4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide BlueTree 4000 & 5000 Series CDMA Modems User’s Guide Revision 1.5 Copyright © 2007 BlueTree Wireless Data Inc.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide BlueTree Wireless Data, Inc. 2425 46th Avenue Lachine, QC, Canada H8T 3C9 Tel: +1 (514) 422-9110 Toll Free: 1-877-422-9110 http://www.bluetreewireless.com Copyright © 2007 BlueTree Wireless Data, Inc. All Rights Reserved Printed in Canada BlueTree™, the BlueTree logo, and BlueVue™ are trademarks of BlueTree Wireless Data, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Declaration of Conformity FCC Compliance and Industry Canada Statement 4200/5200 4600/5600 4600A/5600A FCC O9EQ2438 IC 3651C-Q2438 FCC QWV-BTX600 IC 4420A-BTX600 FCC QWV-BTX600A IC 4420A-BTX600A The device complies with Part 15 of FCC rules and with ICES-003 of Industry Canada Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: This device may not cause harmful interference.
000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Table of Contents Section 1: Package Contents...................................................................................6 Section 2: Product Overview...................................................................................7 2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................7 2.2 Features.................................................................................................
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 11.2 Antenna diversity ...............................................................................................................................39 11.3 GPS antenna...................................................................................................39 11.4 Ethernet cable.................................................................................................40 11.5 USB cable....................................................................
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Section 1: Package Contents The modem’s retail package contains the following items: 1 4000/5000 Series modem 2 15-foot power cable with 1A fuse 3 Extra serial number label 4 5-foot Ethernet CAT5 cross-over cable Quick Start Guide 5 (also available at www.bluetreewireless.com) 6 Warranty card Table 1 - Package Contents Revision 1.5 Copyright © 2007 BlueTree Wireless Data Inc.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Section 2: Product Overview 2.1 Introduction The BlueTree 4000 & 5000 series modems are rugged cellular modems built to provide simple and reliable communication over a CDMA cellular data network. They are typically used in applications such as Public Safety, Field Force Automation, Asset Tracking, Telemetry, SCADA, meter reading and WAN backup.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 2.2 Features 3 different data connection interfaces Serial/RS-232/COM, Ethernet, and USB Autonomous & persistent connection management Fully integrated TCP/IP protocols allow the modem to connect autonomously to the packet network (Internet). This feature enables capabilities such as: in-call diagnostic, Serial-IP, stand-alone GPS, remote configuration and remote firmware upgrade.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Inputs and Outputs Event Reporting Sensors can be connected to the I/O port of the modem (4 digital inputs, 3 digital outputs and 3 analog inputs). The modem is capable of monitoring its digital input sensors for any change in state and sending a report to a remote server based on an event trigger. The analog inputs allow monitoring of gradient data sources. The modem's outputs can be used to remotely trigger relays.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 2.3 Specifications 2.3.1 General specifications CDMA Dual-band Supports both North American frequency bands: 800 MHz and 1900 MHz All modems are compatible with CDMA IS-2000 Cellular data services. CDMA Model: 4600A/5600A modems support EV-DO Rev.A, EV-DO Rel.0 and 1XRTT 4600/5600 modems support EV-DO Rel.0 and 1XRTT 4200/5200 modems support 1XRTT and IS95 Maximum bandwidth: (depends on service provider) Data Rates EV-DO Rev.A: 3.1Mbps downstream, 1.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 2.3.2 I/O Specifications The modem has 4 digital inputs, 3 analog inputs and 3 digital outputs for remote control and monitoring. The third digital output (O3) is located on the power connector for all modems. The third analog input (AI3) is not available on the 4200/5200 models.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 2.3.3 Power specifications and consumption Power is supplied to the modem via the 4-pin connector on the rear panel.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 2.3.4 GPS specifications (5000 series modems only) General • • • • L1 frequency (1575.42 MHz) C/A code (Standard Positioning Service) 12-channel Continuous tracking receiver Update rate • • TSIP @ 1 Hz NMEA @ 1Hz Accuracy • • • • Horizontal: <5 meters (50%), <8 meters (90%) Altitude: <10 meters (50%), <16 meters (90%) Velocity: 0.06 m/sec. PPS (static): ±50 nanoseconds Autonomous Operation in Standard Sensitivity Mode: • • • • Acquisition Reacquisition: <2 sec.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Table 7 2.4 Modem Views Front Back (5600) Figure 4 Revision 1.5 Copyright © 2007 BlueTree Wireless Data Inc.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 2.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 2.6 Data Interface Specifications: Serial, Ethernet & USB 2.6.1 Ethernet Port The modem's 10/100Mbps Ethernet port is compliant with the EIA-568 standard, and requires a crossover cable to connect to host terminals. 2.6.2 USB Device Port This is a USB2.0 Device interface on a Type B connector. It offers Ethernet-over-USB functionality using the RNDIS driver. The BlueTree RNDIS driver must be installed before the USB interface can be used.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Section 3: BlueVue Device Manager The 4000/5000 series modems can be configured using BlueVue Device Manager, a software application which is available as a free download at www.bluetreewireless.com. Later sections of this guide will refer to configuration options in this program. For more in-depth information on using BlueVue Device Manager, refer to the BlueVue Device Manager User's Guide.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide If using a serial cable: 1. Select Serial 2. Select the COM port in the dropdown list, then click OK If using an Ethernet or USB cable: 1. Select Modem IP 2. Enter the appropriate modem IP then click OK. By default, the DHCP-assigned IPs will be 192.168.0.1 for Ethernet and 192.168.111.1 for USB. If using USB, the driver must be installed as explained in section 2. If connecting to a remote modem: 1. Select Remote Configuration and click OK.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 3.1.2 Software overview Modem Diagnostic This screen displays various technical information pertaining to the modem's state. Modem Configuration This screen allows the user to configure the modem to suit the application requirements. Modem Activation This screen is where the user performs cellular account activation so that the modem may connect to the cellular network.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Section 4: Activation & WAN Setup 4.1 Activation A modem must be activated before it can be used on the cellular network. Here are the steps to follow to activate a modem. 4.1.1 Get an account for the modem Contact a cellular service provider or cellular dealer and request a CDMA account with the packet data service option for 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, or 1xEV-DO Rev. A. The provider will require the Electronic Serial Number (ESN) of the modem.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 4.1.3 Confirm the success of activation Once the activation process above is complete, navigate to WAN (WAN Settings). The modem’s phone number should be displayed at the top left as outlined in the figure below. Figure 8 Revision 1.5 Copyright © 2007 BlueTree Wireless Data Inc.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 4.2 WAN Setup Once the modem has been activated, it must be configured in order to authenticate for use with the cellular network. 4.2.1 Enter the account information Navigate to WAN (WAN Settings) to configure the WAN connection once the modem has been activated. Figure 9 1. Enter #777 as the Dial String 2. Enter the User Name and Password if provided by your cellular carrier 3.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Always On & On Demand When the modem is set to Always On, it will attempt to maintain a permanent connection to the cellular network on its own. Most applications will require the modem to be remotely accessible at any time, and will require the modem to be set to Always On. When the modem is set to On Demand, the modem does not connect to the cellular network unless told to by the attached terminal.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide Section 5: LAN Setup 5.1 Ethernet and USB LAN Computers and devices that use the modem’s Ethernet and USB connectivity experience much higher transfer speeds and more importantly, they employ all the benefits of TCP/IP communication. 5.1.1 LAN configuration Whether an Ethernet or USB cable is used, it is essential that both the modem and the attached device be within the same LAN subnet for IP communication to take place.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide If the attached device must use a specific (static) IP, then the modem's LAN configuration must be changed so that the modem's IP lies in the same subnet as the device. Navigate to CONF (Modem Configuration) > LAN IP and change the parameters under Ethernet or USB. Figure 12 - Sample modem configuration for a device that must use the IP 10.127.0.17 5.1.2 DHCP server As mentioned above, the modem has a DHCP server which automatically assigns an IP to the attached device.
4000 & 5000 Series User’s Guide 5.2 Dial-up Networking (DUN) over serial Regardless of the modem type, using a serial cable will cap the bandwidth at 115200 kbps. For owners of EV-DO modems (4600/A & 5600/A), the serial port will be a bottleneck in terms of performance, as it will reduce the data throughput to approximately 5% of its maximum potential, and even less for EV-DO Rev. A modems. Whenever possible, use an Ethernet or USB connection to take full advantage of throughput.
Section 6: IP Networking Features As mentioned previously, the modem acquires an external public or private IP address (WAN IP, or Wide Area Network IP) from the cellular network upon establishing a connection. A remote user can communicate with the modem or a host behind the modem, however the appropriate port-forwarding and LAN IP configuration settings have to be set on the modem. Some carriers disable remote access as a security measure.
6.1.1 Port-forwarding Since the 4000/5000 series modem is a network address translation (NAT) enabled router, the remote computer connecting to the modem’s cellular WAN IP cannot access devices/servers on the modem’s LAN if the modem is not specifically configured to forward the appropriate ports to the LAN devices/servers. Port-forwarding, or tunneling, is the act of relaying an incoming packet to one or more local destinations depending on the port(s) through which the packet came.
6.1.2 DMZ This feature, when enabled, instructs the modem to forward all incoming traffic to a single IP destination on the LAN. An exception will be made for traffic coming on the ports designated by the port-forwarding rules (this would be ports 9000, 23, and 777 in Figure 13). This exception can be overridden by checking the “DMZ overrides all forwarded ports below” checkbox.
6.1.4 Dynamic IP registration This feature allows the modem to report a message to a user-configurable IP address every time its WAN IP address changes. It is useful when the cellular account is associated with a dynamic IP address. Since the WAN IP address will be changing regularly, it will be impossible for the user to know which WAN IP address is assigned to the modem.
6.1.5 Password protection This feature allows administrators to restrict configuration access to certain users. Figure 17 To enable password protection: 1. Navigate to CONF (Modem Configuration) > Password and check the “Enable” box. 2. Select the interfaces to prompt for a password on. The WAN interface (remote connections) is the most commonly password-protected interface, however some users may wish to password-protect both the WAN & LAN interfaces.
Section 7: Serial-IP This feature allows communication over the cellular network in two common setups. The first is a server communicating with a remote serial-only device and the other, a serial-only device communicating with another remote serial-only device. Serial IP is used to emulate a direct serial connection to the attached device, or to emulate a landline modem. The modem then becomes a transparent middleman between the poller and the pollee.
Section 8: I/O Management BlueTree offers a complete set of AT commands to query/set its general purpose and dedicated input and output pins. This section is only meant to offer a glimpse of how the user can interact with the modem’s I/Os. Refer to Appendix B for basic help on sending AT commands to the modem. For full details on I/O management AT commands, read the 4000 & 5000 Series AT Command Reference manual, a document available at www.bluetreewireless.com.
Section 9: GPS Settings The modem’s GPS reporting frequency determines the cellular network bandwidth consumption. A higher reporting frequency will result in higher bandwidth consumption. The 5200 and 5600/A modems have an embedded GPS receiver which can be used to track their movement. This feature is commonly used in applications such as asset-tracking and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL).
Feature: Store & Forward The 5200 and 5600/A series modems have an integrated 512Kbytes Static RAM memory chip dedicated to storing GPS fixes. It can store approximately 5000 position fixes. This feature will activate automatically when the WAN connection is lost, such as in the event of loss of cellular coverage. When coverage is regained and communication is re-established with the listening server, the modem will send the buffered fixes to ensure that no positions have been lost.
Section 10: Event Reporting Event Reporting is covered in its own document, the I/O Management & Event Reporting Guide, available at www.bluetreewireless.com. This section is meant to provide a general overview of what can be accomplished with Event Reporting. Event Reporting is used to program the modem to automatically transmit a report whenever a user-defined event occurs to as many as 10 local or remote destinations. An event occurs when its defined conditions have been met.
Section 11: Hardware Installation 11.1 Cellular antenna The selected cellular antenna(s) must meet the following specifications: • • • • • Maximum rated gain of 3dBi for Cellular band and 4dBi for PCS band Dual-band 800 & 1900 MHz Nominal 50 ohm impedance Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) less then 2.5:1 Connector: o Male SMA connector for 4600/A & 5600/A modems o Male TNC connector for 4200 & 5200 modems The length of the antenna cable may affect the signal strength.
11.2 Antenna diversity The 4600/A & 5600/A modems have two antenna connectors available, labeled RF-1 and RF-2. • • RF-1 : This is the main antenna that is used for data transmission. It is mandatory to have RF-1 connected to an antenna. RF-2 : This is the diversity antenna, used to improve on the signal strength obtained from RF-1. This antenna is not mandatory however it can improve reception in some situations.
11.4 Ethernet cable If you are connecting to the modem via the Ethernet port, you will need a crossover category 5 cable with two 8-pin RJ45 connectors on each end. To visually confirm that Ethernet cabling was done properly, check the LED indication on the Ethernet port located at the rear panel of the modem. The Link LED should be on when the right cable is used. 11.5 USB cable This is an Ethernet-over-USB connection which behaves like an Ethernet connection.
11.7 Power source IMPORTANT: Any installations involving electrical wiring and connections should be done by someone who is experienced in this field. To power the modem, a 12 VDC nominal power (8Vdc to 30Vdc) source is required. Further details are available in Section 2.3. The modem package includes a 15-foot power cable with 2A in-line fuse with, on one end, a 4pin Molex MiniFit connector that connects to the modem, and stripped wires on the other end to connect to your power source.
11.7.
11.8 I/O Cable Wiring The I/O specifications are available in the Product Overview section of this document. It should be noted that the I/Os of the modem are not insulated. Caution must be used in order to avoid causing damage to the modem and its attached peripherals. The 15-foot 10-pin I/O cable is available for purchase from BlueTree.
11.8.1 Connecting a panic button or a passive on/off sensor to the modem’s digital input: Figure 24 1. Connect the negative side of the voltage source to the Ground pin (GND). 2. Connect the first wire of the panic button, or the passive on/off sensor, to one of the 4 digital inputs. 3. Connect the second wire to the positive of a power source (2VDC - 30VDC).
11.8.2 Connecting an active voltage source to the modem’s digital input: Figure 25 1. Connect the negative side of the voltage source to GND. 2. Connect the positive side (0VDC - 30VDC) of the voltage source to one of the 4 digital inputs. 3. Check the polarity of the source before connecting it to the I/O connector.
11.8.3 Turning on and off an external peripheral using a power relay on the modem’s digital output: Figure 26 1. Connect the positive side of the relay to a positive power source (Max. 30VDC) that corresponds to the specifications of the relay used. 2. Connect the negative side of the relay to one of the 3 digital outputs (Max. current 500mADC).
11.8.4 Connecting an analog gauge or source (0-5Vdc) to the modem’s analog input: Figure 27 1. Connect the negative side of the analog source to GND. 2. Connect the positive side of the analog source (0VDC - 5VDC) to one of the 2 digital inputs. 3. These analog inputs are not designed to detect a signal at high speed. This approach was adopted to minimize the errors which could be caused by the noise of high frequencies captured by wiring.
11.8.5 Connecting an analog gauge or source (4-20mA) to the modem’s analog input: Figure 28 Follow the above diagram to convert a 4-20mA source into a 0-5Vdc input to the modem’s analog input (ADC). 249 and 255 ohms are standard values for a 1% resistor. Readings: • • • 11.
Appendix A : Firmware Upgrades BlueTree periodically releases updates to the BlueX firmware used on the 4000/5000 modems. These updates improve the modem's stability and functionality by addressing bugs and introducing new features. It is recommended to always upgrade to the latest version of the firmware. Firmware upgrades can only be performed if BlueVue Device Manager is accessing the modem through an IP connection such as a local Ethernet, USB connection or a remote connection over the Internet.
2. Download the firmware files Download the latest standard firmware package files from www.bluetreewireless.com, and extract the zip file to a folder on your hard drive. It should contain a file named abt_version.upd and a file named kbt_version.upd as well as a document containing the same upgrade instructions as this appendix. 3. Perform the abt firmware upgrade Figure 30 1. Navigate to CONF (Modem Configuration) > Firmware. 2. Click the magnifying glass icon and locate the abt_version.
4. Perform the kbt firmware upgrade The steps to upgrade the kbt firmware are identical to those of the abt firmware, however they are rarely necessary as kbt updates are few and far between. To check whether the modem requires a kbt upgrade, navigate to DIAG (Modem Diagnostic), and look under modem version for the portion highlighted below. Figure 31 If the version of the kbt file you downloaded is identical to the version displayed in the modem information box, then the kbt upgrade is not necessary.
Appendix B : Sending AT Commands AT commands are short text strings that can be sent to the modem to set, remove and query a modem's configuration parameters. BlueVue Device Manager is a software application that provides a graphical user interface designed to avoid manual entry of AT commands. However, not all configuration commands are available in BlueVue. Additionally, BVDM is only available in Microsoft Windows operating systems.
You should now be able to send AT commands. You will not see what you type until you send the command ATE1 or enable echo in HyperTerminal's settings, but the commands will still be sent to the modem. Send ATI and confirm that you see the words “BlueTree Wireless” in the response.
Appendix C : Basic GPS Reporting in BlueVue Device Manager The modem’s GPS reporting frequency determines the cellular network bandwidth consumption. A higher reporting frequency (i.e., a low reporting timer value) will result in higher bandwidth use. This appendix shows how to use BlueVue Device Manager to configure the modem for basic GPS reporting. For more complex and/or automatic reports, read Section 10: Event Reporting.
When the modem has not acquired a GPS fix, the reporting behavior is different depending on the protocol. if using NMEA, then the modem will report empty fixes. If using TAIP, then the modem will not send any reports. 1a. Using the NMEA protocol Read Section 9: GPS Settings for details on NMEA. Figure 33 1. Set the reporting timer (in seconds). This timer is the interval at which the modem will report its GPS position fix. 2. Select the NMEA message(s) to report 3. Click Submit 1b.
2. Setting a destination Figure 35 BlueVue Device Manager allows you to send GPS reports to the serial port and/or up to two IP destinations. Check the appropriate destination checkboxes. For IP destinations, select the IP address to report to, the port protocol, and the port number. When done, click Submit to save the changes. If using NMEA, the reports will start coming in immediately (although if there is no fix, the reports will be empty).
Appendix D : Dial-Up Networking in Windows This appendix shows how to create a dial-up networking session to access the Internet/cellular network when connected to the modem using a serial cable. Although these instructions are written for computers running Microsoft Windows XP, this procedure should be similar with other versions of Microsoft Windows. Installing a modem driver 1. Click Start > Run, type control modem.cpl and then click OK to open the Phone and Modem Options panel 2.
Creating a Dial-Up Networking session 1. Click Start > Run, type control ncpa.cpl and then click OK to open the Network Connections panel. 2. Click on File > New Connection (as per the screenshot above) 3. The New Connection Wizard welcome dialogue will appear. Click Next. 4. The Network Connection Type dialogue will appear. Select Connect to the Internet and click Next. 5. The Getting Ready dialogue will appear. Select Set up my connection manually and click Next.
Appendix E : BlueVue Device Manager Troubleshooting Before troubleshooting, download and install the latest version of BlueVue Device Manager and upgrade the modem’s firmware to the latest version if possible. 1. (ETHERNET) The BlueVue Device Manager message box displays “Detecting Modem at 192.168.0.1” indefinitely Connect the modem to a computer using a cross-over Ethernet cable, and open BlueVue Device Manager. Set BlueVue Device Manager’s connection type to IP.
Troubleshooting: The easiest way is to perform a firmware recovery. This resets the modem’s configuration to its default settings, which will restore the default modem IP and enable DHCP. The firmware recovery package is available at www.bluetreewireless.com. If you wish to attempt to recover the modem without performing a firmware recovery, then you can follow the instructions below: 1. Connect the computer to the modem using a straight serial cable 2.
3. (SERIAL) The BlueVue Device Manager message box displays “COMx is already in use” Possible cause: Another software application is already using the COM port. Troubleshooting: Close all applications that could be using the serial port, including other instances of BlueVue Device Manager, then try again. 4. (SERIAL) The BlueVue Device Manager message box displays “Detecting modem on COMx” indefinitely, or displays a warning about an unsupported modem Examine the DTR LED.
6. The BlueVue message box displays “[Modem]…is not responding to expected commands” Possible cause: The modem’s firmware and BlueVue Device Manager are incompatible because either or both versions are not current. Troubleshooting: Upgrade the modem’s firmware to the latest version. Uninstall BlueVue Device Manager, and then install the latest version.
Appendix F : Activation Troubleshooting When the modem is connected to the cellular network, its LNK LED will stay on, and BlueVue Device Manager’s Modem Diagnostic screen will display a WAN IP. If the modem is not connected, the LNK light will be off, or intermittent, and the displayed WAN IP will be “N/A”. This appendix covers issues with connecting to the network. If your modem is connected to the network but you cannot browse the internet, refer to Appendix X.
3. Configure the Connection Initiation The modem must be configured to connect to the network. To do this, open BlueVue Device Manager and navigate to WAN (WAN Settings), and then ensure that the following settings are applied: • • The Dial String is #777 The Connection Initiation is Always On Click Submit to apply any changes. The modem should now connect to the cellular network. Refer to this section’s introduction for instructions on how to verify whether your modem is connected to the network or not.
Appendix G : Application & Miscellaneous Troubleshooting This appendix assumes that the modem is currently online, and therefore the problem cannot be attributed to a lack of connectivity. BlueVue Device Manager’s Modem Diagnostic screen should be displaying a valid WAN IP, i.e. an IP other than “N/A”. If this is not the case, refer to Appendix F: Activation Troubleshooting. 1. You cannot browse the Internet Possible cause #1 (Ethernet only): The computer’s local IP configuration is incorrect.
Troubleshooting: 1. Open a command prompt window by clicking Start > Run then entering “cmd” in the Run window. 2. At the command prompt, type ping google.com and press Enter. If you get a “Reply from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx: bytes=32 time=xxxms TTL=xxx” response, then your web browser is configured to use a web proxy which is preventing you from browsing the Internet through the modem. Consult your network administrator for help on fixing this issue.
Confirm with your IT technician that no firewall is blocking outgoing connections. Possible cause #3: You did not perform the appropriate port-forwarding rules on the modem. Troubleshooting: The modem must be configured to forward incoming traffic to the device, otherwise your connection attempts will never reach the device. Refer to Section 6: IP Networking Features for further details. 3.
Section 12: Warranty BlueTree Wireless Data Inc. warrants its cellular modems against all defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase. The sole responsibility of BlueTree Wireless Data Inc. under this warranty is limited to either repair or, at the option of BlueTree Wireless Data Inc., replacement of the cellular modem.
