BridgeComSystems ComLink CS-540 User manual

ComLink CS-540 Owner’s Manual
Version 1.5, November 2006

Copyright 2006 BY
Bridge Embedded Systems, Inc
Version 1.5, November 2006
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
LTRis a registered trademark of EF Johnson Corporation
Windowsis a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation
For Technical Support, please contact:
BridgeCom Systems, Inc.
617 Liberty Road
Smithville, MO 64089
Tel: [phone]
[email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 5
WELCOME ........................................................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER 2: SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................... 6
FRONT PANEL DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................... 7
REAR PANEL DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 3: INSTALLATION ............................................................................................. 8
INSTALLATION ................................................................................................................... 8
POWER UP....................................................................................................................... 8
CHAPTER 4: OPERATION .................................................................................................. 9
OPERATING MODES ............................................................................................................. 9
CHANNEL AND USER DATABASE ............................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER 5: REPEATER MODE......................................................................................... 10
OVERVIEW...................................................................................................................... 10
OPERATION..................................................................................................................... 10
CHANNEL SETTINGS........................................................................................................... 10
USER SETTINGS ............................................................................................................... 11
ERROR ALERTS ................................................................................................................ 11
CHAPTER 6: BASE STATION MODE.................................................................................. 12
OVERVIEW...................................................................................................................... 12
OPERATION..................................................................................................................... 12
BASE STATION SETTINGS .................................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER 7: AUXILIARY MODE ....................................................................................... 13
OVERVIEW...................................................................................................................... 13
AUXILIARY SETTINGS ............................................................................................................ 13
EXTERNAL CONTROLLERS ........................................................................................................ 13
CHAPTER 8: REMOTE PROGRAMMING............................................................................. 14
OVERVIEW...................................................................................................................... 14
ACCESSING REMOTE PROGRAM MODE............................................................................................. 15
COMMANDS ...................................................................................................................... 15
EXAMPLE 1: ADD A NEW USER AND MODIFY THE USER’S PROFILE ................................................................ 18
EXAMPLE 2: DEACTIVATE AN EXISTING USER .................................................................................... 20
CHAPTER 9: ALIGNMENT ................................................................................................ 21
OVERVIEW...................................................................................................................... 21
PARAMETERS ................................................................................................................... 21
RESTORING FACTORY DEFAULT ALIGNMENT................................................................................ 21
FINE-TUNING TRANSMITTER ALIGNMENT ......................................................................................... 22
CHAPTER 10: KEYPAD LOCK ........................................................................................... 23
OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 23
PROCEDURE ...................................................................................................................... 23
CHAPTER 11: DUPLEXER INSTALLATION ........................................................................ 23
PROCEDURE ...................................................................................................................... 23
3

CHAPTER 12: BATTERY BACKUP/EXTERNAL DC IN ......................................................... 24
APPENDIX A: ACCESSORY CONNECTOR DESCRIPTION ................................................... 25
APPENDIX B: REMOTE PROGRAMMING QUICK REFERENCE ............................................ 26
APPENDIX C: TONE/CODE TABLES ................................................................................. 27
CTCSS TONES ................................................................................................................ 27
DCS CODES ................................................................................................................... 27
APPENDIX D: REPEATER SYSTEM RECORD SHEET .......................................................... 28
APPENDIX E: 120V AC ~ 240V AC CONVERSION ............................................................ 30
APPENDIX F: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .............................................................. 30
APPENDIX G: LCD QUICK REFERENCE SHEET.................................................................. 31
WARRANTY AND SERVICE .............................................................................................. 32
FCC STATEMENTS ........................................................................................................... 33
4

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Welcome
Thank you for purchasing the ComLink CS-540 FM Repeater System. As part of the ComLink series, the CS-540 has been
developed to provide many of the features you, the communications user, have requested. The CS-540 gives you a feature
rich scalable repeater platform to grow as your system needs grow. The CS-540 integrates the RF power of a dual fan-
cooled 40-watt repeater with a high capacity ‘tone panel’ and a 16 channel base station. The CS-540 also provides a D-SUB
25pin accessory connector allowing for ease in interfacing your favorite external peripheral such as a Tone/DC Remote,
Telephone Interconnect, SCADA, or Telemetry fixture. We would also like to say The CS-540 repeater is 100% LTR
compatible and can be used with your favorite LTR trunking controller. This means the CS-540 provides DC access from
the receiver to the controller and from the controller all the way to the RF transmitter without causing sub-audible signal
degradation.
Features
• High Performance Specs: Temperature
Compensation Oscillator (TCXO) ensures frequency
stability and accuracy during ambient temperature
changes.
• Modular Design: The modular design of the CS-540
allows for ease and quick replacement of the internal
electronics at the site.
• Rack style design: The galvanized steel chassis
construction provides for a Heavy Duty housing that
can be mounted in a standard 19” rack or desktop
configuration taking up 3.5” of rack space. Standard
equipped rack handles provide for ease during 19”
rack installation.
• Internal duplexer (optional): The design of the
CS-540’s chassis allows for an internal duplexer to
be installed.
• Front panel display and controls: The front panel
of the CS-540 includes a LCD display and four LED
status indicators. Front panel controls include a five-
button keypad and speaker volume control.
• Windows-based programmer: The CS-540 can be
setup and maintained using the optional PGM-540
programming software. Programming is simple and
easy – one DB9 cable connects your PC to the CS-
540, no other interface modules are needed.
• Signaling capability: Built-in High capacity ‘tone
panel’ that supports up to 64 users per channel with
50 CTCSS tones and 112 DCS codes available per
channel. Cross tone/code encoding is available as
well.
• Battery Backup: The CS-540 can be powered from
a 12V battery and also provides a charging circuit for
maintenance free operation.
• External Speaker Out: Operate a high powered
external speaker by turning it on from the front
panel.
• Programmable I/O: Incorporates programmable
I/O lines that can be used to control external devices
remotely. Perfect for SCADA or Telemetry
applications. Doubles as programmable COS output.
• Integrated High-Efficiency Power Supply: The
CS-540 includes an internal 10A power supply with
MosFet-based switchmode technology for high
reliability, high efficiency and minimum size and
weight. It also provides 13.8V output for powering
external controllers, thus saving valuable site
resources.
• Dual Cooling Fans: The CS-540 incorporates two
cooling fans that can be programmed for continuous
operation or transmit only.
• Variable channel spacing: Each channel can be
individually programmed to use 12.5 kHz or 25 kHz
spacing making the CS-540 useful for years to come.
• Remote Programming via DTMF tones: In order
to save a time consuming trip to the site, the CS-540
provides for remote programming and maintenance.
• Accessory Connector and AUX Feature: The
internal controller can be disabled and the repeater
placed in an auxiliary mode where it can be used as
a slave to an external controller.
• Air-Time Logging: The CS-540 automatically logs
cumulative airtime on a per use basis. The airtime is
recorded in minutes and seconds and is accumulated
on per second basis. The air-time data is then
retrieved using the PGM-540 programming software.
• Keypad Lock: During operation at the site, the
keypad can be locked to prevent tampering with the
repeater settings.
• LTR Decoder: When the CS-540 is connected to an
LTR controller, this feature decodes and displays the
ID and home channel of the call being repeated
This Owner’s Manual will acquaint you with the features and specifications of the CS-540. Every effort has been made in
the preparation of this manual to ensure the accuracy of its contents. However, please note that one of the many features
of the CS-540 includes upgradable firmware. Firmware upgrades may modify existing features and/or introduce new
features not available at the time of this manual’s publication. Please read the accompanying documentation with any
firmware upgrade for any changes to this manual’s content.
5

6
CHAPTER 2: SPECIFICATIONS
General CS-540U CS-540V
Number of Channels: 16
Operating Voltage: 11 V DC Min / 13.8 V DC Nominal / 15 V DC Max
Channel Spacing: 5kHz/6.25KHz/Splinter
Current Drain: 12A Max
Weight: 18.5 lbs.
Weight w/ duplexer: 19.5 lbs.
Frequency Range: 450-480 MHz 148-174 MHz
Dimensions (W x H x D): 19.0” x 3.5” x 14.0”
Frequency Stability: +/- 1.0 ppm +/- 2.5 ppm
Operating Temperature Range: -22°F to +140°F (-30°C to +60°C)
Local Oscillator: Low-side injection High-side injection
Sensitivity (12 dB SINAD) < 0.25 µV @ 12.5 kHz < 0.25 µV @25.0 kHz
Squelch Threshold: Open 12dB SINAD/Close 8dB SINAD
Selectivity: 62dB @ 12.5kHz 72dB @ 25.0kHz
Spurious Rejection: 75dB
Intermodulation Rejection: 72dB @ 12.5kHz 72dB @ 25.0kHz
Antenna Connector: N-Type
Antenna Impedance: 50Ω
RF Output (w/o duplexer):
Programmable
450-470 @ 0-40W
471-480 @ 0-35W
148-174 @ 0-40W
Modulation: 160K0F3E, 11K0F3E
Maximum Deviation: +/- 5kHz (25 kHz) +/- 2.5 kHz (12.5 kHz)
FM Hum and Noise 36dB @ 12.5kHz 42dB @ 25.0kHz
Antenna Connector: N-Type
Antenna Impedance: 50Ω
Specifications per EIA standards. In our on-going commitment to quality specifications are subject
to change without notice.

Front Panel Description
1) Microphone input jack
2) Volume control knob
3) Alphanumeric and Icon LCD
4) 5 button keypad (▲,▼, BASE, MON, AUX)
5) Computer port DB9 Female
6) LED status indicators (BASE, RX, VALID, TX)
7) Internal Speaker
8) Lighted power switch
Rear Panel Description
1) Fan
2) Accessory Port: DB25 female standard on CS-540
3) TX Antenna N-type female panel mount or duplexer out
4) RX Antenna N-type female panel mount or vacant
5) Detachable AC cord receptacle
6) BATTERY BACKUP/EXT DC IN
7) 13.8V output
8) EXTERNAL SPEAKER OUT
7

8
CHAPTER 3: INSTALLATION
Upon opening the shipping carton, the following items should be present and undamaged:
• CS-540 FM Repeater System
• This CS-540 Owner’s Manual
• Detachable AC-line cord
• One strip of four rubber feet
The CS-540 is capable of producing HIGH-powered RF signals that require proper termination into
a suitable load. It is highly recommended the CS-540 be installed by a qualified technician with
experience installing FM repeaters and controller equipment.
Installation
The CS-540 provides 4 mounting holes on the front panel for installation into a 19” rack and 4 rubber feet for
placement in a desktop configuration. If installing the CS-540 in a 19” rack, use 4 rack screws (not supplied)
to securely fasten the CS-540’s front panel flush with the rack’s rails. If placed in a desktop configuration, it
is recommended the rubber feet be placed close to the four corners of the bottom of the chassis.
Optional accessories include a base station microphone, internal duplexer, and the PGM-540 programmer.
Please check with your dealer for more information about these optional accessories.
The CS-540 is shipped with or without an internal duplexer. If the unit is not equipped with an internal
duplexer, there will be an N-type female connector for RX and another for TX located on the rear of the unit.
If the unit is shipped with an internal duplexer, there will be one N-type female connector at the TX/Duplexer
Out port.
The internal power supply of the CS-540 is factory pre-set for 120V AC 60HZ operation to deliver 13.8 Volts.
To convert the internal power supply to 240V AC, see Appendix E. If the CS-540 did not come with a duplexer
installed, connect the received signal to the RX antenna port and connect the TX antenna port’s output to
where the powered signal is to be transmitted. If the CS-540 came installed with a duplexer, attach the
antenna cable to the duplexer out port on the rear of the unit.
Power Up
To power the unit, simply plug the detachable AC-line cord into the receptacle located on the back of the unit
and then plug it into an AC line source. Pressing the lighted power switch to the up position turns on the CS-
540. The power switch will illuminate indicating the unit is on. The CS-540 will cycle through a power-up
sequence illuminating the LCD and the LED’s. The model name will be displayed for approximately two
seconds followed by the version of firmware. If the CS-540 was ordered without being custom programmed,
the default personality will be loaded and HIGHPWR will be displayed for approximately 2 seconds and then
dashed lines. If the unit was ordered custom programmed, the name given to the first channel will be
displayed instead of HIGHPWR. If the CS-540 was ordered without being custom-programmed, you will have
to purchase the PGM-540 repeater programmer. Please reference the PGM-540 User’s Manual for learning
how to program your CS-540. Once programmed, the CS-540 will be reset and cycle through its power-up
sequence and default to repeater mode. Note: HIGHPWR is the name of the channel programmed. This
channel is configured at the factory to transmit 40 watts. Keep this in mind prior to attaching the repeater to
a service monitor. Depending on your test equipment setup, you may need to reduce the output power or
pad the TX output so as not to damage your test equipment.

9
CHAPTER 4: OPERATION
Operating Modes
The CS-540 has three different modes of operation: repeater mode, base station mode, and auxiliary mode.
By default, it operates in repeater mode unless you explicitly change modes. This chapter will give you a
brief overview of each of the modes. The individual modes are covered in detail in the chapters that follow.
Also in each of the various operating modes an external peripheral can be connected to the accessory
connector located on the rear of the unit. Through programming, the external peripheral can be made to
work in conjunction with the repeater. The CS-540 will ‘remember’ the mode it was in prior to powering the
repeater down. When powered back up, it will revert to the mode it was in prior to power down.
Repeater Mode: The CS-540 is a full-featured community repeater with programmable settings for channel
spacing, TX Timeout, and CWID broadcasting preferences. In repeater mode, the CS-540 will listen for calls
from any user that belongs to the currently selected channel. If it detects a CTCSS tone or DCS code of a
valid user, it will repeat the call with the appropriate CTCSS/DCS encoding. While in repeater mode, the CS-
540 can also be remotely programmed using a two-way radio capable of generating DTMF tones. For more
information on repeater mode, see “Chapter 5: Repeater Mode”. For more information on remote
programming, see “Chapter 8: Remote Programming”.
If an external peripheral such as a phone patch is used in conjunction with repeater Mode, the external
peripheral will gain control of the transmitter upon engaging the external PTT line. When the external PTT line
is engaged, the circuit is designed to break the connection between the RX Module and the TX Module so that
the external peripheral has control. The transmit options of the user in Slot 1 will be utilized. If
necessary, the repeater supports a programmable COS output on pin 17 to be interfaced with the peripheral.
Base Station Mode: The CS-540 is a full-featured base station with programmable settings for busy queuing
and busy channel lockout. By attaching an optional microphone, the CS-540 can communicate as any user on
the selected channel. For more information, see “Chapter 6: Base Station Mode.” If an external peripheral
such as a DC Remote is used in base mode the transmit options of the user in Slot 1 will be utilized
when the external PTT line is engaged.
Auxiliary Mode: AUX mode can serve many purposes. Placing the CS-540 in AUX mode disables the internal
controller and allows for the unit to be totally controlled by an external peripheral. During AUX mode, the
display illumination level may also be changed and the transmit RF power can be enabled/disabled, also, the
composite input feature can be enabled/disabled. For more information, see “Chapter 7: Auxiliary Mode”.
Channel and User Database
Before you begin reading about the various modes of the CS-540, it is helpful to know how the channel and
user database is constructed. You may program up to 16 channels for the CS-540 to use. At any time, only
one channel is active. You can select which channel you would like activated by scrolling through the list of
channels using the up () and down () keys on the CS-540’s front panel. Each of the 16 channels has
unique settings for broadcast ID, broadcast interval, Morse code rate, receiver frequency, transmitter
frequency, channel spacing, power, and TX Timeout time. These settings are explained in more detail in
“Chapter 5: Repeater Mode.” In addition, base station settings are determined on a per channel basis. Base
station settings include busy lockout, busy queuing, busy queue timeout, system hold time, and marked idle.
These settings are explained in more detail in “Chapter 6: Base Station Mode”. Each channel can support up
to 64 users. Each user is assigned a particular slot within the channel. User slots are numbered sequentially
from 0 to 63. Slot 0 is the System Operator, which is the only user with remote programming privileges. This
is explained in more detail in “Chapter 8: Remote Programming”. The remaining slots (1 through 63) are for
common users, and no preference is given to users based on their order within the slots.
Each of the 64 users has unique settings for user ID, status, RX signaling, TX signaling, courtesy tone, TX hold
time, and tone-in-tail. These setting are explained in more detail in “Chapter 5: Repeater Mode”.

CHAPTER 5: REPEATER MODE
Overview
In repeater mode, each of the CS-540’s 16 channels is capable of supporting 64 individual users. Each
subscriber may have one of 50 possible CTCSS tones or one of 112 possible DCS codes. While in repeater
mode, the CS-540 can be placed in remote programming mode and the selected channel’s properties and user
database can be changed using transmitted DTMF tone command sequences.
Operation
To place the CS-540 on a programmed channel, simply press the up () or down () buttons on the front
panel. This will allow for cycling through the possible channels. Once the desired channel is selected, the
channel name will be displayed for approximately two seconds and the LCD will revert to displaying dashed
lines. If this is the first time this channel is used, you must restore the factory default settings for
this frequency pair. See Chapter 9: Alignment. At this point the CS-540 is in an idle state waiting to
validate and repeat incoming calls. Upon receipt of carrier, the yellow RX LED will illuminate. When a valid
user’s signaling is decoded, the green VALID LED will illuminate and the user’s name will be displayed on the
LCD. The transmitter will then power up and repeat the call. At this point the red TX LED will illuminate and
the cooling fan will engage. When the call expires, the green VALID LED will go off and if carrier is no longer
present, the yellow RX LED will go off as well. The Transmitter may remain keyed for a programmed hang
time. When done transmitting, the red TX LED will go off, and the cooling fan may stop depending on
programming. At any point in time, the repeater audio traffic may be monitored. This is done by pressing the
MON button. Pressing-and-releasing the MON button will sequence through the possible speaker output
options. The sequence is thus: Internal Speaker, External Speaker, Both Internal and External, and both off.
The NOTE icon will visible to indicate internal, and the Sicon will be visible to indicate external.
NOTE: During repeater mode operation, it is not recommended that a passive or mobile-type
microphone be connected to the unit. A mobile-type microphone is always ‘hot’ and the repeater will
mix the mic audio with the repeated audio. A base station-type microphone is preferred.
Channel Settings
The behavior of the CS-540 while in repeater mode depends on various channel and user settings. Channel
and user settings are either pre-programmed by your dealer or by you using the PGM-540 programmer.
Some channel and user settings can be modified via remote programming commands, as described in
“Chapter 8: Remote Programming”. The following lists all of the channel settings.
Receiver/Transmitter Frequency: You must specify a
receive and transmit frequency, typically 5 MHz apart. If
you are working with the CS-540U (UHF model), you may
specify a frequency in the range of 450 to 480 MHz. If
you are working with the CS-540V (VHF model), you may
specify a frequency in the range of 148 to 174.5 MHz.
The repeater also handles the amateur region in both 2M
and 70cm.
Channel Name: The Channel Name is an eight-character
name. Legal characters are uppercase letters and
numbers. It is also the name that appears in the CS-
540’s LCD display when that channel is active.
Broadcast ID: Like the Channel Name, the Broadcast ID
is an eight-character name consisting of uppercase
letters and numbers. The Broadcast ID is transmitted in
Morse code at specified intervals to identify the repeater
on the air. By default, the Broadcast ID is the same as
the Channel Name. However, you have the option of
choosing a Broadcast ID that is different from the
Channel Name.
Channel Spacing: Each channel can be programmed for
either narrow (12.5kHz) or wide (25kHz) band. This
setting is applied to both the transmitter and the
receiver.
Power Setting: Each channel can be programmed for
either high or low power. Low power starts at 5 watts
and High power starts at 40 Watts. The TX power can be
adjusted from the alignment menu. The RF PA can also
be turned off. For more information about this feature,
see “Chapter 7: Auxiliary Mode”.
Broadcast Interval: The Broadcast Interval specifies
how often the Broadcast ID will be transmitted. It has a
range of 0 to 999 minutes. ‘0’ disables this feature and
the Broadcast ID will not be transmitted. The CS-540 is
designed to broadcast the ID if and only if it has actively
transmitted within the most recent time interval.
Morse Code Rate: Rate at which the Broadcast ID will
be transmitted: either 11 or 22 WPM (Words Per Minute).
10