CalAmp GUARDIAN User Manual

Guardian™ SERIAL RADIO MODEM User Manual Guardian™ Serial Radio Modem PN 001-5006-000 Rev. 3 Revised April 2013 USATUSATCORP.COMContact US

1.3 LINK CONFIGURATIONS The Guardian allows you to program up to eight (8) different link configurations. You may choose which configuration you are

ABOUT CALAMP CalAmp is a leading provider of wireless communications products that enable anytime/anywhere access to critical inf

1.4 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Guardian consists of two PCBs, one that includes the modem circuitry and the other the radio module. Both are installed in a

LED Color Definition Tx Red Blinking Amber Off Transmitting data The unit wants to transmit, but is inhibited RD/TD Green Red Receive data is being se

1.4.4 SETUP AND COM PORTS The SETUP and COM serial connections are DE-9F RS-232 ports. The pin-out for the SETUP and COM ports are shown in the table

1.4.5 POWER CONNECTOR The Guardian is supplied with a right-angle power connector (10-30 VDC). The table below shows the pin-out of the power connect

1.4.7 CHASSIS DIMENSIONS Figure 5 Dimensions of the Guardian Chassis and Mounting Plate 1.5 PART NUMBERS AND AVAILABILITY 1.5.1 GUARDIAN RADIO

1.5.2 ACCESSORIES AND OPTIONS The following tables list Guardian Demo Kits and standard accessories tested and approved for use with the Guardian. Ta

2 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND NETWORK PLANNING This section briefly discusses network architecture (including basic network types), interfacing modems an

2.2.2 POINT-TO-MULTIPOINT A Point-to-Multipoint network is a common network type used in SCADA or other polling systems. The single polling master st

2.2.6 NETWORK USING A GUARDIAN FOR ONLINE DIAGNOSTICS The Network Using a Guardian for Online Diagnostics configuration has the following characteris

Guardian™ SERIAL RADIO MODEM User Manual Guardian™ Serial Radio Modem PN 001-5006-000 Rev. 3 Revised April 2013

2.4.2 SITE SURVEY A Site Survey is an RF propagation study of the RF path between two points or between one point and multiple points. UHF radio sign

blowing across the antenna, precipitation hitting the active element, or other environmental causes. As static charge builds up on the antenna’s activ

2.5.4 GOOD DESIGN PRACTICES There are two relatively easy ways to avoid creating large transients due to static buildup on an antenna and the subsequ

2.6.2 OMNI-DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA In general, an omnidirectional antenna should be used at a master station and Relay Points. This allows equal coverage

Table 12 Transmission Loss (per 100 Feet) Frequency Range Cable Type VHF UHF 900 MHz LMR-400 1.5 dB 2.7 dB 3.9 dB 1/2” Heliax 0.68 dB 1.51 dB 2.09 dB

2.7 TERRAIN AND SIGNAL STRENGTH A line of sight (LOS) path between stations is highly desirable and provides the most reliable communications link in

3 SETUP AND CONFIGURATION It is easy to set up a Guardian network to verify basic unit operation and experiment with network designs and configuratio

2. Keeping the Insertion Tool in place, insert wire (28 AWG minimum, 18 AWG maximum) into the wire hole. 3. Remove Insertion Tool. Check wire connect

4 UNIT STATUS In addition to unit status information provided by the five tricolor LEDs in the LED Panel, unit status information is also displayed i

4.2.1 ONLINE DIAGNOSTICS Information is automatically sent by each unit at the beginning of every transmission. Online Diagnostics (statistics) requi

REVISION HISTORY REV DATE REVISION DETAILS 0 July 2011 Initial release as 001-5006-000. 1 August 2011 Added User Configuration section 5.1.3 Modem

5 GUARDIAN FIELD PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE 5.1 INTRODUCTION The Guardian Field Programming Software provides programming and diagnostics for the Guardia

Figure 13 Guardian Programmer Window Guardian programming is through the PC’s Primary COM Port. Primary and secondary COM ports are configured with

COM Port Selects COM Port number (1- 32) for Primary and Secondary COM Ports. Default is COM1. Baud Rate Selects the communication speed for Primary a

5.4 PORT STATISTICS The Port Statistics window is accessed via the Utilities menu. Port Statistics show current parameters of the PC’s Primary and Se

5.5 USER CONFIGURATION — MODEM MODE The User Configuration window is accessed from the Utilities menu or the Config button on the tool bar. To put t

multiple of 1024 results in a Short ID of 0. If the ID Number is within the range of 1 to 1023, the Short ID will be the same. Note: This ID is not th

Read Guardian Click to read the configuration file from the Guardian and update the display. Same as pressing the F9 key. Write Guardian Click to writ

The Guardian allows you to configure up to eight (8) separate Link Configurations for the unit. The Link Configuration the unit utilizes is selected b

5.6.1 MODEM SETTINGS Figure 19 Modem Settings panel Online Diagnostics If enabled, diagnostics information is sent at the beginning of each transmi

An end-of-transmission quiet period approximately 8 characters long can be invoked on the Guardian by holding its transmitter on briefly after RTS is

Important Notice Because of the nature of wireless communication, transmission and reception of data can never be guaranteed. Data may be delayed, cor

Rx Frequency Displays the receive frequency for the channel pair. Tx Frequency Displays the transmit frequency for the channel pair. Power Output Disp

Data Bits Number of bits making up the data word for the Guardian COM Port. Select 7 or 8. The Default is 8. Parity Select Even, Odd, Mark, Space, or

Figure 22 User Port Configuration Window – Modem Mode Modem User Port Configuration is used to configure the Guardian’s User Port when configured in

• Relay: Pins 7 and 8 can be opened or closed through an internal relay. • CS1-3: Will be programmed as a Channel/Link Select. Pins programmed as a

Rx Audio Gain Adjusts the gain of the received signal from the receiver to the Guardian output pin. Tx Audio Gain Adjusts the gain from the Guardian a

Function Keys F5: Press F5 key to cause the Guardian to key the radio and go into transmit mode. F6: Press F6 key to cause the Guardian to un-key the

Figure 25 Link Configuration Window Default Tab – Loader Mode Default Link: This tab is used to set all of the Guardian’s default settings. The defa

5.9.2 LOADER SETTINGS The Loader Settings are used to control various options available on the Guardian when configured in Loader Mode. Enable 600 Oh

Wide-AC: Wide Band AC-Coupled (20 - 10000 Hz). *See the FCC notice that follows. Inverted Wide-AC: Inverted Wide Band AC-Coupled (20 - 10000 Hz). *See

CD Out: Pin will be programmed as a Carrier Detect Output. This pin will be asserted whenever the Carrier Detect conditions are met that were programm

Regulation Certifications The Guardian serial radio is available in several different models, each with unique frequency bands. Each model of Guardian

Figure 28 Read and Write buttons in the User Configuration Window The Read Guardian button will read the configuration parameters from the current G

Figure 29 Diagnostic IDx, Alarms, and Filters Window ID Entry and List Allows the entry of a Long ID to be added to the ID List. The range of this f

Save The Save button allows the user to save the current Diagnostics IDs, Alarms and Filters to the current file. Save As The Save As button allows th

# of Blocks to Send Allows the user to determine the number of blocks to send before stopping (with 0 being disabled). Blocks Per Transmission Allows

Diagnostics Select Allows the user to choose Current, Low or High Diagnostics. Current shows the value of the last requested parameters. Low or High d

Remote ID List This button allows the user to gather Offline Diagnostics from all the IDs in the list of Remote IDs (including the local unit). Progre

Figure 32 Online Diagnostics The following online diagnostics are gathered and displayed in the Online Diagnostics window. Short ID Displays the Sho

• Selected ID: Only the selected ID in the Filter ID List is shown. Display Allows the user to choose how data is displayed in the window. The follow

The Packet Test window is used to simulate a Host/Remote polling environment. The Master unit will send out a packet to the Remote and the Remote will

A Y-cable is required for this option (with transmit connections split to the transmitting device and receive connections split to the receiving devic

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Guardian Overview ...

Type of Data Type of Data allows the user to select the data pattern for each packet. The size for each data pattern is listed in the pattern format e

Packet Delay Packet Delay allows the user to set the amount of time (in seconds) to delay between each packet transmission, ranging from 0.00 to 30.00

5.20 GUARDIAN FIRMWARE AND CONFIGURATION The Program File Upload/Download window is accessed from the Utilities menu. Figure 35 Guardian File Upload

3. Click OK to start the programming process. A file transfer progress window will be displayed and a message will be displayed when the firmware file

If the message was not displayed as typed, then a problem may exist in the system. Check all parameters and connections in the system. The signal leve

6 GUARDIAN SPECIFICATIONS These specifications are typical and subject to change without notice. General VHF UHF 900 Model Numbers 140-5015-50x 140-

Transmitter VHF UHF 900 Channel Switching Time < 15 ms (Band-End to Band-End) Receiver Bandwidth Bit Rate 140-5016-50x 140-5026-50x 140-504

Modem / Logic Addressing Serial SETUP and COM Port Interface EIA-232F DCE Data Rate Setup Port: 57,600 bps COM Port: 110 – 57,600 bps (Default:

APPENDIX A — ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS CD: Carrier Detect CSMA: Carrier Sense Multiple Access CTS: Clear To Send CWID: a station identifier or “

APPENDIX B — GUARDIAN AND DL-3400 INTEROPERABILITY This appendix provides information for the implementation of the Guardian serial radio modem into a

2.7 Terrain and Signal Strength ...

• Uses a 3-wire connection. The “white” wire must be connected to B+ • Power cable is included with the Guardian. • Power cable PN 897-5008-010 •

Figure 39 DL-3400 Setup Parameters – Parameters Figure 40 DL-3400 Setup Parameters – Frequencies Note Frequency Settings. DL-3400 Defaults to Chan

Figure 41 DL-3400 Setup Parameters – Advanced SET GUARDIAN PARAMETERS Once the parameters for the existing DL-3400 system are logged, connect the Gu

Figure 43 User Configuration – Loader Mode - The PTT Watchdog performs the same function as in the T-96SR. This can be adjusted or left at the fact

LINK CONFIGURATION Click Link Configuration to advance to the modem settings. This is the window where you set the RF channel frequencies and Loader s

Important: When all parameters are selected and verified to be correct, click Save Changes at the bottom of the Link Configuration window to save the

Table 17 Pin function comparison – Guardian and DL-3400 Guardian DL-3400 Pin Function Pin Function Wire Color Pin 1 Audio In (Tx) Pin 8 Tx A

Figure 46 User Configuration – Loader Mode Programming of the Guardian is very fast. The message “Guardian Configuration Write Complete” appears. Cl

INSTALLATION As noted earlier, the Guardian footprint is different than the DL-3400. Figure 5 shows the mechanical dimensions for the Guardian. When

APPENDIX C — GUARDIAN AND DL-3282 MODEM INTERFACE This appendix provides information for the implementation of the Guardian wireless modem/analog radi

5.16 Online Diagnostics ...

• Power input: 10-30 VDC at 60 watts maximum. - Interface connection o Guardian uses an 8-pin User Port interface connector. • Connector is include

The Guardian FPS will read the current configuration of the Guardian that is connected to the computer and display its configuration settings. Figure

- There is a feature of the Guardian that allows the radio to be used as a modem (T-96SR compatible) or to be used as an analog radio (DL-3400 compat

Dynamic Carrier Detect acts the same as in the T-96SR. The Carrier Sense level is set by selecting the “On” level. This is the RSSI (Receive Signal St

Table 18 Pin function comparison – Guardian and DL-3400 and 023-3410-109 cable wire colors Guardian DL-3400 Pin Function Pin Function Wire Color

Figure 53 User Configuration – Loader Mode Programming of the Guardian is very fast. The message “Guardian Configuration Write Complete” appears. Cl

Figure 55 DL-3282 modem with 023-3410-109 interface cable connected to J102 10-pin user interface Interface wiring from the DL-3282 modem to the Guar

Figure 56 Cable 023-3410-109 connection to the Guardian User Port interface connector Figure 57 User Interface Port Connector The following figure

Figure 58 DL-3282 Modem connected and fastened to the Guardian PROGRAMMING AND OPERATIONAL HINTS - Normally the Guardian will be programmed for FSK

APPENDIX D — GUARDIAN AND T-96SR INTEROPERABILITY This appendix provides information for the implementation of the Guardian Wireless Modem into an exi

1 GUARDIAN OVERVIEW This document provides information required for the operation and verification of the CalAmp Guardian narrowband modem. 1.1 GEN

• Power cable PN 897-5008-010 • Power input: 10-30 VDC at 60 watts maximum. - Data connection o T-96SR uses a DE-15 connector o T-96SR application

Figure 60 T-96SR Setup Parameters – Modem Figure 61 T-96SR Setup Parameters – Radio Note Radio Range and Bandwidth. Note Carrier Detect settings.

Figure 62 T-96SR Setup Parameters – Frequencies Set Guardian Parameters Once the parameters for the existing T-96SR system are logged, connect the G

Figure 63 User Configuration – Modem Mode - The PTT Watchdog performs the same function as in the T-96SR. This can be adjusted or left at factory d

Figure 64 Link Configuration Default tab – Modem Mode Unlike the T-96SR where all eight channels were programmed one channel at a time, the Guardian

The remainder of the Modem Settings should match the T-96SR system. Dynamic Carrier Detect acts the same as the T-96SR. The Carrier Sense level is set

Programming of the Guardian is very fast. The message “Guardian Configuration Write Complete” appears. Click OK. Figure 66 Guardian Configuration Writ

- Pin 5 Signal Ground – RS-232 ground and also radio/modem chassis ground potential. - Pin 7 Request to Send – RTS raised to RS-232 “High” to start

APPENDIX E — SERVICE AND SUPPORT AND WARRANTY STATEMENT Product Warranty, RMA, and Contact Information CalAmp guarantees that every Guardian radio mod

WARRANTY STATEMENT CalAmp warrants to the original purchaser for use ("Buyer") that data telemetry products manufactured by CalAmp ("Pr