  is  correctly  in  phase  for  simulcast transmission. 4.3.6  ITX The ITX (also known as Single Board Computer (SBC)) uses the Linux operating system and runs the TM application. 4.3.7  Compact Flash Contains the operating system, the TM application and its configuration files.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 30  GENERAL DESCRIPTION 4.3.8  SBC Support PCB This PCB includes a 5-port Ethernet switch, two USB sockets, physical support for the Pico Power Supply  Unit  (PSU),  USB  Universal  Asynchronous  Receiver/Transmitter  (UART)  and  RS232 interfaces for the ITX. 4.3.9  Aux PCB This  PCB  contains  a  micro  controller  that  monitors  the  operation  of  the  ITX  and  will  attempt  to reboot  it  if  necessary.    Also  included  are  LEDs  and  drivers,  DC  distribution  for  other  PCBs, Environment  I/O,  GPS  interface  and  a  4-port  USB  UART  for  connection  to  the  PC  Engineering Terminal Application. 4.3.10  Pico PSU The Pico PSU takes the 12 V DC supply and provides all the voltage rails needed by the ITX and supporting PCBs.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 31  TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION 5  TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION The internal design of the SB2025NT is of a modular nature allowing for simple configuration and maintenance while ensuring minimal downtime.  For reference purposes, the block diagram of the SB2025NT is shown in Figure 4. 5.1  EXCITER MODULE RF from the VCO on SKU-1 at a nominal level of +3 dBm is applied to the fractional-N synthesiser IC10 main  divider input.  This signal is  compared with the  reference  oscillator frequency and the correction voltage from the synthesiser’s charge pump output is filtered then amplified by the non-inverting low noise operational amplifier IC9A.  This correction voltage is fed back to the VCO to maintain loop lock, as well as being fed to the Micro Controller via SKD-14.  A lock detect signal from IC10 is also fed to the Micro Controller via SKD-16.  The operational amplifier uses a 25 V power supply (generated on the Micro Controller) in order to provide a wide tuning range voltage to the frequency control  varicaps located  on the  VCO board.    Frequency programming  data for the Exciter is sent  to the synthesiser chip from the Micro Controller via a  serial data line on SKD-18 under the control of the Clock (SKD-15) and Strobe (SKD-17) lines. Provision  is  made  for  the  optional  injection  of  an  external  reference  frequency.    If  this  option  is selected, CN3 is fitted and X1 is not fitted.  Components R30 and TR7 are also omitted. A  second  RF  output  from  the  VCO  on  SKT-6  also  at  +3  dBm  is  used  as  the  main  transmit  RF amplifier signal source.  This main signal is first buffered by a very high isolation circuit consisting of a 10 dB pad and a Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) amplifier (IC1).  The signal is further  amplified  by  IC2  and  a  variable  gain  wide  band  amplifier  with  40  dB  control  range  and power output of 300 mW.  The drive power of this stage is used to set the output power to the main PA under the control of the DC voltage on SKD-4 from the Micro Controller board. The VCO boards and synthesiser circuits are the same for the Exciter and Rx modules.  The VCO consists of a 10 mm ceramic coaxial resonator with common base oscillator for low phase noise for bands 805 MHz - 960 MHz.  Frequencies below 520 MHz use a LC tank circuit.  The power supply to  the  VCO  consists  of  an  8  V  regulator  and  active  filter  for  maximum  noise  rejection.    It  is controlled  by the  Micro  Controller  through  SKD-7,  which  connects  to  switch  TR6.    For  standard modulation, transmit audio is fed on SKD-8 to the conventional point of the VCO varactor.  For two point modulation, audio is also fed via SKD-19 to the voltage control pin of the VC-TXCO, this in effect  cancels  out  the  PLL  error  that  would  otherwise  have  occurred  for  low  audio  frequencies, therefore, resulting in a flat VF response. 5.2  RECEIVER MODULE The Rx signal from the antenna enters on CN1 a three section bandpass filter, which provides the initial  filtering  for  the  front-end  amplifier.    The  front-end  amplifier  IC12  is  a  broadband  high performance  MMIC  with  a  gain  of  18  dB,  noise  figure  of  3  dB  and  third  order  intermodulation intercept of +36 dB.  A 4 dB pad and a second three section bandpass filter follow this, and a high level double balanced mixer M1. The Rx uses high side local oscillator injection for bands A to M and low side injection for all other bands.  RF from the VCO main output on SKT-6 is buffered and amplified to +17 dBm by IC4 and injected in the high level mixer, which down converts the signal to the first IF frequency of 90 MHz (45 MHz for bands A and B, and 70 MHz for bands A4).  This IF signal from the mixer is terminated by  a  bi-directional  constant  impedance  network  and  is  then  amplified  by  a  bipolar  amplifier  TR2 with  a  gain  of  15  dB  and  third  order  intermodulation  intercept  of  +35  dB.    This  provides  a  high degree of  intermodulation rejection for  the Rx.   A  4-pole  crystal filter  FL3A/B with its  associated matching  networks  follows  this  stage.    The signal  is  further  amplified  and filtered  by  a  transistor amplifier  TR3  and  its  associated  2-pole  crystal  filter  FL4  before  being  fed  into  the  main  IF demodulator chip IC1 with a second IF frequency of 455 kHz.  The resulting audio is passed out to
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 32  TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION the Micro Controller board on SKD-3.  The RSSI from IC1 is buffered by IC5A and connected to the Micro Controller board via SKD-4. RF from the VCO on SKU-1 at a nominal level of +3 dBm is applied to the fractional-N synthesiser (IC10) main divider input.  This signal is compared with the reference oscillator frequency and the correction voltage from the synthesiser’s charge pump output is filtered then amplified by the non-inverting low noise operational amplifier (IC11A).  This correction voltage is fed back to the VCO to maintain loop lock as well as  being fed to the Micro Controller  via SKD-14.  A lock detect signal from IC10 is also fed to the Micro Controller via SKD-16.  The operational amplifier uses a 25 V power supply (generated on the Micro Controller) in order to provide a wide tuning range voltage to the frequency control varicaps located on the VCO board.  Frequency programming data for the Rx is sent to the synthesiser chip from the Micro Controller via the a serial data line on SKD-18 under the control of the Clock (SKD-15) and Strobe (SKD-17) lines The Micro Controller, through an enable signal on SKD-8, controls the local oscillator signal to the mixer.    This  signal  switches  the  supply  to  the  local  oscillator  amplifier  and  is  used  to  enable  or disable the Rx. Provision  is  made  for  the  optional  injection  of  an  external  reference  frequency.    If  this  option  is selected, CN3 is fitted. 5.3  POWER AMPLIFIER MODULE The SB2025NT now supports Simoco’s new full switching bandwidth PA Module (Wide Band PA), which requires no tuning, equals, exceeds or covers several of Simoco’s band allocations, (refer to Appendix A for details of the band allocations).  This new generation PA features much wider RF bandwidth, higher efficiency, greater stability out of band and to zero power levels. This PA is now being rolled out as the standard production PA. 5.3.1  Wide Band PA (50 Watt Model) RF from the Exciter passes via a coaxial cable to the input of the PA Module and is first attenuated by a 50 Ω pad, which is used to provide a good 50 Ω source impedance for the first LDMOS driver amplifier.  The RF is amplified to around 5 W at the driver output, and is band dependant.  (Note.  This point does not have 50 Ω impedance and the drive power cannot be measured directly with a 50 Ω Wattmeter).  The signal from the driver is then matched by a broadband network to drive the low input impedance associated with the final transmit LDMOS PA transistor.  The transistor’s low drain impedance is then also matched back to 50 Ω by a broadband matching network covering a very wide bandwidth.  Prior to transmission, a low loss 13 element elliptical low pass filter, filters out the unwanted harmonics to less than –90 dBc. A dual directional coupler consists of coupled microstrip transmission lines fabricated on the PCB artwork.  The sampled RF energy is rectified to provide a proportional DC voltage output. The PTT signal enables the amplifier circuit by providing bias to the transistors.  A thermistor, TS1, physically located on the PA heatsink, monitors the heatsink’s temperature and is monitored by the Micro Controller. 5.3.2  Wide Band PA (100 Watt Model) The 100 W  models  are  base  on  the  50 W  technology,  using  two LDMOS  final PA  transistors to achieve a 100 W RF output power rating.  The final transistor’s low drain impedance is then also matched back to 50 Ω by a broadband matching network covering a very wide bandwidth.  Prior to transmission, a low loss 13 element elliptical low pass filter, filters out the unwanted harmonics to less than –90 dBc.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 33  TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION Table 14.  100 W PA Banding Information. 100 W Wide Band PA Model Frequency Coverage A3V  39 MHz – 47 MHz ABV  66 MHz – 88 MHz CDV  135 MHz – 175 MHz FV  217 MHz – 222 MHz NWV  400 MHz – 435 MHz OWV  435 MHz – 470 MHz PWV  450 MHz – 495 MHz  5.4  MICRO CONTROLLER BOARD The SB2025 Micro Controller Board has four main functions: • Overall radio management. • Tx and Rx signal processing. • RF power control. • User interface. 5.4.1  Overall Radio Management In addition to  analogue signal processing  circuitry, the  Micro  Controller  board accommodates an 80C552 microprocessor IC1, a 64 kb Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM) IC3, 32  kb  Random  Access  Memory  (RAM)  IC4,  a  16  kb  Electrically  Erasable  Programmable  Read Only  Memory  (EEPROM),  as  well  as  address  decoding,  I/O  latches  and  other  miscellaneous circuitry.  The Micro Controller is responsible for ensuring that the radio acts as programmed by the user.  It  stores the user-entered  parameters for each  channel in  the EEPROM.   This information includes Rx and Tx RF frequencies; Rx and Tx CTCSS frequencies, as well as RF output power and operating mode.  An eight channel analogue to digital converter allows the microprocessor to read eight analogue values internal to the radio, which, in conjunction with the digital inputs to the microprocessor, allow the operating status of the radio to be monitored and controlled. The analogue items that are read are listed below in Table 15. Table 15.  Microprocessor Port Parameters. Port  Parameter ADC0  Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) ADC1  Detected Discriminator Output Level ADC2  DC Operating Voltage ADC3  Rx VCO Tuning Voltage ADC4  Tx VCO Tuning Voltage ADC5  PA Temperature ADC6  PA Forward Power ADC7  PA Reflected Power
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 34  TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION The  Micro  Controller  sends  programming  data  to  the  synthesiser  ICs  on  the  Rx  and  Exciter modules each time the channel is changed as well as on PTT.  This information is communicated to the Rx and Exciter modules by way of bussed data and clock lines on SKC/D-18 and SKC/D-15 (Exciter/Rx) and an individual module strobe on SKC/D-17.  A lock detect signal from each module on SKC/D-16 is read by the Micro Controller. In addition to the synthesiser programming bus, an I2C bus goes to each of the modules.  This bus is currently unused. 5.4.2  Tx Signal Processing Tx audio may be sourced from a number of different paths.  These include VF from line, T/T audio, the microphone, and  DC FM/Wideband  input, Tone  generator from the Micro Controller, Test Tx VF inject from the Monitor port, CTCSS generator and the internal RF modem. The  Tx  VF  path  is  readily  user  configurable  with most  major functional blocks  being  possible  to either select or bypass by means of links (refer to Table 4 – Micro Controller Jumpers for details of link settings).  The VF from line enters the board on SKH-14 and RV4 (Tx VF gain) provides gain adjustment  to  accommodate  different  line  levels.    This  is  followed  by  a  selectable  compressor (IC34A)  with  30  dB  dynamic  range.    The  output  of  the  compressor,  apart  from  being fed  to  the main Tx audio path, is also connected to the input side of the “Line” Fast Frequency Shift Keying (FFSK)  modem  and  via  a  gain  control  pot  the  speaker  amplifier  (IC60).    Following  the  main  Tx audio path, IC36B serves to switch the VF further on the Tx audio path or, under the control of the external  input  on  SKH-13,  to  loop  it  back  to  the  line  output  via  RV7,  which  provides  level adjustment for the looped back signal.  From this switch, the VF passes though a second switch IC32B  under  the  control  of  the  Micro  Controller  and  the  external  Tx  talk  line  on  SKH-10.    This switch is used to disable the line Tx VF path.  From here the VF passes through a pre-emphasis stage  C66,  R67  and  a  300  Hz  high  pass  filter  (IC30B  and  IC29A)  each  of  which  is  selectable through links.  The output of this filter is fed to IC30A a summer/limiter amplifier. The summing point of this amplifier also serves to combine the audio from the T/T path, which is level  adjusted  by  RV3,  the  microphone  which  is  processed  through  a  similar  compression,  pre-emphasis and filtering chain as the line VF, the tone (Morse code) signal from the microprocessor, the DC FM input, which enters the board on SKH-6 and the Test Tx VF injection from SKE-2.  The latter  three  inputs  are  all  at  fixed  levels.    RV2  on  IC30A  provides  overall  gain  adjustment.  Following the limiter amplifier is the Tx VF low pass filter.  The standard Bessel filter has a 3.4 kHz cut  off  frequency.    A  second  summing  amplifier  IC24B  follows,  which  combines  the  CTCSS, optional modem (IC52 and IC54) and Wideband audio inputs with the Tx VF.  Level adjustment of the CTCSS signal is in three 0.85 dB steps either above or below the nominal level (10% of max dev).  These level steps are setup using the Configure screen of MxTools.  The output of this final stage is fed to two microprocessor-controlled digipots, which serve to adjust the modulating signal level to the VCO and the reference oscillator.  A third digipot is used to provide an offset null for the reference oscillator centre frequency.  Adjustment of these levels is also by way of MxTools using the Channel Edit screen. 5.4.3  Rx Signal Processing In a similar fashion to the Tx audio path, the major functional elements of the Rx audio path  are capable of being selected or bypassed by means of links. Discriminator audio enters the board on SKD-3 and is fed to a selectable 300 Hz high pass filter comprising IC37 and IC38B.  This output or an unfiltered version of the discriminator audio is fed via a switch IC32A to  the TTR (repeater) path.  The switch is used to disable  talk through audio under the  control of  the  microprocessor  and  the  external  Tx  talk  line  on  SKH-10.   Following the high pass filter, a selectable 3.4 kHz cut-off low pass filter IC38A and IC39B connects to the de-emphasis circuit IC39A.  From here the audio passes through the mute switch IC32C that is under control  of  the  microprocessor  and  on  to  the  Rx  talk  switch  IC36C,  which is  controlled  externally from SKH-3.  This second switch is used to disable Rx audio to line.  A final switch IC36A selects
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 35  TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION between  Rx  audio  and  Tx  looped  back  audio for  output  to  line  via  amplifiers  IC40A  and  IC40B.  Secondary inputs to these amplifiers are the Tx audio from the line modem and microphone audio to  line.    The  output  on  SKH-2  forms  an  unbalanced  600  Ω  VF  output  to  line  and,  alternatively, outputs SKH-2 and SKH-11 form a differential output. Discriminator audio is also fed via a low pass filter IC31 to the CTCSS decoder as well as to a level detector D9 the output of which is connected to ADC1 on the microprocessor. Discriminator audio is also fed to the mute detection circuit.  This comprises a high pass filter IC41 followed  by  RV6/6B,  which  sets  the  mute  threshold.    Following  amplification  by  IC42A  and rectification  by  IC42B  and  IC43A,  a  comparator,  IC43B,  determines  when  the  detected  signal passes  a  fixed  threshold.    The  output  of  the  comparator  is fed  to  the  microprocessor  and via  a selectable inverter to SKH-4. Discriminator audio is also fed to Rx port of the RF modem IC54. 5.4.4  RF Power Control Forward  power  is  controlled  by  the  microprocessor  through  two  mechanisms.    Based  on  pre-programmed  per  channel  adjustments,  the  microprocessor  sets  the  digipot  IC10  to  a  reference setting.  IC23A serves as a comparator and, with the non-inverting input connected to the wiper of the digipot, is set up with a reference voltage.  The detected actual PA forward power is fed to the inverting input of IC23A.  The error voltage at the output of IC23A is fed to the exciter output power control  circuit  via SKC-4  and  the action  of  the  control  loop  is to  set  the RF  power  such  that the actual  detected  volts  equals  the  reference  volts.    The  digipot  setting  is  static  for  each  channel unless the required forward power is changed. The  voltage  to  the  top  of  the  digipot  is  set  up  by  the  microprocessor  through  the  Pulse  Width Modulator (PWM) output PWM1.  On PTT, the ON duty cycle of the PWM1 output is progressively increased and the filtered result of this forms a ramp to the top of the power control digipot.  Once 100% duty cycle is reached, full power is produced.  This results in a fast but controlled RF power rise characteristic. 5.4.5  User Interface All user interfaces to the SB2025, except the RF connections, are made by way of the front panel USB interface on the Aux PCB and then via an internal serial connection to the NI or ITX for the ET.  The MxTools application for radio configuration also uses this route to the NI but is passed on over another serial connection to the Micro Controller Board. Output  latch  IC18 drives the  six LED indicators on  the  front panel.    The  function is  described  in Section 4.1.1. Input latch IC14 serves to accept the programmed status of the eight bit binary channel select DIP switch SW1.  Refer to Appendix B for programming instructions. Input  latch  IC13  serves  to  accept  the  programmed  status  of  the  six  bit  binary  mode  select  DIP switch SW2.  Refer to Section 3.2.2.2 for mode selection instructions. IC22 provides CMOS to RS232 conversion for the serial port. 5.5  SOLAR TRAFFIC MANAGER The TM is a software application running on the ITX board and manages all aspects of a channel including  NIs  other  than  its  physically  associated  one  if  necessary  and  a  DFSI  conforming  to TIA.102-BAHA.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 36  TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION This application receives packets from one or more NIs every 20 ms, votes the best quality signal and  presents  it  to  a  dispatcher  either  via  a DFSI  connection  or  as  an  analogue  4-wire  using  an additional stand-alone Network Interface. Outgoing  analogue  or  P25  audio/data  from  analogue  dispatcher,  DFSI  or  voted  call  is  time-stamped and sent to all associated NIs for transmission.  If multiple NIs are connected they can be synchronised to create a simulcast channel. The TM application stores the complete configuration for the channel on its internal compact flash memory card.  All the configurable settings on all the connected NIs are stored here and are kept synchronised with the NIs over a control channel that is multiplexed into the 20 ms Ethernet packet structure. A  number  of  conditions  are  monitored  throughout  the  channel  and  alarms  can  be  raised  if necessary.  These can be displayed and acknowledged by the ET or by SNMP using a third party Network Management System (NMS) using the supplied Management Information Base (MIB). 5.6  SOLAR NETWORK INTERFACE The NI  provides  the  connection  between  the  Ethernet  link  and  the radio  base  station  hardware.  Traffic  and  control  information  is  multiplexed  into  fixed  length  packets  and  sent  to/from  the  TM every 20 ms. There are two CPUs in the NI.  One, a PIC, manages the Ethernet interface, the control of the base station  (RSSI,  PTT,  alarms  etc.),  the  PLL  that  is  locked  to  the  external  1PPS  timing  signal  for simulcast transmission,  the serial  ports for  the  ET  and  connection to  the  Micro  Controller  board, and the handling of all the configuration data to/from the TM.  The other, a DSP, manages all the analogue  signal  processing  including  the  C4FM  modulation/demodulation,  tone  detection, generation and synchronisation, deviation limiter,  FM  pre/de-emphasis,  g.726  encoding/decoding and in the case of a Central NI, AMBE +2 vocoding. The  Network  Interface  has  two  analogue  ports.    A  duplex  wide  band  unbalanced  port  connects directly  to  the  Rx’s  discriminator  output and  the Tx’s  wideband  input.    This  has  a  flat  frequency response from virtually DC to over 3.2 kHz to enable P25 C4FM.  The other analogue port is duplex, 600R  transformer coupled and is  provided for when the  NI  is used as an analogue dispatcher interface.  This is not used in the SB2025. There are two serial ports.  One connects to the USB serial interface on the Aux PCB and allows connection  of  the  ET  and  MxTools  applications.    The  other  connects  internally  to  the  Micro Controller  PCB  and  passes  information  to  control  the  operating  condition  of  the  base  station, channel, Tx power etc. 1PPS timing and optionally NMEA data is provided by the Aux PCB when a GPS Rx is connected to the SB2025. The 26 way Facilities connector carries the two analogue ports described above an analogue input for an RSSI voltage from the receiver.  Three relay change-over contacts and three opto-isolated inputs are provided.  One relay keys the Tx and two of the inputs are used for Rx mute indication and  alarm  status.    An  RJ45  socket  provides  the  10BaseT  Ethernet  interface  and  is  connected internally to the Ethernet switch on the SBC Support PCB. Power to the NI is 12 V DC and is supplied by the Aux PCB.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 37  TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION Figure 4.  SB2025NT Block Diagram.     6xStatusLEDsSerialPowerETH0USBSerialStart/ResetButtonsSerial 1Serial 2EthernetStatusLEDsSoftware serial bridge allowing MXTools and DFSI (Ethernet)access to MX800 Controller functionsMDR20-wayD-Skt15-wayEnv GPSUSB toSerialUSB-BSktPower DistributionAUXµProcEthernetSwitchSerial to USBStart/Reset &Level shiftlogicWide I/PPicoPSUUSB FacilitiesDongleCompactFlash &AdapterPCBPicoITXSBCSBCSupportD1099-0010-G-01Aux SupportD1099-0009-G-01MX800 ControllerTXRXPAHi-stabRef.Hi-stab I/PConnectorNetwork InterfaceRJ45EthernetIDEAlarmPTTCORC4FM
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 38  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 6  ALIGNMENT AND TESTING The SB2025NT test and alignment procedures are divided into two main sections.  The first section is a transceiver level procedure, which assumes that the radio is fitted with working modules.  The second section contains the individual module test procedures. 6.1  TRANSCEIVER SETUP, CALIBRATION AND ALIGNMENT This section explains how to setup, calibrate and align the complete SB2025NT Base Station.  A number of procedures are required to fully initialise the SB2025NT.  The following test equipment will be needed: • PC with MxTools and ET (SB2025 Base Station Programming Utilities). • RF Test Set (HP 8920) or equivalent. • Oscilloscope. • RF Power Meter (Watts). • RF Signal Generator. • Multimeter. • +13.8 V DC Power Supply The order of some, but not all, of the procedures is important to ensure correct setup of the radio.  The  order  of  the  procedures  as  described  is  recommended  and  those  that  are  critical  are mentioned.  If the radio has been previously setup and the user intends to recalibrate and align the radio then Sections 6.1.1, 6.1.2 and 6.1.3 can be ignored as the model number, serial number, configuration and channel information will have already been loaded. For any procedure that involves the use of the MxTools programming utility, further information and assistance can be found in the relevant part of the MxTools Help menu/screens. 6.1.1  Sending Model Number and Serial Number to the Radio The model number is entered or updated using MxTools.  To edit the model number, carry out the following: 1.  On the MxTools main screen, on the menu bar, select ‘Setup’ > ‘Radio Model Number’.  The Radio Model Number dialogue box will be displayed. 2.  On  the  Radio  Model  Number  dialogue  box,  enter  the  model  number,  according  to  the configuration of the radio. 3.  Once the radio Model Number information has been completed, select the ‘Send’ button to send the information to the radio. 4.  To return to the MxTools main screen, select the ‘Exit’ button. Notes: (i).  The model number should not be altered unless the hardware within the SB2025 base station is changed.  For example, a module is changed or an option has been added to the radio. (ii).  The serial number cannot be altered, as this is factory set.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 39  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 6.1.2  Sending Configuration Information Firstly,  the  configuration  file  for  the  radio  needs  to  be  setup.    Using  MxTools  the  configuration information needs to be entered on the Configuration Screen.  This information needs to be saved to  a  configuration  file.    If  an  existing  radio  already  contains  the  desired  configuration,  this configuration can be downloaded and saved.  This configuration information then needs to be ‘Sent to the SB2025’.  A warning message will appear that indicates that the SB2025 Base Station has not yet been calibrated, this may be ignored. Once the configuration information has been sent, all of the programmable parameters within the SB2025 Base Station are initialised. 6.1.3  Sending Channel Information The channel information setup is similar to that of the configuration.  The channel frequencies, sub-tones and other parameters are setup in the Channel Screen in MxTools.  At this stage, it is not necessary  to  set  the  values  of  the  digital  potentiometers.    This  will  be  done  in  the  following procedures.  After entering in the channel details, the information needs to  be saved to a file.  If another radio already contains the desired frequencies, these can be downloaded from that radio and saved to a file.  The digital potentiometer values from one radio to the next will differ, therefore, it is advisable to save the information in a new channel file and not save over the top of any backup copies of existing radios.  The saved channel information is then sent to the SB2025NT. After sending  the configuration and channel information, the SB2025NT is fully programmed  and will now operate.  The radio will not function without sending both the configuration and channel information and, therefore, the following procedures will be unable to be completed. Note. The  buttons  for  sending  and  loading  the  channel  information  may  be  disabled  if MxTools did not successfully ‘Connect to SB2025’.  If this is the case, simply choose to ‘Connect to the Radio’ after the configuration information is sent. 6.1.4  Setting Alignment Channel When setting up the radio, it is recommended that all measurements and adjustments are done on a channel that is in the centre of the frequency spread of the channels.  This minimises any errors due to frequency changing.  Alternatively, if the frequency spread of the channels is too large, you may wish to calibrate and align every channel.  (In most cases this will not be necessary.)  Both individual and group alignment will be covered. The channel may be selected either via the Channel Screen in MxTools using the software channel select or in hardware via the internal channel DIP switch.  (Refer to Section 3.2.2.3 for additional help.)  This channel will then be used when performing the following procedures. 6.1.5  Power Calibration This procedure must NOT be used to set the Tx Output Power.  For the Tx Power Adjustment procedure, refer to Section 6.1.8. Power calibration  affects  the  forward and  reflected power meters  on  the Diagnostics  Screen,  as well as the low forward power trip point for the SB2025NT.  This procedure requires a RF Power Meter  and  the  relevant  leads  to  connect  the  Tx  output  to  the  meter.    Power  calibration  is  done using MxTools via the Calibration Screen. To complete the power calibration, carry out the following: 1.  On the  MxTools main  screen, on the tool bar, select the ‘Calibration’ icon.    The  calibration screen will be displayed.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 40  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 2.  On the  calibration screen, select the  ‘Calibrate’ button for the Power Calibration  and follow the on screen instructions that MxTools provides. Once the power calibration has been completed, the configuration information must be sent again.  Check that the low forward power trip point is set correctly.  The calibration affects the low forward power trip point and, therefore, the configuration information must be sent to update it according to the new calibration information. 6.1.6  RSSI Calibration The RSSI calibration is used to calibrate the RSSI meter on the MxTools Diagnostics Screen.  The procedure requires an RF Signal Generator and the relevant leads to connect the signal generator to  the  RF  input  of  the  SB2025NT  Base  Station.    RSSI  calibration  is  done  via  the  MxTools Calibration Screen. To complete the RSSI calibration, carry out the following: 1.  On the  MxTools main  screen, on the tool bar, select the ‘Calibration’ icon.    The  calibration screen will be displayed. 2.  On the calibration screen, select the ‘Calibrate’ button for the RSSI Calibration and follow the on screen instructions that MxTools provides. 6.1.7  Temperature Calibration The temperature calibration is used to calibrate the temperature meter on the MxTools Diagnostics Screen  and  the  temperature  controlled  switch/alarm  points.    The  procedure  requires  a  dummy cable  for  SKB  on  the  micro  controller  having  a  2060  Ω  resistor  between  pins  4  and  6  of  this connector  of  the  SB2025NT  Base  Station.    Temperature  calibration  is  done  via  the  MxTools Calibration Screen. To complete the temperature calibration, carry out the following: 1.  On the  MxTools main  screen, on the tool bar, select the ‘Calibration’ icon.    The  calibration screen will be displayed. 2.  On the  calibration screen, select the ‘Calibrate’ button for the  Temperature Calibration and follow the on screen instructions that MxTools provides. 6.1.8  Tx Power Adjustment The Tx power setup is used to set the correct power for each channel.  This can be done either on a per channel basis or all channels can be set at once.  Power setup is done using the Channel Screen  in  MxTools.   To  complete  this  test the  Tx  output  needs  to  be  connected to  a  RF Power Meter. To complete the Tx power adjustment, carry out the following: 1.  On the  MxTools main screen,  on the  tool  bar,  select  the  ‘Channel Info’  icon.    The channel screen will be displayed. 2.  On the Channel screen, to set all channels at once, select the ‘Lock Data’ tick box. Note. If  the  ‘Lock  Data’  option  is  selected,  any  changes  made  to  the  current  channel  are duplicated on all channels. 3.  Click on the alignment channel to open the ‘Channel Edit’ screen.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 41  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 4.  On the Channel Edit screen, carry out the following: 4.1.  Select the ‘Continuous Update Enabled’ tick box.  (This allows real-time updating of the digital  potentiometer  values  and,  therefore,  any  changes  made  will  be  immediately reflected in the radio). 4.2.  Alter the ‘Tx RF Power’ digital potentiometer until the power meter reads the required output power. 4.3.  Select the ‘OK’ button to accept the changes made and close the Channel Edit screen. 5.  On the Channel screen, on the dynamic tool bar, select ‘Write  Channel’ button to save the changes made to the radio. To calibrate each channel individually, ensure that the ‘Lock Data’ option is not selected and repeat the above procedure for each channel. 6.1.9  Peak Deviation and Modulation Balance Configuration 6.1.9.1  Station NI/SB2025 All level  setting is  carried  out with  the  SB2025  equipment  in  analogue mode  using an  analogue Radio Test Set.  A final check of P25 Modulation Fidelity can be carried out at the end if a P25 Test Set is available. Notes. (i).  When injecting  tones  into the NI of the  SB2025 base station, it  is important to avoid exactly 1 kHz as the measuring bar graph on the ET is a little unstable at exact sub-multiples  of  the  8  kHz  sample  rate.    The  level  measurement  is  subject  to  the  6 dB/octave receive de-emphasis so it is advisable to stay close to 1 kHz.  The test tone frequency  used  for  P25  testing  is  1011  Hz,  therefore,  this  can  easily  be  used  for analogue testing as well. (ii).  On  the  ET,  before  any  changes  to  settings  can  be  made,  the  ‘Eng’  button  must  be selected.    Once any  change has  been made, the  ‘Apply’  button must  be  pressed  for the change to take effect.  Multiple changes may be made and implemented together with  a  single  ‘Apply’  action.    Failure  to  apply  a  change  will  result  in  the  attempted change  being  abandoned  and  settings  will  revert  to  their  previous  state  when  the corresponding ‘Eng’ button is released. Tools, Test Equipment and Materials Required The following Tools, Test Equipment and Materials will be required to perform this procedure: • Analogue  Radio  Test  Set  (RTS)  with  external  frequency  reference  for  accurate  carrier measurement. • T36 Module Serial Cable (refer to Appendix C for the required cable details). • PC with the following software installed: o Solar 2 Engineering Terminal. o MxTools. o HyperTerminal (or similar serial terminal). Procedure 1.  On the SB2025 base station, carry out the following:
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 42  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 1.1.  Ensure that the power is switched off. 1.2.  Refer to Appendix D and check that all the internal links are set correctly. 1.3.  Check that the T36 External Reference option is correctly configured. 2.  Using  the  T36  Module  Serial  cable,  connect  the  PC  with  the  HyperTerminal  software  or similar serial communications program installed to the pin header HDR1 on the T36 Module in the SB2025 base station. 3.  Connect the Tx antenna connector to the RTS input. 4.  On the PC, set the serial communications parameters to: 9600, 8, None, 1, None. 5.  On the NI ET main window, check that the NI is not outputting any audio or tones by carrying out the following: 5.1.  Select the ‘Eng’ button to access the ‘NI Engineering’ window. 5.2.  On the NI Engineering window, select the ‘Facilities’ tab. 5.3.  On the ‘Facilities’ tab, check that the ‘Test Tone’ is disabled and that the ‘CTCSS Tone’ level is set to 0 (zero) (slider to minimum). 6.  On the MxTools main window, on the tool bar, select the Channel Info  icon.  The Channel screen will be displayed. 7.  From  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  access  the  Channel  Edit  window  and  enter  all  of  the frequency pairs  that  are  required  for  the  SB2025  base  station  and  select  a  channel  in  the middle of the range of frequencies. 8.  On the SB2025 base station, switch on the power and, on the PC, check that the following HyperTerminal menu as shown below in Figure 5 is displayed. Figure 5.  HyperTerminal – Menu. 9.  On the PC, using the HyperTerminal, carry out the following: 9.1.  If not already set, adjust the ‘Tx Freq’ to the Tx frequency of the channel in use. 9.2.  Ensure AF Coupling is set to AC.  If necessary, press ‘6’ to toggle it.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 43  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 9.3.  Press ‘5’ to zero the DC offset followed by ‘S’ to save the new settings. 10.  On the MxTools main window, on the  tool bar, select the Remote icon.  The Remote page will be displayed. 11.  On  the  MxTools  Remote  page,  select  the  ‘Software  PTT’  button.    A  message  will  be displayed warning that the radio will be keyed up for 2 minutes. 12.  On the warning message, select the ‘OK’ button.  The radio should transmit on the selected channel. 13.  On the RTS, ensure that the received carrier signal from the base station is as specified on the radio base.  Ensure that the ‘Tx Offset’ is less than 1 – 2 Hz, if necessary carry out the following: 13.1. On the PC, using the HyperTerminal, use the < or > keys on the keyboard to adjust the Tx Offset to zero. 13.2. When the Tx Offset is set to zero, press ‘S’ to save the settings. 14.  On the TM ET, carry out the following: 14.1. On the Channel Status panel of the channel in use, select the ‘Setup’ button to access the Channel Setup page. 14.2. On the Channel Setup page, on the ‘P25’ tab, using the drop-down list, set the Audio Mode  to  Analogue  and  either  12.5  kHz  or  25  kHz  to  match  the  SB2025  channel bandwidth. 15.  On the NI ET, carry out the following: 15.1. On the main window, select the ‘Eng’ button to access the ‘NI Engineering’ window. 15.2. On the NI Engineering window, select the ‘Main Audio’ tab, 15.3. On the Main Audio tab, ensure that the Audio Mode is set to ‘Remote’.  If necessary, use the drop-down list to change the audio mode (see Figure 6 below). Figure 6.  NI ET – Audio Mode to ‘Remote’. 16.  Using the Analogue RTS, inject a signal at the appropriate Rx frequency, modulated at 100% FM deviation at 1011 Hz  at  a  level of -80 dBm into the Rx antenna socket of  the SB2025.  Check that there is no CTCSS tone on this signal. 17.  On  the  NI  ET,  on  the  Main  Audio  tab  of  the  NI  Engineering  window,  adjust  the  ‘In  Audio Sensitivity’ controls for  an indication of  10,000  with  the blue  bar  close  to the middle  of  the green section (see Figure 7 overleaf).  Approximate settings are: the coarse control to 0 dB and the fine control to around 112.  (Expect small variations between receivers). Note. If the SB2025 is configured to use CTCSS, it will be necessary to temporarily change Isolated  Input  #1  to  ‘Monitor’  mode  on  the  Signalling  tab  to  make  this  adjustment.  Once  the  adjustment  has  been  made,  change  it  back  to  Auto  mode  immediately afterwards.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 44  ALIGNMENT & TESTING Figure 7.  NI Engineering – Main Audio tab, ‘In Audio Sensitivity’ settings. 18.  On the SB2025 base station, connect the Analogue RTS to the Tx RF O/P. 19.  On the NI ET, on the NI Engineering window, carry out the following: 19.1. On the Main Audio tab, carry out the following: 19.1.1.  Set the Audio Mode to ‘Analog’. 19.1.2.  Set  the  coarse  and  fine  ‘Out  Audio  Level’  controls  to  0  dB  and  100 respectively. 19.2. On the Facilities tab, carry out the following: 19.2.1.  Set the ‘CTCSS Tone’ slider to 0 (zero). 19.2.2.  Set the Test Tone ‘Frequency’ to 1011 Hz and at a level of -4.4 dB. 19.2.3.  Set the Test Tone Route to ‘External’ (see Figure 8 overleaf). 19.3. On the Signalling tab, select ‘Manual Trigger’ (see Figure 9 overleaf). 19.4. Select the ‘Apply’ button. 20.  On the PC, start/open the MxTools software. 21.  On the MxTools main window, on the tool bar, select the ‘Channel Info’ icon.  The Channel screen will be displayed.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 45  ALIGNMENT & TESTING Figure 8.  NI Engineering – Facilities tab, Test Tone settings.  Figure 9.  NI Engineering – Signalling tab, Manual Trigger. 22.  On MxTools Channel screen, select channel No 1 and select the ‘Set Software Channel To’ tick button (see Figure 10 overleaf). 23.  On the RTS, set it to either Auto Tune or to the Tx frequency. 24.  On  the  PC,  on  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  double  click  on  channel  No.1  to  access  the Channel Edit screen. 25.  On the Channel Edit screen, carry out the following: 25.1. Select the ‘Continuous Update Enabled’ tick box. 25.2. Set the ‘Ref Osc Level (LF Audio)’ digital potentiometer to 210.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 46  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 25.3. Adjust the ‘VCO Level (LF Audio)’ digital potentiometer to obtain 1.5 kHz deviation on the Radio Test Set. 25.4. Select the ‘OK’ button to accept the changes made and close the Channel Edit screen. Figure 10.  MxTools – Set Software Channel to tick button.  26.  On the MxTools Channel  screen,  on the dynamic tool bar, select ‘Write Channel’ button to save the changes made to the radio. 27.  On the NI ET, on the Engineering window, carry out the following: 27.1. On the Facilities tab, set the Test Tone ‘Frequency’ to 200 Hz. 27.2. Select the ‘Apply’ button. 27.3. On  the  Facilities  tab,  check  that  the  Test  Tone  ‘Frequency’  has  changed  to  ‘MOD’ indicating  that  the  SB2025  Modulation  Balance  test  signal  is  being  generated  (see Figure  11  overleaf).    The  SB2025  Tx  will  be  keyed  and  modulated  with  a  200  Hz square wave. 28.  On  the  RTS,  use  a  Wide  Band  AF  Filter  setting  with  a  response  of  at  least  15  kHz  and monitor the SB2025 Tx modulation. 29.  On the PC, on the MxTools main window, on the tool bar, select the ‘Channel Info’ icon and, on  the  channel  table,  double  click  on  the  channel  in  use  to  access  the  MxTools  ‘Channel Edit’ screen. 30.  On the MxTools Channel Edit screen (see Figure 12 overleaf), adjust the various settings as per Table 16 below. Table 16.  MxTools, Channel Edit Settings. Area  Setting  Setting Required TTR Channel Simplex Channel Scan Channel All unchecked RF Mode Wide Band or Narrow Band   As required (25 or 12.5 kHz bandwidth) Frequency Settings Tx Subtone (Hz)  Disabled
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 47  ALIGNMENT & TESTING Figure 11.  NI Engineering – Facilities tab, Test Tone Frequency.  Figure 12.  MxTools – Channel Edit page. 31.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  Edit  screen,  adjust  the  ‘Ref  Osc  Level  (LF  Audio)’  digital potentiometer so that the top and bottom of the 200 Hz square wave displayed on the RTS is as flat as possible (see Figure 13 overleaf).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 48  ALIGNMENT & TESTING Figure 13.  Typical result for Tx Modulation displayed on RTS. 32.  DO NOT adjust the ‘VCO Level (VF Audio)’ digital potentiometer. Note. When  making  the  adjustment  in  Para  31,  any  overshoot  near  the  transitions  can  be ignored. 33.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  Edit  page,  when  adjustment  of  the  200  Hz  square  wave  is completed, carry out the following: 33.1. Note the ‘Ref Osc Level (LF Audio)’ level as it will be used when setting the deviation on all channels. 33.2. Select the ‘OK’ button. Note. When selecting the ‘OK’ button in the Para above, if any significant adjustment of the ‘Ref Osc Level (LF Audio)’ has been made in Para 31, an “Information” message will be displayed advising  that  changes have  been made and  they have to be saved and sent to the base station to take effect. 34.  If  the  Information  message  is  displayed,  select  the  ‘OK’  button  to  save  the  changes  and prepare the data to be sent to the base station. 35.  On the MxTools main window, on the dynamic tool bar, select the ‘Write Channel’ button to store the settings back to the SB2025 base station. 36.  On the NI ET, on the NI Engineering window, carry out the following: 36.1. On the  Facilities tab, set the  ‘Test  Tone’ to a frequency of  1011  Hz and to a level of −4.4 dB.  Set the Route to ‘External’ (see Figure 8). 36.2. Select the ‘Apply’ button. 37.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  select  one  of  the  configured  channels  and  carry  out  the following: 37.1. On the MxTools Channel screen, select the ‘Set Software Channel To’ tick button.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 49  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 37.2. On the RTS, check that it is set to Auto tune or re-tune to the require frequency. 37.3. On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  double  click  on  the  select  channel  to  access  the Channel Edit screen. 37.4. On the Channel Edit screen, carry out the following: 37.4.1.  Select the ‘Continuous Update Enabled’ tick box. 37.4.2.  Set the ‘Ref Osc Level (LF Audio)’ digital potentiometer to value noted earlier in Para 33.1. 37.4.3.  Adjust  the  ‘VCO  Level  (LF  Audio)’  digital  potentiometer  to  obtain  1.5  kHz deviation on the Radio Test Set. 37.4.4.  Select the ‘OK’ button to accept the changes made and close the Channel Edit screen. 37.5. On the MxTools Channel screen, on the dynamic tool bar, select ‘Write Channel’ button to save the changes made to the radio. 38.  Repeat Para 37 to Para 37.5 for all the configured channels. 39.  On the NI ET, on the Engineering window, carry out the following: 39.1. On the Facilities tab, set the Test Tone ‘Frequency’ to 200 Hz. 39.2. Select the ‘Apply’ button. 40.  On the Facilities tab, check that the Test Tone ‘Frequency’ has changed to ‘MOD’ indicating that the SB2025 Modulation Balance test signal is being generated. 41.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  select  one  of  the  configured  channels  and  carry  out  the following: 41.1. On the MxTools Channel screen, select the ‘Set Software Channel To’ tick button. 41.2. On the RTS, check that it is set to Auto tune or re-tune to the require frequency. 41.3. On the RTS, use a Wide Band AF Filter setting with a response of at least 15 kHz and monitor the SB2025 Tx modulation. 41.4. On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  double  click  on  the  select  channel  to  access  the Channel Edit screen. 41.5. On the MxTools Channel Edit screen, carry out the following: 41.5.1.  Adjust the ‘Ref Osc Level (LF Audio)’ digital potentiometer so that the top and bottom of the 200 Hz square wave displayed on the RTS is as flat as possible. Note. When making the adjustment in Para 41.5.1 above, only a small adjustment of the ‘Ref Osc Level (LF Audio)’ control should be required to achieve the required square wave. 41.5.2.  DO NOT adjust the ‘VCO Level (VF Audio)’ digital potentiometer.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 50  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 41.5.3.  Select the ‘OK’ button to accept the changes made and close the Channel Edit screen. 41.6. On the MxTools Channel screen, on the dynamic tool bar, select ‘Write Channel’ button to save the changes made to the radio. 42.  Repeat Para 41 to Para 41.6 for all the configured channels. 43.  On the NI ET, on the NI Engineering window, carry out the following: 43.1. On the  Facilities tab, set the  ‘Test  Tone’ to a frequency of  1011  Hz and to a level of −4.4 dB.  Set the Route to ‘External’. 43.2. Select the ‘Apply’ button. 44.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  select  one  of  the  configured  channels  and  carry  out  the following: 44.1. On the MxTools Channel screen, select the ‘Set Software Channel To’ tick button. 44.2. On the RTS, carry out the following: 44.2.1.  Check that it is set to Auto tune or re-tune to the require frequency. 44.2.2.  Check that the deviation of the 1011 Hz tone is 1.5 kHz. 45.  Repeat Para 44 to Para 44.2.2 for all the configured channels. Note. After  successful  completion  of  the  above  procedure,  the  ‘Ref  Osc  Level  (LF  Audio)’ digital potentiometer slider should be at approximately the same level on all channels.  The  ‘VCO  Level  (VF  Audio)’  digital  potentiometer  slider  will  be  set  lower  on  higher frequency  channels  as  the  SB2025  produces  greater  modulation  on  higher frequencies.  The deviation should be the same on all channels with a constant level in from the NI. 6.1.10  Mute Threshold Setting The Mute Threshold Setting RV6 is used to set the level at which the mute opens. Procedure 1.  On the MxTools main screen, on the tool bar, select the ‘Remote’ icon.  The Remote screen will be displayed. 2.  On the Remote screen, select the Mute Control ‘Open’ button to force the mute open. 3.  Inject the correct RF frequency into the Rx for the test channel. 4.  Set the Rx modulation frequency to 1 kHz at nominal deviation. 5.  Alter  the  amplitude  of  the  RF  signal  until  the  Rx  audio  has  an  8  dB  Signal  to  Noise  and Distortion (SINAD). 6.  On  the  MxTools  Remote  Screen,  select  the  Mute  Control  ‘Normal’  button  to  set  the  mute back to normal.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 51  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 7.  Adjust the mute level potentiometer, RV6, until the mute opens then wind it back until it just closes. New  Motherboards  (PCB  Rev  >R),  have  a  new  software  digital  controlled  mute  function.    This provides  the  user  with  the  ability  to  program  the  SB2025NT  with  three  different  mute  settings.  These setting can be changed on the fly by a PC when connected via RS232.  These controls are located within MxTools Configuration screen, under Mute/Squelch settings tab.  They are named as  ‘NORMAL’, ‘User  Preset  1’  and  ‘User Preset 2’.   Please  see  MxTools  help screen for  further assistance in setting these presets.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 52  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 6.2  MODULE LEVEL TEST PROCEDURES The following alignment and testing procedures are based upon using a working transceiver as the test environment.  It is also assumed that test fixtures to the radio are available to exercise control lines and monitor outputs and that a PC with MxTools is connected to the radio. There are four modules in the SB2025 – the Exciter, Rx, PA and Micro Controller.  The Exciter and the Rx have VCO daughter boards.  The Rx and Exciter VCOs are similar. 6.2.1  Exciter Module Test Equipment Required: • Tested SB2025NT with Exciter removed. • Tested Tx VCO board (in wanted band). • PC with MxTools software. • RF Communications Test Set (CTS). • Multimeter. • Oscilloscope. • +13.8 VDC Power Supply. Preliminaries: 1.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  program  the  upper,  middle  and  lower frequencies  of  the frequency band (refer to Appendix A for band split details) into three channels. Note. The ‘Continuous Update Enabled’ option on the MxTools Channel Edit screen should be selected for these tests. 2.  Remove the top cover from Exciter module under test and fit a known working VCO tuned for the band to be tested. 3.  Connect the Exciter to a working Micro Controller via 16-way ribbon cable. 4.  Disconnect Exciter RF drive output CN1 from PA. Procedure 5.  Switch on DC power and check that the output voltage on pin 1 of IC5 is 5 V ± 0.2 V and that the output voltage on pin 1 of IC3 and IC8 is 8 V ± 0.2 V. 6.  Assert PTT and check that 8 V is switched through to SKU-3. 7.  On the centre pin pad of CN3, check that the reference oscillator signal is >3 Vp-p. 8.  Select the mid channel. 9.  Connect the CTS RF input port to CN1. 10.  Assert PTT and check that Lock Detect (LD) on SKD-16 goes high indicating that the loop is locked. 11.  Check  that  the  power  control  volts  on  SKD-4  is  >10  V  and  that  the  RF  output  on  CN1  is >300 mW.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 53  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 12.  On the MxTools Channel Edit screen, adjust the ‘Tx RF Power’ digital potentiometer slider to 0 (zero) and check that the power control volts on SKD-4 drops to 0 V and that the RF power out drops to <1 mW. 13.  On the MxTools Channel Edit screen, set the the ‘Tx RF Power’ digital potentiometer slider back to mid position. 14.  Select the lowest channel. 15.  Assert PTT and check that LD goes high and that the VCO tuning volts on SKD-14 is >2 V. 16.  Select the highest channel. 17.  Assert PTT and check that LD goes high and that the VCO tuning volts on SKD-14 is <18 V.  Check that the RF output in both cases is >300 mW. 18.  Select the mid channel. 19.  Assert PTT.  Note the RF output carrier frequency. 20.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  Edit  screen,  check  that,  by  adjusting  the  ‘Ref  Osc  Freq’  digital potentiometer  slider,  the  carrier  frequency  can  be  adjusted  to  ±3  ppm  of  the  nominal frequency. 21.  Select the mid channel. 22.  Assert PTT and carry out the Section 6.1.9 – Peak Deviation and Modulation Balance part of the Tx VF alignment procedure to check the function of the VCO and Reference oscillator modulation inputs. 6.2.2  Receiver Module Test Equipment Required: • Tested SB2025NT with Rx removed. • Tested Rx VCO board (in wanted band). • PC with MxTools software installed. • RF Communications Test Set. • Spectrum Analyser with Tracking Generator. • Multimeter. • High Frequency (89.545 MHz) Pick up Loop. • Oscilloscope. • +13.8 VDC Power Supply. Preliminaries 1.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  program  the  upper,  middle  and  lower frequencies  of  the frequency band (refer to Appendix A for band split details) into three channels. Note. The ‘Continuous Update Enabled’ option on the MxTools Channel Edit screen should be selected for these tests.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 54  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 2.  Remove the top cover from Exciter module under test and fit a known working VCO tuned for the band to be tested. 3.  Connect the Exciter to a working Micro Controller via 16-way ribbon cable. Procedure The  test  procedure  for  the  Rx  is  divided  into  the  Front-end  Alignment  and  the  IF  Alignment procedures. Front-end Alignment 4.  Switch on the DC power and check that the output voltage on pin 1 of IC8 is 5 V ± 0.2 V, on pin 1 of IC2 is 8 V ± 0.2 V, on output of IC9 (on C66) is 8 V ± 0.2 V and on pin 1 of IC3 is 9 V ± 0.2 V. 5.  Remove Jumpers E and D, and install Jumper C. 6.  Connect the Tracking Generator output to CN1 and Spectrum Analyser input to CN4. 7.  Set the Tracking Generator to sweep the band. 8.  Adjust A4, A10 and A16 for a symmetrical pass-band around the band centre frequency. 9.  Check that the gain over the band is 12 dB and that the ripple is < ±1.5 dB. 10.  Check that the attenuation at the first IF image is >50 dB. 11.  Remove Jumpers C and I, and install Jumpers E and H. 12.  Connect the Tracking Generator output to CN4 and Spectrum Analyser input to CN5. 13.  Set the Tracking Generator to sweep the band. 14.  Adjust B4, B10 and B16 for a symmetrical passband around the band centre frequency. 15.  Check that the maximum loss over the band is <3 dB and that the attenuation at the first IF image is >50 dB. 16.  Remove Jumper E and install Jumper D. 17.  Connect the Spectrum Analyser input to CN5 and Tracking Generator output to CN1. 18.  Set tracking generator to sweep the band. 19.  Check for symmetrical passband around band centre frequency. 20.  Check that the gain over the band is 10 dB and that the ripple is <1.5 dB. 21.  Remove Jumper H and install Jumper J. IF Alignment 22.  Select the mid channel. 23.  Check that LD on SKD-16 goes high indicating that the synthesiser is in lock. 24.  Remove S3 (0 Ω local oscillator connection to mixer) and solder a 50 Ω coax test lead across C60 position (Note C60 position is near a retaining screw and C60 is not fitted).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 55  ALIGNMENT & TESTING 25.  Connect the CTS to this lead and check that the RF local oscillator power is +17 dBm ± 2dB. 26.  Measure  the  local  oscillator  frequency,  this  should  be  FRX  -90  MHz.    Using  a  non-metallic trimmer tool carefully adjust the TCXO (X2) frequency until the correct frequency is obtained. 27.  Remove the test lead and solder S3 back in position. 28.  Place the high frequency pick up loop in close proximity to IC1 in order to pick up the second IF oscillator frequency (do not probe directly on the chip as test lead capacitance will affect oscillator frequency). 29.  Adjust CT1 for 89.545 MHz. 30.  Inject an RF signal at -80 dBm (un-modulated) at FRX into CN5 (Jumper I out, Jumper J in). 31.  Measure the DC voltage at VF output SKD-3 and ensure it is 2.5 V.  If necessary, adjust L14 for the required voltage. 32.  Inject an RF signal at -80 dBm with standard modulation at FRX into CN5. 33.  Monitor the line Rx out and adjust T1 and T2 for minimum distortion. 34.  Reduce  the  RF  signal  level  and  check  that  sensitivity  is  better  than  -112  dBm  for  12  dB SINAD. 35.  Remove Jumper J and install Jumper I. 36.  Inject an RF signal with standard modulation at FRX into CN1. 37.  Monitor the line Rx out and check that sensitivity is better than -117 dBm for 12 dB SINAD. 38.  Repeat the IF Alignment test for the upper and lower channels.  6.2.3  Power Amplifier Module Test Equipment Required • Tested SB2025NT with PA removed. • PC with MxTools software. • RF Power Meter. • RF Signal Generator. • Multimeter. • +13.8 VDC, 15 A Power Supply. Preliminaries 1.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  program  the  upper,  middle  and  lower frequencies  of  the frequency band (refer to Appendix A for band split details) into three channels. Note. The ‘Continuous Update Enabled’ option on the MxTools Channel Edit screen should be selected for these tests. 2.  Do not connect the Exciter RF drive output CN1 to the PA.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 56  ALIGNMENT & TESTING Procedure 3.  Remove PA top cover. 4.  Measure  the  resistance  of  the  thermistor  between  CN4-6  and  CN4-4,  this  should  be approximately 2 kΩ. 5.  Connect DC power lead and 10-way connector from SB2025NT. 6.  Connect the PA RF output to the RF Power Meter and the PA RF input (CN1) to RF Signal Generator. 7.  Set the Signal Generator to centre frequency of PA under test and reduce the RF drive level (from signal generator) to zero. 8.  Switch on DC power and check that supply is present on L6. 9.  Assert  PTT  (check  that  no  output  RF  power  is  emitted  from  the  PA)  and  check  that  the 13.8 V supply is switched through to source of TR1 and TR2. 10.  With  PTT  ON,  measure  the  PA  bias  current  at  the  gates  of  the  Field  Effect  Transistors (FETs).  The Bias current is band dependent.  This is done by monitoring the current drain of the whole PA with CN1 disconnected. 11.  Link the gate of TR2 to GND. 12.  Measure  current  consumption  (VHF  Low  Band  400  mA,  VHF  High  Band  200  mA,  UHF 400 mA.)  This can be adjusted by RV2.  Measure gate volts ≈ 3.4 V. 13.  Remove link from TR2. 14.  Measure the current consumption and adjust RV1 so that current is 2 Amp total for the VHF High Band & UHF Band, and 1 Amp for VHF Low Band.  Measure gate volts ≈ 3.9 V. 15.  With PA  transmitting at 50 W into  50  Ω load, measure  DC  volts  FWD  power sense  CN4-8 and  REFL  power  sense  CN4-5.    These  voltages  should  be  approx.  2.8  V  and  <250  mV respectively. 16.  Reduce the RF drive until the PA output is 10 W.  Disconnect the PA RF output cable. 17.  Measure  the  DC voltage  on CN4-8 and  CN4-5  again.   These  should  now both  read  lower approximately 1 V. 18.  Remove PTT. 6.2.4  VCO Board Test Equipment Required • Tested SB2025NT with Exciter VCO removed. • PC with MxTools software installed. • RF Communications Test Set. • Multimeter. • Oscilloscope. • +13.8 VDC Power Supply.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 57  ALIGNMENT & TESTING Preliminaries 1.  On  the  MxTools  Channel  screen,  program  the  upper,  middle  and  lower frequencies  of  the frequency band (refer to Appendix A for band split details) into three channels. Note. The ‘Continuous Update Enabled’ option on the MxTools Channel Edit screen should be selected for these tests. 2.  Remove the  top cover from  Exciter module and fit the  VCO under test.  As the Tx and Rx VCOs are identical, the Rx VCO may also be tested in an Exciter.  As the Rx VCO operates at the frequencies FRX – 90 MHz. 3.  Connect the Exciter to a working Micro Controller via 16-way ribbon cable. 4.  Disconnect Exciter RF drive output CN1 from PA. Procedure 5.  Select mid channel. 6.  Connect SKU from the Exciter to VCO. 7.  Switch on the DC power. 8.  Assert PTT and measure the RF output power on VCO SKT-6.  This should be in the range 0 dBm to +3 dBm. 9.  Measure the RF output level on SKU-1.  This should be in the range 0 dBm to +3 dBm. Note. If SKU-1 is disconnected from the Exciter the loop will lose lock. 10.  Reconnect SKT and SKU to Exciter. 11.  Select lower channel. 12.  Assert PTT and check that loop is locked. 13.  Adjust trim cap CT1 on VCO for 3 VDC (2 VDC for N2 band) on SKT-1. 14.  Select  upper  channel  and  check  that  the  loop  is  locked  and  that  the  voltage  on  SKT-1  is <18 VDC. The following test is not required for the Rx VCO. 15.  Connect  the  Exciter  output  to  the  CTS.    Inject  1  kHz  tone  at  nominal  line  input  level  and check that Exciter RF output is modulated and that the depth of modulation can be controlled through the MxTools Channel screen. 6.2.5  Microcontroller Module Comprehensive testing of the Micro Controller can only be carried out at the Factory.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 58  FAULT FINDING 7  FAULT FINDING PROCEDURES The following test equipment may be required for the tests detailed in this section: • PC with MxTools (SB2025 Base Station Programming Utility). • RF Test Set (e.g. HP 8920 or equivalent). • Oscilloscope. • RF Power Meter (capable of measuring to 60 Watts continuously). • Multimeter. • +13.8 V DC Power Supply (capable of supplying 15 Amps). • Network Analyser. • SB2025 Test Jig (Optional). 7.1  SB2025 BASE STATION The following tests will help diagnose faulty modules. 1.  Check that all of the required connections to the SB2025 Radio are made. 2.  Check that all of the interconnecting cables to each of the modules and to the Motherboard are correctly installed. 3.  Check the voltage supply to the SB2025 by measuring both sides of Fuse 1 located on the Micro Controller PCB.  If necessary, replace the fuse. 4.  Check that the ‘PWR’ LED is lit.  If not, go to Section 7.2. 5.  Using MxTools, check that the frequency tables and configuration settings are correct. 7.1.1  Transmitter Section 1.  Connect the output of the PA Module to a Comms test set or a RF power meter. 2.  Using MxTools Diagnostic’s, check the Tx VCO locking voltage is between 2 V – 18 V and there is no Tx VCO ‘Unlock’ alarm displayed. 3.  If  the  locking  voltage  is  out  of  specification  or  an  ‘Unlock’  alarm  is  displayed  then  go  to Section 7.4. 4.  Using the Software PTT in MxTools, key up the Tx. 5.  If the output power of the SB2025 is LOW, using MxTools, check that the ‘Transmit Power’ control is not on a low setting. 6.  Adjust  the  ‘Transmit  Power’  control  towards  maximum  looking  for  an  increase  in  the  RF power output level.  If there is no substantial change, go to the diagnostics screen and check that the Forward power and the Reflected power levels are not abnormal. Note. If there is a high reflected power indication, the SB2025 Firmware would hold the PA power low.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 59  FAULT FINDING 7.  If the Diagnostics shows abnormal, on the Motherboard, check the voltage on pin 62 of IC1.  If the voltage is low (i.e. <200 mV), the likely fault is IC1.  If the voltage is >200 mV, the likely fault is within the PA module. 8.  If the Diagnostics shows normal, check the RF level from the Exciter module by connecting a Power Meter directly to the Exciter RF connector.  In MxTools, adjust the ‘Transmit Power’ control to maximum, the RF level should be >+23 dBm (200 mW).  If the RF level is correct, the PA is probably faulty, go to Section 7.5.  If the RF level is not correct, go to Section 7.4. 9.  If there is No RF power output, in MxTools, check that the ‘Transmit Power’ control has not been set to 0 (zero) or at a very low level.  If so, apply a PTT and increase the power control until the desired power is achieved.  If not, apply a PTT then check that pin 21 of IC1 is LOW, collector of TR3 is LOW and pin 13 of IC7 is HIGH.  If these are OK, the Exciter or PA may be faulty.  Go to Section 7.4, or Section 7.5. 10.  Using the Engineering Terminal, inject a 1011 Hz tone @ –4.4 with route set to ‘External. 11.  If the audio deviation is incorrect, go to the Tx alignment procedure in Section 6. 12.  If there is no audio modulation, check the audio level on pin 13, IC11on the Micro Controller PCB. 13.  If there is no audio on the above test point, go to Section 7.2, otherwise, go to Section 7.4. 7.1.2  Receiver Section 1.  Using MxTools Diagnostic’s, check the Rx VCO locking voltage is between 2 V – 18 V and there is no Rx VCO ‘Unlock’ alarm displayed. 2.  If the Rx locking voltage is out of specification, go to Section 7.3. 3.  Inject a –60 dBm RF test signal at the Rx frequency and modulated with a 1 kHz tone @ 1.5 kHz (NB)/3 kHz (WB) deviation into the Rx input connector on the rear of the radio. 4.  Check for an audio  signal @ -10  dBm  on pin 15 of the  DB15  connector on the rear of the SB2025. 5.  If there is an audio signal @ -10 dbm, check the Rx for correct SINAD, Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Audio Distortion and Mute operation.  Refer to Section 7.3. 6.  If there is no audio signal, inject the test signal directly into the Rx module and re-test for an audio signal on the SB2025 test jig. 7.  Replace the Rx input coax cable if faulty. 8.  Check for an audio signal on pin 2 of SKK on the Micro Controller PCB.  If the audio signal is not present, it indicates a Rx fault, go to Section 7.3. 9.  If there is a signal present at this point, it indicates a fault with the Motherboard audio or mute operation, go to Section 7.2. 7.2  MICRO CONTROLLER PCB 1.  Check the fuse.  If blown, replace with a 5x20 mm 3 A fast blow fuse. 2.  Check all jumpers and switch settings are in the correct position for your requirements.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 60  FAULT FINDING 3.  The Micro Controller PCB requires specialised test software to check all the hardware input and  output  ports.    Please  contact  Simoco  Customer  Services  and  arrange  for  the  Micro Controller PCB to be returned to Simoco’s Service Centre. 7.3  RECEIVER MODULE 7.3.1  VCO Locking. 1.  In MxTools, check that all hardware settings are correct. 2.  On  the  Rx  Module,  check  the  value  of  X3  (13  MHz  or  14.4  MHz)  is  the  same  as  the  Rx Reference Frequency in the ‘Hardware Settings’ on the MxTools configuration menu. 3.  On the Microcontroller PCB, connect a Digital Voltmeter (DVM) to the Rx VCO TP and check the Rx locking voltage is between 2 V – 18 V. 4.  Check that +12 V (SKD-2) and 28 V (SKD-13) supply lines are present. 5.  If the Rx locking voltage is out of specification, on the Rx VCO, slowly adjust CT1 a full 360° and check for a change in the locking voltage. 6.  If there  is a  change  in the Rx  VCO locking voltage,  realign the  VCO voltage to  9  V  at the centre frequency of the Rx band. 7.  If there is no change in the Rx VCO locking voltage, check that the VCO supply voltage at SKU-3 is approximately 7 V and, with an Oscilloscope, check the TCXO is oscillating on pin 8 of IC10. 8.  If  all  the  above  tests  fail,  the  VCO  or  IC10  may  be  faulty.    Contact  Simoco  Customer Services and arrange for the Rx Module to be returned to Simoco’s Service Centre. 7.3.2  Rx Front End 1.  Solder a  2-way Berg  header onto a flying coax lead.    Remove solder link  I  near  the mixer (M1) and fit solder link J.  Inject  a  RF  signal  into CN5.   Check  that  the  sensitivity is better than –110 dBm. 2.  If the sensitivity is OK past this point, check that the supply voltage to IC12 is approx. 8 V.  If the supply is OK, replace IC12.  If this does not repair the Rx, the alignment may be incorrect or other components on the front end may be faulty.  Go to Section 6.2.2. 7.3.3  IF Section 1.  If the Rx has low sensitivity past this point, increase the RF level to –60 dBm and ensure the Rx DISC voltage is set to 2.50 V.  If necessary, adjust L14 for the required voltage. 2.  Connect  a  coax  lead  with  a  pickup  loop  around  the  end  from  the  antenna  input  on  the HP8920A to the case of X1.  Set the HP8920 to Tx test, change the Tune Mode to Manual and change the centre frequency of the CTS to 44.545 MHz for A to B Band and 89.545 MHz for C Band and above. 3.  If CT1 cannot be adjusted to match the above frequencies, X1 may be faulty. 4.  Set the centre frequency of the HP8920A to the Rx freq. + 45 MHz for A to  B  band or Rx freq. + 90 MHz for C to M Band or Rx freq. – 90 MHz for N band and above. 5.  Adjust the TCXO to within ± 20 Hz. 6.  If the Rx centre frequency cannot be adjusted, the TCXO may be faulty.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 61  FAULT FINDING 7.  Adjust T1 and T2 for minimum distortion <1%. 8.  If the distortion is high, FL3A, FL3B or FL4 may be faulty. 9.  If the sensitivity is still poor, contact Simoco Customer Services and arrange for the Module to be returned to Simoco’s Service Centre. 7.4  EXCITER MODULE 7.4.1  VCO Locking 1.  On the  Exciter module, check  the  reference frequency  of X3  (13  MHz or  14.4  MHz) is the same  as  the  Tx  Reference  Frequency  in  the  ‘Hardware  Settings’  on  the  MxTools configuration menu. 2.  On the Micro Controller PCB, connect a DVM to the ‘TX VCO’ test point and  check the Tx locking voltage is between 2 V – 18 V. 3.  Check that +12 V (SKD-2) and 28 V (SKD-13) supply lines are present. 4.  If the Tx locking voltage is out of specification, on the Tx VCO, slowly adjust CT1 a full 360° and check for a change in the locking voltage. 5.  If there is a change in the Tx VCO locking voltage, realign the VCO voltage to 9 V at centre frequency of the VCO frequency band. 6.  If there is no change in the Tx VCO locking voltage, check the VCO supply voltage at SKU-3 is approx. 7 V and, with an Oscilloscope, check the TCXO is oscillating on pin 8 of IC 10. 7.  If  all  the  above  tests  pass,  the  VCO  or  IC10  may  be  faulty.    Contact  Simoco  Customer Services and arrange for the Exciter Module to be returned to Simoco’s Service Centre. 7.4.2  RF Power 1.  Using MxTools increase the ‘Transmit Power’ control to maximum and check that the output power is greater than +24 dBm. 2.  If the Exciter power is low, check for the +8 V supply voltage at the outputs of IC2 and TR4. 3.  Use a RF probe to check for gain through IC2 and TR4. 4.  Lift R2 and solder a flying lead to the junction of R1 and R2.  Check the output power of the VCO is between 0 and +3 dBm. 5.  If  all  the above tests  pass,  contact Simoco  Customer  Services  and  arrange for  the Exciter Module to be returned to Simoco’s Service Centre. 7.5  POWER AMPLIFIER 1.  Firstly,  carry  out  a  visual  inspection  of  all  the  components  on  the  PA  looking  for  any damaged components. 2.  Connect the input of the PA to signal generator with the RF output switched off. 3.  With PTT off, measure the +13.8 V supply at the source of the driver and output FET.  If out of specification, check voltage at CN2-2, if no volts check the supply cable.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 62  FAULT FINDING 4.  With PTT  ON,  measure the PA bias current at  the gates  of  the  FETs.   The bias  current  is band  dependent.    This  is  done  by monitoring  the  current  drain  of  the  whole  PA  with  CN1 disconnected.  Link the gate of TR2 to GND.  Measure current consumption (VHF High Band 200 mA,  VHF  low and  UHF  400 mA).    This can  be  adjusted by RV2.    Measure  gate  volts ≈ 3.4 V. 5.  Remove the link from TR2.  Measure the current consumption and adjust RV1 so that current is 2 Amp total (VHF & UHF) and VHF Low 1 Amp.  Measure gate volts ≈ 3.9 V. 6.  Using a  coax  lead,  connect the  RF  output connector  CN3  to  a  power meter.   Turn  on the supply voltage and the signal generator RF output.  PTT the PA and increase the generator output (do NOT exceed +24 dBm) whilst measuring the output power output  (≥50 watts @ +24 dBM). 7.  If  the  output  power  is  low,  turn  the  supply  voltage  OFF  and  lift  one  side  of  the  capacitors connecting to the directional coupler and solder a flying lead to the lifted side.  Connect the earth of the flying lead to the earth of the PA.  Connect the power meter to the flying lead. 8.  Turn on the supply voltage and the signal generator RF output.  PTT the PA and increase the generator  output  (do  NOT  exceed  +24  dBm)  whilst  measuring  the  output  power  output (≥55 watts @ +24 dBM). 9.  If all the above tests fail, TR1 or TR2 may be faulty.  Contact Simoco Customer Services and arrange for the PA to be returned to Simoco’s Service Centre.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 63  DRAWINGS 8  DRAWINGS 8.1  CURRENT DRAWINGS Table 17.  Drawings. Drawing No. Description  Band Figure 14  Rx Component Overlay  All Figure 15  Exciter Component Overlay  All Figure 16  PA Component Overlay (Superseded Version)  A to Q Figure 17  PA Component Overlay (New Wide Band Version)   Figure 18  Micro Controller Component Overlay (Rev S)  All Figure 19  Tx and Rx VCO Component Overlay  A to Q3 Figure 20  Tx and Rx VCO Component Overlay  R to X Figure 21  HP Rx VCO Component Overlay  A to Q Figure 22  Tx/Rx V3 VCO Component Overlay  All
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 64  DRAWINGS Figure 14.  Rx Component Overlay.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 65  DRAWINGS Figure 15.  Exciter Component Overlay.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 66  DRAWINGS Figure 16.  PA Component Overlay – Superseded Version.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 67  DRAWINGS Figure 17.  PA Component Overlay – New Wide Band PA Version.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 68  DRAWINGS Figure 18.  Micro Controller Component Overlay (Rev S).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 69  DRAWINGS Figure 19.  Tx and Rx VCO Component Overlay Bands A to Q3.  Figure 20.  Tx and Rx VCO Component Overlay Bands R to X.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 70  DRAWINGS Figure 21.  HP Rx VCO Component Overlay Bands A to Q. Figure 22.  Tx/Rx V3 VCO Component Overlay.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 71  SPARES 9  SPARES To be advised.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 72  APPENDIX A APPENDIX A SB2025 FREQUENCY BANDS The frequency bands available for the SB2025 are specified in Table A-1 below. Table A-1.  SB2025 Frequency Bands. Band  Frequency (MHz)  Band  Frequency (MHz)  Band  Frequency (MHz)  Band  Frequency (MHz) A2  30 – 39  G  220 – 250  O  425 – 460  R3  776 - 794 A3  39 – 50  H  245 – 275  O2  435 – 470  S  824 – 849 A  66 – 80  I  270 – 300  P  455 – 490  T  850 – 870 B°  70 – 88  J  295 – 325  P2°  450 – 485  U  870 – 905 C  135 – 160  J2  300 – 337  P3  475 – 495  V  890 – 915 D  155 – 180  K  320 – 350  Q°  485 – 520  V2  900 – 925 D3°  148 – 174  L  345 – 375  Q2  500 – 532  W  917 – 950 E  177 – 207  M  370 – 400  Q3  485 – 505  X  925 – 960 E2  177 – 185  N  395 – 430  R  805 – 825  Z  None F  195 – 225  N2°  400 – 435  R2  746 – 764     Notes: (i).  Band E, L2, R3 Q2 receive only. (ii).  Band E2, R2 and V2 transmit only. (iii).  ° Standard preferred frequency band. (iv).  Band A2, A3: 4 MHz Rx VCO Sw BW. (v).  100 W only available in 135 MHz – 175 MHz. Due to ongoing development, please contact Simoco for the latest revision of the document page. SIMOCO FCC TYPE APPROVALS The Simoco FCC Type Approvals for the various frequencies bands of the SB2025 are shown in Table A-2 below. Table A-2.  FCC Type Approvals for SB2025. To be advised.
  SGD-SB2025-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  73  APPENDIX B APPENDIX B CHANNEL SELECT DIP SWITCH SETTINGS Refer to Section 3.2.2.3 for a description on the alternative methods to select the operating channel.  If a hardware channel select method is chosen the following table shows how to set the switches for each channel.  Select the fixed channel for the SB2025 by using the DIP switch DIP1 located on the Micro Controller Board.  Channel 1 to 255 is available in binary selection.  Switch position 1 is channel 1, position 2 is channel 2, position 3 is channel 4, position 4 is channel 8, position 5 is channel 16, position 6 is channel 32, position 7 is channel 64, and position 8 is channel 128. A table of DIP switch 1 settings follows, where switch ON is indicated by an “X” in a cell and no entry in a cell represents a switch OFF. Table B-1.  Channel Select DIP Switch Settings. Channel SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 SW8  Channel SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 SW8  Channel SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 SW8  Channel SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 SW8 0                    32            X      64              X    96            X  X   1  X                  33  X          X      65  X            X    97  X          X  X   2    X                34    X        X      66    X          X    98    X        X  X   3  X  X                35  X  X        X      67  X  X          X    99  X  X        X  X   4      X              36      X      X      68      X        X    100     X      X  X   5  X    X              37  X    X      X      69  X    X        X    101 X    X      X  X   6    X  X              38    X  X      X      70    X  X        X    102   X  X      X  X   7  X  X  X              39  X  X  X      X      71  X  X  X        X    103 X  X  X      X  X   8        X            40        X    X      72        X      X    104       X    X  X   9  X      X            41  X      X    X      73  X      X      X    105 X      X    X  X   10    X    X            42    X    X    X      74    X    X      X    106   X    X    X  X   11  X  X    X            43  X  X    X    X      75  X  X    X      X    107 X  X    X    X  X   12      X  X            44      X  X    X      76      X  X      X    108     X  X    X  X   13  X    X  X            45  X    X  X    X      77  X    X  X      X    109 X    X  X    X  X   14    X  X  X            46    X  X  X    X      78    X  X  X      X    110   X  X  X    X  X   15  X  X  X  X            47  X  X  X  X    X      79  X  X  X  X      X    111 X  X  X  X    X  X   16          X        48          X  X      80          X    X    112         X  X  X   17  X        X        49  X        X  X      81  X        X    X    113 X        X  X  X   18    X      X        50    X      X  X      82    X      X    X    114   X      X  X  X   19  X  X      X        51  X  X      X  X      83  X  X      X    X    115 X  X      X  X  X   20      X    X        52      X    X  X      84      X    X    X    116     X    X  X  X   21  X    X    X        53  X    X    X  X      85  X    X    X    X    117 X    X    X  X  X   22    X  X    X        54    X  X    X  X      86    X  X    X    X    118   X  X    X  X  X   23  X  X  X    X        55  X  X  X    X  X      87  X  X  X    X    X    119 X  X  X    X  X  X   24        X  X        56        X  X  X      88        X  X    X    120       X  X  X  X   25  X      X  X        57  X      X  X  X      89  X      X  X    X    121 X      X  X  X  X   26    X    X  X        58    X    X  X  X      90    X    X  X    X    122   X    X  X  X  X   27  X  X    X  X        59  X  X    X  X  X      91  X  X    X  X    X    123 X  X    X  X  X  X   28      X  X  X        60      X  X  X  X      92      X  X  X    X    124     X  X  X  X  X   29  X    X  X  X        61  X    X  X  X  X      93  X    X  X  X    X    125 X    X  X  X  X  X   30    X  X  X  X        62    X  X  X  X  X      94    X  X  X  X    X    126   X  X  X  X  X  X   31  X  X  X  X  X        63  X  X  X  X  X  X      95  X  X  X  X  X    X    127 X  X  X  X  X  X  X
  SGD-SB2025-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  74  APPENDIX B Table B-1.  Channel Select DIP Switch Settings (continued). Channel SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 SW8  Channel SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 SW8  Channel SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 SW8  Channel SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4 SW5 SW6 SW7 SW8 128               X  160           X    X  192             X  X  224           X  X  X 129 X              X  161 X          X    X  193 X            X  X  225 X          X  X  X 130   X            X  162   X        X    X  194   X          X  X  226   X        X  X  X 131 X  X            X  163 X  X        X    X  195 X  X          X  X  227 X  X        X  X  X 132     X          X  164     X      X    X  196     X        X  X  228     X      X  X  X 133 X    X          X  165 X    X      X    X  197 X    X        X  X  229 X    X      X  X  X 134   X  X          X  166   X  X      X    X  198   X  X        X  X  230   X  X      X  X  X 135 X  X  X          X  167 X  X  X      X    X  199 X  X  X        X  X  231 X  X  X      X  X  X 136       X        X  168       X    X    X  200       X      X  X  232       X    X  X  X 137 X      X        X  169 X      X    X    X  201 X      X      X  X  233 X      X    X  X  X 138   X    X        X  170   X    X    X    X  202   X    X      X  X  234   X    X    X  X  X 139 X  X    X        X  171 X  X    X    X    X  203 X  X    X      X  X  235 X  X    X    X  X  X 140     X  X        X  172     X  X    X    X  204     X  X      X  X  236     X  X    X  X  X 141 X    X  X        X  173 X    X  X    X    X  205 X    X  X      X  X  237 X    X  X    X  X  X 142   X  X  X        X  174   X  X  X    X    X  206   X  X  X      X  X  238   X  X  X    X  X  X 143 X  X  X  X        X  175 X  X  X  X    X    X  207 X  X  X  X      X  X  239 X  X  X  X    X  X  X 144         X      X  176         X  X    X  208         X    X  X  240         X  X  X  X 145 X        X      X  177 X        X  X    X  209 X        X    X  X  241 X        X  X  X  X 146   X      X      X  178   X      X  X    X  210   X      X    X  X  242   X      X  X  X  X 147 X  X      X      X  179 X  X      X  X    X  211 X  X      X    X  X  243 X  X      X  X  X  X 148     X    X      X  180     X    X  X    X  212     X    X    X  X  244     X    X  X  X  X 149 X    X    X      X  181 X    X    X  X    X  213 X    X    X    X  X  245 X    X    X  X  X  X 150   X  X    X      X  182   X  X    X  X    X  214   X  X    X    X  X  246   X  X    X  X  X  X 151 X  X  X    X      X  183 X  X  X    X  X    X  215 X  X  X    X    X  X  247 X  X  X    X  X  X  X 152       X  X      X  184       X  X  X    X  216       X  X    X  X  248       X  X  X  X  X 153 X      X  X      X  185 X      X  X  X    X  217 X      X  X    X  X  249 X      X  X  X  X  X 154   X    X  X      X  186   X    X  X  X    X  218   X    X  X    X  X  250   X    X  X  X  X  X 155 X  X    X  X      X  187 X  X    X  X  X    X  219 X  X    X  X    X  X  251 X  X    X  X  X  X  X 156     X  X  X      X  188     X  X  X  X    X  220     X  X  X    X  X  252     X  X  X  X  X  X 157 X    X  X  X      X  189 X    X  X  X  X    X  221 X    X  X  X    X  X  253 X    X  X  X  X  X  X 158   X  X  X  X      X  190   X  X  X  X  X    X  222   X  X  X  X    X  X  254   X  X  X  X  X  X  X 159 X  X  X  X  X      X  191 X  X  X  X  X  X    X  223 X  X  X  X  X    X  X  255 X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 75  APPENDIX C APPENDIX C CONFIGURATION PROCEDURE CABLE REQUIREMENTS T36 MODULE SERIAL CABLE The details of the cable required to connect the PC to the pin header HDR1 on the T36 Module in the SB2025 base station are shown below in Figure C-1. Figure C-1.  T36 Module Serial Cable – wiring details.     162738495GND510RSRXRSTXHDR1PCRS232 DB-9T36 Option Module2 1379684
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 76  APPENDIX C APPENDIX D SB2025 MICRO CONTROLLER PCB LINK SETTINGS The  link  settings  detailed  in  this  Appendix  should  only  be  carried  out  by  qualified  engineering personnel.  CAUTION Electrostatic Discharge Sensitive Devices (ESDS Devices).  This equipment contains ESDS Devices, refer to the Personal Safety and Equipment Safety pages.  LINK SETTINGS For correct operation of the Solar 2 P25 NI in the SB2025 base stations, two separate audio paths for  the  Tx  Audio  and  Rx  Audio  have  to  be  created  through  the  Micro  Controller  PCB.    This  is achieved by adjusting various link and jumper settings on the Micro Controller as detailed below. For details of the  Micro Controller PCB component layout,  refer  to Section 8  – Drawings.    The location of the links and jumpers detailed below are shown overleaf in Figure D-1. For details of the functions of the Micro Controller Jumpers, refer to Section 3 – Installation and Operation. Tx Audio This input from Solar 2 NI enters the SB2025 on Pin 13 of CN1 DB15 Line I/O connector. • JMP8  2-3  IN. • JMP27  2-3  IN. • T99 link   IN. Rx Audio This output to Solar 2 NI leaves the SB2025 on Pin 14 of CN1 DB15 Line I/O connector. • SKK  1-2  OUT
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 1 Jan 12  Page 77  APPENDIX C Figure D-1.  Micro Controller Jumper and Link locations.       JMP8JMP27 & T99SKK
          PART 2   ENGINEERING TERMINAL USER MANUAL
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 3  CONTENTS PART 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS   Page Table of Contents (this list)  ......................................................................................................... 3 List of Figures  .............................................................................................................................. 9 List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. 11  1 INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGINEERING TERMINAL ...................................................... 13 1.1 ENGINEERING TERMINAL OVERVIEW.................................................................................. 13 1.2 ET APPLICATION PACKAGE............................................................................................... 13 1.2.1 Traffic Manager ET ................................................................................................ 13 1.2.2 Network Interface ET.............................................................................................. 13 1.3 CONNECTING THE ET APPLICATION................................................................................... 13 1.3.1 Default Setting........................................................................................................ 14 1.3.2 Com Port................................................................................................................ 14 1.3.3 Making the Connection........................................................................................... 15 1.4 CLOSING THE ET.............................................................................................................. 15 1.4.1 Disconnecting the ET ............................................................................................. 15 1.4.2 Exiting the ET......................................................................................................... 16 1.4.3 Accidental Disconnection ....................................................................................... 16 1.5 RETAINING SOLAR SETTINGS............................................................................................ 16 1.5.1 Engineering Mode .................................................................................................. 16 1.5.2 Releasing the Engineering Button .......................................................................... 17 1.5.3 Confirming a Change ............................................................................................. 17 2 NETWORK INTERFACE ET ............................................................................................... 19 2.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 19 2.2 NI MODE PANEL............................................................................................................... 20 2.2.1 Eng Area................................................................................................................ 21 2.2.1.1 Manual Trig................................................................................................... 21 2.2.1.2 Test Tone...................................................................................................... 21 2.3 NI STATUS PAGE – UPPER AREA....................................................................................... 21 2.3.1 Address.................................................................................................................. 22 2.3.2 Name ..................................................................................................................... 22 2.3.3 Channel.................................................................................................................. 22 2.3.4 Iso I/P and Iso O/P ................................................................................................. 22 2.4 NI STATUS PAGE – LOWER AREA....................................................................................... 22 2.4.1 Network.................................................................................................................. 22 2.4.1.1 In/Out............................................................................................................ 22 2.4.1.2 PAT............................................................................................................... 23 2.4.1.3 TOT............................................................................................................... 23 2.4.1.4 Pkt Errors...................................................................................................... 23 2.4.2 PLL ........................................................................................................................ 23 2.4.2.1 Status and Freq Error/Phase Error................................................................ 23 2.4.2.2 Ref ................................................................................................................ 24 2.4.2.3 Offset ............................................................................................................ 24
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 4  CONTENTS 2.4.2.4 DSP .............................................................................................................. 24 2.4.2.5 DAC .............................................................................................................. 24 2.4.3 Timing – PPS ......................................................................................................... 24 2.5 ENVIRONMENT I/O INTERFACE........................................................................................... 24 2.5.1 Environment Status................................................................................................ 24 2.5.2 Indicators ............................................................................................................... 25 2.6 NI BUTTON AREA............................................................................................................. 25 2.6.1 Network.................................................................................................................. 25 2.6.2 Eng (Engineering) .................................................................................................. 25 2.6.3 DSP ....................................................................................................................... 25 2.6.4 GPS ....................................................................................................................... 25 3 TRAFFIC MANAGER ET..................................................................................................... 27 3.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 27 3.2 MAIN WINDOW.................................................................................................................. 27 3.3 UPPER AREA.................................................................................................................... 28 3.3.1 Station NI Panels ................................................................................................... 28 3.4 LOWER AREA................................................................................................................... 29 3.4.1 TM Status Panel..................................................................................................... 29 3.4.1.1 Duplication .................................................................................................... 29 3.4.1.2 Timing ........................................................................................................... 29 3.4.1.3 Facility Key.................................................................................................... 30 3.4.1.4 Network......................................................................................................... 30 3.4.1.5 Eng ............................................................................................................... 30 3.4.1.6 GPS .............................................................................................................. 30 3.4.1.7 Relations....................................................................................................... 30 3.4.1.8 Logging ......................................................................................................... 30 3.4.1.9 List ................................................................................................................ 30 3.4.1.10 Chan View..................................................................................................... 30 3.4.2 Channel Status Panel............................................................................................. 30 3.4.2.1 Name ............................................................................................................ 31 3.4.2.2 Status............................................................................................................ 31 3.4.3 Central NI Status Panel.......................................................................................... 31 3.4.3.1 Central Indicators.......................................................................................... 31 3.5 REMOTE VIEW OF A NI ...................................................................................................... 32 4 SOLAR CONFIGURATION ................................................................................................. 33 4.1 IP ADDRESSES................................................................................................................. 33 4.2 SETTING THE NI IP ADDRESS (NI ET ONLY)....................................................................... 33 4.3 SETTING THE TM IP ADDRESS (TM ET ONLY).................................................................... 34 4.3.1 Network Connected ET .......................................................................................... 35 4.4 TM ADDRESS INVENTORY................................................................................................. 36 4.4.1 TM Capacity........................................................................................................... 36 4.4.2 Allocating NI........................................................................................................... 36 4.4.3 Allocating a Station NI............................................................................................ 36 4.4.4 Allocating a Central NI............................................................................................ 38 4.4.5 Channel Designation (Multi-channel TM Option) .................................................... 39 5 SOLAR COMMISSIONING.................................................................................................. 40 5.1 COMMISSIONING OVERVIEW.............................................................................................. 40 5.2 NI ENGINEERING............................................................................................................... 40
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 5  CONTENTS 5.2.1 Main Audio ............................................................................................................. 40 5.2.1.1 In Audio Sensitivity........................................................................................ 41 5.2.1.2 Audio Input Setup Process............................................................................ 42 5.2.1.3 Out Audio Level ............................................................................................ 43 5.2.1.4 Audio Output Setup Process ......................................................................... 43 5.2.1.5 In Route ........................................................................................................ 44 5.2.1.6 Out Route ..................................................................................................... 44 5.2.1.7 Offset ............................................................................................................ 45 5.2.1.8 LF Talk Thru.................................................................................................. 45 5.2.1.9 Audio Mode (P25 only).................................................................................. 45 5.2.2 Signalling ............................................................................................................... 45 5.2.2.1 Signalling In .................................................................................................. 46 5.2.2.1.1 Voltage................................................................................................... 46 5.2.2.1.2 Signalling Status .................................................................................... 47 5.2.2.2 Signalling Out................................................................................................ 47 5.2.2.3 Manual Trigger.............................................................................................. 48 5.2.2.4 Isolated Inputs............................................................................................... 48 5.2.2.5 Isolated Outputs............................................................................................ 50 5.2.3 Facilities................................................................................................................. 51 5.2.3.1 Name ............................................................................................................ 52 5.2.3.2 GPS Module.................................................................................................. 52 5.2.3.3 Test Tone...................................................................................................... 52 5.2.3.3.1 Level ...................................................................................................... 52 5.2.3.3.2 Frequency .............................................................................................. 52 5.2.3.3.3 Route ..................................................................................................... 53 5.2.3.4 CTCSS Tone................................................................................................. 53 5.2.4 Environment........................................................................................................... 54 5.2.4.1 Status............................................................................................................ 55 5.2.4.2 Mode............................................................................................................. 55 5.3 TM ENGINEERING (TM ET ONLY) ...................................................................................... 56 5.3.1 Sync Timing ........................................................................................................... 56 5.3.1.1 PAT Reports ................................................................................................. 57 5.3.1.2 Initial Values.................................................................................................. 58 5.3.2 Facilities................................................................................................................. 58 5.3.2.1 Name ............................................................................................................ 59 5.3.2.2 GPS Module.................................................................................................. 59 5.3.2.3 Misc Alarms .................................................................................................. 59 5.3.2.4 SNMP ........................................................................................................... 59 5.3.3 Environment........................................................................................................... 59 5.4 CHANNEL SETUP.............................................................................................................. 60 5.4.1 Name ..................................................................................................................... 60 5.4.2 Voting Facilities...................................................................................................... 60 5.4.2.1 Minimum RSSI Difference............................................................................. 60 5.4.2.2 Voter Override............................................................................................... 60 5.4.2.3 Site Deselection Timer (Minutes) .................................................................. 61 5.4.2.4 TM triggered Talk Through............................................................................ 61 5.4.3 Facilities................................................................................................................. 61 5.4.3.1 Tx Key Hang ................................................................................................. 61 5.4.3.2 CTCSS.......................................................................................................... 61 5.5 CHANNEL SETUP P25 ....................................................................................................... 61 5.5.1 Audio Mode............................................................................................................ 62 5.5.2 P25 Channel Settings............................................................................................. 62 6 SOLAR CHANNELS (RELATIONS).................................................................................... 63
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 6  CONTENTS 6.1 MULTI-CHANNEL OVERVIEW.............................................................................................. 63 6.2 RELATIONS FUNCTION...................................................................................................... 63 6.2.1 NI to Channel Association ...................................................................................... 63 6.2.2 Moving a Station to a Different Channel ................................................................. 64 6.2.3 Moving a Central NI to a Different Channel ............................................................ 65 6.2.4 Disabling and Re-enabling a NI.............................................................................. 65 6.3 LIST................................................................................................................................. 66 7 SOLAR (SYNC) TIMING...................................................................................................... 68 7.1 GENERAL......................................................................................................................... 68 7.1.1 Synchronising Signals............................................................................................ 68 7.1.2 Network Jitter ......................................................................................................... 68 7.2 SOLAR INTERNAL TIMING.................................................................................................. 68 7.2.1 Determining the Timing Values .............................................................................. 68 7.2.2 PAT Reports .......................................................................................................... 68 7.2.3 Solar Buffer Size .................................................................................................... 69 7.3 PARAMETER CHECKING TOOL........................................................................................... 69 7.4 LOSS OF 1PPS TIMING...................................................................................................... 69 7.5 TIMING DIAGRAMS............................................................................................................ 70 7.5.1 Dynamic Diagrams................................................................................................. 70 7.5.2 Operating the Visio Diagrams................................................................................. 70 8 TM DUPLICATION .............................................................................................................. 71 8.1 DUPLICATION OVERVIEW................................................................................................... 71 8.1.1 TM Resilience ........................................................................................................ 71 8.1.2 Duplication Operation............................................................................................. 71 8.1.3 Changeover Operation........................................................................................... 72 8.2 CONFIGURING FOR DUPLICATION....................................................................................... 72 8.2.1 Unduplicated .......................................................................................................... 72 8.2.2 Duplicated (Primary)............................................................................................... 72 8.2.3 Duplicated (Secondary).......................................................................................... 73 8.2.4 Duplication Status .................................................................................................. 74 9 DIAGNOSTICS AND OTHER INFORMATION .................................................................... 75 9.1 GPS ................................................................................................................................ 75 9.2 FACILITY KEY................................................................................................................... 75 9.3 CHANNEL VIEW FACILITY.................................................................................................. 76 9.3.1 Normal View........................................................................................................... 76 9.3.2 Channel View......................................................................................................... 76 9.3.3 Selecting Channel View ......................................................................................... 76 9.3.4 Returning to Normal View ...................................................................................... 76 10 RECEIVER VOTING............................................................................................................ 78 10.1 VOTING OVERVIEW........................................................................................................... 78 10.2 SIGNAL QUALITY INFORMATION......................................................................................... 78 10.3 VOTING PROCESS............................................................................................................. 78 10.4 VOTER CONFIGURATION.................................................................................................... 79 10.4.1 Voting Parameters ................................................................................................. 79 10.5 BEST SIGNAL SELECTION – PARAMETERS.......................................................................... 79
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 7  CONTENTS 10.5.1 RSSI ...................................................................................................................... 79 10.6 SQUELCH INPUT (COR)..................................................................................................... 80 11 ET TROUBLESHOOTING AND MAINTENANCE ............................................................... 81 11.1 NETWORK LATENCY AND FAULTS...................................................................................... 81 11.1.1 Packets Arriving Late ............................................................................................. 81 11.1.2 Network Re-routing ................................................................................................ 81 11.1.3 TM Duplication ....................................................................................................... 81 11.1.3.1 Delay from NI to each TM ............................................................................. 82 11.1.3.2 Network Fault causing TM Changeover ........................................................ 82 11.2 FIRMWARE UP-ISSUES...................................................................................................... 82 11.2.1 Availability .............................................................................................................. 82 11.2.2 Loader – General ................................................................................................... 82 11.2.3 Traffic Manager...................................................................................................... 83 11.2.3.1 Invalid TM firmware....................................................................................... 83 11.2.4 Network Interface ................................................................................................... 84 11.2.5 NI DSP Firmware Up-issue .................................................................................... 84 12 ALARMS ............................................................................................................................. 85 12.1 ALARMS OVERVIEW.......................................................................................................... 85 12.2 ALARM FUNCTIONALITY.................................................................................................... 85 12.3 ALARM SETUP (TM ET ONLY) ........................................................................................... 85 12.3.1 Environment Inputs ................................................................................................ 86 12.3.2 Isolated Inputs........................................................................................................ 86 12.3.3 NI Misc Alarms....................................................................................................... 86 12.3.4 TM Misc Alarms ..................................................................................................... 87 12.4 ALARM INDICATIONS......................................................................................................... 87 12.4.1 Alarm Active........................................................................................................... 87 12.4.2 Alarm Acknowledge ............................................................................................... 88 12.5 TM DUPLICATION ALARMS................................................................................................ 90 12.5.1 Alarms on a Secondary TM .................................................................................... 90 12.5.2 Indicating an Alarm from an Offline TM .................................................................. 90 12.5.3 Secondary TM Alarm Acknowledged...................................................................... 91 13 TM LOGGING...................................................................................................................... 92 13.1 OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................ 92 13.2 EVENT SUBJECTS............................................................................................................. 92 13.2.1 Alarms Log............................................................................................................. 92 13.2.2 System Log ............................................................................................................ 92 13.2.3 Voter Log ............................................................................................................... 93 13.2.4 ET Log ................................................................................................................... 93 13.3 ACCESS TO THE TM LOGS................................................................................................ 93 13.4 TM SYSTEM TIME............................................................................................................. 94 13.4.1 Setting TM System Time ........................................................................................ 94 13.5 LOG SELECTION............................................................................................................... 95 13.6 TRANSFERRING THE LOG.................................................................................................. 95 13.6.1 Saving the Log ....................................................................................................... 96 13.6.2 Log Display ............................................................................................................ 96 13.6.3 Filtering the Log Display......................................................................................... 97
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 8  CONTENTS 13.7 EVENTS ACROSS MULTIPLE LOGS..................................................................................... 99 14 SNMP ................................................................................................................................ 100 14.1 OVERVIEW OF SNMP IN SOLAR...................................................................................... 100 14.2 CONFIGURING SNMP IN THE TM ..................................................................................... 100 14.2.1 SNMP Communities and System ......................................................................... 100 14.2.2 Trap Destinations ................................................................................................. 101 14.3 DATA ORGANISATION..................................................................................................... 102 14.3.1 Data Format ......................................................................................................... 102 14.3.2 Network Interfaces (Centrals and Stations) .......................................................... 102 14.3.3 Channels.............................................................................................................. 102 14.3.4 Traffic Manager.................................................................................................... 103 14.3.5 Traps.................................................................................................................... 103 15 FIRMWARE EXTENSIONS ............................................................................................... 104 15.1 FIRMWARE EXTENSIONS – OVERVIEW.............................................................................. 104   APPENDICES A  SOLAR CONFIGURABLE SETTINGS.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 9  CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES   Page Figure 1.  ET window – Status Bar................................................................................................ 14 Figure 2.  ET opening window....................................................................................................... 14 Figure 3.  Options Menu................................................................................................................ 14 Figure 4.  ET Setup window. ......................................................................................................... 15 Figure 5.  Connected sub-window................................................................................................. 16 Figure 6.  Disconnected sub-window............................................................................................. 16 Figure 7.  Button options............................................................................................................... 18 Figure 8.  An Unconfigured NI....................................................................................................... 19 Figure 9(a).  Central Mode. ........................................................................................................... 20 Figure 9(b).  Station Mode. ........................................................................................................... 20 Figure 10.  NI Mode Panel views. ................................................................................................. 21 Figure 11.  NI Status Page – Upper Area...................................................................................... 21 Figure 12.  NI Status Page – Lower Area...................................................................................... 22 Figure 13.  Environment I/O. ......................................................................................................... 25 Figure 14.  NI ET Buttons.............................................................................................................. 25 Figure 15.  TM Main window. ........................................................................................................ 27 Figure 16.  Station NI panels......................................................................................................... 28 Figure 17.  TM Status Panel. ........................................................................................................ 29 Figure 18.  TM Status Panel for P25 system. ................................................................................ 29 Figure 19.  Channel #1 Status Panel............................................................................................. 30 Figure 20.  Central NI #1 Status Panel.......................................................................................... 31 Figure 21.  Views of NI with a TM ET. ........................................................................................... 32 Figure 22.  Setting the NI IP Address. ........................................................................................... 33 Figure 23.  Setting the TM IP Address. ......................................................................................... 34 Figure 24.  Changing to a Network Connected TM ET. ................................................................. 35 Figure 25.  Allocating a Station NI................................................................................................. 37 Figure 26.  Station #1 allocated and operating. ............................................................................. 37 Figure 27.  Allocating a Central NI. ............................................................................................... 38 Figure 28.  Central #1 allocated and operating.............................................................................. 39 Figure 29.  NI Engineering – Main Audio (Analogue). ................................................................... 41 Figure 30.  NI Engineering – Main Audio (P25). ............................................................................ 41 Figure 31.  Audio I/P Level adjustment.......................................................................................... 42 Figure 32.  Audio Output Level adjustment. .................................................................................. 43 Figure 33.  In Route functions. ...................................................................................................... 44 Figure 34.  Out Route functions. ................................................................................................... 44 Figure 35.  Offset facility. .............................................................................................................. 45 Figure 36.  LF Talk Thru facility..................................................................................................... 45 Figure 37.  Audio Mode facility (P25 only)..................................................................................... 45 Figure 38.  NI Engineering – Signalling page. ............................................................................... 46 Figure 39.  Signalling In – Menu Options. ..................................................................................... 46 Figure 40.  Signalling In Configurations......................................................................................... 47 Figure 41.  Signalling Tone Output................................................................................................ 48 Figure 42.  Isolated Input Options. ................................................................................................ 49
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 10  CONTENTS Figure 43.  Isolated Output Options............................................................................................... 50 Figure 44.  NI Engineering – Facilities page.................................................................................. 51 Figure 45.  GPS Module Timing Source Menu Options................................................................. 52 Figure 46.  Test Tone Facility........................................................................................................ 53 Figure 47.  CTCSS Tone level. ..................................................................................................... 54 Figure 48.  NI Engineering – Environment page............................................................................ 54 Figure 49.  Environment Mode settings......................................................................................... 55 Figure 50.  TM Engineering – Sync Timing (Station NIs)............................................................... 56 Figure 51.  TM Engineering – Sync Timing (Central NIs). ............................................................. 57 Figure 52.  TM Engineering – Facilities page. ............................................................................... 58 Figure 53.  TM Engineering – Environment page. ......................................................................... 59 Figure 54.  Channel Setup page (Analogue). ................................................................................ 60 Figure 55.  Channel Setup page (P25).......................................................................................... 62 Figure 56.  Route to Relations page.............................................................................................. 63 Figure 57.  Relations Page............................................................................................................ 64 Figure 58.  Moving a Station NI between Channels....................................................................... 64 Figure 59.  Moving a Central NI between Channels. ..................................................................... 65 Figure 60.  Examples of disabled NI.............................................................................................. 66 Figure 61.  Route to List facility. .................................................................................................... 66 Figure 62.  Pages in the ‘List’ window. .......................................................................................... 67 Figure 63.  Setting for Duplicated (Primary). ................................................................................. 73 Figure 64.  Setting for Duplicated Secondary. ............................................................................... 73 Figure 65.  Duplication Status Indication. ...................................................................................... 74 Figure 66.  Satellite Signal Report................................................................................................. 75 Figure 67.  GPS Options menu. .................................................................................................... 75 Figure 68.  Facility Key information. .............................................................................................. 76 Figure 69.  Examples of Channel View Mode................................................................................ 77 Figure 70.  Loader Application. ..................................................................................................... 83 Figure 71.  NI DSP Upgrade. ........................................................................................................ 84 Figure 72.  Setting Alarms for Environment Inputs on a NI............................................................ 86 Figure 73.  Setting Alarms for Isolated Inputs on a NI. .................................................................. 86 Figure 74.  Setting Misc Alarms for a NI........................................................................................ 87 Figure 75.  Alarms Setup for a TM. ............................................................................................... 87 Figure 76.  Examples of Alarm Indications. ................................................................................... 88 Figure 77.  PPS Alarm on the TM. ................................................................................................ 89 Figure 78.  Alarm on the NI Signalling page.................................................................................. 89 Figure 79.  Alarm on the NI Environment page. ............................................................................ 90 Figure 80.  Route to TM Logging................................................................................................... 93 Figure 81.  The TM Logging window. ............................................................................................ 94 Figure 82.  Selecting an Alarm Log. .............................................................................................. 95 Figure 83.  Transferring a Log File to the ET................................................................................. 96 Figure 84.  Saving a Log File. ....................................................................................................... 96 Figure 85.  Example of a System Log. .......................................................................................... 97 Figure 86.  Applying a Display Filter.............................................................................................. 98 Figure 87.  Filtering the Log Display on ‘Channel’. ........................................................................ 98 Figure 88.  Filtering the Log Display on ‘Type’. ............................................................................. 98
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 11  CONTENTS Figure 89.  SNMP Text Label/Data Entry. ................................................................................... 101 Figure 90.  SNMP Trap Address Entry. ....................................................................................... 101  LIST OF TABLES   Page Table 1.  Isolated I/P Functions..................................................................................................... 49 Table 2.  Isolated O/P Functions in ‘Auto’ mode............................................................................ 51 Table 3.  NI Timing Signal Options................................................................................................ 52 Table 4.  Voter Adjustable Parameters.......................................................................................... 79 Table 5.  RSSI Requirements........................................................................................................ 79 Table 6.  SNMP Data Format for NI Info. .................................................................................... 102 Table 7.  SNMP Data Format for Channel Info............................................................................ 102 Table 8.  SNMP Data Format for TM Info.................................................................................... 103 Table 9.  SNMP Data Format for Trap Info.................................................................................. 103 Table 10.  Configuration Byte Usage........................................................................................... 104 Table A1.  List of ET Settings...................................................................................................... 105
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  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 13  INTRO TO ET 1  INTRODUCTION TO THE ENGINEERING TERMINAL 1.1  ENGINEERING TERMINAL OVERVIEW In the  context  of  engineering, the  ET is the  primary source for  control and monitoring of a Solar Network for both Analogue and P25 systems.  It must be stressed that the ET is not designed for use  by  a  control  operator;  a  bespoke  supervisory  application  or  Simple  Network  Management Protocol (SNMP) is best suited for that task. Basic connection of the ET is to the front panel USB (Type B) connector.  The Solar 2 unit uses a four port USB interface module and, on connection to the PC, four new ports will become available on the PC.  Of these, only three ports can be ever be used as each of the main internal modules is connected to  one of  the ports when fitted; i.e. one port  is reserved for the TM and two ports are reserved for each of the NI. The TM also supports a network connected ET, which allows remote diagnostics and monitoring (subject  to  network  permissions),  however,  the initial  TM configuration  can  only  be  made  with a locally connected ET. 1.2  ET APPLICATION PACKAGE A  common  software  application  package  services  all  hardware  builds  of  Solar  2  units.    The software  application  will  automatically  determine  the  type  of  module  to  which  it  connects  and present  the  corresponding  status  window  for  that  module;  i.e.  a  TM  or  a  NI.    The  software application  package  is  available  as  zipped  downloads  from  the  web  site  at http://www.teamsimoco.com/downloads.    This  is  an  executable  file  that  operates  under  the Windows™ operating system.  It does not require an installation process and may be copied freely but remain the intellectual property of Simoco. Whilst the ET software application is a single, common package, the TM ET and NI ET effectively operate as two separate independent entities and, for the sake of clarity, will be treated as such in this  manual.    If  the  user  needs  to  connect  to  two  units  of  either  type  at  the  same  time  this  is perfectly legitimate but requires that two instances of the software are run at the same time. This can be achieved by making a second copy of the software and placing it in a different folder (directory)  on  the  PC  to  the  first  copy.    This  is  necessary  so  that  each  copy  can  keep  its  own configuration (ini) file, which contains the default settings that will be used by that instance of the software and allows the folders to be suitably named to help minimise any confusion. 1.2.1  Traffic Manager ET The  TM  ET  software  provides  both  system  monitoring  and  access  to  the  system  configuration parameters.    Engineering  control  of  every  NI  is  an  inherent  feature  and  being  able  to  remotely access the system through the TM ET is a major benefit. 1.2.2  Network Interface ET The  NI  ET  software  services  NIs  operating  in  both  Central  and  Station  mode.    The  style  of presentation is different for the Central and Station functions; there is also a style for units that are not assigned (not yet configured) as either.  The style to be used with a particular NI will be picked-up automatically. 1.3  CONNECTING THE ET APPLICATION When the ET application is started, an opening window will appear as shown in Figure 2 overleaf. At the bottom of the opening window on the Status Bar, the TX and RX indicators, when they are lit, show that the serial communications to the PC is active.  Also displayed on the Status Bar is the ET Application part number and version (see Figure 1 overleaf).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 14  INTRO TO ET Figure 1.  ET window – Status Bar. 1.3.1  Default Setting If this is the first usage of an ET application, there will be no default settings, otherwise the settings will be those used on the last occasion taking information held in an “ini” configuration file.  If this file is not found, it will be automatically created in the same folder as that holding the application itself.    As  long  as  future  ET  software  application  releases  are  placed  in  that  same  folder,  the original “ini” file will be recognised and previously selected options will be used. Figure 2.  ET opening window. 1.3.2  Com Port If there is a need to change the Com port setting, then proceed as follows: 1.  On the ET window, carry out the following: 1.1.  Close the ‘Disconnected’ sub-window. 1.2.  From  the  menu  bar  select  Options  >  Setup  (see  Figure  3  below).    The  ‘ET  Setup’ window will be displayed. Figure 3.  Options Menu.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 15  INTRO TO ET 2.  On the ET Setup window (see Figure 4  below), in the ‘Communications Parameters’ area, carry out the following: 2.1.  Using the drop-down list, select the ‘Direct’ Method. 2.2.  Using the drop-down list, select the COM Port required. Note. Only valid com port numbers will be available. 2.3.  Select ‘Close’. 3.  On  the  ET  window,  from  the  menu  bar,  select  Options  >  Connect  to  return  to  the  original opening view. Figure 4.  ET Setup window. 1.3.3  Making the Connection With  the  PC  physically  connected  to  the  unit,  select  ‘Connect’  to  establish  the  data  connection between the ET application and the equipment.  The ET will firstly initialise the COM port and then attempt to connect to the Solar unit, each stage being clearly notified.  If the main window display does not appear and the connection attempt times out after a short period of time, check that the cable connections are secure and confirm that it is connected to the correct COM port on the PC. If the ET COM port  setting needs to be changed  either  as a result of  a  connection failure or  the warning message ‘COM port error’ has been reported, follow the information above to change the ET COM port settings. 1.4  CLOSING THE ET 1.4.1  Disconnecting the ET To exit the ET, the first task is to “disconnect” the application from equipment; this is a soft (data) disconnection  and  not  a  physical  disconnection.    The  disconnection  may  be  initiated  by  either selecting ‘Disconnect’ on the Options menu or clicking on the  (Close) icon on the main window.  Both  actions  will  cause  a  ‘Connected’  sub-window  to  appear  in  the  middle  of  the  main  window where confirmation that a disconnect is required (see Figure 5).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 16  INTRO TO ET Figure 5.  Connected sub-window. On  selecting  the  ‘Disconnect’  button,  the  application  will  terminate  the  data  exchange  with  the equipment, the PC Com Port will be released and the window view will return to  that which was seen when the ET was first run showing the ‘Disconnected’ sub-window (see Figure 6). Figure 6.  Disconnected sub-window. 1.4.2  Exiting the ET To  shut  down  the  ET  application  completely  close  the  ‘Disconnected’  sub-window  with  the  (Close) icon then either select ‘Exit’ from the Options menu or click on the  (Close) icon on the ET main window which will now be blank.  The ET application will then be terminated. 1.4.3  Accidental Disconnection If the PC is physically disconnected from the equipment in error by unplugging the serial connector while the ET is running, the ET will try to re-establish contact with the equipment for approximately 3 seconds.   If the  connection is  restored  within that time,  the  ET  will continue as normal.    If the disconnection  period  exceeds  that  time,  the  ET  will  automatically  invoke  the  disconnection process.  The ‘Disconnected’ sub-window will appear briefly stating ‘No response’ before returning to the disconnected state. 1.5  RETAINING SOLAR SETTINGS All of the NI parameter values and settings are held locally in the NI non-volatile memory as well as being stored centrally in the TM.  The only exception to this is the IP address which is only stored within  the  NI  itself  and  cannot  be  accessed  remotely.    Changes  made  to  any  NI  “Engineering” setting  are  automatically  saved  to  both  the  NI  and  the  TM  irrespective  of  where  the  change  is initiated. 1.5.1  Engineering Mode Before any engineering changes may be attempted, it is necessary to deliberately select the ‘Eng’ button, furthermore,  any change  will  not  be  invoked  until the  ‘Apply’ button  is  pressed.   Multiple changes may be made and implemented together with a single ‘Apply’ action.  Failure to apply a change  will  result  in  the  attempted  change  being  abandoned  and  settings  will  revert  to  their previous state when the corresponding ‘Eng’ button is released.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 17  INTRO TO ET 1.5.2  Releasing the Engineering Button It should be noted that failing to release the ‘Eng’ button on either the NI or the TM ET will result in any incomplete changes (those not applied) being held in the ET memory, therefore, subsequently applying another change even on a different page will automatically invoke incomplete changes as well.  This is also true if a “new” NI has now got the focus of the ET.  The “old” settings, still held in memory from previous actions, will be passed to this ‘new’ unit when the ‘Apply’ button is selected.  This may result in unwanted changes occurring giving the impression that settings have changed on their own.  This feature is not a bug but is intended to provide a means of being able to replicate the settings across many units in a quick and simple manner. Unless using this feature to program multiple units or make multiple changes to a single unit, it is advisable to apply changes as they are made and release the ‘Eng’ button before moving off the page. 1.5.3  Confirming a Change When a change is made to the NI either through the ET connected directly to the NI or remotely through the TM ET, the action is not complete until confirmation of the change is received back at the originator.  Until the change is confirmed the state is considered to be pending. A pending change will normally be completed in a few seconds and the interim button state will not be very evident for long.  However, if a NI is not in communication with the TM, the pending state will last indefinitely until either communication is re-established or the change is abandoned. This process is evident by interim colour changes of a button, slider (marker) or text in the following way: • Button state – IN or OUT – may show a false indication if ‘Apply’ is pending. • Colour inside the button shows current state – Yellow = Enabled or ON and Grey = Disabled or OFF. • Colour outline shows change progress – Blue = pending and Black = done. • Slider marker shows change progress – Blue = pending and Grey = done; (completion will also be indicated by the marker moving to be level with the slider control). • Text colour shows change progress – Blue = pending and Black = done. In Figure 7 overleaf, the ‘Env O/P’ controls show that: • Outputs 1 and 2 are OFF and no change is pending. • Outputs 3 and 4 are ON and no change is pending. • Outputs 6 and 7 have been switched from ON to OFF but the change is pending; i.e. not yet complete. • Outputs 7 and 8 have been switched from OFF to ON but the change is pending; i.e. not yet complete.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 18  INTRO TO ET Figure 7.  Button options.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 19  NI ET 2  NETWORK INTERFACE ET The screen displays for the NI in this section are those that will be seen when directly connected to the NI using the front panel USB connection.  When accessing an NI remotely through the TM, the view  remains  largely  the  same  but  only  a  single  ‘Eng’  function  is  available  (see  Section  3.5  – Remote View of an NI). 2.1  INTRODUCTION The initial main window view of an unconfigured and unconnected NI is shown below in Figure 8. Figure 8.  An Unconfigured NI. Once  a  basic  configuration  has  been  established  and  the  timing  and  network  connections  are made, the main window view will change according to the role assigned to the NI by the TM.  This is reflected in the left hand column or panel where items and facilities related to use are displayed (see  Figures  9(a)  and  9(b)  overleaf).    All  of  the  sub-facilities  buttons  along  the  bottom  of  the window lead to the same features regardless of the NI mode of operation.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 20  NI ET Figure 9(a).  Central Mode. Figure 9(b).  Station Mode. The following sections will outline the meaning of the indications on the NI ET main window.  The purpose of the buttons will be described here but their full usage is covered under other sections. 2.2  NI MODE PANEL All indications shown in the figures overleaf are shown in an inactive state.  A Central NI is shown in Figure 10a and a Station NI is shown in Figure 10b. The action  of changing the  IP  address of the NI  will  cause  the  unit  to  return to  an unconfigured state  clearing  the  NI  Mode  Panel  of  detail  (see  Figure  8).    Once  communications  are  re-established with the TM, the NI Mode Panel details will re-appear and show the information relating to the role of the NI within the Solar network.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 21  NI ET Figure 10.  NI Mode Panel views.  2.2.1  Eng Area 2.2.1.1  Manual Trig This warning indicator is lit Blue when the ‘Manual Trigger’ facility is invoked as this will interfere with normal operation – see Section 5.2.2.3 – Manual Trigger. 2.2.1.2  Test Tone Activating the engineering Test Tone (see Section 5.2.3.3 – Test Tone) will cause the ‘Test Tone’ indicator to be lit Blue.  This serves as a warning that the NI has been placed in a mode that will interfere with normal operation. 2.3  NI STATUS PAGE – UPPER AREA The default or opening view of the NI is to display the ‘Status’ page as shown in Figure 9.  If this page is not displayed, clicking on the ‘Status’ tab will open the page. The NI Status page can be divided into the “Upper  Area” (see Figure 11 below) and the “Lower Area”.    The  upper  area  comprises  of  the  ‘Address’,  ‘Name’,  ‘Channel’,  ‘Iso  I/P’  and  ‘Iso  O/P’ fields/parameters.  The lower area comprises of ‘Network’, ‘PLL’ and ‘Timing’ fields/parameters. Figure 11.  NI Status Page – Upper Area. Each area and their fields/parameters are now described. Control/Console operatorinitiated transmit function.Control/Console operatorinitiated T/T (repeat) function.Incoming (receiving) callpresent.Warning indications ofengineering test facilitiesin use.  Indications are lit when active.Blue(a)Rx = Receiver active: = Active;   flashing = Inhibited.Yellow RedTx = Transmitter PTT: = Active;   flashing = Inhibited.Yellow RedRSSI level:   rising bar for normalRSSI;   full height bar = “Eng Call”YellowBlueRSSI Value: 0 = no signal; 14 = topRSSI; 15 = “ Eng Call”Warning indications ofengineering test facilitiesin use.  Indications are lit when active.Blue(b)
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 22 NI ET 2.3.1  Address This indicates the role of the NI in the context of the Solar network.  It is not manually entered as it is derived automatically when the NI is allocated to a role by the TM during the TM configuration process. The prefix  ‘CEN’  indicates  that the  mode  is  “Central”  and  the  prefix  ‘STN’ indicates  the  mode  is “Station”.  The suffix indicates the operating number that this unit has been assigned; for Central the number is in the range of 1 to 16, for Stations 1 to 32. 2.3.2  Name This is a user defined text label to aid identification of the NI.  The name will be displayed in some of the TM ET windows to assist the user by confirming that the NI being viewed or altered is the correct one.  The process to enter text for the name is detailed in Section 5.2.3.1 – Name. 2.3.3  Channel This  shows  the  current  channel  assignment  of  the  NI  in  the  multi-channel  versions  of  TM.    For single channel versions this will always be 1. 2.3.4  Iso I/P and Iso O/P The  application  of  an  input  condition  to  an  ‘Iso  I/P’  (Isolated  Input)  or  activation  of  an  ‘Iso  O/P’ (Isolated Output) will be shown by the associated indicator being lit Yellow.  Each input and output can be named by the user to aid identification of the role assigned to each function. For further  information  on  the  setup options  for these  inputs  and  outputs,  see Section  5.2.2.4  – Isolated Inputs and Section 5.2.2.5 – Isolated Outputs respectively.   Any Isolated I/P may be assigned to “Alarm” status – see Section 12 – Alarms. 2.4  NI STATUS PAGE – LOWER AREA The information in the  Network and PLL areas rotate to  show the full set of details; the Network area taking two rotations and the PLL area three rotations as shown below in Figure 12. Figure 12.  NI Status Page – Lower Area. 2.4.1  Network 2.4.1.1  In/Out The ‘Network’ ‘In/Out’ indications are designed to show if data flow fails in either direction, with the indications turning Red if data flow is lost.  However, the way in which IP networks operate mean that one way data flow is an unlikely condition.   Clearly, the NI will be aware when the incoming data fails, however, knowledge that packets are being received by the TM is made evident to the NI by information in the packets sent from the TM.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 23 NI ET Moving the  mouse pointer over the ‘In’ indicator will show information  about  packet errors – see Section 2.4.1.4 below. A network failure may be assigned to ‘Alarm’ status – see Section 12 – Alarms.  There will be a delay  of  several  seconds  between  the  moment  of  network  failure  and  the  failed  indication appearing, in order to prevent short drop-outs from raising the alarm. 2.4.1.2  PAT The Packet Arrival Time (‘PAT’) is the time, in milliseconds, taken for packet zero to arrive at the NI.  The value is  rounded  up  to the nearest millisecond and is used  as an  indication of  network transit time.  It is updated every second and is also presented on the ‘Sync Timing’ screen of the TM ET (see Section 5.3.1 – Sync Timing). This value should largely remain static unless a network re-route is experienced.  A figure that is not stable may indicate a network problem as long as the NI is receiving a valid timing signal.  If the ‘PLL’ is indicating a frequency error, the PAT report cannot be trusted. 2.4.1.3  TOT This is the setting of the Total Output Time (TOT) as configured in the TM.  See Section 7 – Solar (Sync) Timing for detailed information. 2.4.1.4  Pkt Errors This is an incrementing count updated in real time that shows the number of packets that arrive too late for processing at the NI (this includes any that do not arrive at all).  The value shown is that which has occurred since the ET was first connected and this may be set to zero by clicking on the count value. A  total  count  of  packet  errors  is  maintained  in  the  NI  itself  and  this  value,  together  with  the  ET value of packet errors, will be displayed in a “hints window” for a short time if the mouse pointer is positioned over the Network ‘In’ indicator.  The NI total count value will be reset by a power off/on cycle of the NI. In  both  cases,  the  values  will  roll  back  to  zero  after  reaching  65,535.    A  count  that  is  gradually incrementing indicates that  the packets are  either being lost or, more  likely, arriving close to the limit of the buffer/time settings, with some simply falling past the boundary. 2.4.2  PLL 2.4.2.1  Status and Freq Error/Phase Error The ‘PLL’  is the report on the accuracy of the internal clock,  which is  locked to the 1PPS timing signal in  order  to  synchronise  the audio.   At  power-up,  this  indication  will be Red  and  the ‘Freq Error’ and ‘Phase Error’ counts will be zero.  Once the PPS timing signal is present, a ‘Freq Error’ will be shown and this will be brought down to zero over a period of several seconds.  This will be followed  by  a  ‘Phase  Error’  count  being  shown,  which  again  will  gradually  be  brought  down towards zero, although this action could take a minute or even longer to achieve.  Once the ‘Freq Error’ count is less than 4  and the ‘Phase Error’ count is less than 30, the ‘Status’  indication will turn Green. A large PLL error will be manifest as a wideband phase error on the audio output, however, being a very fine indication, the resultant effect on the audio is such that a ‘Phase Error’ value as high as 50 is most unlikely to be evident in a signal overlap area.  A PLL phase error has no discernable effect for a NI operating in Central mode.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 24 NI ET Losing the 1PPS timing signal will cause the frequency and phase error reports to show zero.  On resumption of the timing signal and, depending upon the period of time that the timing signal was lost, a ‘Freq Error’ may be seen, however, a ‘Phase Error’ is the most likely result together with the ‘Status’ indication being lit Red.  Errors will be corrected as described above.  If the 1PPS timing signal is lost for a long period, control of the PLL may be taken on by the Traffic Manager – see Section 2.4.5.2 – Ref. A PLL ‘Status’ failure may be assigned to “Alarm” status – see Section 12 – Alarms. 2.4.2.2  Ref The clock reference for the PLL is normally the 1PPS timing signal as indicated by the text report ‘PPS’.  Loss of the timing signal will result in a slow drift of the clock and, over an extended period of time, will result in the timing being too inaccurate and packets will be lost, which will ultimately cause the NI to cease operating. In order to mitigate this situation, the TM can assume control of the PLL and adjust the PLL so that the  packet arrival  times  are  maintained.  When operating  in  this mode, the  report  will show  ‘TM (+x)’ where “x” is a number used by the internal process of frame alignment (normally zero unless the  power  has  been  interrupted).    The  ‘Freq  Error’  and  ‘Phase  Error’  counts  will remain  at  zero whilst the PLL is being controlled by the TM. 2.4.2.3  Offset This is the report of the ‘Offset delay’ that may be applied to each Station NI – see Section 5.2.1.7 Offset Delay.  Delay offset has no effective meaning or use on a NI operating in Central mode. 2.4.2.4  DSP This report confirms that the DSP is operating correctly.  If a problem occurs the report will show ‘Error’ and the text in the PLL area will no longer rotate. 2.4.2.5  DAC This is the reading of the internal control of the PLL.  The reading will vary during normal operation. 2.4.3  Timing – PPS A Green  PPS  indication  shows  that  the  selected  source  of  1PPS  timing  signal  (see Section 5.2.3.2 – GPS Module) is present; a Red indication shows no input.  If the timing signal source is a GPS receiver with NMEA data output, the number shown alongside the indicator is the number of satellites (Space Vehicles) being used to acquire a fix or the number in use once the fix has been obtained.    Loss  of  timing  signal  input  may  be  assigned  to  “Alarm”  status  –  see Section  12  – Alarms. 2.5  ENVIRONMENT I/O INTERFACE The  ‘Environment  I/O’  interface  is  an  independent  sub-module  within  the  Solar  2  unit.    It  is accessible from and available to any of the main modules that are fitted to the unit.  Although the description of the operation of the I/O is presented here under the NI ET it is just the same for the TM  ET  if  the  TM  module  is  installed  in  the  unit.    Consequently,  any  action  or  setting  applied through one module is visible to and open to change through another module. 2.5.1  Environment Status The  status  of  each  of  the  sixteen  connection  points  that  comprise  the  ‘Environment  I/O’  are displayed on  the Environment page shown in Figure 13 overleaf.   To open this page, select the ‘Environment’ tab.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 25 NI ET Figure 13.  Environment I/O. 2.5.2  Indicators Each  connection  point  is  able  to  operate  as  an  input  or  an  output,  which  is  defined  by  the configuration mode for each connection (see Section 5.2.4 – Environment).  Inputs are denoted by a circular indicator and outputs by a square indicator.  An active input or output is shown by the corresponding  indicator  being  lit Yellow  as  seen  in Figure  13  above.    Each  connection  has provision for a user entered text label alongside the indicator (see Section 5.2.4.1 – Status). 2.6  NI BUTTON AREA An overview of the functions of  each button  on  the  NI  ET main  page is provided in the sections below.    Full  details  of  the  operation  of  each  will  be  covered  under Section  5  Solar Commissioning. Figure 14.  NI ET Buttons. 2.6.1  Network The ‘Network’ button opens the window where the IP address of the NI is entered – see Section 4.2 – Setting the NI IP Address for full details.  This facility is only available to the NI ET. 2.6.2  Eng (Engineering) Selecting the ‘Eng’ button opens a new window that has four pages of information: ‘Main Audio’, ‘Signalling’, ‘Facilities’ and ‘Environment’.  Each page is accessed by selecting the corresponding tab  –  see Section  5.2  –  NI  Engineering  for  details  of  each.    The  results  are  identical to  those obtained on the TM ET view of the NI. 2.6.3  DSP The ‘DSP’ button is used if new firmware is to be loaded into the DSP – see Section 11.2.5 – NI DSP Firmware Up-issue for full details.  This facility is only available to the NI ET. 2.6.4  GPS If the 1PPS timing signal is being supplied from a GPS receiver that also has NMEA data output; e.g. Dalman 60742, the ‘GPS’ button opens a window where information about the satellites and the  received  signal  levels  is  displayed.    If  no  NMEA  data  is  available  then  the  window  will  be devoid of information.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 26 NI ET As the TM also needs a timing signal, the identical facility is available to the TM ET (although not for a remote view of the NI).  Therefore, details of the GPS window and the indicators for both ETs are given in Section 9.1 – GPS.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 27 TM ET 3  TRAFFIC MANAGER ET 3.1  INTRODUCTION The main operating entry level window to the Solar TM ET application software is shown below in Figure 15.  It provides a reflection of the Solar network status.  The Station NI panels will be blank until assigned an IP address of the respective NI and enabled whereupon additional indicators and a control become visible. 3.2  MAIN WINDOW The main window divides into two areas: • The upper area is fixed and shows the status of all the Station NI. • The lower area varies according to the selection made. The example in Figure 22 below shows a TM that has only been setup for a single station.  The number of channel (‘Chn:’) tabs is likely to be different to this example. Figure 15.  TM Main window. In Figure  15,  the  Upper  Area  shows  the  status  of  all  Stations  for  all  channels  through  “Station Interface  Panels”.    The  details  in  the  Lower  Area  will  change  to  reflect  the  status  of  the  item selected. The  following  sub-sections  and  paragraphs  outline  the  meaning  of  the  indications  on  the  main window and panel areas.  Separate sections in this manual deal with the actions and subsequent pages associated with the buttons. Station Interface Panels Station Interface Panels Upper area Lower area
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 28 TM ET 3.3  UPPER AREA 3.3.1  Station NI Panels As a minimum, each panel in the upper area of the TM ET will have a numbered button displayed.  This  button  is  the  route  to  the  IP  address  assignment  facility  as  shown  in Section  4.4.3  – Allocating a Station NI.  A second button, a bar and a round coloured indicator will appear once the  panel  has  been  allocated  to  an  NI,  i.e.  given  the  IP  address  of  an  NI  and  “Enabled”  (see Figure 16 below). The panel border highlight is designed to show extra detail about the Station NI and will not appear until the panel has been allocated. Figure 16.  Station NI panels. The functions of each indicator are as follows: • Vertical Bar: o RSSI level, indicated by the height of the Yellow bar. o Voter override, indicated by a Blue bar (see Section 5.4.2.2 – Voter Override). • Round Status indicator: o Green – Normal condition during no signal/idle period. o Yellow – Site selected by “voter”. o Red steady – No network comms. o Red flashing – NI inhibit invoked or no timing signal input. • The panel border highlight colours: o No highlight – this station is not in the currently selected channel. o Green – this station is a member of the selected channel. o Red flashing – an alarm is present or has not been acknowledged. o Yellow flashing – an alarm is present and has been acknowledged. • Bottom button (no legend): o Access to the remote view of a Station NI for engineering purposes.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 29 TM ET 3.4  LOWER AREA 3.4.1  TM Status Panel The  TM  Status  panel  is  selected  by  selecting  the  ‘TM’  tab  (indicated  in Figure  17  below).    The example shown below in Figure 17 is of a TM with the maximum number of channels enabled; a typical  TM  configuration is  likely  to  have  many  fewer  channels.   When  used  with a  Solar 2  P25 system, a maximum of four channels can be enabled (see Figure 18). Figure 17.  TM Status Panel. Figure 18.  TM Status Panel for P25 system. The status indications presented on this panel and the configurable settings accessed through the buttons  on  this  panel  are  global  for  the  TM,  i.e.  they  are  common  to  all  Channels  and  all  NI.  Summary details of each item in this panel are provided in the following sections although the user may be directed to other sections in this manual for more comprehensive information. 3.4.1.1  Duplication A  normal  operating  state  is  indicated  by  a Green  status  indicator,  an  abnormal  state  by  a Red indicator.  See Section 8.2.4 – Duplication Status for full details. 3.4.1.2  Timing A  normal  operating  state  is  indicated  by  a Green  status  indicator,  an  abnormal  state  by  a Red indicator.  If the timing signal source is a GPS receiver with NMEA data output, the number shown alongside the indicator is the number of satellites (Space Vehicles) being used to acquire a fix or the number in use once the fix has been acquired. Whilst the  TM  is  designed to  operate  with  a  global timing  signal,  it is  able to  continue operation without  it,  since  the  TM  clock  timing  is  not  critical  to  delivering  synchronised  audio.    Under  this situation, the TM will adjust its clock to maintain consistent PAT timing reports from NIs that have the  global  timing  signal.    This  is  indicated  by  the  text  ‘NI’  replacing  that  of  the  ‘SV’  number alongside the indicator which will remain lit Red. Loss of the timing signal may be assigned to “Alarm” status – see Section 12 – Alarms.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 30 TM ET 3.4.1.3  Facility Key A normal operating state is indicated by the status indicator being lit Green, an abnormal state by a status indicator being lit Red.  See Section 9.2 – Facility Key for full details. 3.4.1.4  Network See Section 4.3 – Setting the TM IP Address for full details. 3.4.1.5  Eng See Section 5.3 – TM Engineering for full details. 3.4.1.6  GPS See Section 9.1 – GPS for full details. 3.4.1.7  Relations See Section 6 – Solar Channels (Relations) for full details. 3.4.1.8  Logging See Section 13 – TM Logging for full details. 3.4.1.9  List The ‘List’ feature is an aid for the user as opposed to a commissioning tool.  It presents the user with a window giving a list of ‘System Names’, i.e. those given to every NI and channel on the TM.  Whist  this  is  available  as  a  discrete  function  from  the  ‘List’  button,  it  is  most  useful  when  the ‘Relations’ function is used and can be accessed directly from that page.  It is therefore described in greater detail in Section 6 – Solar Channels (Relations). 3.4.1.10  Chan View See Section 6.3 – Channel View Facility for full details. 3.4.2  Channel Status Panel To select the status window for Channel #N (where N is the number of the required channel), click ‘Chn:’ N tab (indicated in Figure 19 below).  The tab will gain a Green highlight when selected as does the Station Interface panels of all member sites of this Channel (see Section 3.3.1 – Station NI Panels).  If a Central NI has been assigned to operate this Channel, the tab for that unit will also gain  the Green  highlight.    The  example  in Figure  19  shows  Channel  #1  selected,  which  is operated by Central NI #1. Functions and facilities accessed using the ‘Setup’ button are covered in Section 5.4 – Channel Setup. Figure 19.  Channel #1 Status Panel.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 31 TM ET 3.4.2.1  Name A simple  text  label that  can be entered by the  user  through ‘Setup’ to identify one channel from another (see Section 5.4.1 – Name). 3.4.2.2  Status (a).  ‘MTx Key’ – lit Yellow when the channel is keyed either by a control PTT from a Central NI or as a result of a voted signal being present while T/T is on. (b).  ‘Talk Thru’ – lit Yellow when the channel has T/T switched on either by an input signal to a Central NI or a setting of the TM Setup. (c).  ‘Voted Site’ – the number of the site currently selected as offering the best incoming signal is displayed.  The number is that of the station panel for that site. (d).  ‘Voted Level’ – the Solar RSSI level that is being presented by the site currently selected. 3.4.3  Central NI Status Panel The status window for Central NI #N (where N is the number of the NI) is selected by clicking on the ‘Cen:’ N tab (highlighted in Figure 20 below). Figure 20.  Central NI #1 Status Panel. The Central NI Status Panel tab gains a Green highlight when selected as does the Channel ‘Chn:’ #N  tab  to  which  the  Central  NI  has  been  assigned.    All  the  Station  Interface  Panels  that  are members  of  the  Channel  will  also  gain  the Green  highlight.    The  example  in Figure  20  shows Central NI #1 selected, which operates Channel #1. The facility accessed using the Network button is covered in Section 4.4.4 – Allocating a Central NI.  The button (no legend) in the ‘Central’ area provides access to the remote view of the Central NI for engineering purposes. 3.4.3.1  Central Indicators (a).  ‘Status’  –  lit Green  when  network  communications  with  the  Central  NI  is  established  and Red if it fails.  This may be assigned ‘Alarm’ status – see Section 12 – Alarms. (b).  ‘Tx Key’ – lit Yellow when the Central NI has a PTT applied from a control or console input. (c).  ‘Talk Thru’ – lit Yellow when the Central NI has the T/T input signal applied.  The indicator and text will be disabled (greyed out) if the Central NI is not configured for control of T/T – see Figure  28  as  an  example  and Section  5.2.2.4  –  Isolated  Inputs  for  details  on configuring Isolated Inputs.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 32 TM ET 3.5  REMOTE VIEW OF A NI The  facility  to  remotely  examine  the  status  and  adjust  the  engineering  settings  of  a  NI  from  a connection  to  the  TM  is  enormously  beneficial  especially  if  the  host  network  permits  this  to  be achieved  from  anywhere  on  the  network.    The  view  of  any  NI  when  accessed  in  this  way  is essentially the  same as for  a local NI  ET  connection, the main difference being the  number and designation of the buttons across the lower area. There  are  two  examples  of  a  NI  accessed  through  the  TM  ET  shown  overleaf  in Figure  21;  a Central NI on the top and a Station NI on the bottom (again the outer frame of the ET screen has been removed for clarity). The  TM  ET  only  shows  the  ‘Eng’,  ‘Alarms’  and  ‘Close’  buttons.    With  the  exception  of  “Alarm” related  items  which  are  only  available  to  the  TM  ET  as  alarm  functions,  the  ‘NI  Engineering’ facilities accessed through the ‘Eng’ button are identical to that of a locally connected NI ET – refer to those sections in the handbook as necessary.  The ‘Close’ button closes the view of the NI as does the standard Windows™ close icon  in the top right corner.  Figure 21.  Views of NI with a TM ET.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 33 SOLAR CONFIGURATION 4  SOLAR CONFIGURATION 4.1  IP ADDRESSES For efficient and effective user interaction with the ET, it is essential that the user has knowledge of the topography of the system. Before anything else  can happen  the  IP  addresses of  the equipment must  be  assigned and  set.  The assigned IP address for an individual unit on any monolithic network must be unique, i.e. there must not be more than one equipment unit with a given IP address.  This rule covers all equipment units on  the network and there may be units that have no relationship with the  Solar equipment.  Generally, the IP addresses will be assigned by a network administrator – possibly in agreement with the Solar commissioning technician.  A pre-defined plan of IP addresses is likely to make the task more straightforward and reduce the possibility of errors. For an overview discussion about IP addresses, Subnet masks, Primary and Secondary gateways see the paper published on the Team Simoco web site http://www.teamsimoco.com/downloads. 4.2  SETTING THE NI IP ADDRESS (NI ET ONLY) Connect the NI  ET to an NI whereupon the  ET main window will show  as  one of three variants: unconfigured (Figure 8); Station mode; or Central mode (Figure 9).  It is not necessary for the NI to be connected to the network at this stage. In the example shown below in Figure 22, the blank ‘Address’ window and the blank panel on the left indicate that this NI has not been in communication with a TM.  Even if these are not blank, the action of changing the IP address will cause that information to be cleared and will remain in that state until communications with a TM is established. Figure 22.  Setting the NI IP Address. To set the IP address of an NI, proceed as follows: 1.  On the NI window, select the ‘Network’ button (indicated) and the NI IP ‘Setup’ window will be displayed. 2.  On the NI IP ‘Setup’ window, carry out the following:
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 34 SOLAR CONFIGURATION 2.1.  Enter the IP address and subnet mask. Note. The  subnet  mask  and gateway  address  are not  required  by  a  NI  but  this facility  has been provided for possible future upgrades. 2.2.  Check the ‘Enable’ box. 2.3.  Select ‘Apply’ and then ‘Close’. 3.  Repeat Paras 1 to 2.3 above for every NI in the system. It may prove helpful if the IP address is noted on the NI case to save having to reconnect the NI ET later just to find that detail (it is not visible to the TM ET). 4.3  SETTING THE TM IP ADDRESS (TM ET ONLY) The next stage is to set the IP address of the TM and this requires that the TM ET is connected locally (front panel USB connection). Figure 23.  Setting the TM IP Address. To set the IP address of a TM, proceed as follows: 1.  On the TM ET window, select the ‘TM’ tab (indicated in Figure 23) to open the view of the TM status panel. 2.  On the TM Status Panel, select the ‘Network’ button to open the ‘TM Network Setup’ page. 3.  On the ‘TM Network Setup’ window, carry out the following: 3.1.  Select  the  ‘Eng’  button  and  enter  the  ‘IP  address’,  ‘Subnet  mask’  and  ‘Gateway’ address.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 35 SOLAR CONFIGURATION 3.2.  From the drop-down list, set the ‘Traffic Manager Duplication’ option to ‘Unduplicated’.  (If the duplication option has not been  purchased  then ‘Unduplicated’  will be  the only available item in the drop-down list). Note. Even  if  the  final  system  configuration  is  to  use  the  ‘Traffic  Manager  Duplication’ option, at this stage it should be set as “Unduplicated”.  This option can be changed later as detailed in Section 8 – TM Duplication. 3.3.  Select ‘Apply’ then ‘Close’. 4.3.1  Network Connected ET Once the TM has been given an IP address, it is then possible to continue configuration of the TM using a network connected ET if this is more convenient. Note. A change to the PC IP address may be required in order to put it in the same subnet at the  TM,  as  the  TM  does  not allocate  the address,  i.e. it  does not  provide  a  Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service. Figure 24.  Changing to a Network Connected TM ET. To change from a local ET to a network connection ET, proceed as follows: 1.  Close the existing connection and the ‘Disconnected’ sub-window as per Section 1.4.1. 2.  On the TM ET window, on the menu bar, select ‘Options’ > ‘Setup’. 3.  On the ‘ET Setup’ page, carry out the following: 3.1.  From the drop-down list, set the ‘Method:’ to ‘Network’.  The ‘Network’ button will now become active. 3.2.  Select the ‘Network’ button and the ‘Network Setup’ page will be displayed. 4.  On the ‘Network Setup’ page, enter the ‘IP address’ of the TM and select ‘Close’. 5.  On the ‘ET Setup’ page, select ‘Close’. 6.  On the TM ET window, on the menu bar, select ‘Options’ > ‘Connect’.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 36 SOLAR CONFIGURATION Configuration  can  now  continue  as  for  a  local  connection.    However,  it  will  not  be  possible  to change any of the IP parameters of the TM itself whilst connected in this way but this information will be displayed when the TM ‘Network’ button is clicked. 4.4  TM ADDRESS INVENTORY The  next  stage  is  to  inform  the  TM  of  all  the  NIs  that  will  operate  within  the  Solar  network.  Therefore, the IP address of every NI must be known, if not actually programmed into the NI units although that is preferable. 4.4.1  TM Capacity A Solar network can be populated by a maximum of 32 NIs operating in Station mode.  Depending upon  the  configuration  options  purchased,  the  Solar  P25  network  may  comprise  of  multiple channels up to a maximum of 4 and a maximum of 4 NIs operating in Central mode.  One channel may support the maximum of 32 Station NIs and may be permitted to have more than one Central NI per channel (this is a factory configured option). If the PMR system is only required to work in T/T (repeat) mode, a Central NI it is not necessary (there being no Console or Control Room).  Every NI will be assigned a unique system ‘Address’:  Central NIs will range from CEN1 to CEN4; and Stations from STN1 to STN32 – these numbers are crucial for the multi-channel option. 4.4.2  Allocating NI It is important to understand that the action of entering the IP address for each and every NI into the  TM’s  system  address  inventory  defines  the  mode  of  operation  of  each  NI  unit  within  the system.  Furthermore, the settings stored in the TM for the NI relate to the system address and not to the individual unit’s IP address.  It is  the system address that is used  to  allocate stations and centrals to channels in the multi-channel version. Whilst the same IP address should not be entered in more than one place in the system, this is not an illegal  action.   However, an  attempt to  ‘Enable’ a  second use  of the same  IP  address  on the system will be rejected. 4.4.3  Allocating a Station NI The upper area of the TM ET main window shows 32 blank station panels, which relate to the 32 possible Station NI (radio base stations) in the Solar network.  These will show the status of each Station NI member as they are connected. This process would logically start at #1 and increment in order, however, this is not mandatory, as any Station NI may be assigned to any station panel.  For a multi-channel system, there is merit in arranging the stations in groups with unassigned panels between them, which makes the channel separation more obvious. Figure 25 overleaf shows a NI being allocated to Station #1 (station panel #1).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 37 SOLAR CONFIGURATION Figure 25.  Allocating a Station NI. The allocation process is as follows: 1.  On the TM ET window, on the relevant station panel, click the “identity” button to gain access to the ‘NI Setup’ page. 2.  On the ‘NI Setup’ page, carry out the following: 2.1.  Enter  the  ‘IP  address’  of  the  NI  that  is  to  be  used  as  the  Station  Interface  for  that number. 2.2.  Check the ‘Enable’ check box. 2.3.  Select ‘Apply’ > ‘Close’. 3.  Repeat Paras 1 to 2.3 for each Station NI on the system. If the NI is connected to the network, communication should be established immediately so that the NI  adopts  a  Station  mode  of  operation  with  the  station  panel  number  displayed  as  the  system ‘Address’ on the NI main window.  The station panels will also confirm communication is active by displaying a Green status indication at the bottom of the panel (see Figure 26 below). Figure 26.  Station #1 allocated and operating.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 38 SOLAR CONFIGURATION Note. If an IP address is entered that is the same as one already actively in use anywhere on the TM this will be cleared back to the previous setting when ‘Apply’ is clicked. 4.4.4  Allocating a Central NI The  process  and  rules  for  the  allocation  of  a  NI  as  a  Central  unit  are  much  the  same  as  for  a Station. Figure 27.  Allocating a Central NI. The allocation process is as follows: 1.  On the TM ET window, open the Central Interface status panel #N by clicking on ‘Cen:’ #N tab (indicated in Figure 27). 2.  On the #N Central Interface status panel, select the ‘Network’ button to open the ‘NI Setup’ page. 3.  On the ‘NI Setup’ page, carry out the following: 3.1.  Enter  the  ‘IP  address’  of  the  NI  that  is  to  be  used  as  the  Central  Interface  for  that number. 3.2.  Check the ‘Enable’ check box. 3.3.  Select ‘Apply’ > ‘Close’. 4.  Repeat Paras 1 to 3.3 for each Central NI on the system. If  the  corresponding  NI  is  connected  to  the  network,  communication  should  be  established immediately so the NI will adopt a  Central mode of operation and the  system Address on the NI main window will show ‘CEN #N’.  The TM central status panel will also confirm communication is active by displaying a Green status indication (see Figure 28 overleaf). Note. If an IP address is entered that is the same as one already actively in use anywhere on the TM this will be cleared back to the previous setting when ‘Apply’ is clicked.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 39 SOLAR CONFIGURATION Figure 28.  Central #1 allocated and operating. 4.4.5  Channel Designation (Multi-channel TM Option) At this stage, every Station NI will be assigned to operate on Channel 1 – this is the default setting.  This does not affect the commissioning process, although it is likely that the task will be conducted on a channel by channel basis. Therefore, the user may prefer to  go directly to Section 6 – Solar Channels  (Relations), which details  the  procedures  for  assigning  Station  and  Central  NIs  to  channels,  before  proceeding  to Section 5 – Solar Commissioning.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 40 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5  SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.1  COMMISSIONING OVERVIEW Solar commissioning falls into two stages: (a).  Configuring  the  analogue  interface  of  each  NI  to  suit  the  requirements  of  the  connected equipment. (b).  Configuring the system parameters to meet the operational requirements. Stages (a) lies entirely with the NI and comes under ‘Engineering’ settings, which can be set using the TM ET as well as the NI ET.  Stage (b) lies entirely with the TM and can therefore only be set using the TM ET. After the  basic commissioning is complete there is  likely to be a period of  optimisation when the Solar network is “fine tuned” to the IP bearer network.  Ultimately, the  user may like  to consider ways to enhance the Solar network with the addition of specific features such as Alarms, SNMP or TM redundancy (the latter two features are special options).  These particular topics are dealt with in their own sections. 5.2  NI ENGINEERING All “Engineering”  settings  and adjustments that are  accessed under the ‘NI  Engineering’  window are available to both the NI ET and TM ET.  The settings are stored in the TM, which continually sends this information as part of the Solar supervisory system.  The settings are also held in the non-volatile  memory  of  each  NI,  so  that  the  NI  can  continue  to  operate  in  a  fall  back  mode  if isolated from the TM as well as recovering quickly from a loss of power. These settings are referenced by the NI ‘Address’ as designated in the TM and not the IP address, although,  naturally,  the  IP  address  for  each  NI  must  match  that  held  in  the  TM  for  correct operation.    This  means  that  replacement  of  an  NI  is  made  much  more  straightforward  as  the ‘Engineering’ settings will be automatically uploaded when contact with the TM is established. For example, replacing the NI in Site #4 will result in the original settings for that site being passed in a few seconds to the replacement unit, which must match the IP address of the original unit (text labels will take a lot longer as these are given lowest priority). The ‘NI Engineering’ window is accessed by clicking on the ‘Eng’ button on the NI main window – see Section  2.6  –  NI  Button  Area.    This  action  opens  a  new  window  that  has  four  pages  of information:  ‘Main  Audio’,  ‘Signalling’,  ‘Facilities’  and  ‘Environment’.    Each  page  is  accessed  by clicking on the tab for that page. The ‘NI Engineering’ window also has an ‘Eng’ button that must be clicked “IN” before a  change can be made, whereupon the ‘Apply’ button will become active.  Any changes in settings will not become  active  until  the  ‘Apply’  button  is  selected.    The  ‘NI  Engineering’  window  is  closed  by clicking on the ‘Close’ button or the close icon  in the top right hand corner.  Any changes made but not applied will be lost when the window is closed. If these pages are viewed through the TM ET there will be an ‘Alarm’ button on the lower area of the page and extra tabs on the ‘Signalling’ and ‘Environment’ pages – see Section 12 – Alarms for full details of these functions. 5.2.1  Main Audio The audio input and output levels and other associated functions are set through this page of the ‘NI  Engineering’  facility.    The  ‘Main  Audio’  page  of  the  NI  Engineering  facility  for  an  Analogue system is shown overleaf in Figure 29.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 41 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Figure 29.  NI Engineering – Main Audio (Analogue). The ‘Main Audio’ page of the NI Engineering facility for a P25 system is shown below in Figure 30. Figure 30.  NI Engineering – Main Audio (P25). 5.2.1.1  In Audio Sensitivity The input  sensitivity  is  determined  by  adjustment of  a  coarse  gain  setting (left  slider) and  a  fine gain setting (right slider) (see Figure 31).  The gauge on the right is an expanded view of the left hand gauge to provide greater accuracy of setting.  The current settings are shown by the marker to the right of the slider and the numerical value at the bottom.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 42 SOLAR COMMISSIONING When a level change is applied, the marker alongside the slider will turn Blue until the change is confirmed, whereupon the  position of the marker will match  that  of  the slider  control  pointer and turn Grey again. Figure 31.  Audio I/P Level adjustment. 5.2.1.2  Audio Input Setup Process The following process is used to setup the audio input sensitivity: 1.  Apply a test tone (see note) to the input at the required Peak System Level (PSL). Note. Due to the digitisation sampling rate, the gauge and reading will not be stable at a test tone  frequency  of  1  kHz  or  multiples  thereof  (an  aliasing  effect).    However,  even  a small  change  (a  few  Hertz)  will  greatly  stabilise  the  readings.    A  change  of  at  least ±20 Hz is recommended to give a fully stable result. 2.  Adjust the input gain control and fine slider so that the top of the blue “gauge” is aligned to the  centre  of  the  green  datum  mark.    (Adjusting  the  coarse  gain  control  may  cause  a momentary effect on the PLL status). 3.  The reading at the foot of the gauge is the Solar internal PSL and a reading of 10,000 (±50) is the target value. 4.  The coarse gain setting steps are 0 db, +6 dB, +12 dB, +18 dB, +20 dB, +26 dB and +32 dB. 5.  As a guide, each “click” on the fine slider nominally corresponds to change of 0.05 dB and changes the internal input level reading by approximately 50 points. Note. A change in the coarse gain setting will cause the PLL to show an error and possibly an alarm for a short duration. Sliders Markers
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 43 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.2.1.3  Out Audio Level The audio output  level  is  set using a coarse  level control  (left slider)  and fine  level  control (right slider) (see Figure 32).  The current settings are shown by the marker to the right of the slider and the value at the bottom. Figure 32.  Audio Output Level adjustment. When a level change is applied, the marker alongside the slider will turn Blue until the change is confirmed, whereupon the  position of the marker will match  that  of  the slider  control  pointer and turn Grey again. 5.2.1.4  Audio Output Setup Process The  audio  output  level  is  set  using  the  Test  Tone  facility,  which  is  described  in  more  detail  in Section 5.2.3.3 – Test Tone. The following process is used to setup the audio output level: 1.  Connect an audio level measuring device to the output port ensuring that a 600 Ω termination is applied. 2.  Invoke the internal ‘Test Tone’ to  ‘External’  route ensuring  that  the test tone level is set to maximum (0 dB). 3.  Adjust  the  output  gain  control  and  fine  slider  to  achieve  PSL.    (Adjusting  the  coarse  gain control may cause a momentary effect on the PLL status.) 4.  The coarse gain settings are in 3 dB steps from 0 dB down to −24 dB 5.  The  fine  slider  gives  a  6  dB  range  of  control  and  each  “click”  nominally corresponds  to  a change of 0.05 dB. Whilst the preferred method is  to set peak  levels,  it  is possible to  set the audio  output for levels less than peak as long as the Test Tone output level is set to match.  For example, to set a 60% system level of −10 dBm, set the Test Tone output level to −4.4 dB (60% of peak) and adjust the output level controls to give −10 dBm.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 44 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Note. A change in the coarse gain setting will cause the PLL to show an error and possibly an alarm for a short duration. 5.2.1.5  In Route The ‘In Route’ functions available for an Analogue system are shown below in Figure 33.  For a P25 system, only the inhibit function is available.  Details of the functions are: (a). Invert.    When  the  ‘Invert’  option  is  selected,  the  phase  of  the  audio  input  signal  will  be inverted  (phase  reversal).    Whilst  this  function  is  not  normally  required,  it  does  provide  a useful facility in the advent that the audio wiring between NI and base station is suspected as being reversed. (b). Inhibit.  When the ‘Inhibit’ option is selected, the audio signal fed in will be inhibited in the NI, which will cause a flashing Red warning indication on the front panel LED Status indicators.  Depending upon  the operational mode and setup configuration of the NI, these inhibits  will also result in the Tx key or voting functions being inhibited, i.e. all associated input signalling will also be inhibited. (c). 2.6KHz LP Filter.  When this option is selected, the incoming audio will be low-pass filtered to 2.6 kHz to  prevent signalling tones such as tone  RSSI or transmit keytone from  passing through Solar. Figure 33.  In Route functions. 5.2.1.6  Out Route The ‘Out Route’ functions available for an Analogue system are shown below in Figure 34.  Again, for a P25 system, only the inhibit function is available.  Details of the functions are: (a). Invert.    When  the  ‘Invert’  option  is  selected,  the  phase  of  the  audio  output  signal  will  be inverted  (phase  reversal).    Whilst  this  function  is  not  normally  required,  it  does  provide  a useful facility in the advent that the audio wiring between NI and base station is suspected as being reversed. (b). Inhibit.  When the ‘Inhibit’ option is selected, the audio and any associated signalling that is output from the NI will be inhibited and a flashing Red warning indication will be visible on the front panel LED Status Indicators. Figure 34.  Out Route functions.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 45 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.2.1.7  Offset The ‘Offset’ facility (see Figure 35 below)  is  provided in  order  to adjust the  relative delay of the audio  output  if  there  is  a  need  to  artificially  compensate  for  signal  overlap  areas  that  are  not equidistant from sites.  The range of delay available is from 0 µs to 255 µs and the required value is entered directly.  An entry that exceeds the maximum will automatically be changed to 255 µs when applied. The delay setting is also applied to the CTCSS output if that is used. Whilst an offset delay may be set on a Central NI it has no effective meaning. Figure 35.  Offset facility. 5.2.1.8  LF Talk Thru In  the  event  that  network  communications  (line  fail)  with  the  TM  are  lost,  setting  this facility  will “Enable” Local Station T/T (repeat mode). Although ‘LF Talk Thru’ may be enabled on a Central NI, it has no meaning. Figure 36.  LF Talk Thru facility. 5.2.1.9  Audio Mode (P25 only) The ‘Audio Mode’ is only available on a P25 system and can be set to ‘Remote’, ‘Analogue’, ‘P25’ or  ‘Auto’.    When  set  to  ‘Remote’,  the  Station  NI  follows  the  Audio  Mode  of  the  channel  it  is assigned  to.    The  Analogue  modes  are  12.5  kHz  and  25  kHz  to  match  the  SB2025  bandwidth setting. Note. On a working site, setting the Audio Mode to anything other than ‘Remote’ can end up with  this  station  being  at  odds  with  others  on  the  channel,  which  can  cause  a degradation in overall transmitted signal quality in overlap areas, Figure 37.  Audio Mode facility (P25 only). 5.2.2  Signalling The input and output signalling, which may be dry contact, tone or a mixture of both, is configured on the ‘NI Engineering’ ‘Signalling’ page.  If this page is viewed through the TM ET there will be a tab ‘Alarms’ for the ‘Isolated Inputs’ that is not shown on the NI ET – see Section 12 – Alarms for full details of this function. The ‘Signalling’ page of the NI Engineering facility is shown overleaf in Figure 38.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 46 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Figure 38.  NI Engineering – Signalling page. 5.2.2.1  Signalling In The  signalling  input  may  take  the  form  of  a  variable  voltage  or  tone.    The  NI  will  automatically determine  the  meaning  of  this  input  according  to  the  mode  of  operation,  i.e.  Central  or  Station, although  setting  to  ‘Voltage’  has  no  meaning  for  an NI  operating  in  Central  mode.    The  type of signalling required is selected from the drop-down list as shown in Figure 39. Figure 39.  Signalling In – Menu Options. If a voltage input is used, it must be wired to the dedicated input on the NI Facilities connector (see Table 7).  A signalling tone must be applied to the composite audio input. Note. On a P25 system, the Signalling tab of the NI Engineering window differs only in that the ‘Signalling In’ box is always set to ‘Voltage’ mode because there is no tone RSSI available from the SB2025 in P25 mode. 5.2.2.1.1  Voltage Voltage I/P used as RSSI in Station Mode. The voltage input range is from 0 V to +5 V and this is measured and reported as a value from 0 to 1023  respectively.    The  ‘Boundaries’  boxes  (see Figure  40  overleaf)  define  the  maximum  and minimum values, and an input level between these limits will be translated into one of the 14 Solar internal RSSI levels.  An input below the minimum value will be regarded as no signal, whereas an input greater than the maximum value will continue to be regarded as the top RSSI level.  Setting a minimum value of zero disables the function. The setup process for the RSSI input levels is as follows:
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 47 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 1.  Apply a signal level to the Rx of minimum RSSI, typically a mute threshold level. 2.  Subtract 10 (see note) from the ‘Signalling Status’ measured value of voltage and enter this into the minimum Boundary box. Note. The subtract figure above is a suggested value to help ensure that the NI does not cut off low level signals when the receiver squelch may still be open (squelch hysteresis). 3.  Apply a signal of maximum RSSI. 4.  Enter the ‘Signalling Status’ measured value of voltage into the maximum Boundary box. Figure 40.  Signalling In Configurations. 5.2.2.1.2  Signalling Status The  report  of  the  incoming  signal  is  displayed  in  this  area.    Also  shown  is  the  ‘Hang’  time  in seconds.  This is the time that the transmitters will remain keyed after the channel PTT instruction has been removed as defined in the TM channel configuration – see Section 5.4.3.1. 5.2.2.2  Signalling Out This facilitates the use of a signalling tone output.  The signalling tone is enabled by setting a valid frequency (0 Hz = Off).  When enabled, the tone is switched on: • for Station NI mode when Tx PTT is active; • for Central NI mode when a voted signal is present. Both level and frequency can be set as required (see Figure 41 overleaf).  Input TypeMaximumMinimumMeasured Value
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 48 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Figure 41.  Signalling Tone Output. The frequency range is 2.5 kHz to 3.5 kHz and, consequently, values entered outside this range will be changed to the closest limit when the ‘Apply’ button is selected.  The tone level setting is in 2 dB steps covering the range of −10 dB to −28 dB relative to the peak system audio level, i.e. it is not an absolute level.  The current level setting is shown at the foot of the slider. When a level change is applied the marker alongside the slider will turn Blue until the change is confirmed whereupon the position of the marker will match that of the slider control pointer and turn Grey again. Note. For FW Config builds other than 0x7FFF, the operation of this facility may be different.  See Section 15 – Firmware Extensions for more information. 5.2.2.3  Manual Trigger For  a  Station  NI  this facility  provides a  simple  means  to  apply a  Tx PTT  “ON”  condition  for  test purposes.  For a Central NI this becomes the “Rx Voted” output (if used).  Whether it is a relay, a tone or both that is activated depends on what has been configured for the function. If this facility is used and then the network connection to the Station NI fails, rather than leaving the Tx keyed indefinitely, under this situation the function will cancel automatically otherwise it must be cancelled manually.  However, activating the facility is indicated on the NI mode panel of the status page on the ET as a warning – see Section 3.2. 5.2.2.4  Isolated Inputs The  state  of  the  Isolated  Inputs  is  presented  on  the  ‘Status’  page  (this  is  the  default  view)  and configured  on  the  ‘Mode’  page.    The  Isolated  Inputs  ‘Status’  page  and  ‘Mode’  page  are  shown overleaf in Figure 42.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 49 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Figure 42.  Isolated Input Options. Each input is assigned to either a ‘Monitor’ mode, which provides a visual indication of the status of an input, or an ‘Auto’ mode, which pre-defines the duty of each input as shown overleaf in Table 1. The ‘(Inv)’ option of each setting inverts the “ON” state of the input; i.e. in non-inverted mode the indicator and any associated function is “ON” when the input is taken low, in the inverted mode the indicator and function is “ON” when the input is taken high or left open circuit. To change the mode of an input, carry out the following: 1.  On the ‘NI Engineering’ window, select the ‘Eng’ button (IN). 2.  On the ‘Signalling’ page, select the ‘Isolated Inputs – Mode’ tab to access the ‘Mode’ page. 3.  On  the  ‘Mode’  page,  for  the  input  in  question,  using  the  drop-down  list,  select  the  mode required. Note. On the Isolated Inputs Status page, there is provision for the user to enter a text label of choice against each input as a reminder of the role assigned to the input. 4.  On the ‘Signalling’ page, select the ‘Isolated Inputs – Status’ tab to access the ‘Status’ page. 5.  On the ‘Status’ page, for the input in question, click in the text box and enter or amend the text as required. 6.  On the ‘NI Engineering’ window, select the ‘Apply’ button. More  than  one  item  may  be  changed  at  a  time  but  the  action  must  be  completed  by  selecting ‘Apply’.  At this point, any new setting or text will turn Blue until full confirmation is received from the  opposing  end  of  the  system.    For  text  labels  this  will  take  several  minutes  as  text  is  given lowest priority in the supervisory process. Table 1.  Isolated I/P Functions. Input  Central NI  Station NI #1  Channel Tx Key (PTT)  Rx squelch open (COR) #2  Controlled T/T  No function assigned #3  No function assigned  SB2000 Alarm state  The  use  of  Input  #1  at  a  Station  NI  to  indicate  receiver  squelch  status  is  not  mandatory  as  the ‘Signalling In’ facility can be setup to provide this function (see Section 5.2.2.1).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 50 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Note. For FW Config builds other than the standard 0x7FFF, the Auto modes may produce a different operation to that shown in Table 1.  See Section 15 – Firmware Extensions for more information. 5.2.2.5  Isolated Outputs Control  of  the  isolated  outputs  (relays)  and  their  current  state  is  presented  on  the  ‘Status’  page (this is the default view) and configured on the ‘Mode’ page.  The Isolated Outputs ‘Status’ page and ‘Mode’ page are shown below in Figure 43. Figure 43.  Isolated Output Options. Each output is assigned to either a ‘Manual’ mode, which allows manual control of the output relay or  an  ‘Auto’ mode,  which pre-defines the  duty  of  the  output relay as  shown  overleaf  in Table 2.  Once  assigned  to  either  of  the  two  auto  modes,  the  button  to  manually  activate  the  output becomes unavailable (greyed out). The  ‘(Inv)’  option  of  each  setting  inverts  the  “ON”  state  of  the  output  with  respect  to  the  button state; i.e. in non-inverted mode the output is “ON” when the button is ‘IN’, in the inverted mode the output is “ON” when the button is ‘OUT’. To change the mode of an output, carry out the following: 1.  On the ‘NI Engineering’ window, select the ‘Eng’ button (IN). 2.  On the ‘Signalling’ page, select the ‘Isolated Outputs – Mode’ tab to access the ‘Mode’ page. 3.  On  the  ‘Mode’  page,  for  the  output  in  question,  using  the  drop-down  list,  select  the  mode required. Note. On  the  Isolated  Outputs  Status  page,  there  is  provision  for  the  user  to  enter  a  text label of choice against each output as a reminder of the role assigned to the output. 4.  On  the  ‘Signalling’  page,  select  the  ‘Isolated  Outputs  –  Status’  tab  to  access  the  ‘Status’ page. 5.  On the ‘Status’ page, for the Output in question, click in the text box and enter or amend the text as required. 6.  On the ‘NI Engineering’ window, select the ‘Apply’ button.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 51 SOLAR COMMISSIONING More than one item may be changed at a time but the action must be completed by clicking ‘Apply’.  At  this  point  any  new  setting  or  text  will  turn Blue  until  full  confirmation  is  received  from  the opposing end of the system.  For text labels this will take several minutes as text is given lowest priority in the supervisory process. Table 2.  Isolated O/P Functions in ‘Auto’ mode. Relay O/P Central NI  Station NI #1  Voted signal present  Tx Key (PTT) #2  System/Channel Alarm ON  No function assigned #3  No function assigned  No function assigned Note. For FW Config builds other than the standard 0x7FFFF, the Auto modes may produce a different operation to that shown in Table 2.  See Section 15 – Firmware Extensions for more information. 5.2.3  Facilities The ‘NI Engineering – Facilities’ page provides access to: the NI text label ‘Name’; the selection of the signals presented to the GPS module; the setting of the ‘Test Tone’ frequency and level; and the ‘CTCSS Tone’ level. The ‘Facilities’ page of the NI Engineering facility is shown below in Figure 44. Figure 44.  NI Engineering – Facilities page. When viewing this page through the NI ET (as in Figure 44 above), there is facility for setting NI alarms that is not visible; this is only presented on the TM ET – see Section 12 – Alarms for full details of this function.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 52 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.2.3.1  Name This is a user defined text label to aid identification of the NI.  The name will be displayed in some of the TM ET windows to assist the user by confirming that the NI being viewed or altered is the correct one.  To enter or change the text select the ‘Eng’ button (IN), click in the ‘Name’ text box and amend the text as required (the limit is 19 characters).  As for all settings, a change must be completed by using ‘Apply’. At this point the text will turn Blue until full confirmation is received from the opposing end of the system, which will take several minutes as text is given lowest priority in the supervisory process. 5.2.3.2  GPS Module The passage of audio through a NI is dependant upon packet timing, which, in turn, is governed by the 1PPS timing signal.  Therefore, it is important that the configuration and connections match the type  of  timing  signal  to  be  used,  as  well  as  the  signal  being  present  and  correct  before  full commissioning is attempted. As  the  GPS/1PPS  timing  signal  connects  to  a  separate  and  independent  sub-module,  these settings will be accessible to other main module(s) that may be fitted to the Solar 2 unit. Figure 45.  GPS Module Timing Source Menu Options. The timing  signal  may  be  one  of  two  signal  voltage  types  each  with or  without  NMEA data;  the latter  must  be  at  RS422  voltage  levels.    The  default  setting  is  ‘422  PPS  +  NMEA  Data’  and changing to either of the TTL 1PPS options will necessitate that the TTL input is used on the GPS connector (see Part 1, Section 4.1.2.1 – GPS (1PPS Timing Signal Input).  When NMEA data is in the selected option, loss of that data will cause a PPS fail indication even if the 1PPS signal is still present and correct. Table 3.  NI Timing Signal Options. 1PPS Signal NMEA Data  Selection Option  Notes RS422  RS422  422 PPS + NMEA Data  Setting for use with GPS Ae/Rx RS422  None  422 PPS Only   TTL  RS422  TTL PPS + NMEA Data TTL  None  TTL PPS Only The TTL I/P connection must be used if one of these two options is selected 5.2.3.3  Test Tone 5.2.3.3.1  Level The test tone level has 11 fixed values and is calibrated relative to the peak audio output level (see Section 5.3.2.4).  It has a range of 0 dB (peak) to −10 dB (below peak) in 1 db steps plus a step of -4.4 dB which equates to 60% of PSL. 5.2.3.3.2  Frequency The test tone frequency range is 300 Hz to 2500 Hz and the required frequency is entered in the box in Hz.  Entering a value outside this range other than zero will cause the setting to change to the nearest limit when the setting is applied.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 53 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Figure 46.  Test Tone Facility. 5.2.3.3.3  Route The test tone may be sent to either the ‘External’ (the analogue output), ‘Network’ towards the TM or both by setting that route to “ON”.  It is the selection of the ‘Route’ that activates the test tone.  Selecting the  ‘Network’  route at  a Station  NI  will  need  to  be  accompanied  by a  valid  RSSI  level (and mute open condition if so configured) for the test tone to pass through the TM and be output from the Central NI.  The tone will be re-broadcast if channel T/T is selected. Selecting  the  ‘Network’  route  will  result  in  the  ‘In  Audio  Sensitivity’  gauge  displaying  a  level  in sympathy with the test tone level while the network is connected.  When a ‘Route’ is selected the indication on the front status page (see Section 2.2.1.2) will be present to warn the user that it is active and that normal operation is suspended. When a level change is applied the marker alongside the slider will turn Blue until the change is confirmed whereupon the position of the marker will match that of the slider control pointer and turn Grey again. Note. If a frequency of 0 Hz is entered and a ‘Route’ selection is made, no tone will be output and the normal audio path in the ‘Route’ direction will be suspended. 5.2.3.4  CTCSS Tone The CTCSS Tone Level is set to meet the required output using the coarse level (left slider) and fine level (right slider) controls (see Figure 47 overleaf).  The coarse gain steps are 3 dB and the fine slider gives a 6 dB range of control.  The current settings are shown by the marker to the right of the slider and the value at the bottom. When a  level change is applied the marker alongside the slider will turn Blue until the change is confirmed whereupon the position of the marker will match that of the slider control pointer and turn Grey again. Whilst the CTCSS Tone frequency can only be set centrally at the TM to ensure all sites within a channel  generate  the  same  CTCSS  frequency  (see Section  5.4.3.2),  the  frequency  setting  is reported here for convenience.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 54 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Figure 47.  CTCSS Tone level. 5.2.4  Environment The  ‘Environment  I/O’  interface  is  an  independent  sub-module  within  the  Solar  2  unit.    It  is accessible from and available to any of the main modules that are fitted to the unit.  Consequently, any action or setting applied through one module is visible to and open to change through another module.  If this page is viewed through the TM ET there will be tabs for ‘Alarms’ that are not shown on the NI ET – see Section 12 – Alarms for full details of this function. The ‘Environment’ page of the ‘NI Engineering’ facility is shown below in Figure 48. Figure 48.  NI Engineering – Environment page. These connections are arranged in two groups of eight, which reflects the fact that each point in the  group  is electrically connected  to the  same  physical device (integrated  circuit).    This has  no significance  as  far  as  operation  is  concerned  but  will  limit  the  total  load  current  that  can  be switched by all the outputs in a group – see Part 1, Section 3.2.  The following information applies equally to both groups.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 55 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.2.4.1  Status The state of the inputs and control of the outputs is presented on the ‘Status’ page for each group, which is the default view.  To change the state of an output, select the ‘Eng’ button (IN), select the button of the required output(s) then select ‘Apply’ to invoke the change.  The inner square of the button will turn Blue until the change is confirmed whereupon it will turn Grey again. Each item  has  a text  label  available that  is  designed  to  help the  user  confirm  that  the individual input/output that is being  examined or controlled is the correct  one;  the  text  plays no  part  in the operation of the unit and can be omitted.  The text entered via this page will be presented on the main status page of the NI and on some of the TM ET windows. To  enter  or  change  the  text,  select  the  ‘Eng’  button,  click  in  the  text  box  for  the  required input/output and enter or amend the text as required (the limit is 20 characters).  As for all settings, a  change  must  be  completed  by  using  ‘Apply’.    At  this  point  the  text  will  turn Blue  until  full confirmation is received from the opposing end of the system, which will take several minutes as text is given lowest priority in the supervisory process. 5.2.4.2  Mode Each connection point is able to operate as an input or an output, which is defined by the option selected from the drop-down list.  The setting of ‘Monitor’ or ‘Monitor (Inv)’ dictates that the point will be an input; any other setting dictates the point will be an output. The ‘Monitor (Inv)’ option inverts the “ON” state of the input; i.e. in non-inverted mode the indicator and any associated function is “ON” when the input is taken low, in the inverted mode the indicator and function is “ON” when the input is taken high or left open circuit. The ‘Manual (Inv)’ option inverts the “ON” state of the output with respect to the button state; i.e. in non-inverted mode the output is “ON” when the button is “IN”, in the inverted mode the output is “ON” when the button is “OUT”. Figure 49.  Environment Mode settings.  Note. For FW Config builds other than the standard 0x7FFF, whilst the indicator will function as described above, when ‘Auto’ or  ‘Auto (Inv)’  mode  is  selected, either  setting  may invoke a different or additional action.  See Section 15 – Firmware Extensions for more information.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 56 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.3  TM ENGINEERING (TM ET ONLY) ‘TM Engineering’ is accessed by clicking on the ‘Eng’ button on the TM Status panel.  The settings accessed in the following pages are stored in the TM, some being sent to the NI for configuration purposes as part of the Solar supervisory system, others are sent for information purposes only. The ‘TM Engineering’ window also has an ‘Eng’ button that must be selected (IN) before a change can  be  made,  whereupon  the  ‘Apply’  button  will  become  active.    Changes  in  settings  will  not become  active  until  the  ‘Apply’  button  is  selected.    The  ‘TM  Engineering’  window  is  closed  by selecting the ‘Close’ button or by using the close icon  in the top right hand corner.  Any changes made but not applied will be lost when the window is closed. Also visible  on the ‘TM Engineering’ window  is  an  ‘Ack Alarms’ button, which will be unavailable (greyed out).  See Section 12 – Alarms for full details of this function. 5.3.1  Sync Timing The purpose  of  ‘Sync  Timing’  is  to facilitate  setting  the size  of  the  Solar  packet  buffers  that  are crucial to the correct operation of a Solar simulcast radio network.  Due to the detailed nature of the subject, the information is presented in full detail in Section 7 – Solar (Sync) Timing of this manual.  The user is well advised to study this section carefully prior to system optimisation. At the initial commissioning stage “nominal” values will be used to get the system operating. Figure 50.  TM Engineering – Sync Timing (Station NIs).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 57 SOLAR COMMISSIONING Figure 51.  TM Engineering – Sync Timing (Central NIs). There are two ‘Sync Timing’ pages; one for the Station NI and one for the Central NI, each being selected by the corresponding tabs as seen in Figures 50 and 51 above.  If the number of the NI in  use  exceeds  the  capacity  of  the  display  area,  the  slider  to  the  right  of  each  table  allows  the display area to be moved up and down to view every report. Each page has two buffer settings where values are taken from the drop-down lists.  As the buffer settings  are inter-dependant,  the  Central  NI  page  must  be  used  to  complete the  set-up  process even on a system that has no Central NI. 5.3.1.1  PAT Reports A  brief  explanation  of  the  terminology  used  on  the  ‘Sync  Timing’  pages  is  given  here  for completeness. The ‘PAT’ values are calculated by every unit receiving packets.  For each NI, that information is passed back to the TM for display on this page, together with the figures calculated by the arrival time of packets at the TM itself.  The measurements and reports take place once a second. ‘PAT  NI’  is  the  average  time  taken  for  packet zero  to  arrive  at  a  NI  (rounded up  to  the  nearest millisecond). ‘PAT TM’ is the average time taken for packet zero to arrive at the TM (rounded up to the nearest millisecond). The  ‘PLL’  indication  confirms  the  health  of  the  phase  locked  loop  within  the  NI  and  the  ‘PPS’ indication confirms the health of the 1PPS timing signal within the NI. Note. The PAT value reported  from a  NI that  is  indicating loss of  PPS may not  be  correct.  Similarly, the ‘PAT TM’ report depends on the TM PPS signal being present.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 58 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.3.1.2  Initial Values The principle is to start with nominal values and assume that these settings will require adjustment to  values  better  suited to  the IP  network.    This is  especially  true  if  the  network  has  a means  of alternate routing or fallback as the configuration offering ‘worst case’ values must be considered. Note. These buffer parameter values are global and apply to all channels on a multi-channel system. It is necessary to depress the ‘Eng’ button before any setting may be selected from the drop-down lists (there is no direct entry of values).  Any changes must be saved by selecting ‘Apply’. The suggested  settings  that  are  likely  to  be satisfactory for  the  majority  of  networks  so  that  the initial commissioning may be instigated are: (a).  ‘GO TM Buffer’ and ‘RTN TM Buffer’ set to 60 ms. (b).  ‘GO Traffic Output Time’ and ‘RTN Traffic Output Time’ set to 120 ms. If network latency is believed to  be significant, increasing all settings by a  further 40 ms may be necessary.  All times are in 20 ms steps. 5.3.2  Facilities The item of primary importance on the ‘Facilities’ page is that of selecting the right format of signal input for the ‘GPS Module’.  If the Solar 2 unit also supports an NI, the setting of the ‘GPS Module’ may have already been undertaken through that route.  Apart from being able to allocate a ‘Name’ to the TM, the other areas on  this page  are  covered in  the ‘Alarms’ and ‘SNMP’ sections  of  this manual. The ‘Facilities’ page of the ‘TM Engineering’ facility is shown below in Figure 52. Figure 52.  TM Engineering – Facilities page.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 59 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.3.2.1  Name To enter or change the ‘Name’ text, select the ‘Eng’ button, click in the ‘Name’ text box and enter or amend the  text  as required (the limit is 20 characters).   As for all settings, a  change must  be completed by using  ‘Apply’, which will take  immediate  effect as  the information remains  with the TM; i.e. it is not transmitted through the Solar supervisory system. 5.3.2.2  GPS Module The GPS/timing interface is an  independent  sub-module within the  Solar 2  unit.    It is accessible from and available to any of the main modules that are fitted to the unit.  Consequently, any action or setting applied through one module is visible to and open to change through another module. Therefore, refer to Section 5.2.3.2 on the NI for all the necessary information on the GPS module options and settings. 5.3.2.3  Misc Alarms The indicators shown on the ‘Status’ page are a repeat of those presented on the TM Status panel.  The “Alarm’ page is covered under Section 12 – Alarms. 5.3.2.4  SNMP This  feature  is  an  option  that  is  controlled  by  the  ‘Facility  Key’  and  may  not  be  present  on  all versions of the TM.  The feature is covered under Section 14 – SNMP. 5.3.3  Environment The  ‘Environment  I/O’  interface  is  an  independent  sub-module  within  the  Solar  2  unit.    It  is accessible from and available to any of the main modules that are fitted to the unit.  Consequently, any action or setting applied through one module is visible to and open to change through another module. Apart from the additional pages for ‘Alarms’ (see Figure 53 below), the options and  settings  are identical  to  those  available  to  an  NI.    Therefore,  refer  to Section  5.2.3  for  all  the  necessary information.  For full details on the ‘Alarms’ pages see Section 12 – Alarms. Figure 53.  TM Engineering – Environment page.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 60 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.4  CHANNEL SETUP The ‘Channel Setup’ page for an Analogue system, shown below in Figure 54, is accessed via the ‘Setup’ button on the Channel Status Panel of the TM ET main window as shown in Section 3.4.2 – Channel Status Panel. Figure 54.  Channel Setup page (Analogue). Of the parameters that are accessed from this page, those that relate to the operation of receiver voting are probably the  ones that are most likely to have the greater impact upon the successful operation  of  the  Solar  channel.    That  being  the  case,  whilst  there  are  brief  details  of  each parameter in the following sections, to complete the information a more in depth description of the receiver voting function of Solar is given in Section 10 – Receiver Voting. The ‘Eng’ button must be selected to enable changes to be made and the ‘Apply’ must be selected to complete the changes. 5.4.1  Name This facility is used to identify each channel to ensure that  settings, tests or  simply observations are  being  applied  to  or  made  on  the  correct  channel  when  operating  in  a  multiple  channel environment. The ‘Name’ is entered or edited by selecting the ‘Eng’ button then clicking in the ‘Name’ text box, which allows direct entry of characters into the text box, the limit is 20 characters.  The change is confirmed by selecting the ‘Apply’ button. 5.4.2  Voting Facilities 5.4.2.1  Minimum RSSI Difference This sets  the  minimum  difference  between RSSI  levels before  the Voter makes a  new  selection (sometimes  referred  to  as  level  hysteresis).    The  RSSI  level  size  is  determined  by  the  values entered for the NI boundary levels and input signal type (see Section 5.2.2.1 – Signalling In). 5.4.2.2  Voter Override This facilitates  the testing  of  RTN paths.    When “ON”,  the  Voter is forced to  select  this  site  and pass on  any speech traffic or test tones from that Station NI.  When activated, the  ‘Voted Level’ text shows ‘OVR’ and the Station panel displays a Yellow voted indication with a full RSSI level shown as a Blue bar.  The “OFF” state returns the channel to normal operation.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 61 SOLAR COMMISSIONING 5.4.2.3  Site Deselection Timer (Minutes) If  an  in-service  base  station  Rx  squelch  is  open  for  longer  than  this  value,  that  station  will  be removed  from  the  Voter  list  until  that  squelch  is  closed  continuously  for  a  short  time  (typically 10 seconds).  If invoked, the Station panel will still indicate a received RSSI level but not a voted indication. 5.4.2.4  TM triggered Talk Through T/T or repeat mode is implemented in the digital domain within the TM, no matter how the function is controlled or initiated.  The following options refer to the manner in which T/T may be enabled, in addition to the external application of console/control switched facility through the Central NI.  If no Central NI is in use, the setting ‘Permanent’ will need to be used. (a). ‘None’.  T/T operation is not enabled. Note. T/T is still available as a controlled function via the Central NI if enabled for operation – see Section 5.2.2.4. (b). ‘On Central  NI Fail’.    Loss of  communications between the  corresponding Central  NI  and the TM will cause T/T to be enabled. (c). ‘Permanent’.  T/T is permanently enabled. Note. When the Control Tx Key function is active, T/T will be suspended, i.e. Control Tx Key has precedence but will not switch off the T/T function. 5.4.3  Facilities 5.4.3.1  Tx Key Hang The ‘Tx Key Hang (sec)’ is the time that the Tx PTT is maintained after the Tx Key command has been removed either as a direct input to the Central NI or after cessation of a received signal when the channel is operating on T/T.  This setting is maintained by a Station NI that is operating in fall back (Line Fail) T/T. The range is from OFF (no delay) to 5 seconds (in 1 second increments). 5.4.3.2  CTCSS A phase coherent CTCSS tone is available from a dedicated output on the Facilities connector of a Station NI.  The tone is generated at the NI from a value that is passed from the TM.  The CTCSS frequency is entered in Hertz in the range of 50 Hz to 300 Hz inclusive (in 0.1 Hz increments).  A value entered outside of this range will be corrected to the closest limit.  Entering 0 Hz indicates that no CTCSS tone is to be generated. This setting is maintained by a Station NI that is operating in fall back (Line Fail) T/T. 5.5  CHANNEL SETUP P25 For  a  P25  system,  the  ‘Channel  Setup’  page  is  slightly  different  and  is  shown  overleaf  in Figure 55.  It is still accessed in the same way via the ‘Setup’ button on the Channel Status Panel of the TM ET main window as shown in Section 3.4.2 – Channel Status Panel.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 62 SOLAR COMMISSIONING The  significant  difference  is  that  the  page  now  contains  ‘Main’  and  ‘P25’  tabs,  with  the  P25 features/parameters accessed via the P25 tab.  The Main tab simply contains all the parameters for an Analogue system, which are detailed in Section 5.4 above. Figure 55.  Channel Setup page (P25). The ‘Eng’ button must be selected to enable changes to be made and the ‘Apply’ must be selected to complete the changes. 5.5.1  Audio Mode The  channel’s  Audio  Mode  is  set  here.    This  mode  will  be  adopted  by  all  NIs  assigned  to  this channel as  long  as  they  have  their  individual  Audio  Mode set  to  Remote.   (See Section  5.2.1  - Main Audio).  In Analogue or Auto mode, the channel bandwidth must be set to either 12.5 kHz or 25 kHz to match the setting in the SB2025 base stations and all the base stations must be set the same. 5.5.2  P25 Channel Settings The ‘P25 Channel Settings’ area is where the Tx and Rx Network Access Codes (NAC) are set. The ‘Tx NAC’ and ‘TGID’ settings will be transmitted for all P25 calls originated by the dispatcher and for all P25 T/T calls unless the Rx NAC is set to 0xF7F, in which case, the received NAC and Talk Group Identification (TGID) will be transmitted. If  the  ‘Rx  NAC’  is  set  to  0xF7E  or  0xF7F,  the  channel  will  respond  to  any  P25  transmissions irrespective of their own Tx NAC, however, if set to anything else, the received NAC must match or the call will be ignored.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 63 SOLAR CHANNELS 6  SOLAR CHANNELS (RELATIONS) 6.1  MULTI-CHANNEL OVERVIEW The ‘Facility Key’ controlled Multi-channel option of the TM allows a collection of Station NI (sites) to be  grouped  together and  operate  as an independent  sub-system  of  the parent  Solar  network.  These groupings will be referred to as a “Solar Channel” and, although it is anticipated that all base stations or repeaters on a Solar Channel would be operating on the same radio frequency, it is not mandatory. The maximum capacity of a Solar TM is 32 Station NI (sites) and every TM is able to support the maximum  irrespective  of  any  options.    A  TM  can  also  support  up  to  16  Channels  but  will  be programmed  for  the  number  according  to  the  option  fitted.    The  Station  NI  can  be  distributed across these channels  in any mix  of quantities; for example eight channels of four sites  each  or four channels with eight  sites each  and so on.  The introduction of Solar 2 has seen  the feature added to have more than one Central NI per channel in order to provide multiple presentations to Control/Console systems.  However, the maximum number of Central NIs per system remains at 16  no  matter  these  are  allocated  to  channels.    A  channel  need  not  have  a  Central  NI  if  no Control/Console connection is required. 6.2  RELATIONS FUNCTION 6.2.1  NI to Channel Association The facility to  define which Station(s) belong to  which channel and  to  define  which Central NI, if any, will operate a channel is accessed by clicking the ‘Relations’ button on the TM Status panel (see Section 3.4.1). Figure 56.  Route to Relations page. This  will  open  a  window  that  has  three  rows  of  numbered  squares:  Station  NIs  across  the  top; Channels in the middle; and Central NIs across the bottom.  Station squares and Central squares will only  become  active when allocated  to  an  NI.    Channel squares  will  be  active to  the  number authorised on the system. The  example  ‘Relations’  page,  shown  overleaf  in Figure  57,  shows  a  TM  with  the  16  channel option that has six Station NIs and three Central NIs enabled.  The ‘Relations’ page is available on a single channel TM but it serves no purpose in the configuration process. A  Station  NI  square  will  be  active  when  the  corresponding  Station  NI  panel  is  enabled  and  a Central NI square will be active when the corresponding Central NI panel is enabled.  The channel squares that are active will correspond to the number of channels that have been enabled by the Facility Key. At the initial configuration stage, all Station NIs will be associated to channel #1 and the Central NI will be  related  to channels on  a one to  one  basis.    Once  all  the NIs that form  the  Solar  network have  been  allocated  to  a  Station  or  Central  role  and  are  online,  the  redefining  of  relationships between channels and NI can be undertaken.  These relationships are shown by the lines that link the squares.  It is not possible to delete a relationship only to change it.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 64 SOLAR CHANNELS Figure 57.  Relations Page.  6.2.2  Moving a Station to a Different Channel The  following  procedure  is  an  example  of  how  to  move  Station  NI  #1  from  Channel  #1  to Channel #2.  The process is also shown in Figure 58 below. 1.  Move the mouse pointer over Station NI#1 square, click and hold the left mouse button. 2.  A square with a Green highlight and the number 1 in it will appear under the pointer.  Drag this to the Channel #2 square, which will also gain a Green highlight. 3.  Release the mouse button. 4.  The line linking Station NI #1 to Channel #1 will move across to Channel #2. 5.  The action is complete. Figure 58.  Moving a Station NI between Channels.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 65 SOLAR CHANNELS 6.2.3  Moving a Central NI to a Different Channel The  following  procedure  is  an  example  of  moving  the  Central  NI  #1  from  Channel  #1  to Channel #2.  The process is very much the same as moving a Station NI and is shown below in Figure 59. 1.  Move the mouse pointer over Central NI #1, click and hold the left mouse button. 2.  A square with a Green highlight and the number 1 in it will appear under the pointer.  Drag this to the Channel #2 square, which will also gain a Green highlight. 3.  Release the mouse button. 4.  The line  linking Central  NI  #1  to  Channel  #1  will move across  to  Channel  #2 as  shown  in Figure 59 below. 5.  The action is complete. Figure 59.  Moving a Central NI between Channels. 6.2.4  Disabling and Re-enabling a NI If  a  Station  or  Central  NI  is  disabled  this  will  cause  the  relationship  between  that  NI  and  the channel to  cease and  the connecting  line  to disappear.   When  the  NI is  re-enabled, the  original relationship will be restored. A new Central NI added to the system will normally relate to the corresponding Channel number; i.e. Central NI #3 will connect to Channel #3, Central NI #4 to Channel #4 as so forth. The example in Figure 60 shows the effect of disabling Station NI #4.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 66 SOLAR CHANNELS Figure 60.  Examples of disabled NI. 6.3  LIST The  function  of  ‘List’  is  to  present  all  the  NI  and  Channels  that  are  on  the  system  in  a  single window for ease of identification.  ‘List’ may be activated directly from the TM Status panel or via the ‘Relations’ window. Figure 61.  Route to List facility. There are three lists in the window; one for Stations, one for Channels and one for Centrals.  Each list is on its own page and accessed with the corresponding tab.  Each member in the list will be displayed with its ‘Name’, i.e. the text label attributed to the NI or Channel. If an NI is currently offline, the name will still be visible but will be greyed out to indicate its offline status as shown for Station # 4 in Figure 62 overleaf.  An NI that has been “seen” by the TM at some  stage,  perhaps  during  the  system  staging  process,  will  be  retained  until  over-written  by another; i.e. there is no facility to delete unwanted entries.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 67 SOLAR CHANNELS Figure 62.  Pages in the ‘List’ window.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 68 SOLAR (SYNC) TIMING 7  SOLAR (SYNC) TIMING 7.1  GENERAL The purpose of this section is to give the user an understanding of the way in which Solar operates in the context of packet timing and buffering, which is core to the task of delivering consistent and reliable audio over an IP network.  There is more information on the specific subject of IP network changes and the effects on Solar operation in Section 11 – Troubleshooting & Maintenance. 7.1.1  Synchronising Signals The first  and fundamental issue  to  be appreciated  is  that  to  synchronise  multiple  signals,  which each pass over  different bearer  circuits, means  that each signal must  be  delayed by  an amount such that its total end-to-end delay is the same as that of the signal that passes over the route of longest  delay.    In  other  words, hold  back  the  quicker  signals  until  they  are  each  as  slow as  the slowest, since it is not  possible to make the slower signals travel faster.  This is a  core  principle and is just the same for Solar as it is for a conventional analogue borne simulcast system. 7.1.2  Network Jitter There is an additional aspect about the use of IP that is different to conventional bearers and that is  “Network  Jitter”.    On  a stable  and  robust  IP  network,  IP  packets  are likely to  arrive  at  a fairly consistent rate.  However, even on good, reliable networks there will be times when packets get delayed slightly longer than the average, for a variety of reasons.  To cater for this situation, it is necessary to hold packets received at the destination unit in a store or buffer for a short (variable) time,  then  output the data  at  precise intervals to iron  out these variations  and  produce a  steady contiguous  audio  stream.    Larger  variations  in  the  packet  delivery  times  require  larger  buffers, however, it would be poor practice to use large buffers as a means to overcome a poor quality or unstable  IP  network.    The  user must  be  satisfied that  the  IP  network  is working  correctly at  the outset before attempting to optimise Solar ‘Sync Timing’. 7.2  SOLAR INTERNAL TIMING The 1PPS timing signal is used to generate very accurate timing frames of 20 ms duration and it is to these frames that Solar is synchronised – this is the function of the PLL in the NI.  Therefore, each 1 second period will contain 50 such frames, which are numbered 0 to 49 with frame 0 (zero) starting on  the rising edge of the  1PPS  signal.   Since all internal timing events  are linked to the frame clock, Solar’s timing parameters are in 20 ms steps. 7.2.1  Determining the Timing Values In  order  to  operate  correctly, the  timing  settings must  be sufficient to  provide buffer  periods that can cater for the longest delay exhibited on the system.  It should be recognised that the longest network  delay  may  not  occur  during  normal  operation  but  under  network  fault  conditions  if  a network  re-route  is  applied  (see Section  11.1  –  Network  Latency  and  Faults  for  further information on this topic). The  initial  approach  for  commissioning  is  to  set  timing  periods  that  will  probably  prove  to  be significantly longer than the network delays.  However, these settings will need to be optimised, as it is likely to result in the end-to-end delay on the audio signal being longer than necessary, which may be noticeable especially for T/T operation. 7.2.2  PAT Reports To be able to select the optimum timing values, the average time taken for data packets to arrive at each  unit  are  calculated  and  displayed on the  TM Sync  Timing  page.    These  times  are labelled ‘PAT’ and are calculated once a second, based upon the time taken for the packet originating in frame 0 to arrive at the destination unit.  The ‘PAT TM’ figure indicates the time of packet arrival at the TM, the ‘PAT’ NI figure indicates the time of packet arrival at an NI.  Both figures are rounded up to the nearest 1 ms.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 69 SOLAR (SYNC) TIMING The data flow in a Solar network may be divided into four discrete parts: • Central NI to TM. • TM to Station NI. • Station NI to TM. • TM to Central NI. ‘Sync Timing’ which is part of the TM Engineering as shown in Figures 50 and 51 and described briefly in Section 5.3.1 – Sync Timing, has been arranged to reflect this separation of data flow.  One page is concerned with the data flow between Central NI and TM and the other page with the data flow between TM and Station NI.   Each  one of  these pages  is then divided into two further parts by considering the “GO” traffic and “RTN” traffic separately. Individual  Sync  Timing  values  need to  be  entered  for  each  direction  of  traffic flow for  the  entire Solar network.  Even though significant time differences should not be observed between the two directions, this facility does cater for unusual network situations, e.g. asymmetric network speeds.  It is the alignment of the audio signal timing to a common and consistent overall figure at every NI that ensures true signal phase coherence; this value is the Total Output Time or ‘TOT’.  Part of the ‘TOT’  is  allocated  to  be  the  TM  input  buffer  time,  ‘GO  TM  Buffer’  and  ‘RTN  TM  Buffer’,  the remainder  becomes  the  NI  input  buffer  time,  which  has  no  specific  name.    Therefore,  it  can  be seen that the ‘GO TM Buffer’ and ‘RTN TM Buffer’ cannot be greater than their respective ‘TOT’ times and that increasing a TM input buffer size is likely to mean that the ‘TOT’ for that direction will need to be increased accordingly. 7.2.3  Solar Buffer Size The  input  buffers  on  Solar  are  capable  of  holding  50  packets,  which  means  that  the  maximum delay that Solar can accommodate is 1 second.  As this amount of delay on a PMR system would be totally unacceptable, this is limited in the software to 500 ms even though this figure should far exceed the packet delays experienced in practice. 7.3  PARAMETER CHECKING TOOL As an aid to setting the timing values, checking their validity and to assist with timing optimisation, a checking  tool  using  Excel™ is  available  from the Team  Simoco  web  site.   This is  designed to replicate the TM ‘Sync Timing’ page and requires entry of the four main timing values, which must be entered first,  and  the PAT  reports for  every NI.    As the  spreadsheet makes  extensive  use  of macros, these must be enabled for the tool to function. Using this tool, it is possible to see the effect of a progressive increase in network delay (every NI is deemed to be affected in the same way), which helps to give an indication of whether the timing values in use have a reasonable margin or are close to the limit. 7.4  LOSS OF 1PPS TIMING Whilst  the  TM  expects  to  be  connected  to  a  timing  signal  (1PPS),  operation  can  continue  if the timing signal is lost.  Whilst 1PPS timing is present, the TM builds and maintains a table of the PAT values from every NI.  If 1PPS is subsequently lost, the TM will adjust its own clock timing based upon  the  average  PAT  value  from  the  first  NI  in  the  table  that  has  a  valid  1PPS  signal,  usually Central NI #1.  If Central NI #1 is also suffering from loss of 1PPS (it may be co-sited with the TM and share the same 1PPS signal) or simply doesn’t exist, the TM will look to take timing from the next NI in the table and so on down the table until an NI with a valid timing signal is found. This method of timing will not give the degree of accuracy that a 1PPS signal produces.  However, it is more than sufficient to ensure that the packets arrive at all the NIs at a time that still allows full
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 70 SOLAR (SYNC) TIMING packet buffering, therefore maintaining approximate synchronisation.  This fallback mode of timing is indicated by the text ‘NI’ where the ‘SV’ number is shown alongside the 1PPS status indication (now showing Red failed) on the TM status panel. 7.5  TIMING DIAGRAMS If the user wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the Solar timing process and the selection of the  correct  timing  values,  some  timing  diagrams  have  been  produced.    The  diagrams  show the sequential events that occur when a 20 ms sample of an audio signal presented to the input of a NI.    This  is  processed  within  Solar  then  passed  through  the  bearer  network  and  ultimately  re-constituted into the original audio signal at the destination NI. For the purposes of clarity, the Solar network shown has been restricted to a single Central NI and two  Station  NIs.    Neither  do  the  diagrams  show  any  network  devices  that  will  be  interfacing between  each  Solar  unit  and  the  network  itself.    Therefore,  it  may  appear  that  Solar  is  being connected  at  different  network  data  rates  whereas,  in  practice,  it  will  only  ever  connect  at 10/100 Mbs (the NI is always 10 Mbs) but the data will be transported at the rate determined by the local network speed. 7.5.1  Dynamic Diagrams A fully dynamic copy of the core timing diagram has been produced using Microsoft™ Visio™ and is  available  on  the  Team  Simoco  website.    This  diagram  allows  variables  about  the  network characteristics  to  be  entered  and  the  resultant  effects  on  Solar  timing  can  be  examined.    Two versions of the file are available: one in Visio 2005 format; and one in the earlier Visio 2002 format. For those who do not have a copy of Visio, a Visio viewer is available from the Microsoft™ web site.  This will allow the diagrams to be displayed but may not allow access to the dynamic aspect of the timing diagrams, which is the feature that is most useful. 7.5.2  Operating the Visio Diagrams The Visio diagram has two pages: one for the “Go” path; and one for the “Return” path.  Each page operates independently from the other but they both basically function in the same manner.  The results of the parameters entered are summarised in the reports box, which is also fully dynamic. To change the parameters for each section of the network, right click on the text box displaying the network information to open the menu  list.    The first menu  item  shown is  for the  NI  parameters; select  that  to  open  a  data entry  window,  where  a  data  rate  may  be  selected  and  a  delay  value entered.  A network delay limit of 60 ms has been applied and, whilst it is possible to enter a higher value, this  will not be used and  a  notice of ‘Invalid Delay’ will be  displayed.  A  range of  network connection  speeds  has  been  provided  and  the  packet  size  changes  according  to  the  data  rate, which naturally impacts upon the network delay figure. To make changes to the Solar setup parameters, right click on the background to open the page menu.    The  first  item  in  the  menu  list  is  ‘Solar  Parameters’;  select  this  to  open  the  data  entry window.  All entries for ‘Solar Parameters’ are from pull down lists, therefore, it is not possible to enter an invalid value. All  shapes  within  the  diagram  have  been  protected  to  prevent  the  inadvertent  movement  of  a shape.  If a shape is moved it will lose the relationship to the other shapes and the diagram will no longer function  correctly.    If  this  situation should arise,  since  ‘Undo’  will  not  recover the  severed link, the best course of action is to delete the diagram and reload the file from the web site.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 71 DIAGNOSTICS 8  TM DUPLICATION 8.1  DUPLICATION OVERVIEW The  TM  lies  at  the  heart  of  a  Solar  network  and  loss  of  the  TM  whether  due  to  a  unit  fault  or network failure will have a severe impact upon the operational capability of the system.  To mitigate the risk there is a “Facility Key” enabled option to have a second TM acting as a hot standby unit. This additional or Secondary TM is able to automatically takeover operation of the Solar network should  the  first  or  Primary  TM  become  unavailable.    Once  the  Primary  TM  becomes  available again,  the  Secondary  TM  will  stand  down  and  the  Solar  network  will  return  to  normal  mode  of operation from the Primary TM. Apart from a possible network traffic load change in parts of the network, there is no operational or performance difference in operating the Solar network from a Secondary TM, since it is an identical unit to the Primary TM.  To maintain correct operation, it is very important that the same firmware release is installed in both TM.  Any firmware upgrade must be applied to both units (see Section 11.2.3 – Traffic Manager for more information). Solar  2  has  introduced  an  extension  to  the  original  1+1  configuration  option  in  that  up  to  five Primary TM can now be supported by a single Secondary TM.  The duplication process involving more than one Primary TM remains fundamentally the same as for a 1+1 configuration. Knowledge of the network design is important when considering a duplicated configuration either at the initial installation or if an existing Solar network is upgraded to duplicated TM operation.  The reasons for this are discussed briefly below. 8.1.1  TM Resilience To  obtain  the  maximum  benefit  from  employing  a  duplicated  TM  configuration,  the  Primary  and Secondary TM equipment should be placed at different physical locations.  This approach provides better resilience compared to placing both TMs at the same location where single points of failure can occur.  However, diverse locations can produce unwanted effects when the change in traffic flow through the network is taken into account.  These effects are discussed in detail in Section 11 – Troubleshooting & Maintenance and in particular Section 11.1.3 – TM Duplication. 8.1.2  Duplication Operation The  Primary  TM  sends  a  summary  of  the  system  configuration  file  to  the  Secondary  TM  every second,  which  the  Secondary  TM  acknowledges.    This  serves  to  check  if  any  configuration changes have been made as well as confirming to each TM that the other is operating normally.  If configuration  changes  have  been  made  in  any  of  the  Primary  TMs,  the  Secondary  TM  will recognise that situation and, in order to bring itself up to date, will request the full configuration file from the Primary TM in question.  The configuration update process is completed in a few seconds as  the  file  is  very  compact.    Therefore,  the  Secondary  TM  will  hold  and  maintain  as  many configurations as there are Primary TMs on the network (to a maximum of five). Other than entering the IP address information of the Secondary TM and those of the Primary TM to be supported, no further configuration of a Secondary TM is necessary.  If a change is made to a setting on the Secondary TM that is online and acting for a Primary TM, i.e. a Primary TM has become unavailable, that change will be overwritten by the Primary TM when it comes back online since it has precedence. As  stated  earlier,  up  to  five  Primary  TM  units  can  be  supported  by  one  Secondary  TM  but  this means that the Secondary TM can only take over from one Primary TM at a time.  To cater for the situation  where  more  than  one  Primary  TM  becomes  unavailable,  rather  than  applying  a  “first come,  first  served”  rule,  which  could  easily  lead  to  an  arbitrary  result,  the  IP  addresses  for  the Primary TMs that are entered into the table in the Secondary TM also reflect the order of priority.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 72 DIAGNOSTICS For example, if the Secondary TM has taken over the duties of the Primary TM in position two in the table, then loss of the Primary TM in position three will not result in any change in the function of  the  Secondary  TM  and  the  Solar  channel(s)  operated  by  Primary  TM  number  three  will  be unavailable.  However, if at this time Primary TM number two is brought back into service (online), the Secondary TM will relinquish the duties of Primary TM number two and take over for Primary TM number three.  If, in this example situation, Primary TM number one (first position in the table) is lost, the Secondary TM will cease the duties for any other Primary TM and take over for Primary TM number one since it has highest priority. 8.1.3  Changeover Operation Loss of the data exchange between one of the Primary TMs and the Secondary TM will cause the Secondary  TM  to  assume  that  that  particular  Primary  TM  is  unavailable;  consequently,  the Secondary  TM  will  start  sending  data  packets  to  every  NI  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  failed Primary TM.  Since every NI sends its data packets to the IP address that is taken from the source of the incoming data packets, the changeover to a Secondary TM results in NIs ‘connecting’ to the active TM simply by changing the destination address of their outgoing packets. In  this  way,  control  of  the  system  will  changeover  to  the  Secondary  TM  and  this  usually  occurs within 5 seconds.  However, this time may be extended according to the network design and the nature  of  the  failure.    The  status  quo  will  continue  indefinitely  until  the  data  exchange  between Primary  and  Secondary  resumes,  at  which  point,  the  Secondary  TM  will  cease  to  send  data packets  to  the  NIs  and  thereby  relinquishes  control  back  to  the  Primary  TM.    The  NIs  will  now receive data packets from the Primary TM, which will change the destination address back to that of the Primary TM and normal operation will return. 8.2  CONFIGURING FOR DUPLICATION Attempting  to  select  a  duplicated  option  on  a  TM  that  does  not  have  the  facility  enabled  in  the ‘Facility Key’ will fail.  The three duplication options for a TM unit are detailed below. 8.2.1  Unduplicated This option is the default stand alone mode of operation of the TM.  In this configuration the TM is effectively operating as a Primary TM but not configured for the presence of a Secondary TM. 8.2.2  Duplicated (Primary) This  option  specifies  that  this  TM  will  be  operating  in  a  duplicated  environment  and  that  it  is designated as a Primary TM. To configure a TM to operate as a Primary, carry out the following: 1.  Open the TM Status panel and select the ‘Network’ button (see Section 4.3 – Setting the TM  IP  Address).    The  ‘TM  Network  Setup’  page  shown  in  part  in Figure  63  overleaf  will open. 2.  On the ‘TM Network Setup’ page, carry out the following: 2.1.  Select the ‘Eng’ button. 2.2.  Using the drop-down list, set the TM Duplication to ‘Duplicated (Primary)’. 2.3.  Tick the ‘IP Address 1’ box, which is now active. 2.4.  Enter the IP address of the Secondary TM. 2.5.  Select the ‘Apply’ and then the ‘Close’ buttons.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 73 DIAGNOSTICS Figure 63.  Setting for Duplicated (Primary). Note. If an IP address is entered that is the same as one already actively in use anywhere on the TM this will be cleared back to 0.0.0.0 when ‘Apply’ is clicked. The ‘Duplication Status’ text will now change to reflect the duplication setting and the colour of the indicator will show the status – see Section 8.2.4 below. 8.2.3  Duplicated (Secondary) This  option  specifies  that  this  TM  will  be  operating  in  a  duplicated  environment  and  that  it  is designated as a Secondary TM. To configure a TM to operate as a Primary, carry out the following: 1.  Open the TM Status panel and select the ‘Network’ button (see Section 4.3 – Setting the TM IP Address).  The ‘TM Network Setup’ page shown below in part in Figure 64 will open. Figure 64.  Setting for Duplicated Secondary. 2.  On the ‘TM Network Setup’ page, carry out the following: 2.1.  Select the ‘Eng’ button. 2.2.  Using the drop-down list, set the TM Duplication to ‘Duplicated (Secondary)’. 2.3.  Tick the ‘IP Address 1’ box, which is now active. 2.4.  Enter the IP address of the first Primary TM.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 74 DIAGNOSTICS 2.5.  Repeat Paras 2.3 and 2.4 for any further Primary TMs but ticking ‘IP Address’ box 2, 3 etc in order of their priority. 2.6.  Select the ‘Apply’ and then the ‘Close’ buttons. Note. The  IP  address  table  also  reflects  the  priority  order  in  which  the  Secondary  TM  will take  over  from  the  Primary  TM  (highest  priority  is  position  1,  lowest  priority  is position 5). The ‘Duplication Status’ text will now change to reflect the duplication setting and the colour of the indicator will show the status – see Section 8.2.4 below.  Once the Secondary TM is configured and connected to the network it will quickly gain the configuration(s) from the Primary TM(s) and be ready to operate as hot standby. 8.2.4  Duplication Status The text alongside the Status indication on the TM Status panel will show ‘Primary’ or ‘Secondary’ according to the duplication configuration. Figure 65.  Duplication Status Indication. Confirmation  that  Primary  and  Secondary  units  are  operating  and  in  communications  with  each other is shown by the ‘Duplication Status’ indicator going Green; loss of communications will cause the indicator to turn Red on both units.  A Red Status indication does not necessarily mean that the other TM has failed but that there is no information exchange between units.  This may result from unit failure or a network problem.  However, in the case where the Secondary TM has taken over from another Primary TM since it no longer is able to offer support to those of a lower priority, the Secondary TM will cease communications with those units causing a Red Status indication to be displayed on each. The Status indicator may be assigned ‘Alarm’ status although an unduplicated TM will never show a Red Status indication; see Section 12 – Alarms.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 75 DIAGNOSTICS 9  DIAGNOSTICS AND OTHER INFORMATION 9.1  GPS If  a  GPS  Rx  is  used  to  provide  the  1PPS  timing  signal,  it  is  likely  that  NMEA  data  will  also  be supplied.  Information is taken from the NMEA data stream about the GPS Rx and displayed on the satellite signal report page.  The ‘GPS’ button on the NI ET and the TM ET provides access to this page, which is  designed to assist  in  the  installation and any subsequent  diagnostics of  the GPS Rx.  The page is identical in look and operation for both types of ET.  Whilst part of the equipment configuration  is  to  define  whether  or  not  NMEA  data  is  present  (see Section  5.3.2.2  –  GPS Module), the information will always be displayed when NMEA data is connected, i.e. irrespective of the setup configuration. Figure 66.  Satellite Signal Report. With  the  exception  of  the  ‘PPS  Fix’  indication,  the  indicators  will  flash Green/Yellow  to  confirm correct  operation.    If  all  indications  remain Grey  then  no  data  is  being  received  and  further investigation will be required. The “string” information may differ with early models of GPS Rxs: Figure 67.  GPS Options menu. Through the ‘Options’ menu it is possible to use Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) time from the GPS  Rx  to  ‘Set  PC  Clock’  of  the  PC  running  the  ET  application.    This  automatically  takes  into account the world time zone setting of the PC.  The other option is to ‘Close’ the GPS page. 9.2  FACILITY KEY The  ‘Facility  Key’  is  a  hardware  element  of  the  TM  programmed  and  fitted  in  the  factory  that determines the options available.  Correct operation of the ‘Facility Key’ is indicated in the area of the TM Status panel (part shown below).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 76 DIAGNOSTICS Figure 68.  Facility Key information. There are three aspects of information displayed about the Key: (a).  ‘Serial #’.  This is the unique number for the ‘Facility Key’ and ties it to the original supply. (b).  ‘ID’.  This is a short text string that outlines the facilities enabled by the Key. (c).  ‘Status’.    This  indicates  the  status  of the  ‘Facility Key’ and  will  show Green when  working correctly or turn Red under a fault condition.  This will be accompanied by the text: (i). Failed.  The ‘Facility Key’ is now not working correctly having previously been working. (ii). Not Found.  The ‘Facility Key’ has not been detected at start-up. The ‘Facility Key’ Status may be assigned “Alarm” status, see Section 12 – Alarms. 9.3  CHANNEL VIEW FACILITY Although this facility is  closely linked to  the ‘Relations’  aspect of  a multi-channel TM,  it probably becomes of most benefit during system monitoring or maintenance work. 9.3.1  Normal View To identify  which  stations  are  on  which channel,  the borders  around  the  Station  panels  that  are members  of  the  channel  group  and  the  corresponding  ‘Chn’  tab  turn Green  when  the  channel status panel is selected.  If the channel has an associated Central NI, the Central NI tab for that channel  group  will  also  gain  the Green  border.    Similarly,  selection  of  the  Central  NI  panel  will produce the same indications for the channel group to which that Central belongs.  Every Station panel, whether enabled or not, will be visible at all times. 9.3.2  Channel View When a TM is operating a multi-channel environment, unless the TM configuration has segregated the stations on a channel by channel basis, it may not be readily apparent which stations belong to which channel.  This situation becomes most noticeable if the user is trying to monitor the activity of just one channel and stations on other channels are also active, which serves as a distraction. 9.3.3  Selecting Channel View To enable channel view mode, on the TM Status panel, select the ‘Chn View’ button (see Section 3.4.1  –  TM  Status  Panel).    Once  this  mode  is  enabled,  selection  of  any  channel  related  item results in only  the  NI  (Stations and  Centrals)  that are members  of  that  channel group  remaining visible.  Normal operation of those NIs no longer visible continues, i.e. this mode does not affect operation in any respect, it just changes the view presented on the TM ET. Examples of Channel view mode are shown overleaf in Figure 69. 9.3.4  Returning to Normal View Reselecting  the  TM  Status  view  will  cause  all  station  panels  to  become  visible  as  no  channel specific  item  is  selected.    To  return  fully  to  this  view,  release  the  ‘Chn  View’  button  on  the  TM Status panel.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 77 DIAGNOSTICS Figure 69.  Examples of Channel View Mode.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 78 RECEIVER VOTING 10  RECEIVER VOTING 10.1  VOTING OVERVIEW The process of selecting the best signal from a collection of signals that are being returned from several Station NIs at remote radio sites is commonly referred to as “Voting”.  This terminology will be used throughout this section. The voting process takes place in the TM unit at a digital level.  In order that the TM can make a selection  of  the  best  incoming  signal,  information  needs  to  be  available  on  which  the  voting process  can  operate.    That  information  is  produced  by  the  Station  NI  and,  upon  receipt  of  that information, the TM will  make a comparison of the value that is being returned from every active site and, subject to criteria, select the site delivering the highest value. 10.2  SIGNAL QUALITY INFORMATION Each  and  every  Station  NI  will  produce  a  value  representative  of  the  quality  of  any  signal originating from the co-sited base station Rx. The source of this signal can be in one of two formats: • Signal strength reading as an analogue voltage (RSSI). • Variable tone representing the RSSI (either continuously variable or stepped). The analogue voltage RSSI is taken to a dedicated input on the facilities connector, whereas the variable tone is taken from the audio input that is being produced from the base station Rx. Whatever the signal source selected (a user configurable feature), it is turned into a number that is compared  to  preset  boundary  values  (also  configurable  parameters),  which  define  the  minimum threshold of operation and govern the range and resolution of the reported signal quality level.  A hard-wired  signal  indicating  receiver  mute  open  (COR)  may  also  be  used.    The  configuration values of these parameters are likely to be the same at every radio site and that is a good way to achieve initial setup.  Subsequently, these may well be varied to suit individual site conditions, e.g. sites with high background noise levels. A value representing the signal quality is added  to the  packet  of  data containing the radio traffic itself and passed back to the TM every 20 ms.  This information is treated as a high priority part of the Solar supervisory and signalling data subset information within the IP data packet. 10.3  VOTING PROCESS For each NI, the RTN traffic audio packets are assigned to slots in a queue (a buffer) according to the packet number.  This action ensures that the packet order is correct, so that when the Voter process compares the RSSI of packets at the head of the queue they will all have the same time of origin  (the  input  from  main  Rx  to  Station  NI).    As  this  is  done  for  every  NI  at  the  same  time, synchronisation of the RTN audio is achieved. The Voting process consists of looking for the mute open status within each packet and extracting the RSSI  value if appropriate.  The RSSI values for each active site are then compared and the packet from the site offering the highest value is passed to the Central NI for decoding.  Once a site  is  selected, a  site offering  a  higher  RSSI  value must  exceed the  current RSSI  value  of  that from the selected site by the ‘Voter Level Difference’ parameter before a change in selection will occur.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 79 RECEIVER VOTING As this process is undertaken for every packet, the voting response time is 20 ms.  Since the IP data  packet  contains  both  the RSSI  information,  the  digitised  audio  and  simultaneously  conveys the fact that a signal is present, no audio will be lost at the start of an incoming signal due to the delay  whilst  the  voter  makes  a  signal  assessment.    The  latter  situation  is  common  with conventional analogue voting systems as the audio is already being presented before the voter has made a selection. 10.4  VOTER CONFIGURATION The Firmware configuration table contains variable parameters that control the action of the Voting process based  on the Signal Quality information.   These parameters have a range of movement which may include the  OFF state; they can be adjusted to give optimum performance to suit the operational conditions. 10.4.1  Voting Parameters The configuration table state is non-volatile and is accessed indirectly via the ET. Table 4.  Voter Adjustable Parameters. Function  Range Level of difference in RSSI necessary before a selection change is made.  1 to 13 in unity steps. Deselect and ignore a site that has had mute open for x (time).  Return the site to voter availability when it’s mute closes for a minimum of 10 seconds (not configurable). Range OFF or x = 5 min to 30 min in 5 min steps. Voter Override – a means to force the selection of site x irrespective of the incoming RSSI. Range OFF or x = 1 to 32 – only enabled slots may be selected.  10.5  BEST SIGNAL SELECTION – PARAMETERS This relates to the measurement units used by the integrated Voting algorithm of the NI. 10.5.1  RSSI An output is required from the base station Rx in the form of a varying voltage or a variable tone that is input to the Station NI. Table 5.  RSSI Requirements. Function  Range Voltage RSSI:   Voltage Input Range  >0 V and <5 V DC Conversion Resolution  14 steps Conversion Settings The minimum and maximum values of RSSI input are entered as boundary values.  A minimum value of zero will disable the function.  A value exceeding the maximum will not increase the RSSI further. Tone RSSI:   Tone Input Range  2.6 kHz to 3.5 kHz – user definable. Conversion Resolution  14 steps – equally spaced in tone range
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 80 RECEIVER VOTING 10.6  SQUELCH INPUT (COR) This is  an  optional  input  condition, since the  RSSI input  itself can be used to determine that the receiver is active once the input signal has reached the minimum boundary value.  However, use of  this  input  is  strongly  recommended  to  prevent false  voting  states  if  an  RSSI  voltage  is  used.  This condition can often occur, as the RSSI voltage output is likely to rise when invalid signals are received  (incorrect  or  no  CTCSS)  or  from  high  level  close  frequency  signals  such  as  adjacent channel interference. To use this input for the “Squelch” or “COR” state requires that ‘Isolated Input #1’ be assigned to ‘Auto’ in the Setup configuration of the NI (see Section 5.2.2.4 – Isolated Inputs).  It is activated by the  application of a  ground  (0  V)  to  the  input  and  when the  RSSI signal  from  the receiver is equal to or exceeds the minimum defined level the voting encode process will commence; i.e. Rx squelch AND the minimum RSSI level are both required.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 81 TROUBLESHOOTING & MAINT 11  ET TROUBLESHOOTING AND MAINTENANCE 11.1  NETWORK LATENCY AND FAULTS The crucial parameters in the successful operation of Solar are the buffer times, which are set in the ‘Sync Timing’ page of the TM ET (see Section 7 – Solar (Sync) Timing for details).  Making the  buffers  unnecessarily  large  will  undoubtedly  mean  the  Solar  network  will  function  but  will introduce noticeable end-to-end audio delay especially for T/T operation.  It is far better to optimise the  settings  to  match  the  characteristics  of  the  network.    In  order  to  do  that  requires  an understanding  of  the  effects  that  can  result  from  network  issues;  these  are  examined  in  the following sub-sections. 11.1.1  Packets Arriving Late Data  packets  that  arrive outside  of  the  allocated time  window will be  discarded.   If  this situation occurs  infrequently,  the  effect  is  highly  unlikely  to  be  noticed.    However,  if  the  packet  loss  rate increases  to  a  significant  number,  the  glitches  in  recovered  audio  signal  will  become  apparent, necessitating an increase in the overall time allocation or a examination of the network quality or both.  If a problem occurs that causes every packet to arrive outside of the time window, the NI will not function, i.e. neither the audio nor the signalling will be output.  The NI reports lost packets on the Setup Info page (see Section 2.4.1.4 – Pkt Errors). 11.1.2  Network Re-routing One  of  the  biggest  advantages  of  using  IP  networks  is  the  possibility  to  quickly re-route  ‘traffic’ around a fault condition.  Traditionally, this is not something that a conventional simulcast system could  easily  manage,  due  to  the  change  in  audio  characteristics  that  inevitably  results  from changing a bearer circuit.  As Solar is transported entirely at IP level, then, subject to its operating limits,  Solar  is  able  to  make  good  use  of  the  network  re-route  feature  and  provide  a  level  of resilience not available to conventional simulcast systems. It is quite reasonable to assume that, when a network route change occurs, the network latency or packet delivery times to one or more NI will also change.  If this results in an increase in time, the buffer  time(s)  allocated  could  prove  to  be  insufficient.    This  could  easily  be  manifest  as performance degradation on  a  Solar network  that  has  been  operating perfectly up  until the  point when a network re-route occurs. Consequently, it is most important  that all potential re-route conditions are  carefully examined  at the  commissioning  stage  and  the  effect  on  packet  delivery  times  are  noted,  which  will  probably require  manually  forcing  a  re-route  to  occur  and  analysing  the  effect.    Once  the  “worst  case” situation  has  been  identified,  i.e.  the  one  that  reports  the  longest  network  delivery  times,  these figures should be used to set the ‘Sync Timing’ parameters on the TM. 11.1.3  TM Duplication If a duplicated TM configuration is to be used, then, as discussed briefly in Section 8.1.1, there is a clear  benefit  in  not  locating  both  Primary  and  Secondary  units  together.    If  this  approach  is adopted, there are two situations that must be considered: (a).  The network latency time between any given NI and each TM could be quite different. (b).  A network fault could result in loss of communications between the TM even though each TM is operating normally.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 82 TROUBLESHOOTING & MAINT 11.1.3.1  Delay from NI to each TM The  Solar  network  settings  are  held  in  the  Primary  TM  and  passed,  in  their  entirety,  to  the Secondary TM, i.e. there is no provision to “customise” the Secondary TM in any way.  Depending upon the network “distance” between the two TMs, it is quite reasonable to expect that some NIs will be ‘closer’ to the Primary than the Secondary and vice-versa. If  buffer  settings  are  used that  are  simply  taken from  the results  obtained from  the Primary  TM, albeit that this is the best way to get the system operating at the initial commissioning stage, when TM changeover occurs, it may be found that system performance degrades.  Therefore, it would be very easy to conclude that there is some sort of malfunction with the Secondary TM when in fact the real reason is more subtle. Therefore,  when  it  comes  to  optimising the  Solar  buffer  times  on a  duplicated  configuration, the packet delivery times must be examined when each TM is operating and the “worst case” values used.   If  a duplicated  configuration is used together  with  network re-routing, the permutations of configurations  will  probably  become  considerable.    However,  unless  the  network  architecture  is very complex, it should prove relatively easy to identify what is likely to be the worst case situation and study that in detail in order to arrive at the optimum buffer settings. 11.1.3.2  Network Fault causing TM Changeover Similar  to  the  situation  with  a  network  re-route,  a  network  failure  could  result  in  loss  of communications  between  the  Primary  and  Secondary  TM  while both  units  are working  normally.  This will result in the Secondary TM sending data packets to every NI while the Primary TM is still active.  Since we are assuming a fault condition that is preventing inter-TM traffic flow, it would not be possible  for  any  single  NI  to  “see”  both  the Primary  TM and  the  Secondary  TM  at  the  same time,  i.e.  the  NI would only receive  packets from  one  TM.    This would cause a “split”  of the NIs between the two TM. The network design and the location of the fault determine which NI would be associated to which TM.  This could range from the Central NI for the channel being on one TM and all the Station NIs being on the other TM to just one Station NI being “lost” to the Secondary.  In the first scenario, the setting ‘TM triggered Talk Thru’ ‘On Central NI Fail’ (see Section 5.4.2.4) would be recommended so that the channel could still provide a fallback service when running on the Secondary TM.  This setting  would  of  course  have  to  be  applied  at  the  Primary  TM  even  though  the  facility  may  not seem appropriate when operating in that mode. The results of network problems when using a duplicated TM configuration may be very varied but should be entirely predictable if each fault scenario is carefully considered, even though there may be little or nothing that can be done about the resultant effects. 11.2  FIRMWARE UP-ISSUES 11.2.1  Availability The latest  Firmware version is  posted  on  the Team  Simoco  web site;  users  who are  on a  list  of interested parties will be notified when a new version becomes available. 11.2.2  Loader – General To up-issue the TM Firmware and NI PIC Firmware requires the use of the ET or ‘Loader’ software applications.  The Loader software is available from the Team Simoco website and, like the ET, is an executable file, which uses the front panel USB port – it is possible to change firmware remotely with the ET, however, the Loader application needs a direct USB connection.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 83 TROUBLESHOOTING & MAINT Note. The ET cannot be used at the same time as the Loader software as they use the same com port on the equipment. Run the Loader application and “Connect” to the equipment in exactly the same way as for the ET.  Follow the help guidelines for using the ET in Section 1.3.  The current Firmware version will be reported once the connection is established. Figure 70.  Loader Application. On  the  Loader  application  window,  select  the  ‘Load’  button  and  an  Open  file  window  will  be displayed from which the folder and file may be selected; only filenames with the ‘hex’ extension will be displayed.  Navigate to and select the correct file and, on the Open file window, select the ‘Open’ button to prime the file loading.  On the Loader application window, select the ‘Start’ button to commence loading the selected file.  The progress bar indicates the time to completion. 11.2.3  Traffic Manager The  TM  will  continue  to  operate  normally  during  an  up-issue.    When  the  firmware  upload  is complete  the  TM  will  restart  automatically  and  will  be  running  the  new  software  within  a  few seconds.    Occasionally,  adding  new  features  will  necessitate  changing  the  format  of  the  stored configuration data, therefore, the existing stored data may not match the requirement of the new firmware and, consequently, may need to be re-entered using the ET application.  If this is going to be  necessary,  suitable  notification  will  be  given  in  the  Engineering  Bulletin  that  accompanies  all software releases. If operating a Solar network with duplicated TMs, it is essential that both TMs are upgraded to the same software version.  During the upgrade process it would be prudent to ensure that only one of the TMs is operating at a time.  This will prevent the situation arising when both TMs try to run the network, which might occur after the first TM is upgraded and before the second TM is brought up to the same version of software.  Again, suitable advise of the potential for this situation arising will be provided in the associated Engineering Bulletin. 11.2.3.1  Invalid TM firmware When a new firmware file is offered to a TM, the TM will check the file to ensure that it is valid TM firmware and a file  that fails this  check  will be rejected.  This check  is very comprehensive so it would be extremely unlikely that an invalid file would be loaded.  Once the file check test has been passed,  the  loading  process  will  commence  and each  byte is  checked  against  a  checksum  and again once the whole file is loaded.  Only at this stage would the file be used to replace the existing firmware.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 84 TROUBLESHOOTING & MAINT If circumstances should somehow arise that results in the firmware file being corrupted, although the TM will not operate normally, it will run a special fall back program to allow the ‘Loader’ to be connected so that replacement firmware can be loaded. 11.2.4  Network Interface The NI will suspend normal operation during an upgrade.  There are two Firmware programmes in the NI: (a). PIC  Firmware.    This  is  the  main  unit  operating  process  and  is  changed  using  the  Loader application as detailed above. (b). DSP  Firmware.    Digital  Signals  Processor  (DSP)  Firmware  is  changed  using  a  function integral to the NI ET. 11.2.5  NI DSP Firmware Up-issue A  DSP  Firmware  up-issue  is  executed  by  selecting  the  ‘DSP’  button  of  the  NI  ET  (see Section 2.6).   This runs  the  Loader  application  from  within  the  ET,  which  is  used  in  exactly the same way as for the NI PIC Firmware itself. Figure 71.  NI DSP Upgrade. On the ‘Loader’ application window, select the ‘Load’ button to open a standard Open file window.  On  the  Open  file  window,  locate  the  appropriate  DSP  ‘hex’  file  and  select  the  ‘Open’  button  to prime the file for loading.  On the Loader application window, select the ‘Start’ button to instigate the upload process.  The progress bar indicates the time to completion. The  NI  will  automatically  restart  following  a  DSP  upgrade  and  the  new  firmware  version  will  be reported in the DSP loader sub-window and on the bottom bar of the ET main window.  Close the DSP loader sub-window with the  (close) icon (top right).
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 85 ALARMS 12  ALARMS 12.1  ALARMS OVERVIEW The alarms facility of Solar is a useful feature especially for the smaller systems.  It is designed to alert the user by means of an alerter device connected to a Central NI to a situation designated as requiring attention.  Configuration of the alarms facility and any subsequent analysis into the nature of  an  alarm  requires  use  the  TM  ET  and,  therefore,  is  not  recommended  for  use  by  non-engineering  staff.    Whilst  alarms  may  originate  from  a  NI,  the  NI  does  not  generate  the  alarm condition.  It is the report of a state change (an event) from a NI to the TM, as part of the normal supervisory  process,  which  will  cause  the  TM  to  raise  an  alarm  if  that  event  has  been  so designated, i.e. the alarm process lies entirely within the TM domain. On  larger  systems  or  for  more  comprehensive  system  monitoring,  the  use  of  SNMP  is  strongly recommended.  SNMP will provide  control  of many aspects of a  Solar network  as  well as being able  to  take/accept  user  definable  fault  conditions.    Full  information  on  SNMP  is  provided  in Section 14 – SNMP. 12.2  ALARM FUNCTIONALITY There are  a number of designated  events in a NI and a  TM that may be  selected  to  operate as alarm  initiation  events.    When  an  event  is  selected  and  that  event  is  active,  a  flashing Red indication will be displayed on the ET to alert the user to the presence and source of the alarm. An external indication of an alarm being active can be obtained from the ‘Isolated Output #2’ on a Central NI when it is set to operate in the ‘Auto’ mode.  The alarm condition will then operate that relay in the Central NI for the channel that is exhibiting the alarm.  If the alarm is from the TM itself making  it  channel  independent,  ‘Isolated  Output  #2’  will  be  activated  on  every  Central  NI configured for an alarm output. 12.3  ALARM SETUP (TM ET ONLY) Although the majority of alarms are likely to originate from NI, there is no facility to alter or examine the alarm settings from the NI ET, as the alarm settings are managed and maintained by the TM from the status information passed to the TM through the supervisory sub-system.  The events that may  be  selected  to  generate  the  alarm  condition  are  set  on  a  unit  by  unit  basis  through  the engineering facility. Events that can be configured to generate an alarm condition are selected by opening the ‘Alarms’ page (the ‘Alarms’ tab) of the item and selecting the event(s) as required from the following: (a).  Environment Inputs – ‘Environment’ page. (b).  Isolated Inputs (NI only) – ‘Signalling’ page. (c).  Network  Status,  1PPS  Status  and  PLL  Status  –  these  comprise  the  ‘Misc  Alarms’  on  the ‘Facilities’ page of the NI. (d).  Duplication Status, 1PPS Status and Facility Key Status – these comprise the ‘Misc Alarms’ on the ‘Facilities’ page of the TM. Before any change  or  selection can  be made,  the  ‘Eng’ button must  be selected and the ‘Apply’ button used to confirm the selection.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 86 ALARMS 12.3.1  Environment Inputs Each of the environment inputs may be selected to generate an alarm whenever that input is taken to  an  active  state.    As  each  on  the  sixteen  connection points  may  be  defined  as an  input or  an output, only those defined as inputs are available to assign to an alarm; those defined as outputs do not support the alarm facility as shown by the button being unavailable. As an  example, Figure 72  below  shows that  points  4,  5  and  6 in  Group  1 and  3, 4,  7  and  8  in Group 2 have been defined as outputs making them unavailable to be assigned to the alarm state.  The remaining points have been defined as inputs and, of these, 2 and 7 in Group 1 and 1 and 6 in Group 2 have been assigned to alarm status. Figure 72.  Setting Alarms for Environment Inputs on a NI. 12.3.2  Isolated Inputs As an example, Figure 73 below shows that ‘Isolated Input’ #3 has been assigned to alarm status. Figure 73.  Setting Alarms for Isolated Inputs on a NI. 12.3.3  NI Misc Alarms As an example, Figure 74 overleaf shows that ‘Network’ and ‘PPS’ have been assigned to alarm status.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 87 ALARMS Figure 74.  Setting Misc Alarms for a NI. 12.3.4  TM Misc Alarms As an example, Figure 75 below shows that ‘Duplication’ and ‘PPS’ have been assigned to alarm status. Figure 75.  Alarms Setup for a TM.  12.4  ALARM INDICATIONS 12.4.1  Alarm Active The presence of an alarm condition will be indicated by one or more flashing Red borders on the area(s) of the TM ET main window to indicate the source of the alarm(s).  For a Station NI, this is the Station panel; for a Central NI, this is the ‘Cen #N’ tab; and for the TM itself, this in the ‘TM’ tab.  If the origin of the alarm is an NI which will has a channel relationship, then the tab of the channel group containing the NI with the alarm will also gain a flashing Red border.  If a panel or tab was previously selected so that it had a Green border prior to the alarm state, then the border will now flash alternately Red and Green. In  Figure  76  overleaf  there  are  two  alarms  active  as  indicated  by  the  flashing Red  borders  or highlights;  one  is  on  the  TM  itself  and  the  other  is  on  Station  NI#1.    The  Station  NI#1  alarm  is causing the alarm indication on  the Chan  #1  tab to  appear  since  it is a member  of the Chan #1 group.    To  determine  the  exact  cause  of  the  alarm,  the  status  view  of  the  unit  with  the  alarm indication must  be  examined.    For  a  NI  this means  clicking  the  button to  open  the  remote  view window; for the TM this is shown on the TM Status panel.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 88 ALARMS Figure 76.  Examples of Alarm Indications. 12.4.2  Alarm Acknowledge As an alarm indication will continue to be displayed even if the original event is no longer active, the  alarm  may  be  acknowledged  so  that  the  external  alarm  output,  ‘Isolated  Output  #2’  on  the Central  NI,  is  deactivated.    This  also  serves  as  a  means  of  recognising  if  a  subsequent  alarm condition occurs before the first has been cleared. When an alarm is acknowledged, the alarm indication will change to a flashing Yellow border if no other  alarms  are  present  on  the  unit.    Once  an  alarm  is  acknowledged,  the  flashing Yellow indication will cease immediately if the original alarm event is no longer active or will continue until that alarm event becomes inactive.  Individual status indicators will also adopt the flashing Yellow state  for  the  alarm  acknowledged  condition.    In Figure  76,  Station  NI#3  has  an  acknowledged alarm and the following figures will show the process of other alarms being acknowledged. Alarms are acknowledged through the ‘Engineering’ facility for the unit concerned  using the ‘Ack Alarms’ button, which will only become active if an alarm is present on the page in view.  If alarms exist on more than one page, then each page must be acknowledged individually.  Only when all alarms  have  been  acknowledged  will  the  common  alarm  indication  for  the  unit  enter  the acknowledged state. If alarms are originating from different units, each unit will have to be acknowledged individually.  If multiple  alarms  are  present  on  a  channel,  only  when  all  alarms  on  the  channel  have  been acknowledged will the external alarm output cease. The  alarm  example  in Figure  77  overleaf  shows  that  the  TM  alarm  is  due  to  the  ‘PPS’  Status indicator on the ‘Misc Alarms’ page.  The ‘Ack Alarms’ button is enabled and when it is selected, the  alarm  indication  changes  to  the  acknowledged  state  and  the  ‘Ack  Alarms’  button  becomes disabled.    If  a  second  alarm  had  been  present  on  the  same  page,  that  too  would  have  been acknowledged.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 89 ALARMS Figure 77.  PPS Alarm on the TM. The alarm example in Figure 78 below shows that alarms are present on the NI ‘Signalling’ and ‘Environment’ pages.  The ‘Signalling’ alarm  is due  to  ‘Isolated Input #3’ and acknowledging that changes  the  flashing  border  on  the  ‘Signalling’  tab  and  the  input  indicator  to  flashing Yellow whereupon the ‘Ack Alarms’ button becomes disabled.  The alarm on the ‘Environment’ page must be acknowledged separately as shown overleaf in Figure 79. Figure 78.  Alarm on the NI Signalling page.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 90 ALARMS Figure 79.  Alarm on the NI Environment page. 12.5  TM DUPLICATION ALARMS 12.5.1  Alarms on a Secondary TM Just as for the other parameters in the Secondary TM, the definition of alarm events will be taken from the Primary TM; they cannot be different to the Primary TM or defined at the Secondary TM.  However, alarm events must be acknowledged at each TM independently. When the Primary TM has been configured to generate alarms, if the Secondary TM subsequently experiences an alarm event whilst offline, it will not have control of the Central NI and, therefore, is unable  to  generate  the  external  alarm  function  to  indicate  a  problem.    Similarly,  monitoring  for alarms will be conducted through the Primary TM, consequently, an alarm on the Secondary TM will again go unnoticed. 12.5.2  Indicating an Alarm from an Offline TM The problem of not knowing of an alarm on an offline Secondary TM is handled by the Secondary TM ceasing to communicate with the Primary TM.  This will cause the ‘Duplication’ fail indication on the Primary TM to be activated, therefore, it is imperative to ensure that the ‘Duplication’ alarm is enabled so that the external alarm indication will operate. If this situation arises, the first action will be to acknowledge the ‘Duplication’ alarm on the Primary TM  and  then  attempt  to  access  the  Secondary  TM  to  examine  and  acknowledge  the  alarm.    If remote access to the Secondary TM fails, this will indicate either a total failure of the Secondary TM  unit  or  a  network  fault.    If  access  into  the  Secondary  TM  is  successful,  the  alarm  can  be acknowledged as described earlier and any appropriate action taken.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 91 ALARMS 12.5.3  Secondary TM Alarm Acknowledged On acknowledging the Secondary TM alarm, the Secondary TM will resume communications with the  Primary  TM  resulting  in  the  acknowledged  ‘Duplication’  alarm  on  the  Primary  TM  ceasing.  From that point on, it will not be automatically apparent, that the original alarm on the Secondary TM has cleared.  For example, if the original problem at the Secondary TM was loss of GPS signal (‘PPS’ fail), once this alarm is acknowledged, the return of the GPS signal will not be notified, i.e. it will be necessary to log back into to the Secondary TM at intervals to check if the problem is still present or  has cleared.  Once the  original alarm has been  acknowledged on the Secondary TM, the occurrence of any other alarm or re-occurrence of the same alarm will be notified as described above.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 92 TM LOGGING 13  TM LOGGING 13.1  OVERVIEW This  section  describes  the  TM  Logging  facility  that  is  an  inherent  feature  of  the  TM  and independent of all other options. Information is automatically gathered by the TM; the only setup required is that of setting system time.  The data is stored in four log files, one covering each event subject.  These are generated on a daily basis and are retained for 28 days.  Through the TM ET, the information held in any log file (current or historic) may be viewed by selecting the date and the log subject.  The log file view on the ET also allows the results to be filtered to focus on the specific subjects such as channel, equipment and type if a specific issue is being analysed. The SB2025NT has the option to use a compact flash card instead of the usual hard disk drive and to  reduce  wear and  prevent  premature failure  the  amount  of  logging is  reduced  when the  CF  is fitted. Once a log file is transferred to the ET (opened) it may then be saved to a file in “comma separated values” (csv) format for archiving.  This format makes it ideal for transfer to a spreadsheet if a more detailed  examination  outside  of  the  ET  application  is  required.    The  original  log  files  are  not accessible to the user. 13.2  EVENT SUBJECTS The log files are separated into the four event subjects: Alarms; System; Voter; and ET.  A new log file is created when the first event for that log occurs for that day.  If the first event is the TM being switched on, every log file will start with that entry showing the time the log file was created and the fact that the TM was started.  Subsequent TM restarts or reboots are logged in each file but the full start-up information is only in the system log. 13.2.1  Alarms Log For an event to  be  logged in the Alarm  log,  that  event  must be  configured to  alarm status.  Full information  on  configuring  alarms  and  their  action  can  be  found  in Section  12  –  Alarms.    The occurrence of every alarm event is logged with the information that uniquely identifies the source and nature of the alarm.  The action of acknowledging an alarm is also logged and this action may or may not have occurred before the status of the alarm item in question has returned to normal. If the item had returned to normal status before the alarm is acknowledged, the alarm log will show the alarm cleared immediately after the alarm was acknowledged.  If the acknowledge occurs while the item is still at alarm status, the alarm cleared message will be logged at the point at which the status returned to normal, i.e. in real time. 13.2.2  System Log The  system  log  is  focussed  on  recording  events  and  conditions  that  might  impact  upon  the operation of the wider Solar network.  Events that directly or indirectly involve the TM are logged even though these might have occurred at a remote Station NI.  For example, a record will be kept of  the  ‘PPS’  and  ‘PLL’  status  for  every  NI,  as  problems  with  either  item  will  result  in  inaccurate measurement of the PATs, which impact upon the TM.  The log will also record the error counts of frequency  and  phase  for  a  NI  PLL.    These  are  displayed  in  the  style  of  ‘0Xnn’  for  each  value, where “nn” is the error value in hexadecimal notation. The event field of a system log will have many entries immediately after a TM is restarted.  There will be more than 20 log entries for the TM itself and also one per NI as each unit is enabled and brought online.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 93 TM LOGGING The majority of  entries in  the  system  log  are likely to be due  to  automatic functions although an event might be due to manual action elsewhere on the system. 13.2.3  Voter Log When a voter change occurs such as happens at the start of an incoming call or a change in voted site  selection  or  at  the  end  of  a  call,  an  entry  is  generated  in  the  voter  log.    The  information included with each entry is the RSSI signal level for every site within the channel.  This information is presented as a sub-list in the format of a series of numbers separated by commas such that: • A value greater than zero represents a site with a valid signal. • A value of zero represents a site with no incoming signal. • A null value represents a site that is either not present on that channel or not enabled on the system. The full TM capacity of 32 stations is always output in the data field irrespective of the number of stations  on  the  Solar  network.    Therefore,  it  will  not  be  unusual  to  see  a  long  row  of  commas running from  Site  1  to  Site  32.    This  approach  ensures  that  opening  a  log  file  in  a  spreadsheet causes each  site to fall into the correct column for each station to ease station identification and traffic analysis. 13.2.4  ET Log Connection and disconnection of the TM ET in either serial or network mode will result in an entry in the ET Log.  Actions taken through the ET are also logged but the details of the changes made will vary according to the nature of the change. Configuration changes to the TM are logged in full detail as are system configuration changes, e.g. enabling  or  disabling  an  NI,  moving  a  station  from  one  channel  to  another,  changes  to  an  IP address and changing the alarm configuration of any item.  However, engineering changes to an NI are not logged in detail due to the almost infinite number of variations to audio and tone levels alone that could occur; these are simply recorded as “Change to Engineering settings”. 13.3  ACCESS TO THE TM LOGS To gain access to any  log related  aspect,  select  the ‘Logging’ button on  the  TM  Status  panel to open the main logging window (still a sub-window on the TM ET). Figure 80.  Route to TM Logging.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 94 TM LOGGING Figure 81.  The TM Logging window. 13.4  TM SYSTEM TIME TM system time is taken from the TM real-time clock, which will initially need to be configured to operate  in  the  correct  time  zone.    This  information  is  gathered  from  the  PC  hosting  the  ET application  and  the  clock  will  remain  aligned  to  GPS  UTC  time  when  this  is  available  with  the appropriate time zone  offset.    If  GPS  is  not  directly connected  to  the TM, the  internal clock may need to be reset again in the future.  The time used in the logs will always be local standard time, i.e. it is not adjusted for ‘daylight time’ variations. The four log files created will each normally encompass a 24 hour period of operation of the TM from 00:00 to 23:59 but will cover a lesser period if the TM is only operating for part of that time. 13.4.1  Setting TM System Time The TM system clock is automatically synchronised with UTC time from GPS at a “Time Update” event.  However, for a system that does not have a GPS directly connected and therefore UTC is not available, the TM system clock may be set to that of the PC.  To set the TM system time to that of the PC, select the “Arrow” button in the ‘Time Setup’ panel (see Figure 81 above). This  time  change  may  be  made  even  if  the  TM  is  receiving  UTC  information,  however,  the  TM system time will eventually be over-written using UTC when the Time Update event occurs.  The action of setting system time, whether manual or automatic, is itself logged in the system event log together with the amount of adjustment made.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 95 TM LOGGING 13.5  LOG SELECTION Selection of the date of the log to be transferred to the ET is made by clicking on the date required on  the  calendar,  which  will  gain  the  blue  highlight;  the  default  selection  being  the  current  date.  There  is  no  need  to  re-select  the  date  if  the  correct  date  is  already  highlighted.    The  log  event subject is selected from the pull-down list visible above the calendar. Figure 82.  Selecting an Alarm Log. Dates that fall in the 28 day date range are indicated on the calendar by figures in bold text and this  is most  likely  to  cross  the monthly  boundary.    To  select  another  month,  click  on  one  of  the arrow buttons positioned on either side of the name of the month; the button with the left pointing arrow will move to the previous month and the button with the right pointing arrow will move to the next  month.    It  is  not  possible  to  select  a  month  that  would  move  beyond  the  twenty-eight  day range. The fact that a date is shown in bold does not indicate that a log file is available for that date just that the date lies within the last twenty-eight days.  If no activity occurs under a particular event for that date, no log file will have been created and an attempt to access the log file for that event on that day will fail as shown by the text ‘No events to show’.  This action will itself result in an entry being logged in today’s system log to show that the log file for that date was not found. 13.6  TRANSFERRING THE LOG Once the date and log event have been selected, select the ‘Start’ button to transfer the log to the ET.  The transfer may be cancelled with the ‘Cancel’ button or paused at any time using the pause button, which only becomes active during the transfer process.  Depending upon the size of the log file and the speed of the ET connection (i.e. network or serial), the progress bar will indicate the rate  of  transfer.    A  short  log  file  will  be  transferred  very  quickly  on  a  network  connected  ET therefore the progress bar may only appear to blink.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 96 TM LOGGING Figure 83.  Transferring a Log File to the ET. 13.6.1  Saving the Log When the log transfer process is complete, the ‘Save’ button will become active and remain active while the file is present in the ‘Log Display’ area.  When the ‘Save’ button is selected, the ‘Save Log’  file  page  will  open  allowing  the  selection  of  folder  and  naming  of  the  log  file.    The  default filename  indicates  the  type  of  event  log  and  the  date  (day),  this  may  be  changed  as  desired although the file type is always ‘csv’.   The file name suggested is not that of the internal log file, which is not accessible to the user. Figure 84.  Saving a Log File. If a complete record of system operation is to be kept then saving the log files on a regular basis is necessary as each internal log file will be deleted after twenty-eight days. 13.6.2  Log Display Once a log file has been transferred to the ET the information will be shown in the log display area.  Each event occupies a separate line and the details of the event are separated into five data fields, which are shown in columns.  The data fields are: (a).  ‘Time’.  The time stamp for the event taken from the TM system clock.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 97 TM LOGGING (b).  ‘Channel’.  The channel number encompassing the event is displayed when appropriate.  On single channel versions this will only be “Chn 01”. (c).  ‘Equipment’.  The equipment or hardware unit that experienced the event.  Typical data is “TM”, “Cen 01” and “Stn 02” etc. (d).  ‘Type’.  The area of the equipment in which the event occurred.  Typical data is “File”, “Key” and “NI”, etc. (e).  ‘Event’.  The details of the event itself.  This varies widely according to both the event itself and the log subject. Figure 85.  Example of a System Log. A log entry that does not have information that relates to a data field will be displayed as ‘----‘ in that column.  In the above system log file display, every entry is an example of the latter situation as  these  are  all  concerned  with  the  TM  itself,  which  has  no  channel  association  and  so  the Channel data fields are shown as ‘----‘.  Similarly the entries for TM start-up and firmware have no ‘Type’ data. 13.6.3  Filtering the Log Display The  ‘Channel’,  ‘Equipment’  and  ‘Type’  columns  may  be  filtered  to  allow  closer  examination  of specific  details  and  this  feature  operates  in  a  very  similar  way  to  that  available  in  spreadsheet applications.  Once a filter is applied, the list will be reduced and the number of events that match that filter setting will be shown in the display header area. The example overleaf has been constructed for handbook purposes as it is not possible to operate all three pull down lists simultaneously even though all three columns may be filtered together.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 98 TM LOGGING Figure 86.  Applying a Display Filter. Figure 87.  Filtering the Log Display on ‘Channel’. Figure 88.  Filtering the Log Display on ‘Type’. More than one column  may be filtered at the same time.   To remove a filter select ‘All’ from the drop-down list.  A filter must be removed before selection of a different filter item can be made in order to show the full list of selectable items. The complete log file will be saved when the file save function is used even if one or more filters are currently being applied.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 99 TM LOGGING 13.7  EVENTS ACROSS MULTIPLE LOGS There will be events that cause a log entry to occur in more than one event log.  An example of such  a situation  is  the  loss  of  the  PPS  signal  at  a  NI.   This could  be  logged as  an  alarm  (if  so configured) but would also be logged as a system event as the TM would remove the entry for that NI from the timing table. This highlights the fact that it might prove necessary to take information from more than one log file to interpret the full details of an event, if a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding an event is required.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 100 SNMP 14  SNMP 14.1  OVERVIEW OF SNMP IN SOLAR This section details the setting up necessary to implement the SNMP facility and the functions that are  available  through  it.    However,  it  does  not  go  into  any  detail  of  SNMP  operation,  as  it  is assumed the  user will already have  knowledge of and  be  familiar with SNMP.   This  feature is a ‘Facility Key’ enabled  option  which  requires  the  Solar  2  ET and  MIB  file  ‘DALMAN-SOLAR-MIB-011.txt’ or higher. SNMP is a defined standard for the data transfer between networks to be monitored and network management systems.  The use of SNMP will allow the user to monitor and control a Solar network as well as providing indications of the operational status of the Solar network all in a manner that suits the particular needs of the user. To  make  use  of  the  SNMP  facility,  the  user  is  required  to  provide  a  NMS.    There  are  many commercially  available  NMS  software  packages  to  choose  from  or  perhaps  the  user  has  an existing NMS, therefore, it might be preferable to simply add the Solar SNMP to the existing NMS. The SNMP implementation in the TM is SNMPv2 and a MIB is provided to define the data and data structure of the  information that is necessary for the NMS to operate into  Solar.  Certain objects have  Object  Identifiers (OIDs)  defined in  the standard  mib-2;  these include the  “sysDescription”, “sysContact”,  “sysName”,  “sysLocation”  strings  and  “sysUpTime”.    Also  defined  in  mib-2  are the “Coldstart” and “Warmstart” traps sent when the TM starts up. The SNMP facility does not replace the requirement for using the ET, since the basic configuration of a Solar network must be undertaken using the ET before the SNMP facility itself can be realised.  Thereafter, although some of the parameters of the Solar network equipment can be accessed and altered through SNMP, the majority can only be accessed using the ET. 14.2  CONFIGURING SNMP IN THE TM As  long  as  the  ‘Facility  Key’  has  the  SNMP  feature  enabled,  the  ‘SNMP’  table  of  entries  will  be enabled on the ‘Facility’ page of ‘TM Engineering’. The SNMP setup information is presented under two pages: ‘Communities’ and ‘Destinations’.  The default  text  settings  in  ‘SNMP  Communities’  and  ‘System’  must  all  be  changed  to  suit  and  the appropriate IP addresses entered in ‘Destinations’. 14.2.1  SNMP Communities and System All these entries are simple text strings but, as the purpose of those in the ‘Communities’ area is similar  to  that  of  password  access,  the  default  settings  for  ‘Read  Only’,  ‘Read-Write’  and  ‘Trap’ should be changed to protect the Solar network from unauthorised access.  The ‘System’ values are  used  to  provide  information  about  the  monitored  network.    These  can  also  be  changed  as required, perhaps to make this network more readily identifiable as a Solar network if the NMS is monitoring several networks. To change any of the text strings, depress the ‘Eng’ button then select the item to be changed and edit  the  existing  string  or  enter  a  new  text  string  as  appropriate.    To  complete  the  change,  the ‘Apply’ button must be selected which will automatically release the ‘Eng’ button.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 101 SNMP Figure 89.  SNMP Text Label/Data Entry. 14.2.2  Trap Destinations The IP  addresses entered into  any of  these fields  (to  a  maximum of  six)  will be  the  locations  to which  any  trap  event  notification  is  sent.    To  enter  or  change  an  IP  address,  depress  the  ‘Eng’ button and position the mouse pointer on the entry to be changed or added and click the mouse button to activate the edit cursor (caret). Figure 90.  SNMP Trap Address Entry. The keyboard “Tab” key will move the cursor from left to right and then down to the next address line highlighting each  item (octet  value)  in  turn.   Once  the  changes  have been made, select the ‘Apply’ button, which will save the changes and automatically release the ‘Eng’ button. The “Default Gateway” address entered in the main TM ‘Network’ setup will be used in conjunction with the trap destination addresses.
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 102 SNMP 14.3  DATA ORGANISATION The data and meaning of the information that can be monitored by the SNMP NMS is detailed in a MIB  file.    This  file  is  provided  by  Simoco  and  contains  all  the  necessary  references,  plain  text translations and  value limitations that are applicable to every item  of data that is accessible with the NMS using SNMP. 14.3.1  Data Format A summary of the data is set out in the following tables and the meaning of each column headings is: (a). Data Item.  A short text description of the item in question. (b). Type.  ‘Single’ means that there is only one such item in the network; ‘Multiple’ means the entity in  question  has  to  be  uniquely  addressed  as  many of  them  exist in  the  network.   In “Traps” the source of the event may be from multiple items. (c). Access.  Data may be read from the item or written to the item or both. (d). Data type.  The nature of the data stored for the item. (e). Notes.  Any supplementary information about the data item. 14.3.2  Network Interfaces (Centrals and Stations) Table 6.  SNMP Data Format for NI Info. Data Item  Type  Access  Data Type  Notes Maximum Number  Single  Read  Integer  0 to 16 for Centrals : 1 to 32 for Stations IP Address  Multiple  Read  IP Address   Enabled  Multiple  Read  Integer  0 or 1 Name  Multiple  Read  Text String   Environment  Multiple  Read  Integer  Bit representation of I/Ps and O/Ps Alarms  Multiple  Read  Integer  Bit representation of alarms and acknowledges Alarm Acknowledge  Multiple  Read/Write  Integer  Acknowledges active alarms  14.3.3  Channels Table 7.  SNMP Data Format for Channel Info. Data Item  Type  Access  Data Type  Notes Maximum Number  Single  Read  Integer  1 to 16 Name  Multiple  Read/Write  Text String   Tx Key Hang Time  Multiple  Read/Write  Integer  0 to 5 (seconds) CTCSS Freq.  Multiple  Read/Write  Integer  500 to 3000 (x 0.1 Hz) RSSI Threshold  Multiple  Read/Write  Integer  0 or 14 Voter Override  Multiple  Read/Write  Integer  0 to 32 (Stn No : 0 = off) Site Deselect Time  Multiple  Read/Write  Integer  0 to 6 (5 mins : 0 = off) TM triggered T/T  Multiple  Read/Write  Integer  0 to 2 Channel Status  Multiple  Read  Integer Bit representation of voted site and RSSI level
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 103 SNMP 14.3.4  Traffic Manager Table 8.  SNMP Data Format for TM Info. Data Item  Type  Access  Data Type  Notes Uptime  Single  Read  Integer  Seconds since program start Facility Key Status  Single  Read  Integer  0 to 2 Key Serial Number  Single  Read  Integer  Unique serial number Key Text  Single  Read  Text String   Duplication Status  Single  Read  Integer  Bit representation of setting and status Alarms  Single  Read  Integer  Bit representation of alarms and acknowledges Alarm Acknowledge  Single  Read/Write  Integer  Acknowledges active alarms  14.3.5  Traps Table 9.  SNMP Data Format for Trap Info. Data Item  Type  Data Type  Notes TM Alarms  Single  Integer  Bit representation of active alarms Station NI Alarms  Multiple  Integer  Bit representation of active alarms Central NI Alarms  Multiple  Integer  Bit representation of active alarms
  SGD-SB2025NT-TUM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 104 FIRMWARE EXTENSIONS 15  FIRMWARE EXTENSIONS 15.1  FIRMWARE EXTENSIONS – OVERVIEW The  firmware  installed  in  a  NI  is  the  same  for  all  users.    However,  extension  modules  are supported  in  the  firmware,  which  will  be  created  to  perform  specific  and  dedicated  functions.  These extension modules will be activated according to the setting of the FW Config Byte, which is displayed on the ‘Facilities’ page of ‘NI Engineering’ (see Section 8.2.3 – Facilities). The ‘FW Config’ setting is displayed as a hexadecimal byte value and value 0x7FFF is the default or base setting that does not implement any extension facility.  This setting is only programmable in  the  factory  and,  therefore,  the  user  cannot  elect  to  use  a  particular  feature  set.    The  NI  will perform only those duties that the equipment has been built to fulfil, although, when an extension is enabled, individual items of that feature set may be enabled or not as desired; if none are enabled the unit will operate as standard. The  configurations  available  from  the  NI  are  listed  in  order  of  the  ‘FW  Config’  byte  value  in Table 10.  As more variants evolve they will be added to this document. Table 10.  Configuration Byte Usage. Date  Config Byte  Function/Facility  Section Original  0x7FFF  Standard build, no extension features available  N/A
  SGD-SB2025NT-TM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 105 APPENDIX A APPENDIX A SOLAR CONFIGURABLE SETTINGS The intention here is to list the user configurable settings of a Solar network in alphabetical order and  to  indicate  which  ET  has  access  to  which.    The  precursor  to  any  change  is  likely  to  need selection of  an engineering mode and the conclusion being that  the change needs  to be applied (see the relevant section in the handbook for full details). Many of the settings are accessible from either the TM ET or the NI ET and this is indicated by the text ‘Both ET’ in the ‘ET’ column.  As a Solar 2 unit may have either a TM or an NI or both fitted as main modules and that the GPS and the Environment I/O sub-modules may be accessed through the  ET  appropriate  to  the unit  build,  then these  settings  are  shown as  ‘Either’.   A  setting that  is available to  only one  of  the  ETs is  indicated  by  the  text ‘TM ET’ or ‘NI  ET’ as appropriate.    Any further information is noted where applicable. The ‘Type’ column indicates the nature of the setting by using the following notation: • ‘Button’ – click in or out to enable/disable or set on/set off etc. • ‘Check’ – check the box to enable, un-check the box to disable. • ‘Click’ – single (momentary) action to instigate function. • ‘Drag/drop’ – the selection is made using a ‘Drag and drop’ operation. • ‘Enter’  –  the  user  must  enter  a  value  (usually  validated)  or  character  string  (not  usually validated). • ‘Select’ – select the option from a pull-down list (fixed choice). • ‘Slider’ – the setting is adjusted by dragging a slider to the required position/level. Table A1.  List of ET Settings. Topic  Description  Options/Notes  Type  Location (ET page)  ET Alarms Configuration and acknowledgement of alarm events Enable/Disable alarm events & acknowledge alarms Button  Alarms (alarms button, TM Tab)  TM ET Audio In  Set audio I/P – fine level  Approx 6 dB range  Slider  NI Engineering (Main audio tab)  Both ET Audio In  Set audio I/P – coarse level 0 to −18 dB, then −20 to −32 dB (6 dB steps) Slider  NI Engineering (Main audio tab)  Both ET Audio In  In route  Normal/Inverted  Button  NI Engineering (Main audio tab)  Both ET Audio In  Enable 2.6 kHz LPF  On/Off  Check  Setup (Misc tab)  Both ET Audio Out  Set audio O/P – fine level  Approx 6 dB range  Slider  NI Engineering (Main audio tab)  Both ET Audio Out  Set audio O/P – coarse level 0 dB to −21 dB (3 dB steps)  Slider  NI Engineering (Main audio tab)  Both ET Audio Out  Out route  Normal/Inverted  Button  NI Engineering (Main audio tab)  Both ET Channel Allocation Relations: allocate each NI to a channel  Associate any to any  Drag/drop Relations (Relations button, TM tab)  TM ET Channel Facilities Channel Name: identify channel Up to 20 characters text  Enter  Channel Setup (Setup button, channel tab)  TM ET
  SGD-SB2025NT-TM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 106 APPENDIX A Topic  Description  Options/Notes  Type  Location (ET page)  ET Channel Facilities  TX Key Hang  0 secs – 5 secs  Select  Channel Setup (Setup button, channel tab)  TM ET Channel Facilities  TM Triggered T/T  None/Perm/Central NI fail  Select  Channel Setup (Setup button, channel tab)  TM ET CTCSS  CTCSS frequency  50 Hz to 300 Hz (to 0.1 Hz)  Enter  Channel Setup (Setup button, channel tab)  TM ET CTCSS  CTCSS out route  Feature not in use  Button  NI Engineering (CTCSS tab)  Both ET CTCSS  CTCSS tone O/P – fine level  Approx 3 dB range  Slider  NI Engineering (CTCSS tab)  Both ET CTCSS  CTCSS tone O/P – coarse level 0 dB to −21 dB (3 dB steps)  Slider  NI Engineering (CTCSS tab)  Both ET DSP Firmware Read in FW file  Load file into ET  Button  DSP button (Loader)  NI ET DSP Firmware Upload FW to NI  Start upload process  Button  DSP button (Loader)  NI ET Environment  Set I/O text tables  Max 20 characters  Enter  Setup (Labels tab)  Either Environment  Configure the environment I/Ps Monitor/Auto with invert options  Select  Setup (Misc tab)  Either Environment  Configure the environment O/Ps  Manual/Auto  Select  Setup (Misc tab)  Either Environment  Environment O/P control  O/Ps 1 to 8: On/Off  Button  NI Engineering (Facilities tab)  Either GPS  View GPS signals  No action    GPS (GPS button)  Either GPS  Set PC Clock    Select  GPS > Options menu (GPS button)  Either Isolated I/Ps  Configure isolated I/Ps  Monitor/Auto  Select  Setup (Misc tab)  Both ET Isolated O/Ps  Configure isolated O/Ps (relays)  Manual/Auto  Select  Setup (Misc tab)  Both ET NI Facilities  Inhibit controls: I/P and/or O/P  On/Off  Button  NI Engineering (Facilities tab)  Both ET NI Facilities  Isolated (relay) O/P controls  Relay 1 to 3: On/Off  Button  NI Engineering (Facilities tab)  Both ET NI Facilities  Line fail T/T  On/Off  Button  NI Engineering (Station tab)  Both ET NI Name  Set Station/Central NI name  Max 20 characters  Enter  Setup (Labels tab)  Both ET NI Network  Set IP address  Set to suit network addressing scheme  Enter  NI Setup (Network button)  NI ET NI Network  Set Subnet mask  Feature not in use  Enter  NI Setup (Network button)  NI ET NI Network  Set default gateway  Feature not in use  N/A  NI Setup (Network button)  NI ET NI Network  Enable NI  Enable/Disable  Check  NI Setup (Network button)  NI ET Signalling In  I/P signal type  Tone/Voltage  Select  Setup (Signalling tab)  Both ET Signalling In  Boundaries: min & max Tone: 2.6 – 3.5 kHz V’age: 1 – 1023  Enter  Setup (Signalling tab)  Both ET Signalling Out O/P tone frequency  2.5 kHz – 3.6 kHz  Select  Setup (Signalling tab)  Both ET Signalling Out O/P tone level  −10 dB to −28 dB (2 dB steps)  Slider  Setup (Signalling tab)  Both ET SNMP  Setup ‘Communities’ parameters (3 entries) Plain text (password)  Enter  SNMP (SNMP button, TM tab)  TM ET SNMP  Setup ‘System’ parameters (4 entries) Plain text (info)  Enter  SNMP (SNMP button, TM tab)  TM ET
  SGD-SB2025NT-TM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 107 APPENDIX A Topic  Description  Options/Notes  Type  Location (ET page)  ET SNMP  Setup ‘Trap’ destinations (up to 6) One IP address per destination  Enter  SNMP (SNMP button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Event Log  Set System Time  Action as required  Click  Logging (Logging button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Event Log  Read Log File  Select Type & Date  Select  Logging (Logging button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Event Log  Transfer Log File  Start transfer  Click  Logging (Logging button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Event Log  Filter Log File  Action as required  Select  Logging (Logging button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Event Log  Save Log File  Action if required  Click  Logging (Logging button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Timing  GO Traffic O/P Time (Station NI) 40 ms – 200 ms (20 ms steps)  Select  Sync Timing (Sync button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Timing  RTN Traffic O/P Time (Central NI) 40 ms – 200 ms (20 ms steps)  Select  Sync Timing (Sync button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Timing  GO TM Buffer (Central NI) 20 ms – 140 ms (20 ms steps)  Select  Sync Timing (Sync button, TM tab)  TM ET Solar Timing  RTN TM Buffer (Station NI) 20 ms – 140 ms (20 ms steps)  Select  Sync Timing (Sync button, TM tab)  TM ET Test Tone  Test tone route  External/Network/Off  Button  NI Engineering (Facilities tab)  Both ET Test Tone  Test tone frequency  300 Hz – 2500 Hz  Enter  NI Engineering (Facilities tab)  Both ET Test Tone  Test tone level  0 dB to −10 dB (1 dB steps & −4.4 dB)  Slider  NI Engineering (Facilities tab)  Both ET Timing Source (NI) Select 1PPS and NMEA data source RS422/TTL: with/ without NMEA data  Select  Setup (Misc tab)  Either Timing Source (TM) Select 1PPS and NMEA data source RS422/TTL: with/ without NMEA data  Select  Sync Timing (Setup button, TM tab)  Either TM Duplication  Duplication mode  Unduplicated Dupl.(Pri), Dupl.(Sec)  Select  TM Setup (Network button, TM tab)  TM ET TM Duplication  IP address  Set to address of “other” TM  Enter  TM Setup (Network button, TM tab)  TM ET TM Network  TM IP address  Set to suit network addressing scheme  Enter  TM Setup (Network button, TM tab)  TM ET TM Network  Set subnet mask  Set to suit network addressing scheme  Enter  TM Setup (Network button, TM tab)  TM ET TM Network  Default gateway  Set to suit network addressing scheme  Enter  TM Setup (Network button, TM tab)  TM ET TM Setup – Central NI  IP Address  Set to IP address of required Central NI  Enter  Network button on Central panel  TM ET TM Setup – Central NI Enable/Disable each Central NI  Enable/Disable  Check  Network button on Central panel  TM ET TM Setup – Station NI  IP Address  Set to IP address of required Station NI  Enter  Numbered button on Station panels  TM ET TM Setup – Station NI Enable/Disable each Station NI  Enable/Disable  Check  Numbered button on Station panels  TM ET Voting (Chan) Facilities Minimum RSSI Difference  Select from 1 – 13  Select  Channel Setup (Setup button, channel tab)  TM ET Voting (Chan) Facilities Site Deselection Timer 0 min – 30 min (5 min steps)  Select  Channel Setup (Setup button, channel tab)  TM ET Voting (Chan) Facilities  Voter Override  Off/any enabled NI  Select  Channel Setup (Setup button, channel tab)  TM ET
  SGD-SB2025NT-TM, Part 2 Jan 12  Page 108 APPENDIX A Intentionally left blank.
             Team Simoco Ltd, Field House, Uttoxeter Old Road, Derby DE1 1NH Tel:  +44 (0) 1332 375500 Fax:  +44 (0) 1332 375501 www.teamsimoco.com ComGroup Australia Pty Ltd, 1270 Ferntree Gully Road, Scoresby, Victoria, 3179, Australia Tel:  +61 (0)3 9730 3800 Fax:  +61 (0)3 9730 3988 www.comgroup.net.au

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