Mid-tech RX 400p User manual

RX 400p
User Guide
Midwest Technologies Illinois, LLC
2733 E. Ash St.
Springfield, IL 62703
Telephone number: 217-753-8424
Fax number: 217-753-8426
E-mail address: [email protected]
Web Site: www.mid-tech.com
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Copyright Notice
Copyright 2001 Midwest Technologies Illinois, LLC. 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 MID-TECH Inc.
Trademarks
MID-TECH and the MID-TECH logo are registered trademarks of Midwest
Technologies Illinois, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.

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MID-TECH Limited Warranty
MIDWEST TECHNOLOGIES ILLINOIS, LLC (herein called MID-TECH)
warrants to the original purchaser that the product purchased shall be free of defect in
material or workmanship. If the product proves to be defective within the warranty
period the purchaser must return, freight prepaid, said product to MID-TECH within
thirty (30) days after such defect is discovered. Upon inspection and examination by
MID-TECH, and at its option, MID-TECH shall repair or replace, with a new or
comparable product. No product will be considered defective if it substantially
fulfills the performance specifications. Purchaser shall be responsible for all required
maintenance service in accordance with procedures outlined in MID-TECH’s product
operator manual or service bulletins.
All product(s) replaced or repaired under warranty shall carry the remainder of the
warranty left on the original purchase. All out of warranty product(s) serviced for fee
or goodwill will have ninety (90) days of warranty. The ninety (90) days shall begin
on the date serviced by MID-TECH.
Warranty periods for MID-TECH products shall be:
MID-TECH Legacy Consoles – 2 ½ years
MID-TECH TASC Consoles – 2 ½ years
MID-TECH ARC Consoles – 2 ½ years
MID-TECH AgLogix Consoles – 2 ½ years
MID-TECH Switch boxes – 2 ½ years (3, 5, 9 boom)
All other MID-TECH products – 12 months (unless otherwise noted)

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WARRANTY LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS
MID-TECH will have no warranty obligation hereunder if the product is subjected to
abuse, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, acts of God, faulty installation, improper
maintenance as outlined in MID-TECH’s product operator manual or service
bulletins. Consumable items (items that are used during normal operation) such as
light bulbs, batteries, etc., and expendable items (items which wear out in normal
use) such as injection pump tubes, flow meter bearings, etc., will not be covered by
warranty. For products that come in direct contact with chemical, the specific
recommendations contained in MID-TECH product bulletins must be adhered to, or
this warranty is void.Any repairs or alterations, other than those provided by MID-
TECH and/or its authorized representatives, will void the warranty. MID-TECH
neither assumes nor authorizes anyone to assume for it any other obligation or
liability in connection with said product.
DISCLAIMER OF UNSTATED WARRANTY
The warranty printed above is the only warranty applicable to this purchase. MID-
TECH’s warranty cannot be modified by any person or entity, including without
limitation, any distributor or retailer of MID-TECH. All other warranties, express or
implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and
fitness for a particular purpose, are disclaimed.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
It is understood and agreed that MID-TECH’s liability, whether in contract, in tort,
under any warranty, in negligence or otherwise, shall not exceed the return of the
amount of the purchase price paid by purchaser and under no circumstances shall
MID-TECH be liable for special, indirect or consequential damages. In particular,
MID-TECH shall not be liable for damage to crops as the result of misuse or
negligence in the application of chemicals or operation of MID-TECH products. The
price stated for the equipment is a consideration in limiting MID-TECH’s liability.
No action, regardless of form, arising out of the transactions under this agreement
may be brought by purchaser more than one year after the cause of action has
occurred.

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MID-TECH does not warrant or guarantee the precision or accuracy of positions
obtained when using MID-TECH products. Product accuracy as stated in MID-
TECH 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),
 DGPS service provider performance specifications
MID-TECH reserves the right to modify MID-TECH products without any obligation
to notify, supply or install any improvements or alterations to existing products.

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Table of Contents
List of Figures.............................................................................................................xi
List of Tables .............................................................................................................xii
Preface.......................................................................................................................xiii
Organization ......................................................................................................xiv
Customer Service................................................................................................xv
World Wide Web Site .......................................................................................xvi
Document Conventions ....................................................................................xvii
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings ........................................................................xvii
1Installation .......................................................................................................1-1
1.1 System Parts List......................................................................................1-1
1.2 Receiver Layout and Connections............................................................1-1
1.3 Installing the RX 400p Receiver ..............................................................1-2
1.3.1 Receiver Placement......................................................................1-2
1.3.2 Environmental Considerations.....................................................1-3
1.3.3 Power Considerations ..................................................................1-3
1.3.4 Turning the RX 400p On .............................................................1-4
1.3.5 Grounding the RX 400p ..............................................................1-4
1.3.6 Connecting the RX 400p To External Devices............................1-4
1.4 Installing the CDA-2B Antenna...............................................................1-7
1.4.1 Antenna Placement To Optimize Beacon Reception...................1-7
1.4.2 Antenna Installation – 1-14-UNS Threaded Mount ....................1-8
1.4.3 Antenna Installation – Surface Mount.........................................1-8
1.4.4 Routing and Securing the Antenna Cable....................................1-9

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1.4.5 Connecting the CDA-2B Antenna .............................................. 1-9
1.5 Mounting Accessories ........................................................................... 1-11
1.5.1 Magnetic Mount........................................................................ 1-11
1.5.2 Survey Adapter ......................................................................... 1-11
2RX 400p Overview.......................................................................................... 2-1
2.1 GPS Operation......................................................................................... 2-1
2.1.1 Automatic Tracking .................................................................... 2-1
2.1.2 Receiver Performance................................................................. 2-1
2.2 WAAS Operation .................................................................................... 2-2
2.2.1 Automatic Tracking .................................................................... 2-2
2.2.2 Receiver Performance................................................................. 2-2
2.3 OmniSTAR Operation............................................................................. 2-3
2.3.1 Automatic Tracking .................................................................... 2-3
2.3.2 Receiver Performance................................................................. 2-3
2.4 Beacon Operation .................................................................................... 2-4
2.4.1 Tune Modes ................................................................................ 2-4
2.4.2 Receiver Performance................................................................. 2-6
2.5 Factory Default Parameters ..................................................................... 2-7
3RX 400p Architecture .................................................................................... 3-1
3.1 Hardware ................................................................................................. 3-1
3.2 Firmware ................................................................................................. 3-1
3.3 Applications ............................................................................................ 3-2
4Operation......................................................................................................... 4-1
4.1 Front Display and Keypad....................................................................... 4-1
4.2 Navigating the Menu System .................................................................. 4-2
4.3 Menu Access Icon ................................................................................... 4-2

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4.4 Receiver Status Icons ...............................................................................4-2
4.4.1 Position Fix Status Icon ...............................................................4-3
4.4.2 WAAS Lock Icon ........................................................................4-3
4.4.3 OmniSTAR Lock Icon.................................................................4-4
4.4.4 Beacon Lock Icon........................................................................4-5
4.4.5 External DGPS Correction Source Icon ......................................4-5
4.4.6 Autonomous Mode Icon ..............................................................4-6
4.5 RX 400p Menu System Overview ...........................................................4-6
4.6 Start-Up Sequence..................................................................................4-11
4.7 Signal Tracking Bar Chart......................................................................4-11
4.7.1 WAAS Mode Bar Chart.............................................................4-12
4.7.2 OmniSTAR Mode Bar Chart .....................................................4-12
4.7.3 Beacon Mode Bar Chart ............................................................4-13
4.7.4 External RTCM Input Bar Chart ...............................................4-13
4.7.5 Autonomous Mode Bar Chart....................................................4-14
4.8 Main Menu.............................................................................................4-14
4.9 GPS Menu ..............................................................................................4-15
4.9.1 GPS Position Status Menu.........................................................4-17
4.9.2 GPS Satellites Menu ..................................................................4-31
4.9.3 GPS Configure Menu ................................................................4-33
4.10 WAAS Menu..........................................................................................4-39
4.10.1 WAAS Signal Status Menu .......................................................4-40
4.10.2 WAAS Configure Menu............................................................4-44
4.11 OmniSTAR Menu ..................................................................................4-44
4.11.1 OmniSTAR Signal Status Menu................................................4-45
4.11.2 OmniSTAR Configure Menu.....................................................4-51

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4.12 Beacon Menu......................................................................................... 4-54
4.12.1 Beacon Signal Status Menu ...................................................... 4-56
4.12.2 Beacon Configure Menu........................................................... 4-59
4.13 External RTCM Menu........................................................................... 4-61
4.14 Autonomous Menu................................................................................ 4-63
4.15 System Setup Menu............................................................................... 4-64
4.15.1 Display Applications Menu ...................................................... 4-66
4.15.2 Display Format Menu ............................................................... 4-66
4.15.3 Baud Rates Menu...................................................................... 4-68
4.15.4 Software Display Menu ............................................................ 4-69
4.16 Configuring the Receiver ...................................................................... 4-70
4.16.1 Changing the Source of DGPS Corrections.............................. 4-71
4.16.2 Changing the Output Data Messages........................................ 4-71
4.16.3 Changing the Baud Rates.......................................................... 4-71
4.16.4 Monitoring the OmniSTAR Subscription Status ...................... 4-72
4.16.5 Tuning the Internal Beacon Sensor........................................... 4-72
4.17 Firmware Updates ................................................................................. 4-74
5Configuration Wizard .................................................................................... 5-1
5.1 Start-up Sequence.................................................................................... 5-3
5.2 Using the Configuration Wizard After Start-up ...................................... 5-3
5.3 Selecting a Previously Saved Configuration ........................................... 5-3
5.4 Bypassing a Configuration Step .............................................................. 5-4
5.5 Completing the Step-by-Step Process ..................................................... 5-4
5.6 Saving a Configuration............................................................................ 5-4
6NMEA 0183 Messages .................................................................................... 6-1
6.1 Description of NMEA 0183 .................................................................... 6-1

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6.2 NMEA Message Elements .......................................................................6-1
6.3 RX 400p Serial Port Configuration..........................................................6-2
6.4 SLXMon...................................................................................................6-2
6.5 GPS NMEA Data Messages.....................................................................6-3
6.5.1 GGA Data Message .....................................................................6-3
6.5.2 GLL Data Message ......................................................................6-4
6.5.3 GSA Data Message......................................................................6-5
6.5.4 GST Data Message ......................................................................6-6
6.5.5 GSV Data Message......................................................................6-6
6.5.6 RMC Data Message.....................................................................6-7
6.5.7 RRE Data Message ......................................................................6-8
6.5.8 VTG Data Message......................................................................6-9
6.5.9 ZDA Data Message......................................................................6-9
7Troubleshooting...............................................................................................7-1
8Appendix A - Specifications............................................................................8-1
9Appendix B - Interface....................................................................................9-1
9.1 GPS NMEA Output..................................................................................9-1
9.2 RTCM Data Output..................................................................................9-2
9.3 External Correction Input.........................................................................9-3
10 Appendix C - Activating the OmniSTAR DGPS Service.................10-1
10.1 L-band Receiver Unit Number...............................................................10-1
10.2 OmniSTAR Service Activation..............................................................10-2
10.2.1 OmniSTAR License Agreement................................................10-2
10.2.2 Contacting OmniSTAR..............................................................10-2
10.3 Over-Air Subscription Activation ..........................................................10-4
10.4 Subscription Confirmation .....................................................................10-4

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11 Appendix D - Beacon Information..................................................... 11-1
12 Index ..................................................................................................... 12-1

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List of Figures
Figure 2-1 Cable Interface ......................................................................................1-2
Figure 2-2 RX 400P Socket Connector Pin Numbering .......................................1-6
Figure 2-3 RX 400P Interface .................................................................................1-6
Figure 5-1 RX 400P Display and Keypad ..............................................................4-1
Figure 5-2 Menu Access Icon ..................................................................................4-2
Figure 5-3 GPS Position Fix Icon ...........................................................................4-3
Figure 5-4 WAAS Lock Icon...................................................................................4-4
Figure 5-5 L-band Lock Icon ..................................................................................4-4
Figure 5-6 Beacon Lock Icon ..................................................................................4-5
Figure 5-7 External DGPS Source Icon .................................................................4-5
Figure 5-8 Autonomous Mode Icon........................................................................4-6
Figure 5-9 GPS Menu ..............................................................................................4-7
Figure 5-10 WAAS Menu ........................................................................................4-8
Figure 5-11 OmniSTAR Menu................................................................................4-8
Figure 5-12 Beacon Menu........................................................................................4-9
Figure 5-13 External RTCM Input Menu .............................................................4-9
Figure 5-14 Autonomous Menu ............................................................................4-10
Figure 5-15 Setup Menu ........................................................................................4-10
Figure 6-1 Configuration Wizard Menu ................................................................5-2
Figure B-1 GPS Data Interface...............................................................................9-2
Figure B-2 RTCM Data Interface. .........................................................................9-3
Figure B-3 External Correction Source Interface.................................................9-4
Figure C-1 OmniSTAR Coverage Map................................................................10-3

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List of Tables
Table 2-1 Power Requirements of the RX 400P ................................................... 1-3
Table 2-2 MAIN Port Pin-out, RS-232C Interface Level .................................... 1-5
Table 2-3 AUX Port Pin-out, RS-232C Interface Level....................................... 1-5
Table 3-1 Beacon Receiver Performance - SNR Reading.................................... 2-7
Table 3-2 Preset DGPS Mode................................................................................. 2-8
Table 3-3 Preset Port Settings ................................................................................ 2-8
Table 3-4 Preset GPS NMEA Message Output .................................................... 2-8
Table 5-1 Beacon Health Status Values............................................................... 4-59
Table 7-1 NMEA Message Elements ..................................................................... 6-2
Table 7-2 GPS NMEA Messages............................................................................ 6-3
Table 7-3 GGA Data Message Defined.................................................................. 6-4
Table 7-4 GLL Data Message Defined .................................................................. 6-5
Table 7-5 GSA Data Message Defined................................................................... 6-5
Table 7-6 GSA Data Message Defined................................................................... 6-6
Table 7-7 GSV Data Message Defined................................................................... 6-7
Table 7-8 RMC Data Message Defined ................................................................. 6-8
Table 7-9 RMC Data Message Defined ................................................................. 6-8
Table 7-10 VTG Data Message Defined ................................................................ 6-9
Table 7-11 ZDA Data Message Defined .............................................................. 6-10
Table 6-1 Troubleshooting...................................................................................... 7-1
Table A-1 RX 400P Receiver Specifications ......................................................... 8-1
Table A-2 CDA-2B Specifications.......................................................................... 8-2
Table C-1 OmniSTAR Contact Information ...................................................... 10-3

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Preface
Welcome to the RX 400p User Guide and congratulations on purchasing this high-
performance positioning tool. This is the third generation all-in-one receiver, which
incorporates a number of improvements over the previous generation including
support of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and other Space Based
Augmentation Systems (SBAS), and an improved menu system. The purpose of this
manual is to familiarize you with the proper installation, configuration, and operation
of your new receiver.
The RX 400p is a complete DGPS receiver, possessing two separate, internal
receivers that provide the versatility of this system. Within the RX 400p, MID-
TECH has integrated the MID-TECH SLX receiver, a tri-purpose GPS / WAAS / L-
band receiver, and the MID-TECH SBX, a high performance DGPS beacon receiver.
You may use any of the three internal differential correction services, depending
which service is available. The beacon receiver obtains free DGPS beacon signals
where available, the WAAS demodulator decodes correction data from the Wide
Area Augmentation System, and the L-band satellite differential receiver obtains
corrections from the OmniSTAR Worldwide DGPS service.
In addition to real-time DGPS, the RX 400p also supports post-processing. You may
configure the RX 400p for output of binary measurement data for logging with the
use of an external device. A conversion utility is available from MID-TECH for
translation from the proprietary binary format into the Receiver Independent
Exchange format (RINEX). Consult Appendix E for information on post processing
and RINEX.
MID-TECH has designed this GPS product to function in a wide array of
applications and environments. Compact, lightweight, yet rugged, the RX 400p will
provide you with years of reliable operation.

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Organization
This manual contains the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Installation - describes how to install the RX 400p receiver and antenna,
and provides a foundation for interfacing the RX 400p with an external data logging
or monitoring device.
Chapter 2: RX 400p Overview - provides details on the fundamental operating
modes of the internal sensors of the RX 400p.
Chapter 3: RX 400p Architecture - provides a description of the integration of the
RX 400p.
Chapter 4: Operation - describes how to configure and operate the RX 400p
receiver using the keypad-driven menu system. This Chapter also provides a detailed
listing of the default parameters.
Chapter 5: Configuration Wizard - introduces the Configuration Wizard feature
and describes how it may be used to simplify configuration of the RX 400p receiver.
Chapter 6: NMEA 0183 Messages - describes the subset of NMEA 0183
commands and queries used to communicate with the GPS features of the two
internal RX 400p sensors.
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting - provides you with diagnostic information to aid in
determining a source of difficulty for a particular installation.
Appendix A: Specifications - details the technical characteristics of the RX 400p
receiver and CDA-2B antenna.
Appendix B: RX 400p Interface - provides instructions to interface the RX 400p
with external devices.

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Appendix C: Activating OmniSTAR DGPS Service - provides you with
information on how to enable an OmniSTAR subscription within your
receiver.
Appendix D: Beacon Information - provides a reference for DGPS
beacon transmitter sites and general information.
Appendix E: Post-Processing - describes how the RX 400p may be used
as a post-processing DGPS tool.
The Further Reading section provides a listing of GPS/DGPS sources for further
information.
The Index provides a listing of the locations of various subjects within this manual.
Customer Service
If you encounter problems during the installation or operation of this product, or
cannot find the information you need, please contact your dealer, or MID-TECH
Customer Service. The contact numbers and e-mail address for MID-TECH
Customer Service are:
Telephone number: 217-753-8424
Fax number: 217-753-8426
E-mail address: [email protected]
Technical Support is available from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM Central Time, Monday to
Friday.
To expedite the support process, please have the product model and serial number
available when contacting MID-TECH 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 MID-TECH
Customer Service to obtain a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number

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before returning any product to MID-TECH. If you are returning a product for
repair, you must also provide a fault description before MID-TECH will issue an
RMA number.
When providing the RMA number, MID-TECH will provide you with shipping
instructions to assist you in returning the equipment.
World Wide Web Site
MID-TECH maintains a World Wide Web home page at the following address:
www.mid-tech.com
A corporate profile and product information are available at this site.

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Document Conventions
Bold is used to emphasize certain points.
This font indicates information presented on the display of the receiver.
This icon indicates that you should press the up arrow button of the receiver
keypad.
This icon indicates that you should press the Enter button of the receiver keypad.
This icon indicates that you should press the down arrow button of the receiver
keypad.
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings stress important information regarding the
installation, configuration, and operation of the RX 400p combination GPS/L-
band/Beacon receiver.
Note - Notes outline important information of a general nature.
Cautions - 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 you.