CML Microcircuits VDES 1000 User manual

2021 CML Microsystems Plc
VDES 1000 Module Quick Start Guide
Date: 19 Feb 2021
Revision: 4.0

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 2 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
CONTENTS
Section Page
1Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................3
2Hardware Requirements........................................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Digital Breakout Board ......................................................................................................................................................3
2.2 RS422 to USB Adaptor.......................................................................................................................................................4
3Software Requirements............................................................................................................................................4
4Setup........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
5Updating Software ................................................................................................................................................... 5
6Single Unit Testing.................................................................................................................................................... 5
7Operating more than one VDES1000 unit from a single PC........................................................................................7
8Unit-to-unit File Transfer ..........................................................................................................................................8
9Ping Test................................................................................................................................................................. 11
10 Useful Information ................................................................................................................................................. 12
10.1 Using the RS422 Port.......................................................................................................................................................12
10.2 Changing the IP Address..................................................................................................................................................12
10.3 VDES Engineering Control Application ............................................................................................................................12
10.4 Hardware.........................................................................................................................................................................14
10.5 Software..........................................................................................................................................................................14
Table Page
Table 1 VDES1000 J6 Pinout ................................................................................................................................................................3
Figure Page
Figure 1 RS422 to USB Adaptor ...........................................................................................................................................................4
Figure 2 The Status tab where a software reset can be done (left) The Programming tab showing download progress (right) .........5
Figure 3 VDES1000 Module Test Setup ...............................................................................................................................................6
Figure 4 Setting up the UDP ports for single VDES1000 units connected to a PC ................................................................................6
Figure 5 Setting the broadcast IP (left) and the UDP ports for development use ................................................................................7
Figure 6 Unit-to-unit File Transfer .......................................................................................................................................................8
Figure 7 Setting the MMSI (left) and the Link_ID (right) for file transfers............................................................................................9
Figure 8 The destination MMSI and file to be transmitted have been configured.............................................................................10
Figure 9 The VDES File Transfer tab showing a a message has been transmitted successfully. .........................................................10
Figure 10 Configuring the Transmitter Ping test (left) and received ping data (right)........................................................................11

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 3 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
1Introduction
This guide is designed to be used with the following software / firmware versions. If later versions are loaded, check with
CML Application Support for updates.
Loader: 1.4
Application: 4.0
engCtrlApp: 1.8.1
2Hardware Requirements
The following hardware is needed:
1. Power Supply: must provide 24 VDC at 4A
2. Power cable: must mate with the Molex Mini-Fit-Jr on the VDES1000.
3. Digital break-out board (for Ethernet and RS422 connection to host).
1
4. Active GPS antenna. A Siretta Alpha 4A is suggested.
5. RF cables/connectors:
a. SMA female for antenna.
b. SMP female for GPS.
c. RF loads/attenuators to suit test environment.
6. For RS422 Port 0 access:
a. 26-way D-sub female to connect to the breakout board.
b. RS422 to USB adaptor and cable.
2.1 Digital Breakout Board
The digital breakout board is used to interface with the VDES1000 module to a host via the Ethernet port and the RS422
Port 0. Table 1 shows the pinouts of J6 on the VDES 1000.
J6
RJ45
J6
RJ45
Pin
Net Name
Pin
Net
Pin
Net Name
Pin
Net
1
GND
26
PI1_TX_B
2
/RESET
27
PI1_RX_A
3
SPI_CS
28
PI1_RX_B
4
SPI_MOSI
29
PI2_TX_A
5
SPI_CLK
30
PI2_TX_B
6
SPI_MISO
31
PI2_RX_A
7
I2C_SCL
32
PI2_RX_B
8
I2C_SDA
33
PI3_TX_A
9
GND
34
PI3_TX_B
10
GND
35
PI3_RX_A
11
ETH_TXRXA_P
1
MX1+
36
PI3_RX_B
12
ETH_TXRXA_N
2
MX1-
37
PI14_TX_A
13
ETH_TXRXB_P
3
MX2+
38
PI14_TX_B
14
ETH_TXRXB_N
6
MX2-
39
PI4_RX_A
15
ETH_TXRXC_P
4
MX3+
40
PI4_RX_B
16
ETH_TXRXC_N
5
MX3-
41
PI5_TX_A
17
ETH_TXRXD_P
7
MX4+
42
PI5_TX_B
18
ETH_TXRXD_N
8
MX4-
43
PI5_RX_A
19
GND
44
PI5_RX_B
20
GND
45
ALARM_A
21
PI0_TX_A
46
ALARM_B
22
PI0_TX_B
47
GND
23
PI0_RX_A
48
GND
24
PI0_RX_B
49
STATUS_LED_R
25
PI1_TX_A
50
STATUS_LED_G
Table 1 VDES1000 J6 Pinout
A schematic for the digital breakout board is available to download from the CML Technical Portal. This provides pinout
data for the RS-422 Ports on a 26-way D-Sub and the Ethernet socket.
1
Included in the kit.

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 4 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
2.2 RS422 to USB Adaptor
The PI can also be accessed via RS422 Port 0 using the 26-way D-sub connector on the breakout board. This allows NMEA
sentences from the PI to be received by a terminal emulator running on the PC. Talker sentences may also be sent from
the PC. A suitable adaptor can be constructed as shown in Figure 1.
1
17
16
8
7RX-RX+
TX-TX+
FTDI USB-RS422-PCB
RS422 to USB Converter
x26-way D-Sub
Female connector
3 socket rows
Shielded twisted pair
cable
Can be earthed both ends for screening.
The D-Sub frame is not grounded
Figure 1 RS422 to USB Adaptor
3Software Requirements
Although not required, the following software is useful when verifying the VDES1000 module functionality:
1. A network access utility such as Netcat.
2. VDES Engineering Control Application.
3. A terminal emulator such as PuTTY, TeraTerm or RealTerm.
Users should be aware that the 61162-450 protocol specificies IP address and port allocations.
4Setup
Two configuration options are discussed in the following sections:
Single Unit Testing
Two VDES1000 units test - Unit-to-unit File Transfer
Before testing ensure that the latest software and firmware has been downloaded from the CML Technical Portal.
Set up the VDES unit as shown in the Single Unit Transmit Test or the Unit-To-Unit File Transfer
There are a number of LEDs that indicate the status of the VDES1000.
LED ID
Location
Colour
Indication
LED1
POWER
top board, back of unit
Green
Lit while power is applied
LED1
STATUS
bottom board, back of unit
Green/Red/Yellow
Green: No BIIT issue detected.
Yellow: Possible error detected. Consult unit
event log.
Red: Serious error detected. Unit may not be
operational and requires repair. Consult unit
event log.
LED2
top board, front of unit
Green
Lit when transmitting RF (PA biased).
LED2
bottom board, side of unit)
Green
flashes at approximately 1Hz to show the CPU
is operating correctly
LED4
bottom board, side of unit)
Green
flashes at approximately 1Hz to show the
FPGA is operating correctly
LED3
bottom board, side of unit)
Red/Green
Red lit –Ethernet port is connected
Green lit –Ethernet data transfer active
Note that transmit power is limited to 1W by default. This can be changed using the VDES Engineering Control
application.

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 5 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
5Updating Software
The software on the VDES1000 can be updated using the VDES Engineering Control Application by following the steps
below. Always read the release notes before updating software to ensure that valid image combinations are loaded. For
example, the latest Loader may be needed before updating the VDES Module Firmware. Ensure that the latest version of
the VDES Engineering Control Application is being used.
1. Set up the units as required for a single unit or multi unit test.
2. Power up the PC(s).
3. Power up the VDES1000 unit(s). The two green LEDs on the side of the unit should start flashing at 1Hz which indicates
the unit is ready.
4. Open the VDES Engineering Control Application and make sure that you can communicate with the target by going to the
status page and clicking Refresh.
Figure 2 The Status tab where a software reset can be done (left)
The Programming tab showing download progress (right)
5. If an error message is displayed, then use Tools >Options and check your IP settings as well as the connection to the
target. The current software version can be queried by selecting the Software Version tab and clicking Refresh.
6. If the Loader version is newer then update this first.
7. If a Golden Application is available and it is a newer version then update this next.
8. If the Module Firmware is a newer version than the Application Version then update this last.
9. The FPGA version and the Customer App Version should be ignored.
10. Select the Programming tab.
11. Click on the button next to the File Name text box and navigate to the file to program (eg. vdesapp_v2.3.f3b0d426.prog ).
Click Open. The File Name text box will show the full path to the selected file.
Click Program. Programming of the unit will start. Programming takes approximately 60 seconds. If programming stalls
half-way through for longer than 30 seconds, then go to the Status tab and perform a software reset. This will flush the
image to flash and complete the programming step. In this case a message box will be displayed indicating that
programming has failed even though it has been programmed successfully.
12. A message will be displayed once programming has completed. Perform a software reset or cycle power to the board for
the download to take effect.
13. If programming fails due to loss of power or other communication failures, then it will revert back to the golden image if a
reset is done.
14. If programming fails due to a communication error then it can simply be retried before cycling power.
6Single Unit Testing
A block diagram of the setup to test a VDES1000 module is shown in Figure 3. This is a simple test setup for RF testing,
using a signal generator or spectrum analyser connected to the VDES RF port. This is the female SMA connector. Ensure
that any test equipment connected is sufficiently robust or protected to survive the RF power output of the VDES1000
transmissions. The use of a 40dB RF attenuator is recommended during testing.
A PC must be connected to the unit via Ethernet to allow the VDES Engineering Control Application to be used. A bench
power supply is used to power the unit.
RS422 Port 0 can also be connected to the PC via a suitable adaptor.

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 6 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
VDES1000 Module
POWER:
Molex Mini-Fit Jr
Digital:
Samtec SFM-125-
02-L-DH-A
6x RS422
6x RS422 Digital Core
Ethernet
Power Supply
Various Low-voltage
and PA supply.
TX Line-up
RX Line-up
TX/RX Switch VDES RF
GPS RF
+24V
6x RS422
RESET
1x Relay NO
Power Supply
24 VDC 4 A
PC or Laptop
Figure 3 VDES1000 Module Test Setup
1. Connect the VDES1000 module as shown in Figure 3.
2. Run the vdesEngCtrl.exe application. It will show the General tab.
3. Switch on power to the module. It will draw 260mA @ 24V when first powered up. The board will perform a self-
test and then draw roughly 390mA @ 24V after 3 seconds when the application is running. Both the CPU and FPGA
LEDs will flash at 1Hz.
Figure 4 Setting up the UDP ports for single VDES1000 units connected to a PC
4. Click on Tools in the menu and select Options.
5. In the Options dialogue set the VDES1000 IP address and check the Use UDP for PI option.
6. Click OK, accept the configuration and close the Options dialogue.
7. Select the Status tab and then click Refresh. The display should update with the current status values, including the
internal power supply levels and temperatures.
8. Click on the Receiver Testing tab and then click Update. The fields should populate with the default receiver
configurations.
9. Check Monitor RF Rx Traffic. This will allow the receivers to receive information that is transmitted on their
configured RF channels and display the relevant data and status in the console to the right.
10. After a few minutes the unit will begin transmitting AIS traffic. Each message will coincide with the Transmitting
LED, LED2 on the top of the unit, flashing green briefly.

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 7 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
11. If the RS422 port 0 is connected to the PC, a terminal emulator such as PuTTy, TeraTerm or RealTerm can be
assigned to the port to display receiver activity. The port should be configured to 38400 baud 8 data bits, no
parity, 1 stop bit and no flow control.
12. The transmit power is limited to 1W by default. This can be changed by selecting the Configuration tab in the VDES
Engineering Control application. Select Installer -> TxOutputPowerdBm and select the desired option. Only 1W and
12.5W can be selected.
13. When testing it may be necessary to disable the autonomous AIS transmissions from the VDES1000. This can be
done by selecting the Configuration tab in the VDES Engineering Control Application. Select User -> Feature Mask
and change the value to 6. Select the Receiver Testing tab and check the Enabled checkboxes for the AIS receive
channels then click Update. The AIS channels will now receive but not transmit autonomously.
CAUTION: If an AIS transmit message is sent over the PI then this will override the configuration setting and the AIS
messages will be transmitted. To restore normal operation, select User -> Feature Mask and change the value back to the
default value 7.
7Operating more than one VDES1000 unit from a single PC
It is possible to operate multiple VDES1000 units on one PC using a single Ethernet port with an Ethernet switch or hub.
Each VDES1000 unit must have its own IP address and these must be in the range of the subnet mask for the PC Ethernet
port. The units must not be configured to use IEC 61162-450 broadcasting.
1. Connect and create the configuration for one VDES1000 unit as described in Single Unit Testing.
2. On the Configuration tab in the VDES Engineering Control application. Select User -> BroadCastIP and set it to 0.0.0.0.
This disables IEC 61162-450 broadcasting. The Use UDP for Pi (IEC61162-450) in Tools -> Options setting will be ignored.
3. In the Options dialogue set the VDES1000 IP address and check the Use non standard -450 local ports (development
use) option.
Figure 5 Setting the broadcast IP (left) and the UDP ports for development use
4. Disconnect the VDES1000 unit from the PC.
5. Create a new folder for the second VDES1000 unit. This can be anywhere within the users space on the PC.
6. Copy the following items from the existing VDES1000 folder:
•vdesEngCtrl.exe
•vdesEngCtrl.exe.manifest
•Application.settings
•Data folder with contents
7. Open the new folder for the second VDES1000 unit in Windows Explorer.
8. Connect and power up the second VDES1000 unit as described in Single Unit Testing.
9. Start the VDES Engineering Control Application and set the IP address of the second VDES unit as described in Changing
the IP Address.
10. Click on Tools in the VDES Engineering Control Application menu bar.
11. In the Options dialogue, set the Target IP to match that of the second VDES1000 unit.
12. Change the Local UDP Port to be outside the range of the first VDES1000 unit, for example if unit 1 is set to 7002 set it to
7020. (Application uses Local UDP Port +1,2,3,4).
13. Check Use UDP for PI (IEC 61162-450).
14. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on this second unit.

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 8 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
15. Click OK. The second VDES1000 unit and the second VDES Engineering Control Application are now configured to talk to
each other.
16. Power down and disconnect the second VDES1000 unit.
17. Repeat steps 5 for 16 of any additional units.
18. Connect the PC Ethernet port to a switch or hub. Connect the VDES1000 units to ports on the switch or hub.
The VDES1000 units can now be controlled independently from the unique instances of the VDES Engineering Control
Application.
8Unit-to-unit File Transfer
This section describes the setup and procedure necessary to perform a basic file transfer between two PCs using a
VDES1000 connected to each PC. For testing with two VDES1000 units connected to one PC configure the PC following
section 7 - Operating more than one VDES1000 unit from a single PC.
The following step-by-step guide will guide you through the process of transferring a file between two units. See section 2
and section 3 for the required hardware and software.
Figure 6 shows the test configuration for two VDES1000 units. Each VDES1000 is connected to a PC for control purposes
and the antenna ports are connected together. The GPS antenna is optional for this test but required for further testing.
The RS2422 connection to the PC is optional for this test but is required for further testing.
Note the IP address and MMSI for the units. These can be changed as required by the user. The following steps will
describe how to reproduce the setup shown in Figure 6.
WARNING: External attenuators must always be connected to the VDES1000 antenna port to prevent damage to test
equipment.
The default MMSI on a new unit is 0 (disabled).
The default IP address on a new unit is 10.0.0.5.
Spectrum Analyser
RF Splitter
VDES1000 PC
PC
VHF Antenna
GPS
Ethernet
RS422
Power
1
2
S
S
40dB
Attenuator
40dB
Attenuator VDES1000
VHF Antenna
GPS
Ethernet
RS422
Power
Ethernet
USB
Ethernet
USB
Power
Power Dual Bench
Supply 24V
IP: 10.0.0.5
MMSI: 555555559
IP: 10.0.0.5
MMSI: 555555558
Figure 6 Unit-to-unit File Transfer
1. Connect the two VDES1000 module antenna ports together and connect the PCs as shown in Figure 6.
2. Power up the units with a 24V supply. Ideally each unit should have its own bench supply, or use a supply with two
outputs. Each unit will draw a static current of 430mA when running and up to 2.5A when transmitting. Note the two
LEDs on the side of the unit should be flashing at 1Hz indicating that the units are ready.
3. Configure the PC to be on the same IP subnet as the VDES1000 (e.g. IP 10.0.0.4). It should be possible to ping the unit at
10.0.0.5 from the PC.
4. The steps below (5 to 9) must be performed on both transmit and receive PCs.

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 9 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
5. Start up the VDES Engineering Control Application.
6. Select Tools -> Options and ensure that the IP address is set to that of the unit connected to the PC (default should be
10.0.0.5). See Figure 5.
7. Make sure that Use UDP for PI (IEC 61162-450) is checked. This will use Ethernet for the Presentation Interface.
8. If the Configured Ports for IEC 61162-450 MISC(60000) and CCRD(60003) have been changed from defaults in the
VDES1000, make sure they match the settings in Tools -> Options.
9. Press OK.
10. Select the Status tab and click Refresh to populate the parameter list from the VDES unit. If an error message is
displayed, then check the IP settings, connections, and that the units are running with both green LEDs on the side
flashing at 1Hz.
Figure 7 Setting the MMSI (left) and the Link_ID (right) for file transfers
11. The two units need different valid MMSI values. To configure on a unit:
a. Select the Configuration tab.
b. In the left-hand tree view, select Installer -> MMSI. Type in the desired MMSI in the edit box on the right-hand
side and click Write. “Data written successfully” should be displayed. See Figure 7
12. Perform steps a and b on both units and ensure each has a unique MMSI. For the purpose of this document, the MMSI
values shown in Figure 6 have been used.
13. VDE can operate in 25kHz, 50kHz or 100kHz channels. There are two modulation schemes (Pi/4 QPSK and 16 QAM) that
can be used in each channel bandwidth.
The two units must be configured to operate in the same bandwidth. On the transmit side, this is done by configurating
the link ID used, and on the receiver side by configuring the Rx channel parameters. The following steps configure a unit
for maximum throughput using 100kHz, 16 QAM.
14. On both units open the Configuration tab and select User -> vdeLinkId –see the Notes below. Type 19 in the text box and
click Write. See Figure 7
15. All non-volatile memory changes are cached and may not be stored immediately. A software reset is required to force a
flush of cached data to non-volatile memory to ensure that all changes remain persistent.
To perform a software reset, select the Status tab and press Software Reset. Note that the unit’s current consumption
will briefly drop to 220mA while it is starting up and the side LEDs will stop flashing.
Steps 14 and 15 are only required once. These changes will be permanent. Configuration can be viewed and changed at a
later stage if required.
16. On the PC that will receive, select the VDES File Transfer tab Figure 8

VDES1000 Module
2021 CML Microsystems Plc Page 10 VDES1000 QSG-4.0
Figure 8 The destination MMSI and file to be transmitted have been configured.
17. On the PC that will transmit, select the VDES File Transfer tab and perform the following steps.
a. Enter the MMSI number of the destination device. Ensure that this is not the MMSI of the source device (i.e.
the MMSI must not be the same as that shown when reading the MMSI in the Configuration tab of the current
unit).
b. Click on the file open button (“...”) and select a file to transfer. It is best to start with a file in the 2kb range to
first test the setup. The file name will be shown in the text box and can also be manually edited if required.
c. Press Send.
18. The black log window should show the sentences over the PI - See Figure 9 below. If an error message is displayed, then
check the COM port settings. The progress, including sentences over the PI, should also be visible on the receiving PC.
Note the Success dialog in Figure 9 is from the receiving unit.
Figure 9 The VDES File Transfer tab showing a a message has been transmitted successfully.
Notes:
1. The steps above can be used to configure the units to operate in 25kHz, 50kHz or 100kHz bands, using any one of the 3
available modulation schemes. The VDES specification can be consulted for the meaning of the different link IDs.
Alternatively, the Ping tab can be used to see a description for the different valid link IDs.
2. It is possible to configure the operational frequency for a file transfer. This is a temporary feature that will be removed in
a future software release when there is more certainty in the specification on how the operational frequencies will be
configured. To change the operational frequency used for file transfer, open the Configuration tab and select Debug ->
VDEChannel0Freq. Change the frequency to the required value and press Write. This will be the center frequency used