CSI Wireless SBX-3 User manual

SBX-3
Reference Manual
Part Number: 875-0031-001
Date: May 2001

SBX-3 Reference Manual ii
CSI Wireless, INC.
1200 -58 Avenue S.E.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2H 2C9
Telephone number: [phone]
Fax number: [phone]
E-mail address: [e-mail]
Web Site: www.csi-wireless.com

SBX-3 Reference Manual iii
Copyright Notice
Copyright 1998 by CSI Wireless, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this manual may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted,
or reproduced by any means, including, but not limited to photocopy,
photograph, digitizing, or otherwise, without the prior written permission
from CSI Wireless, Inc.
FCC Notice
The SBX-3 Evaluation Module complies with the Part 15, Subpart J
Emission Requirement for Class A digital devices for use in
commercial, business, and industrial environments.
The SBX-3 Evaluation Module complies with relevant sections of the
following European harmonized documents:
•EN 60945 Marine Navigation Requirements
•EN 50081-1 Emissions for Residential, Commercial and Light Industry
•EN 50082-1 IMMUNITY FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND LIGHT INDUSTRY

SBX-3 Reference Manual
iv
CSI Wireless Limited Warranty
CSI Wireless, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "CSI Wireless") products
are warranted, subject to the conditions set forth herein below, against
defects in material and workmanship for a period of 12 months.
Warranty services will be provided through your CSI Wireless
distribution center, please contact them for shipping information. You
must retain your proof of purchase for warranty purposes.
Limitation of Liability
The Limited Warranty contained herein replaces all other warranties,
express or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for
a particular purpose. CSI Wireless hereby disclaims and excludes all
other warranties. In no event shall CSI Wireless be liable for direct,
indirect, incidental, collateral or consequential damages of any kind,
including but not limited to damages resulting from installation or use,
quality, performance, or accuracy of CSI Wireless products. This
warranty provides you with your exclusive remedies for any breach in
warranty.
Purchaser’s Exclusive Remedy
The purchaser’s exclusive remedy under this warranty shall be limited
to the repair or replacement, at the option of CSI Wireless, of any
defective part(s) of CSI Wireless receivers or accessories. Repairs
shall be made through a CSI Wireless approved service center only.
Unauthorized repairs to CSI Wireless products shall render this
warranty null and void.

SBX-3 Reference Manual
v
Governing Legislation
This warranty shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta,
Canada. This warranty gives you specific legal rights which may vary
with Province/State and Country, and accordingly, some limitations
may not apply to you.
Conditions
CSI Wireless does not warrant damage due to misuse, abuse,
improper installation, neglect, lightning (or other electrical discharge) or
fresh/salt water immersion of CSI Wireless products. Repair,
modification or serviceof CSI Wireless products by unauthorized
person(s) or party(s) shall render this warranty null and void.
CSI Wireless does not warrant or guarantee the precision or accuracy
of positions obtained when using CSI Wireless products. Product
accuracy as stated in CSI Wireless literature and/or product
specifications serves to provide only an estimate of achievable
accuracy based on:
•Specifications provided by the US Department of Defense (US
DoD) for GPS Positioning,
•GPS OEM Receiver specifications of the appropriate manufacturer
(if applicable),
•Radiobeacon network performance specifications of the appropriate
agency
CSI Wireless reserves the right to modify CSI Wireless products
without any obligation to notify, supply or install any improvements or
alterations to existing products.

SBX-3 Reference Manual vi

SBX-3 Reference Manual vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures.............................................................................................................................xi
List of Tables............................................................................................................................xiii
Preface xv
Organization....................................................................................................................xv
Customer Service..........................................................................................................xvi
World Wide Web Site................................................................................................xvii
Document Conventions..............................................................................................xvii
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings...............................................................................xviii
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................1
1.1 GPS...........................................................................................................................1
1.1.1 How it Works...........................................................................................1
1.1.2 GPS Services.............................................................................................2
1.2 Differential GPS......................................................................................................2
1.2.1 How it Works...........................................................................................2
1.2.2 Real-Time DGPS......................................................................................3
1.3 DGPS Format..........................................................................................................3
1.4 Radiobeacon DGPS Service.................................................................................4
1.4.1 Radiobeacon Range.................................................................................4
1.4.2 Radiobeacon Reception..........................................................................5
1.4.3 Radiobeacon DGPS.................................................................................6
1.4.4 Radiobeacon Coverage...........................................................................6
1.5 Factors Affecting Positioning Accuracy.............................................................7
1.6 SBX-3 OEM Beacon Receiver..............................................................................9

SBX-3 Reference Manual viii
1.7 SBX-3 Evaluation Module...................................................................................10
1.8 CSI Wireless DGPS Command Center Software...........................................10
1.9 Antenna Options.................................................................................................11
1.9.1 MBA-3/MBA-3A Electric Field Antenna.............................................11
1.9.2 MBL-3 Magnetic Field Antenna............................................................11
1.9.3 ABL-1 Aircraft Magnetic Field Antenna.............................................12
1.9.4 MGL-3 Combined GPS / Magnetic Field Antenna...........................12
1.9.5 MGW-1 Combined GPS / Electric Field Antenna...........................13
1.9.6 AVL-1 Automotive Beacon Antenna Coupler..................................13
1.9.7 External Signal Splitter..........................................................................13
2. SBX-3 Evaluation Module.............................................................................................15
2.1 System Parts List...................................................................................................16
2.2 LED Indicators......................................................................................................17
2.3 SBX-3 Evaluation Module Interface Connections..........................................18
2.4 SBX-3 Evaluation Module Default Settings......................................................19
2.5 Installing the SBX-3 Evaluation Module...........................................................19
2.5.1 Placement................................................................................................19
2.5.2 Environmental Considerations............................................................20
2.5.3 Power Considerations...........................................................................20
2.5.4 Grounding the Evaluation Module.....................................................21
2.6 Interfacing To External Devices........................................................................21
2.6.1 RS-232C Interface Level........................................................................22
2.6.2 RS-422 Interface Level...........................................................................22
2.6.3 Evaluation Module / GPS Receiver Interface....................................23
2.6.4 Changing the Interface Level................................................................25
2.7 Antenna Output Voltage....................................................................................27
2.8 SBX-3 Evaluation Module-S Splitter Option...................................................27

SBX-3 Reference Manual ix
3. SBX-3 OEM Beacon Receiver......................................................................................29
3.1 LED Indicators......................................................................................................29
3.2 SBX-3 Block Diagram..........................................................................................30
3.3 SBX-3 Mechanical Layout...................................................................................31
3.4 SBX-3 Connector Pin Assignments..................................................................32
3.4.1 Antenna Interface...................................................................................33
3.4.2 Signal Lock Indicator Pin......................................................................34
3.4.3 Reset Pin..................................................................................................34
3.5 SBX-3 Dual Serial Port Overview.....................................................................35
3.5.1 Single Serial Port Operation................................................................35
3.5.2 Dual Serial Port Operation..................................................................36
3.5.3 SBX-3 ‘Y’ Data Cable............................................................................36
3.6 SBX-3 Operating Modes.....................................................................................38
3.6.1 Automatic Beacon Search (ABS) Mode..............................................38
3.6.2 Manual Mode..........................................................................................40
3.7 Factory Default Settings......................................................................................40
3.8 SBX-3 Integration Summary...............................................................................41
3.9 Radio Frequency Immunity and Emissions......................................................43
4. Antenna Installation.......................................................................................................45
4.1 Antenna Placement To Optimize Reception..................................................45
4.2 Installation.............................................................................................................46
4.2.1 MBA-3 / MBA-3A E-Field Antenna.....................................................46
4.2.2 MBL-3 H-Field Antenna.........................................................................49
4.2.3 ABL-1 Aircraft Antenna........................................................................49
4.2.4 MGL-3 Combined GPS/Beacon Antenna..........................................50
4.2.5 MGW-1....................................................................................................50
4.2.6 AVL-1.......................................................................................................51

SBX-3 Reference Manual x
4.2.7 Routing and Securing the Antenna Cable.........................................51
4.3 Optional Antenna Mounts.................................................................................52
4.3.1 Magnetic Mount......................................................................................52
4.3.2 Permanent Mount..................................................................................53
4.3.3 Survey Adapter.......................................................................................53
5. NMEA 0183 Interface....................................................................................................54
5.1 Interface Protocols...............................................................................................54
5.2 Description of NMEA 0183...............................................................................54
5.3 NMEA Message Elements...................................................................................55
5.4 Supported NMEA Messages...............................................................................56
5.5 Response Message................................................................................................57
5.6 NMEA 0183 Commands....................................................................................57
5.6.1 Standard Commands.............................................................................58
5.6.2 Proprietary Commands.........................................................................61
5.7 NMEA 0183 Queries..........................................................................................63
5.7.1 Standard Queries...................................................................................63
5.7.2 Proprietary Queries...............................................................................66
5.8 Firmware Updates................................................................................................71
6. Troubleshooting.............................................................................................................73
Appendix A -Specifications...................................................................................................75
Appendix B -Beacon Information........................................................................................85
Further Reading........................................................................................................................87
Index.. 89

SBX-3 Reference Manual xi
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1-1 Wold DGPS Radiobeacon Coverage.................................................................7
Figure 2-1 Evaluation Module LED Indicators....................................................................17
Figure 2-2 Evaluation Module Cable Interface...................................................................18
Figure 2-3 Evaluation Module Interface, RS-232C.............................................................24
Figure 2-4 Evaluation Module Interface, RS-422................................................................25
Figure 2-5 Evaluation Module RS-232/RS-422 Configuration.........................................26
Figure 2-6 Evaluation Module Antenna Output Voltage..................................................27
Figure 2-7 ABX-3/MBX-3 Internal Signal Splitter Option................................................28
Figure 3-1 SBX-3 Front and Back.........................................................................................30
Figure 3-2 SBX-3 Block Diagram..........................................................................................31
Figure 3-3 SBX-3 Mechanical Drawing................................................................................32
Figure 3-4 Lock Indicator Circuit..........................................................................................34
Figure 3-5 Reset Switch Circuit.............................................................................................35
Figure 3-6 Evaluation Module Connectivity, RS-232C.....................................................37
Figure 4-1 Receiver & MBA-3/MBA-3A Grounding Requirement..................................48

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 2-1 Evaluation Module Default Configuration........................................................19
Table 2-2 Evaluation Module Power Requirements..........................................................20
Table 2-3 Data Pin-out, RS-232C Interface Level..............................................................22
Table 2-4 Data Pin-out, RS-422 Interface Level.................................................................23
Table 3-1 SBX-3 Connector J1 Pin-out...............................................................................32
Table 3-2 SBX-3 Connector J2 Pin-out...............................................................................33
Table 3-3 ‘Y’ Data Cable Pin Out........................................................................................37
Table 3-4 Default SBX-3 Operating Mode..........................................................................41
Table 3-5 Default SBX-3 Evaluation Module Port Settings..............................................41
Table 5-1 NMEA Message Elements.....................................................................................55
Table 5-2 SBX-3 NMEA Messages........................................................................................56
Table 5-3 SBX-3 Baud Rates..................................................................................................62
Table 6-1 Troubleshooting....................................................................................................73
Table A-1SBX-3 OEM Beacon Receiver Specifications...................................................75
Table A-2 SBX-3 Evaluation Module Specifications..........................................................76
Table A-3 MBA-3/MBA-3A Whip Antenna Specifications...............................................78
Table A-4 MBL-3Loop Antenna Specifications..................................................................78
Table A-5 MGL-3 Combined Loop / GPS Antenna Specifications.................................79
Table A-6 ABL-1 Aircraft Antenna Specifications.............................................................80
Table A-7 Antenna Signal Splitter Specifications...............................................................81
Table A-8 MGW-1 Combined E-field / GPS Antenna Specifications............................82
Table A-9 AVL-1 Automotive Beacon Coupler Specifications........................................83

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PREFACE
Welcome to the SBX-3 Reference Manual, and thank-you for
considering the CSI Wireless for your differential GPS requirements.
The purpose of this manual is to familiarize you with the proper
installation, configuration, and operation of the SBX-3 Evaluation
Module, and to introduce the mechanical, electrical, and
communication properties of the SBX-3 OEM receiver. This document
provides instructions and recommendations related to a successful
integration of the SBX-3 engine.
The SBX-3 is an extremely sensitive 300 kHz minimum shift keying
(MSK) demodulator. It obtains differential GPS corrections broadcast
by radiobeacons adhering to standards such as International
Telecommunications Union M.823 and various broadcast standards, in
the frequency range between 283.5 to 325.0 kHz.
Organization
This manual contains the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Introduction -presents GPS and DGPS technology, the
SBX-3, the Evaluation Module, CSI Wireless antennas, and
accessories.
Chapter 2: Evaluation Module -describes how to install and operate the
SBX-3 Evaluation Module for a successful laboratory or field evaluation
of the SBX-3.
Chapter 3: SBX-3 OEM Beacon Receiver -provides details and
instructions related to the integration and operation of the SBX-3.
Chapter 4: Antenna Installation -provides instructions relating to
installation of CSI Wireless antennas for use with the SBX-3 and its
Evaluation Module.

SBX-3 Reference Manual xvi
Chapter 5: NMEA 0183 Interface -describes the subset of NMEA 0183
commands and queries used to communicate with the SBX-3 receiver.
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting -provides diagnostic information to assist in
determining a source of difficulty for a particular situation.
Appendix A: Specifications -details the technical characteristics of the
Evaluation Module, SBX-3, antennas, and accessories.
Appendix B: Beacon Information -describes the CSI Wireless
maintained World Beacon listing and how to obtain this document on
the Internet.
The Further Reading section provides a listing of GPS and DGPS
sources for further information.
The Index provides a listing of the locations of subject matter within this
manual.
Customer Service
If you encounter problems during the installation, operation, or
integration of this product, or cannot find the information you need,
please contact CSI Wireless Customer Service. The contact numbers
and e-mail address for CSI Wireless Customer Service are:
Telephone number: [phone]
Fax number: [phone]
E-mail address: [e-mail]
Technical Support is available 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Mountain Time,
Monday to Friday.

SBX-3 Reference Manual xvii
To expedite the support process, please have the
product model and serial number available when contacting CSI
Wireless Customer Service.
In the event that your equipment requires service, we recommend that
you contact your dealer directly. However, if this is not possible, you
must contact CSI Wireless Customer Service to obtain a Return
Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number before returning any product
to CSI Wireless. If you are returning a product for repair, you must
provide a fault description before CSI Wireless will issue an RMA
number.
When providing the RMA number, CSI Wireless will include shipping
instructions to assist you in returning the equipment.
World Wide Web Site
CSI Wireless maintains a World Wide Web home page at the following
address:
www.csi-wireless.com
A corporate profile, product information, application news, basic GPS
and Beacon DGPS literature, and beacon coverage information are
available at this site.
Document Conventions
Arial Bold is used to emphasize certain points.

SBX-3 Reference Manual xviii
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings stress important information regarding
the installation, configuration, and operation of the SBX-3 beacon
receiver and the Evaluation Module.
Note -Notes outline important information of a general nature.
Caution -Cautions inform of possible sources of difficulty or
situations that may cause damage to the product.
Warning -Warnings inform of situations that may cause harm to
yourself.

SBX-3 Reference Manual 1
1. Introduction
The SBX-3 is a fully automatic, dual channel, 300 kHz, DGPS
radiobeacon receiver designed for integration into a wide array of
positioning products and applications.
This chapter provides a brief overview of GPS, differential GPS beacon
technology, and a description of the SBX-3 engine, Evaluation Module,
antenna options and accessories.
1.1 GPS
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) operates a reliable,
24 hour per day, all weather Global Positioning System (GPS). It
consists of a constellation of 24 satellites (plus active spares) orbiting
the Earth at an altitude of approximately 22,000 km, ground control
facilities, and end users of the system
1.1.1 How it Works
GPS satellites transmit coded information to users at UHF frequencies
(1.575 GHz) that allows user equipment to calculate a range to each
satellite. GPS is a timing system -ranges are calculated by timing how
long it takes for the GPS signal to reach the user’s GPS antenna. The
GPS receiver will calculate a range by multiplying the time of transit of
the signal by the speed of light.
To calculate a geographic position, the GPS receiver uses a complex
algorithm incorporating satellite coordinates and ranges to each
satellite. Reception of any four or more of these signals allows a GPS
receiver to compute 3D coordinates. Tracking of only three satellites
reduces the position fix to 2D coordinates (horizontal with fixed
vertical).

SBX-3 Reference Manual 2
The GPS receiver calculates its position with respect to the phase
center of the GPS antenna.
1.1.2 GPS Services
The positioning accuracy offered by GPS varies depending upon the
type of service and equipment available. For security reasons, two
GPS services exist: the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and the
Precise Positioning Service (PPS). The US DoD reserves the PPS for
use by its personnel and authorized partners. The SPS is provided free
of charge, worldwide, to all civilian users.
In order to maintain a strategic advantage, the US DoD artificially
degrades the performance of the SPS so that the positioning accuracy
is limited to 100 meters 95% of the time. This intentional degradation
is called Selective Availability (SA).
For many positioning and navigation applications, an accuracy of 100
meters is insufficient, and differential positioning techniques must be
used.
1.2 Differential GPS
The purpose of differential GPS (DGPS) is to remove the effects of SA,
atmospheric errors, timing errors, and satellite orbit errors, while
enhancing system integrity.
1.2.1 How it Works
DGPS involves setting up a reference GPS receiver at a point of known
coordinates. This receiver makes distance measurements, in real-
time, to each of the GPS satellites, which include errors present in the
system. The base station receiver calculates what the true range
should be, without errors, knowing its own coordinates and those of
each satellite. The difference between the known and measured range
to each satellite is the range error. This error is the amount that must to