AMR MN-6210 User manual

Mine Net Text Messenger
User Manual
Model: MN-6210
AMR Part Number: 180-0621
Version I
This user manual contains all the guidelines and steps in order to operate the Mine Net Text
Messenger.

Table of Contents
Cautions and Warnings................................................................................................................ 1
Basic Troubleshooting.................................................................................................................. 1
Specifications................................................................................................................................. 2
Basic Overview.............................................................................................................................. 3
Button Layout............................................................................................................................. 3
Figure 1. Button Layout.......................................................................................................... 3
Table 1. Buttons versus Reference in Manual ........................................................................ 4
Signal Strength Meter................................................................................................................. 5
Table 2. Signal Strength Symbols and their Descriptions...................................................... 5
Battery meter............................................................................................................................... 6
Table 3. Battery Level Symbols and their Descriptions.......................................................... 6
New message indicator............................................................................................................... 6
LED Color Guide........................................................................................................................ 7
Table 4: LED Color Guide ..................................................................................................... 7
Turning on the messenger........................................................................................................... 7
Resetting the messenger.............................................................................................................. 8
Main Menu.................................................................................................................................. 8
Figure 2. Image of the Main Menu......................................................................................... 9
Date and Time............................................................................................................................. 9
Section One: How to Use the Contact List ............................................................................... 10
First Contact List Screen........................................................................................................... 10
Narrow Contacts by Subgroups............................................................................................ 10
Search for a Contact by Last Name...................................................................................... 10
Second Contact List Screen...................................................................................................... 10
Using the Contact List .......................................................................................................... 10
Section Two: How to Send a Message....................................................................................... 12
Creating a Custom Message ..................................................................................................... 12
Table 5. Text Entry Modes.................................................................................................... 12
Selecting a Preset Message....................................................................................................... 13
Sending a Emergency Message ................................................................................................ 13
Message Option Screen ............................................................................................................ 13

Change Message Type.......................................................................................................... 13
Table 6. Message Types........................................................................................................ 14
Select a Contact .................................................................................................................... 14
Send the Message.................................................................................................................. 15
Section Three: How to Receive a Message................................................................................ 16
Message Indication................................................................................................................... 16
The Read Menu......................................................................................................................... 16
Reading a Message ................................................................................................................... 17
Section Four: How to Search for a Tag .................................................................................... 18
Section Five: How to Change the Messenger Identification Number.................................... 19
Steps to Change the Identification Number through the Tag Search Feature .......................... 19
Steps to Change the Identification Number through the Contact List Menu............................ 19
Section Six: How to Change User Options ............................................................................... 20
Display Backlight Timeout Period ........................................................................................... 20
Text Entry Timeout Period....................................................................................................... 20
Display Brightness Level.......................................................................................................... 21
Auto Acknowledgment Messages ............................................................................................ 21
Section Seven: How to Use the Sent Menu............................................................................... 22
Section Eight: How to Charge the Messenger.......................................................................... 23
Section Nine: How to Update the User Information................................................................ 24
Software setup on Computer..................................................................................................... 24
Figure 3. Messenger Charge Comm Program ...................................................................... 25
Update Contact List on the Messenger..................................................................................... 25
Update Preset Message List on the Messenger......................................................................... 25
Update the Emergency Information List on the Messenger ..................................................... 25
Update the Date/Time............................................................................................................... 26
Section Ten: Miscellaneous Items ............................................................................................. 27
Emergency Procedures ............................................................................................................. 27
Flashlight .................................................................................................................................. 27
Appendix A. Installing Drivers for USB Charge Rack ........................................................... 28

Page 1of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Cautions and Warnings
•Avoid placing excessive force on the display, the display is easily damaged.
•Avoid dropping the unit.
•Do not use any type of tool to operate the keypad, use only your fingers.
•The display is not a touch screen, avoid touching it with any type of tools.
Basic Troubleshooting
The MN-6210 Text Messenger is a sophisticated device that is designed to be repaired and
serviced by the manufacturer or authorized agents only. If there are any reasons to believe the
messenger has malfunctioned then contact AMR at (276)-928-1712 for repair.
If the text messenger appears to be frozen, or locked up, then you can reset the device by turning
power off by using the button located at the bottom of the unit, and then turning it back on.

Page 2of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Specifications
Batteries:
Type: Nickel-Metal Hydride Rechargeable AA
Manufacturer: Sanyo HR-3U
Capacity: 2500 mAh
Charge Time: 5 ½ Hours (Quick charge from discharged battery condition)
Life1:
Standby/Idle (no usage)2: 93.63 Hours
Standard Usage (80/10/10)3:
59 hours (display at the lowest brightness setting)
56 Hours (display at the medium brightness setting)
51 Hours (display at the highest brightness setting)
Range:
Messaging4: 450’to 525’
Tag Tracking4: 130’ to 150’
1Calculations only, not tested
2100% idle, no transmission, reception, or other usage
3Defined as 80% idle, 10% transmitting, 10% receiving
4Approximations only, actual values will vary in different environments

Page 3of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Basic Overview
Button Layout
The button layout on the messenger keypad is arranged in a 3 x 3 grid which offers nine different
buttons. The keypad and messenger is designed so that buttons A,B,C,F,G,H, and I correspond to
the boxes along the outer edge of the screen when in the menus, this allows for the buttons to be
generic and have multiple uses in order to reduce key count and make it easier to use. There are
two buttons on the keypad that are dedicated and they are the up arrow /space button and the
down arrow/backspace button. Figure 1, below, shows the keypad layout of the messenger with
letter overlays (they are not actually on the messenger, just in the image) along with their
descriptions/references in Table 1. For instance later in the manual if one of the steps is to press
the upper right button it would be button G in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Button Layout
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

Page 4of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Button Reference in Manual
A Upper left button
B Middle left button
C Bottom left button
D Up arrow – Used to navigate lists, moving the arrow
up
Space – Used when writing messages to add a space
E Down arrow – Used to navigate lists, moving arrow
the down
Backspace – Used when writing messages to delete
the previous character
F Bottom middle button
G Upper right button
H Middle right button
I Bottom right button
Table 1. Buttons versus Reference in Manual

Page 5of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Signal Strength Meter
The signal strength meter is shown with five different symbols, depending on the previous signal
strength read. Table 2, below, lists the five different symbols that may appear while using the
messenger. Unfortunately there isn’t a distance that can be placed with each tier except the
highest value, if the messenger is showing the highest value then it is assured that it is within a
close proximity to a Mine Net reader or a Mine Net wireless PAD device. Refer to box three in
Figure 2, on page 9, to find to location of the signal strength meter.
Signal Strength Symbol Description
No signal detected
Weak signal detected. There is one signal bar
that has an orange color.
Low signal detected. There are two signal bars
that have a yellow color.
Medium signal detected. There are three signal
bars that have a green color.
High signal detected. There are four signal bars
that have a green color and this represents the
closest distance to a reader or a PAD.
Table 2. Signal Strength Symbols and their Descriptions

Page 6of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Battery meter
The battery meter symbol is located in the upper right corner of the screen when the menus are
displayed. Each symbol is given a different color which is found in Table 3, which gives the user
a quick and easy reference to the current battery condition. Each level is approximately a quarter
of the total battery capacity. Refer to text box 4 in Figure 2, on page 9, to find the location of the
battery level indicator.
Battery Level Symbol Description
Less than 1/4t
h
capacity
1/4t
h
capacity to less than 2/4t
h
capacity
2/4t
h
capacity to less than 3/4t
h
capacity
Greater than 3/4t
h
capacity
Table 3. Battery Level Symbols and their Descriptions
New message indicator
The new message indicator on the menus is located to the upper left corner of the display. When
the messenger receives a new message(s) the symbol will be drawn as a blue envelope. When the
messages are read the envelope will be drawn as a grey envelope. Refer to box one in Figure 2,
on page 9, to find the location of the message envelope.
Grey envelope = No recently received messages
Blue envelope = New received messages

Page 7of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
LED Color Guide
The LED found on the messenger is a single LED that can produce seven different unique colors
including red, blue, green, teal, violet, yellow, and white. On boot up the messenger will go
through the three main colors consisting of red, green, and blue as a test stage to make sure the
LED is functioning. Table 4, below, lists each color possibility of the LED as well as providing a
description of each LED color.
Color Location Description
Red Charging Indicates an error while charging. When the
LED is red the messenger will disable the
charging process. This can indicate that the
power switch is not engaged.
Green 1) Charging
2) Receiving
1) Will go green once the messenger as
reached a full charge (When the messenger is
charging in the charge rack).
2) Will flash green when a new message has
been received.
Blue Charging The blue LED will be on while the messenger
is quick charging while on the charge rack.
Violet UNUSED UNUSED
Light
Blue UNUSED UNUSED
Yellow Charge
Communication Will flash yellow when data has been received and verified while on the charge rack.
White Flashlight mode Flashlight on/off control is found in the
Settings and Tools menu.
Table 4: LED Color Guide
If a messenger is on the charge rack and the LED is active and someone wakes up the device to
turn on the display the LED will turn off while the display is on and then light back up once the
display turns off.
Turning on the messenger
To turn on the messenger, press the power button that is located at the bottom of the messenger.
The power button is behind the black gasket and it will need to be pressed in until you feel it
click. The button is designed to be difficult turning on and turning off to prevent accidental

Page 8of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
presses while carrying the unit. When the button is pressed the unit will begin to boot up. While
the messenger is initializing the screen will display:
“American Mine Research
Mine Net
Text Messenger
Rev: x”
While the text is shown on the display the messenger will also flash the LED’s in a test cycle in
the order of red, blue, green. If there is a contact list stored in the messenger, the yellow LED
will begin to blink as the contact list is being built up for runtime access. When there is no text
on the display and the LED’s are finished blinking the messenger is ready to use and it is ready
to receive messages.
Resetting the messenger
If at any time the messenger seems to become unresponsive like in the situation that the
messenger will not wake up on a button press, the messenger can be reset by pressing the power
button to turn it off. Then press the power button one more time until it clicks into place to turn
the unit back on.
Main Menu
The main menu will be referenced often throughout the manual as a means of starting navigation
through the menus. The main menu is easily identified by the button options such as “Write
Message”, “Preset Message”, “Contact List”, “Settings and Tools”, “Sent Box”, “Inbox”, and
“EMRG HELP”. The main menu also is the only menu that displays the user name and ID#.
Figure 2, below, shows an image of the main menu, refer to the box labeled 5) User name and
ID# to find the location.

Page 9of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Figure 2. Image of the Main Menu
Date and Time
In Figure 2, above, the date and time is found at box two. The format of the date/time is as
follows: Day of week, date, time. The time is display as a 24 hour clock which means the hour
position continues to increment to 24 instead of rolling over at 12, this is often referred to as
military time. The messenger does not feature a backup battery circuit for the clock so if the
messenger is turned off and then turned back on at a later time then the date and time will be the
same as when it was turned off. The time and date is there for convenience, it is not required to
remain up to date for the functionality of the messenger. The date and time can be updated when
the messenger is connected to the charge rack by using the charge communication program (refer
to Section Nine: How to Update the User Information for more information).

Page 10 of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Section One: How to Use the Contact List
In order to send messages to other messenger rather than to the surface or to a group, the user
will have to utilize the contact list. There are two ways a user can access the contact list. The first
way is through the main menu by pressing the bottom right button, “Contact List”. The second
method for accessing the contact list is found when a user has either entered a custom message or
has selected a preset message and then on the next menu where the user configures the message,
the bottom middle button will bring up the contact list. The current version of software (1.01 at
this time) supports 2046 contacts.
First Contact List Screen
Narrow Contacts by Subgroups
The first part of the contact lists allows the user to narrow down the list by subgroups so if the
user wanted to send a message to a person that they knew was a electrician then they would press
the top left button, “Sort By”, until the Group to View line says Electricians. Once the user has
made the selection they would press the bottom middle button, “View”. One of the subgroups is
listed as general list which will display the entire contact list if that would be easier to navigate to
the end user.
Search for a Contact by Last Name
If the user doesn’t want to browse the list by a sub group then they can search for a person in the
contact list by LAST name. To use the search feature, press the bottom left button, “Spell Name”
in the first contact list menu. When the Spell Name button is pressed the screen will redraw with
a text entry screen similar to writing a custom message. To search enter either part of or all of a
person’s last name and then press the top right button, “Find” to search for the user.
Second Contact List Screen
Using the Contact List
The contact list screen will list the contacts with nine entries per page. Large contact lists can
easily be up to 100+ pages long. Fortunately, the page up/page down buttons (on the left side of
the keypad) allows the user to go to the end of the list by pressing page up on the first page and
press page down on the last page to go to the first page. This feature of wrapping pages allows a
user to get to the beginning or the end of the list quickly. The contact list is displayed as last
name, comma, and first name. For example, John Smith would appear as Smith,John in the

Page 11 of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
messenger. The list is also organized alphabetically by last name which will also speed up and
make it possible to find names in a large list. To move the red arrow to a contact use the up/down
buttons (when at the end of a page the user will have to press the page down button to move to
the next page). Once the contact is found the user can either set that person as the user of the
messenger (press the middle right button), search for their tag (press the bottom left button), or
select the contact (bottom middle button) to address a message with their ID number. If
searching for a name or browsing a group that does not have any contacts in it, the user will need
to press the top right button, “Return” to go back one menu and try again.

Page 12 of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Section Two: How to Send a Message
The Mine Net text messenger has the ability to send multiple types of messages. These include a
custom keyed in message, selection of a preset message, or a quick emergency message. The
custom message can contain up to 32 characters consisting of alphanumeric characters and
symbols. The preset messages are preset by each Mine and they can be updated. The last type of
message is the quick emergency message which will broadcast a message that has a message
type of Emergency with the destination address set to global. The following sections will
describe in detail how to send the different type of messages.
Creating a Custom Message
To create a custom message, wake up the messenger and in the main menu press the top right
button on the keypad to “Write a Message”. If the user was in another menu when the display
timed out then it will return to that previous menu, in order to write a message the user will have
to return to the main menu.
This next window is the screen where the custom message is written. The message length is
fixed at 32 characters and the messenger will keep count on the screen for the user. This will
prevent the user from typing anything over 32 characters.
On this screen you will see seven boxes around the edges of the screen which correspond to the
outer buttons.
The top left button will be the shift key that will cycle the text entry mode to switch between
letters, numbers, and symbols. Table 5, below, shows which characters are entered in by the
button used and the text entry mode.
Button to Press Alphabetical Entry Numerical Entry Symbolic Entry
Middle Left A B C D E 0 1 ! “ #
Bottom Left F G H I J 2 3 $ % &
Bottom Middle K L M N O 4 5 ‘ ( )
Bottom Right P G R S T 6 7 * + ,
Middle Right U V W X Y Z 8 9 - . / ?
Table 5. Text Entry Modes
For help on configuring the message and to send the message, refer to the following section on
page thirteen, titled Message Option Screen.

Page 13 of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Selecting a Preset Message
Each Mine may create a total of xx preset messages and load them into the messenger. These
preset messages offer a quick method of sending useful and often used messages.
To send a preset message, at the main menu press the middle right button, “Preset Message”. The
next screen will display the preset message list. There will be nine messages per page of the list.
To change pages press the page up or page down buttons (the buttons on the left side of the
keypad). To select a message, use the up/down buttons to move the red arrow to the desired
message and then press the bottom middle button, “Select to Send”. For detailed information on
how to set up the message and to send it, proceed to the following section, titled Message Option
Screen, on page thirteen.
Sending a Emergency Message
In the event that an emergency message is to be sent, from the main menu press the upper left
button, “EMRG HELP” TWO times. This will automatically send a hardcoded message with the
unit’s ID number and the message type will be set to Emergency. This message will act as a
global broadcast so every device will see it.
Message Option Screen
Once a custom message has been entered and the send msg button has been pressed, or a preset
message is selected the next screen is where messages can be configured to send to certain
groups, or sent to a person from the contact list. The next step would be to press the top right
button, “Send Message”, which will transmit the message. By default the message will be set up
to be sent to the surface system, or Mine Net, with a message type to Mine Net. The three
components of this menu are explained in detail below. The bottom right button, “Cancel
Message” is useful when it has been decided that the message is not needed any more. By
pressing this button the screen will return to the main menu and discard the message. If the
backlight on the screen should turn off while in this menu, it will restore back to the current view
with the message stored when the screen is awakened the next time.
Change Message Type
The first topic to examine in detail is the ability to change the message type by pressing the top
left button, “MSG Type”. This list will allow the user to select between nine different message
types. In Table 6, below, the message types are explained in detail. If the desired destination is to
Mine Net, then the message type does not need to be changed since it is always set as the default.
To return the destination address back to Mine Net’s address if it has been changed, enter the
change message type menu one more time and select to Mine Net.

Page 14 of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Message Type Addressing Definition
To a Messenger Select an address from
contact list This type will be set when a contact has been selected from the contact list.
To Mine Net Mine Net’s address This type will be set when sending to Mine
Net.
Global Message Global When this type is selected the message will
be received by all devices no matter what
their addresses are or their subgroup. There
is no need to select an address.
To All Firefighters To all members of the
Firefighter group When this type is selected the message will be sent to all firefighters, there is no need
to select an address.
To All Rescue/EMT To all members of the
Rescue/EMT group When this type is selected the message will be sent to all Rescue members, there is no
need to select an address.
To All Electricians To all members of the
Electricians group When this type is selected the message will be sent to all Electrician members, there is
no need to select an address.
Emergency Message Global, to all devices and
surface When this type of message is selected every device will receive the message
including Mine Net. There is no need to
select an address.
To All Foremen To all members of the
Foremen group When this type is selected the message will be sent to all Foremen members, there is no
need to select an address.
To All Mechanics To all members of the
Mechanics group When this type is selected the message will be sent to all Mechanic members, there is
no need to select an address.
Table 6. Message Types
To select a message type, use the up/down buttons to move the red arrow, once the arrow is on
the desired message type, press the bottom middle button, “Select”, to select the type.
Select a Contact
See Section One: How to Use the Contact List for more detailed information on how to use the
contact list. Find the contact to send to then the messenger will place the information into the
destination field.

Page 15 of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Send the Message
After the contact and message type has been configured press the upper right button to send the
message. The display will go black and it will then display text showing how many times it has
tried to send the message. If the messenger receives an acknowledgement from another device in
the appropriate time frame then the screen will say “Message has been sent”. If the messenger
never receives an acknowledgement after three tries the screen will say “Message was not sent,
please try again”. If the message failed, the user may go to the sent message menu (accessed
from the main menu) and resend the message again.

Page 16 of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Section Three: How to Receive a Message
The reception of message requires no interaction by the user so this section mainly covers the
procedure of knowing a message was received; how to read the message; and how to respond to
the message.
Message Indication
When a message is received, the first indication the user will notice is that the messenger will go
through a cycle of producing a sound along with a vibration, and the LED lights at the top of the
unit will blink GREEN. This alert can be canceled by pressing one of the outer buttons.
If a new message was received and the wakes the messenger up, the new message indicator is
shown as a blue envelope in the top left corner of the messenger.
The Read Menu
To read a message in the main menu, press the middle left button to enter the read menu. In this
menu, the user will see all of the messages that the messenger has received. New unread
messages will be displayed as green text, while messages that have been previously read will be
displayed as grey text. To read a message, press one of the two buttons that have vertical arrows
printed on them, these buttons are the dedicated up/down buttons to control the arrow movement.
To the upper right of the read menu the user will find the page number formatted as current page
over the total number of pages. If the total number of pages is more than one, then the user can
press the page up/page down buttons (middle left and top left buttons) to reach those pages.
If the arrow is at the bottom of the page and there are more messages on the next page, pressing
the down button will not go to the next page, the user will need to press the page down button.
To read a selected message, press the bottom middle button which will bring up the message and
it will also show who the message was from and the type of message.
The user has the option to erase the entire inbox by pressing the middle right button. This will
erase and clear all of the messages in the inbox. The messenger will store up to 24 messages at
one time but the user is not required to delete them once the max has been stored as the
messenger will overwrite the oldest messages with the newest messages.

Page 17 of 34
American Mine Research
12187 North Scenic Highway
Rocky Gap, VA 24366
Reading a Message
When reading a particular message that was selected, the user has the option to reply to the
message with a custom message, reply to the message with a preset message, or to delete the
current message.
To delete the current message press the top left button, “Erase”, in order to delete the current
message. This feature gives the user flexibility to delete individual messages instead of deleting
the entire inbox.
To reply to the message with a custom message press the bottom right button. Pressing this
button will bring up the text entry menu just like writing a message; from this point on refer to
Section Two: How to Send a Message for more details on sending and configuring a cutom
message.
To reply to the message with a preset message, press the bottom left button. Pressing this button
will bring up the preset menu listing all of the stored preset messages. Refer to Section Two:
How to Send a Message for more detailed information on sending and configuring a preset
message.