stellar labs DS300 User manual

DS300
Satellite Communicator
User Manual
May 22, 2006

DS300 Users Manual May 22, 2006
Stellar Document – Version 2.1c Page: 2 of 51
21700 Atlantic Blvd • Dulles • Virginia 20166 • USA
Telephone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................ 6
1.1 Purpose................................................................................................................................. 6
1.2 Applicable Documents........................................................................................................ 6
1.3 Industry Canada Warning: RSS210................................................................................. 6
2. General Overview.................................................................................................................. 7
2.1 General.................................................................................................................................. 7
2.2 Block Diagram...................................................................................................................... 7
2.3 Overview............................................................................................................................... 8
3. Hardware................................................................................................................................. 9
3.1 Power Management and Battery Charger....................................................................... 9
3.1.1 External Power Technical Specifications ................................................................. 9
3.1.2 Operational Power Technical Specifications ........................................................... 9
3.1.3 Charger Technical Specifications ............................................................................ 10
3.2 Application Processor....................................................................................................... 10
3.3 Digital and Analog I/O....................................................................................................... 10
3.3.1 Digital Outputs ............................................................................................................ 11
3.3.2 Digital Inputs ............................................................................................................... 11
3.3.3 Analog Inputs .............................................................................................................. 11
3.4 GPS Receiver..................................................................................................................... 12
3.4.1 Operating Modes........................................................................................................ 12
3.4.2 Antenna Interface....................................................................................................... 12
3.5 Application Processor Serial Interface........................................................................... 13
3.6 Main Serial Interface......................................................................................................... 13
3.6.1 CAN J1939 Interface ................................................................................................. 13
3.7 General PC Board Specifications................................................................................... 13
3.7.1 Grounding.................................................................................................................... 13
3.7.2 Network Activity Indicators........................................................................................ 14
3.7.3 Message Buffer........................................................................................................... 14
3.8 Power Management.......................................................................................................... 14
3.9 Packaging and Connectors.............................................................................................. 16
3.9.1 Housing........................................................................................................................ 16
3.9.2 Mounting ...................................................................................................................... 16
3.9.3 Labeling ....................................................................................................................... 16
3.9.4 Connectors .................................................................................................................. 17

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4. Installation and Operation................................................................................................ 19
4.1 Quick Start.......................................................................................................................... 19
5. Environmental...................................................................................................................... 20
6. Regulatory............................................................................................................................. 21
7. Code Loading....................................................................................................................... 22
Network Processor....................................................................................................................... 22
Application Processor.................................................................................................................. 22
8. Power Controls.................................................................................................................... 23
8.1 Atmel........................................................................................................................................ 23
8.1.1 On...................................................................................................................................... 23
8.1.2 Power Saving .................................................................................................................. 23
8.1.3 Brownout1 ........................................................................................................................ 23
8.1.4 Brownout2 ........................................................................................................................ 23
8.2 GPS.......................................................................................................................................... 23
8.2.1 On...................................................................................................................................... 23
8.2.2 Stand By........................................................................................................................... 23
8.2.3 Off...................................................................................................................................... 23
8.3 Network Process.................................................................................................................... 23
8.3.1 On...................................................................................................................................... 23
8.3.2 Sleep................................................................................................................................. 23
8.3.3 Power saving ................................................................................................................... 23
8.3.4 Off...................................................................................................................................... 23
No external power supplied..................................................................................................... 23
9. Stellar Extended Packet Descriptions........................................................................... 25
9.1. Data Representation......................................................................................................... 25
4-byte Floating-point Format................................................................................................... 25
Little Endian format................................................................................................................... 26
Communications Command Extensions................................................................................... 26
Set Configuration (0x20,0x40).................................................................................................... 26
Get Configuration (0x21, 0x41).................................................................................................. 32
Configuration Response (0x22) ................................................................................................. 33
SC Originated Messages List (0x23)......................................................................................... 34
SC Originated Message Summary (0x29)................................................................................ 36
SC Terminated Messages List (0x24)....................................................................................... 37
SC Terminated Message Summary (0x28).............................................................................. 39

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Message Queue Command (0x25) ........................................................................................... 40
Debug Text (0x26)........................................................................................................................ 42
10. Message Sequence Charts............................................................................................... 43
10.1. Set Configuration Message Sequence Chart............................................................ 43
10.2. Get Configuration Message Sequence Chart ........................................................... 43
11. SPI Serial............................................................................................................................... 44
11.1. SPI Operation................................................................................................................. 44
12. Over-The-Air (OTA) Parameter Message Format ....................................................... 46
Appendix A: DS300 Data Sheet.................................................................................................. 48
Appendix B: Installation of Stelcomm...................................................................................... 49
Appendix C: GPS Performance................................................................................................. 50
C.1 TTFF (Time To First Fix) -- Cold Start the GPS ........................................................... 50
C.2 Cold Start First Position Fix Accuracy............................................................................ 50
C.3 Static Position Accuracy (24 hours test)........................................................................ 50
C.4 Power Consumption.......................................................................................................... 51
C.5 Additional notes:................................................................................................................ 51

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Figures Page
Figure 1: DS300 Block Diagram .......................................................................................................7
Figure 2: Digital Output Circuit........................................................................................................11
Figure 3: Digital Input Circuit ...........................................................................................................11
Figure 4: Analog Input Circuit..........................................................................................................11
Figure 5: Default Digital & Analog Input Timing ...........................................................................15
Figure 6: Housing Dimensions and Connector Locations ..........................................................16
Figure 7: DS300 Connectors...........................................................................................................17
Figure 8: Packet Data Types...........................................................................................................25
Figure 9: IEEE-754 Memory Layout...............................................................................................25
Figure 10: SC Originated Message Summary (for SC Originated Message List Packet).....35
Figure 11: SC Terminated Message Summary (for SC Terminated Message List Packet) .38
Figure 12: SPI Interface Diagram ...................................................................................................44
Tables
Table 1: Data/IO Connector.............................................................................................................18
Table 2: I/O Configuration Options.................................................................................................18
Table 3: Power Down States...........................................................................................................24
Table 4: Opcodes and Offsets ........................................................................................................31
Table 5: Message Queue Command Type Codes ......................................................................41
Table 6: Stellar Over-The Air Commands .....................................................................................46

DS300 Users Manual May 22, 2006
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1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The intended audiences for this manual include, but are not limited to, the DS300 customers,
current Stellar ST2500 customers and ORBCOMM customers. The purpose of this manual is to
provide the user with the data necessary to install, operate, and maintain the DS300 in order to
meet the user’s requirements.
1.2 Applicable Documents
The following documents have been referenced within this document and apply to its contents to
the extent specified herein.
1.3 Industry Canada Warning: RSS210
Industry Canada Radio Standards Specification 210 states the following:
"The installer of this radio equipment must ensure that the antenna is located or pointed such that it
does not emit RF field in excess of Health Canada limits for the general population; consult Safety
Code 6, obtainable from Health Canada’s website www.hc-sc.gc.ca/rpb"
Document No. Title
E80050015 – Rev F ORBCOMM Serial Interface Specification
TBD Stellar Software Developers Guide

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2. General Overview
2.1 General
The DS300 Satellite Modem is a compact, lightweight, microprocessor based VHF transceiver
capable of transmitting and receiving short messages by utilizing the ORBCOMM Satellite
Communication System. The ORBCOMM system is a wide area, packet switched, two-way data
communication system that utilizes constellations of low-earth orbiting satellites and earth station
gateways.
2.2 Block Diagram
The block diagram below shows the major subsystems of the DS300
Figure 1: DS300 Block Diagram
Di
g
In
(
≤12
)
A
na In
(
≤4
)
Di
g
Out
(
≤12
)
Application Processor
RS485
Driver
Aux Serial
RS232
Driver
Network Processor
Main Serial
RS232
Power Management and
Battery Charger
External Power
Battery Power
Power Switch Out
Serial Link
SPI
Control

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2.3 Overview
The DS300 product consists of 5 major subsystems (Network Processor, Application Processor,
GPS Receiver, Modem and Power Management/Battery Charger).
The Application Processor is a programmable micro-controller capable of hosting customer-written
application software and is provided with control of and access to the various subsystems and
interfaces. The application processor has centralized control of the DS300 product. It is
operating whenever power is present on either the external or battery power lead. Application
software (the embedded software application hosted on the application processor or 3rd party
application, usually written by customers) has the ability to power on and off the various
subsystems individually, including the GPS receiver, the RS232/RS485 driver circuit, digital I/O,
analog inputs and the network processor.
The GPS Receiver provides position solutions using the Global Positioning System and is optimized
for low-power operation.
The Network Processor hosts the ORBCOMM protocol software, named SC Core Software
(SCCS), and is responsible for reliable transfer of messages to and from the DS300.
The Modem provides RF signal transmission and reception, adhering to the ORBCOMM Air
Interface specification.
Note: The modem and the network processor are powered on and off as a single subsystem. The
network processor controls the power mode functions of the modem.
The external interfaces enable the DS300 to operate with many different types of power sources
and connect to a diverse set of sensors and devices. In summary:
•External Power: Either a full-time or part-time source of unregulated power between 9
and 30 VDC.
•Battery Power: Clean power usually provided by a lead-acid battery that is charged
when external power is present.
•Switched Power Out: Power provided to an external device switched by a 3rd party
application, up to 1 Amp @ battery voltage. If no battery is present, the voltage will track
the external supply input up to 18 volts.
•App RS485 Serial: Configurable as either 4-wire full-duplex or 2-wire half-duplex
operation, available to the 3rd party application. Optional
•App RS232 Serial: Simple 3-wire (TX, RX, GND) serial link available to the 3rd party
application.
•Digital Outputs: Capable of sourcing or sinking 6 mA at 3VDC, ESD protected with a
current-limiting series resistor, controlled by 3rd party applications.
•Digital Inputs: Capable of sourcing or sinking 6 mA at 3VDC, ESD protected with a
current-limiting series resistor can interrupt or be read by 3rd party applications.
•Analog Inputs: Range 0 – 3.3 V, 10 bit resolution, readable by the 3rd party applications.
•Main Serial: For management of the device and communications using the standard
ORBCOMM Serial Interface Specification and a few Stellar Enhancements.

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3. Hardware
The following sections in this chapter provide the customer-level hardware, performance and
operational requirements.
3.1 Power Management and Battery Charger
The DS300 can be powered in many different ways. This versatility enables the product to be used
in a wide variety of applications without peripheral custom hardware, yielding both a cost savings
and shorter development period.
There are two sets of leads within the power interface, referred to as external power and battery
power. The primary source of power, with regard to the supply of current, must be
connected to the battery input. Note: The manufacturer requires a 5 Amp fuse installed inline
with the External Power input and inline with the Battery Power input.
The external power input is used to provide a source of power to charge a battery, with the battery
connected to the battery lead. The external power lead can accept between 9 and 30 VDC, while
the battery power lead can accept between 8 and 16 VDC. The external power lead has filtering
as well, enabling it to better handle unregulated noisy power sources and voltage spikes. The
battery power lead is designed to connect to a clean power source like a lead-acid or primary
battery, as it has no filtering and cannot tolerate voltage spikes.
3.1.1 External Power Technical Specifications
•Input Voltage: 9 - 30 VDC (Operational). The application processor software will
shutdown the system if voltage is outside this range and the battery is not present to
help prevent circuit damage.
•The manufacturer requires a 5 Amp fuse be used on the External Power Input.
•Reverse Voltage: -24V for 5 minutes.
•Over Voltage: 48V for 5 minutes.
•Power Load dump: Transient signal reaching 100V with a rise time of less than 100
milliseconds then decaying according to the equation 14 + 86e(-t/0.4) driven through a
source impedance of 0.4 ohm. This transient over-voltage pulse “load dump” is similar
to SAE J1455 section 4.11.2.2.1.
•Power Line: 14V signal modulated with 50 Hz to 10 kHz; 7.5 Vp-p; sine, triangle and
square swept at 200 Hz /s.
•Required current for transmit drawn from both external and battery power, with current
drawn from external power up to current limit before any current is drawn from battery
power.
•Current limited to 1.3A, to prevent overdrawing the external power source.
•Drops in voltage below the normal operating range, if too long or severe to sustain
normal operations, shall result in a reset of the DS300 and a return to normal operations
within 50 ms following the return of the voltage to normal operating range.
•A slow rise in voltage from an off state, no matter the rate of change, shall result in
normal operation once the voltage reaches normal operating range.
•Voltage readable by application processor, 10-bit A/D, accurate to within 0.1 V of the
true value.
3.1.2 Operational Power Technical Specifications
•Input Voltage: 8 – 16 VDC (for 10 Watts EIRP)
•The manufacturer requires a 5 Amp fuse be used on the Battery Power Input.
•Reverse Voltage: -16V for 1 minute.
•Over Voltage: 16 VDC (i.e. no protection against over voltage)

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•ESD: Minimal protection (designed for a clean, regulated power source)
•System average sleep current nominally 50uA @ 12V, maximum 100 uA @ 12V.
•Drops in voltage below the normal operating range, if too long or severe to sustain
normal operations, shall result in a reset of the DS300 and a return to normal operations
within 50 ms following the return of the voltage to normal operating range.
•Input ripple is limited to ±200 mVDC. Combined Input Voltage and Ripple shall not
exceed the values specified for ‘Input Voltage’ listed above.
•A slow rise in voltage from an off state, no matter the rate of change, shall result in
normal operation once the voltage reaches normal operating range.
•Voltage readable by application processor, 10-bit A/D, accurate to within 0.1 V of the
true value
•Power source can be any regulated power supply or battery which meets the above
requirements.
3.1.3 Charger Technical Specifications
•Battery voltage 8 or 12 VDC, lead acid, set by software configuration.
•Charging occurs only when external power is present and is nominally 3V greater than
battery voltage.
•Charging modes of cyclic and float
•Default operation is optimized for Hawker DT 4.5 A-h 2V Cells, arranged in 2 x 4
pack yielding 8VDC, 9 A-h. The application processor software controls the optimal
charging rate for the selected battery.
•Charging profile can be modified for other battery types
•Available onboard temperature sensor used to further optimize charging modes.
•Radiated emissions within requirements in ORBCOMM SC Standards & Specifications.
3.2 Application Processor
The application processor is the Atmel MEGA 128 product, model Atmega128L, a low-power 3.3V
CMOS 8-bit micro-controller based on RISC technology. It is equipped with 128K of flash memory,
4K RAM, 4K EEPROM, SPI serial interface, two serial USARTS and programmable watchdog
timer.
The Switched Power Out enables powering an external device. The output can be switched on/off
by the 3rd party application, and sources a current of up to 1A at a voltage just below the battery
voltage (protection circuitry causes a slight reduction in voltage). If no power source is present on
the battery lead then the Power Switch Out voltage is sourced from the external power lead, but
held to a maximum value of 18V.
3.3 Digital and Analog I/O
All Atmel ports have true Read-Modify-Write functionality when used as general digital I/O ports.
This means that the direction of one port pin can be changed without unintentionally changing the
direction of any other pin. The same applies when changing drive value (if configured as output) or
enabling/disabling of pull-up resistors (if configured as input). Each output buffer has symmetrical
drive characteristics with both high sink and source capability. All port pins have individually
selectable pull-up resistors with a supply-voltage invariant resistance. All I/O pins have two
internal ESD protection diodes: one from the pin to Vcc and one from GND to the pin.
Each Atmega128L I/O pin can sink 10 mA or source 10 mA. However an aggregate limit exists
over simultaneous sink and source currents across a given Atmel port (up to 8 pins), therefore
consideration must be given to the port and pin combinations selected for digital I/O in the actual
design.