Raveon RV-M8G User manual

Company Confidential 1Raveon Technologies Corp.
RV-M8G
GPS Transponder / Radio Modem
Technical Manual
Version D1
June 2019
Raveon Technologies Corporation
2320 Cousteau Court
Vista, CA 92081
www.raveon.com

Company Confidential 2Raveon Technologies Corp.
Table of Contents
1. General Information about the RV-M8...........................................................4
1.1. Congratulations!.............................................................................................................................4
1.2. NOTICE.........................................................................................................................................4
1.3. Safety / Warning Information .........................................................................................................4
1.4. OEM Use.......................................................................................................................................4
2. Overview .......................................................................................................5
2.1. Features.........................................................................................................................................5
3. Specifications ................................................................................................9
3.1. General...........................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2. Transmitter Specifications (RV-M8G-xx).........................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.3. Receiver Specifications ..................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.4. Interface Specifications...................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
4. Electrical Inputs and Outputs.........................................................................9
4.1. LEDs..............................................................................................................................................9
4.2. I/O Pinout.......................................................................................................................................9
4.3. Heatsinking.................................................................................................................................. 10
4.4. Mounting Holes............................................................................................................................ 10
5. User Serial Port Commands........................................................................11
5.1. Overview......................................................................................................................................11
5.2. Command Mode.......................................................................................................................... 11
5.3. Setting a Parameter.....................................................................................................................12
5.4. Reading a Parameter................................................................................................................... 12
5.5. CONFIG Button ...........................................................................................................................12
5.6. Exiting the Command Mode......................................................................................................... 13
6. Command Mode Commands.......................................................................14
6.1. General Command Common to Data Mode and Paging Mode.................................................... 14
6.2. Data Modem Mode Related Commands...................................................................................... 17
6.3. Paging Receiver Related Commands..........................................................................................18
6.4. Factory Default Settings...............................................................................................................21
7. Using the M8G in Paging Mode..................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
7.1. Setting Cap Codes..........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
7.2. Setting Paging Data Format............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
7.3. Numeric Messages.........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
7.4. Alphanumeric Messages.................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
8. Using the M8G –Packet Data Mode...........................................................37
8.1. Setup ...........................................................................................................................................37
8.2. Programming Channels and Frequencies ......................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
8.3. Data Transmission..........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Serial Port Baud Rate.............................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Busy-Channel Lock Out..........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
8.4. Addressing (Packetized Mode only) ...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Addressing Basics ..................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Group Numbers......................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Hexadecimal Numbers......................................................................................................................... 33
Setting A System-Wide Address.......................................................................................................... 33
Broadcast Transmissions..................................................................................................................... 34
The Address Mask...............................................................................................................................34
Addressing Examples:......................................................................................................................... 35
8.5. Store-and-Forward Repeating .....................................................................................................38
Automatic Repeater Configuration.......................................................................................................38
Manual Configuration of the Repeat Feature.......................................................................................38
9. Debug Related Commands .........................................................................41

Company Confidential 3Raveon Technologies Corp.
10. M8G Diagnostic Provisions.......................................................................43
10.1. Overview of Diagnostics ..............................................................................................................43
10.2. Reading the Diagnostic Information.............................................................................................43
10.3. Status and Statistics Command................................................................................................... 43
11. Tune-up and Alignment ............................................................................44
11.1. Periodic Calibration...................................................................................................................... 44
11.2. Calibration Commands ................................................................................................................44
11.3. Center Frequency........................................................................................................................45
11.4. TX Deviation................................................................................................................................ 45
11.5. TX Modulation Balance................................................................................................................ 45
11.6. RX Carrier Detect ........................................................................................................................46
12. Troubleshooting........................................................................................48
Symptom: Unit will not receive............................................................................................................48
Symptom: Unit will not transmit...........................................................................................................48
Symptom: Receive light blinks, but no data is received...................................................................... 48
Symptom: Long delay before transmitting...........................................................................................49
Symptom: Cannot enter Command Mode...........................................................................................49
Symptom: Modem appears dead........................................................................................................ 49
Symptom: Repeater will not repeat..................................................................................................... 49
13. Mechanical................................................................................................50

Company Confidential 4Raveon Technologies Corp.
1.General Information about the RV-M8
1.1. Congratulations!
Congratulations on your purchase of an M8G OEM radio modem –the most advanced
radio modem of its kind available today.
Please take a few minutes to read this manual carefully. The information presented here
will allow you to derive maximum performance from your radio modem. After reading it,
keep the manual handy for quick reference, in case questions arise later on.
1.2. NOTICE
There are no user-serviceable points inside this transceiver. All service work must be
referred to your Authorized Service Center or Raveon Technologies Service Department.
1.3. Safety / Warning Information
Blasting Caps and Blasting Areas
To avoid possible interference with blasting operations, turn off this radio or remove the DC
power when you are near electrical blasting caps, in a blasting area, or in areas posted:
“Turn off two-way radio.” Obey all signs and instructions.
Potentially Explosive Atmospheres
Turn off your radio prior to entering any area with a potentially explosive atmosphere. Do
not install this product for use in areas with potentially explosive atmospheres. Do not
remove, install, or charge batteries in such areas. Sparks in a potentially explosive
atmosphere can cause an explosion or fire resulting in bodily injury or even death.
Note: The areas with potentially explosive atmospheres referred to above include fueling areas such as
below decks on boats, fuel or chemical transfer or storage facilities, areas where the air contains chemicals or
particles, such as grain, dust or metal powders, and any other area where you would normally be advised to
turn off your vehicle engine. Areas with potentially explosive atmospheres are often but not always posted.
1.4. OEM Use
This radio module is for OEM use, and it is the responsibility of the OEM user to notify the
end-users of RF and electrical safety issues.

Company Confidential 5Raveon Technologies Corp.
2.Overview
The M8G RF Paging/Data radio modem is capable of high-speed narrow-band data
communications and GPS position tracking paging decoding. Its powerful microprocessor
enables it to perform as both a data radio modem and GPS tracker. It contains a receiver, a
transmitter, and modem, creating an easy-to-use transparent data radio link. The M8G’s
user interface is asynchronous digital data into and out of the M8G. Modem operation is
virtually transparent to the user and the configuration of the modem is via the user serial
port.
The M8G can be configured in either a GPS tracking mode or a data modem mode. The
command-line interface is similar to Raveon’s other data radio products, and configuring
the mode is very easy. The M8G also has a digital input pin that may be used to
electrically change modem types between data modem and paging modes.
The M8Gis an easy to use and its re-programmability makes it extremely versatile. Most
parameters within the modem may be re-configured to optimize it for specialized
operations, extended range, or higher data throughput.
It is also available in a receive-only version called the M8G. The M8R is the same
electrical design and has the same features as the M8G except the transmit circuits are not
populated.
2.1. Features
For the specifications of a feature, See the data sheet of the version of the product you are
using.
General Features
Serial input and output. Programmable serial baud rates up to 57600.
Small sized and single-board construction.
Very efficient circuitry. ( < 700mW receiving, < 8W transmitting)
Lowest current draw in industry.
Easy to use. Transmit data in = Receive data out.
Receive-only version available
Easily configured using “AT” commands
Extensive diagnostic capabilities
Serial communication may be 7 or 8 bit ASCII, or WMX
Audio pass-through mode
Data Radio Modem Features
High-speed over the air data rates.
Built-in radio transceiver with integrated modem
Wide input voltage with high-efficiency switching voltage regulator.
Capable of store-and-forward repeating operation.
16 bit addressing for up to 65,525 different unique device addresses per channel
Supports group and broadcast transmissions. Network mask allows groups of any size.

Company Confidential 6Raveon Technologies Corp.
Up to 2-5 watts of RF output. Other RF power levels available upon request. See the product’s data sheet.
Very fast Transmit-to-Receive turn around time.
Serial input and output. Programmable serial baud rates up to 57600.
Programmable over-the-air data rates for long-range or high-speed
Automatic key of transmitter on data.
RF carrier-detect is not required receiving. No squelch setting required.
GPS Tracking Features
Build in GPS receiver and tracking protocols.
Automatically report location, speed, heading, voltage, temperature, altitude.
Ultra-fast 3mS TX-RX switching and 4-level GFSK modem allows truly “Real Time” tracking and status.
Outputs and accepts NMEA 0183 GLL, TLL, WPT, GSV, and PRAVE messages.
Built-in TDMA channel access allowing truly real-time tracking (200 transmission in 10 seconds)
Very low current draw. As low as 25mA average.
Numerous I/O options and protocols to interface to many different terminals, displays, and software programs.
2.2. Firmware Updating
The M8G is a software based radio and modem. There are times an existing unit needs to
get updated with a new feature, and this can often be done by loading the new firmware
into the older radio modem. In firmware program called the “Boot Loader” is permanently
installed inside the M8G’s microcontroller. During power up, it checks to see if the user
wants to update the application program in the microcontroller. The STAT2 pin is used to
trigger the Boot Loader. See application note AN186 for details on how to boat load new
firmware into the M8G.
3.Operation
The M8G uses a built-in time-division multiple access (TDMA) protocol to allow thousands
of transponders to share a single RF channel and still reliable communicate with no
interference. Read mora about TDMA here: http://www.raveon.com/data_radio_info/tdma-
transmission-overview-361/
Before deploying a new system, the system must be configured for proper TDMA operation
by configuring these parameters:
1. The TDMA epoch (TDMATIME command)
2. The TDMA slot time for each radio. (SLOTTIME command)
The individual M8G transponders are configured for their:\
3. Report rate (TXRATE command)
4. Their individual ID (MYID command)

Company Confidential 7Raveon Technologies Corp.
The M8G operates in a number of different “GPS Modes”, each mode specific to the
application it is being used in. The mode of operation is set with one simple command, the
GPS x command. The main GPS modes of operation are:
1)Transponder: Periodically transmits position and status over the UHF radio. Its radio
receiver is disabled reducing current draw. It cannot receive messages,
data, or locating information from other M8G transponders. 4800bps
serial port.
2)RavTrack PC: Connect the M8G to a personal computer running RavTrack PC (or other
PC software) to view a map showing location, status, log movement, set
alerts, and make reports from the data. 38400bps serial port.
3)Radar Display: Connect M8G to a marine plotter or radar display, and icons will appear
on the display showing the location of all other M8G radios in the system.
38400bps serial port.
4)GPS display: Connect M8G to a hand-held or mobile GPS, and icons will appear on the
display showing the location of all other M8G radios in the system.
4800bps serial port.
12)Mobile Data: Outputs WPL messages for position, and transmits and receives
data. Connect the M8G GX to a hand-held or mobile GPS, and icons
will appear on the display showing the location of all other M8G radios in
the system. Data sent into the RS-232 port will be transmitted over-the-
air in the proper time-slot, and may be received with other M8G’s.
The different modes change the operation of the M8G in a number of ways. The GPS X
command is a “macro” that sets a host of various parameters within the M8G to configure it
to operate in the desired way. The serial-port data rate is set, the types of NMEA
messages it wills send out or accept is set, as will as how the internal UHF radio is used.
The table below summarizes the 4 standard GPS modes, as well as listing other
specialized operation modes that the M8G GX supports.
GPS mode 2 is the factory default mode.

Company Confidential 8Raveon Technologies Corp.
GPS
Mode
#
Common Usage
Serial Port
Baud Rate
Output
Messages
Description
GPS
0
M8G Radio Modem
Radio Modem. No GPS,
tracking, or TDMA
features.
Un-
changed
-
The M8G will operate like an M8G (no GPS
features).
GPS
1
Transponder
Simple tracking, AVL,
security.
4800
(local GSV,
GLL, RMC)
The M8G will only transmit in this mode. The
receiver is off and GPS is turned off between
transmissions. This is the lowest-power
consuming mode, but it is send-only.
GPS
2
PC / Base Station
Proprietary interface for PC
applications that monitor
M8G Transponders.
38400
$PRAVE
(local GSV,
GLL, RMC)
Connect the M8G to a PC computer running
RavTrack PC (or a custom application), The
PRAVE message is in NMEA format, and provides
location and status information for every
transponder it receives.
GPS
3
Marine Radar
Displaying the location of
M8G transponders on a
ship RADAR screen.
38400
$GPTLL
(local GSV,
GLL, RMC)
Connect the M8G to a marine RADAR display or
plotter with a serial port, and waypoints will appear
on the GPS screen at the location of all M8G
transponders within radio range. The display must
support the NMEA 0183 TLL message.
GPS
4
GPS Display
Lowrance and Garmin
GPS displays. Mobile
displays.
4800
$GPWPL
(local GSV,
GLL, RMC)
Connect the M8G to a mobile or hand-held GPS
with a serial port, and waypoints will appear on the
GPS screen at the location of all M8G
transponders within radio range.
GPS
9
TDMA Diagnostics
Displaying TDMA slot
diagnostic information
38400
$PRAVE
(local GSV,
GLL, RMC)
Factory use only. Used for timing analysis.
When the GPS x command is executed, it configures the following parameters, so if your
application requires any of these to be non-standard, you must issue the command to
modify them AFTER the GPS x command is issued.
Serial port output message format
Echo characters (ATEx command)
NMEAOUT
NMEARATE
Hardware flow control
Serial port baud rate
Data mute setting
WMX protocol

Company Confidential 9Raveon Technologies Corp.
4.Specifications
Please refer to the RV-M8 Data Sheet for RF and electrical specifications related to the
particular model and frequency band you are using.
5. Electrical Inputs and Outputs
5.1. LEDs
Status LED (TX) This LED blinks red when the transmitter keys and is putting out RF
power. It blinks green upon the reception of data or RF carrier. It turns orange when
decoding a paging message.
Power LED (PWR) This LED does a short blink, once every two seconds, indicating to the
user that the power to the modem is ON and the modem is working. When the modem is in
the command mode, this LED will blink on and off, once per second.
5.2. I/O Pinout
The I/O connector is a 20-pin header, with 2mm pin spacing. See the AN224 UWORC
Application Manual for more information out this type of IO.
Pin #
Function
I/O
Function
1
GND
-
Ground
2
Vcc
I
DC Input
3
CD
O
Carrier Detect Out. Low for carrier. Logic high for no carrier. RF or
DATA carrier detect set with ATR1 command. Default: RF.
4
TX On
O
Pin is High when module is transmitting. Low when off, receiving, or
sleeping.
5
Data In (TXD)
I
Transmit data input.
6
Data Out (RXD)
O
Receive data output.
7
Enable
I
Low (<.7V) to shut down the module. High (>2.5V) to enable it.
8
Sleep
i
CPU Sleep input
9
CTS
O
Clear to send output. Indicates state of internal input buffer.
ATJF command sets the threshold where CTS is negated.
10
RTS
I
RTS input for serial flow control.
In audio pass-through mode, functions as PTT. 0=TX, 1=RX.
11
RSSI
0
Receiver signal strength indicator
12
3.3V out
O
3.3V out of the M8 module. 50mA max current draw.
13
IOA
AUDIO IN
I/O
General purpose digital I/O. 3V digital logic from CPU on M8. If the
Audio option is used, this pin is used to input transmit audio.
14
IOB
I/O
General purpose I/O. 3V digital logic from CPU on M8. By default
functions as DSR. 0= ready&running. 1=sleeping. If enable=0, this
line will =0.
15
Decode Mode
I
3V digital logic with 10k pull-up. Leave open circuit unless utilizing
two protocols.
High/open = Primary decoder mode.
Low/ground=Alternate receive protocol.
This feature enabled by setting the alternate protocol with the ATMA
command.
16
STAT1
O
Output to drive external dual-color LED. Connect led between
STAT1 and STAT2.
17
RX Audio
O
Receive and transmit audio output for factory test. Do not connect to
anything. If the AUDIO option is used, this pin is the receive audio
output.
18
STAT2
O
Output to drive external dual-color LED. Do not connect the LED to
ground or DC voltage.

Company Confidential 10 Raveon Technologies Corp.
19
GND
-
System Ground to M8
20
Vbu
I
Backup battery input to CPU to retain memory. Not required to be
connected to anything.
5.3. Heatsinking
The M8G operates at up to 30% transmit duty cycle at ambient temperatures up to 50°C.
For duty cycles over 50%, the module requires additional heat sinking.
If an external heat sink presses against the “GND PAD” is on the PCB, the RF power
transistor will run cooler, and allow higher duty cycles.
5.4. Mounting Holes
6 mounting holes are provided on the module. For best RF performance, the M8G module
should be mounted to the system ground, using metal stand-offs.
5.5. STAT LED Outputs
An external dual-color LED may be connected to STAT1 and STAT2 pins to show the
status of the modem. Do not connect the LED to power or ground! Connect the LED as
show below.
Because the STAT2 signal is also used to put the modem into the “bootloader’ mode, the
led must be wired as shown above to ensure a reliable start-up. The Red LED will blink
when the modem transmits, and the green LED will blink on receive of data.

Company Confidential 11 Raveon Technologies Corp.
6.User Serial Port Commands
6.1. Overview
The serial portion the RF modem is used to send and receive data over the
air, as well as to configure the RF modem. In normal operation, the user
sends data into the TXD pin of the IO connector, and this data is transmitted
over the air. Received data from another RF modem is output to the user via
the RXD pin of the IO connector. This is the default operating condition of the
RF modem. No special characters, hardware control lines, or timing is
required to operate the M8G modem.
There is also a “Command Mode” used to program and configure the M8. In
the Command Mode, the M8G modem accepts commands via the serial port
TxD pin. The commands can be used to change certain internal parameters
of the M8G modem as well as to read-out the current configuration and
diagnostic statistics.
6.2. Command Mode
The M8G modem may be put into a “Command Mode”, by entering a
sequence of three plus characters (+++). To keep the M8G modem from
unintentionally entering the Command Mode because of the +++ pattern
occurring in a stream of data entering the modem, there must be a pause in
the data stream before the +++ as well as a pause after the +++ is sent. If
either pause is missing, the modem will not enter the command mode.
Using serial communications software such as HypterTerminal, send the 3-
character command sequence “+++” while observing times of silence before
[BT (Silence Before Sequence) Command] and after [AT (Silence After
Sequence) Command] the command characters. The default BT and AT
times are 500mS.
The default sequence for entering into AT Command Mode:
1. No characters sent for ½ a second.
2. Input three (3) plus characters (“+++”) within ½ of a
second.
3. No characters sent for ½ a second.
When the M8G modem first enters the Command Mode, it sends the phrase
Raveon M8G (transceiver version)
or
Raveon M8R (receive only version)
out of its serial port, and then an “OK” sequence. The “OK” sequence is a
sequence of 4 characters:
An “O”, “K”, <CR>, and <LF> characters
(<CR> = ASCII 0D, <LF> = ASCII 0A)

Company Confidential 12 Raveon Technologies Corp.
6.3. Setting a Parameter
To set a parameter in the M8G modem, enter the Command Mode as
described above. Then enter the proper AT command, a space, the
parameter, and then a carriage return. For Example, to set the address of the
M8G modem to 1234, enter the following command:
ATDT 1234 <CR>
Once a Parameter is changed, the modem will begin using the new
parameter and the new parameter is saved to non-volatile.
6.4. Reading a Parameter
To read the value of a particular setting, issue the command, with no
parameter. The modem will return the value followed by an “OK”. The
modem’s OK response is:
The value in ASCII decimal format.
A <CR> <LF> (<CD> = ASCII 0D, <LF> = ASCII 0A).
An “O”, “K”, <CR>, and <LF> sequence.
For example, if the user enters the command to read the M8’s modem
address and its address was 1234, the user would issue the following
command:
ATDT<cr>
and the modem will respond with:
1234 <CR> <LF>OK <CR> <LF>
To get on-line help with a command, enter the command and put a question
mark in for the parameter. For example, to see what the ATDT command is
for, type:
ATDT ?
The modem will respond by listing a brief description of the command. To
see a list of all commands, type HELP.
Many commands support the “MIN” and “MAX” parameters to read the
minimum and maximum allowable settings. For example, type ATJF MAX to
find the maximum value the CTS negation threshold may be set to.
6.5. CONFIG Button
If certain parameters within the modem are modified in a manner that causes
the modem to cease functioning or if the user cannot enter the command
mode via the “+++” method described above, there is a small push button
internal to the M8G modem to assist in this case. This CONFIG button may
be pressed at any time, and forces the modem into a known operational state.
The CONFIG button is located inside the modem. Remove the rear cover,

Company Confidential 13 Raveon Technologies Corp.
exposing the two circuit boards. The button is in the front edge of the radio
module’s circuit board.
The default settings that the modem will revert to when the CONFIG button is
pressed are:
1. Serial port 9600 baud, 8 data bits 1 stop, no parity
2. ATCT setting set to 60000 (60 second time-out)
3. Serial port on the front of the unit in RS232 mode, 9600bps, N/8/1.
Even though the serial baud rate reverts to 9600 baud when the CONFIG
button is pressed and the IO port is RS232, it will revert back to the settings
programmed into the M8G modem once the Command Mode is exited.
6.6. Exiting the Command Mode
There are three ways to exit the command mode. They are:
1. ATCN Issuing the ATCN. The M8G radio will exit the command mode,
and begin normal operation.
2. EXIT Issuing the EXIT. The M8G radio will exit the command mode, and
begin normal operation.
3. Time Out. After a pre-set amount of time (60 seconds is the factory
default time), the modem will automatically exit the Command Mode, and
continue normal operation. Changes will not automatically be saved. This
time-out duration may be set with the ATCT command.

M7 GX Technical Manual 14 Raveon Technologies Corp.
7.Command Mode Commands
7.1. General Command
These commands apply to the general configuration of the M8G, and are
applicable in both the data modem mode and paging mode.
Command
Command Description
Parameters
Factory
Default
ATAT
Silence AFTER Sequence - Sets period of silence after the
command sequence characters in mS.
Range:0 –1000
(mS)
500
ATBD
Baud Rate –Sets serial com port baud rate (bps). Type the
range index (0-7) or the actual desired baud rate.
Range: 0 –7
0 = 1200 5=
38400
1 = 2400 6=57600
2 = 4800
7=115200
3 = 9600
4 = 19200
3
AFDC
Audio input DC offset –The DC bias level on the audio input
in millivolt. Adjust this setting so the audio transmissions are
on the center of the channel. Set to 0 to have the M8G auto-
detect the average.
Range: 0-3300
mV
1650
AFLVL
Audio input level gain –internal gain of the audio input
signal, in %. Adjust this setting for the audio input deviation
level.
Range: 0-2000%
mV
100
AFLIM
Audio deviation limit –Sets the peak audio deviation limit for
TX audio in the audio pass-through mode. In % of data
deviation 100% limits audio to same as data. .
Range: 0-300%
100
ATBT
Silence BEFORE Sequence –Sets period of silence before
the command sequence character in mS.
Range: 0-1000
mS
500
ATCD
Carrier Detect Threshold –Read/set the carrier detect
threshold, in dBm. -113 means -113dBm.
-113
-120 to -60
ATCH
Configure Hardware Flow Control –Enable (1) or disable
(0) flow control. When enabled, the modem will monitor the
RTS line, and if it is negated, stop sending data out the serial
port. If disabled, the modem will ignore the state of RTS, and
always send out charators.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable
0
ATCI
Handshaking Invert –Used to invert the RTS handshaking
signal. 0=normal, 1 = inverted.
1 = Invert
0 = Normal active
low.
0
ATCT
Command Time Out –If no valid commands have been
received via the serial port within this time period (in
milliseconds), modem returns to normal operation mode from
Command mode. If the CONFIG button inside the M8G is
pressed, this parameter will be automatically set to 60000.
Range: 100-
60000mS
60000
ATE
Echo –Character echo set on (E1) or off (E0). This applies to
the Command Mode only.
Range: 0 , 1
1 (echo)
ATEN
Encryption Mode –o= off.
1=EAS128 for GPS location report. IO data unencrypted.
2=AES128 encryption for GPS data and also serial port data.
Range: 0 - 2
0
ATF
Display frequencies –Display all of the frequencies
programmed into all of the channel memories.
N/A
ATFT
Transmit Frequency –Program the transmit frequency for
this channel. Enter in Hz or in MHz. The frequency will
Range: See product
data sheet. For MURS
products, frequency
See product data
sheet.

M7 GX Technical Manual 15 Raveon Technologies Corp.
automatically be saved in non-volatile memory (flash) for this
current channel number.
cannot be changed.
ATFR
Receive Frequency –Program the receive frequency for this
channel. Enter in Hz or MHz. The frequency will automatically
be saved in non-volatile memory (flash) for this current
channel number.
Range: See product
data sheet. For MURS
products, frequency
cannot be changed.
See product data
sheet.
ATFX
TX and RX Frequency –Program the receive and transmit
frequency for this channel. Enter in Hz or MHz. Same as
issuing an ATFR and an ATFT command. The frequency will
automatically be saved in non-volatile memory (flash) for this
current channel number.
Range: See product
data sheet.
N/A
ATHN
Channel Number Select current radio channel number. This
command does not store the channel number into EEPROM,
Range: 1 - 6
1
ATHP
Channel Number –Select current radio channel number. The
channel number is stored in EEPROM memory.
Range: 1 - 6
1
ATIC
Read Current Draw Read the current draw in mA. Accuracy is
within 20% of actual current draw.
Range: 0-9999
N/A
ATIO
Read/Set the Input/Output mode. ATIO 5 for M8G stand-
alone OEM module. ATIO 8 when used in the Tech Series
enclosure.
0-10
5
ATJF
Read/set the CTS threshold –Set the serial buffer threshold
where the CTS line is negated. By default the ATJF level is at
80% of the internal buffer size.
1 - 2000
3800
ATL
Enable/Disable the LEDs –1 = LEDs always off. This
reduces some power consumption. 0 = LED operate normally.
0 or 1
0
ATMT
Protocol Select –The over-the-air communication protocol.
0=Packetized mode, 3=POCSAG paging receiver. 8=Audio
pass-through.
Range: 0 or 3
0
ATNS
Stop Bits –Selects the number of stop bits.
Range: 1-2
1
ATR1
Select CD pin output signal –CD may be RF carrier detect,
or modem data detect.
Range : 0 - 4
4 = Data Framing
3= Always negate CD
2 = Always assert CD
1 = Data CD
0 = RF CD
0
ATR3
Serial Port Time Out –The time in milliseconds for the serial
port to time out. When data is entering the serial port, and this
amo0unt of time passes with no more data, the M8G will begin
to transmit the data over the air.
Range: 1 - 999
20
20mS is the default.
ATR8
Frequency Offset. Used to set the radio on the center of the radio
channel.
Range: -500 to
+500
0**
ATRQ
Receiver Signal Level –Reads the Receiver Signal strength
this instant, and returns the level in dBm.
Range: -40 to –130
(dBm)
-
ATRS
RSSI (Receive Signal Strength Indicator) –Returns the signal
level of last received packet. The reading is in dBm. Usable
for relative comparison of signals, but absolute value is
within10dB at -90dBm.
No parameters.
Returns a number :
-50 to –140 (dBm)
varies by model.
none
ATSL
Serial Number –Reads and returns a unique serial number for
thjs unit.
Read Only
1 - 999999999
unique
ATSM
LPM Operation Enable –When Low Power Mode (LPM) is
set to 1, the DTR input line controls the M8’s low-power
operation. When set to 0, the M8G will not go into LPM,
regardless of the state of the DTR pin. When set to 2, the
modem is forced into a low-power mode, disabling the
Range: 0, 1, 2
0

M7 GX Technical Manual 16 Raveon Technologies Corp.
receiver. When set to 4, the RX is turned off, and the
transmitter will still send data and GPS position report.
ATST
Statistics –Show the unit’s operational statistics. See Statistics
section of user manual.
0, 1,2, 3, 4, or 5
None
ATTD
Transmit Test Data –When issued, the modem will begin
transmitting data. The type of data sent is set in the parameter.
Entering a <CR> will terminate the transmission.
0 = Go back to normal
1 = Random
3 = 1010… at ¼ baud rate
4 = TX all 0s
5 = TX all 1s
6 = Test Points ON
7 = Transmit CW
8 = Transmit 1010101…
ATTE
Read product temperature –Read the internal temperature of
the unit’s circuit board in degrees Celsius.
-40 to +99
-
ATVB
Read DC input Voltage–Returns the DC input voltage reading,
in mV (12500 = 12.5VDC input).
None
none
ATVR
Firmware Version –Returns firmware version currently loaded
on the module.
Read Only, 3
characters
none
AT&F
Restore Factory –Restore the factory default values. This
command will not erase the calibration values. After this
command executes, the modem will still be in the CONFIG
mode.
none
BAND
Read the Band –Reads the frequency band of the radio.
First parameter is the text version (UA, UC, VB, …), second
parameter is the lower limit, and the third parameter is the
upper limit in MHz. Use to read the band that the radio is
tuned to cover.
None
-
CONFIG
Display the M8’s configuration.
0, 1, or 2
-
CHNUM
Read number of channels. This command will return the
number of channels this product has.
6
KEYPHRASE
Privacy Security Key Code. Set the privacy key for this
device. It must be the same key as used on all other
Raveon products in your system. It secures radio
transmissions from unauthorized reception. ATEN
parameter to the type of encryption to use.
2-16 ASCII
characters.
“RAVEON”
MODEL
Read Model number. Read the model number of the unit.
None
M8G or M8R
QSIZE
Read the number of queued WMX frames in the WMX
queue.
None
-
QCLR
Remove all WMX frames from the WMX frame queue.
None
-
SHOW
Show/display an overview of the radio’s configuration.
None
-
WMX
Read/set the WMX serial port protocol. 0=off, 1= enabled.
0, 1
0
WMXVR
Read the WMX version
None
WMXINFO
Read WMX information. Returns: Aa, bb, ccc, dd where
AA = Number of WMX message buffers in the product’s WMX
queue.
bb = Number of WMX messaged queued up in the product’s
WMX frame queue.
ccd = Total size of WMX message buffers in bytes.
dd = WMX version implemented in the product.
** indicates values that are calibrated in the factory and are unit-specific. If the “Radio
Type” is changed, these will need to be re-calibrated.

M7 GX Technical Manual 17 Raveon Technologies Corp.
7.2. Data Modem Mode Related Commands
These commands apply to the operation of the M8G when it is in the data
modem communication mode.
Command
Command Description
Parameters
Factory
Default
ATBC
Busy Channel Lock Out –Enable/disable the BCL. If enabled,
the modem will not transmit on a radio channel that is busy (has
RF on if). 0-OFF, 1=ON.
Range: 0-1
0
ATDT
Destination Address to call–Sets address of the modem to
send data to. Note, this parameter is entered in HEX format.
Each digit may be a 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,or an F.
Range: 0-
FFFF
1234
ATHS
Show History –Show a table of listing the most recent
receptions, and the IDs that the data was sent from
No parameter
ATHX
Enable/Disable single-hop repeating –0=any number of
repeats, 1 –unit will not repeat a packet that was already
repeated.
0 or 1
0 (multi-hop OK)
ATLA
Listen Address –Configures the listen address for this unit. The
unit will receive data if this listen address matches the destination
address in a data transmission. FFFF to disable it.
Range: 0000 -
FFFF
1234
ATMK
Address Mask –Configures local and global address space.
Each digit may be a 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,or F. In most
applications, this is kept at FFFF.
Range: 0000 -
FFFF
FFFF
ATMY
Unit Address –Configures the individual; address for this unit.
Each digit may be a 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,or F. Note: FF
is interpreted as a group. See addressing section.
Range: 0000 -
FFFF
1234
ATPE
Packet Error Display –Shows statistics to compute packet-
error rate. Displays Packets Per Minute (PPM) and a running
total.
None (display
PER)
1 = reset
counters
2 = Stop PER
display
None
ATPO
RF Power Output. Set or show the RF power output setting.
Value is in percent, from 0% to 100%. Use and RF wattmeter to
confirm the power setting, and adjust the % accordingly to obtain
the desired RF power level.
0-100
100
ATR0
Symbol Peak Deviation –Set the peak FM deviation of the
transmit symbols. Note: This can be a negative number to invert
the modulation.
Range: -1000
–1000
120**
ATR2
Over-The-Air bit rate -This is the data rate the radio uses to
send data over the air. All RF modems in the network must
use the same over-the-air baud rate. Refer to section Error!
Reference source not found. for information on how to set the
OTA baud rate.
Range:
0 = 800 5
= 9600 2L
1 = 1200 6
= 19200 4L
2 = 2400 7
= 5142 2L
3 = 4800 8
= 9600 4L
4 = 8000 4L 9
= 2000 2L
3 narrow
ATR5
Preamble length –The number of bytes to send over-the-air in
the pre-amble. If communicating with an M7 you may want to
use 7 bytes.
Range: 3 -
255
5
(Varies based on data
rate and radio type)
ATRB
Number of retries. If this modem does not get an ACK back
when it sends data, this is the number of times it will re-transmit
the packet and wait for an ACK. 0=disabled feature.
Range: 0-99
0
(ACKs are not used)
ATRF
RF Carrier Required –When enabled, there must be RF
energy on the channel for the modem to output data.
Streaming data mode only. 1-RF required. 0=ignore RF energy
when receiving.
Range: 0, 1
0 (no RF
required)

M7 GX Technical Manual 18 Raveon Technologies Corp.
ATRV
Disable Remote Access –When enabled (set to a 0), the
modem will respond to over-the-air RPR requests, Pings, and
over-the-air commands. Default is OFF (1).
0 = Remote
Access on
1 = Remote
Access off
1
ATTT
Max Packet Size –Set the maximum number of bytes in an
over-the-air packet.
1 - 512
80
ATXn
Show or Configure the Repeat Table –Set the addresses that
this unit will store-and-forward data to/from. n = 1, 2, 3, or 4
designating the entry in the table to show or edit..
Four parameters
aaaa bbbb cccc dddd where
aaaa=Source Address
bbbb = S.A. Mask
cccc = Destination Address
dddd = D.A. Mask
ATXR
Enable/Disable Store and Forward Repeating –0=disabled, 1
–enabled.
0 or 1
0 (Off)
ATXT
Read/set repeater delay –Read or set the repeater delay. This
is the time between receiving a data packet, and the time the
repeater will re-send it.
PING
Ping another modem. Format is PING xxxx, where xxxx is the
ID of the modem to ping. If remote access is enabled on xxxx, it
will respond.
XXXX
-
REPEAT
Turn Repeater feature on/off. REPEAT x If x=1, a quick way
to enable repeating all packets. If x=0, disables the repeat
feature.
0 (off) or 1 (on)
0
RPR
Remote Procedure Request. Used to request execution of a
command on a remote mode (over the air). See M8G System
Protocol manual for information on using this feature.
STAT
View device statistics. Enter STAT with no parameter to see
general statistics. STAT 1 for GPS tracking related statistics.
** indicates values that are calibrated in the factory and are unit-specific.
7.3. GPS Transponder Related Commands
The following commands are specific to the operation of the M8G in the GPS
tracking mode.
Command
Command Description
Parameters
Factory
Default
DATAMUTE
Set/Read Serial Port TX Data Mute. 0=Unit will
transmit serial data over the air. 1=Unit will not send
any serial port input data over the air, only position
transmissions. Works in TDMA mode only
0 or 1
0
FREEWHEEL
Freewheel time. Read/set the number of seconds
that the unit will continue to transmit when it does not
have GPS lock.
1-7200
120
GPS
Display/Set GPS operation mode GPS X
Xis GPS mode:
0 = Disable internal GPS and turn off all GPS features
1 = GPS on, normal GPS transponder operation. TX only
2 = Transponders/Base. TX and RX. $PRAVE output
Y= 0 for off, 1 for on.
1 –9
2
GXF
Display/Set Feature GXF X Y
Display, set, or disable various GPS features.
Xis numeric feature code:
3 = GPS Echo. All data from the internal GPS rx is
echoed out the user serial port.
4 –Proximity Alert.
Y= 0 for off, 1 for on.
1-3

M7 GX Technical Manual 19 Raveon Technologies Corp.
GPS&F
Reset all GPS (-GX version) parameters. Set the
GX version’s Operating mode to GPS mode 4, and
sets all GPS parameters to factory defaults. It does
not erase frequency or other radio-related
parameters.
-
-
IDLERATE
IDLE TX Interval. Set the number of seconds
between position transmissions when the unit is idle
(no trigger events occurring such as speed, I/O…)
0-9999
seconds
10
LOCRATE
Set/Read NMEA interval the internal GPS chip
uses to read the M8G’s GPS location. Enter in
Seconds, with 500mS resolution if a decimal point is
entered. Enter 1 for one second enter 0.5 for 500mS
read interval.
0.5- 32000
1
NMEAOUT
Enable/Disable NMEA messages. Configures the
M8 GX to output standard NMEA messages (GGA,
GLL, RMC) out its serial port. NMEAOUT 0 disables
the messages. NMEAOUT 1 enables them.
0, 1
1
NMEAMASK
Set/Read NMEA message bit mask. The
NMEAMASK register contains configuration bits to
enable various NMEA standard messages from the
internal GPS receiver that will be sent out the serial
port. The parameter is the decimal integer value of
the mask.
0-9999
258
(RMC, GLL,
GGA)
NMEARATE
Set/Read NMEA message rate. Set/read the
number f seconds between NMEA messages from
the internal local GPS.
1-99
5
OUTPUT
Set Output format. Set/read the serial port output
format to output GPS position/status messages. This
parameter is set by the GPS x command. It may be
manually reconfigured AFTER the GPS x command
is issued. 0=none, 1=$PRAVE, 2= $GPTLL,
3=$GPWPL, 5=PIN, 6=$QVPOS, 9=Debug,
11=$GPGGA, 12=$GPRMC, 12=GGA, 13=GLL,
14=GLL&VTG, 16=!AIVDM&$PRAVE
$PRAVE
Set by GPS
mode
command.
PREFIX
ID Prefix. Set an ID prefix. The prefix is 1-8
characters that will be put in front of the ID when
reporting an ID as a waypoint name. A dash means
no prefix. Default is a capitol letter V.
1-8 ASCII
characters
Set it to “0” for no
prefix.
V
PROX
Proximity Alert. Set a minimum proximity distance
(meters). When any RV-M8 GX with properly
configured ID codes and KEYPHRASE comes within
this many meters of this unit, a proximity warning is
triggered. The report interval will be at the TXRATE
setting, and report the proximity warning at least 8
times or until the distance between the two RV-M8
GXs increases beyond the PROX distance.
0-9999
0=feature disabled
Disabled (0)
TRIGDX
Distance trigger. Set a distance (in meters)
threshold beyond-which the unit will transmit its
position and status. If set to 0, the unit always reports
at the TXRATE. If set to an distance greater than
zero, then the unit reports at the TXRATE intervals if
it has moved this distance since the last report. If it
has not moved, it will still report its position, but at the
rate set by IDLERATE.
0-999
0
TRIGSPEED
Speeding Report. Set a speed (in kilometers/hour)
threshold above-which the unit will begin reporting its
position and status. Set to 0 to disable this feature.
0-999
0
TXRATE
GPS Report Rate. Set number of seconds between
GPS reports. This is also the rate at which the
internal GPS will measure position, speed, etc. Even
if the unit is not moving, the GPS periodically
0 - 9999
10

M7 GX Technical Manual 20 Raveon Technologies Corp.
measures position and speed to determine if it has
triggered a speed or position transmission. Set to
TXRATE and IDLERATE both to 0 to totally disable
position reporting.
SLOTQTY
Quantity of TDMA Slots. Normally this parameter is
set to 1. Each unit gets one slot. To facilitate data
transmission, it is possible to set this to a number
other than 1. For example, if set to 3, and the ID of
the unit is 0008, the unit will be allowed to transmit in
slots 8, 9, and 10.
1-9999
1
SLOTNUM
Change the TDMA slot number. Use this command
with caution! This will change the TDMA slot
assignment, leaving the ID (MYID) unchanged.
Typically, the ID and the slot number are the same.
Once this command is used, the TDMA slot number
for this transceiver to will no change if the ID of the
device is changed. Set SLOTNUM to -1 to force the
Slot Number to be automatically set to the MYID of
the radio. This is the factory default setting.
-1,
1-9999 (Decimal
number, not hex)
N.A.
By default the
Slot Number
is auto-set to
the MYID
SLOTTIME
TDMA Slot duration. Configure the width of a TDMA
slot. 50mS increments.
50 - 1000
200
TDMATIME
Set/read TDMA Frame time. The length of one
TDMA time frame, in seconds.
0-3599
10
TDMADATA
Set/read TDMA Data Priority. Configure the unit to
give transmit priority to serial port data over GPS
position data. 0=GPS position priority, 1=Serial Data
priority. If set to 1, GPS position transmissions are
suppressed when there is serial port data to send. If
set to 0, GPS is always sent, and extra space in
TDMA slot will be filled with any available serial-port
data.
0, 1
0
(GPS Position
is priority over
data)
TRIGBITS
I/O Change Reporting. Sets/reads which bits are
used as “transmission triggers”. This is a HEX
number. Bit 0 is IN0, bit 1 is IN1…. IN2 is the serial
data input, so if the unit is used to send data, do not
set TRIGBITS to a number greater than 3. Note: all
input bit status is always sent each transmission,
regardless of this setting.
0-7
0
TRIGPOL
Polarity of the input bits. 0 = normal active high
operation(causes unit to transmit when it goes high),
1 = Inverted, active low. This is a HEX number. Bit 0
is IN0, bit 1 is IN1…. Any bit set to one in this
parameter will set the particular bit to be “active low”.
Setting this to 0 will set all input bits to be active high.
This does not affect the actual state of the bit
transmitted over-the-air. It only effects the polarity
that causes a bit to trigger an event or a transmission.
0-FF
0
Active high
TRIGEX
Report on change. Sets which input bits cause a
report on change. If a particular bit is a 1, then it will
trigger a report when it changes. The input bit must
also be enabled with the TRIGBITS. This is a HEX
number. Bit 0 is IN0, bit 1 is IN1…
0-FF
0