Version 3.93 User Manual - Empower RF Systems Inc.
Contents
1. RS 422 Parameters Band Output Startup Mode Options Change to Slow Fast ALC Fault Override Displays the current RS 232 parameters by pressing the desired button which will access the respective Communications Settings Screen where its parameters can be changed The parameters currently being used are shown on the button Displays the current RS 422 parameters by pressing the desired button which will access the respective Communications Settings Screen where its parameters can be changed The parameters currently being used are shown on the button VSWR Alarm Changes the VSWR alarm threshold from 2 to 10dB using the up and down buttons Sets the band switch relays These relays can be used as filters for different bands for T R switching or for other purposes If the amplifier is ON when the command is given it is placed in Standby Mode temporarily so the relay will not be hot switched Set the transmitting output 100 1000MHz Amplifier BAND Select Filter 174 MHZ 174MHz Filter 250 MHz Filter 415 MHz 415MHz Filter 700 MHz 700MHz Filter 1000 MHz 1 0GHz You can change the Startup Mode Options by pressing the Startup Mode Options button This opens the Startup Options Screen Press the Change to Slow Fast ALC options button to toggle between and set Slow or Fast ALC Change to Slow ALC is useful for AM or other modulated signals where the ALC would remove part of the modulation if it responded2. Table 2 Remote Commands va A lt limit gt Sets the VSWR Alarm threshold lt limit gt is an integer representing 1 100dB units of return loss Limit Minimum 600 6dB return loss equal to 3 0 1 Maximum is 1000 10dB return loss equal to 1 92 1 Returns the current Alarm setting Sets the band switch relays Valid bands are A B C D E F G and H provided that the appropriate number of bands has been defined Example below Frer amez mm a Fit 250 He 2some e ener mme e peur zoome 0 Fite so0owHe roon e Turns on Fault Override The second character is the letter oh not the digit zero The password of 1234 helps prevent accidental enabling of the override Any other form such as FN or the wrong password will shut off the override 1f it is ON gt B lt band gt FO1234 Sets the amplifier gain by adjusting the VVA lt gain gt is an integer representing 1 100dB This number only applies in VVA Mode If it is given in ALC Mode it will be stored and used when VVA Mode is selected If it is given when the amplifier is in Standby Mode it will apply when the amplifier is switched to Online Mode Returns the current gain setting This is a query which returns the Manufacturer Name as a string This is a query which returns the Model Number as a string G lt gain gt pd p pd pd O Z Lei This is a query which returns the Serial Number as a string This is a que
3. 2 3 4 4 Fine Coarse Button The Fine Coarse button toggles the slider range between fine and course adjustments In Coarse Mode the full operating range is available with approximately 300 steps of resolution However it may be difficult to set a value precisely in Coarse Mode Switching to Fine Mode expands the scale for more accurate adjustments initially centering the slider on the scale If the desired value is off scale switching back to Coarse Mode and then to Fine Mode again will re center the slider without changing the value 2 3 5 Touch screen Lock Feature To prevent accidental changes to the amplifier if no changes have been made for 15 seconds the touch screen will lock The display still shows operating values but only two things can be touched the Unlock button to restore access to other controls or the Online Standby button in case it becomes necessary to quickly shut down the amplifier Empower RF Amplifier Amp Status Mode ALC ALC Level Fwd Pwr Rfl Pwr P S Output Voltage 0 0 Volts None 10 28 0 28 0 Figure 5 Main Menu Screen LOCKED 2 4 User Configuration Menu Screen The User Configuration Menu Screen allows changing a number of settings LCD Contrast GPIB RS 232 RS 422 VSWR Startup Mode and ALC Speed If no action is taken in this menu for 60 seconds it automatically returns to the Main Menu Empower RF Systems Inc Page 10 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color
4. 299 MAKE SAA TEE eeben 3 Saved Settings 4 Fault Reporting 5 Remote Operation 5 1 Remote Operation Considerations 6 Amplifier Commands Table of Contents Empower RF Systems Inc LS WWII COW EE MOntOr deele EE lee EE FUNCION BUUONS ee HOUCH screen EEN EE 2 4 User Configuration Menu Screen T d n 9 Ee 17 Page 4 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 Table of Figures PAQUIE 1 Splash EE 6 Figure 2 Main Menu Screen UNLOCK cccccssscceseeceeseesenseeeenneseenseseeneeseeneeeenneesenseeseneees 7 Figure 3 Monitoring Window Selections c sccceceseeceeseeeenneeeeeneeseseesenseeeonneesenseseenseesoneess 8 Figure 4 Fault Condition Window ccccssccsssseeesseceeseeeenseseenseseenseseeneeeoasseeoessesonseesensessonsees 8 Figure 5 Main Menu Screen LOCKED cccscccesseeeeseeceseeeeseeeeseeeeseeeseeeeneeoeaeeoeneeoeaseoenees 10 Figure 6 User Configuration Menu SCreen scccssseccssseeceeseeeensesceneeseenseseeneesenseesensesseaes 11 Figure 7 User Configuration Menu Multi band Enabled scccssseessseeeseeceseeeeeeeeeeees 11 Figure 8 User Configuration with Multi Band Enabled cccssssecssseeceeseeseeneesenseeseaes 12 Figure 9 Next Options Screen ssssssnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn mnnn nnmnnn 12 Figure 10 RS 232 Communications Setting
5. Screen cccssseesesseeeeneeeeenseseeneesenseeseeneeseaes 14 Figure 11 RS 422 Communications Settings Screen cccccesseeseseeeeeeeeeeeseeeeeneeeeeneeenneeeeaes 15 Figure 12 Startup Options Screen cccsccccssseeseeseecesseesenseecenseeeenseeeensesoessesoeneesonsessonsessoaes 18 Empower RF Systems Inc Page 5 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 1 General Information This amplifier system can be operated locally or remotely For local operation the LCD touch screen on the front panel is used A unified command set simplifies changing from one operational mode to another Certain features may not be available on all systems 2 Display Panel Operation 2 1 Splash Screen When the amplifier is turned on a Splash Screen appears The lower portion of the screen shows the amplifier model number serial number firmware version and any options included 0 0A110101 40100510 Empower RF Systems Inc Model XXXXXXXXX Opt 062 XXXX Software Vers 3 xx Month day Year CRC XxXxx Figure 1 Splash Screen ILA Note The Splash Screen also shows the Code CRC number This is a unique number that identifies the code Oe the software version installed and validates that it has not been corrupted Please write this number down for future reference This number will be helpful for revision control purposes and to determine if the softwar
6. or the operation may interfere with another transmitter The Amp Off button ensures that the amplifier will always power up in Standby Mode All other parameters will remain as they were when power was removed 2 5 2 Amp On In other cases the equipment is unattended and it is important that it power up in Online Mode every time Press the Amp On button to set this up again leaving other settings the way they were when power was last removed 2 5 3 Amp Resume Some situations may work best if the amplifier powers up in the same state that it was in when it powered down including being in Online Mode or Standby Mode Press the Amp Resume button to select this option Empower RF Systems Inc Page 18 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 2 5 4 Amp Custom Finally there may be cases where the power down condition is irrelevant it is better to power up to a known starting condition The Amp Custom button will accomplish this All non volatile parameters are saved as they are when the snapshot is taken and are loaded at system startup 2 5 5 Take Snapshot To define the values for each control set the amplifier up exactly the way needed and then press the Take Snapshot button This saves a copy of all the settings that will be loaded at power up CAUTION Ensure that all settings are correct before pressing Take Snapshot this includes pressing Amp Custom or th
7. too quickly Change to Fast ALC provides better performance for FM or other modulations that do not vary in amplitude Change to Slow ALC 1s designed to preserve amplitude changes down to 10Hz Change to Fast ALC is designed to level in less than 100mSec When enabled critical faults do not shut the amplifier down This would be used for situations where amplifier operation is required even with critical faults and the value of continued operation exceeds the risk of damaging the equipment CAUTION With this override enabled IT IS POSSIBLE TO EASILY DAMAGE OR DESTROY THE AMPLIFIER The user assumes complete responsibility for any damage resulting from the use of this option Overridden faults are logged This command could be given at the beginning of a critical operation rather than after a fault occurs This way uninterrupted operation is possible Empower RF Systems Inc Page 13 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 Table 1 User Configuration Menu Parameters Parameter Description Previous Options Returns to the previous User Configuration Menu Screen Next Options Displays more options Done Returns to the Main Menu Screen 2 4 1 RS 232 Communication Setting Screen The RS 232 Communications Settings Screen opens from the User Configuration Menu Screen This screen allows setting the speed baud rate number of data bits parity number of stop bits and wheth
8. LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 User Config Menu LCD Contrast 50 GPIB Addr RS232 38 4K 8N1 VSWR Alarm RS422 38 4K 8NC in dB 6 0 d Previous Next Done Options Options Figure 6 User Configuration Menu Screen User Config Menu LCD Contrast 50 GPIB Addr 5 ESYA NO in dB 6 0 amp Band Selection Figure 7 User Configuration Menu Multi band Enabled Firmware Version 3 3 Empower RF Systems Inc Page 11 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 User Config Menu O E LCD Contrast 50 GPIB Addr 5 ntey EGON s iommmm in dB 6 0 EA Band 174 MHz D Output D Load D Previous Next Done Options Options Figure 8 User Configuration with Multi Band Enabled Firmware Version 3 8 When the Next Options button is pressed the following screen will be displayed User Config Menu Startup Mode Change to Options Slow ALC Fault l Currently OFF Previous Next Done Options Options Figure 9 Next Options Screen Empower RF Systems Inc Page 12 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 Table 1 User Configuration Menu Parameters Parameter Description LCD Contrast Changes the contrast for the LCD using the up and down buttons from 0 to 99 GBIP Address Changes the GPIB address from 1 to 30 using the up and down buttons RS 232 Parameters
9. Touch Screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Version 3 93 User Manual Empower RF Systems Inc Rev 3 3 3 8 EMPOWER RF SYSTEMS INC Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Copyright Empower RF Systems Inc 316 West Florence Avenue Inglewood California 90301 USA Phone 310 412 8100 Fax 310 412 9232 www EmpowerRF com Empower RF Systems Inc Rev 3 3 3 8 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 MODIFICATION RECORD Doc Date Paragraphs Appendixes Annexes changed and Authorization Issue reason for modification Ref L Rev 2 0 6 8 09 Original release i i a Rev 3 0 6 10 09 Rev 3 1 7 14 09 CDR package release Rev 3 2 8 11 09 Change S W revision to 3 8 Change IL to IU Add band relation on IU and IX Band response Add SB command Rev 3 8 11 04 09 Change firmware version to 3 8 M L Update figures 1 2 4 5 Update table 1 user configuration band output Update table 2 remote commands Update Band tables Update G min max values Typo in IU response Update IX command Update LD min max values Update LW min max values Update M antenna select response value Update SA selection value Add SM mapping information add table Add table for the VM monitor information Insert band table and SA with the appropriate command Insert previous table 3 fault description at the appropriate command User 3 91 11 13 09 Update typo o
10. e Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 It is not necessary to use hardware handshaking with this product The buffer has capacity for 10 commands Data is never sent without first being requested except for a start up message The best approach is to send a command or request and then wait for a reply before sending another one This ensures that no overflow occurs on either side Although this results in lower throughput this is not a problem in most cases If maximum throughput is required send a small number of commands keeping track of the count As soon as a response 1s returned send another command As long as the number of commands for which no response has been received is bounded to some small number overflow cannot occur yet the full duplex communication channel is used to full advantage This technique is called windowing A variation of the technique is to send a set of commands typically six commands will be sent repeatedly After sending wait for the responses before sending another set 2 4 2 RS 422 Communications Settings Screen The RS 422 Communications Settings Screen opens from the User Configuration Menu Screen Select a setting by pressing the associated button RS422 Communications Setting Current Sttings 38 4k ONT M speed CD CED CED GD Data Bits Parity ee Woe Mode Wich d Bei Cancel Done Figure 11 RS 422 Communications Settings Screen The Factory Set up parameters 38 400 baud 8 data bits no
11. e has become corrupted The amplifier compares this calculated value against the original value every time that it is turned on and reports a fault if they do not match 2 2 Front Panel Fault LED A red LED on the front panel flashes if a fault condition exists see the Fault Reporting section for more information Empower RF Systems Inc Page 6 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 2 3 Main Menu Screen After a few seconds the Splash Screen is replaced with the Main Menu Screen This screen is divided into four sections e Status Window e Monitor Window e Function Buttons e Slider Bar Empower RF Amplifier 100W Amp Status Online Mode Status ALC Level l now ES ZE Mode D I Pwr Function Buttons P S Output Voltage Units Monitor 0 0 Volts Window NON 10 28 0 28 0 ALC Level in dBm Slider Bar Figure 2 Main Menu Screen UNLOCK 2 3 1 Status Window The blue Status Window shows the current operating parameters These include whether the amplifier is Online or in Standby the mode ALC or VVA the forward and reflected power the gain setting or ALC level and if band switches or other RF switches are included which band is currently selected Press anywhere in this window to open the User Configuration Menu Screen described later 2 3 2 Monitor Window Below the Status Window is the Monitor Window in green This window
12. e snapshot will include a different startup mode If Amp Custom is pressed afterward the next startup will be custom but the following ones will revert to the startup mode in effect when the snapshot was taken Every setting is included in the snapshot from the LCD contrast to the baud rate Ensure they are all set to the intended values 3 Saved Settings All settings on the Main Screen the User Configuration Screen and subordinate screens are saved for 10 years from the date of manufacture in non volatile memory and are backed up by a lithium battery The Startup Options menu accessed from the User Configuration Menu determines how this operates There are two considerations for Saved Settings 1 Should the amplifier start up in Online Mode or in Standby Mode 2 Should the other parameters remain what they were when last powered up or should they return to a specific state A suitable combination can then be chosen using the amplifier start up selections and the parameter selections 4 Fault Reporting The amplifier includes sophisticated logic to monitor its operation prevent damage from improper operation and alert the operator to problems When possible it takes care of problems unobtrusively such as limiting the output to safe power levels and reducing power in the case of a failed module or excessive reflected power However some situations such as over current require shutting down the amplifier Problems t
13. er or not hardware handshaking is used Select the desired setting by pressing the associated button RS232 Communications Setting Current Sttings 38 4K 8N1NOHS Speed Data Bits Parity CD ED Wanc Stop Bits Hand Shake Cancel Done Figure 10 RS 232 Communications Setting Screen When setting the communications parameters be aware that different combinations can result in different numbers of bits per character This in turn affects the throughput to a degree For example seven 7 data bits with no parity has fewer total bits than seven 7 data bits with even or odd parity Eight 8 data bits with parity takes even more total bits Hardware handshaking uses what is generally referred to as RTS CTS handshaking although this term is not totally accurate The signal on pin 7 of the DB 9 connector determines whether the characters will be sent to the host If they are not sent they are buffered up to 255 characters If the buffer is full all processing stops Likewise the controller has an incoming buffer of 255 characters When incoming characters fill most of this buffer the signal on pin 8 indicates to the host that no further characters should be sent until the ones in the buffer have been processed Failure to do so will result in lost characters resulting in garbled messages leading to unpredictable results Empower RF Systems Inc Page 14 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remot
14. est level and the commands are implemented as strings of characters The amplifier maintains transmit and receive buffers of up to 256 characters for more efficient operation No action is taken until the line ending character is encountered The line ending can alternatively be an LF NL character OxOA or the combination of both CR and LF If the command is invalid a will be returned If the command requires a response it will be returned Whatever response is given will be followed by a line ending consisting of CR and LF The default RS 422 parameters are 38 400 baud 8 data bits no parity and one stop bit It is important to respect the limits of the buffer Good programming practice suggests waiting after each command to get a response before sending the next command This will insure that the buffer is not overflowed as well as making it easy to match the response with the command In some situations it may be desirable to issue commands before receiving the previous response The buffer makes this possible as long as a suitable protocol is followed One possible protocol would be to window commands and responses That is keep a count of commands issued for which responses have not been received No advantage is gained by issuing more than three commands for which responses have not been received so three 3 is a good window limit Another alternative is to have a set of commands for which responses are needed e g Fo
15. faults monitor faults and digital faults System faults include Code CRC invalid calibration data corrupted VSWR threshold exceeded etc Monitor faults are analog monitor readings that are outside factory set limits Digital faults are logic conditions that the controller monitors Digital faults are also factory set and are not viewable unless a fault occurs 2 3 3 Slider Bar Below the Monitor Window is the Slider Bar In VVA Mode the slider controls the gain of the amplifier in dB The actual gain may vary slightly as a function of variables such as the operating temperature The actual forward power should be the final determination of desired operation In ALC Mode this button sets the desired output level Because this is done with closed loop control it will maintain the requested output with a high degree of stability and the accuracy will be that of the forward power indicator There is a Fine Coarse button that toggles the slider range between fine and course adjustments see the Fine Coarse Button section for more information 2 3 4 Function Buttons To the right of the two windows are four buttons Online Standby Mode Units and Fine Coarse Pressing each button toggles the amplifier between one of two options e Online Standby Toggles between Online Mode and Standby Mode e Mode Toggles between ALC Mode and VVA Mode e Units Toggles between Watts and dBm display units e Fine Coarse Toggles between the Fi
16. hat the operator needs to be aware of are reported in several ways The front panel LED flashes and the green Monitor Window is replaced by a red Fault Window with one or more faults displayed in it However more detailed information about faults can be obtained using the SS command with a remote interface described in the Remote Operation section Empower RF Systems Inc Page 19 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 5 Remote Operation Remote operation can be performed using RS 422 The amplifier responds to character string messages A message consists of e A command character a letter from A to Z e An optional sub command character a letter from A to Z or e A numeric parameter for some commands e A line ending consisting of a Carriage Return OxOD Many of the commands have a query form where the second character is a question mark The parameter will be a decimal number in ASCII form One or more spaces can optionally precede the number Watts are entered as integer values The dB or dBm values are integers in hundredths of dBm oe 51 4dB would be entered or shown as 5140 In cases such as a Band selection or a Mode change the second character sub command serves as the parameter 5 1 Remote Operation Considerations Settings are stored in nonvolatile memory and remembered even when the unit is not powered RS 422 1s a character oriented protocol at its low
17. king mandatory if more than one device can talk on that pair of wires 2 4 4 IEEE GPIB 488 2 GPIB is inherently string oriented The same command form is used but line endings can be any combination of CR LF NL or EOI Responses end with CR and LF with EOI asserted during the LF The default GPIB address is 5 but it can be changed in the User Configuration Menu on the LCD and will be remembered even if the power is removed GPIB command response forms have evolved to meet both needs and technology Some devices are always listening Listen Only or always talking Talk Only Some can be requested to talk without any command being given and will repeatedly give either the same response or a current reading The amplifier does not use any of these variations A GPIB sequence must include the following four items in the order shown 1 The controller addresses the amplifier to Listen 2 The controller sends a command message 3 The controller addresses the amplifier to Talk 4 The amplifier sends a response which the controller receives Implicit in the previous list is Unlisten and Untalk commands after each phase The Listen and Talk commands as well as Unlisten and Untalk commands are often hidden from the user the software in the GPIB controller automatically generates them as part of a send message or receive message command The important thing to recognize is that the amplifier must receive this sequence in the proper o
18. mal number identifying group faults monitor faults The meaning of each bit depends on how monitors are set up with this amplifier Fault Status Fault Status YYYY Fault Description YYYY Fault Description HEX 0000 0020 RF Driver module Current Fault 0001 0040 0002 Power Supply Voltage Fault 0080 PRF Fault Pulse Unit Only 0004 Power Supply Current Fault NIA 0008 Interlock Switch 0010 1 or more RF Module Current Fault Note Fault code can be combine together e g RF Module current fault RF driver current fault will return 0030 Returns milliseconds since power up total elapsed power up minutes and total elapsed ONLINE minutes SU Returns the current measurement units Response is SU D in dBm or SU W in Watts Empower RF Systems Inc Page 25 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 Table 2 Remote Commands Sets the units of power to Watts VM lt MonChan gt Reads and scales the value of the specified monitor channel The results are in tenth units The channel numbers range from 0 to 31 although most amplifiers will not use all channels RF Module current RF Module current RF Module current RF Module current Possible response PS Voltage 2804 28 0 Volts Temperature 250925 0 C Current 40 34 0 Amps Returns the version number of the firmware Empower RF Systems Inc Page 26 of 26
19. n paragraph Fault condition on page 7 FW 3 8 Edit Note on page 17 Update output select table in B command on page 11 Update band select table in B command on page 18 Update band select table in IX command on page 19 Update level min table in LD command on page 19 Update level min table in LW command on page 20 Update typo in B table and A table in M command on page 21 Update YYYY table in SS command on page 23 User 3 92 4 27 10 Change the baud rate information of fig 7 on page 13 FW 3 8 Change the text label of fig 8 on page 15 Updated typos of frequency values on page 11 18 and 19 Corrected command response definition on page 21 Updated the note on page 22 Added a query response code and corrected the fault description for the SS command on page 23 Added note for the VM command on page 24 User 3 93 24 Feb 2012 Updated the Figures 1 thru 9 FW 3 3 3 8 Edited tables 1 amp 2 descriptions Empower RF Systems Inc Page 3 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 1 General Information 2 Display Panel Operation 2 1 Splash Screen 2 2 Front Panel Fault LED 2 3 Main Menu Screen 2 3 1 2 3 2 2 3 3 2 3 4 2 3 5 2 4 1 RS 232 COMMUNICATION Setting Zecreen 2 4 2 RS 422 COMMUNICATIONS Settings Zcreoen ZA Mode SCHINOS EE 2AM NEE 2 5 Startup OpUONnsS SCree My sissioni bipi aaraa geE eeh Pogo Me AOO E ZOOL ANO ON E 29 TEE EE ee 254 EE tee EE
20. ne and Coarse Slider Bar adjustments Some of the button names change when pressed These names describe the option that will be selected by pressing the button The currently selected option can be determined from the Status Window 2 3 4 1 Online Standby Button The Online Standby button toggles between Online Mode and Standby Mode Standby Mode automatically puts the amplifier in Receive Mode Rx if this option is implemented If the amplifier has been shut down because of a critical fault pressing this button will switch it to Standby Mode and clears the fault so that it can be switched to Online Mode again 2 3 4 2 Mode Button The Mode button toggles between VVA Mode and ALC Mode In VVA Mode the amplifier operates at a user settable gain In ALC Mode it attempts to maintain a constant RF output level regardless of gain drift or input changes There are separate settings for VVA gain and ALC level so that when switching between modes it returns to the last value used for that mode Empower RF Systems Inc Page 9 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 2 3 4 3 Units Button The Units button toggles the display units between dBm and Watts All internal values are stored and calculated in dBm with 0 01dB resolution When Watts is selected the Mode e input and output are converted to and from Watts for the user s convenience Note VVA gain is always expressed in dB
21. ors Devices in the middle should not In addition only one device can talk on the cable at a time Since RS 422 has separate transmit and receive paths there must be one or more masters that control one pair and one or more slaves that share control of the other pair Slaves cannot talk to each other The controller has an incoming buffer of 255 characters When incoming characters fill most of this buffer the signal on pin 8 indicates to the host that no further characters should be sent until the ones in the buffer have been processed Failure to do so will result in lost characters resulting in garbled messages leading to unpredictable results The buffer has capacity for 10 commands Data is never sent without first being requested except for a start up message The best approach is to send a command or request and then wait for a reply before sending another one This ensures that no overflow occurs on either side Although this results in lower throughput this is not a problem in most cases If maximum throughput is required send a small number of commands keeping track of the count As soon as a response 1s returned send another command As long as the number of commands for which no response has been received is bounded to some small number overflow cannot occur yet the full duplex communication channel is used to full advantage This technique is called windowing A variation of the technique is to
22. ower in dBm lt level gt is an integer in 1 100dBm units This number only applies in ALC Mode If it is given in VVA Mode it will be stored and used when ALC Mode is selected If it is given when the amplifier is in Standby Mode it will apply when the amplifier is switched to Online Mode Sets ALC to Fast Mode This is the default and normal mode Sets ALC to Slow Mode This is useful for Amplitude Modulated signals or other signals that have varying amplitude which the amplifier should not level Example below LD lt level gt FTI SS Go LW lt level gt Sets the desired output power in Watts lt level gt is an integer in Watts This number only applies in ALC Mode If it is given in VVA Mode it will be stored and used when ALC Mode 1s selected If it is given when the amplifier is in Standby Mode it will apply when the amplifier is switched to Online Mode EZ Returns the current ALC setting in current units If Slow Mode is set the word Slow is added Empower RF Systems Inc Page 22 of 26 EE Lei lt Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 Table 2 Remote Commands M P P Returns the Output power forward The format is identical to that used by LI Returns the Reflected output power The format is identical to LI The best results will be obtained when the units are in dB Returns the cu
23. parity and one stop bit RS 422 communications does have some advantages The most significant advantage is that the transmit receive paths each have two wires They are differential allowing longer distances and significantly improved noise immunity Empower RF Systems Inc Page 15 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 RS 422 operates identically to RS 232 except that there is no hardware handshaking However there are a few hardware issues to be considered 1 Each end of each pair needs a terminating resistor The controller has a place for these resistors and they can be provided or left off depending on the need 2 Although the signals are differential they are NOT fully floating They are still logic level and must share a common ground The quality of the ground does not have to be ideal but it must be present The AC power line safety ground is adequate in many cases The ground potential between devices on an RS 422 cable should not exceed a few volts DC or AC peak to peak Communications errors will result if it is too high If it is above 7 volts damage to the circuitry is possible 3 Since the signal is differential the polarity is important If it is backwards communications is not possible RS 422 is also used in situations where several devices share wiring In this case only the two devices at the ends of the shared cable should have terminating resist
24. rder Be aware that the following alternatives do not work e Multiple queries of the amplifier without intervening commands e Attempting to receive data from the amplifier after the end of message CR LF NL or EOI has been received from the amplifier e Attempting to send data to the amplifier after sending the end of message CR LF NL or EOI Any of these attempts will result in no response from the amplifier and a timeout of the GPIB network Empower RF Systems Inc Page 17 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 In addition to the commands common to all remote protocols the GPIB port recognizes the industry standard command IDN and responds with the manufacturer and model number of the amplifier 2 5 Startup Options Screen The Startup Options Screen opens from the User Configuration Menu Screen From this screen you can select the power up mode for the amplifier and take a snapshot described later of the current settings for backup Startup Options Currently Amp Off Maake Amp Will power up in standby Aao eng Amp will power up online Amp will power up in the state it was in when shut off Amp will power up in same Amp Custom state as snapshot taken EI leide Figure 12 Startup Options Screen 2 5 1 Amp Off In some cases it is desirable that the amplifier always power up in Standby Mode It may be possible to not have a load
25. rrent mode The response will be M MSBA where M Mode is either ALC or VVA A ALC V VVA S Amplifier is either Online or Standby O Online S Standby B Active filter band A B C D E Example Below ee BAND Select Amplifier Filter 174 MHZ 174MHz A Filter 250MHz 250MHz B Filter 700 MHz 700MHz D A Active Antenna Output 0 1 2 100 1000MHz Amplifier A TX to External Load C o w TXtoOmi S T TX high band antenna a Antenna Select lt n gt a decimal digit Valid selection 0 1 2 3 Example below SA Antenna Select H F Returns the calculated output VSWR Return value is from 100 represent 1 00 1 to 999 represent 9 99 1 a o Antenna tt Antena2 2 SE D D SA lt n gt SB lt n gt Alternate to B command Sets the band switch relays Valid bands are 0 1 2 15 provided that the appropriate number of bands has been defined Sets the units of power to dBm Empower RF Systems Inc Page 23 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Rev 3 3 3 8 Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Table 2 Remote Commands SM Shows a bit map of monitoring faults The response is 8 hex digits followed by 4 hex digits The first field is a bit map of the analog monitoring channels 1 represents the first channel 2 the second 4 the third 8 the fourth 16 the fifth etc The second field represents digital fault channels using the same scheme Respon
26. rward Power Reflected Power and Status Issue each of these commands and then wait for all the responses Note The elapse time from command received to command execute is 10ms provided that the amplifier in monitoring mode At interactive mode touch screen the time elapse is up to 100ms Since characters arrive asynchronously command response is 0 10 ms typical 0 100 ms worst case Actual command execution happens in microseconds so is immaterial the only exception would be Antenna switching Band switching and online commands 20 ms delay for relay settling is needed the response is not sent and no other control loop action taken until that time is up Empower RF Systems Inc Page 20 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 CAUTION Under NO circumstances should the controlling system ever simply issue commands as fast as ossible without limits Empower RF Systems Inc cannot assume any responsibility either for supporting software developers who do so or even for the proper operation of the amplifier This technique will undoubtedly lead to buffer overflow Once the buffer overflows characters are lost which changes the meaning of commands Undesired effects will result which could damage the amplifier or other equipment e g the customer s equipment 6 Amplifier Commands The following remote commands are supported over all remote interfaces
27. ry which return the VVA min and MAX limits Empower RF Systems Inc Page 21 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 Table 2 Remote Commands ee IF band is provided it will return the value for the specified band if not it will return the value for the currently selected band Response IU VVA Min xxxx Max yyyy The first character after the echo will be a space There is one space in each gap shown except before Max where there are two spaces xxxx is the lower limit expressed in dBm with two digits after an implied decimal point e g 51 dB would be 5100 and yyyy is the upper limit in the same format lt This is a query which returns the Firmware Version as a string IX This is a query which return the ALC MAX limits Or IF band is provided it will return the value for the specified band if not it will return the value for the IX lt band gt currently selected band Valid bands are 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 provided that the appropriate number of bands has been defined Response LX Max nnnn The first character after the echo will be a space There is one space in each gap shown nnnn is the upper limit in dB e g 50 dB would be 5000 The lower limit is always 25 dB 2500 less than the upper limit BAND Select Bo Filter 174 MHZ 174MHz 0 Filter 415 MHz Filter 700 MHz 700MHz i Sets the desired output p
28. se Bit Map 00000000 0000 00000001 0000 00000002 0000 00000004 0000 00000008 0000 00000010 0000 00000020 0000 00000040 0000 00000080 0000 00000100 0000 00000200 0000 00000400 0000 SS Bit Map 00000000 0000 00000000 0001 00000000 0002 00000000 0004 00000000 0008 00000000 0010 00000000 0020 00000000 0040 00000000 0080 00000000 0100 00000000 0200 00000000 0400 00000000 0800 Note Fault code can be combine together e g System Temperature Fault RF Module 1 current fault will return 00000006 0000 Empower RF Systems Inc Page 24 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 Table 2 Remote Commands SS Show Status SS OFI XX YYYY SS is echoed from the input O Amplifier is either Online or in Standby Mode as follows O Online S Standby F Fault type as follows B Both System and Group faults exist F System fault s exist M Monitoring fault s exist N No faults exist I Input signal condition as follows P Input signal present L Input signal low or absent XX A two digit hexadecimal number identifying system faults as follows OO No Fault 01 Code CRC check failed 02 Non Volatile Calibration data is bad 04 CPU fault 08 VSWR Alarm 10 ALC Fault 20 An automatic monitor has caused power to be reduced 3dB or more YYYY A four digit hexadeci
29. send a set of commands typically six commands will be sent repeatedly After sending wait for the responses before sending another set 2 4 2 1 RS 485 Communications Interface Considerations A variation of RS 422 is RS 485 RS 485 uses the same signaling levels as RS 422 but shares a single pair of wire This allows any device to listen while any other device talks but limits communications to half duplex Empower RF Systems Inc Page 16 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 2 4 2 2 RS 422 and RS 485 Configuration Considerations In using either RS 422 or RS 485 commands require addressing so that only one listener responds to a command They also require turning the transmit output ON to talk and OFF when they are not to talk No sign on message or other unexpected message is allowed 2 4 3 Mode Settings For the reasons previously given any system requiring multiple devices to share RS 422 communications requires custom programming to implement the necessary protocol There are two Mode buttons on the RS 422 menu that affect this One button is labeled Continuous the other Multidrop The Continuous button causes the transmit lines to remain active at all times This is desirable when only two devices are communicating as it minimizes garbage when no device is talking The Multidrop button causes the transmitting device to disconnect from the bus whenever it is not tal
30. shows the values of the various parameters being monitored such as the power supply voltage or a module s current consumption Scroll through the parameter windows using the up and down arrows 2 3 2 1 Normal Operation The Monitor Window can be scrolled through each available measurement during normal operation In the figure below the Output Voltage System Temperature and Module Current are shown The controller can monitor up to eight modules for current consumption The up and down buttons are used to scroll through the available monitors If no monitors are available in the device then the message No Monitors Configured is displayed For each monitor the name of the monitor is displayed as well as its present reading including the units Empower RF Systems Inc Page 7 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Rev 3 3 3 8 Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Also displayed are three factory measured typical values one with no input to the amplifier None one with the amplifier set to 10dB below maximum 10 and one set at maximum Full This allows comparison of the present reading with the expected values Some monitor variables are automatically checked for fault conditions others are available simply for viewing Up to eight modules can be monitored each may have one or two outputs e g Module 1A and Module 1B P S Output Voltage 28 0 Volts None 10 Full 28 0 28 0 VARS system Temperat
31. ure 25 0 Deg C None ane P S Output Voltage Selected system Temperature Selected 0 0 0 0 Module Current Module Niola a me plas Current 30 35 Selected Driver Mod Current 0 0 Volts NOE 10 3 0 23 Driver Mod Current Selected Figure 3 Monitoring Window Selections 2 3 2 2 Fault Condition If one or more faults occur the Monitor Window turns red lists the faults and the fault light flashes If there are four or more faults only the first three are displayed Touching the fault region acknowledges that the fault has been viewed If there are more than three faults then the remaining ones appear ALC Fault Single Fault P S Out EN Fault System Temp Fault Module Current Fault More More than Three Faults Figure 4 Fault Condition Window Faults can limit the output of the amplifier to protect it from further damage shut the amplifier down or just act as warnings see Fault Descriptions in SS remote command for more information Empower RF Systems Inc Page 8 of 26 Ver 3 93 User Manual Touch screen Color LCD Controller amp Remote Operation Rev 3 3 3 8 After all the faults have been acknowledged the Monitor Window returns to Monitoring Mode as shown in the previous figure This return to Monitoring Mode may be useful when analyzing faults The fault light will continue to flash if the fault is still present There are three types of faults that the controller reports systems
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