TB9300 Base Station/Repeater Installation and Operation Manual MBC-00008-13 · Issue 13 · June 2016
Contact Information Tait Communications Corporate Head Office Tait Limited P.O. Box 1645 Christchurch New Zealand For the address and telephone number of regional offices, refer to our website: www.taitradio.com Copyright and Trademarks All information contained in this document is the property of Tait Limited. All rights reserved.
Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Scope of Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Associated Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4.3 FCC Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2.4.4 Unauthorized Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2.4.5 Health, Safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility in Europe. . . . . . . . 38 3 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 3.1 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.4.3 5.4.4 5.4.5 5.4.6 Recommended Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restricted Port Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the Root Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tuning the Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 78 78 79 5.5 Installing the Base Station on Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tait Software License Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Directive 1999/5/EC Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preface Scope of Manual This manual provides information on installing and operating the TB9300 base station. It is intended for use by experienced technicians familiar with installing and operating base station equipment. It also includes configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting information. In the following, unless mentioned specifically, this manual will use the term “base station” to mean both base station and repeater.
Associated Documentation The following associated documentation for this product is available on the Tait support website.
Issue Publication Date Description 1 July 2012 First release 2 October 2012 General updates for version 1.05 release. Information added on compliance standards, firmware download procedure, reciter and PA product codes. 3 June 2013 General updates for version 1.15 release and the K-band base station. 4 August 2013 General updates for version 1.20 release and the H-band base station. 5 November 2013 General updates for version 1.25 release. 6 April 2014 General updates for version 1.
1 Description The Tait TB9300 base station is a robust state-of-the-art digital fixed station that combines Tait’s proven strengths in reliability, high performance and modular design with software-based configurability and operation, digital signal processing and voice-over-IP technology. The base station operates as a transceiver in trunked DMR or MPT networks, and as a repeater in DMR or analog conventional networks.
1.1 Features The following are some of the features of the base station: ■ Fully compliant with the DMR Tier 2 and Tier 3 Standards. Can therefore interoperate with any similarly compliant radios. ■ Analog conventional repeater operation. ■ MPT operation as control channel or traffic channel transceiver in MPT/ IP network including standalone operation.
1.2 Modules The base station consists of a subrack with up to two physical transmit/ receive channels. The single PMU (power management unit) supplies and manages power to the whole subrack (refer to “Theory of Operation” on page 21). One reciter and one PA (power amplifier) are needed for each physical transmit/receive channel. There is also a front panel with user controls and fans. The modules are interconnected at the front of the subrack. External connections to the modules are located at the rear.
Front Panel The front panel is mounted onto the subrack with two quick-release fasteners. It incorporates the indicator LEDs, four-line LCD display, user controls, ambient temperature sensor and cooling fans. The indicator LEDS allow some monitoring of the operational status of the base station. The user controls and display allow the technician to configure the IP address of each module. Refer to “Front Panel” on page 40 for more information.
Power Amplifier The PA amplifies the RF output from the reciter and is available in 50W and 100W models. The 50W model mounts vertically in the subrack, while the 100W model mounts horizontally as it has a wider heatsink. The 100W PA is also fitted with an airflow duct. 50W PA 100W PA Both models are designed to operate on the 28VDC output provided by the PMU. Power Management Unit The PMU provides the 28VDC power supply for the modules in the subrack.
1.3 Mechanical Assembly This section illustrates the main mechanical components of the base station. Figure 1.1 below shows the configuration for a typical dual 50W base station. The subrack has six slots, numbered from right to left as viewed from the front of the subrack. The PMU occupies slots 5 and 6, with the reciters in slots 1 and 2. The two PAs are mounted vertically in slots 3 and 4 with the heatsinks facing each other.
Figure 1.2 below shows the configuration for a typical single 50W base station. The PMU again occupies slots 5 and 6, with the reciter in slot 1 and the PA in slot 3. The single PA is mounted vertically with the heatsink facing the center of the subrack. This positions the cooling fins directly behind the fan. Figure 1.
Figure 1.3 below shows the configuration for a typical 100 W base station. The PMU occupies slots 5 and 6, with the PA directly beside it in slots 3 and 4. The reciter occupies slot 1. Unlike the 50W PAs, the 100W PA is mounted horizontally with the heatsink facing upwards. It is also fitted with an airflow duct to channel the airflow from the cooling fan through the heatsink fins. Figure 1.
1.4 Frequency Bands and Sub-bands Much of the circuitry in the base station is common to all frequency bands, and is therefore covered by a single description in this manual. In some cases the descriptions refer to specific bands or sub-bands, and these are identified with the letters listed in the following table.
1.5 Applications The TB9300 is designed for operation in a Tait TN9300 DMR Tier 2 conventional radio network, a Tait TN9300 DMR Tier 3 trunked radio network, or as an analog conventional repeater. In a DMR Tier 2 conventional network it can operate as a stand-alone repeater, or as a member of a multi-site system (under the supervision of a DMR conventional node).
1.6 Licenses Some operational functions of the base station are controlled by licenses. These functions will not work unless you purchase the appropriate feature license and enable the feature set controlled by that license. The feature sets currently available are listed below. The base stations in a Tait DMR Tier 3 Network are controlled by a node (DMR trunking controller). Tait sells three types of node: Full, Express and Access. Each type of node has different capabilities.
1.7 Theory of Operation The reciter receives RF signals from its RF input and sends RF from its RF output to the PA, along with a PA key signal. The reciter also receives signals from, and sends signals to, the system interface, the Ethernet interface, and the front panel (see Figure 1.4). A system control bus interconnects the modules and carries alarm and control signaling between the reciter and the other modules (refer to “Intermodule Communications” on page 24 for more details).
The reciter carries out signal processing and has overall control of the base station. Its circuit boards are shown in Figure 1.5. Figure 1.5 Reciter boards RF Input RF Output Receiver Board Transmit Forward Board System Input and Output Reciter Control Board Ethernet Interface to Network Front Panel Maintainer Access The receiver board contains all the receiver circuitry, while the exciter circuitry is located on the transmit forward board.
1.7.1 Signal Paths Figure 1.6 gives an overview of signal paths within the reciter. Figure 1.6 Reciter signal paths Receive RF Interface ADC Transmit RF Interface DDC DAC Demodulator DMR Modem Modulator FM Baseband Audio Control G.711 Protocol Stack RTP UDP Ethernet Interface IP Reciter Control Board Digital DMR signals from the receive RF interface pass through the digital receiver and DMR modem to the control software in the RISC processor.
1.7.3 Intermodule Communications A system control bus and a subrack interconnect board link the modules in the subrack and carry alarm and control signaling between the reciter and the other modules, as shown in Figure 1.7. Specific configuration settings for dual base stations are described in “Recommended Configuration Settings” on page 77. Intermodule communication paths PMU 2 IC 2 Fan 2 Fan IC Fan Fan mP mP mP I2C 2 I C Current Source PA 1 Reciter 1 RS-485 Figure 1.
1.7.4 Power Management and Distribution The PMU manages the supply of power to ensure uninterrupted operation of the base station. A range of parameters is monitored and these can trigger alarms that are sent to the reciter. Alarms can be monitored via the web interface and reported via SNMP traps; they are also recorded in the reciter’s internal log file. AC to DC Changeover When the PMU has an AC and a DC module, the base station can be powered by either the AC (mains) or the DC (battery) supply.
Figure 1.8 Subrack power distribution Single DC Aux. DC AC PMU 28V Subrack Board 28V PA DC Dual Aux.
1.7.5 PMU Operation on DC Input The operation of the PMU on DC input is controlled by three sets of parameters: ■ user-programmable alarms ■ user-programmable startup and shutdown limits ■ battery protection limits The voltage range for each of these parameters is provided in Table 1.1 on page 28. Figure 1.9 on page 29 illustrates how these parameters interact, and how they control the operation of the PMU over a range of DC input voltages.
Table 1.1 PMU DC voltage limitsa Voltage Range Parameter User-programmable Alarmsb Low Battery Voltage High Battery Voltage 12V PMU 10V to 14V 14V to 17.5V 24V PMU 48V PMU 20V to 28V 28V to 35V 40V to 56V 56V to 70V User-programmable Limitsb Startup Voltage (after shutdown) 10.9V to 15V ±0.3V 21.8V to 30V ±0.5V 43.6V to 60V ±1V Shutdown Voltage 10V to 13.5V ±0.3V 20V to 27V ±0.
TB9300 Installation and Operation Manual © Tait Limited June 2016 Stop Run Stop Run Description Off Software Alarm (High Battery Voltage) Active Off Software Alarm (Low Battery Voltage) Active Software Control & Hardware Combined Hardware Behaviour 0V Undervoltage Shutdown (HW) Shutdown Voltage (SW) Low Battery Voltage Alarm (SW Alarm) Startup Voltage (HW) Startup Voltage (SW) High Battery Voltage Alarm (SW Alarm) Overvoltage Shutdown Reset (HW) Overvoltage Shutdown (HW) DC Input Voltag
1.7.6 Front Panel Fans The front panel is equipped with three fans. Fan 1 is for the reciters, fan 2 is for the PAs, and fan 3 is for the PMU. Front panel fans do not operate continuously, but are switched on and off as needed by their associated module. In a dual base station either PA or reciter can turn on its fan. The reciter in slot 1can also carry out a fan test on all three fans. Front panel fans are 3-wire fans (power, ground, and rotation detect).
2 General Safety and Regulatory Information This chapter provides general information on safety precautions for operating the base station.
2.1 Personal Safety 2.1.1 Unpacking and Moving the Equipment To prevent personal injury and equipment damage, we recommend that two people unpack and move the equipment. Caution A subrack complete with modules can weigh up to 62lb (28kg), or up to 66lb (30kg) complete with packaging. We recommend that you have another person help you unpack and move the equipment. The TBAA03-16 carrying handles will make it easier to move the equipment once it has been unpacked.
2.1.3 2.1.4 AC Power Connection English (en) The PMU must be connected to a grounded mains socket-outlet. Norsk (no) Apparatet må tilkoples jordet stikkontakt. Suomi (fi) Laite on liitettävä suojamaadoitus-koskettimilla varustettuun pistorasiaan. Svenska (sv) Apparaten skall anslutas till jordat uttag. Explosive Environments Warning Do not operate the equipment near electrical blasting caps or in an explosive atmosphere. Operating the equipment in these environments is a definite safety hazard.
2.1.7 Proximity to RF Transmissions / A proximité des émissions RF To comply with the RF Field Limits for Devices Used by the General Public for (Uncontrolled Environment)a, a safe separation distance of at least 12 feet (3.6 metres) from the antenna system should be maintained. This figure is calculated for a typical installation, employing one 100W base station transmitter.
2.2 Equipment Safety 2.2.1 Installation and Servicing Personnel The equipment should be installed and serviced only by qualified personnel. 2.2.2 Preventing Damage to the PA The base station has been designed to operate safely under a wide range of antenna loading conditions. Transmitting into a low VSWR will maximize the power delivered to the antenna. Notice Do not remove the load from the PA while it is transmitting. Load transients (switching or removing the load) can damage the PA output stage.
2.2.4 Anti-tampering Devices All network elements should be physically secured, where possible. This includes the use of locked cabinets and the use of seals on connectors. All network connectors should be sealed with the stick-on type of seal. The purpose of the seals is to detect unauthorized tampering. The seal should reveal if any of the connectors have been unplugged or if any unauthorized equipment has been plugged in.
2.4 Regulatory Information 2.4.1 Distress Frequencies The 406 to 406.1MHz frequency range is reserved worldwide for use by Distress Beacons. Do not program transmitters to operate in this frequency range. 2.4.2 Compliance Standards This equipment has been tested and approved to various national and international standards. Refer to the latest issue of the Specifications Manual for a complete list of these standards. 2.4.
2.4.5 Health, Safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility in Europe In the European Community, radio and telecommunications equipment is regulated by Directive 1999/5/EC, also known as Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (R&TTE) directive. The requirements of this directive include protection of health and safety of users, as well as electromagnetic compatibility. Intended Purpose of Product This product is a radio transceiver.
3 Operation This section describes the user controls and indicator LEDs on the front panel and on the base station modules.
3.1 Front Panel The user controls and indicator LEDs on the front panel are shown in Figure 3.1. They allow some manual control over the base station and monitoring of its operational status. Notice If there is more that one reciter in a subrack, inputs from all reciters are summed to drive the front panel LEDs. Figure 3.
f The amber receive LED indicates whether the base station is receiving a valid RF signal on one or both logical channels. Receive LED LED Description On (steady) A base station is receiving a valid RF signal. Off A base station is not receiving a valid RF signal. g Transmit LED The amber transmit LED is lit while the transmitter is transmitting. h Keypad The keypad is used to navigate the base station’s menus, enter text, and to adjust the contrast of the display.
i Display The display is used in conjunction with the keypad to access the base station’s menus. It allows the technician to configure the IP address of each reciter (refer to “Setting the IP Address” on page 52), and to set the contrast of the display (see below). After the base station is powered up, the display shows “Please wait...” while the base station is starting up, followed by the home screen when the start-up process is complete.
Menu Map The menu map below shows the menu items available in this release of the base station. Notice The menu map shown is for a single base station. The menu items available in your base station will depend on which modules are present in the subrack, and whether the keypad has been disabled (refer to “Disabling the Front Panel Keypad” on page 63). Home Screen Base Station Modules Modules Reciter 1 Front Panel Reciter 1 View Reciter 1 Address Edit Reciter 1 Address View Reciter 1 Address IP: 172.
3.2 Module Indicator LEDs and Switches Additional status information is displayed by LEDs in individual modules. The PMU also has switches that let you turn the AC and DC modules off. 3.2.1 Reciter The indicator LEDs on the front of the reciter are visible through a slot in its front panel. Front View Figure 3.
The indicator LEDs on the rear of the reciter are on the Ethernet connector. Rear View Figure 3.3 Indicator LEDs on the rear of the reciter b b indicator LEDs These LEDs provide the following information about the state of the reciter: ■ steady amber - the Ethernet interface is connected ■ flashing green - data is being transmitted across the Ethernet interface.
3.2.2 PA The indicator LEDs on the PA are visible through a slot in its front panel. Figure 3.
3.2.3 PMU The only controls on the PMU are the on/off switches on the rear panel for the AC and DC modules, and the indicator LEDs visible through a slot in its front panel. Figure 3.5 Operating controls on the PMU rear view front view b b c AC module on/off switch c d d indicator LEDs DC module on/off switch Warning The AC and DC module on/off switches do not totally isolate the internal circuitry of the PMU from the AC or DC power supplies.
Indicator LEDs These LEDs provide the following information about the state of the PMU: ■ steady green - the PMU is powered up ■ flashing green - the PMU has no application firmware loaded or activated; you can use the web interface to download or activate the firmware; also see “Preparing to Download Firmware” on page 64 ■ flashing red - one or more alarms have been generated; you can use the web interface to find out more details about the alarms ■ flashing red and green - the PMU is in battery pr
4 Working with Base Stations from Your PC The normal web browser on your PC provides a window into the TB9300 base station. Use it to connect to the base station so that you can monitor, configure, diagnose, and calibrate it (if required). This section describes the following: ■ Connecting to the base station, including initially setting things up. ■ Working with base station web pages. ■ Carrying out basic tasks. This section provides an overview of some aspects of the web interface.
4.1 PC Recommendations We recommend the following PC hardware and software for connecting to a TB9300 base station: 4.2 ■ SVGA Monitor (1024 x 768 minimum). ■ Network connection. ■ The base station works with recent versions of most modern browsers. Refer to the Release Notes for more information on currently supported browsers. Connecting Your PC to the Base Station You connect to a base station using your web browser.
4.2.1 Logging In 1. Enter the base station’s URL into your browser using a secure connection ( https://). To find out the base station’s IP address, on the front panel select Modules > Reciter 1 (or 2) > View Reciter 1 (or 2) Address. To set the IP address, refer to “Setting the IP Address” on page 52. Notice If access to this menu has been disabled, you cannot use the front panel to find out the IP address. Make sure that you store the IP address securely and do not lose it. 2.
4.2.2 Setting the IP Address Before the base station is installed on site, you need to provide it with its proper IP address. Make sure that you do not lose this address. A quick way to set the base station’s IP address is to use the front panel, as described below. Notice If access to this menu on the front panel has been disabled, log in to the base station and set the IP address using the web interface (Identity > Identity > Network Identity). 1.
4.2.3 Security Certificates You can upload your own security certificates to the base station (Tools > Settings > Web certificate). If you have installed and configured the appropriate Certification Authority software, you can issue security certificates for all base stations. After uploading the certificates to the base stations, you can configure all maintainers’ web browsers to accept security certificates from your own Certification Authority.
4.2.4 Connecting a Networked PC to a Base Station You may want to temporarily disconnect a networked PC from its LAN in order to be able to establish a direct connection with the base station. A physical connection is needed as well as an alternate (Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP) or temporary (Windows 2000) IP address and subnet mask. Windows 7 or Windows Vista 1. Remove the local area Ethernet connection and connect an Ethernet patch cable between the PC and the base station.
6. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties. 7. Click Alternate Configuration. 8. Select the User configured option, and then enter a number that is on the same subnet as the base station. For example, if the TB9300 has IP 192.168.1.2, enter 192.168.1.1 for the PC. 9. Enter a suitable subnet mask, for example 255.255.255.0. The web browser should now be able to connect to any physically connected base station that is on the same subnet. Windows 2000 10.
4.2.5 Troubleshooting Connection Problems If the attempt to connect to a base station failed, consider these possible causes. 1. Your PC is part of your organization’s LAN and does not belong to the same subnet as the base station. Give the PC a suitable IP address and subnet mask as described in “Connecting a Networked PC to a Base Station” on page 54. 2. You are attempting to connect to the wrong IP address. Check that the IP address is correct.
4.2.7 Setting Up Authentication Connections to the base station can be authenticated by a remote (i.e. centralized) service (Tools > Settings > Authentication). Two remote authentication protocols are supported: LDAP and RADIUS. Notice Only people experienced with the AAA architecture and authentication protocols should make changes on this page.
4.3 Working with the Web Interface This section provides an overview of the web interface. Refer to the Help for detailed instructions. When you connect to a base station, the browser displays a page like the following. Accordion menu Status bar Alarm status. Click System Status to go to the Alarms screen. Model and name of base station Type of system Mode (online or offline). Click Mode to go to the screen where you can change mode.
4.3.1 Monitoring Operation Using the monitoring pages, you can see how the base station is currently operating. For example, you can see the status of its RF interface (Monitor > Interfaces > DMR RF).
4.3.2 Viewing Configuration Settings The base station has many configuration settings that personalize it for its particular role in the network. Some settings, such as those for the trunking interface (Configure > RF Interface > Channel profiles), always apply. Others are channel-based so that they can be dynamically changed. To view these, you first need to know the channel that the base station is operating on. Select Identity > Identity > Base Station to see its default channel number.
4.3.3 Viewing the Base Station and Network Identity Each base station in a network has a unique base station and network identity. Select Identity > Identity and then Base Station or Network to view details such as name, default channel and network addresses. Note that the Host name field has a maximum of 63 characters, and may use the characters a–z, 0–9, dot and hyphen. You cannot use spaces.
4.4 Basic Tasks 4.4.1 User Settings Click on your user name in the top right corner of the page to choose whether the temperature is displayed in Fahrenheit or Celsius1, and to change your password. Note that this information is stored in the reciter, not in your browser. 4.4.2 Taking the Base Station Offline You may need to take the base station offline in order to carry out diagnostic tests or to take it out of service if a fault develops. 4.4.3 1.
4.4.4 Working with Configuration Files At any time, you can save the current configuration settings as a file (Tools > Files > Configuration > Backup configuration). This is stored in the base station, but we recommend that you download it and store it on your computer as an off-site backup. The base station identity and network identity are not saved as part of the configuration file. You may want to develop a master configuration and upload it to all base stations in the network.
Notice If you disable the front panel keypad, you cannot use it to find out the base station’s IP address. Make sure that you store the IP address securely and do not lose it. 4.4.7 Preparing to Download Firmware New versions of base station firmware are remotely downloaded to base stations from a package server (a web server application). You can set up a single computer to be the central package server for all the base stations on your network, using a web server of your choice.
Setting Up a Central Package Server It is beyond the scope of this manual to describe the exact procedure for setting up a central package server for any particular network. Tait expects that each customer will configure their own package server according to the requirements for their network. However, you do need to configure each base station with the IP address and port of the package server computer. 1. Log in to the base station and select Configure > Base Station > Miscellaneous. 2.
■ 4.4.8 The base station has enough space for two firmware packages. If the base station already has two packages, delete the unwanted package before downloading another. Checking for Interference on a Receive Channel You can use the Signal Level page (Diagnose > RF Interface > Signal Level) to look for sources of interference across a range of receive frequencies. The chart on this page has two lines. One shows the current RSSI measurement for the selected frequency.
