SP-400 Series Programming Guide

Programming Guide

ACC-940 PC Programming Software

for

SP-400 Series Portable Transceivers

Revised June 2005

SP-400 Series Programming Guide

© 2005, Midland Radio Corporation; all rights reserved 2

Conventions and symbols in this book

This symbol marks a “caution”. Cautions are special notices which you should read and follow carefully to avoid possible damage to your equipment and to avoid potential danger to yourself or other people.

! This symbol marks an “important point”. Important points are specific instructions which should be followed closely for proper operation.

This symbol marks a “note”. Notes are hints or tips which offer additional information to help you.

Disclaimer Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this document is complete, accurate and up-to-date. Midland assumes no responsibility for the results of errors beyond its control. The manufacturer of this equipment cannot guarantee that changes in the software and equipment made by unauthorized persons will not affect the transceiver’s performance or functions.

This manual has been written for use by Midland Radio Corporation dealers and distributors as an aid in programming the SP-400 series portable transceivers. You should be familiar with conventional radio systems, settings and parameters as well as general PC operation.

This programming guide is subject to change without notice. This guide was written for the current software version 1.18.



Contents CONVENTIONS AND SYMBOLS IN THIS BOOK........................................................................................................................... 2

DISCLAIMER .................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................................................. 4

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS................................................................................................................................................................ 4 INSTALLATION................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 GETTING STARTED......................................................................................................................................................................... 4

PROGRAMMING MENU.................................................................................................................................................................. 5 FILE MENU .................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Open Radio............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Close Radio ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5 New Radio .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Exit .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

OPTIONS MENU............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Com Port................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Restore System DB ................................................................................................................................................................ 6 View Session History .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

RADIO PROGRAMMING MENU ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 HELP MENU .................................................................................................................................................................................. 6

CHANNEL DATA DIALOG............................................................................................................................................................... 7 CHANNEL ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 FREQUENCIES ............................................................................................................................................................................... 7 TRANSMIT POWER LEVEL ............................................................................................................................................................... 8 CHANNEL SPACING ........................................................................................................................................................................ 8 CTCSS/DCS................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 MONITOR/AUTORESET................................................................................................................................................................... 8 SCAN LIST ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 SELCAL SETUP .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9

SYSTEM DATA DIALOG ............................................................................................................................................................... 10 SCAN CONFIGURATION................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Scan hold condition............................................................................................................................................................... 11 Scan transmit channel .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Priority sample ratio .............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Priority lookback time............................................................................................................................................................ 11 Scan resume time ................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Busy channel dwell time ....................................................................................................................................................... 11

POWER-ON TX SEQUENCE ........................................................................................................................................................... 11 TX TIMEOUT/BUSY LOCKOUT ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 SCRAMBLER................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 POWER-ON BEEP......................................................................................................................................................................... 12 KEY PRESS AND WARNING BEEPS ................................................................................................................................................. 12 SELCAL SIDETONE ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12 SELCAL RING MANAGER ............................................................................................................................................................... 13 EMERGENCY/CALL SETUP ............................................................................................................................................................ 13 POWER SAVE .............................................................................................................................................................................. 14 SELCAL SETUP ............................................................................................................................................................................ 14

Selcal definitions ................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Rx tone sequences ............................................................................................................................................................... 15 Tx tone sequences................................................................................................................................................................ 16

NOTES ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 17



Introduction The ACC-940 PC Programming Software allows programming of the SP-400 series portable transceivers. In addition to the ACC-940 programming software, the ACC-2400 programming cable is required to interface your transceiver to the PC serial port. A PDF version of this programming manual is installed on your start menu during the software installation program. To view, go to Start|Programs|Midland Programmers|Documents.

System requirements IBM compatible personal computer with a Pentium I or newer processor.

Windows 95 or later operating system

2 MB of hard drive space

32 MB of RAM (64 MB recommended)

RS-232 serial port

ACC-2400 programming cable and DB25 to DB9 adapter as required

Installation 1. Insert the disk into the drive.

2. Select run from the Start menu, and type D:\Setup.exe where D is the drive the disk is in.

3. Follow the instructions to install the programming software. By default the program will be installed in C:\Program Files\Midland Programmers\SP-400 Series directory.

Getting started 1. From the Start menu select Programs|Midland Programmers|SP-400 Series Programmer. The

program should open with an empty window.

2. From the Options|Com Port menu, select the serial communications port the ACC-2400 programming cable is connected to. A standard DB9 to DB25 serial adapter will be required to connect the programming cable to most communications ports.

3. Use a small phillips screwdriver to remove the accessory connector cover on the SP-400.

4. Make sure the radio is off, and connect the 2.5mm plug on the end of the ACC-2400 programming cable to the smaller jack on the accessory connector.

5. Hold the upper function (Monitor) button pressed while turning the radio on. The status LED should light amber, indicating the radio is in program mode.

6. To read the contents of the radio into the software, select Retrieve radio data from the Radio Programming menu.

7. Click the Retrieve data button. The software will determine the type of radio connected and prompt you for a file name under which to save the data.

Please note a filename must always be entered when reading a radio file or when creating a new file from scratch. The radio configuration data is saved in this file and any changes are automatically saved as they are made.

8. Once the filename is entered click the Save button to read the configuration data from the radio. When finished, click Exit and the main window will display the Channel Data dialog box and the System Data dialog box.

You may use the button at the lower left corner of each dialog box to switch to the other dialog box. Or you may click the title bar of either box and drag it as desired. Keep in mind all settings on



the Channel Data dialog are per channel for the current channel being edited and all the global radio settings are programmed on the System Data dialog.

9. Use the arrows to the right and left of the channel number to step through the available channels. Channels may be added (up to the maximum 16 channels) by clicking the Add or Channel clone buttons. The Channel clone button will create a new channel at the end of the channel list, identical to the currently selected one. Frequencies are programmed using the two drop boxes representing the frequency in Megahertz. Click the CTCSS/DCS button to program subaudible tones for the currently selected channel.

10. To download the edited data back into the radio, select Program radio from the Radio Programming menu. Make sure the radio is in program mode (amber status LED), then click the Program data button to begin writing the data to the radio.

Programming Menu

The programming software main window usually contains two dialog boxes, the Channel Data dialog and the System Data dialog. All per channel options (frequency, subaudible tones, channel bandwidth, transmit power selection, etc.) are set on the Channel Data dialog and all radio wide options (scan configuration, time out timer, busy channel lockout, beep settings, etc.) are set in the System Data dialog. These dialog boxes are discussed in detail following the menu descriptions.

File Menu A radio configuration file may be loaded from a previously saved file, uploaded from a radio or created using the ACC-940 programming software.

Open Radio

To open a previously saved file, select File|Open Radio then select VHF Radio or UHF Radio to bring up the Open dialog box. Select the radio file and click the Open button.

Close Radio

To open or create a new configuration file, you must first close any file already open. From the File menu select Close Radio.

New Radio

To begin creating a new configuration file, select File|New Radio, then select New VHF Radio or New UHF Radio. You will be prompted to enter a new file name for the configuration file. After entering the file name, click the Save button to open the new configuration dialogs.

Exit

Select Exit from the File menu to close the ACC-940 programming software.

Toolbar Buttons

The New radio.ico , Open radio.ico , Save radio as.ico and Close radio.ico toolbar buttons perform the same functions as their corresponding File Menu selections, described above.

Options Menu The Options menu allows selection of the serial communications port to be used by the software.



Com Port

Select Options|Com Port then select the communications port the ACC-2400 programming cable is connected to.

Restore System DB

When a software upgrade is made, select Options|Restore System DB to initialize/restore the database files used by the programming software. Any open radio files must be closed before the system database can be restored.

View Session History

Select Options|View Session History to open a dialog box containing a history of the current software session.

Radio Programming Menu Select Retrieve Radio Data from the Radio Programming menu to read the radio configuration data from the radio. You will be prompted to enter a file name to save the newly read data under. Select Program Radio from the Radio Programming menu to write the current configuration data to the radio.

Toolbar Buttons

The Retrieve radio data.ico and Program radio.ico toolbar buttons perform the identical functions as their Radio Programming menu equivalents.

Help Menu Select About from the Help menu to view the software version. Press F1 or select Help Topics for additional information.

Additional Toolbar Buttons

The Channel data.ico and System data.ico toolbar buttons switch to the corresponding Channel Data

dialog or System Data dialog. Use the Channel data summary.ico toolbar button to open the Channel Data Summary window.



Channel Data Dialog

All per channel programmable options are set from the Channel Data dialog. The channel currently being edited is shown in the Channel window. Use the left and right arrows to step through the available channels.

Channel window Channels are programmed in numerical order and new channels are added to the end of the list. A new channel may be added (up to the maximum 16 channels) by clicking either the Add button or the Channel clone button. The Add button will create a new channel with default channel data. The Channel clone button will create new channel with channel data identical to the currently selected channel. To delete the current channel click the Delete button.

Frequencies The channel frequencies are set in the Frequencies window using drop boxes. Frequencies are programmed using the two drop boxes representing the Megahertz and Kilohertz decimal places. If you are programming a simplex channel, you may set the transmit frequency, then click the RX freq = TX freq button to set the identical receive frequency. The RX only and TX only check boxes allow for receive or transmit only channels.

For faster frequency entry, try clicking the frequency box then enter the frequency values using your keyboard. The drop lists will scroll to the closest values.



Transmit power level Use the bullets to select the normal transmit power level for the channel.

Channel spacing Click the Wide Band/Narrow Band button to toggle between 25 Khz and 12.5 Khz occupied bandwidth.

CTCSS/DCS

Click the CTCSS/DCS button to open the CTCSS/DCS selection dialog. Check the Invert boxes to invert the transmit or receive DCS code. Check the CTCSS tail box to make the radio transmit carrier only for 180 milliseconds after PTT is released. This will allow the receiving radio’s decoder to mute and reduce squelch tail.

Monitor/Autoreset

Click the Monitor key behavior button to pop-up the monitor set-up dialog. The available options depend on the subaudible and inband tone signaling programmed for the channel. If no options are selected the monitor button will be disabled for the channel.

Please note that the monitor set-up is a per channel setting. The monitor button may be programmed to operate differently for individual channels and must be programmed for each channel where monitor operation is desired.

The Autoreset button is used to set the timer for the radio to automatically mute after successful 2-tone or Selcal decode.



Scan list Check the Channel in scan list box to add the selected channel to the default scan list. The scan list is restored to the default settings each time the radio is turned on. Once a channel has been checked for the scan list, it may be selected as the priority channel by checking the Priority box. Only one channel may be selected as the priority channel. Any previous priority channel selection must be cleared before assigning a new priority channel.

Selcal setup

The Selcal setup window is used to assign 2-tone or selcal sequences for the channel being edited. However the sequences must first be created under the System Data dialog, before they can be assigned to the channels. Up to two receive sequences may be assigned to each channel. Currently only ANI and Emergency sequences are supported as transmit sequences.

System data

Click the System Data button to switch to the System Data dialog.

Channel data summary

Click the Channel Data Summary button to format and print the channel data.

Some channel data editing functions are also available on the Channel Data Summary.



System Data dialog

The System Data dialog is used to set global (or system) settings for the radio. Various optional features are enabled, set-up, or customized using the System Data dialog.

Scan configuration

Click the Scan configuration button to open the scan configuration window to set the various timers and options when using the radio in scan mode.



Scan hold condition

Select the appropriate bullet to set the condition for scan to hold on a channel. Scan may be set to hold when Carrier is present on the channel or select the Signaling detected bullet to require the programmed signaling conditions for scan to hold on the channel.

Scan transmit channel

Select the Priority only bullet to allow transmit only on the programmed priority channel while scan is turned on. If no priority channel is programmed, the radio will not transmit while in scan mode.

Select the Priority/talkback bullet to allow the user to transmit on the pause channel (talkback) when the radio is paused on a channel. Pressing PTT while the radio is scanning will transmit on the programmed priority channel. If no priority channel is programmed, the radio will transmit on the first channel programmed in the scan list, when PTT is pressed while scanning.

Click the Selected by knob bullet to make the radio transmit on the channel selected by the channel knob when PTT is pressed while scan is on.

Priority sample ratio

The Priority sample ratio sets the number of channels scanned between each priority channel sample. If no priority channel has been programmed, the radio will scan all channels in the scan list in numerical order.

Priority lookback time

The Priority lookback time sets the interval between priority channel checks, while scan is paused on a non-priority channel. Selecting Off will disable priority lookback.

Scan resume time

The Scan resume time sets the period the radio will hold on a non-priority channel after the signal is lost or PTT is released.

Busy channel dwell time

The Busy channel dwell time sets the maximum time the radio will dwell on a channel. Once this timer expires, the radio will resume scanning with the next channel in the list even though the signal still exists. Selecting Off will make the radio hold on the channel until the signal is lost.

Power-on Tx sequence Click the Power-on Tx sequence button to set the radio to transmit a selcal sequence when it is turned on. Sequences must first be set up under the Tx sequences button.



Tx timeout/Busy lockout

Click the Tx timeout/Busy lockout button to set the transmit timeout timer or inhibit transmission on busy channels. The Tx timeout is the maximum length of continuous transmission. Selecting Disabled will disable the timer function. The Penalty time is the time that must elapse after the timeout timer has expired, before the radio will again allow transmission.

The Busy channel lockout may be set to inhibit transmission when Carrier is detected, or when the programmed subaudible Tone/code is detected. Selecting Carrier lockout w/override will allow transmission while the programmed subaudible tone/code is detected.

Scrambler Click the Scrambler disabled button to allow the user to activate and deactivate the built-in voice inversion scrambler. Click the Scrambler enabled button to disable the scrambler.

The Scrambler enable/disable button enables/disables scrambler operation on the radio. The scrambler must still be activated and deactivated by holding the lower function button pressed while turning on the radio.

Key press and warning beeps Click the Key and warn beeps ON button to disable all the key press and warning beeps. Click the Key and warn beeps OFF button to enable the beeps.

Power-on beep Click the Power-on beep ON button to disable the ring tone at power-on. Click the Power-on beep OFF button to enable the power-on ring tone.

Selcal sidetone Click the Selcal sidetone OFF button to enable the transmitted selcal tones to be heard over the radio speaker. Click the Selcal sidetone ON button to turn off the sidetones.



Selcal ring manager

Click the Selcal ring manager button to open the secal ring manager. Three different ring tones may be generated by the selcal decoder. These ring tones may be edited using the manager.

Emergency/Call setup

Click the Emergency calls button to setup a selcal transmit sequence that will be sent when the upper and lower function buttons are pressed and held for greater than two seconds. The actual sequence that is transmitted is set using the Tx sequences button on the Channel Data dialog. The sequences must first be set-up under the Tx tone sequences button on the System Data dialog before they may be assigned to a channel.

The radio may be set to transmit the sequence on the Current channel of operation, or it may be set to transmit on an assigned channel. The number of repetitions of the sequence, the transmit hang time after the sequence and the pause between calls may also be set. Check the Dead radio during emergency cycle box to disable all visible and audible indicators during the emergency cycle.



Power save

Click the Power save button to set up the battery saver timers. While the timers are fully programmable, a typical On time is 250 msec and a typical Off time is 500 msec. A typical Inactive time is 10 seconds.

Selcal setup Selcal set up is a three-step process. First, use the Selcal definitions button to set up frequencies and timing for the sequential tone sequences. You may use the predefined formats and settings or edit them as required. For 2-tone operation, use the 2-tone (fifth) format. Up to 15 different frequencies may be set for each format.

The second step is to set-up the sequences using the Rx tone sequences and Tx tone sequences buttons on the System Data dialog. Up to 15 receive and 15 transmit sequences may be set per radio selecting frequencies from the predefined or user edited formats.


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The third step is to assign the receive and transmit sequences, per channel, using the Rx sequences and Tx sequences buttons in the Channel Data dialog. Each channel may be assigned two individual receive sequences and a may be set to also decode a group call. Each channel may also be assigned an Emergency/Call transmit sequence and an ANI transmit sequence.

Selcal definitions

Five predefined sequential tone formats are available, and may be edited to suit individual needs. For 2-tone operation, enter your required timing and frequencies on the 2-tone format database.

Rx tone sequences

Enter your required sequence in the Num boxes. The value entered in each Num box (0-F) will select the frequency defined for the format. If the Partial match box is checked, only the tones marked in the ID column must be matched for a valid decode. Add a check in the Grp column to define the tone as a group tone. Check the Enable transpond box to transmit a programmed transpond sequence after successful decode. Uncheck the Enable ringer box to disable the ring tones normally sounded after successful decode.

2005, Midland Radio Corporation; all rights reserved 15



Tx tone sequences

The transmit tone sequences are defined in much the same way as the receive sequences. The Selcal standard must be defined for each transmit sequence. If the 2-tone standard is selected an additional Grp column will appear. Add a check in the Grp column to send a tone with the defined Group call time. A Lead IN time and Lead OUT time may also be set for each transmit sequence.

Channel data

Click the Channel Data button to switch to the Channel Data dialog.

Channel data summary

Click the Channel Data Summary button to format and print the channel data.

Some channel data editing functions are also available on the Channel Data Summary.



NOTES

5900 PARRETTA DRIVE, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, 64120

PHONE: (816) 241-8500, FAX: (816) 241-5713 www.midlandradio.com

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