Tait TB9100 User manual

MBA-00002-07
Issue 7
January 2007
TB9100 base station
P25 CG console gateway
Installation and
Operation Manual

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual 2
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Contact Information
Tait Radio Communications
Corporate Head Office
Tait Electronics Limited
P.O. Box 1645
Christchurch
New Zealand
For the address and telephone number of regional
offices, refer to the TaitWorld website:
Website: http://www.taitworld.com
Technical Support
For assistance with specific technical issues, contact
Technical Support:
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://support.taitworld.com
Copyright and Trademarks
All information contained in this manual is the property
of Tait Electronics Limited. All rights reserved.
This manual may not, in whole or in part, be copied,
photocopied, reproduced, translated, stored, or reduced
to any electronic medium or machine-readable form,
without prior written permission from Tait Electronics
Limited.
The word TAIT and the TAIT logo are trademarks of
Tait Electronics Limited.
All trade names referenced are the service mark,
trademark or registered trademark of the respective
manufacturers.
Disclaimer
There are no warranties extended or granted by this
manual. Tait Electronics Limited accepts no
responsibility for damage arising from use of the
information contained in the manual or of the
equipment and software it describes. It is the
responsibility of the user to ensure that use of such
information, equipment and software complies with the
laws, rules and regulations of the applicable
jurisdictions.
Enquiries and Comments
If you have any enquiries regarding this manual, or any
comments, suggestions and notifications of errors,
please contact Technical Support.
Updates of Manual and Equipment
In the interests of improving the performance, reliability
or servicing of the equipment, Tait Electronics Limited
reserves the right to update the equipment or this
manual or both without prior notice.
Intellectual Property Rights
This product may be protected by one or more patents
of Tait Electronics Limited together with their
international equivalents, pending patent applications
and registered trade marks: NZ338097, NZ508054,
NZ508340, NZ508806, NZ508807, NZ509242,
NZ509640, NZ509959, NZ510496, NZ511155,
NZ511421, NZ516280/519742, NZ519118,
NZ519344, NZ520650/537902, NZ522236,
NZ524369, NZ524378, NZ524509, NZ524537,
NZ524630, NZ530819, NZ534475, NZ534692,
NZ535471, NZ536945, NZ537434, NZ546295,
NZ547713, NZ521450, AU2003281447,
AU2002235062, AU2004216984, AU2005207405,
CA2439018, CA2554213, EU03784706.8,
EU02701829.0, EU04714053.8, EU05704655.9,
GB23865476, GB2386010, GB2413249,
GB0516092.4, US11,232716, US10/597339, US10/
520827, US10/468740, US5,745,840, US10/547653,
US10/546696, US10/547964, US10/523952, US11/
572700.
This product may also be made under license under one
or more of the following U.S. Patents: 4,590,473
4,636,791 4,716,407 4,972,460 5,146,497 5,148,482
5,164,986 5,185,795 5,185,796 5,271,017 5,377,229
5,502,767.
The IMBE™ voice coding Technology embodied in
this product is protected by intellectual property rights
including patent rights, copyrights and trade secrets of
Digital Voice Systems, Inc. This voice coding
Technology is licensed solely for use within this
Communications Equipment. The user of this
Technology is explicitly prohibited from attempting to
decompile, reverse engineer, or disassemble the Object
Code, or in any other way convert the Object Code
into a human-readable form. Protected by U.S. Patents
5,870,405 5,826,222 5,754,974 5,701,390 5,715,365
5,649,050 5,630,011 5,581,656 5,517,511 5,491,772
5,247,579 5,226,084 and 5,195,166.
To Our European Customers
Tait Electronics Limited is an
environmentally responsible company
which supports waste minimization
and material recovery. The European
Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment Directive requires that this
product be disposed of separately from
the general waste stream when its service life is over.
Please be environmentally responsible and dispose
through the original supplier, your local municipal
waste “separate collection” service, or contact Tait
Electronics Limited.

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual 3
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Scope of Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Associated Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Publication Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1 Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.2 Base Station and Console Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.3 Modules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Base Station Reciter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Gateway Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Power Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Power Management Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Subrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.4 Frequency Bands and Sub-bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.5 Base Station Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Base Station/Repeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
12V DC PA-Only Base Station/Repeater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Receive-only Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
P25 Console Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.6 Base Station Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Repeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Line-Connected Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Channel Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Trunking Control or Traffic Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
P25 Linking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.7 Theory of Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Signal Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Run and Standby Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Dual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Intermodule Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Front Panel Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2 General Safety and Regulatory Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.1 Personal Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Unpacking and Moving the Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Lethal Voltages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Explosive Environments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Proximity to RF Transmissions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

4TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
High Temperatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
2.2 Equipment Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Installation and Servicing Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Preventing Damage to the PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
ESD Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Anti-tampering Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.3 Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Operating Temperature Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Humidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Dust and Dirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.4 Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Distress Frequencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
FCC Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Unauthorized Modifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Health, Safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility in Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.1 Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Equipment Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Grounding and Lightning Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Equipment Ventilation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Ambient Air Temperature Sensor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Cabinet and Rack Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3.2 Installing and Setting up the CSS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Setting up CSS Access Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Minimum PC Requirements for Running a CSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.3 Unpacking and Moving the Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.4 Setting Up on the Bench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Confirming Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Setting the IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Finding a Lost or Forgotten IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Customizing the Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Changing the Root Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Checking the Modulation Fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Other Operational Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3.5 Installing the Base Station on Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Mounting the Subrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3.6 Connecting Up the Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Connection Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Connecting AC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Connecting DC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Connecting the Auxiliary DC Power Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Connecting RF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Connecting an External Frequency Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Connecting an Antenna Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Connecting the Ethernet Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Connecting the Analog Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual 5
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Connecting General Purpose Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4.1 Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Speaker Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Microphone Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
4.2 Monitoring with the CSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.3 Monitoring Front Panel Fan Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.4 Module LED Indicators and Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
PMU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
6 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
7 Replacing Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
7.1 Saving the Base Station’s Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
7.2 Preliminary Disassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
7.3 Replacing the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Configuring the Control Panel Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
7.4 Replacing a Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
7.5 Replacing a Power Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
7.6 Replacing a Power Management Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
7.7 Replacing the Front Panel Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
7.8 Replacing the Module Guide Rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
7.9 Replacing the Subrack Interconnect Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Configuring the Subrack Interconnect Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
7.10 Final Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
8 Technical Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
8.1 Mechanical Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
8.2 Reciter Module Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
8.3 PA Module Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
8.4 PMU Module Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
PMU Operation on DC Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
8.5 Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
8.6 System Control Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Appendix A – Interface Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
D-range Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Analog Interface Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Digital Interface Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

6TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
PMU Auxiliary DC Output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
DC Input to 12V PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Microphone Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Appendix B – Inter-Module Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
5 or 50W Base Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
100W Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
12V PA Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Dual Channel 5 or 50W Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Five Reciters and One PMU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Seven Reciters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
TaitNet P25 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual 7
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Preface
Scope of Manual
This manual primarily describes the TB9100 base station but also includes
the P25 Console Gateway. When “base station” is referred to, this generally
applies to the P25 Console Gateway as well. When “reciter” is referred to,
this generally applies also to the gateway module.
This manual is intended for use by experienced technicians familiar with
installing and operating base station and console gateway equipment.
It includes a technical description of the equipment, maintenance and
troubleshooting information.
Document Conventions
“File > Open” means “click File on the menu bar, then click Open on the
list of commands that pops up”. “Monitor > Module Details > Channel
Module” means “click the Monitor icon on the toolbar, then in the
navigation pane find the Module Details group, and select Channel Module
from it”.
Within this manual, four types of alerts are given to the reader: Warning,
Caution, Important and Note. The following paragraphs illustrate each type
of alert and its associated symbol.
Warning!! This alert is used when there is a potential risk
of death or serious injury.
Caution This alert is used when there is a risk of minor or
moderate injury to people.
Important This alert is used to warn about the risk of equipment dam-
age or malfunction.
Note This alert is used to highlight information that is required to
ensure procedures are performed correctly.
Associated Documentation
The current set of TB9100 product documentation is provided in PDF
format on the product CD. Updates are made available on the Tait support
web. Print copies of the documentation are available on request.

8TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
■TB9100 Reciter Service Manual (MBA-00017-xx).
■TB9100 Specifications Manual (MBA-00014-xx).
■TB9100 Customer Service Software User’s Manual (MBA-00003-xx)
and online Help.
■TB9100 Calibration Software User’s Manual (MBA-00004-xx) and
online Help.
■TBA0STU/TBA0STP Calibration and Test Unit Operation Manual
(MBA-00013-xx).
■TaitNet P25 System Manual (MBA-00032-xx).
Technical notes are published from time to time to describe applications for
Tait products, to provide technical details not included in manuals, and to
offer solutions for any problems that arise. The product CD includes technical
notes that were available at the time of release. Look for new or updated
technical notes on Tait’s technical support website.
Publication Record
Issue Publication Date Description
1 July 2004 First release
2 January 2005 General updates; new photographs;
Appendix C added
3 March 2005 General updates; Appendix D added
4 August 2005 General updates for version 1.2
release; Appendix D removed
5 May 2006 General updates for version 2.1 release
6 August 2006 General updates for version 2.2
release; H4 frequency band added;
control panel updated; P25 Console
Gateway added.
7 January 2007 General updates for version 3.0. DFSI
interface, centralized voting, voter and
switch redesign. Modulation fidelity
test. Recommendations for preventing
damage to the PA. Carrying handles.

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual Description 9
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
1 Description
The Tait TB9100 base station/repeater is a robust state-of-the-art digital
fixed station that combines Tait’s proven strengths in reliability, high
performance and modular design with software-based configurability and
operation, digital signal processing and voice-over-IP technology. Also
available is a standalone P25 Console Gateway, providing full encryption
features, but no RF functionality.
The TB9100 base station and P25 Console Gateway are designed for
operation in a Project 25 radio network. The base station can be configured
as a repeater or as a line-connected base station, for operation in
conventional or in trunked networks. The P25 Console Gateway is used
where encryption is required on the analog line interface.
The ability of the base station to interoperate in both analog FM and digital
P25 modes, to link stations using standard Internet Protocol
communications, and to add features through software options ensures that
P25 systems designed with the TB9100 are scalable in both size and
functionality.
The TB9100 base station and P25 Console Gateway combine industry-
leading digital voice quality with rugged design specifications and intuitive
user interfaces. These products have been designed to meet the demanding
needs of the public safety and public service sectors.
The TB9100 base station’s RF interface is dual-mode analog/digital,
allowing users of APCO P25 or analog radios to communicate via the
network.
Its Ethernet interface provides built-in network connectivity, allowing the
TB9100 to join with other TB9100 base stations and P25 Console Gateways
to form a channel group. This network supports voice over IP and remote
management of all TB9100 base stations and gateways.
The analog line allows the direct connection of third party dispatch systems.

10 Description TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
1.1 Features
The following are some of the features of the TB9100 base station:
■Fully compliant with the Project 25 Common Air Interface. Can
therefore interoperate with any similarly compliant radios.
■Dual mode. Comprehensive analog and digital features ensure
interoperability with analog or digital technology. The TB9100 can
switch seamlessly between analog FM and digital P25 communications
on a per-call basis.
■Integrated built-in voting facility. No external voter is needed.
■Can be completely managed remotely from a PC running the Tait
Customer Service Software: configuration, alarm monitoring, fault
diagnosis, feature and firmware upgrades.
■An integrated wiring solution is provided for the system control bus and
DC power connections to each reciter.
■Reciters can be replaced without affecting the operation of other reciters
in the same subrack.
■Rugged construction with generous heatsinks and fan-forced cooling for
continuous operation from –30°C to +60°C (–22°F to +140°F).
The following are some of the features of the P25 Console Gateway:
■Project 25 standard DES or AES encryption and decryption at the analog
line interface.
■Support for MDC1200, E & M, and function tone signaling on the
analog line.
1.2 Base Station and Console Gateway
Like the base station, the P25 Console Gateway can be unpacked, given an
IP address, set up on the bench, and used with a CTU. AC and DC power,
the analog line, and Ethernet are connected up in the same way. The console
gateway has a front panel with fans and a control panel. It can also be
monitored and configured by the CSS, much as a TB9100 base station.
Although the gateway has an RF board (as well as a digital board and a
network board), that board has no function. The P25 Console Gateway
subrack can be populated with multiple gateway modules, in the same way
that the base station can be populated with multiple reciters. Faulty gateway
modules or PMUs are replaced in the same way.
The control panel operates as for a base station, except that the Carrier
button has no effect and the microphone can only transmit via the
connected channel group. The speaker can output the channel group’s vote
winner (if unencrypted), but the Console Gateway cannot itself provide any
receive audio.

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual Description 11
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Any references in this manual to the following do not apply to the P25
Console Gateway:
■Tran smitting
■PA
■Receiving
The P25 Console Gateway has one capability that the TB9100 base station
does not have. It can serve as an encryption/decryption point. Many
references to encryption apply only to the Console Gateway.
When “base station” is referred to, this generally applies to the P25 Console
Gateway as well. When “reciter” is referred to, this generally applies also to
the gateway module.
1.3 Modules
The TB9100 base station or P25 Console Gateway consists of a subrack with
one of the following:
■Up to two transmit/receive channels
■Up to five receive-only or gateway channels with a power management
unit (PMU)
■Up to seven receive-only or gateway channels (external power supply
required)
The one PMU supplies and manages power to the whole subrack. One
reciter or gateway module is needed for each channel and one PA is needed
for each transmit/receive channel. There is also a front panel with fans, and
a control panel. The modules are interconnected at the front of the subrack.
External connections to the modules are located at the rear.
Modules come in different variants depending for example on the RF band
or the supply voltage. The PA and the PMU are common to the TB8100
base station. Receive-only base stations and P25 Console Gateways do not
need PAs.
Each module is inserted into the TB9100 4U subrack from the front and is
secured at the front with a metal clamp. Both clamp and module are easily
removed for rapid module replacement. The modules are secured laterally
with plastic guides that clip into the top and bottom of the subrack. These
guides can be easily repositioned to change the configuration of a subrack.
The heavier modules are also secured laterally by metal tabs at the rear of the
subrack.
The following provides a brief description of the available modules.

12 Description TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Base Station Reciter
The reciter module comprises the
receiver, exciter and digital control
circuitry. It also incorporates the
network board, which provides the
Ethernet interface, the analog line
interface, and general purpose digital
inputs and outputs.
Reciters are installed in the subrack
from right to left (viewed from the
front), with the right-hand position
corresponding to position 1 on the
control panel. Only the reciter in
position 1 can communicate with the PMU (if fitted).
It is not possible to convert a reciter to a gateway module.
Gateway Module
The gateway module of the P25 Console Gateway appears identical to a
base station reciter. However, they are electronically distinct. The P25
Console Gateway has no RF capability. It performs P25 encryption and
decryption at the analog line, which the base station is incapable of.
Gateway modules are installed in the subrack from right to left (viewed from
the front), with the right-hand position corresponding to position 1 on the
control panel. Only the gateway module in position 1 can communicate
with the PMU (if fitted).
It is not possible to convert a gateway module into a reciter.

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual Description 13
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Power Amplifier
The power amplifier amplifies the RF output from the reciter and is available
in 5W, 50W and 100W models.
The 5W and 50W models mount vertically in the subrack, while the 100W
model mounts horizontally as it has a wider heatsink. The 100W PA is also
fitted with an airflow duct.
All three models are designed to operate on the 28VDC output provided by
the TB9100 power management unit. In addition, variants of the 5W and
50W models are available for DC-only operation. These two 12V PAs are
fitted with an internal boost regulator board, which converts the 12V
nominal DC input to a 28VDC output to power the PA circuit boards. The
boost regulator board also provides a 12VDC output to power the reciter.
The first 5W or 50 W PA is installed in position 3 of the subrack. The
second 5W or 50 W PA is installed in position 5. The 100 W PA shares a
connection with the PMU to position 6 of the subrack. PAs are not required
in a P25 Console Gateway or receive-only base station.
Power Management Unit
The PMU provides the 28VDC
power supply for the modules in the
TB9100. The input voltage can be
AC, DC or both AC and DC,
depending on the model. An auxiliary
DC output is also available when the
optional power supply board is fitted.
This board is available with an output
of 13.65VDC, 27.3VDC, or
54.6VDC.
The PMU can only be installed in
position 6 of the subrack.
5/50W PA 100W PA
AC and DC PMU shown

14 Description TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Front Panel
The front panel is mounted onto the subrack with two quick-release
fasteners. It incorporates the cooling fans for the PAs and the PMU if these
modules are present.
Control Panel
The control panel is mounted onto
the subrack and is accessible through
an opening in the front panel. The
control panel provides some manual
control of the channels in the subrack,
can display status information for each
channel and allows the technician to
make and receive calls (refer to
“Control Panel” on page 61).
It is a technician tool rather than a user
facility.
Subrack
The 4U subrack is made of passivated steel and is designed to fit into a
standard 19 inch rack or cabinet.
It is fitted with a configurable subrack interconnect board that provides
switching and control logic. The position of a module in the rack is defined
by the socket in the subrack interconnect board to which the module is
connected by the system control bus.

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual Description 15
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
1.4 Frequency Bands and Sub-bands
Much of the circuitry in the TB9100 base station is common to both
frequency bands, and is therefore covered by a single description in this
manual. Where the circuitry differs between VHF and UHF, separate
descriptions are provided for each frequency band. In some cases the
descriptions refer to specific VHF or UHF bands or sub-bands, and these are
identified with the letters listed in the following table.
1.5 Base Station Options
The modular design of the TB9100 base station means that it is available in
many variations. A range of features that can be enabled in software adds
another level of configurability. Here are some of the different products that
result from different module combinations.
Base Station/Repeater
The standard TB9100 combination of modules is suitable for use as a line-
connected base station and as a repeater. This is the typical base station
configuration described in “Theory of Operation” on page 18. Depending
on its PMU, it can operate on AC power, DC power, or a combination of
both.
12V DC PA-Only Base Station/Repeater
The TB9100 base station can be provided without a PMU for those who
prefer to use an external third party power supply. The 12 V DC input is
connected directly to the 12 V PA. This is a variant of the PA that includes
a boost regulator board. This board converts the 12V nominal DC input to
Frequency
Identification Frequency Band and Sub-band
VHF
B band B1 = 136MHz to 174MHz
B2 = 136MHz to 156MHz
B3 = 148MHz to 174MHz
UHF
H band H0 = 400MHz to 520MHz
H1 = 400MHz to 440MHz
H2 = 440MHz to 480MHz
H3 = 470MHz to 520MHz
H4 = 380MHz to 420MHz
K band K4 = 762MHz to 870MHza
a. The actual frequency coverage in this band is:
Transmit: 762MHz to 776MHz, and 850MHz to 870MHz
Receive: 792MHz to 824MHz

16 Description TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
a 28VDC output to power the PA circuit boards. The boost regulator board
also provides a 12VDC output to power the reciter. Customers must provide
their own power supply. Without a PMU, the base station can only be
powered by DC and cannot carry out its power management functions.
Receive-only Base Station
The TB9100 base station can be provided as a receive-only variant in
systems that need sites to enhance the receive coverage. This consists of a
single reciter in a subrack, with or without power management. The exciter
is present but not licensed to transmit.
P25 Console Gateway
The purpose of the P25 Console Gateway is to provide an encrypt/decrypt
point at the analog line. The P25 Console Gateway’s analog line connects
to the dispatch system, and its Ethernet interface connects to the TaitNet
P25 Network. It has no RF functionality.
Encrypted voice quality is indistinguishable from unencrypted.
The P25 Console Gateway supports Project 25 compliant DES (via the basic
encryption license) and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with the AES
license.
Since the control panel is another analog access point, decryption at the
control panel could be a point of insecurity in the system. For this reason,
there is no encryption or decryption to the control panel. The control panel
speaker plays unencrypted speech (if that is present at the gateway). If the
gateway is receiving or transmitting encrypted speech, the speaker simply
produces encrypted noise.
1.6 Base Station Applications
TB9100 base stations can be used as repeaters or as base stations. They can
be connected together as a channel group, to form a wide area repeater or
wide area base station. They can be used in trunking systems and in
conventional systems with analog or digital dispatch equipment. For more
information, see the TaitNet P25 System Manual.
Repeater
The TB9100 base station can function as a standalone repeater. The analog
line is not used and the Ethernet line is only used for CSS access.

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual Description 17
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Line-Connected Base Station
Analog A TB9100 base station can function as a line-connected base station. Analog
dispatch equipment is connected to the analog line.
Digital A TB9100 base station can make available a digital fixed station interface
(DFSI) for connecting to digital dispatch equipment.
Channel Group
TB9100 base stations that are interconnected over an IP-based linking
infrastructure can be configured as a channel group. Together, they operate
as a single logical channel, forming a wide area repeater, wide area base
station, wide area trunking control channel or trunking traffic channel.
P25 Console Gateways can also be channel group members. They connect
analog dispatch equipment to the channel group and can act as an
encryption/decryption point.
Trunking Control or Traffic Channel
TB9100 base stations can be interfaced to an external trunking site
controller. Under instructions from the site controller, they can function as
a control channel or a traffic channel.
P25 Linking
A pair of TB9100 base stations can function as linking transceivers and be
used to provide an RF link, for example between a channel group and a base
station at a remote site.
A TB9100 must be appropriately configured using the CSS before it can
function as a linking transceiver. As voting information cannot be carried
over the RF link, signals that the linking transceiver provides to its channel
group must be assigned a source type and given a fixed impairment value.
For details, see the TaitNet P5 System Manual and the CSS manual or online
Help.
Figure 1.1 TB9100 base stations as linking transceivers
Linking
transceiver
Base
station
Channel group
communications
Linking
transceiver
Base
station
Local site Remote site
Channel group
communications

18 Description TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
1.7 Theory of Operation
The reciter receives RF signals from its RF input and sends RF from its RF
output to the PA, along with a PA key signal. The reciter also receives signals
from and sends signals to the analog line, the Ethernet interface, and the
control panel (see Figure 1.2).
A system control bus interconnects the modules and carries alarm and
control signaling between the reciter and the other modules.
The control panel speaker and microphone enable the base station
maintainer to communicate with the dispatcher or with subscriber unit
radios. The Ethernet interface carries voice over IP as well as
communications with the CSS.
The reciter carries out signal processing and has overall control of the base
station. It comprises an RF, a digital, and a network board, as shown in
Figure 1.3.
Figure 1.2 Base station high-level diagram
Reciter
PMU PA
RF To
Antenna
RF From
Antenna
External Reference
Frequency (if used)
AC I/P
DC I/P
28VDC
(high current)
System Control Bus
Microphone
I/P
Network
Speaker
O/P
RF +
PA Key
28VDC (low current)
Analog Line
(4-wire E&M)
Ethernet
Interface
RS-232 +
Digital I/O
Control
Panel

TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual Description 19
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
The RF board contains the receiver and exciter circuitry.
The digital board converts information between analog and digital and
controls the maintainer’s access via the control panel. It also performs the air
interface signal processing for both analog FM and digital P25 modes.
The network board acts as the link between the digital circuitry and the
TaitNet P25 Network, and gives the base station an identity as a network
element. It also provides the physical connections for the Ethernet, analog
and RS-232 serial interfaces.
For more detailed information, see “Technical Description” on page 99.
Figure 1.3 Reciter boards
RF I/P
RF O/P
Ethernet
Interface
RS-232 +
Digital I/O
Analog Line
RF
Board
Digital
Board
Network
Board
Control
Panel
Maintainer Access

20 Description TB9100/P25 CG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Electronics Limited January 2007
Signal Paths
Figure 1.4 gives an overview of signal paths within the reciter.
1. Incoming signals all go to the main switch.
a. Digital P25 signals from the RF interface go straight from the
digital board to the main switch.
b. Analog FM signals from the RF interface go from the FM audio
processing circuitry via a G.711 encoder to the DSP switch, which
routes them to the main switch.
c. All signals from the channel group go through the protocol stack
straight to the main switch.
d. Signals from the control panel microphone or from the analog line
pass first through an ADC, which converts them from analog to a
128 kbit/s digital stream. Then, if they are analog FM, they pass
through a G.711 encoder. If they are digital P25, they pass through
an IMBE vocoder. The DSP switch then routes them to the main
switch.
2. The main switch handles the signals according to the reciter’s
configuration and role within the channel group. It may vote between
RF-originated signals. If there are multiple signals, it selects or
prioritizes them.
3. The main switch routes the signals to the appropriate destinations:
■RF interface (via the digital board), for transmitting P25 over the
air)
■Ethernet interface (via the IP protocol stack), for sending to the
other channel group members
Figure 1.4 Reciter signal paths
Digital Board Network board
Main
switch RTP
UDP
IP
Ethernet Interface
DSP
switch
Analog line
G.711
Vocoder
ADC
Control panel
G.711
Vocoder
ADC
G.711
FM audio
process
P25
modem
Modulator/
demodulator
ADC
RF Interface
Protocol
stack