Tait TB9400 User manual

TB9400 Base Station/Repeater
Installation and Operation Manual
MBC-00001-15 · Issue 15 · March 2017

2TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
Contact Information
Tait Communications
Corporate Head Office
Tait Limited
P.O. Box 1645
Christchurch
New Zealand
For the address and telephone number of regional
offices, refer to our website:www.taitradio.com
Copyright and Trademarks
All information contained in this document is the
property of Tait Limited. All rights reserved.
This document 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 Limited.
The word TAIT and the TAIT logo are trademarks of
Tait 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
document. Tait Limited accepts no responsibility for
damage arising from use of the information contained
in the document 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 document, or
any comments, suggestions and notifications of errors,
please contact your regional Tait office.
Updates of Manual and Equipment
In the interests of improving the performance,
reliability or servicing of the equipment, Tait Limited
reserves the right to update the equipment or this
document or both without prior notice.
Intellectual Property Rights
This product may be protected by one or more patents
or designs of Tait Limited together with their
international equivalents, pending patent or design
applications, and registered trade marks: NZ409837,
NZ409838, NZ415277, NZ415278, NZ524509,
NZ530819, NZ534475, NZ547713, NZ577009,
NZ579051, NZ579364, NZ586889, NZ593887,
NZ610563, NZ615954, NZ700387, NZ708662,
NZ710766, NZ711325 , NZ726313, AU2015215962,
AU339127, AU339391, AU2016259281,
AU2016902579, EU000915475-0001, EU000915475-
0002, GB2532863, US14/834609 Div. no 1, US15/
346518 Div. no 2, US15/350332, US15/387026 Div.,
US20150085799, US20150350090, US20160044572,
US20160057051, US640974, US640977, US698339,
US702666, US7758996, US7937661, US8902804,
US9107231, US9504034.
The AMBE+2™ 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. Patent
5,826,222.
Tait Limited is an environmentally responsible
company which supports waste minimization, material
recovery and restrictions in the use of hazardous
materials.
The European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) Directive requires that this
product be disposed of separately from the general
waste stream when its service life is over. For more
information about how to dispose of your unwanted
Tait product, visit the Tait WEEE website at
www.taitradio.com/weee. Please be environmentally
responsible and dispose through the original supplier,
or contact Tait Limited.
Tait Limited also complies with the Restriction of the
Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive in the
European Union.
In China, we comply with the Measures for
Administration of the Pollution Control of Electronic
Information Products. We will comply with
environmental requirements in other markets as they
are introduced.

TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual Contents 3
© Tait Limited March 2017
Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Scope of Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Associated Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Publication Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
1.2 Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.3 Mechanical Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.4 Frequency Bands and Sub-bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.5 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1.6 Licenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1.7 Theory of Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1.7.1 Signal Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.7.2 Online and Offline Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1.7.3 Intermodule Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.7.4 Power Management and Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1.7.5 PMU Operation on DC Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1.7.6 Front Panel Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2 General Safety and Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.1 Personal Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.1.1 Unpacking and Moving the Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.1.2 Lethal Voltages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.1.3 AC Power Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.1.4 Explosive Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.1.5 High Temperatures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.1.6 LED Safety (EN60825-1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.1.7 Proximity to RF Transmissions / A proximité des émissions RF . . . . . 34
2.2 Equipment Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2.1 Installation and Servicing Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2.2 Preventing Damage to the PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2.3 ESD Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2.4 Anti-tampering Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.3 Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.3.1 Operating Temperature Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.3.2 Humidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.3.3 Dust and Dirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.4 Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.4.1 Distress Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

4 Contents TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
2.4.2 Compliance Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.4.3 FCC Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.4.4 Unauthorized Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.1 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.2 Module Indicator LEDs and Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3.2.1 Reciter and Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
3.2.2 PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
3.2.3 PMU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4.1 Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.1.1 Equipment Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.1.2 Grounding and Lightning Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.1.3 Equipment Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.1.4 Ambient Temperature Sensor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.1.5 Cabinet and Rack Ventilation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4.2 Unpacking and Moving the Subrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
4.3 Identifying the Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4.4 Initial Setting Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4.4.1 Confirming Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4.4.2 Working with Configurations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4.4.3 Customizing the Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4.4.4 Recommended Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.4.5 Restricted Port Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4.4.6 Changing the Root Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
4.4.7 Tuning the Reciter and Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
4.5 Installing the Base Station on Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.5.1 General Installation Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
4.5.2 Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4.5.3 Mounting the Subrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
4.6 Connecting Up the Base Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
4.6.1 Connection Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
4.6.2 Connecting AC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.6.3 Connecting DC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
4.6.4 Connecting the Auxiliary DC Power Output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
4.6.5 Connecting RF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
4.6.6 Connecting an External Frequency Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
4.6.7 Connecting a 1PPS Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4.6.8 Ethernet Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4.6.9 Connecting General Purpose Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
5 Working with Base Stations from Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
5.1 PC Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
5.2 Connecting Your PC to the Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
5.2.1 Logging In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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© Tait Limited March 2017
5.2.2 Setting the IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
5.2.3 Security Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
5.2.4 Connecting a Networked PC to a Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
5.2.5 Troubleshooting Connection Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
5.2.6 Finding a Lost or Forgotten IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
5.2.7 Setting Up Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
5.3 Working with the Web Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
5.3.1 Monitoring Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
5.3.2 Troubleshooting Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
5.3.3 Viewing Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
5.3.4 Viewing the Base Station and Network Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
5.4 Basic Tasks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
5.4.1 User Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
5.4.2 Taking the Base Station Offline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
5.4.3 Working with Configuration Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
5.4.4 Configuring Single Base Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
5.4.5 Configuring Receive-Only Base Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
5.4.6 Configuring Base Stations in a Channel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
5.4.7 Setting Up Custom Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
5.4.8 Disabling the Front Panel Keypad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
5.4.9 Preparing to Download Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
5.4.10 Checking for Interference on a Receive Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
6 Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
7 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
8 Replacing Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
8.1 Saving the Base Station’s Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
8.2 Preliminary Disassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
8.3 Replacing a Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
8.4 Replacing a Power Amplifier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
8.5 Replacing a Power Management Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
8.6 Replacing the Module Guide Rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
8.7 Replacing the Subrack Interconnect Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
8.8 Final Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Appendix A – Interface Pin Allocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
System Interface Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Ethernet Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
PMU Auxiliary DC Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Appendix B – Inter-Module Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Dual 50W Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

6 Contents TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
Single 50W Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
100W Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Receive-only Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Appendix C – Identifying Front Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Tait Software License Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Directive 1999/5/EC Declaration of Conformity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual Preface 7
© Tait Limited March 2017
Preface
Scope of Manual
This manual provides information on installing and operating the TB9400
base station. It is intended for use by experienced technicians familiar with
installing and operating base station equipment. It also includes
configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting information.
Except where stated otherwise, the information in this manual generally
applies to both standard and receive-only base stations and reciters.
When “reciter” is referred to, this generally applies also to the receiver
(receive-only reciter). References to power amplifiers (PAs) and trans-
mitting obviously do not apply to receive-only equipment.
Unless mentioned specifically, this manual will use the term “base station”
to refer to both base station and repeater.
Document Conventions
The TB9400 base station has a web interface with an accordion menu on
the left side of the screen. “Configure > Base Station > Channels” means
click Configure in the top-level menu, then in the expanded Configure
menu click Base Station, and finally click on the Channels tab on that page.
Within this manual, four types of alerts may be given to the reader. The
following paragraphs illustrate each type of alert and its associated symbol.
Warning This alert is used when there is a hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
Caution This alert is used when there is a hazardous situation which,
if not avoided, could result in minor or moderate injury.
Notice This alert is used to highlight information that is required to
ensure procedures are performed correctly. Incorrectly performed pro-
cedures could result in equipment damage or malfunction.
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8 Preface TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
Associated Documentation
The following associated documentation for this product is available on the
Tait support website.
■TB9400 Specifications Manual (MBC-00002-xx)
■TN9400 P25 Trunked Network Maintenance Manual (MNC-00001-xx)
■TaitNet P25 Trunked Networks with TB9400 Base Stations System
Manual (MBA-00064-xx)
■TaitNet Analog Conventional Networks with TB9400 Base Stations
System Manual (MND-00001-xx)
■Safety and Compliance Information (MBA-00012-xx)
The characters xx represent the issue number of the documentation.
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. Technical notes are available in
PDF format from the Tait support website. For more information contact
your regional Tait office.

TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual Preface 9
© Tait Limited March 2017
Publication Record
Issue Publication Date Description
1 May 2012 First release
2 November 2012 General updates for version 1.15 release.
Information added on compliance standards, marshalling duration,
firmware download procedure, and restricted port numbers.
3 May 2013 General updates for version 1.20 release and the B3-band base station.
Front end tuning procedure added.
4 August 2013 General updates for version 1.25 release and the H-band base station.
Information added for dual 50W and receive-only base stations.
5 November 2013 General updates for version 1.30 release.
Minor updates for receive-only base station.
Directive 1999/5/EC Declaration of Conformity added.
6 April 2014 General updates for version 1.35 release.
PMU fan thresholds updated.
Information added on proximity to RF transmissions, AAA Authentication,
and checking for interference on a receive channel.
7 August 2014 General updates for version 1.40 release. Information added for K4-band
receive-only base station, and P25 Phase 2 operation.
8 November 2014 General updates for version 1.45 release. Information added for P25
Phase 2 licenses.
9 March 2015 General updates for version 2.00 release. Information added on P25
Phase 2 operation.
10 July 2015 General updates for version 2.05 release. Information added for
receive-only base stations and receiver modules, feature licenses,
uploading security certificates, and external frequency reference stability
requirements.
11 November 2015 General updates for version 2.10 release. Information added for analog
base stations. Feature license names updated.
12 March 2016 General updates for version 2.15 release.
Clarification of repeater vs. base station for K band in Brazil added.
13 June 2016 General updates for version 2.20 release.
Added MPT feature, P25 Conventional features, modified licence table,
updated and annotated images and general updates.
14 November 2016 General updates for version 2.25 release:
Added Working with Configurations.
Updated images in Troubleshooting Alarms and Viewing Configuration
Settings.
Added the TBAS060 DFSI license.
Added an explanation of channels profiles and how to work with them on
the WUI.
15 March 2017 General updates for version 2.30 release.
Updated description for the TBAS060 within Licenses on page 20.
Updated description of modulation types in Features on page 11 - bullet
points 1 and 3.
Added statement that central voter and satellite licences are not both
required.
Information added regarding variations of front panel to Front Panel on
page 13
Added statement informing clients to change default passwords.

10 Description TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
1 Description
The Tait TB9400 base station 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.
The base station operates as a transceiver in Project 25 trunked, trunked
simulcast radio networks and P25 conventional. It is capable of either P25
Phase 1 FDMA operation, or 6.25kHz equivalent P25 Phase 2 TDMA
operation.
The TB9400 can also operate in an analog conventional simulcast or
non-simulcast multi-site network.
The base station combines 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 ability of the base station to link stations using standard Internet
Protocol communications, and to add features through software options
ensures that P25 systems designed with the TB9400 are scalable in both
size and functionality.
Its Ethernet interface provides built-in network connectivity, allowing the
TB9400 to join with other TB9400 base stations to form a channel group.
This network supports voice-over-IP and remote management of all base
stations via a web browser.

TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual Description 11
© Tait Limited March 2017
1.1 Features
The following are some of the features of the base station:
■Fully compliant with the Project 25 Common Air Interface.
Can therefore interoperate with any similarly compliant radios.
■Supports P25 Phase 1 operation with either C4FM or LSM modulation
on the transmitter
■Supports P25 Phase 2 operation.
■Analog conventional repeater operation.
■Analog conventional simulcast operation on an IP backbone requiring
no audio calibration or training.
■Linear power amplifier allows operation with Linear Simulcast
Modulation (LSM).
■Integrated built-in voting facility. No external voter is needed.
■P25 simulcast conventional repeater / line connected base station.
■Can be completely managed remotely from a PC running a web
browser: configuration, alarm monitoring, fault diagnosis, feature and
firmware upgrades. Alarms can also be reported via SNMP traps,
allowing integration with an SNMP-based network management
system.
■An integrated wiring solution is provided for the system control bus and
DC power connections to each module in the subrack.
■Reciters (receiver/exciter modules) 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 –22°F to +140°F (–30°C to +60°C).

12 Description TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
1.2 Modules
The base station consists of a subrack with up to two transmit/receive
channels, or up to four receive-only channels.
Receive-only base stations are currently available for operation only on
B3 band (148MHz to 174MHz) and K4 band (762MHz to 870MHz)1.
The single PMU (power management unit) supplies and manages power to
the whole subrack (refer to “Theory of Operation” on page 22). One reciter
and one PA (power amplifier) are needed for each transmit/receive channel.
The PA is not required for a receive-only base station. There is also a front
panel with user controls and fans. 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.
Each module is inserted into the 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.
Subrack The 4U subrack is made of passivated steel and is designed to fit into a
standard 19 inch rack or cabinet. The subrack is fitted with an interconnect
board that connects the system control bus and power to the modules and
front panel. The position of a module in the subrack is defined by the socket
on the subrack interconnect board to which the module is connected by the
system control bus.
1. Refer to “Frequency Bands and Sub-bands” on page 18.

TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual Description 13
© Tait Limited March 2017
Front Panel The front panel is mounted onto the subrack with two quick-release
fasteners. It incorporates the indicator LEDs, four-line LCD display, user
controls, ambient temperature sensor and cooling fans.
The indicator LEDS allow some monitoring of the operational status of the
base station. The user controls and display allow the technician to
configure the IP address of each module. Refer to “Front Panel” on page 39
for more information.
The base stations have different front panel ducting arrangements
depending on PA type and power. Front panels may not be interchange-
able.
The microphone input and speaker are not used in this release of the
TB9400.
Reciter The reciter module comprises the receiver, exciter and digital control
circuitry. The reciter provides the Ethernet interface and system inputs and
outputs.
Receiver modules (receive-only reciters) are not fitted with the transmit
circuitry or front panel SMA connectors, and are physically unable to
transmit.
Power Amplifier The PA amplifies the RF output from the reciter and is available in 50W
and 100W models.
reciter receiver

14 Description TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
The 50W model mounts 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.
Both models are designed to operate on the 28VDC output provided by the
PMU. PAs are not required in a receive-only base station.
Power Management
Unit
The PMU provides the 28VDC
power supply for the modules in the
subrack. It can operate on
120/230VAC 50/60Hz nominal, and
12, 24 or 48VDC nominal. The input
voltage can be AC, DC, or both AC
and DC, depending on the model. The
PMU also has an auxiliary DC output
of 13.65VDC, 27.3VDC, or
54.6VDC, depending on the model.
50W PA 100W PA
AC and DC PMU shown

TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual Description 15
© Tait Limited March 2017
1.3 Mechanical Assembly
This section illustrates the main mechanical components of the base
station.
Figure 1.1 below shows the configuration for a typical dual 50W base
station. The subrack has six slots, numbered from right to left as viewed
from the front of the subrack. The PMU occupies slots 5 and 6, with the
reciter and PA pairs to the right of it in slots 1 to 4. Each PA is mounted
vertically with its heatsink facing its associated reciter. The PMU and each
reciter/PA pair have their own cooling fans.
The front panel can be easily removed from the subrack by undoing two
quick-release fasteners. Refer to “Replacing Modules” on page 105 for
more details.
.
Figure 1.1 Mechanical assembly - dual 50W base station with front panel
bfront panel ireciter 1
csubrack jmodule retaining clamp
dPMU 1) subrack interconnect board
ePA 2 1! plastic guide rail
freciter 2 1@ subrack interconnect board retaining clamp
gcable retaining clip 1# front panel fastener
hPA 1
bcdefghi
j
1)
1!
1@
1#

16 Description TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
Figure 1.2 below shows the configuration for a typical single 50W base
station. The PMU again occupies slots 5 and 6, with the reciter in slot 1 and
PA in slot 2. The PA is mounted vertically with its heatsink facing the
reciter. The PMU and the reciter/PA pair have their own cooling fans.
Figure 1.2 Mechanical assembly - single 50W base station
bPMU dreciter
c50W PA esubrack
bc
de

TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual Description 17
© Tait Limited March 2017
Figure 1.3 below shows the configuration for a typical 100 W base station.
The PMU occupies slots 5 and 6, with the PA directly beside it in slots 3
and 4. The reciter occupies slot 1. Unlike the 50W PAs, the 100W PA is
mounted horizontally with the heatsink facing upwards. It is also fitted with
an airflow duct to channel the airflow from the cooling fan through the
heatsink fins.
Figure 1.3 Mechanical assembly - single 100W base station
bPMU ereciter
cPA fsubrack
dairflow duct gcable retaining clip
bcde
f
g

18 Description TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
1.4 Frequency Bands and Sub-bands
Much of the circuitry in the base station is common to all frequency bands,
and is therefore covered by a single description in this manual. In some
cases the descriptions refer to specific bands or sub-bands, and these are
identified with the letters listed in the following table.
In Brazil, for K band, the TB9400 is considered to be configured as a base
station with retransmission of receive frequencies.
Frequency
Identification Frequency Band and Sub-band 50W 100W Receive-only
B band B3 = 148MHz to 174MHz ✓✓ ✓
H band H1 = 400MHz to 440MHz
H2 = 440MHz to 480MHz ✓✓ ✓
K band K4 = 762 MHz to 870 MHza✓✓ ✓
a. The actual frequency coverage in this band is:
Transmit: 762MHz to 776MHz, and 850MHz to 870MHz
Receive: 792MHz to 824MHz

TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual Description 19
© Tait Limited March 2017
1.5 Applications
The TB9400 operates in P25 trunked networks (Phase 1 or Phase 2), P25
conventional networks and analog conventional networks. It operates as a
stand-alone repeater/base station, or as part of a channel group, providing
receiver voting and simulcast transmission. All air interfaces and system
types support simulcast operation.
In P25 Phase 2 operation, a single TB9400 base station can provide two
traffic channels, since each radio frequency (physical channel) provides
two logical channels (timeslots). However, it can provide only one control
channel, since control channels are still P25 Phase 1.
In a trunked simulcast network, the transmitters in the channel group are
synchronized and transmit simultaneously on the same frequency. Each
transmitter needs a highly accurate 1PPS pulse and an external frequency
reference, so that it can time transmissions with the required accuracy. Also
required is an NTP source that is derived from the same source as the 1PPS
signal. This will ensure a common timestamp in logs across all units in the
system. An external frequency reference, along with an NTP source and
1PPS signal derived from the same GPS source, are also essential for all
reciters for P25 Phase 2 operation.
In a P25 conventional network, the TB9400 operates as a single or wide
area conventional repeater, with receiver voting and optional simulcast.
Dispatch connection is via the Tait P25 Console Gateway, supporting
conversion between P25 and analog consoles with MDC1200 signalling.
In an analog conventional network it can operate as a repeater with
CTCSS1or DCS subaudible signaling.
The base station can also operate as part of an analog conventional
simulcast network and is fully IP-connected. It also features an integral
voter (thus requiring no external voter).
The base station can be provided as a receive-only variant in systems that
need sites to enhance the receive coverage. The receiver module in a
receive-only base station is physically unable to transmit.
The base station can be configured for Shared Channel operation, to detect
interference on the uplink, as long as the site controller is compatible.
For more information on these applications, refer to the Help and
appropriate Tait System Manual.
1. Private Line (PL).

20 Description TB9400 Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2017
1.6 Licenses
Some operational functions of the base station are controlled by licenses.
These functions will not work unless you purchase the appropriate feature
license and enable the feature set controlled by that license. The feature sets
currently available are listed below.
Analog Air Interface
(TBAS041 - Default
Licence)
A base station with this license can operate as a repeater in an analog
conventional network.
P25 Common Air
Interface
(TBAS050)
Allows the base station to go into Online mode. Base stations are always
provided with this license.
P25 Trunking
Operation
(TBAS056)
Allows the base station to participate in Trunking Operation. Without this
feature, the base station cannot provide a control or a status connection to
a trunking site controller and it cannot function as a control or traffic
channel.
Digital Fixed Station
Interface (TBAS060)
Allows the base station to participate in a Digital Fixed Station Interface.
Central Voter
(TBAS061)
P25 and analog. This feature allows a base station to act as a central voter.
Simulcast
(TBAS062)
This feature is required in base stations that have transmitters and belong
to a P25 Phase 1 simulcast or analog simulcast network1. It is also required
in the central voter of a simulcast channel.2
Linear Simulcast
Modulation
(TBAS065)
P25 only. Allows the base station to transmit using the LSM modulation
scheme1. This scheme allows increased site separation in simulcast
networks. Also requires the Simulcast license (TBAS062).
P25 Trunking
Failsoft
(TBAS063)
Allows trunked channels that become isolated from a site controller to
perform simple conventional operation and to interface to a digital dispatch
system. If a trunked channel consists of several base stations in a channel
group, only the central voter (normally the master) needs this license. It is
then able to become the failsoft repeater for that channel group.
1. Not needed for receive-only base stations.
2. The central voter in a simulcast channel needs the respective Phase 1 or
Phase 2 simulcast license. Normally, a transceiver member of a simulcast
channel will have a simulcast license, so this constraint should not be an
issue.