Dare RadiLink RLK2008A User manual

DARE!!
DARE!! Instruments
Measurement equipment
Vijzelmolenlaan 3
3447 GX, Woerden
The Netherlands
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
www.dare.eu
[e-mail]
Dijkstra Advice, Research & EMC Instruments B.V.
KvK Utrecht 30138673
Rabobank Utrechtse Waarden 15.83.13.585
IBAN: NL31RABO0158313585 ●SWIFT code RABONL2U
Eori-number: NL805753709
8-channel Radi L ink®
Operating Manual
Optical Car Radio Link
Models
RLK2003A
RLK2008A

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Table of content:\
1WARNINGS & PRECAUTIONS......................................................................................... 3
1.1 LASER Safety............................................................................................................ 4
1.2 Fibre handling and maintenance........................................................................ 5
1.3 Cleaning fibres ........................................................................................................ 5
1Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7
1.1 Product Introduction ............................................................................................. 7
1.2 Related Products .................................................................................................... 8
2The RadiLink®.................................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Product Characteristics......................................................................................... 9
2.2 Components ............................................................................................................ 9
3Installation....................................................................................................................... 11
3.1 Connections and indicators ............................................................................... 11
3.2 Switching ON and OFF......................................................................................... 14
3.3 Activating the link ................................................................................................. 14
3.4 Internal battery ..................................................................................................... 14
3.5 Firmware updates ................................................................................................ 16
4Specifications.................................................................................................................. 17
4.1 Electrical specifications ....................................................................................... 17
4.2 Bias .......................................................................................................................... 17
4.3 Mechanical............................................................................................................. 17
4.4 Environmental....................................................................................................... 17
4.5 Compliance ............................................................................................................ 18
4.6 Supply ..................................................................................................................... 18
4.7 Optical..................................................................................................................... 18
4.8 Safety....................................................................................................................... 18
5Operating protocol........................................................................................................ 19
6Warrenty conditions...................................................................................................... 24
7European declaration of conformity ......................................................................... 25

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1WARNINGS & PRECAUTIONS
Read the contents of this manual and become familiar with the
safety markings, instructions, operation and handling of the
system.
Only qualified personnel are allowed to perform adjustment,
maintenance or repair to the equipment.
Verify that the supply voltage is within the operating range of the
equipment.
The Radi L ink® contains materials which can be recycled and
reused. At the end of its life, specialised companies can
dismantle the discarded system to concentrate the reusable
materials and to minimise the amount of materials to be
disposed of. Please return the system to your local reseller if it is
discarded at the end of its life.

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1.1 LASER Safety
The Radi L ink® uses lasers for the analogue and digital data transmission. The
plug-in card transmits laser light, through a fibre optic cable, to the remote unit.
The remote unit transmits both analogue and digital data through 2 fibres.
The maximum laser output power of each laser is 5 mW at the output ports. The
wavelengths of the LASER light are 1310 and 1550 nm respectively. This light is
invisible to the human eye.
The Radi L ink® is a fiber coupled system and a closed system. Therefore, it is
classified as a class 1M LASER product, according to EN60825-1:2014 and
EN60825-2:2004. It is mandatory to check the fibre connections before turning
on the system.
According to EN60825-2, the Radi L ink® is equipped with an Automatic Laser
Shutdown in case of a disconnection or other interruption of the laser
connection between the plug-in card and remote unit. In this case the lasers are
deactivated within milliseconds.
Connect and check all fibre cables before switching on the system.
Do not attempt to switch on the system if the fibre optic cables
show any sign of damage.
NEVER look into any of the fibre optic connectors. The LASER emits
light, invisible to the human eye. Looking into the fibers or laser
connectors while activating the lasers may cause permanent eye
damage.

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In order to make the RadiLink® system as safe as possible, the following design
measures are taken.
•After starting the LASER link (see paragraph 3.3), the digital link first starts to
communicate with the remote unit. If the connection is successful, the analogue
laser will be started.
•An automatic loop detection system senses damaged or disconnected fibre optic
cables. If this occurs, the LASER switches off automatically within 50 milliseconds.
•A processor in the control unit verifies all circuits before LASER activation. The LASER
cannot be activated if a fault is detected.
•The processor verifies data validity from the remote unit. Invalid data results in an
automatic LASER shut down.
1.2 Fibre handling and maintenance
The Radi L ink® fibres are a crucial part of the system. Improper handling and poor
maintenance cause deterioration or permanent damage. Please follow the handling and
maintenance guidelines below.
Some important guidelines for handling of the fibres and connectors are:
•Always place the plastic end-caps on the fibre connectors when they are not in use.
Only use the supplied end caps.
•Clean the fibre surfaces before installation with isopropyl alcohol and lint-free wipes.
After cleaning dry the surface with a non-contaminating lint-free wipe.
•NEVER touch the tip of the fibre connector (core surface).
•Never drop the fibre connectors, as this may damage the core surface.
•Never bend the fibres (exceed the minimum bend radius (<5 cm)), as this will break the
fibre core.
•Never pull the fibre connector out of a coupling by its jacket or sleeve, always use the
connector.
•Fasten the connectors by hand only, never with tools.
•Do not stand on or crush the fibres.
•Do not apply mechanical stress (pull) to the fibres.
The fibre lifetime will be extended by following all precautions and guidelines.
1.3 Cleaning fibres
Before detaching the fibres, switched off the system.

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Only use the supplied isopropyl alcohol and lint free wipes to clean the contact surface
of the fibres. Do not use other solvents or wipes. Put some alcohol on the wipe and rub
gently over the contact surface of the fibre connector. Dry the surface with a dry part of
the wipe.
Use the examples and instructions in the following figure as a guideline for further fiber
maintenance.
Please note that APC8 connectors need special equipment to polish correctly.

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1Introduction
1.1 Product Introduction
The 8-channel Radi L ink® is designed for broadband emission measurements. Its basic
function is to transfer small-signal RF signals from a fully electrically isolated remote unit
to a measurement system.
The Radi L ink®system is typically used to replace coaxial connections in RF
measurements setups. Where coaxial cables introduce losses that increase with
frequency and length of the cable, the Radi L ink®provides a stable RF-link with little
frequency response. Due to the use of fibre optics the influence of cable lengths is
reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, common mode currents flowing through shields
of coaxial cables, are eliminated by the use of this fibre system.
This 8-channel Radi L ink®system is a special version designed for automotive
measurements using and analogue fibre optic link. Due to the multi-channel setup,
there is no need to alter the test setup between measurements. The 8 channels are
designed to provide bias supply for active antennas. This bias supply can be generated
by the Radi L ink® itself or applied by external devices.
The Radi L ink®system consists of two parts: the 8-channel remote unit (product code
RLK2008A) and a plug-in card for the RadiCentre®models (product code RLK2003A). A
duplex fiber connects the remote unit to the plug-in card.
Applications for the Radi L ink® are:
•General emission measurements
•Measurements according to CISPR25

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1.2 Related Products
Radi C entre®system
The Radi C entre®is a modular EMC test system that
serves as the user and computer interface for all the
Radi C entre®plug-in cards and modules
The Radi C entre®is available as multislot system with
touch screen. Or as a single slot system without display
Radi M ation®software
Radi M ation®is the EMC software package from DARE!!
Instruments used for remote control and automated
testing of the Radi C entre®plug-in cards and modules

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2The Radi L ink®
2.1 Product Characteristics
Fully electrically isolated: The remote unit with the RF inputs is fully electrically isolated
from the plug-in card.
Build-in pre-amp: A build-in (switchable) low-noise pre-amplifier provides a 20 dB link
gain eliminating the need of using an external LNA for the measurement receiver.
Multi-channel: the 8-channel setup makes it easy to switch between different inputs
without the need to alter the test setup between measurements.
Support for active antennas: All RF inputs can provide a bias supply for active antennas.
This supply can be generated internally, or an external supply can be applied to the
remote unit for each channel.
Internal battery: The internal battery can be used to supply the remote unit when there
is no external supply available.
2.2 Components
8-channel remote unit of the Radi L ink® system
With internal Lithium-battery.
Product code: RLK2008A
Radi L ink® plug-in card for use in one of the RadiCentre®
models.
Product code: RLK2003A

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25m duplex fiber with DIN/APC8 and ST/PC connectors for
connecting the remote unit to the plug-in card.
Product code: CBL2003-25M
Lithium-Ion charger plug for charging the internal battery of
the remote unit. With 3-way Lemo plug (FGG.1B.303.CLAD62Z).
Supply cable for external power connection of the remote unit.
With 3-way Lemo plug (FGG.1B.303.CLAD62Z).

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3Installation
3.1 Connections and indicators
Install the Radi L ink® RLK2003A Plug-in card in a Radi C entre®. If a Radi C entre®was
ordered together with the Radi L ink® system, it is already installed.
The RLK2003A plug-in card has the following connections and indicators:
Green LED for Power On
SMA connector for RF output signal to measurement device
Red LED for Link Active indication
Optical DIN connector
for Analogue Link
Optical ST connector
for Digital Link
•Connect the DIN connector of the duplex fiber, marked with a green sleeve, to
the Analogue link input of the plug-in card.
•Connect the ST-connector of the duplex fiber, marked with a blue sleeve, to the
Digital link output of the plug-in card.
Please note that both optical connectors have a locking notch.

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The remote unit of the Radi L ink® system has the following connections and indicators:
Front side of the remote unit:
The remote unit uses the same optical connectors as the plug-in card:
•Connect the DIN connector of the duplex fiber, marked with a green sleeve, to
the Analogue link output of the remote unit.
•Connect the ST-connector of the duplex fiber, marked with a blue sleeve, to the
Digital link input of the remote unit.
The 3-way Lemo connector is used for two purposes:
•For charging the internal Lithium battery: use the supplied charger with the 3-way
Lemo plug to charge the internal battery
•For powering the remote unit from an external source: use the supplied power
cable with 3-way plug for this purpose. Please refer to the specifications of the
voltage range for the external supply.
On the front side 4 indicators are located:
•Batt Low: will illuminate if the voltage of the internal battery is too low
•Link Act: will illuminate if the laser links are active
•Int Batt: will illuminate if the remote unit is running on the internal battery
•Ext Power: will illuminate if the remote unit is running on external power
A push button (marked with “Power”) is used to switch the unit ON and OFF.

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Side connections and indicators of the remote unit:
For optimum RF performance, the left and right side of the remote unit are a mirror
reflection of each other. Each side has:
•4x SMA connectors for RF inputs
•4x SMA connectors for external bias inputs
•4x bias indicators (Red LED)
othese LED’s will illuminate as soon as a DC-voltage is present on the RF
input connector for the active antenna.
•4x channel active indicators (Green LED)
othese LED’s will illuminate to indicate the channel which RF signal is
transferred over the optical link to the plug-in card. Please note that only
one channel can be active at a time.
In the picture above the right side is shown with the connections 1 to 4. On the other
side (left side) the remaining connections 5 to 8 are located.
Refer to the specification section in this manual for the allowed voltage range and
maximum current of the bias supplies.

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3.2 Switching ON and OFF
After all the connections are made, the Radi L ink® system is ready to be switched ON and
operated.
The remote unit has one push button with multiple functions:
•Pressing the push button briefly while the system is OFF will turn the remote unit
ON, running on its internal battery. The “Int Batt” LED will now light.
During startup of the remote unit, all “Bias Active” indicators will light and each
“Active Channel” indicator will light up one after the other.
•When the remote unit is connected to an external power supply, the remote unit
can be switched between the internal battery and the external supply by pressing
the power button for approximately 2 seconds. Wait for the “Batt low” and “Link
Act” LED to alternately blink and release the button.
Switching between internal battery and external power can also be done by
remote commands.
•The remote unit can be switched OFF by pressing the button for more than 4
seconds. Wait for the “Batt low” and “Link Act” LED to blink at the same time and
release the button. The remote unit will now switch OFF.
3.3 Activating the link
Once the remote unit is powered on, the LASER link can be activated. The way of
activation is depending on the Radi C entre®model that is used.
•If the RLK2003A plug-in card is used in a Radi C entre®CTR1004B or CTR1009B, the
link can be activated by pressing the START-button on the touch screen, followed
by the ACKNOWLEDGE button on the screen. These buttons appear after the
START-button has been pressed and remains present for 2 seconds. Within this
time the ACKNOWLEDGE button must be pressed in order to start the link.
•If the RLK2003A plug-in card is used in a Radi C entre® 1 (CTR1001S), the link can
be activated by pressing the START-button on the back side of the Radi C entre® 1.
Press this button for at least 1 second until the red LED on the plug-in card (link
active) lights.
The link is now ready to transfer RF signals from the remote unit to the plug-in card.
3.4 Internal battery
The remote unit is equipped with an internal battery. The battery powered Radi L ink®
contains a Lithium-Ion battery which provides high capacity in a low volume.

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Normally, a fully charged battery will be sufficient for a couple of hours of operation,
depending on the power consumption of the bias outputs (for powering active
antenna’s) and ambient temperature.
Charging:
Lithium-Ion batteries need special care in charging. Only use the supplied charger to
prevent damage of the internal battery.
Discharging:
Lithium cells must never be discharged below a certain voltage to avoid the possibility of
irreversible damage. Therefore, the remote unit is equipped with a circuit that shuts
down the remote unit when the battery is discharged below a predefined threshold. This
prevents deep discharge in normal use. However, the small current drawn by the
protection circuit may drain the battery eventually. If the remote unit is stored for a
longer period without operation, it may be recommended to disconnect the internal
battery. Please contact the manufacturer in this case.

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3.5 Firmware updates
New releases of the firmware for the Radi L ink® system can be programmed using
Radi M ation®lite. This can be done from the advanced device driver settings, selecting
the “Software update” tab:
The Radi L ink® system must be completely switched on prior to starting the firmware
update. At the end of the programming, the remote unit will switch off due to a forced
reboot. Once the programming has finished. The system can be switched on again.

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4Specifications
4.1 Electrical specifications
RF input connectors remote unit
SMA female
External bias input connectors
SMA female
RF output connector, plug-in card
SMA female
Frequency range:
9 kHz to 6 GHz
Relative frequency response
+ / -3,0 dB (10 kHz - 6 GHz)
Link gain “HIGH”
“STD”(standard)
20 dB typical
0 dB typical
Input 1 dB compression “HIGH”gain
“STD”gain
-18 dBm
-12 dBm
Dynamic range
> 80 dB
Harmonic suppression
> 30 dBc
Equivalent input noise:
150kHz –30MHz
30MHz –6GHz
Typical -18 dBµV @ 9kHz RBW
Typical -8 dBµV @ 120kHz RBW
Input VSWR
1:2 max (150kHz - 1 GHz)
1:4 max (1 - 6 GHz)
Output VSWR
1:4 max
4.2 Bias
Internal bias voltage
5,0 to 12,0 V in steps of 0,1 V
Maximum current per RF input
200 mA
External supply range
5,0 to 12,0 V
External supply resistance
Aprox. 10Ω+0,6V
4.3 Mechanical
Remote unit
Plug-in card
Dimensions (width * height *
depth)
(excluding connectors)
170 * 45 * 82 mm
3U height * 8TE width
* 200mm depth
Weight
Approx. 0,5 kg
Approx. 0,2 kg
4.4 Environmental
Temperature range operating
15° to 40° Celsius
Temperature range storage
0° to 45° Celsius
Relative humidity
10 –90% (non-condensing)

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4.5 Compliance
EMC
EN 61326
Low Voltage
EN 61010
LASER safety
EN 60825-1 & EN 60825-2
4.6 Supply
Remote unit
Plug-in card
Supply voltage
10 to 16 Vdc
12V via RadiCentre
Power consumption
Typ. 0,35 A1
Approx. 0,25 A
Supply connector
Lemo EGG.1B.303.CLL
DIN41612
Battery
Li-ion 1,55 Ah (4 cells)
n/a
Lithium charger
Ansmann 9C94212
n/a
4.7 Optical
Digital LASER (Plug-in card)
Max 2 mW, 1310 nm
Digital LASER (remote unit)
Max 2 mW, 1550 nm
Analogue laser (remote unit)
Typical 2mW, max 5 mW, 1310 nm
Digital data connector
ST/PC
Analog data connector
DIN/APC8
Standard Fibre
25 m duplex 9/125 µm
4.8 Safety
LASER product classification
Class 1M
Safety measures
closed loop system with automatic laser shutdown
automatic laser shutdown time
< 50 ms
1
Current consumption is dependent on ambient temperature and bias settings

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5Operating protocol
The operating protocol of the Radi L ink® is described in the next tables:
Command
Description
Reply
ID_NUMBER?
Returns unique identifier
number.
For example:
1.58.95.146.21.0.0.124.
LOCAL
Return to local mode, the local
display is used to set items.
OK
VERSION_HW?
Returns the hardware version.
2
*IDN?
Returns the ID of the RadiLink
For example:
D.A.R.E!!, RadiLink RLK2003A, 5.2.0
RESET
Return to reset values, all bias
voltages are switched off,
RF switch set to channel 1.
OK
CLEAR
Clears all present errors.
OK
The following command can be used to control the remote unit or obtain data from it.
Command
Description
Reply
STATUS?
Returns the status of the
system.
The reply can be:
•BIAS WARNING: One of the
bias channels does not
reach the set voltage.
•INITIALIZING: Laser is
initializing.
•INT LOW: Internal supply is
below the threshold (14V
warning, 13,5V buzzer, 13V
off).
•EXT LOW: External supply is
below the threshold (11,5V).
•READY: Laser is on.
•OFF: Laser is off.
•DISCONNECTED: No remote
unit found.
•ERROR<space><error>: See
the errorcode for the fault.
Command
Description
Reply
LSR?
Returns the status of the
laser.
<laser status> can be:
ON or OFF.
LSR<space><laser
status>
Turns the analogue laser
on or off. <laser status>
OK

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can be: "ON" or "OFF".
MEAS?<space>LSRTEMP
Get the measured laser
temperature in degrees
Celsius.
<temperature>
For example: "35.6".
MEAS?<space>LSRCURR
Get the measured laser
current in Amperes.
<laser current>
For example: "0.051".
MEAS?<space>INT
Get the measured voltage
of the internal supply in
volt.
<supply voltage>
For example: "14.400".
MEAS?<space>EXT
Get the measured voltage
of the external supply in
volt.
<supply voltage>
For example: "12.000".
SUPPLY<space> INT
Switches the remote unit to
internal battery.
OK or Error code.
SUPPLY<space> EXT
Switches the remote unit to
external power supply.
OK or Error code.
RF<ch>
Set the RF switch to the
<ch> channel.
<ch> can be 1 –8.
Note: channel is active
350ms after this command
is acknowledged by the
RadiLink.
OK or error.
RF?
Returns which channel is
selected.
For example: 3.
GAIN<space><gain>
Set the gain of the system.
<gain> can be STD or HIGH.
OK or error.
GAIN?
Returns the gain setting.
<gain> can be:
STD for typical 0 dB gain.
HIGH for typical 20 dB gain.
INFO?
Returns additional error
states.
<error>
For example: "ERROR 35".
Command
Description
Reply
BIAS<ch><space>
STATE,<state>
Turn the supply of a
channel on or off.
<state> can be ON or OFF.
OK or error.
BIAS<ch>? <space>
STATE
Returns the state of the
bias channel.
<state> can be ON or OFF
or error code that the
current limit has occurred.
ON or OFF or error.
BIAS<ch><space>
SOURCE,<source>
Select the bias source.
<ch> can be 1 –8.
OK or error.