Instruction Manual EJ-41U Terminal Node Controller Unit Thank you for purchasing this fine Alinco product. This unit enables data communication when it is properly installed in designated Alinco transceivers. Please read this manual, print the contents if necessary, and keep this disk for future reference. Since this device is capable of being used in commercial applications, some of the pages in this manual are intentionally left blank to accommodate those uses in other regions.
Functions (1) CN1 (for PC data input/output): Connect W1 to DSUB-9 connector on the rear side.(Connect DSUB-9 with the RS-232C serial port of a personal computer.) (2) W2 (for transceiver data input/output): Plug into CN107 of transceiver. (3) VR1: For the modulation level adjustment of 9600bps TX data (4) VR2: For the modulation level adjustment of 1200bps TX data (5) CON LED (orange): lights while connecting with the other station in packet communication.
2. Commands In this manual, unless otherwise specified, any “key” stands for the ones on the PC keyboard. The screen referred to is the PC monitor screen. 2-1 Command mode and Converse mode The typical operating modes of this unit are the Command mode and the Converse mode. It is necessary to use the command mode to set internal parameters in the EJ-41U. When the unit is in the command mode, the “cmd:” prompt will appear on the screen. If “cmd:” does not show up, press enter (or carriage return [CR]).
2-4 Common commands for Amateur Radio Communication The following is a chart for the commands commonly used in Amateur Radio communications.
LOCATION LPATH LTEXT LTMON MCOM MCON MONITOR MRPT MYCALL NTSGRP NTSMRK NTSMSG PACLEN PACTIME PERSIST PPERSIST PORTOUT RESET RESPTIME RESTART RETRY SENDPAC SLOTTIME TRACE TRIES TXDELAY UNPROTO XFLOW Sets the transmission time of GPS data in 10 second increments. Sets the outgoing path of GPS data. (Including DIGI-peater(s) used). The GPS data buffer. Displays the LTEXT message as if it were received as a beacon signal in preset intervals. TNC monitors all I frames.
3-2 Caution on the communication buffer size 3-2-1 host to EJ-41U The temporary FIFO buffer, which pools serially received data, can only store 64 bites. Accordingly, when the software flow control is activated, if the host does not respond, the FIFO buffer will overflow. To analyze commands, the temporary memory buffer of the packet data has 256 bytes available. They are transferred from the FIFO buffer to the stand-by buffer spontaneously.
3-3-3 Echo command Abbrev. E default ON range ON/OFF example ECHO OFF This is used to set the echo-back of characters input from the host. ON for echo-back, OFF for none. This is compatible to terminal software’s “local echo” setting. If this is not matched properly, the characters may be displayed twice or the characters may not be seen at all. 3-3-4 Flow command Abbrev.
4-1 The basic TX/RX commands Check these commands if the unit does not transmit. 4-1-1 HBAUD command abbrev HB default 1200 parameter 1200/9600 example HBAUD 9600, HB1200 This is to determine the speed of transmitted data. If 1200 is set, it enables AFSK at 1200bps. At this position the modulated signal is output from the T1200(29th pin) on the gate-array but no output from the T9600 (35th pin). When 9600 is set, GMSK 9600 bps is enabled.
This command determines the Loop Back test status. When ON is selected, you may be able to monitor your transmitted messages on the screen, as it is processed in the gate-array. PTT signal is always off, so the signal won’t be transmitted. While the parameter is ON, you cannot monitor a received message, either. Set OFF for normal communication. 4-1-5 CALIBRA command Abbrev.
(2) (3) (4) (5) In this status, it waits until the slot time elapses, and generates a new random code again. If the number is higher, it’s “blank” again. Again, it’s waiting for another slot time. This time the number is lower than the parameter. It’s a HIT and goes to transmit. If the other stations start transmitting, it stops counting the slot time, and generates code when the incoming signal is gone.
4-2-3 SLOTTIME command abbrev. SL default:3 parameter: 0 to 255 example: SL 5 This sets the time to generate a new random code for the P-Persistent CSMA system as previously described. It is set in 10 microsecond units. 4-2-4 DWAIT command abbrev. DW default: 30 example: DWAIT 10 parameter: 0 to 255 Sets the time delay between the end of others’ transmission and your initiating a transmission. It is recommended that this be set slightly different at each station in order to avoid conflicts. SOFTCD Abbrev.
In AX. 25 protocol, it detects the error on frames using CRC code. PASSALL command determines how to process such errors, if found. If it’s ON, the error frame is accepted. If OFF is selected only correct frames are accepted. Please leave this parameter OFF for error-free communication. 4-4 Connected communication command In the connected communication mode, in accordance with AX.25 protocol, the data is exchanged with “Yes, I got it” or “I didn’t get it, please retransmit” kind of information.
4-4-3 to 4-4-6 intentionally blanked (for commercial use only) 4-4-7 RESPTIME command abbrev: RES default: 5 parameter: 0-250 example: RES 5 In the connected packet mode, your TNC must reply to the destination by saying “Yes, I got your packet”(RR frame) after the information (I frame) is correctly received. Up to 7 RR frames can be sent together at one time. For example, you can reduce the RR frame transmission during a file transaction when different I frames are received frequently.
4-4-10 TRIES command abbrev. TRI default: 0 example: TRI 0 parameter: 0-15 This is to display and adjust the current retry counter. If the command TRIES is entered, it might report back TRIES 9. You can enter TRIES 2 and in doing so, you reset the number of TRIES before reaching the cutoff figure set under RETRY. 4-4-11 CHECK command abbrev.
4-5-1 intentionally blanked (engineers’ use only) 4-5-2 UNPROTO commands abbrev. U default: CQ parameter: destination’s callsign (with up to 8 with using VIA) example: U CQ U APRS V RELAY,WIDE This is used to determine destination’s callsign and relay stations. 4-5-3 BEACON command Abbrev.: B default: EVERY 0 parameter: EVERY/AFTER 0-250 Exapmle: B E 6 This is to set the timing of the transmission of beacons.
4-6-2 CR command abbrev. CR default: ON example: CR ON parameter: ON/OFF This command determines if the [CR] code is added (or not) at the end of the I-frame transmission. [CR] is added if ON is chosen. [CR] won’t be added if OFF is chosen. Normally, the SENDPAC command does not include [CR] when it makes an I frame, as it is already “$0D”=[CR]. In this case, when this parameter is ON, [CR] is added after the I frame. As a result, [CR] code will be left. 4-6-3 PACLEN command Abbrev.
total of the frames should be less than 330 bites. This buffer size is the minimum required to send one maximum frame. The information field maximum length is 256 bites, but it becomes this size when other information such as destination callsign and relative relay station data is included. 4-7 Monitor related commands There are MONITOR, MCOM, MCON, MALL, MRPT, and TRACE commands available to control the condition and display on the screen.
l Pall / final-bite [P] pall bite ON [F] final-bite ON l Command/Response [C] command [R] Response l Sequences [Rn] Receiving sequences. n=0-7 [Sn] Transmitting sequence n=0-7 4-7-3 MCON command Abbrev. MC default OFF parameters: ON/OFF Example: MC ON This allows you to monitor frequency activity even when connected to another station. ON allows you to monitor while you are connected. OFF does not. 4-7-4 MALL commands Abbrev.
5. GPS CONNECTION 5-1 Using a GPS Receiver with the EJ-41U GPS, the Global Positioning System, transmits signals from a constellation of GPS satellites orbiting the earth. A GPS receiver uses data from these satellites to determine the current geographical position of the receiver. This system is widely used in navigation today. The EJ-41U can transmit the position data taken from the GPS receiver at pre-determined intervals.
5-4 The meaning of GPS information (The data that can be analyzed and re-structured) The EJ-41U analyzes data received from the GPS receiver. Then, based on that data, it converts from one format to another. When the initial part of the input data and the GPSTEXT command matches, it re-transmits that data as a LTEXT beacon. It also allows the transmission of a noncompatible format string without the data being converted. 5-4-1 SONY The following is a format that is output by the Sony IPS-5000 series.
D : The status of the internal oscillator of the GPS receiver. DH : not related to the user. 1 : DMS/DMD identifier. Letters for DMS, numbers for DMD. 0 : Parity. [0] for o, [E] for 1. end of the data 5-4-2 SMATC This format is used for SONY’s car-navigation system “Columbus”. The GPS receiver by itself is not yet available. Accordingly no further information is available, and NO DATA IS AVAILABLE FROM SONY TO THE PUBLIC. DO NOT CONTACT SONY FOR DETAILS.
*$GPVTG: starts GPVTG sentence l True course direction in degree related to the North. l T fixed, means True Course l Magnetic course direction in degree. l M fixed, means Magnetic course l Speed in knots=1.852Km/h. l N fixed, means Knots. l Ground speed in Km/h l K fixed, means ground speed unit in Km l *hh check-sum and end of message 5-4-5 $GPZDA One of NMEA-0183 formats. It contains date and time information only. EJ-41U can analyze and re-structure this format.
l Hh the check-sum and the end of the message. 5-4-7 $PNTS This is a private-sentence based on NMEA-0183. The data contains date, time, latitude, longitude, moving speed, direction, altitude plus a short message, group codes, and icon numbers. The EJ-41U does not analyze this format but can re-structure it. The data contains the following information: l $PNTS Starts the $PNTS sentence l version l the registered information. [0]=normal geographical location data.
5-5 GPS information processing detail In the EJ-41U, data in the LTXT buffer will be sent out as a beacon. Other than user entered data placed in the buffer by using the LTXT command, LTXT can be updated automatically with new data received from the GPS receiver. The following flowchart explains how the LTXT is automatically updated when a line of GPS data is received.
5-6-2 Intentionally left blank 5-6-3: LPATH command abbrev: LPATH default: GPS parameter: destination’s callsign (may be combined with V for relay up to 8 stations) example: LPA GPS VIA RELAY,WIDE This is an UNPROTO compatible command used for GPS beacon transmissions. Set the receiving stations’ (or digipeater’s) callsign(s). See APRS software documentation for more information on the path of your beacons. 5-6-4: LOCATION command abbrev.
With this parameter ON, it outputs all information just as other beacons are received however SET THIS PARAMETER OFF FOR APRS use; otherwise the position of your station may not be read. 5-6-9 GPSTEXT command Abbrev. GPST default: $PNTS Example: GPST $GPRMC parameter: up to 6 letters When the initial part of the input data received by GPS port and the GPSTEXT command match, the GPS input data contained in the string will be automatically placed in the LTEXT buffer.
This command transmits the entered characters to the GPS port. This command is used to send initializing command(s) to the GPS. The content cannot be stored in memory but some GPS units will have a memory feature (This is mainly to conserve space in the RAM which is very limited in this unit). The main-loop process is stopped while the data is transmitted to the GPS. Too long or too frequent transmission of the data may cause problems with the function of the TNC. 5-7 Intentionally left blank.
Chapter 7/8 Intentionally left blank. Chapter 9 Miscellaneous commands The followings are miscellaneous commands: l Restart and Reset commands l Display commands l Display setting according to the terminal software 9-1 Restart and Reset 9-1-1 RESTART command Abbrev. RESTART default : none parameter: none Example: RESTART This will restart the TNC. If memories are stored, it initializes according to the stored data.
9-3 Display setting according to the terminal software 9-3-1 BBSMSGS command Abbrev. BBS default: OFF parameter: ON/OFF Example: BBS OFF This is to select how to output messages from the TNC. If ON is selected, the CR code is added before the message such as “*** disconnected” is output. These messages must begin at the start of a line, so it is easy for the terminal software to detect it. The connect request message such as “*** connect request:--“ does not appear.
