Basic Config Tab

General Settings
The Basic Settings contains important RF and modem selections for radio operation.

Members The Master Station (sdms) interface is a logical interface that is composed of
one or more physical SD interface cards (sd-
mapping between the logical sdms interface, and the physical sd-nic cards. A single sd-nic
resides in each SDM Radio Module.

44 MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F

 This is factory configured to contain SDM Radio Modules in slot 1 and slot 2 of the
Master Station. If the Master Station is a non-redundant system with only 1 Radio
Module, this will contain only - .
Radio Mode The radio can operate in one of several modes. The available selections
are:
- Packet with MAC With and without AES Encryption
- x710 When using the Master Station in a legacy x710 network.
- Transparent With and without AES Encryption. (Transparent w/AES
Encryption requires an all SD radio network.)
Modem Type This setting determines the over-the-air data speed and bandwidth of the

communicate with each other. The default setting is Modem 9600, but it may be set to any
of the selections shown in Table 5-2. Modem Selection vs. Speed, Bandwidth &
Sensitivity. The table also lists modem sensitivity ratings for the various modems. Note
that some modem choices are limited based on the model purchased.
RF Output Power (dBm) The RF output power may be set between 30 and 40 dBm (1
to 10 watts) in 1 dBm increments. The default setting is 40dBm. This setting represents
the output power at the Radio Module. Output power at the antenna port on the back of the
unit will be roughly 2dB to3dB less depending on configuration. This is due to cable,
switching, and duplexer losses. Full power is not required in many cases, and lower
settings will place less demand on the power supply and reduce the chance of interference
with other stations. Only the power necessary to carry out reliable communications should
be used.
Transmit/Receive Frequency The receive and transmit frequencies may be viewed or
set here. Frequencies must be entered for the radio to operate. Consult your station license
to determine the authorized frequencies for your system, and enter them exactly as listed.
Keying Mode Keying mode must be set to one of the following values:
- Data Radio will key upon receipt of payload data.
- RTS Radio will key upon receipt of an RTS (request to send) signal on the
serial port.
RTS keying mode is only supported when the radio is in x710 mode.
- Data or RTS Radio will key upon receipt of either payload data or an RTS
(request to send) signal on the serial port.
- Continuous Radio will be continuously keyed. This is primarily used in a
transparent streaming repeater configuration.
Continuous keying mode is only supported in x710 mode, or in transparent mode
when operating as a repeater.
System ID Provides the possibility for Frequency Re-use. System ID offers nine unique
choices including the default value of NONE. The setting NONE is required for mixed
networks comprised of MDS legacy and SD products. SD-only networks can utilize the
Frequency Re-use feature by setting the System ID to a common value [1-8] for all radios
in a specific network. System ID offers approximately 20 dB of additional co-channel
isolation when operating networks on the same frequency. Note that proper system design
is required.
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 Operational Example:
eight units. A user wishes to occupy frequency 952.1235 MHz on both of these systems.

would all be set to System ID = 1, System Beta's units would be set to System ID = 5.
Both systems will now operate on the same desired frequency.
Examples of valid and invalid arrangements are shown in Figure 5-3 and Figure 5-4,
respectively.

Figure 5-3. System ID Example Valid Arrangement

Figure 5-4. System ID Example Invalid Arrangement

FCC Part 90 Repeater Mode Repeater mode must be set to one of the following
values:

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 - None This is the default value, and is used when the Master Station being
configured is not to be used as a repeater in the network.
- Repeater This value should be selected when the Master Station being
configured is to be installed as a repeater in the network, and will not have
devices connected to it that will be polled, such as attached RTUs.
- Repeater With Local Data
when data-collection devices such as serial RTUs will be attached directly to the
repeating Master Station.
Allowed Ethernet Packet Types When operating in packet-with-mac mode, and
sending Ethernet traffic, this option will restrict the types of Ethernet frames that will be
sent over the air. Options are:
- None This will prevent any Ethernet frames from being transmitted over the air.
- All All Ethernet frames will be sent over the air, regardless of type.
- Unicast Only Only unicast packets will be sent over the air.
- Unicast and ARP This is the default value and will only allow unicast frames,
or broadcast ARPs to be transmitted over the air.
Serial Payload Port The front-panel serial port that will be used for serial payload
communications. This can be set to COM1, COM2, or disabled if the system will not be
used for transmitting serial data. The default value for this is COM1.

Serial port settings such as baud rate and byte format are located under Services
Serial Ports.

Payload Buffer provides a way of handling data 'over-runs',

where more data is passing through the COM port than can be immediately handled by the
unit. When the payload-buffer is on, any such data is stored up and processed in the
appropriate order.
Payload Serial Talk VRC / Payload Serial Talk 2 VRC Serial data received on the
primary/secondary serial payload port will be tagged with this VRC and sent over-the-air.
Payload Serial Listen VRC / Payload Serial Listen 2 VRC Over-the-air payload
traffic that is tagged with this VRC that the Master Station receives will be transmitted out
of the primary payload serial port.
Encryption When the Master Station is being used in a network of only SD radios,
over-the-air (OTA) encryption may be enabled. The Master Station uses AES-128,
passphrase-based encryption to secure both payload, and Dlink traffic. If the radio is
operating in transparent mode, there is a separate passphrase for payload and Dlink traffic.
If the radio is operating in packet or packet-with-MAC mode, there is a singular
passphrase for all traffic.
Payload Encryption Phrase The encryption phrase to be used for over-the-air payload
data. This string must be at least 8 characters, and no greater than 38 characters.

MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F 47

 Table 5-2. Modem Selection vs. Speed, Bandwidth & Sensitivity
Approximate
Modem Type Over-the-air ETSI
B/W (kHz) Sensitivity
Selection Speed (bps) Compliance
(dBm)

BELL1 1200 12.5 -110

V23 1200 12.5 -110

32001, 2 3200 5.00 -108

1
4800B 4800 12.5 -110

4800F 4800 6.25 -108

9600B1 9600 12.5 -106

96001 9600 12.5 -112

9600N 9600 6.25 -98

19200N 19200 12.5 -100

19200 19200 25 -105

38400N 38400 25 -99

650003 65000 50 See note 3

48001 4800 12.5 -112 X

9600M1 9600 12.5 -106 X

19200E 19200 12.5 -96 X

19200M 19200 25 -106 X

38400E 38400 25 -97 X

1. For MDS x710-compatible operation.
2. 3200 bps not applicable to SD4.
3. Only available with SDM9D Radio Modules.

Dlink
Dlink is a GE MDS-proprietary protocol used for diagnostics communications.

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 Unit This parameter identifies the radio in the wireless network with a specific ID
during diagnostic sessions. For compatibility with legacy devices, the value must be
10000 or greater (2710 in hexadecimal).
Type This setting identifies the radio as a Node, Root, Repeater, Peer, or Gate. Each of
these are operating modes of the transceiver with respect to diagnostic/management
activities.
Mode Configure if Dlink will operate on a serial port, or via a TCP socket.
Serial Mode Settings:
- Serial Port This setting determines which serial port to use COM1 or COM2.
This must be different than the serial payload port.
TCP Mode Settings:
- Security Mode When set to a value other than none, connections will be
encrypted using a pre-shared key via TLS. The version specified by this
parameter will be only version allowed by the server.
- TCP Port The TCP port that the Dlink service will listen on.
- IPv4 Addr Optionally configure the service to only attach to the specified IPv4
Address. This is useful when traffic is being separated into data and management
VLANs. If no value is specified, the service will accept connections on all
configured IP addresses.
- IPv6 Addr Optionally configure the service to only attach to the specified IPv6
Address. This is useful when traffic is being separated into data and management
VLANs. If no value is specified, the service will accept connections on all
configured IP addresses.
Enabled Enable or disable diagnostics functionality. Setting it to ON configures the

port.

MAC Settings
When operating in packet with MAC mode, MAC specific settings can be configured here.

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 Device Type The role this device will be performing in the network. If this device is
operating as a repeater, the MAC device type MUST be 'remote'.
MAC Retries If a message is not acknowledged after transmission it will be resent. This
value controls how many times the radio attempts to resend the message before discarding
it.
Time to Live When a message arrives from the payload interface(s) it is time-stamped
and queued for radio transmission. If the radio cannot transmit the message before the
Time-to-Live (TTL) value (in seconds), the message is discarded. This helps prevent stale
or old data from being sent over the air.
SAF Network (Access Point only) If this device is in use in a Store-And-Forward
network, enable this option.
Repeater Network (Access Point only) If this device is in use in a repeater network,
enable this option.
Payload 1/2 Inter Packet Gap The inter-packet gap is a timing setting in ms used to
delimit a packet on the serial interface. Too short of a time can cause serial streams to be
combined into one large packet instead of two smaller ones. Too long of a time can slow
down the communications channel.
Transparent Rx Timeout This setting is similar to the timing parameters for Payload
1/2 Inter-Packet Gap, but it applies to data received over-the-air. It tells the radio how to
build an Ethernet packet based on a transparent data stream received over the radio
channel.
Peer to Peer
Access Point Options:
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 - Peer to Peer Enabled If enabled, the AP will allow enabled peers to send
traffic through the AP to other enabled peers by rebroadcasting their
transmissions to all other remotes in the system.
- Ethernet Rebroadcast Type When rebroadcasting peer-to-peer Ethernet
traffic, only the selected type of traffic will be rebroadcast to other remotes on the
network.
Remote Options:
- Rebroadcast Serial If enabled, serial traffic originating from this device will be
rebroadcast by the AP to other remotes in the network. The AP must have peer-
to-peer rebroadcasting enabled.
- Rebroadcast Ethernet If enabled, Ethernet traffic originating from this device
will be rebroadcast by the AP to other remotes in the network. The AP must have
peer-to-peer rebroadcasting enabled.

IP Payload
Under the IP Payload menu, up to three instances of the IP Payload service may be configured.
The IP Payload service can operate in 4 different modes:
- TCP Server
- TCP Client
- TCP Server/Client
- UDP
Common Options:
Enabled Set to true to enable this IP Payload configuration.
IP Payload Mode The mode in which this instance of the IP Payload service should
operate. The details of these modes are shown below.
Talk on VRC (Only in packet-with-mac mode) The Virtual Radio Channel that data
from this IP Payload instance will be tagged with when transmitted over the air.
Listen to VRC (Only in packet-with-mac mode) Over-the-air data tagged with this
Virtual Radio Channel will be handled by this IP Payload instance.
Modbus TCP RTU Conversion (Does not apply to UDP mode) When enabled, the IP
Payload server will convert packets between MODBUS TCP and MODBUS RTU
formats.
Inactivity Timeout When set to a value larger than 0, the connection will be closed
after the specified number of seconds without any data activity.
Each of the IP Payload modes have different use cases and configuration options, as described
below:
TCP Server:
The TCP server mode allows IP connections to be established with the Master Station. Data
received on this TCP socket will be transmitted over the air to remote SD radios as if the data
was received on the payload serial port of the Master Station. Over-the-air serial data originating
from a remote SD radio will be transmitted out of this TCP socket. This mode of operation can

Terminal Server functionality.

MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F 51
TCP Server specific configuration options include:
Local IP Port The TCP port number that the server will listen for connections on.
IPv4 Bind IP If the Master Station is configured with multiple IP interfaces; you can
specify that the IP Payload service only will listen for connections on one of the IP
addresses of the system. This is useful in VLAN configurations where you wish to only
make the IP Payload server available on a specific VLAN in the system.
TCP Client:
The TCP client mode allows the Master Station to connect to a TCP server when there is traffic
to send. This mode of operation is not often used in Master Station configurations, but may be
useful in certain applications.

52 MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F

TCP Client specific configuration options include:
Server IP Address The IP address of the server the Master Station is to connect to.
Remote IP Port The TCP port that the server is listening on.
TCP Server/Client:
As the name implies, TCP Server/Client is a combination of the TCP Server mode, and TCP
Client mode. In this mode, the Master Station will listen for incoming TCP connections and pass
data exactly as in TCP Server mode. However if there is no active server connection, and over-
the-air payload traffic arrives at the Master Station, the Master Station will establish an outgoing
TCP connection to a remote server and transmit that data to the remote server. A use-case for this
mode of operation is if you wish to have the protocol reliability of TCP, but do not wish to
maintain active TCP sessions across your network.

TCP Server/Client specific configuration options include:

Local IP Port The TCP port number that the server will listen for connections on.
Server IP Address The IP address of the server the Master Station is to connect to.
Remote IP Port The TCP port that the server is listening on.
IPv4 Bind IP If the Master Station is configured with multiple IP interfaces; you can
specify that the IP Payload service only will listen for connections on one of the IP
addresses of the system. This is useful in VLAN configurations where you wish to only
make the IP Payload server available on a specific VLAN in the system.
UDP:
When operating in UDP mode, the IP Payload service uses the connectionless UDP protocol.
Since UDP is connectionless, there must be receiving sockets at each end of the connection to
allow for bi-directional communications. In this mode, when an application has traffic to send
out over the SD network, it will establish a UDP connection to the Master Station and transmit
MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F 53
the payload data. When the Master Station receives over-the-air payload data from remote SD
radios, the Master Station will establish a UDP connection to the application and transmit the
payload data. These connections are not persistent, and as such must be established for each
transmission. Unlike TCP, transmissions are not guaranteed when using the UDP protocol;
however UDP has a far smaller network overhead than TCP, and as such will result in lower
latency.

UDP specific configuration options include:

Local IP Port The UDP port number that the server will listen for connections on.
Server IP Address The IP address of the server the Master Station is to connect to.
Remote IP Port The UDP port that the server is listening on.
IPv4 Bind IP If the Master Station is configured with multiple IP interfaces; you can
specify that the IP Payload service only will listen for connections on one of the IP
addresses of the system. This is useful in VLAN configurations where you wish to only
make the IP Payload server available on a specific VLAN in the system.
IPv4
This configuration section allows you to configure either a static or dynamic (DHCP) IPv4
address to the SDMS interface when it is not a member of a bridge or VLAN interface. For full
information on applying IP addresses to interfaces, see the MDS Orbit MCR Technical
Manual (05-6632A01).

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 Firewall Filter
The firewall filtering rules to apply to this interface when it is not a member of a bridge or
VLAN interface. For full information on applying firewall filters to interfaces, see the MDS
Orbit MCR Technical Manual (05-6632A01).

VLAN
The VLAN configuration section is used to configure the SDMS interface to be a member of a
VLAN. For full information on configuring VLANs and adding interfaces to existing VLANs,
see the MDS Orbit MCR Technical Manual (05-6632A01).

MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F 55

 NAT
The NAT configuration section is used to configure network address translation (NAT) on the
SDMS interface. For full information on configuring NAT on interfaces, see the MDS Orbit
MCR Technical Manual (05-6632A01).

56 MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F

Advanced Configuration Tab

Advanced Configuration

Soft-Carrier Dekey Specifies how long (in ms) to wait after the removal of the keying

be set to any value up to 255 ms. In most cases, no change is required from the default
setting. A possible exception is when the transceiver is inter-working with certain early-
generation MDS radio equipment.
Push to Talk Signal Specifies the sensing polarity of the PTT line. This must be
configured to one of the following values:
- Off PTT line is not used.
- Hi The PTT line is active-high.
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 - Lo The PTT line is active-low.
Push To Talk Delay Specifies a brief time delay after a keying event, which must
expire before the radio is allowed to transmit. The allowable range is 0 to 255 ms, with the
default being 0.
Clear To Send Delay Specifies a brief time delay between when an RTS (ready-to-
send) signal is received and when the CTS (clear-to-send) signal is returned. The
allowable range is 0 to 255 ms, and the default is 0.
Automatic Freq. Correction Automatic Frequency Correction, is used to counteract the
slight RF frequency drift that may occur over time or through wide swings of ambient
temperature. AFC should only be enabled when operating this device as a remote, as all
remotes in the system use AFC to track the master station frequency. Under normal
operation, the modem is capable of compensating for small frequency errors even with
this mode disabled. Enabling AFC further extends the frequency capture range when
operating with legacy hardware that may have significant frequency error.
Switched Carrier B Modems In some networks, the Master unit is not keyed
continuously (Ckeyed), and transmits only when it has data to send to Remotes. This is
known as Switched Carrier operation. The Switched Carrier setting is only for use with the
9600B modem (for compatibility with MDS x710 radios). In such networks, the Remote
radios should have the Switched Carrier setting turned ON. The default setting is OFF
which assumes B-modem operation with a continuously keyed Master. Ckey operation
only applies to Master units operating full-duplex and does not apply to legacy-packet or
packet with MAC modes. When operating continuously keyed, latency is decreased and
AFC operation on legacy remotes may be improved. Switched carrier operation, when low
latency is not required, is recommended when operating in high ambient conditions to
reduce power consumption and heating.
Force DCD to Asserted Some systems require a constant Data Carrier Detect (DCD)
signal. This setting allows the radio to be configured to provide a DCD signal without the
need for special cabling.

Enabling Force DCD to Asserted will cause the RX LED on the radio interface to
turn on, regardless of whether the radio is receiving data or not.
Data Key Hold Time-out When operating in data key mode, this parameter specifies
the number of character-times the transmitter will remain keyed for after the last character
it receives. For networks with the demand for a higher modem speed than the baud rate of
the serial port, this parameter can be adjusted from 1 to 10 characters. This parameter
gives the overall network better performance by preventing frequent key-up and key-down
sequences between characters. This only applies to networks with all SD radios.
Simplex Mode This controls whether or not the Master Station will be running in
simplex (switched carrier) or full duplex mode. When simplex is enabled, TX and RX are
switched onto a single RF interface. A Master Station without an internal duplexer with a
single antenna output must have simplex mode enabled.
Dlink Mode (B Modems) Legacy products that only support B-Modems do not have
support for Dlink. Newer products such as the MDS SD have the ability to support Dlink
even when using B-Modems. Depending on site-specific requirements, this value may
58 MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F
 er to work with legacy products. It is

Rx Mute The number of milliseconds to mute the receiver after transmitting data.
Receive muting might be required when you configure the radio as a full-duplex polling
remote communicating through a repeater. It prevents the radio from hearing its own
transmissions ('echoes') from the repeater, which might cause software application errors.
Rx Timeout Enable When enabled, the radio will alarm if nothing has been received
over-the-air in 'Rx Timeout Delay' minutes. This can used to detect if the receiver has
failed, or if there has been a failure with the antenna.
Rx Timeout Delay When is enabled, this is the number of minutes to wait
for a received signal before raising an alarm.
Legacy Packet Compatibility When the radio-mode is configured for packet-with-mac,
enabling this option will cause the radio to operate in a legacy packet mode. This is not
full packet mode as found on SD radios, as there is no support for listen-before-talk.
Modem Receive Tolerance Changes the receive tolerance of the modem. This value
should always be set to normal unless instructed to change it by GE MDS technical
support for specific applications.
Modem Transmit Tolerance Changes the transmit tolerance of the modem. This value
should always be set to normal unless instructed to change it by GE MDS technical
support for specific applications.
Data Device Mode (x710 mode only) This value controls the device behavior of the
radio when operating in x710 mode. In DCE mode, CTS will go high following RTS,
subject to the CTS programmable delay time. CTS KEY mode, the unit is assumed to be
controlling another radio. The radio will still key based on the RTS line, but the CTS line
is used as a key-line control for an external radio. CTS is asserted following the receipt of
RF data, but not until after the CTS programmable time has expired. (This gives the other
radio time to key.)
CTS Hold Time (x710 mode only) Used in CTS KEY mode, this command sets the
amount of time in milliseconds that CTS remains present after transmission of the last
character out the RXD pin of the DATA port. This 'hold time' can be used to prevent
squelch tail data corruption when communicating with other radios.
RSSI out Enabled When enabled, the current RSSI value will be available as a DC
voltage level on the RSSI out pin of the alarm/relay module. NOTE: This feature requires
SD NICs that are capable of generating an output voltage based on RSSI. If you attempt to
enable this feature on hardware that does not support it, you will receive an error message
preventing you from committing the changes.
RSSI out 0-Point When RSSI out is enabled, this is the RSSI level (in dBm) that will
result in an output voltage of 0 mV
RSSI out mV per dBm When RSSI out is enabled, this is the voltage (in mV) that will
be produced for each dBm of signal strength above the level specified in rssi-out-0-point.
e.g. Given a zero point of -120dBm, and a mv-per-dbm value of 50mV, an RSSI of -
84dBm would result in an output of 1800mV.

MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F 59

Audio
Audio settings are only available for configuration when the radio is configured to
operate in x710 compatibility mode.

Audio Enabled
whenever PTT is asserted.
Rx Level Receive audio output level to modem (dBm). Received signal at the peak
deviation will be scaled to the specified value. Valid range is (-20 0).
Tx Level Auto Automatically adjust transmit audio input level from Modem.
Tx Level Transmit audio input level from modem (dBm). A transmit input signal of the
specified value will translate into the specified peak deviation for transmit. Valid range is
(-20 0).
Emphasis When enabled, pre-emphasis is applied on the transmitter and de-emphasis is
applied on the receiver. This setting is typically used in operation with voice radios.
Squelch When set to auto, the transceiver will use its internal squelch to enable
transmission of audio signals. When set to bypassed, the transceiver will transmit all audio
signals regardless of level.
Vox Enabled Enables or disables the integrated VOX threshold circuit.
Vox Threshold The audio interface on the Master Station incorporates an integrated
VOX circuit to sample the voltage produced by a connected audio device. When the
voltage exceeds a user-defined threshold, Push to Talk (PTT) is activated, resulting in the
transmitter being enabled. The VOX circuit detects a voltage in the range of 0-2 Volts. A
single number in the range of 0-15 is used to describe the desired threshold level. For
example a value of 7 is approximately 1 volt.

60 MDS 05-6399A01, Rev. F