Raveon RV-M7-UC-GX User manual

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 1 Raveon Technologies Corp.
RV-M7 GX
U H F G P S T r a n s c e i v e r
Quick-Start Guide
Version B0
June 2008
RV-M7-UC-GX
RV-M7-UC-GX-WX
Raveon Technologies Corporation
278 La Mirada Drive, Suite C
Vista, CA 92 81
www.raveontech.com

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 2 Raveon Technologies Corp.
1. Safety Warning Information
1.1. 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 or in
areas posted: “Turn off two-way radio.” Obey all signs and instructions.
1.2. 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.
Use this manual in conjunction with the M7 GX Technical Manual,
which contains important safety, licensing, and FCC information.
2. Overview
Raveon’s RV-M7 GX series of GPS transponders are a rugged high-
speed UHF data modems with a built-in 12-channel GPS receivers. The
M7 GX has ½ to 5 watts of RF power output, and operates as both a
GPS transponder for tracking, and a radio modem.
The M7 GX may be configured for different GPS applications, including:
Transponder: Periodically transmit position and status. TX only.
RavTrack PC: Connect the M7 GX to a personal computer running RavTrack
PC (or other PC software) to view a map showing location.
Radar Displa : Connect M7 GX to a marine plotter or radar display, and icons
will appear on the display.
GPS displa : Connect M7 GX to a hand-held or mobile GPS, and icons will
appear on the display showing the location of all other M7s.
For privacy and security, over-the air encryption is standard on every M7
GX radio. For network versatility, the M7 GX incorporates a 16-bit
identification code.All M7 GX transponders may be set to store-and-
forward messages from other M7 GX transponders.
3. Operation
The M7 GX 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 following table
summarizes this.

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 3 Raveon Technologies Corp.
GPS
Mode
Common
Usage
Default
Serial Port
Baudrate
Output
Message Description
GPS Transponder
Simple
tracking, AVL,
securit .
48 GSV,
GLL
Transmit only in this mode.
The receiver is off and
GPS is turned off between
transmissions. This is the
lowest-power consuming
mode. No RX.
GPS 2 PC / Base
Station
Proprietar
interface for PC
applications that
monitor M7
Transponders.
384 PRAVE Connect the M7 GX 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
Displa ing the
location of M7
transponders
on a ship
RADAR
screen.
384 TLL Connect the M7 GX to a
marine RADAR display or
plotter with a serial port,
and waypoints will appear
on the GPS screen at the
location of all M7 GX
transponders within radio
range. The display must
support the NMEA 183
TLL message.
GPS 4 GPS Display
Lowrance and
Garmin GPS
displa s.
Mobile
displa s.
48 WPL Connect the M7 GX to a
mobile or hand-held GPS
with a serial port, and
waypoints will appear on
the GPS screen at the
location of all M7 GX
transponders within radio
range.
GPS 5 -LX No GPS
module
Lowrance and
Garmin GPS
displa s. Radar
displa s. Mobile
displa s.
384 PRAVE Connect the M7 GX to a
PC running RavvTrack PC,
or change the message to
WPL and use with a GPS
display. No internal GPS,
so no positions/status
transmissions.

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 4 Raveon Technologies Corp.
4. Electrical Inputs and Outputs
The front panel of the M7 GX modem has these features:
. RF connector
2. Power LED
3. Status LED (Receive data = green, TX = red)
4. 9-Pin Serial I/O connector
5. DC Power Jack
4.1. LEDs
The status LED visually show the current status of the radio.
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.
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.
When the GPS is trying to acquire satellite lock, the Status and Power
LEDs will alternately blink back and forth. This usually takes 1 -2
seconds upon power-up or loss of satellite signal.
4.2. DC Power
DC power for the modem is connected to the 2-pin DC power input jack
labeled DC IN. Use the supplied cable to connect the DC power. The
red wire is positive (+) and the black wire is negative (-). Its
connection is optional, as the user may alternately apply power to Pin 9
and ground to pin 5 of the 9-pin I/O connector. If the power cable run is
over 3 feet long, Raveon recommends at least 18 AWG wire be used.
The M7 modem is supplied with a 6-foot DC power cable, Raveon part
number 1C738-1.
Note: The M7 has in internal 3-amp mini-fuse (automotive type) to
protect it and its power source against reverse voltage and serious
hardware failures.

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 5 Raveon Technologies Corp.
5. RS232 Serial I O Connector
The RS232 9-pin serial I/O connector is a female 9-pin D-
subminiature connector having the following pins
configuration. It is pinned out so that it may be plugged
directly into a computer or PC’s 9-pin COM port.
Front-view of DB-9 connector on modem (female)
Pin Name Dir Function Level Specification
1 CD out Carrier
detect
Indicates presence of carrier. Logical
means carrier is present. If disabled, it is
asserted ( ). It will be a 1 when the
modem is in the configuration mode.
2 RxD out Receive
data
Data out of the modem.
3 TxD in Transmit
data
or
IN2
Data into the modem.
Also used as digital input IN2 for exception
reporting. GND or floating for a , >3V for
digital 1. If enabled for digital inputs, the
serial data entering this pin is ignored
(except in the command mode). Use the
TRIGBITS command to set which bits are
used as inputs.
4 DTR in Data
terminal
ready
or
IN0
Used as digital input IN for exception
reporting. GND or floating for a , >3V for
digital 1. Use the TRIGBITS command to
set which bits are used as inputs.
5 GND Ground
connection
Signal and power ground
6 DSR
out Data Set
Ready
Normally is set to when modem is
powered on and running. Modem sets to
a 1 when in low-power mode.
7 RTS
in
Request to
send
or
IN
Used to stop/start the flow of data out TxD
pin. = OK, 1 = don’t send.
Also used as digital input IN1 for exception
reporting. GND or floating for a , >3V for
digital 1. Use the TRIGBITS command to
set which bits are used as inputs.
8 CTS
out
Clear to
send
Used to stop the flow of data going into
the RxD pin from the device connected to
the M7. = OK to send, 1 = don’t send. If
the M7 cannot accept more data, it will
negate this signal (set to a 1).
9 Power
In/o
ut
DC power
(not ring
signal)
User may supply the DC power to the
modem on this pin.
Note: RS-232 signals use positive and negative voltages to represent digital 1s
and 0s. A positive voltage is a 0, and a negative voltage is a digital 1.

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 6 Raveon Technologies Corp.
This pin-out allows it to be directly plugged into a computer’s 9-pin serial
port using a conventional 9-pin RS-232 serial cable. To connect it to a
modem, or peripheral that has a serial port, you will need a “null-modem”
cable.
6. Configuring the M7 GX
6.1. Overview
There is a “Command Mode” used to program and configure the M7 GX.
In the Command Mode, the M7 GX modem accepts commands via the
serial port. The M7 GX modem may be put into a “Command Mode”, by
entering a sequence of three plus characters (+++) using serial
communications software such as H pterTerminal.
When the M7 GX modem first enters the Command Mode, it sends the
phrase “RV-M7” out it serial port, and then an “OK”.
6.2. Setting a Parameter
To set a parameter in the M7 GX modem, enter the Command Mode as
described above, then enter the proper command, a space, the
parameter, and then the enter key. For Example, to set the destination
address (DT parameter) of the M7 GX modem to 25, enter the following
command: ATDT 25 <CR>.
6.3. CONFIG Button
There is a small push-button inside the M7 to assist. This “CONFIG”
button may be pressed at any time, and forces the M7 GX into a known
state. The CONFIG button is located inside the M7 GX.
The default settings that the M7 GX will revert to when the CONFIG
button is pressed are:
1. Serial port 9600 baud, 8 data bits 1 stop, no parit
2. Serial port flow control is off.
3. ATCT setting set to 60000 (60 second time-out)
Even though the serial baud rate reverts to 96 baud when the
CONFIG button is pressed and the IO port is RS232, it will revert back to
the settings programmed into the M7 GX once the Command Mode is
exited.

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 7 Raveon Technologies Corp.
6.4. MODEM Commands (Short list. See Technical Manual for complete list)
Comm
and Command Description Parameters Factory Default
ATBD
Baud Rate – Sets serial com port baud
rate (bps). Over-the-air (throughput) baud
rate is set with ATR2 command.
= 12 5= 38.4k
1 = 24 6=57.6k
2 = 48 7=115K
3 = 96 4 = 19.2k
3
ATCH Configure Hardware Flow Control – Enable (1) or
disable (0) flow control.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable 0
ATCN
Exit AT Command Mode – Exits module from AT
Command Mode and returns it to dle Mode.
Parameters are not saved in EEPROM.
none none
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
,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,or an F.
Range: -
FFFF 1234
ATFT Transmit Frequency – Program the transmit
frequency for this channel. Enter in Hz or in MHz.
Range: See
product data
sheet.
See product
data sheet.
ATF eceive Frequency – Program the receive
frequency for this channel. Enter in Hz or MHz.
Range: See
product data
sheet.
See product
data sheet.
ATFX
TX and X Frequency – Program the receive and
transmit frequency for this channel. Enter in Hz or
MHz. Same as issuing an ATFR and an ATFT
command.
Range: See
product data
sheet.
N/A
ATHP
Channel Number – Select separate
channels to minimize interference
between multiple sets of modules
operating in the same vicinity.
Range: 1 - 6 1
ATMK
Address Mask – Configures local and
global address space. Each digit may be a
,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: -
FFFF FFFF
ATMY
Unit Address – Configures the individual;
address for this unit. Each digit may be a
,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: -
FFFF 1234
ATNB
Parity – Selects parity format. Settings -4
transfer 8-bits over antenna port and
generate the parity bit on the RF receiving
side.
Range: – 5
= none
1 = Odd
2 = Even
3 = Mark (1)
4 = Space ( )
ATNS Stop Bits – Selects the number of stop
bits. Range: 1-2 1

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 8 Raveon Technologies Corp.
ATPO
F Power Output. Set or show the RF
power output setting. Value is in percent,
from % to 1 %. Use and RF wattmeter
to confirm the power setting.
-1 100
AT 1 Select CD pin output signal – CD may be RF
carrier detect, or modem data detect.
Range : 0 - 2
2 = Always assert
CD
1 = Data CD
0 = RF CD
1
AT 2
Over-The-Air bit rate - This is the data rate the
radio uses to send data over the air. All F
modems in the network must use the same
over-the-air baud rate. Refer to section Error!
eference source not found. for information on
how to set the OTA baud rate.
Range:
5 = 96 2L
1 = 12
6 = 192 4L
2 = 24
7 = 5142 2L
3 = 48
8 = 96 4L
4 = 8 4L
9 = 2 2L
3
AT 3
Serial Port time out – Number of mS of no
activityon the serial port before transmitting the
data in its buffer.
Range: 1 - 5000 20 (mS)
ATSL
Serial Number – Reads and returns a
unique serial number for thjs unit.
Read Only
1 - 999999999
unique
ATSH
Show – Display the configuration of the
modem. This will return a page of ASCII
characters, showing the main
configuration parameters.
none None
ATST
Statistics – Show the unit’s operational
statistics. See Statistics section of user
manual.
, 1,2, 3, 4, or
5 None
ATSV
Save – Save all the parameters to
EEPROM. This command must be used if
changed parameters are to be stored in
non-volatile memory, and used next time
the modem is powered up. Modem exits
configuration mode after this command is
executed. It saves all parameters except
the frequency (The frequency is
automatically saved when an ATFT,
ATFR, or ATFX command is executed)
none None
ATVB
Read DC input Voltage– Returns the DC
input voltage reading, in mV (125 =
12.5VDC input).
None none
ATV Firmware Version – Returns firmware
version currently loaded on the module.
Read Only, 3
characters none
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 -
SHOW Show/display an overview of the
radio’s configuration. None -

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 9 Raveon Technologies Corp.
6.5. GPS Additional Commands
The following commands are unique to the –GX version of the M7.
When you execute any of these commands, the new parameter is
automatically stored in EEPROM.
Command
Command Description
Parameters Default
ATHX
Singe-hop repeat. Only applicable if repeater
function is enabled. (ATXR = 1) = repeater
will repeat as programmed . 1 = will not repeat
any packet that has already been repeated.
or 1
GX
Display GPS settings. Show an overview of
the current GPS features and configurations in
the M7 GX.
- -
GPS GPS Operation Mode. Read/Set the GX
version’s Operating mode. - 6 1
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 (has not moved more than TRIGDX
meters).
-9999
seconds 1
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.
Set it to to disable security encryption of
data.
2-16
ASCII
character
s.
“RAVE
ON”
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
“ ” for no
prefix.
V
PROX
Proximity Alert. Set a minimum proximity
distance. When any M7 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 M7 GXs increases beyond the
PROX distance.
-9999
=feature
disabled
Disabl
ed ( )
REPEAT
Enable -GX Repeating. This simple command
enables the repeater feature of the M7 GX, and
configures it for standard operation. The user
may alternately use the ATX and ATRX
commands, but they are more complicated to
use. This command enables the unit to repeat
all messages it receives, as long as the first
digit of the 4-digit ID matches its first digit. (It
Off
1 n

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 1 Raveon Technologies Corp.
repeats IDs 1 thru 999).
SLOTTIME TDMA Slot duration. Configure the width of a
TDMA slot. 5 mS increments. 5 - 1 2
TRIGBITS
I/O Change Reporting. Which bits are used
as transmission triggers. This is a HEX
number. Bit is IN , bit 1 is IN1….
-FF
TDMATIME
Set/read TDMA Frame time. The length of
one TDMA time frame, in seconds. M7’s may
transmit once per frame, and only in their
preset time-slot.
-3599 0
TRIGPOL
Polarity of the input bits. = normal active
high operation(causes unit to transmit when it
goes high), 1 = Inverted, active low. This is a
HEX number. Bit is IN , bit 1 is IN1….
-FF
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 enable with the
TRIGBITS. This is a HEX number. Bit is IN ,
bit 1 is IN1…
-FF
TRIGDX
Distance trigger. Set a distance (in meters)
threshold beyond-which the unit will transmit its
position and status. If set to , 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. If IDLERATE is set t , then the
unit will not report its position when not moving.
-999
TRIGSPEED
Speeding Report. Set a speed (in
kilometers/hour) threshold above-which the
unit will begin reporting its position and
status. Set to to disable this feature.
-999
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 measures position and speed
to determine if it has triggered a speed or
position transmission.
1 - 9999 1
6.6. Factory Default Settings
For the UHF M7 GX model RV-M7-UC-GX, the factory defaults GPS
settings are:
Radio channel 1 .........................464.500 MHz
GPS Mode.....................................4 (Use with GPS displa )
Over-the-air baud rate: ..................4800 baud, 2-level
Serial port ......................................RS-232, 4800baud, N/8/1

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 11 Raveon Technologies Corp.
Hardware flow control....................Off
RF Power Output...........................5 watts
Channel number selected .............1
Position/Status report interval .......10 seconds
Securit KEY .................................RAVEON
Proximit Alert ...............................0, off.
I/O Change reporting.....................0, off
ID Prefix.........................................V
7. Setup and Initial Configuration
1. Connect a DC power source to the DC IN connection on the front
of the modem.
2. Connect a good quality antenna, cut to the operating frequency, to
the BNC connector on the front of the modem.
3. Connect a computer terminal, or PC computer running
HyperTerminal, to the 9-pin I/O connector. The factory default
serial ports settings are 48 bps, 8 data bits, 1 stop, no parity.
4. Put the M7 GX into the command mode. (enter +++)
5. Program the GPS mode. See the table on page 3 to identify the
GPS Mode to use. Type GX and press enter to see an overview of
the current GPS related features and configuration.
6. Program the modem’s operating frequency ( ATFX xxx.xxxxx ).
7. Program the ID in the unit. (ATMY xxxx).
8. With the unit in the command mode, change any of the default
operating parameters that must be modified. From the factory, the
modems are configured and shipped ready-to-use. Out of the box,
they will communicate on the default radio channel using the
factory defaults. In general, the parameters you may want to
modify will be:
GPS x Set the operating mode of this unit. See table on page 23 for details of
this setting.
ATFX Frequency for this channel. Set to your frequency. This parameter
must be the same in all units in the system.
SLOTTIME Set the TDMA time-slot duration for each slot. The factory default is
2 mS for 48 baud over-the-air, and 75 mS for 12 baud over-the-
air. This parameter must be the same in all units in the system.
TDMATIME Set the TDMA cycle/epoch time. All units in the system must use the
same TDMATIME. The factory default is 1 seconds.
ATMY The individual ID of this unit. Default is 1. Number all of your M7
GX transponders with a different MYID. Raveon recommends
sequentially numbering them, starting at number 1.
ATDT The address of the unit this modem will talk to. Default is 1.

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 12 Raveon Technologies Corp.
ATMK The network address mask. Default is F . This means this unit will
receive all transmissions from any other unit with an ID beginning with
( 1 thru 999).
KEYPHRASE Enter a security key code. Use any word or phrase 1-16 characters
long. It is case-sensitive. DO NOT FORGET WHAT YOU SET IT TO!
The KEYPHRASE is the only parameter that cannot be read out of the
M7 GX. It must be the same as the KEYPHRASE programmed into
all the other M7 GX transponders in your system. The factory default
KEYPHRASE is RAVEON, call capitols.
9. To see an overview of how the modem is configured, use the
SHOW command. To see an overview of how the GPS features
are configured, use the GX command.
1 . Type the ATSV command to permanently save the new modem
parameters into FLASH memory.
Remember, that from the factory, all M7 GX modems are configured to
simply work. Plug in power and connect to the serial port at 48 baud,
and the modems will communicate on the default channel. Change the
channel frequency to your specific frequency, and they will be ready to
work on your channel.
7.1. Enabling Repeater Features
Refer to the technical manual for advanced repeater configuration
instructions. To quickly enable repeating of all data sent from/to units 1-
999, use the REPEAT command. This will enable the repeater
function, and configure it to repeat messages, position, and status
transmissions.
Set the Transmission Report rate
Use the TXRATE xx command to set the report rate, in seconds, for the
M7 GX transponder. For example, if you wish the M7 to report every 5
minutes, set the report rate to 3 seconds (TXRATE 300).
If the M7 GX should report position and status when it is moving, set the
TXRATE xx to the desired time between position transmissions. Then,
program the IDLERATE xx to the desired number of seconds between
reports when the unit is not moving (idle).
Important!: Set the minimum distance the unit must move for a
transmission occur with the TRIGDX xx command. If TRIGDX is set to
zero, then the unit will always report at the interval set with the TXRATE
xx command.
For example, to transmit every 2 minutes when idle, and every 1
seconds when moving more than 5 meters, use these commands:
IDLERATE 20 (to set the idling update interval to 2 minutes.)
TRIGDX 500 (tells it to report at the IDLERATE if it does not move this
many meters)

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 13 Raveon Technologies Corp.
TXRATE 0 (configures it to report every 1 seconds whenever it is
moves more than TRIGDX meters)
7.2. Device Addressing
Security Key
The security KEY programmed into every M7 GX transponder ensures
that only M7 GX transponders with the exact same security code can
receive position and status information. The security key is case
sensitive, so “Raveon” and “RAVEON” are two different keys.
When you program your own security code into your M7 GX
transponders, write it down in a secure place. This parameter cannot be
read out of the M7 GX. Use the KEYPHRASE command to set the key
phrase. For example, to set the key phrase to Jkl53hhp type:
KEYPHRASE Jkl53hhp <enter>
Addressing Basics
Each M7 GX has an MYID programmed into it, and is represented as a 4
digit number. M7 GX IDs may be any number between 1 and 9999.
The MYID is programmed with the ATMY xxxx command, and the ID of
the destination modem it sends its messages to (the Destination
Address) is configured with the ATDT xxxx command.
The default Address Mask is F , which means the M7 GX will receive
a transmission from any other M7 as long as the fist digit matches, in this
case, is a .
Make sure you set the MYID of each M7 GX in your system to a different
number.
For example, to set the MYID of your M7 to 17, enter:
MYID 7 <enter>
To set your M7 to send its position and status data to M7 number 1,
enter:
ATDT <enter>
To set your address mask to receive all messages from units with IDs 1-
999, and exclude 1 -9999, enter: ATMK F000 <enter>
Time Slots
For optimum efficiency in a M7 GX system, begin sequentially numbering
the MYID of the M7 GX transponders at ID 1. The second M7 should
be ID 2, and so on.
The M7 GX transponders have internal clocks with 2 ticks-per-second.
They can measure time and initiate transmissions 2 times every second
(every 5 mS). The TDMA time slot is configured to be some number of
these ticks. The factory default allocation is 4-ticks for one time-slot. So

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 14 Raveon Technologies Corp.
each TDMA time slot is 2 mS long, and thus in 1 seconds, up to 5
M7 GX transponders may report position. These parameters are
programmable, and may be re-configured based upon the type of system
they are used in. Program the slot time with the SLTIME xxx command,
where xxx is in milliseconds.
For over-the-air rates of 48 baud, Raveon Suggests using a SLTIME
of 2 mS when using a repeater, or 1 mS if there is no repeater in the
system.
A TDMA “Frame” time is the time it takes all units to transmit. This is
configured with the TDMATIME xx command. The factory default is 1
seconds, so every 1 seconds, each M7 GX is allocated a time-slot that
it may use to transmit position in. The TDMA frame must be set long
enough for all units to transmit. For example, if you have 5 M7s, and
use 2 mS TDMA slots, then the TDMATIME should be set to 1
seconds.
The duration of a TDMA time slot is programmed into the M7 GX with the
SLOTTIME command. If SLOTTIME is set to 2 milliseconds (factory
default), then every 1 seconds, the M7 will have a 2 mS window to
report its position in.
All TDMA frames are synchronized automatically in all M7 GX
Transponders to the top of the minute. Slot , frame is at the top of
each minute.
8. Operation
Once power is applied to the M7 GX, the internal GPS will begin to try to
lock onto the GPS satellites.
The two LEDs on the front of the M7 will begin to alternately blink red
back-and-forth.
After 1 to 6 seconds, depending upon the satellite strength, the red
alternating blinking will stop. This indicates the internal GPS receiver is
locked onto GPS satellite signals, and has a position fix.
The M7 GX will only transmit if it has GPS lock. If the GPS antenna is
broke or obscured, the unit will not report position or status.
When it is locked to GPS, it will transmit its position and status at the
interval programmed into the TXRATE parameter.
Refer to the M7 GX Technical Manual for details on all of the events that
will trigger a transmission.

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 15 Raveon Technologies Corp.
9. Installation
1. Secure the M7 modem using the mounting holes on the side
flanges of the unit.
2. Connect a DC power source to the DC IN connection on the front
of the modem. Use the supplied cable, or 18AWG wire, and
connect the RED wire to +, and the black wire to – (ground).
The black wire and the case of the M7 should be connected to
earth ground.
3. Connect a good quality antenna, tuned to the operating
frequency, to the RF connector on the front of the modem. Use
a good antenna, and place is at as high-above obstructions as
possible.
4. A separation distance of at least 2 centimeters must be
maintained between the transmitter's radiating structures and the
body of the user or nearby persons.
5. Connect a GPS antenna to the SMA connector of the M7 GX.
Although a passive antenna may work if the cable length is very
short, it is recommended that an amplified antenna be used,
rated for 3.3V operation.
6. Connect the computer, terminal, controller, or other hardware
device that will be using the M7 modem to its DB-9 serial I/O
connector using a shielded cable. Secure it to the M7 with the
two mounting screws on the sides of the DB-9 connector.
7. If the antenna is mounted out doors, us a lighting arrestor in-line
with the antenna, and properly ground the antenna and the M7
chassis to an earth ground.
8. Connect Digital Inputs. The stock M7 GX has up to 3 digital
inputs, using the input pins of the RS-232 serial port. An open
circuit or ground is a , and if they are connected to a positive
voltage greater than 3V, they are a digital 1.
RS-232 Pin Function
4 - DTR Input
7 - RTS Input 1
3 - TXD Input 2
5 - Ground GND

M7 GX Quick Start Guide 16 Raveon Technologies Corp.
For Technical Assistance contact Raveon at:
Raveon Technologies Corporation
278 La Mirada Drive, Suite C
Vista, CA 92 81
76 -727-8 4
www.raveontech.com
[email protected]