INSTALLATION AND OPERATION GUIDE FOR SYSTEM OPERATORS
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Thank-you for purchasing this product and welcome to VCom! You have chosen an innovative solution from a leading technology design center in the ongoing TV & data delivery revolution. No doubt you’ve been thinking that the future of your television delivery system includes new technologies such as Digital TV, Internet Over Cable, Wireless Cable.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 1. Before installing and operating this equipment, read all Safety, Installation and Operating sections. Retain this manual for future reference. 2. Follow all instructions — Failure to do so may result in damage to the unit or severe personal injury. 3. Servicing should not be attempted by the user. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Refer all servicing to factory qualified personnel. 4.
INDEX 1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................ 7 1.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................7 1.2 Module Features......................................................................................................................................7 1.3 System Features....................................................................................
.2 Supported Network Protocols..............................................................................................................30 6.3 Network Hardware Address ................................................................................................................30 6.4 Network Interface Configuration ........................................................................................................30 6.5 Telnet.......................................................................
1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Overview The AP5857 Strand Radio is a wireless access solution to extend DOCSIS service via strand and pole mount access points. The radio system consists of an Access Point (AP) and a Subscriber Unit (SU). The AP mounts to the strand (CATV cable) and provides a point-to-multipoint radio link in the 5.8 GHz unlicensed UNII band to several subscriber units (SU) located up to 2 miles away.
1.4 Specifications DOWNSTREAM Transmit RF frequency band Transmit EIRP IF input frequency range IF input level range Downstream modulation Downstream flatness Transmit mute 5799 to 5823 MHz +15 to +28 dBm rated maximum, strand mount configuration 91 to 857 MHz (channel center frequencies) 0 to +20 dBmV per channel 64QAM, 5.06 Msym/sec or 256QAM, 5.36 Msym/sec 1 dB over 5 MHz, typical Muted on failure. Unmuted with a valid DOCSIS downstream signal present to which internal cable modem can register.
1.5 Options The AP5857 Strand Radio is available with the following options: Mounting: For the normal configuration of the radio, it must be mounted in the orientation indicated (horizontally for STRAND mount and vertically for POLE or PIPE mount). This ensures the antenna pattern is correctly oriented. The main label on the unit indicates the appropriate orientation Strand This includes brackets and clamps to mount the radio in a horizontal orientation to the cable strand.
2.0 INSTALLATION The installer of this radio equipment must ensure that the antenna is located or pointed such that it does not emit RF field in excess of Health Canada limits for the general population; consult Safety Code 6, obtainable from Health Canada’s website www.hc-sc.gc.ca/rpb. 2.1 Unpacking the unit Carefully remove the equipment from its packing material and set it on a solid surface, such as a table or desk.
Step 2. A cable is used to strap the radio mount to the pole or pipe. First loosen the two 4-bolt clamps near the loop end of the cable so the cable can slide free through them. Wrap the two ends of the cable around the pole or pipe and place the ends in the two notched sections of the mount. Then pull the loop end of the cable to take up any slack and tighten the two 4-bolt clamps with a ½” wrench to secure the cable.
Figure 2.2 AP5857 Strand Mounting Note that if the strand mount option is selected for the radio along with internal antenna, the radio must be mounted horizontally on the strand as shown. VCom Inc. AP5857 Manual; ml_ap5857_08 (Oct 2005) Approved: R.B.
3.0 CONNECTORS & CONFIGURATION 3.1 AP5857 Connection The only required connection to the AP5857 is made through the F-connector. Connect the coaxial cable from the powered tap to the F connector of the AP5857. Note the power and voltage requirements as mentioned in the Power Requirements section. 3.2 AP5857 Configuration The AP5857 status and configuration may be monitored and modified either remotely through an Ethernet connection via the cable, or locally via the local interface.
3.2.2 Upstream Gain The upstream gain setting is used both to compensate for the link distances and to enable the upstream signal to meet the required level into the tap. Note that the broadband noise level in the 18 to 42 MHz upstream band is directly proportional to the upstream gain setting, so in general it is desirable to operate with the lowest practical gain setting to minimize the noise level.
4.0 AP5857 CONTROL 4.1 Description The AP5857 may be controlled via the local RS232 Interface connector (see Section 5.0) or via the 10/100 Ethernet interface. There are 3 modes of operation: VT100 Terminal Emulation Mode, Telnet over 10/100 Ethernet, or SNMPv1 over 10/100 Ethernet. 5.0 CONTROL VIA THE LOCAL INTERFACE This part of the Management Section describes how to use the local interface to manage the AP5857.
5.1.1 Telnet Telnet access is available for the AP5857. Prior to accessing the local interface using Telnet, you must configure the Ethernet IP address and related network parameters. The local interface can be used to set the network parameters (see below), DHCP can be used, or a static ARP path can be setup (see section 6.4 Network Interface Configuration).
5.3 Timeout The local interface will time out after 5 minutes of inactivity and automatically return to the password> prompt. If accessing the unit via telnet, the session will disconnect. 5.4 The Main Menu Figure 5.3 Main Menu *** VCom Inc. AP5857 Main Menu *** 1)Status Information 2)Vendor Information 3)Downstream Settings 4)Upstream Settings 5)General Settings 6)Ethernet Settings X)Exit ENTER)Refresh Select>_ 5.4.1 Interpreting the Main Menu The Main Menu shown in Figure 5.
5.5.2 Entering Commands Commands can be entered in upper or lower case. To clear typed entries or an entry mistake and start again, press CONTROL-H or the backspace key to make corrections. If you enter an invalid value, the value will be rejected and the current menu and prompt will be displayed again. 5.5.3 Conventions Used The Local interface uses the following conventions: • Ranges of permitted values are depicted with square braces[].
Figure 5.5 Status Information Menu *** VCom Inc. AP5857 Status Information Temperature (deg C) Over Temperature Alarm Hardware Failure Alarm Downstream CATV Signal Validation *** 27 OK OK OK Upstream Output Threshold Alarm OK Downstream Downstream Downstream Downstream Downstream Downstream Downstream Downstream 609.000 5808.000 28.0 Unmuted 64QAM 16,8 Locked 35.
Upstream Output Threshold Alarm When active and the alarm is enabled, it indicates that the upstream output level is higher than the upstream output alarm threshold value. The upstream signal is muted under this condition. It will indicate “OK” or “Threshold Exceeded”. Downstream CATV Frequency Indicates the frequency of the signal from the CATV strand to which the the radio is currently tuned. Downstream RF Frequency Indicates the frequency of the RF transmit signal to which the radio is currently set.
Upstream Output Indicates current state of the upstream output. There are four valid output states: Muted (Manual) indicates that user has forced the output to be disabled; Muted (Alarm) indicates that the output has been muted by an alarm condition; Auto indicates that mute is controlled by system; Unmuted indicates that the output is enabled. 5.6.2 Vendor Information The Vendor Information Menu provides access to factory model and revision history.
5.6.3 Downstream Settings The Downstream Settings Menu provides access to the settings used to configure the downstream chain. To access this menu from the Main Menu, type “3” to display the Downstream Settings Menu. Figure 5.7 Downstream Settings Menu *** VCom Inc. AP5857 Downstream Settings *** 1)RF Frequency (MHz) 2)Output EIRP (dBm) 3)Downstream Modulation 4)Downstream Interleaver 5)Output Mute CATV Frequency (MHz) Downstream Demodulator Status Downstream Demodulator SNR 5808.000 26.
This setting allows the user to set the length of the interleaver for the downstream modulation. Valid inputs are 128,1; 64,2; 32,4; 16,8; and 8,16. To change the Downstream interleaver length, type “4”. The local interface prompt will change to: Downstream Interleaver[128,1 64,2 32,4 16,8 8,16](16,8) _ Enter the new interleaver length or press ENTER to use the current value. The values entered into the interleaver represent the I,J values in the convolutional interleaver.
5.6.4 Upstream Settings The Upstream Settings Menu provides access to the settings used to configure the downstream chain. To access this menu from the Main Menu, type “4” to display the Upstream Settings Menu. Figure 5.8 Upstream Settings Menu *** VCom Inc. AP5857 Upstream Settings *** 1)Gain (dB) 46.5 Output Level (dBmV) 23.0 (Stale) 2)Output Mute Auto 3)Output Auto Mute Threshold (dBmV) 30.0 4)Output Alarm Threshold (dBmV) 40.
set threshold. There is some hysteresis with this function so that once the output is unmuted it will stay unmuted until the output level drops several dB lower than the output mute threshold. Valid levels are multiples of 0.5 dBmV. If the level is within the setting limits but the step size is not correct, the level will be rounded to the nearest valid step size boundary. To change the Upstream Output Auto Mute Threshold, type “3”. The local interface prompt will change to: Output Auto Mute Threshold [10.
Change Password The access password is a user settable and restricts unauthorized access to the local interface. To change the access password, type “1”. The local interface prompt will change to: Change Password [0 = empty string](***)>_ Enter the new password or press ENTER to use the current value. If a new password is entered, the user will be prompted to re-enter the same password (for verification). Confirm Password [0 = empty string](***)>_ The password may be a maximum of 16 characters long.
Reset Unit The reset menu option allows the unit to be reset. To reset the unit, type “5”. The local interface prompt will change to: Reset Unit [Y/N](N)>_ Enter Yes to reset the unit or enter No or press ENTER to abort. Load Factory Defaults The Load Factory Defaults allows the user to put all the radio settings into a known state. The settings are: Vendor Information Vendor Name Serial Number Model Hardware Rev VCom Inc.
To load the factory defaults, “6”. The local interface prompt will change to: Load Factory Defaults [Y/N}(N)>_ Enter Y to load factory defaults or press ENTER to select No. Antenna Gain The antenna gain line shows the current antenna gain. It is factory set to 12 dBi for the internal antenna and 32.4 dBi for the point-to-point antenna. These values reflect the effective gain and include cable and radome loss. The gain cannot be set by the user. 5.6.
Netmask A netmask defines how many bits from the IP address are to be taken as the network part and how many bits are to be taken as the host part (reminder: standard class A 8/24 (net/host), class B 16/16, class C 24/8 bits). The netmask is shown in standard format “255.255.xxx.xxx“. To change the Gateway IP address, type “2”. The local interface prompt will change to: Netmask [] (255.255.255.0)>_ Enter the new netmask or press ENTER to use the current value.
6.0 REMOTE ACCESS 6.1 Description Remote access of the AP5857 is available through Telnet and SNMPv1. TFTP is available for remote firmware upgrades. 6.2 Supported Network Protocols The AP5857 Ethernet interface uses several TCP/IP protocols for network communication. The supported standards are ARP, UDP, TCP, ICMP, Telnet, TFTP and SNMP. The electrical interface is fully compliant with IEEE802.3 10-Base-T Ethernet and 100BASE-TX (auto-sensing). 6.
ARP AND TELNET The following procedure sets a temporary IP address so that setup over the network can be done: a) Set a static ARP route with the desired IP address using the hardware address of the AP5857 Ethernet interface, which is printed on a label on the inside cover of the module. In Windows 95/98/NT, a static route can be set from the DOS prompt using the ARP command. The following example command sets a default route to the IP address 10.10.10.11 via Hardware Address 00-20-4A-52-3A-34: arp -s 10.
6.6 SNMP 6.6.1 Operation The steps required to enable SNMP operation are as follows: 1. Configure the Network Interface as described in Section 6.4 above. 2. Configure SNMP settings using the local interface (as described in Section 5.6.6) either locally or remotely via Telnet. The steps required for configuring an SNMP Management Station to manage an SNMP enabled access point are as follows: 1. Load and compile the 2 supplied MIB files (supplied on disk) into the MIB database on the Management station.
6.7 Firmware Upgrades 6.7.1 TFTP The most recent version of firmware may be made available by contacting support@vcom.com or by registering with the VCom Technical Support page at http://www.vcom.com/support.htm. MICROCONTROLLER FIRMWARE UPGRADE To download a new firmware from a computer to the AP5857 microcontroller, it is necessary to have a TFTP client capable of sending a binary file.
7.0 IP ADDRESSES, NETMASK, ETC 7.1 IP Addressing An IP address is a 32-bit value, divided into four octets of eight bits each. The standard representation is four decimal numbers (in the range of 0...255), divided by dots. Example: 192.2.1.123 This is called decimal-dot notation. The IP address is divided into two parts: a network and a host part. To support different needs, three “network classes“ have been defined.
7.2 Network Address An address with all host bits set to "0" is used to address the network as a whole (in routing entries, for example). 7.3 Broadcast Address An address with the host part bits all set to “1“ is the broadcast address, meaning “for every station“. Network and Broadcast addresses must not be used as a host address (e.g. 192.168.0.0 identifies the entire network, 192.168.0.255 identifies the broadcast address). 7.
8.0 WARRANTY AND SERVICE POLICY 8.1 Warranty Statement VCom warrants its products to be free from defects in workmanship or materials for a period of two years. The warranty begins on the date of the original shipment from VCom to its customer. No claim may be allowed for expenses incurred in installation or use. No other expressed or implied warranties shall apply to the goods sold.
8.3 Repair Charges and Warranty Exemptions Items returned beyond the warranty period or items that do not qualify for warranty service are subject to additional out-ofwarranty repair charges. Descriptions of these charges and warranty exemptions are below: 1) Repair turnaround time is typically 5-14 business days after receipt of the item at VCom. A Flat Rate Repair Charge will apply to all out-of-warranty items. Flat Rate Repair Charges are subject to change without notice.
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