Argent Data Systems Tracker3 Family User`s Manual
Contents
1. Easy Setup 192 255 192 TNC2 Kan Ok PK I Dual Port TNC Cancel2. Enables the use of an external squelch or COR input Copy from Profile n This button copies the contents of one profile to the other 16 10 Tuning and Diagnostics Access the tuning and diagnostics screen with the Tuning Diagnostics button Tuning and Diagnostics x m Test Outputs Red LED Green LED PIT Power m Test Tones Sensors 341v 1200 C 300 Baud Voltage j Eg High _ low Temperature mn max Transmit Audio Level From this screen you can exercise the Tracker3 hardware and set the audio level The top row of buttons controls the red and green elements of the ACT LED the PTT output and the power relay and the second row allows AFSK tones to be sent either with or without PTT on When both tone buttons are on the tracker sends alternating mark space tones at the specified baud rate The Sensors pane shows the raw readings from the on board sensors The temperature reading is shown without the calibration constant applied Tracker3 User s Manual 29 16 11 Access List TT x Enter callsigns without SSIDs to be permitted remote command access niva KIGFAL KBBVAA a NEED Cancel This screen allows editing of the tracker s remote access control list 16 12 Profile Switching To access the profile switching setup click on the Profile Switching button from the main configuration screen Profile Switching Setup El Profile 1 Profile 2 r Switch t
3. PC or other host device sends and receives raw AX 25 packets Keep in mind that even with one or both ports in KISS mode the Tracker3 will continue to perform its other functions including messaging and digipeating The host should use a different callsign SSID combination to avoid interference WS2300 Supports LaCrosse WS 2300 series weather stations at 2400 baud again ignoring manual baud rate settings DAVIS Supports Davis Vantage Pro series weather stations TEXT Functions like converse mode Each line of text is sent as a plain text packet when a carriage return is received Pressing control C twice will exit TEXT mode FLOW Valid only for port B this setting causes the port B pins to function as CTS RTS flow control signals for port A Not applicable for the T3 135 The USB port normally functions in command console mode If the USBKISS option is enabled the USB port is placed in KISS mode To exit KISS mode from a terminal program hit control C three times Tracker3 User s Manual 17 13 Remote Access Commands can be issued to the Tracker3 remotely via APRS messages The originating station s callsign must appear in the device s security authorization list see AUTHLIST command Commands are prefixed with CMD and the results of the command if any will be send back as an APRS message to the sending station For example CMD VERSION sent from an APRS client will cause the target device to r
4. T3 301 iii 12 Bile T3 301 Pin Assignments ra 12 92 Radi Contra OMA 13 10 S tup and Eonia 14 10 1 USB O cu 14 11 POSTON Modesto 15 12 Port Mods aid tea 15 O 15 GARMIN si cion 15 IS A O T 16 o A A 16 DAM ra ai E 16 PP O o A 16 13 Remote FS AA AAA as 17 14 Safe Modernas 17 15 AMERO CA A nisu va aS 18 16 Garmin Fleet Management Interface iussus tada 19 OTWINCEFG Configuration Proa a 20 16 1 Overwriting an Invalid Configuration encon eiii 20 16 2 Turbo Models 20 16 3 AUTO dec POTTS uude dtc reb LRQ ded ad 20 16 4 Warm BGOt vs Cold Dolar ia 21 16 5 Working Ollas iaa 21 16 6 Main Configuration WindoOW soriana ddr 21 16 7 Configuration osi T ea EEE A 22 16 8 Loading and Saving Se iia 22 Tracker3 User s Manual 2 16 9 Basic Configuration PU GIs estere etre crap infir Da dpt vc aa SUR Uu 22 16 10 Tuningand Diagnostics secca oen e Hbri Nanc EE UN MR Cs QU MO dpi 28 POUL Access at 29 16212 Profile Sic 29 1613 DLusipedler Sens ua ti AA 30 16 14 uu dip UR 31 17 Command Referendo 32 18 Er 44 19 Seript SYSTEM Larnaca 45 19 1 Sepa 45 19 2 Script Command aaa 47 19 3 COD DON aee rH DOR E RUN RN HER RIDE AAO ORE AA AARRE 49 20 VIE VIEW 32 SETI ao X 51 Tracker3 User s Manual 3 1 Introduction The Tracker3 family includes the stand alone OT3m model the T3 135 internal board f
5. all voltages are reported in 1 10 volt units While the T3 135 board has no externally accessible analog inputs four pads marked A1 through A4 are present on the board and may be used for analog telemetry with readings of 0 to 255 representing 0 to 5 volts Digital bit 1 reflects the state of the OT3m s terminal block IO pin and bit 0 indicates the configuration profile currently in use Tracker3 User s Manual 45 19 Script System The Tracker3 s script engine allows simple programs to be run on the tracker to customize the tracker s operation and automate tasks Use the script button in the otwincfg utility to access the script editors Common script tasks include handling multiple beacon texts responding to events such as door alarms or high temperatures transmitting APRS objects or telemetry parameters and changing regional settings automatically Detailed information on all script commands and additional example scripts can be found at wiki argentdata com 19 1 Script Editor Scripts are created in otwincfg and uploaded to flash memory in the tracker When the SCRIPT option is enabled the script is executed 8 times per second If the Quick command is used in the script the script will execute again in one timer tick 1 1200 second on the Tracker3 Scripts cannot be remotely edited directly but the script editor can generate a list of PATCH commands that will allow a prepared script to be uploaded to a r
6. can be used for weather station or NMEA GPS input Be sure to check the polarity of the power output before using it the first time some earlier DR 135T radios may have an inverted output If a complete reset of the radio fails to correct the problem contact Alinco customer service 8 1 Rear D sub Female Connector Data out from tracker Data in to tracker Ground 1 Wire data bus Tracker3 User s Manual 12 9 Hardware Description T3 301 The 13 301 is a Friendcom FC 301 D 5 watt data radio module with a Tracker3 series board installed The tracker takes over the module s 9 pin D sub connector its pin assignments are not the same as the as the bare FC 301 D radio and the Friendcom programming software and cable should not be used with the T3 301 Configuration of the radio s frequency and power settings is accomplished through the tracker s command line interface A serial and power breakout cable is available that provides power leads and a D sub connector matching the OT3m s pin assignments allowing the same cables to be used Alternatively you can wire your own cable harness for direct connection to the module A USB mini B receptacle at the opposite end of the unit can be used to connect it to a PC The tracker may be configured when powered only by the USB connection but the radio will not function and frequency and power setting commands will not be retained if 12v power is not provided to the module 9 1 T3 3
7. its speed and direction of travel When stopped or moving at a speed below the low speed setting the tracker will transmit at a fixed rate determined by the lower rate setting Above the specified high speed threshold the higher rate setting is used Between these two extremes the interval varies between the low and high rates depending on the speed A turn angle can also be specified to cause the tracker to transmit when turning The final setting ensures that the tracker will never transmit more often than the specified interval regardless of speed and turn rate This can be useful to avoid transmitting more than once in a long shallow turn Tracker3 User s Manual 25 SmartBeaconing Settings xj At speeds between 5 and go MPH i Use transmit rate from 300 to o Sec Cancel Transmit when turing more than 28 degrees But not more than once every 5 seconds Use PTT Input When this checkbox is enabled the tracker can be connected inline with a microphone to operate in burst after voice mic encoder mode A packet will be transmitted whenever the microphone PTT is released Timeslot The timeslot option is typically used to coordinate multiple trackers especially for special events where many transmitters will be sharing the same channel with a high beacon rate The number entered selects the timeslot s offset in seconds from the start of the hour The tracker will transmit at this time and every transmit inter
8. of their own or special software Getting data to a web connected database isn t the only thing APRS is good for of course Depending on network coverage and load it s possible to communicate over a range of hundreds of miles using the radio network alone However being a shared network reliability decreases with each added digipeater hop APRS is most reliable at the local level and it s rarely advisable to use more than two or three digipeater hops Often a single hop is adequate for local coverage The APRS protocol hardware and software can be used independently of the national networks as well Local or temporary networks may be set up to cover special events or to fill the needs of a particular organization Some uses may not require digipeaters at all high altitude balloons for example often use APRS to transmit position and telemetry data on a dedicated frequency directly to the chase teams Mobile use of APRS can take a number of different forms The simplest mobile APRS setup is a transmit only tracker connected to a radio and GPS receiver These trackers generally have no receive capability other than to check that the channel is clear before transmitting They allow the vehicle to be tracked by others but can t receive messages or positions Tracker3 User s Manual 5 Another option is an APRS capable radio like those sold by Kenwood and Yaesu These radios have a text display but require a mapping GPS rec
9. than 20 seconds since the last valid position was received from the GPS unit The selected tests are run once every second If the conditions are met the new profile is loaded If Transmit when switching to this profile is checked in the new profile a packet is transmitted immediately If the conditions in both profile panes are met the tracker will switch between the two profiles each second and may cause undesired operation 16 13 Digipeater Settings Access the Digipeater Settings screen using the Digi Config button Digipeater Settings x Alias Hops Preempt ID Enabled Rey FP Pm TF a E v a Dupe check 30 sec TEMP m Li Iv lv Digipeat on my call v HM DM j L E E O o o III po L E E Cancel i Tracker3 User s Manual 31 The Digipeat on my call option causes the tracker to repeat packets with the tracker s own callsign in the packet s digipeater list This allows any Tracker3 with the default configuration to be used as a relay if explicitly selected by the sending station The entries in the alias list specify other digipeater address that the unit should respond to Only those with the Enabled checkbox checked will be used The Enabled option is set in each profile All other alias settings are global and affect both profiles Hops specifies the maximum number of hops to allow for this alias This option limits excessive paths Normally the unit will repeat a packe
10. the audio output line is enabled Use this jumper with most HTs by Icom Yaesu and Alinco handhelds but not Kenwood Tracker3 User s Manual 11 8 Hardware Description T3 135 The Tracker3 model T3 135 is a plug in board for the Alinco DR 135T It can also be used with the DR 235 and DR 435 models To install the board disconnect power to the radio and remove the four screws holding on the bottom cover plate A multi colored cable connects the rear connector to the radio s main board Remove the cable from the radio board plug it in to the receptacle on the T3 135 board and plug the T3 135 board s cable into the radio board The supplied hook and loop fastener can be used to secure the T3 135 board to the VCO case A short USB pigtail cable is also provided with the board The small end plugs in to the T3 135 board and the cable can be routed out of the radio by bending or cutting the metal tab on the radio s cover that covers the space above the speaker jack The 13 135 board is active only when the radio is placed in digital mode indicated by a square wave icon on the display When the radio is tuned to a memory channel that has the digital option set the tracker will power up automatically The tracker must be powered up before it can be configured In data mode the front panel Data jack is used as the tracker s port B input with data in on the tip 5v power out on the ring and ground on the sleeve This input
11. watts Deviation set using the tracker s TX level option is pre set to approximately 3 4 KHz You may wish to make a note of this level in case you need to restore default settings For detailed radio tuning and diagnostic information see the FC 301 D service manual on our website at www argentdata com The T3 301 module uses M2 5 size screws for mounting Tracker3 User s Manual 14 10 Setup and Configuration You can use a PC to connect to the Tracker3 either the Windows configuration program otwincfg exe or a terminal emulation program of your choice such as HyperTerminal PuTTY available from http www putty org or Minicom To use the command console connect at the proper baud rate 4800 baud is the default and press enter several times until you see a command prompt When using the USB port the baud rate setting is ignored To use the Windows configuration program simply start the program select the COM port and power up the device The only setting absolutely required for normal APRS tracker operation is the callsign The defaults for all other settings should be reasonable but you should check on locally recommended settings particularly for the digipeater path The USB port can be used for configuring the tracker with the otwincfg exe utility accessing the command prompt and connecting to a PC in KISS interface mode 10 1 USB Operation When the USB connection is in use the tracker draws its power from th
12. when it s programmed by the user with a fixed position It can be configured to transmit without a valid fix if no fix has been received since power up only status and telemetry packets will be sent If the last valid GPS fix is more than 30 seconds old a NO FIX warning is added to each position packet If the AUTOSAVE option is enabled as soon as the last valid fix is 30 seconds old that position is saved and the device enters fixed position mode As soon as another valid fix is received it switches back to GPS mode This is useful for portable digipeaters and weather stations that will have a GPS receiver connected only briefly during deployment 12 Port Modes The Tracker3 has two serial ports that share the same physical connector A Y adapter is available to separate the ports if needed Both ports can operate in multiple modes AUTO In this mode the device will automatically detect NMEA GPS data Peet Bros weather data or for port A only command console input Note that while both ports can be configured in AUTO mode only one should be used for a given function at any time For example port A can accept NMEA data while port B accepts weather data but providing NMEA data to both ports simultaneously will cause unpredictable operation GARMIN This mode forces the selected port to 9600 baud ignoring any manual setting and starts Garmin binary communications Tracker3 User s Manual 16 KISS In KISS mode a
13. 0 Volts Reset on Transmit Active Low Invert Carrier Detect v Software DCD 250 debounce mSec o delay seconds NoPTT outonPTT in External Squelch C Metric English Copy from Profile 2 Save to File Load from File Quit Tracker3 User s Manual 22 16 7 Configuration Profiles The Tracker3 can store two separate configuration profiles The profile currently being shown is selected using the tabs at the top of the window labeled Profile 1 and Profile 2 When it is first powered on the Tracker3 will always start out using Profile 1 After startup profile selection depends on the settings in the profile switching screen To access these settings click Profile Switching See the section below on profile switch for more information 16 8 Loading and Saving Settings After changing any configuration options you must click the Write button to write the changes to the tracker s firmware You may also use the Save to File button to save the configuration options to a file which can be loaded later using the Load from File button 16 9 Basic Configuration Options Callsign The radio callsign to use when transmitting Tactical callsigns may be used but FCC and ITU rules require periodic identification If the actual callsign is not used here be sure to include it in the comment field Baud Rate For normal VHF operation this should b
14. 01 Pin Assignments Port B data in to tracker Port A data out from tracker 5v power out Ground Power in 9 to 15v DC 1 5 amps IRO Counter input 1 Wire data bus Port A data in to tracker Port B data out from tracker Tracker3 User s Manual 13 9 2 Radio Configuration Two special commands are available from the T3 301 s command line for setting the radio frequency and power SETFREO ttt ttt rrr rrr sets the transmit frequency ttt ttt and receive frequency rrr rrr in MHz Note that the frequencies must be entered in exactly the format specified e g SETFREO 144 390 144 390 SETPOWER 1 5 sets the transmitter power approximately in watts Note that older radios originally shipped with a Tracker2 board may require an alternate form of the command SETPOWER 00 99 due to variations in the radio module s firmware In this form 00 is minimum power and 99 is maximum power on a non linear scale These settings are passed from the tracker to the radio s controller and are retained by the radio not the tracker They are unaffected by profile switching They may however be changed using EXEC script commands Use caution when setting parameters using a script each command may cause an erase and rewrite of nonvolatile memory in the radio module and the memory will eventually wear out after many thousands of cycles The default settings are 144 390 MHz for transmit and receive with a power output of 5
15. 535 gt seconds Sets the interval between automatic transmissions LVINHIBIT 0 255 0 0784 volts Sets the low voltage inhibit threshold When the supply voltage drops below this level the unit will cease transmitting Each unit is 0 0784 volts so a setting of 100 equals 7 84 volts MAXRANGE 0 255 miles When set to a non zero value waypoints will only be created for stations and objects within the specified range MONITOR on off Displays incoming packets on the console as they are received MYCALL lt xxxxxx nn gt Sets the unit s callsign and optional SSID NICE lt n gt When the tracker hears one of its own packets digipeated it will skip the following lt n gt transmissions This allows a faster beacon rate to be used in areas with poor coverage without increasing the load on the network in areas with better coverage Tracker3 User s Manual 38 PASSALL on off Normally the Tracker3 ignores all received packets that fail a frame check sequence test PASSALL disables the FCS test This option should only be used for troubleshooting as it will result in output of corrupted packets PASSLIST n local only Generates a list of the next n one time passwords to be used based on the pass phrase entered with the SECRET command Default is 144 PATCH lt hex string gt The patch command allows direct modification of the contents of the Tracker3 s flash memory This command should only be used as directed by th
16. 8515 weather station or a D518520 temperature sensor alone should be connected to the 1 wire bus ABAUD 1200 2400 4800 9600 19200 38400 57600 115200 Sets baud rate for the primary serial port Default is 4800 baud Return value 99 invalid setting 0 7 300 to 115200 baud ALIAS n lt callsign gt Sets digipeater alias for slot n where n is between 1 and 8 This will typically be a generic alias like WIDE No SSID is allowed in this field ALTITUDE onloff Report altitude in position packet ALTPATH onloff Causes the tracker to alternate between the digipeater path entries in either profile with each transmission AMODE AUTO GARMIN KISS DAVIS WS2300 Sets mode for primary serial port See Port Modes above for more information Tracker3 User s Manual 33 ANALOG lt n gt Returns the current reading for the specified analog input pin See the telemetry section of this manual for details on pin assignments This command is used primarily for scripting Return value Current analog reading for specified pin AUTHLIST lt callsign gt Displays or changes the list of callsigns authorized for remote access callsign adds a callsign to the list callsign removes a callsign from the list and none erases the entire list Up to six callsigns can be stored AUTOBAUD onloff Enables automatic baud rate detection When a baud rate mismatch is detected the unit will attempt to automatically select
17. Argent Data Systems Tracker3 Family User s Manual Revised 1 3 2013 ARGENT DATA SYSTEMS Argent Data Systems Inc PO Box 579 Santa Maria CA 93456 0579 USA 800 274 4076 1 805 619 4515 Fax 866 302 6890 www argentdata com Copyright 2007 2013 Argent Data Systems Inc All Rights Reserved APRS is a registered trademark of Bob Bruninga WB4APR FCC Part 15 Notice This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions this device may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B Digital Device pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communication However there is no grantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by tuning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures e Reorient or
18. C quantization noise TX Delay All radios require a certain amount of time to stabilize on their transmitting frequency and receivers also require time to lock on This value specifies the number of milliseconds the tracker should wait after the start of the transmission before it begins sending data Allowable values are 0 to 1023 milliseconds Setting this value too high will keep the channel busy longer than necessary Setting it too low will prevent packets from being transmitted properly Finding the optimum value for your radio may require some experimentation Don t transmit if supply lt n To avoid over discharging batteries enable this option and enter the minimum voltage at which the tracker should operate the transmitter Invert Carrier Detect Usually used with mobile radios this checkbox indicates that the channel is busy when the carrier detect input is low Software DCD This option selects the data carrier detect DCD mode used When unchecked the tracker considers the channel to be busy in the presence of any noise including voice or static When checked the channel is considered busy only when a valid 1200 baud signal is present Tracker3 User s Manual 28 No Suppress PTT Out on PTT In This option allows the tracker to be used in burst after voice mode without breaking any lines between the microphone and radio PTT is not asserted by the tracker until the microphone PTT is released External Squelch
19. TT line behavior for mic encoder mode If enabled PTT output is not asserted until the PTT input is released SLOT lt 0 65535 gt Time slot for transmission if TIMESLOT is on Slot position is counted in seconds from the start of the hour SMARTBCON lt low speed high speed low rate angle time Configures SmartBeaconing The SmartBeaconing algorithm allows the tracker to operate more efficiently by changing how often it transmits depending on its speed and turn rate When stopped or moving at a speed below the low speed setting the tracker will transmit at a fixed rate determined by the lower rate setting Above the specified high speed threshold the higher rate setting is used Between these two extremes the interval varies between the low rate and high rate specified separately with the INTERVAL command depending on the speed Tracker3 User s Manual 41 The lt low speed gt and lt high speed gt settings define these two limits For storage efficiency the speeds are represented in units of 32 centimeters second To convert from miles per hour multiply by 1 397 To convert from kilometers per hour divide by 1 152 Setting MPH Km h 5 3 6 5 7 10 EZ 11 5 15 10 7 17 25 17 9 29 40 28 6 46 60 43 69 80 57 92 100 71 115 lt low rate gt and lt high rate gt are specified in seconds lt angle gt indicates the change of direction in degrees that will cause an immediate transmission lt time gt spec
20. Z2ZC 5 TEAR 6 VA5S 7 EV1F 8 JCBX 9 NE8G 10 NAAM 11 P1Y8 12 2359 13 H654 14 KSBB 15 PDM8 16 vM89 17 GTNW 18 CW52 19 B7ZX 20 X4DF 21 Z5HF 22 CNNU 23 A8FS To use a password append it to the CMD prefix at the start of the command message For example if the next valid password is SBCY the message CMDSBCY VERSION will execute the VERSION command While it should be virtually impossible for someone to determine the next password without knowing your pass phrase the system is not foolproof Be sure not to use the same pass phrase on two different devices because an eavesdropper who hears a password used on one device or who retrieves an old message from an online database could potentially use the same password on the other unit Tracker3 User s Manual 19 Also should a valid password be sent without being received by the target device an eavesdropper would know the next valid password If you are unsure of being able to reach the target device send an unauthenticated message or query first and make sure you get a reply 16 Garmin Fleet Management Interface Some Garmin navigation systems provide a Fleet Management Interface FMI that can be used with the Tracker3 with the proper cable See http wiki argentdata com for current compatibility information and cable requirements To use the FMI features set one of the Tracker3 s serial ports to GARMIN mode and connect the FMI cable The Tracker3 will automatically p
21. aved copy of the default configuration with ports A and B set to AUTO at 4800 baud Changes to the configuration will affect the normal configuration and not the saved defaults To Tracker3 User s Manual 18 exit safe mode use the RESET command or power off the tracker after removing the jumper used to enter safe mode The use of the default configuration is temporary Normal operation will be resumed when safe mode is exited To overwrite the active configuration with the saved defaults use the RESET DEFAULT command The tracker need not be in safe mode to restore defaults 15 Authentication In addition to the security authorization list remote access to the Tracker3 can be controlled through a more secure one time password mechanism This mechanism is enabled by setting PWAUTH ON To set up one time password authentication use the command SECRET followed by a pass phrase of at least 16 characters The device will use this pass phrase to generate a 128 bit key that is stored in nonvolatile memory The password sequence counter is set to 0 when the key is created The PASSLIST command can then be used to generate a list of 4 character one time passwords each listed with a unique sequence number These passwords must be used in the specified order You can print out this list and cross off each password as it s used cmd secret The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog Set cmd passlist 24 0 COEP 1 U60T 2 8JES 3 BVBN 4
22. cold boot procedure cannot be used with a USB connection 16 5 Working Offline If you need to edit a configuration without connecting the tracker click the Offline button You will need to have a saved configuration file to work from 16 6 Main Configuration Window z iDgpenTracker Configuration xj Profile 1 Profile 2 Firmware Build 54680 Callsign NTVG 2 1200Baud 300Baud p Reporting Options Altitude pao Path WIDE1 1WIDE2 2 Alternate Paths de Symbol Table Symbol Code gt Time DHM C HMS e 0 T Quiet Time 16 ri GPS Quality Temp Adjust v Temperature D F Test Scott s T2 IV Voltage In C Comment Status Every 5 Transmissions Compressed r Transmission Control Telemetry every o Tuning Dia nostics NCC TX Ever 120 Sec Skipfi if heard Serial Ports I iss Sens Profile Switching Baud Rate Mode se SmartBeaconing Profile Switching Lo UsePTT Input Digi Config Access List 4800 Auto y Enable timeslotting Timeslot o Script Editor B 9500 C Garmin z Autobaud Settinas Position r Waypoint Output GPS C Fixed Save Y Enable Load Firmware From File Web N 5 y i 9 Characters m Radio Interface wil FZ Use Custom Symbols n aa A max Don t require GPS fix LimitTo 50 Miles TX Audio Level Counter Power Control fi 00 TX Delay mSec Enable Enable Don t transmit if supply lt 0 0
23. command line through the FMI interface or by APRS message The Macro Out command responds to the macro through the same channel If In Area Executes the following block if the tracker s current location is within the defined geographic area Coordinates are entered in degrees and decimal minutes but are displayed in decimal degrees If Profile 1 If Profile 2 Executes code based on the currently active profile If A B IfA lt B IfA gt B Compares two 16 bit counters IfA C IfA lt C IfA gt C Compares a counter to a constant value Tracker3 User s Manual 48 On Startup Executes a block of code only once immediately after the tracker is powered on On Second Executes a block of code once per second On Interrupt Executes a block of code whenever a low going edge is detected on the CT counter trigger pin On GPS Fix Executes the following block whenever a valid GPS position fix is obtained Set A B Sets a counter to the value in another counter Set A C Sets a counter to the value specified in box C Increment A Decrement A Increments or decrements the specified counter by one Port A Print Port B Print Sends a string to the specified serial port Execute T Executes the text in T as if it was entered at the command line The command s return value will be stored in the Result variable Tracker3 User s Manual 49 Use this command carefully the tracker s flash memory has a write endurance of ab
24. device and load firmware Disable Turbo Auto detect ports 16 1 Overwriting an Invalid Configuration The Erase device and load new firmware option will load a new firmware image using the default configuration settings without attempting to read the existing configuration first This is particularly useful if the tracker has an invalid or missing configuration 16 2 Turbo Mode By default the configuration program will attempt to connect at 115 200 baud If you have trouble connecting use the Disable Turbo option to force the program to connect at 19 200 baud This setting has no effect when connecting via USB 16 3 Auto detect ports Selecting this option will cause the program to constantly scan all of the ports and display which are available Connecting the tracker via USB while this option is checked will cause the program to automatically connect On some systems this option may cause trouble connecting disable it if you experience problems Tracker3 User s Manual 21 16 4 Warm Boot vs Cold Boot If the unit is already powered on and operating when you click the Connect button the program attempts a warm boot operation to put the device into configuration mode If the firmware has been corrupted i e by a failed upgrade it may fail to enter configuration mode You can correct this by performing a cold boot power the unit off and power it on again after clicking Connect The
25. e 1200 300 baud is commonly used for HF The Tracker3 uses mark and space frequencies of 1600 and 1800 hz respectively in 300 baud mode Path This specifies the digipeater path to use Specific callsigns may be entered e g K6SYV 10 K6TZ 10 but for APRS operation a set of common aliases are usually used A suggested default path is WIDE1 1 WIDE2 1 It is rarely necessary to use a path greater than WIDE3 3 requesting three wide digipeater hops and excessive paths generate large amounts of traffic that degrade the performance of the network If you re not sure what path should be used for your local area check with a local digipeater operator This field may be left blank Tracker3 User s Manual 23 Alternate Paths When enabled this option causes the tracker to alternate between the paths specified in either profile with each transmission Symbol Table and Symbol Code These settings control the symbol used to indicate the station s position when drawn on a map See Appendix B for a listing of available symbols Common symbols can be selected using a drop down menu Temp Adjust Calibration offset for onboard temperature sensor The sensor used on the tracker is fairly linear across its operating range and requires a single point calibration The easiest way to accomplish this is to set a thermometer next to the tracker Subtract the temperature reported by the tracker from the temperature shown by the therm
26. e host system no other connections are required for configuration of the unit Note that the Tracker3 does NOT act as a host device the USB port is only used for connecting to a PC and cannot be used to connect a USB GPS receiver Windows systems require the provided INF for the tracker to be recognized properly Once installed you can find the COM port number assigned in Device Manager Alternatively you can plug in the USB port after running otwincfg exe and the new port should be detected automatically Modern Linux distributions should automatically assign a device name like dev tty ACMO to the tracker If the unit is not automatically recognized you can select the driver with the following command sudo modprobe usbserial vendor 0x134a product 0x9000 Mac OS X should assign a device name starting with dev cu usbmodem Tracker3 User s Manual 15 Other modern operating systems should be able to use the tracker as a generic CDC ACM serial device Its VID is 0x134A and PID is 0x9000 For current driver files and operating system specific setup instructions for the USB port please see http wiki argentdata com 11 Position Modes Before getting started it s important to understand that the Tracker3 ordinarily will not make automatic transmissions including position status weather and telemetry packets unless it knows where it is The device knows where it is when it receives a valid fix from a GPS receiver or
27. e manufacturer Improper use of this command may render the Tracker3 inoperable PATH lt call1 call2 gt Comma separated digipeater path list containing up to three digipeater addresses POSITION lt hhmm mmx hhhmm mmx gt GPS Sets fixed position or enable GPS Position must be entered in degrees and decimal minutes including leading zeros Setting position to GPS reverts to GPS tracking mode Example POSITION 4851 49N 00217 66E Return value 0 Using GPS 1 Fixed Position 2 Position Unknown POWER onloffl 0 255 seconds ON or OFF will manually set the state of the power output Specifying a value in seconds will enable automatic power control mode where the power output is turned on for the specified number of seconds prior to transmission and turned off immediately after transmission Return value 0 Off 1 On 2 Timed PREEMPT lt n gt on off Enables digipeater preemption for alias lt n gt 1 8 If preemption is enabled packets will be digipeated on this alias even if it isn t the next address in the packet s digipeater list Tracker3 User s Manual 39 PROFILE 1 2 Selects the configuration profile to use If profile switching is enabled the profile switching parameters will still be in effect PROPWPT on off Enables proprietary waypoint strings With PROPWPT OFF output formats are GPWPL and PGRMW With PROPWPT ON PKWDWPL GPWPT and PMGNWPL are output PTTINPUT on loff Enables PTT in
28. e releases indicates date of release in Modified Julian Day format Return value Version number VOLTAGE onloff Enables reporting of supply voltage in status text WAYPOINTS on off Enables output of waypoints from received positions WPTLEN lt 6 9 gt Sets maximum waypoint name length WXINFO Displays weather information from attached station Tracker3 User s Manual 44 18 Telemetry All Tracker3 models have the ability to send telemetry information from their on board sensors and some models include external analog and digital telemetry inputs The OT3m and T3 301 can measure and report their supply voltage and all models include a temperature sensor though the on board sensors on the T3 135 and T3 301 reflect the temperature inside the radio enclosure and are generally more useful for monitoring the condition of the equipment than the ambient temperature When telemetry reporting is enabled the tracker transmits standard APRS telemetry reports in the following format T sss aaa bbb ccc ddd eee 76543210 The sss field is a sequence number that increments with each report Fields aaa through eee encode five channels of analog readings from 0 to 255 and fields 7 through 0 are binary bits either 0 or 1 representing digital inputs The aaa field represents the tracker s supply voltage and fields bbb through eee correspond to inputs A1 through A4 respectively For the OT3m
29. e sysop reduce the amount of extraneous traffic carried by the network In KISS mode the Tracker3 can also function as part of an IGate when connected to a PC with an Internet connection and appropriate software With few exceptions the Tracker3 can perform all of its functions concurrently For example a mountaintop installation could function simultaneously as a digipeater weather station site monitor reporting voltage and temperature and TNC for an IGate Tracker3 User s Manual 6 4 Major Features APRS Tracker The Tracker is first and foremost a full featured APRS tracker It works with GPS receivers using either the industry standard NMEA format GPRMC GPGGA and GPGLL sentences or the proprietary Garmin binary protocol In addition to transmitting its own position it can also decode incoming positions and plot them as waypoints on the screen of a GPS receiver selecting appropriate symbols and setting comment text and other waypoint details if supported by the receiver KISS Mode The KISS protocol defines an interface between a TNC and its host typically a PC This mode allows the Tracker3 to be used with PC based APRS programs like Xastir WinAPRS and UI View32 It can also be used with non APRS applications subject to the limitations of the Tracker3 s transmit and receive buffers Digipeater A digipeater acts as a simplex digital repeater receiving packets and retransmitting them typically on the same
30. e the and keys for coarse adjustment of the transmit audio level and and for fine adjustment Press any other key to exit calibration mode CDINVERT onloff Inverts carrier detect input polarity CLIMB onloff Enables rate of climb indication Climb rate is reported in feet per minute positive or negative immediately following the altitude Available only in Garmin binary mode CNTRESET onloff Causes counter to reset with each transmission See accessory port information COMMENT lt string gt Sets beacon text comment string up to 64 characters COMPRESS onloff Enables Base91 compressed format for position transmissions CONFIG 112 local only Selects configuration profile to modify CONVERSE local only In converse mode text entered at the console is transmitted when the ENTER Key is pressed Hit CTRL C to exit The command K may also be used to enter CONVERSE mode COUNTER on off Transmits counter value in status text Tracker3 User s Manual 35 CUSTSYM on loff Enables the use of custom symbols if they have been uploaded to a compatible Garmin GPS receiver using the Garmin xImage utility CWBEACON lt text gt local only Sends text as a Morse code beacon DAO onloff Enables transmission of the DAO extended precision construct This provides an extra digit of precision over the standard APRS position format but results in a longer packet and may not be supported by all APRS cli
31. ections 6 1 SERIAL Connector Data in port A Data out port A Power output for GPS Ground Data out port B or CTS Data in port B or RTS Note The serial interface is configured as DTE data terminal equipment to allow direct connection to a GPS receiver Connection to a PC requires a null modem cable 6 2 RADIO Connector Audio out COR Squelch input PTT out Audio in Ground Power in PTT in 6 3 ACCESSORY Connector 5v output i Dallas 1 Wire data bus 6 0 20v analog inputs Digital I O line Relay output 1 2 3 7 Counter TX trigger input 8 9 10 Ground Connector is a pluggable 0 150 pitch screw terminal block Tracker3 User s Manual 10 7 Jumper Settings A jumper block on the OT3m board provides the following settings o Voltage select 5 Connects pin 4 of the serial connector to the output of the 5 volt regulator Use this setting to supply power to a 5 volt GPS receiver or other external device Voltage select 12 Connects pin 4 of the serial connector to the input of the 5 volt regulator Use this setting to supply unregulated power from the radio connector to a GPS receiver or to supply power to the tracker from the serial connector HI This jumper sets the audio output level to the high range This is needed mostly for mobile radios especially some commercial models HT Selects if push to talk signaling through
32. eiver to display the positions of other stations graphically An ordinary radio with a TNC can be used in conjunction with a laptop computer or PDA to provide full APRS functionality including mapping and messaging although this is usually the most expensive option and may not be practical to operate while driving 3 Where the Tracker3 Fits In The Tracker3 has the capability to fill a number of roles in the APRS system As the name implies it s a tracker it can format and transmit position data from a GPS receiver for transmission over APRS It also receives and decodes positions from other APRS stations When it receives a position for a station or map object the Tracker3 can create a GPS waypoint for that position On a mapping GPS receiver this allows the user to see the locations of other stations on the map updated as each new position is received When used with a suitable mapping GPS receiver the tracker will pick the most appropriate symbol for the waypoint including custom APRS symbols if available extract the altitude and insert the status text often including course and speed into the waypoint details For many applications this can eliminate the need for a PC or similar device to act as a display Aside from its tracking capabilities the Tracker3 can also function as a digipeater Its remote control capabilities allow it to be reconfigured remotely and even through IGates and its path limiting features let th
33. emote tracker Make sure the SCRIPT option is turned off while the script is being uploaded Turn the script option on when you are ready to run scripts The editor screen is divided into three main parts The top left portion is the script listing the bottom left portion allows data entry and the right side provides buttons for all script commands A o Tracker3 User s Manual Script Editor ix Begin Script On Startup Print This command is executed once on startup End Block If In Area If Profile 2 IFA C IFA gt C IfA C Macro T If Profile 1 IFA B IFA gt B IFA lt B On Startup On Second On Interrupt On GPS Fix Else End Block Do Once Macro Out Set B Set C Increment Decrement Port A Print Port B Print Execute T Quick Up D Delete Li Up Down Delete Line Peek cex Y Poke cxe Counter 1 y A Counter 2 y B E Em x Le This command is executed once on startup 1 S FBEREREE UE Erre ii 46 of 512 m a cm ceres Nw Corner SE Comer mimi mi mi mi mi mi m Enable Scipt Engine Codeli Patchtist Cancel The highlighted line in the script listing shows where the next command will be inserted The Delete Line button deletes the currently selected line and the Up and Down buttons move the line in the listing Conditional commands cause automatic indentation in the listing The numbers directly under the listing show the amount of script memory u
34. ents DEVLIST local only Lists addresses of all connected 1 wire devices Return value Number of devices detected DIGI onl off When enabled the tracker will digipeat packets having its own callsign MYCALL in the next digipeater address field DIGIID n on off Enables callsign substitution for digipeater alias lt n gt 1 to 8 This should normally be enabled DISPLAY local only Lists all configuration parameters DOUBLE lt n gt onloff When enabled two identical copies of the position packet are sent with each transmission This should only be used with short packets when extra redundancy is required DUMP local only Displays the tracker s memory contents for troubleshooting purposes By default only RAM contents are displayed DUMP CONFIG displays configuration memory contents and DUMP ALL displays everything DUPETIME 0 255 seconds Sets digipeating duplicate suppression period Tracker3 User s Manual 36 ECHO text Prints text to the console Allows output from scripts when using the USB console EXTSQL on off Enables external squelch input EXTTEMP on off Enables temperature reporting from an external DS18520 temperature sensor connected to the 1 wire data bus FAHRENHT on off Reports temperatures in Fahrenheit when temperature output in the status text is enabled FILTER on off When FILTER is ON the MONITOR command will only output printable characters GPIO lt n gt on
35. eply with its firmware version In response to a RESET command the device will attempt to send one acknowledgement before resetting This is intended to prevent message retries from causing multiple resets but especially if the channel is busy there is a possibility that the acknowledgement will not be sent before the reset is executed A RESET command should be cancelled after a few retries with no response received to check if the device has indeed been reset 14 Safe Mode Starting with firmware build 56294 the Tracker3 includes a safe mode option to place the device temporarily into its default configuration The safe mode entry condition is checked only when the tracker first powers on or resets It should always be possible to recover from an invalid configuration using a cold boot procedure over the serial interface This procedure however can be problematic with certain hardware setups Safe mode offers an alternative to a serial cold boot Safe mode is entered by connecting the CT counter and 1W 1 Wire bus pins together On the OT3m these are on the front terminal block For the T3 301 use pins 6 and 7 of the 9 pin connector Connect the pins with a short piece of wire or other conductive item such as a pair of metal tweezers while the tracker powers up The tracker will blink its red LED five times to indicate safe mode entry and will display SAFE MODE in the banner While in safe mode the tracker will operate from a s
36. ifies in seconds the minimum time required between transmissions regardless of speed or turns SNOOP on off local only The SNOOP command outputs on port A each character received on port B until another key is pressed Use this command to troubleshoot GPS and weather station connections on port B Make sure port A s baud rate is equal to or greater than port B s baud rate SQUAWK 0 255 seconds Transmits alternating tones for specified number of seconds May be used for testing or direction finding SWDCD onloff ON selects software data carrier detect mode providing a channel busy indication only when data is present OFF selects energy detect mode which will provide a busy indication for any signal including static or voice Use the ON setting for digipeater operation with open squelch for fastest signal acquisition Tracker3 User s Manual 42 STATUS 0 255 Status packets are sent every n transmissions or if set to 0 status text is sent as part of the position packet SYMBOL 1 2 characters APRS symbol character optionally preceded by symbol table or overlay identifier TELEMETRY on off Enables transmission of telemetry packets TEMP on loff Enables transmission of temperature readings from the on board temperature sensor TEMPADJ lt 128 to 127 degrees C Offset for temperature sensor in degrees C TIMEHMS on off Sets timestamp mode to hour minute second when enabled Default is day hour mi
37. is counter increments every 1 1200 second and counts from 0 to 1199 TX Counter Seconds elapsed since the last automatic transmission Second This counter indicates the second of the current hour synchronized to GPS time from 0 to 3599 Pulse Count This counter is used by the event counter function described elsewhere in this manual Last Digi Seconds elapsed since the tracker last heard one of its own packets repeated by a digipeater Last Fix Seconds elapsed since the last valid GPS position fix was received Altitude Current altitude reported by the GPS receiver Units are 2 56 meters and 0 indicates an altitude of 10 000 meters Thus a value of 5097 is approximately 10 000 feet or 3 048 meters 3 048 meters 10 000 2 56 5096 875 Result Return value of the last command line command executed Tracker3 User s Manual 51 20 UI View32 Setup For use with the UI View32 APRS client either port of the Tracker3 can be set manually to KISS mode No configuration commands are needed in UI View32 once this has been accomplished Serial Ports Baud Rate Mode A 9600 kiss y B 4800 Auto Autobaud In this example port A has been set to KISS mode at 9600 baud using the tracker configuration utility The console commands AMODE KISS and ABAUD 9600 produce the same result x Baud Rate Parity COM Port C 1200 C 2400 4800 9600 C None None Pars C 19k2 C 38k4 57
38. k6 C 115k2 C Odd C206 Data Bits Stop Bits wn eo EE l o 8 kg 2 CIA EH Handshaking NONE Use binary filter Host mode kiss setup Ok Cancel The baud rate selected in the UI View32 Comms Setup screen must match the rate selected for the port in use Select host mode KISS and be sure to choose the correct COM port for your PC Click on Setup to continue configuration Receive only Tracker3 User s Manual 52 ET No Into KISS or Exit Into KISS Parameters KISS commands are Poit 1 Port 2 needed and any settings Tx Delay 48 46 x10 msec in these fields should be Tx Tail n x10 msec deleted Placing a 0 in Slot Time 1 B fo 5 x10 msec the Exit KISS field avoids a bug in UI View32 that Persist 64 o prevents it from exiting Full Dup F properly when the option Exit KISS Easy Setup plan PK TI Dual Port TNC er Cancel If you would prefer to have UI View32 automatically reconfigure the tracker for KISS mode each time the program is started use the following settings ET This configuration will Into KISS Parameters only work with port A as z Pnn o Port 1 Port 2 the command console is E Tx Delay 40 no x10 msec not available on port B 2 AMODE KISS Tx Tail n x10 msec Slot Time 1 8 1 g x10 msec A Persist on ou FulDup o Exit KISS _ _
39. lace the navigation system in fleet management mode which adds a Dispatch menu item and may change the layout of other menus This mode change can only be reversed by erasing all user data on the navigation system Incoming APRS messages will display a message icon on the navigation system s screen and will be stored in the inbox Outgoing messages can be addressed to a specific station by starting the message with a dash and the destination callsign followed by a space and the message text If no station is specified the message will be sent to the sender of the last message received This allows conversations to be carried on without having to constantly re enter callsigns To send a configuration command to the Tracker3 start a message with For example VERSION will cause the Tracker3 to respond with a message stating its firmware version Tracker3 User s Manual 20 OTWINCFG Configuration Program The Tracker3 can be configured using the otwincfg exe program under Windows The program is available for download at http www argentdata com support Connect the tracker and start the configuration program The first window displayed allows you to select the COM port that the tracker is connected to Connect to Tracker x Select serial port C comi C comz C cow c ER C COMS C COM6 C COM C COM8 Cancel C cOMS C CcOMIO C COM11 COM12 Cancel C COM13 C COMI14 COMI5 COM16 Offline Erase
40. nute Applies only to NMEA mode hour minute second format is always used in Garmin binary mode TIMESLOT onloff Force position packets to be transmitted only in designated time slots expressed as the number of seconds from the start of the hour to the first transmission TIMESTAMP onloff Report time information in the position packet TRACE on off local only When trace is on each received raw packet is output in hexadecimal on the active console port TXDELAY lt 0 255 gt Delay between start of transmission and start of data This setting should be set to the minimum value that allows reliable reception of transmitted packets An excessively high TXDELAY setting wastes channel capacity Each unit is one character time 1 150 second at 1200 baud Tracker3 User s Manual 43 TXLEVEL lt 1 255 gt Sets transmission audio level This value should be selected to provide an appropriate FM deviation level typically about 3 5 kHz TXNOFIX on off Allows transmission of last position if GPS fix is lost for more than 30 seconds Default behavior is to cease transmitting the position in the absence of a valid GPS signal TXONCHG on off Causes an immediate transmission when switching configuration profiles USEALIAS n on off Enables digipeating for alias n VELOCITY on off Enables transmission of velocity course and speed information in the position packet VERSION Displays firmware version number For normal firmwar
41. o Profile 2 when Any All of these conditions are met T Altitude gt 51189 Feet Speed gt f0 MPH I Temperature gt 453 F Voltage E po Volts T ADC Input gt fo Iv Jumper On C Off GPSFix C Valid Invalid r Switch to Profile 1 when Any Allof these conditions are met Altitude lea 51189 Feet Speed Eg MPH Temperature gt 458 F Voltage 24 Jo 00 Volts T ADCInput gt fo Iv Jumper Con 6 Of GPS Fix C Valid Invalid Transmit when switching to this profile Transmit when switching to this profile The conditions to test are selected using the checkboxes to the left of each condition The comparison can be either gt greater than or lt less than or Tracker3 User s Manual 30 equal to Clicking on the button showing the comparison operator toggles it between these two settings The Altitude and Speed values are compared with those indicated by the GPS Onboard sensors provide readings for comparison with the Temperature and Voltage fields ADC Input refers to the extra unused analog to digital converter input on X1 pin 9 The possible values are 0 to 255 corresponding to a range of 0 to 5 volts The jumper setting refers to the state of the CFG input on the accessory port The input is Off when the CFG pin is pulled to ground as through a toggle or pushbutton switch The GPS Fix is considered invalid if it has been more
42. off toggle in Reads or sets state of a general purpose digital I O pin On sets the pin to the high state Off sets it to low state Toggle reverses the state of the pin and In switches the pin to input mode and returns 1 or 0 depending on the input signal This command is used primarily for scripting Pin output state settings are not retained when power is lost See the telemetry section of this manual for details on pin assignments Example GPIO 1 ON Return value 0 or 1 depending on input signal GPSDATA on off Reports GPS quality data in status text Horizontal dilution of precision and number of satellites for NMEA mode or estimated position error for Garmin mode HALFSLOT on off When timeslotting is enabled HALFSLOT adds Y second to the slot time HBAUD 12001300 Tracker3 User s Manual 37 Selects transmission baud rate Note that the reception baud rate is fixed at 1200 baud Return value 99 invalid setting 0 1200 1 300 2 PSK31 HEADERLN on off Breaks MONITOR packets into two lines with header and payload separated HOPLIMIT lt n gt lt hops gt For digipeater alias n 1 8 sets the maximum number of digipeater hops allowed This can be used to limit excessively long paths that may cause network degradation INFO Displays general system and diagnostic data including number of packets heard packets digipeated and frame check sequence errors detected INTERVAL lt 0 65
43. ometer and enter that value in this field For example if the thermometer shows the temperature as 26 C and the tracker reports 29 C enter 3 for the adjustment value Quiet Time This setting determines how long the channel must be clear before the tracker will transmit Each unit is approximately 1 56 second Setting the quiet time to zero causes the tracker to ignore detected traffic Text This is a freeform text field Anything entered here will be displayed in the comment portion of the transmission or in a separate status packet as selected Keep comments as brief as possible to avoid wasting channel capacity or use the Every __ Transmissions option to reduce how often the text is sent Altitude Course Speed Time When checked report these values as indicated by the GPS receiver The timestamp may be in Days Hours Minutes or Hours Minutes Seconds DAO Enables the proposed DAO APRS extension to provide the map datum used and an extra digit of latitude and longitude resolution May not be supported by all APRS clients The datum is always reported as WGS84 which is the standard for normal APRS operation GPS Quality Report number of satellites in use and horizontal dilution of precision information as reported by the GPS receiver Temperature Report temperature as indicated by the onboard temperature sensor in the comment field The temperature may be reported in Celsius the default option or Fahrenheit deg
44. or the Alinco DR 135T and the T3 301 with integrated 5 watt transceiver All of these models share the same software features with minor differences This manual covers all Tracker3 variations The Tracker3 is a packet radio interface focused on APRS applications including position reporting messaging and telemetry It replaces the older Tracker2 and features a much faster 32 bit processor USB support more RAM and more room for expansion Firmware updates and enhancements are published frequently so check the website at http www argentdata com to make sure you have the latest firmware and documentation The Wiki site at http wiki argentdata com also has in depth technical information and user contributed tips and tricks 2 A Brief Overview of APRS To understand the Tracker3 and how it can be used it is important to first understand exactly what APRS is APRS stands for Automatic Packet Reporting System The name is a trademark of its creator Bob Bruninga WB4APR What the name refers to can be a subject of considerable confusion to newcomers Primarily APRS is a communications protocol It defines how data including station and map object positions weather information radio direction finding readings text messages and telemetry can be communicated among packet radio stations APRS can also refer to the network that carries this information Throughout the United States Europe and several other countries a netw
45. ork of digital repeaters digipeaters usually on a common nationwide frequency provides a transport for APRS packets Most APRS stations operate on one of these common channels but not all The APRS Internet System APRS IS is an Internet based adjunct to the radio network Internet gateways IGates often simply home PCs with an Internet Tracker3 User s Manual 4 connection and a radio pass traffic from the radio network to a shared worldwide APRS stream Many IGates will pass at least text message traffic and sometimes other data from the Internet back to the radio network In this way text messages can be passed from one station to another even when a digipeater path between the two doesn t exist or isn t reliable The name APRS is also sometimes used to refer to WB4APR s original MS DOS APRS mapping program but this is now properly called APRSdos Numerous other mapping and messaging programs exist using either the APRS radio network the APRS IS or both Some of these programs can function as IGates as well Connected to the worldwide APRS IS stream are a number of database services These systems aprs fi and openaprs net are two of the most popular process and store all APRS traffic that finds its way to an IGate anywhere in the world and most provide maps weather displays and telemetry graphs based on this traffic This allows anyone with Internet access to monitor APRS data without needing radio equipment
46. our analog 0 20v inputs and one digital telemetry input Temperature and voltage readings can be reported in status packets and the other readings can be reported in an APRS telemetry message Scripting To automate a variety of tasks and increase the device s feature set the Tracker3 includes a simple user programmable script system 5 Hardware Description OT3m The Tracker3 model OT3m features a heavy duty steel enclosure and measures approximately 4 2 by 3 2 by 1 The circuit is built with surface mount technology and includes over voltage and over current protection as well as RFI filtering on external connections 5 1 Front Panel The front panel has two bi color indicator LEDs marked ACT activity and TX RX transmit receive The removable 10 pin terminal block is an accessory port that provides a Dallas 1 wire data bus 5 volt power four 0 to 20v analog inputs a counter transmit trigger input a digital I O pin and a 7 amp solid state relay output Tracker3 User s Manual 8 5 2 Rear Panel The rear panel has a female 9 pin D sub connector for connection to a radio A male 9 pin D sub connector provides depending on software configuration a single RS 232 port with hardware flow control or dual independent RS 232 ports A standard 2 1x5 5mm center positive power connector accepts from 7 to 28 volts DC and a USB type B connector can be used to connect the tracker to a PC Tracker3 User s Manual 6 Conn
47. out 100 000 cycles and any command that changes a value in the tracker s configuration will require a flash write At 8 script executions per second an errant script could wear out the flash memory in a few hours Flash writes also cause the received packet buffer to be discarded Use flags or Do Once to avoid executing the same command repeatedly Quick Causes the script engine to start again in 1 1200 second instead of 1 8 second This can be useful when higher timing resolution is required Peek C amp X Y Reads the contents of memory location C performs a logical AND with X and compares the result to Y Use of this command requires knowledge of the tracker s memory map Poke C X amp Y Sets the contents of memory location C with the value in X using Y as a bit mask Set Flags Toggle Flags Clear Flags Sets toggles or clears the selected flags If Flags Executes the following code block if the flags match the specified pattern A grayed out checkbox indicates a don t care condition This is shown in the code listing with an x 19 3 Counters Three general purpose counter variables are reserved for scripting use and other system values are also accessible All counters are unsigned 16 bit integers and will wrap from 65535 back to 0 Counter 1 Counter 3 Tracker3 User s Manual 50 These general purpose counters have no predefined meaning and they have no effect on the rest of the system Ticks Th
48. put for mic encoder opration A position packet will be transmitted when the mic PTT is released OT3m model only PULSE lt 0 255 gt seconds Activates power output for specified duration PWAUTH onloff Enables one time password authentication QUIET lt 0 255 gt Time channel must be free before transmission can occur in 1 64 second units REARM lt 0 255 gt milliseconds Specifies minimum time between counter inputs May be used for switch de bouncing REPLY lt message gt local only Sends a text message to the last person who sent a message addressed to this unit s callsign Return value 0 No message received to reply to 1 Message received RETRIES lt 0 255 gt Number of times to retransmit an outgoing message RETRYTIME lt 0 255 gt seconds Time between message retry attempts interval increases by this value with each transmission Tracker3 User s Manual 40 REQALL onloff Require all configuration switch parameters to be met before switching profiles RESET Perform software reset Saved settings are unaffected RING on off Sends a bell character whenever an incoming message arrives SCRIPT on off Enables the script engine SECRET lt pass phrase gt Sets the pass phrase for the one time password authentication system SEND lt callsign gt lt message gt local only Sends a text message to the designated recipient Return value Number of retries remaining SHAREDPTT on off Controls P
49. radio channel The Tracker3 s digipeater function is designed specifically for APRS use and supports advanced features such as WIDEn N operation hop count limiting duplicate elimination preemptive digipeating and multiple aliases Weather Station The Tracker3 can be connected to several models of weather station including the Peet Bros Ultimeter 2000 series Davis Vantage Pro 2 and LaCrosse WS 2310 wireless weather station to provide remote weather telemetry Command Console While the Tracker3 comes with a Windows based configuration program it can also be configured tuned and upgraded through a traditional console interface with command syntax similar to that of the classic TNC2 and its clones Keyboard to keyboard QSOs are supported through a converse mode as well as APRS messaging commands Power Control The OT3m includes an integrated solid state relay that may be used to control an external DC load Typically this is used to control power to a transceiver to conserve power in applications like solar powered weather stations the radio can be automatically powered on just prior to a transmission and turned off again when the transmission is complete The power output can also be controlled manually through APRS messages Tracker3 User s Manual 7 Telemetry All Tracker3 models include an integrated temperature sensor The OT3m and T3 301 can measure and report their supply voltage and the OT3m includes f
50. rees Tracker3 User s Manual 24 Voltage Report input voltage in the comment field The maximum value is 18 5 volts and the minimum is the dropout voltage of the regulator typically 6 7 volts Compressed Enables Base91 compressed position reporting This mode is widely but not universally supported Packets in Base91 format are shorter than their uncompressed equivalents and provide greater position resolution Telemetry every n Sends a telemetry packet every n transmissions See the telemetry section for more details TX Interval How often the tracker should transmit Allowable values are 0 to 65 535 seconds This setting will depend on your intended use One transmission every two minutes is acceptable for most mobile stations A fixed station e g a solar powered site reporting battery voltage and temperature might choose an interval in the range of 5 to 30 minutes If you require transmissions more often than every two minutes or so consider using the SmartBeaconing options detailed below Special events with many trackers and short transmission intervals should be operated on a separate frequency not on the shared APRS channel An interval of zero will disable timed transmissions SmartBeaconing Originally developed for the HamHUD by Tony Arnerich KD7TA and Steve Bragg KA9MVA the SmartBeaconing algorithm allows the tracker to operate more efficiently by changing how often it transmits depending on
51. relocate the receiving antenna e Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver e Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected e Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help CE Declaration This device complies with the essential protection requirements of the European Parliament and of the Council Directive 2004 108 EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility Assessment of compliance of the product with the requirements relating to electromagnetic compatibility was based on the following standards EN 55022 2006 EN 61000 3 2 2006 EN 61000 3 3 1995 A1 2001 A2 2005 EN 55024 1998 A1 2001 A2 2003 EN 61000 4 2 3 4 5 6 11 Tracker3 User s Manual 1 le as A 3 2 A Brief Overview Of APRS cccccccccssccssssecssscecssscecssseecssseecsseeecsseeecssetecseeeeeseeeens 3 3 Where the Tracker Fits lA aria ie 5 di DIOS aaa ene DECUS EOD red en Te ee rere tree re 6 5 Hardware Description eO Iii iii 7 LM EM o tT m 7 52 Reat rim cem 8 O SCOMMECHONS nar 9 Ol SERIAL Connect 9 62 RADIO COME aaa 9 Bo ACCESSORY CODBODLDE aria ic ire eeraa 9 Le Jamper SEIS ri A AAA 10 8 Hardware Description e 13 1958 irritada ii 11 8 1 Rear D sub Female Connector sassisisccsssdsiecsassieeassaisdvcsasediecsastadscssasdancssoedinsoas 11 9 Hardware Description
52. sed Commands that accept one or more parameters use the values in the A B C T X Y area corners and flags fields A and B allow selection of three general purpose 16 bit counters that are used only within the scripting engine as well as a number of other system variables C allows entry of numeric constants T is for text entry the area corners allow a geographic area to be defined in terms of northwest and southeast corner coordinates and the flag checkboxes represent set clear and don t care states Tracker3 User s Manual 47 To compare the current altitude to a fixed value for example you can select Altitude in box A and enter 10000 in box C and click the If A gt C button to create the line If Altitude gt 10000 The next command entered will be indented indicating that it will only be executed if that condition is true The End Block command ends the conditional statement Else reverses the sense of the last conditional statement and should be used before the closing End Block 19 2 Script Commands Do Once This command is used in conjunction with a conditional statement to execute a block of code once once for each time that the condition becomes true This makes it very useful for ensuring that a command is not executed repeatedly The Do Once command can be used at most 16 times in one script Macro T Macro Out The following block is executed when the command named in T is entered at the
53. t only if it finds a match in its alias list for the next unused address entry in the packet s digipeater list The Preempt option tells the tracker to honor the alias if it appears anywhere in the digipeater list ID causes insertion of the tracker s callsign in the packet s digipeater list allowing the actual path of a packet to be traced Each packet is checked against a duplicate list to avoid multiple transmissions of the same packet The Dupe check time setting determines how long entries are kept in this list 16 14 Script Editor The Script Editor button activates the script editor documented in its own chapter in this manual Tracker3 User s Manual 32 17 Command Reference Most commands can be issued through the serial console APRS message or fleet management message Some commands make sense only when used from the local console and are not available for remote access The Tracker3 will accept command abbreviations A minimum of three characters must be entered For example CALIBRATE can be entered as CAL AUTOBAUD can be entered as AUTOB the additional characters being required to distinguish it from AUTOSAVE Many commands return values in the script engine s Result variable On Off commands return 1 for On and 0 for Off Numeric settings return the value of the setting Other return values are documented below in italics 1WIREWX Enables 1 Wire Weather Station mode The TAI
54. the proper baud rate AUTOSAVE onloff When enabled the tracker will save its last known GPS position as a permanent fixed position if the GPS fix is lost This may be used in the case of a temporary digipeater or weather station where a GPS receiver is installed only during setup and is removed to conserve power The system must remain powered on for 30 seconds after GPS fix loss before the position is saved BBAUD 1200 2400 4800 9600 19200 38400 57600 115200 Sets baud rate for the secondary serial port Default is 4800 baud Return value 99 invalid setting 0 7 300 to 115200 baud BEACON text local only If no beacon text is specified a position beacon and weather beacon if applicable will be queued for immediate transmission If a text string is entered that text will be transmitted as an AX 25 text packet The command BEACON W will transmit only a weather packet and BEACON P will transmit a position packet BMODE AUTO GARMIN I KISS WS2300 DAVIS FLOW Sets mode for secondary serial port See Port Modes above Tracker3 User s Manual 34 CALIBRATE LOW HIGH ALT PACKET local only Calibration functions to set demodulator tuning and transmitter deviation Low transmits a 1200 hz tone high transmits a 2200 hz tone alt transmits alternating 1200 and 2200 hz tones packet sends a test packet repeatedly and tune displays a tuning indicator for adjustment of the demodulator Us
55. used in the case of a temporary digipeater or weather station where a GPS receiver is installed only during setup and is removed to conserve power The system must remain powered on for 30 seconds after GPS fix loss before the position is saved Waypoint Output Enabling the waypoint output option causes the tracker to parse received APRS positions and output them over the serial port at 4800 baud Waypoints are provided in both NMEA 0183 format 6GPWPL sentence and Magellan format SPMGNWPL sentence Length Limit Some GPS receivers are not capable of display the full 9 characters required for APRS call signs and object names Setting this option to a smaller number causes the tracker to intelligently truncate the name of the waypoint Spaces and dashes are eliminated first and if further truncation is required characters are dropped from the left first This prevents stations with different SSIDs from conflicting for example with a limit of 6 characters KB6YUO 12 and KB6YUO 6 would be truncated as 6YUO12 and B6YUO6 respectively Use Custom Symbols Enables the use of custom symbols if they have been uploaded to a compatible Garmin GPS receiver using the Garmin xImage utility Range Limit When enabled waypoints will only be created for stations and objects within the specified range Enable Counter This checkbox enables the digital counter function When this function is enabled the tracker will no longer transmit immediatel
56. val after that The timeslot value should be smaller than the transmit interval As an example two trackers could be configured with an interval of 10 seconds with one tracker set to slot 0 and the other to slot 5 The first tracker would transmit at 12 00 00 12 00 10 12 00 20 and so on while the second would transmit at 12 00 05 12 00 15 and 12 00 20 The Tracker3 will accept timeslot settings in half second increments Position The tracker can operate in GPS or fixed position mode When entering a fixed position enter degrees in the first box and decimal minutes in the next box Click on the buttons next to the coordinates to select North South and East West Don t require GPS fix Normally while in GPS mode the tracker will not transmit without a valid fix When this option is selected the tracker will continue to transmit its last known position if GPS lock is lost for more than 30 seconds This condition is indicated by the text NOFIX in the status message If the tracker has received no valid fix since startup no position will be reported Status text and telemetry packets will be unaffected This option is particularly Tracker3 User s Manual 26 useful for applications like high altitude balloons that may lose GPS lock after landing but still need to transmit to be found Save When enabled the tracker will save its last known GPS position as a permanent fixed position if the GPS fix is lost This may be
57. y when the CT pin on the terminal block OT3m only is shorted to ground Instead it will increment a counter and include the current count in the status text e g CNT00001 The maximum count is 65535 after which the counter rolls over to zero This option can not be used concurrently with profile switching with the jumper option Tracker3 User s Manual 27 Reset on Transmit Setting this checkbox causes the counter to reset with every transmission Hence the count reported is the number of events since the last transmission Debounce This is a delay applied to the counter input After a counter event is registered all subsequent events are ignored until the specified time has elapsed Without a suitable debounce setting a typical pushbutton could register several events for one press Power Control When selected the tracker will activate its internal solid state relay before each transmission The tracker will pause for the specified number of seconds to give the transmitter time to power up The power control feature is especially useful for solar powered weather or telemetry stations TX Audio Level This slider sets the audio output level This level can be set interactively from the Tuning Diagnostics screen If you find that the required level is less than one quarter of the full scale make sure you have the HI jumper removed Running with the audio level set in software to a very low level can increase DA
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