Service manual

Guide to ASTRO™ Digital Radios
Radio Operating System (ROS) and DSP Firmware Discussion
ASTRO™ Firmware
Motorola Inc. ASTRO™ and ASTRO25™ radios function much like computer. They require an
operating system to function. The Digital Signal Processor (DSP) also has its own code which consists of
instructions on how to process calls. These could be a mixture of analog, IMBE™ or VSELP
communications.
Firmware updates are applied to Motorola Inc. ASTRO™ and ASTRO25™ products via a
FLASHport™ upgrade. The firmware comes in the form of an encrypted “CVN” file, that is loaded into the
radio via RSS or CPS. In terms of hardware, a programming/flash cable is required (specific to each
radio), a Smart RIB (SRIB) for ASTRO™ radios (ASTRO25™ products do not use the SRIB or RIB boxes), and
a i-button. The i-button is a special proprietary piece of hardware which attaches to a USB port, and
contains information about the total number of FLASHport™ upgrades used and number remaining. This
device ensures Motorola Inc. gets every last penny out of their customers for firmware updates, even
when Motorola Inc. is at fault for buggy firmware. Why else would one need to order an i-button to
apply firmware updates?
There’s some information about Motorola Inc. ASTRO™ products which not too many hobbyists
(and customers) are aware of: All Motorola Inc. ASTRO™ products of the same model, are the same.
There are three areas inside of the radio which determine their capabilities: The host firmware, the DSP
firmware and the customer-specific data (CSD), aka the codeplug.
The host firmware is the ROS. This controls the entire operation of the radio, including support
for codeplug options, audio characteristics, encryption algorithm support, signalling options (PL, DPL,
etc.) and functionality on trunking systems.
The DSP firmware contains information the DSP interprets about how it should operate when
modulating or demodulating analog and digital signals. The DSP firmware may also contain an audio
codec algorithm such as IMBE™ or VSELP, for operation in ASTRO™ digital mode. Both codecs are never
present at the same time.
The CSD is essentially a database file. When the radio successfully boots, the CSD is loaded into
Random Access Memory (RAM) and the radio determines how to operate based upon the parameters
outlined in the CSD. The CSD contains frequency programming information, zone configuration and all
configurable options which a user can manipulate in RSS/CPS. There are also hidden options or fields
which cannot be modified by the user by means of normal RSS/CPS, such as the band-split information,
serial number and FLASHport™ options. When a user saves a codeplug with RSS/CPS, they are saving a
database file to disk. Obviously you may also write this database file to the radio.
All three of these determinants are modifiable with little or no effort. Motorola Inc. may’ve tried
to deter unauthorized upgrades by means of the FLASHport™ system, however there’s no physical
security involved in terms of the data stored on the flash ROMs which hold the host and DSP firmware,