Tait TB9100 User manual

TB9100 Base Station
P25 CG Console Gateway
P25 TAG Trunked Analog Gateway
Installation and Operation Manual
MBA-00002-15 · Issue 15 · March 2014

2TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
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, NZ508806,
NZ511155, NZ516280/NZ519742, NZ521450,
NZ524369, NZ524378, NZ524509, NZ524537,
NZ530819, NZ534475, NZ534692, NZ547713,
NZ569985, NZ577009, NZ579051, NZ579364,
NZ580361, NZ584534, NZ586889, NZ592624,
NZ593887, NZ593888, NZ600346, NZ601933 ,
NZ607046, NZ607046, NZ610426, NZ610563,
NZ612027, NZ613565, NZ615898, NZ615954,
AU2004216984, AU321864, AU321868, AU339127,
AU339391, CN1031871, CN1070368,
CN200930004199.5, CN200930004200.4,
CN200930009301.0, EU000915475-0001,
EU000915475-0002, GB2413445, US12/870840,
US13/082767, US13/185498, US13/465664, US13/
542062, US13/542147, US13/763531, US13/896969,
US14/032876, US29/401234, US29/401235,
US5745840, US640974, US640977, US7411461,
US7758996, US7937661, US8301682.
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.
Environmental Responsibilities
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.

TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual 3
© Tait Limited March 2014
Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Scope of Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Associated Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Publication Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1 Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.1 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.2 Base Station and Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.3 Modules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Base Station Reciter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Gateway Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Power Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Power Management Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Subrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.4 Frequency Bands and Sub-bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.5 Product Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Base Station/Repeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
12V DC PA-Only Base Station/Repeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Receive-only Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Console Gateway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Trunked Analog Gateway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1.6 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Repeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Line-Connected Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Channel Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Trunking Control or Traffic Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Simulcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
P25 Linking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Data Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Console Gateway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Trunked Analog Gateway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1.7 Theory of Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Signal Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Run and Standby Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Dual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Intermodule Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Power Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Front Panel Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

4TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
2 General Safety and Regulatory Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2.1 Personal Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Unpacking and Moving the Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Lethal Voltages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
AC Power Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Explosive Environments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Proximity to RF Transmissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
High Temperatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
LED Safety (EN60825-1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.2 Equipment Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Installation and Servicing Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Preventing Damage to the PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
ESD Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Anti-tampering Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.3 Environmental Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Operating Temperature Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Humidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Dust and Dirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.4 Regulatory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Distress Frequencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Compliance Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
FCC Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
FCC Narrowbanding Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Unauthorized Modifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Health, Safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility in Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.1 Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Equipment Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Grounding and Lightning Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Equipment Ventilation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Ambient Air Temperature Sensor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Cabinet and Rack Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3.2 Installing and Setting up the CSS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Setting up CSS Access Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
PC Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3.3 Unpacking and Moving the Subrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
3.4 Setting Up on the Bench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Confirming Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Connecting the CSS for the First Time and Setting the IP Address. . . . . . . . . 48
Finding a Lost or Forgotten IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Customizing the Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Recommended CSS Settings for Dual Base Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Changing the Root Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Short Tuning Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Checking the Modulation Fidelity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Other Operational Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
3.5 Installing the Base Station on Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Base Stations for Trunked Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual 5
© Tait Limited March 2014
Equipment Required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Mounting the Subrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
3.6 Connecting Up the Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Connection Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Connecting AC Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Connecting DC Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Connecting the Auxiliary DC Power Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Connecting RF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Connecting an External Frequency Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Connecting a 1PPS Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Connecting an Antenna Relay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Connecting the Ethernet Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Connecting the Analog Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Connecting General Purpose Inputs and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
4 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4.1 Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Speaker Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Microphone Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4.2 Monitoring with the CSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
4.3 Monitoring Front Panel Fan Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
4.4 Module LED Indicators and Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
PMU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
5 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
6 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
7 Replacing Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
7.1 Saving the Base Station’s Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
7.2 Preliminary Disassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
7.3 Replacing the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Configuring the Control Panel Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
7.4 Replacing a Reciter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
7.5 Replacing a Power Amplifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
7.6 Replacing a Power Management Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
7.7 Replacing the Front Panel Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
7.8 Replacing the Module Guide Rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
7.9 Replacing the Subrack Interconnect Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Configuring the Subrack Interconnect Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
7.10 Final Reassembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Reprogramming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Fitting the Front Panel and Powering Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

6TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
8 Technical Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
8.1 Mechanical Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
8.2 Reciter Module Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
8.3 PA Module Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
8.4 PMU Module Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
PMU Operation on DC Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
8.5 Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
8.6 System Control Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Appendix A – Interface Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
D-range Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Analog Interface Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Digital Interface Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
PMU Auxiliary DC Output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
DC Input to 12V PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Microphone Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Appendix B – Inter-Module Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
5 or 50W Base Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
100W Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
12V PA Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Dual Channel 5 or 50W Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Five Reciters and One PMU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Seven Reciters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
P25 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual Preface 7
© Tait Limited March 2014
Preface
Scope of Manual
This manual primarily describes the TB9100 base station but also includes
the P25 CG console gateway and P25 TAG trunked analog gateway. When
“base station” is referred to, this generally applies to the console gateway and
trunked analog 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 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 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 situa-
tion 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 proce-
dures could result in equipment damage or malfunction.
This icon is used to draw your attention to information that may improve
your understanding of the equipment or procedure.

8Preface TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
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.
■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 Te s t U n i t O p e r a t i o n M a n u a l
(MBA-00013-xx).
■TaitNet P25 Conventional Networks System Manual (MBA-00032-xx).
■TaitNet P25 Trunked Networks System Manual (MBA-00045-xx).
■TN9400 P25 Trunked Network System Manual (MNC-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. 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.

TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual Preface 9
© Tait Limited March 2014
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 CG 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.
8 November 2007 Updates for simulcast. Short tuning
procedure.
9 January 2009 General updates. P25 TAG trunked
analog gateway added. Extra
information on analog line connections.
10 December 2009 General updates. Analog line connection
information updated. 12V PA startup
voltage changed. Subrack dimension
drawing added.
11 September 2010 General updates. Data gateway
information added.
12 August 2012 General updates for version 3.9 release.
Information added on compliance
standards, PMU fan thresholds, PA
power foldback, and reprogramming
base stations after replacing modules.
13 November 2012 Information added on FCC
narrowbanding regulations
14 September 2013 Torque setting for SMA connectors
reduced.
15 March 2014 Information added on recommended
CSS settings for dual base stations.
PMU fan thresholds updated.
Minor additions and corrections.

10 Preface TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014

TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual Description 11
© Tait Limited March 2014
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 are a standalone P25 CG console gateway and a P25 TAG trunked
analog gateway, providing full encryption features, but no RF functionality.
The base station, console gateway and trunked analog 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 base station and console gateway
can also be configured for operation as a data gateway in a conventional
network. The console gateway and trunked analog gateway are 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 base station and gateways 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 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 console gateways to
form a channel group. This network supports voice over IP and remote
management of all base stations and gateways.
The analog line allows the direct connection of third party dispatch systems.

12 Description TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
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.
■Dual mode. Comprehensive analog and digital features ensure
interoperability with analog or digital technology. The base station 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 (CSS): 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 gateways:
■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 Gateway
Like the base station, the console gateway and trunked analog gateway can
be unpacked, given an IP address, set up on the bench, and used with a
Calibration and Test Unit (CTU). AC and DC power, the analog line, and
Ethernet are connected up in the same way for both a base station and a
gateway. The gateway has a front panel with fans and a control panel. It can
also be monitored and configured by the CSS, much as a base station.
Although the gateway module has an RF board (as well as a digital board
and a network board), that board has only limited functionality, such as
providing clock signals. The gateway subrack can be populated with
multiple gateway modules, in the same way that the base station can be
populated with multiple reciters. A faulty gateway module or power
management unit (PMU) is replaced in the same way.
The control panel in a console gateway 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, as it has no RF capability. The control panel in a

TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual Description 13
© Tait Limited March 2014
trunked analog gateway has limited functionality. The Power and Alarm
LEDs are used, but none of the other controls are operational.
Any references in this manual to the following do not apply to the gateways:
■Transmitting
■PA
■Receiving.
The gateway has one capability that the base station does not have. It can
serve as an encryption/decryption point. Many references to encryption
apply only to the gateway.
When “base station” is referred to, this generally applies to the console
gateway and trunked analog gateway as well. When “reciter” is referred to,
this generally applies also to the gateway module.
1.3 Modules
The base station or 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 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 gateways do not need PAs.
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.

14 Description TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
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 Modules
The gateway module of the console gateway and trunked analog gateway
appears identical to the reciter of the base station. However, they are
electronically distinct. The console gateway and trunked analog gateway
have no RF capability. They perform 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/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual Description 15
© Tait Limited March 2014
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 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 50W PA is installed in position 3 of the subrack. The second
5W or 50 W PA is installed in position 5. The 100W PA occupies positions
3, 4 and 5 and shares a connection with the PMU to position 6 of the
subrack. PAs are not required in a gateway or receive-only base station.
Power Management Unit
The PMU provides the 28VDC
power supply for the modules in the
subrack. 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.
The PMU can only be installed in
positions 6 and 7 of the subrack. It is
connected to position 6.
5/50W PA 100W PA
AC and DC PMU shown

16 Description TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
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 79).
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/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual Description 17
© Tait Limited March 2014
1.4 Frequency Bands and Sub-bands
Much of the circuitry in the 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 Product Options
The modular design of the 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 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 21. Depending on its PMU, it
can operate on AC power, DC power, or a combination of both.
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 = 380MHz to 520MHza
H1 = 400MHz to 440MHz
H2 = 440MHz to 480MHz
H3 = 470MHz to 520MHz
H4 = 380MHz to 420MHz
a. Only PAs with hardware version 00.02 and later can operate from 380MHz to
520MHz. PAs with hardware version 00.01 and earlier can only operate from
400MHz to 520MHz.
K band K4 = 762MHz to 870MHzb
b. The actual frequency coverage in this band is:
Transmit: 762MHz to 776MHz, and 850MHz to 870MHz
Receive: 792MHz to 824MHz
L band L1 = 852MHz to 854MHz and 928MHz to 930MHzc
c. Only 5W L-band base stations are available. They currently only have compliance for
sale in Australia, and are unavailable in other markets.

18 Description TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
12V DC PA-Only Base Station/Repeater
The base station can be provided without a PMU for those who prefer to
use an external third party power supply. The 12V DC input is connected
directly to the 12V PA. This is a variant of the PA that includes a boost
regulator board. This board 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. 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 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.
Console Gateway
A console gateway consists of a gateway module in a subrack, optionally
with a PMU. A subrack can contain several gateway modules. The console
gateway’s analog line connects to the dispatch system, and its Ethernet
interface connects to the Tait P25 Network. It has no RF functionality.
Encrypted voice quality is indistinguishable from unencrypted.
The 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.
Trunked Analog Gateway
A trunked analog gateway consists of a gateway module in a subrack,
optionally with a PMU. A subrack can contain several gateway modules. A
trunked analog gateway differs from a console gateway only in the software
feature licenses it has. The trunked analog gateway’s analog line connects to
the dispatch system, and its Ethernet interface connects (via the CSSI
protocol) to an RFSS controller in a Tait P25 Trunked Network. It has no
RF functionality.

TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual Description 19
© Tait Limited March 2014
Encrypted voice quality is indistinguishable from unencrypted.
The trunked analog gateway supports Project 25 compliant DES (via the
basic encryption license) and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with the
AES license.
The control panel in a trunked analog gateway has limited functionality.
The Power and Alarm LEDs are operational, but the microphone and
speaker are not used.
1.6 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 appropriate Tait P25 System Manual.
Repeater
The base station can function as a standalone repeater. The analog line is not
used and the Ethernet line is only used for CSS access.
Line-Connected Base Station
Analog The base station can function as a line-connected base station. Analog
dispatch equipment is connected to the analog line.
Digital The base station can make available a digital fixed station interface (DFSI)
for connecting to digital dispatch equipment.
Channel Group
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.
Trunking Control or Traffic Channel
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.

20 Description TB9100/P25 CG/P25 TAG Installation and Operation Manual
© Tait Limited March 2014
Simulcast
Base stations can operate as part of a simulcast channel group. 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.
P25 Linking
A pair of 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 base station 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 appropriate Tait P25 System Manual and the CSS
Help or manual.
Data Gateway
The data gateway is a function carried out in a Tait P25 base station or P25
console gateway operating in a TaitNet P25 conventional network. It
provides a gateway between P25 radios and a data server. The data gateway
interfaces to P25 radios using the P25 common air interface (CAI) and to a
data server (such as the KMF) using the IP network. The data gateway
function requires the Conventional Packet Data Services feature license and
is enabled in configuration. For details, see the TaitNet P25 Conventional
Networks System Manual and the CSS Help or manual.
Figure 1.1 Base stations as linking transceivers
Linking
transceiver
Base
station
Channel group
communications
Linking
transceiver
Base
station
Local site Remote site
Channel group
communications