Zares Ztrak User manual

ZTrak

Zares OpenTracker Kit

USER GUIDE

Version: 1.1

Date: 16/05/2006

Page 2

Contents

INTRODUCTION....................................................... 3

EATURES

................................................................3

CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

................................................3

APRS OVERVIEW.....................................................4

APABILITIES

............................................................4

OW IT WORKS

..........................................................4

ECHNICAL

NFORMATION

...........................................4

RAK

SES

.............................................................5

Data ....................................................................5

Tracker.................................................................5

Weather................................................................5

ASSEMBLY NOTES................................................... 6

OOLS

EQUIRED

......................................................6

ARTS LIST

...............................................................6

SSEMBLY

................................................................6

CONNECTING IT ALL UP.........................................9

ADIO

ORT

.......................................................9

ERIAL

ORT

......................................................9

ELUO

GPS

RECEIVER

................................................9

1-W

IRE

EATHER

TATION

....................................... 10

XPANSION

ORT

..................................................... 10

HEORY OF

PERATION

............................................ 11

TX & RX ADJUSTMENTS........................................ 12

RANSMIT

DJUSTMENT

........................................... 12

ECEIVE

DJUSTMENT

.............................................. 12

LED I

NDICATOR

...................................................... 12

CONFIGURATION................................................... 13

ROFILES

................................................................ 13

Setting ProfileConditions...................................... 13

How Conditions AreTested.................................... 14

ONFIGURATION

PTIONS

......................................... 14

Callsign ............................................................. 14

Frequency........................................................... 14

Path................................................................... 14

TX Delay............................................................ 14

TX Interval.......................................................... 14

Symbol Table and Symbol Code .............................. 14

Temp. Adjust....................................................... 15

Quiet Time.......................................................... 15

Text ................................................................... 15

Altitude, Course/Speed, Timestamp.......................... 15

GPS Quality........................................................ 15

Temperature........................................................ 15

Voltage............................................................... 15

Protocol ............................................................. 15

Copy from Config n.............................................. 15

SmartBeaconing™................................................ 15

Power Control..................................................... 15

Timeslot ............................................................. 15

PTB2 Output....................................................... 15

Enable Counter.................................................... 16

Reset Counter on Transmit..................................... 16

Counter Rearm.................................................... 16

Invert Carrier Detect............................................. 16

Suppress PTT Out on PTT In.................................. 16

Disable Transmit on Low Voltage............................ 16

Allow Transmit Without GPS Lock........................... 16

Send Telemetry Packet........................................... 16

OADINGAND

AVING

ETTINGS

................................ 16

RECEIVING AND DECODING APRS DATA............. 17

HAT YOU WILL NEED

.............................................. 17

OWNLOAD AND INSTALL

AGWPE............................. 17

OWNLOAD AND INSTALL

AGWT

RACKER

.................... 17

FIRMWARE............................................................. 18

IRMWARE

ERSIONS

VAILABLE

............................... 18

OCATING

IRMWARE

....................................... 18

PLOADING

IRMWARE

..................................... 19

BOUT FIRMWARE FILES

............................................ 19

APPENDIX A - TELEMETRY OPERATION.............. 20

APPENDIX B – APRS SYMBOL TABLES.................. 21

APPENDIX C – NZ APRS FREQ UENCIES ................ 25

APPENDIX D – ZTRAK CIRCUIT & LAYOUT .......... 26

APPENDIX F – RADIO PORT CABLE WIRING ........ 27

AESU

FT-411, FT-470, FT-530, ADI AT-201, R

ADIO

HACK

HTX-202,

ETC

. ............................................. 27

COM

T2H, IC-2AT, IC-V8,

ETC

& Z

ARES

. ................... 27

AESU

VX-150, VX-2R, VX-5R & I

COM

..................... 27

ENWOOD

TH-78A, TH-D7A,

ETC

.............................. 28

ENWOOD WITH

RJ-45...................................... 28

ENWOOD WITH

RJ-45

AND

1/8" S

PEAKER

ACK

.... 28

AESU WITH

RJ-11

AND

1/8" S

PEAKER

ACK

......... 29

COM WITH

RJ-45

AND

1/8" S

PEAKER

ACK

........... 29

ENWOOD AND

LINCO WITH

PIN ROUND

ACK

..... 29

AESU WITH

PIN ROUND

ACK

........................... 30

COM WITH

PIN ROUND

ACK

............................. 30

6-P

INI

DIN

DATA

ACK

(

USES

ARRIER DETECT LINE

)30

6-P

INI

DIN

DATA

& 1/8" S

PEAKER

ACKS

............... 31

Introduction

The ZTrak is an amateur radio data encoder capable of generating1200 or 300 baud AX.25 packets using both APRS™

and OpenTRAC protocols, as well as PSK31 text beacons. It can be connected to a GPS receiver to report position,

course, speed, time, altitude. It will also report telemetry from itsonboard temperature and voltage sensors. With its

expansion connector and ease of reprogramming, the device can be adaptedto a wide variety of tasks.

Features

•Cost effective APRS kit with case

•100% compatible with (and based on) OpenTracker APRS kit from N1VG

•Supports two APRS profiles that can report altitude, course/speed, timestamp, GPS quality, temperature, voltage,

telemetry)

•Configuration options include call, path, symbol table & symbol code, a text message, optional fixed position,

SmartBeaconing & Compression

•Profiles can switch when trigged by a change in altitude, speed, temperature, voltage, an analogue input, a switch

input, GPS fix/no-fix

•Firmware updates are free and easy to install.

•Easy to connect with a wide range of transceivers.

Quite a few configuration options are available that allow you to expand on the basic functionality. Please carefully read

through this guide to gain a clear understanding of your ZTrak.

Acknowledgements

The Zares ZTrak utilizes the same software and firmware as that used in the OpenTracker APRS project. Many thanks to

Scott Miller (N1VG) for his support. For more information on the OpenTracker project, please visit Scott’s project page at

http://n1vg.net/opentracker/

Page 4

APRS Overview

Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) is an amateur radio based automatic position reporting system for tracking

and digital communications, and was developed by Bob Bruninga (WB4APR) at the United States Naval Academy.

Capabilities

In its simplest implementation, APRS is used to transmit real-time reports of the exact location of a person or object via a

data signal sent over radio frequencies. In addition to real-time position reporting capabilities using the Global Positioning

System, APRS is also capable of transmitting a wide variety of data, including weather reports, short text messages, radio

direction finding bearings, telemetry data, and storm forecasts. Once transmitted, these reports can be combined with a

computer and mapping software to show the transmitted data superimposed with great precision upon a map display.

How it works

At the sender’s end, data from various sensors (GPS, temperature, etc) is collected and encoded into the APRS format

then transmitted to another station. At the receiving end, the APRS data is then decoded and displayed on a map or it is

retransmitted on to the APRS radio network or sent to the Internet.

APRS network example APRS weather station example

Technical Information

In its most widely used form, APRS is transported over the AX.25 protocol using 1200 baud Bell 202 audio frequency-shift

keying. Amateur radio operators use frequencies located within the amateur 2-meter band - usually 144.390 MHz in North

America, 145.175 MHz in Australia, 144.575 MHz in New Zealand, 144.930 MHz in Argentina, 145.570 in Brazil and

144.80 MHz throughout Europe. An extensive digital repeater, or "digipeater" network provides transport for APRS

packets on these frequencies. Internet gateway stations (i-Gates) connect the on-air APRS network to the APRS Internet

System (APRS-IS), which serves as a worldwide, high-bandwidth backbone for APRS data. Stations can tap into this

stream directly, and a number of databases connected to the APRS-IS allow web-based access to the data as well as

more advanced data mining capabilities. A number of low-earth orbiting satellites and the International Space Station are

also capable of relaying APRS data.

Page 5

ZTrak Uses

The ZTrak connects to a transceiver to make it transmit APRS packets. In broad terms, it can be set up for sending data,

used to track a mobile object or report weather.

Data

Uses..

•Beacon

•Monitoring equipment

APRS data it sends..

•Station name or callsign

•The station type or identifier

•Short message text

•Digipeater path

•Fixed position

•Temperature

•Voltage

•ADC value

You will need..

•ZTrak

•Zares transceiver

Tracker

Uses..

•Beacon

•Monitoring equipment

•Tracking an object

APRS data it sends..

•Station name or callsign

•The station type or identifier

•Short message text

•Digipeater path

•Current position

•Temperature

•Voltage

•ADC value

•Altitude

•Time

You will need..

•ZTrak

•Zares transceiver

•GPS receiver

Weather

Uses..

•Beacon

•Monitoring equipment

•Report the weather

APRS data it sends..

•Station name or callsign

•The station type or identifier

•Short message text

•Digipeater path

•Fixed position

•Temperature

•Voltage

•Wind speed

•Wind direction

•Outside temperature

You will need..

•ZTrak

•Zares transceiver

•1-Wire weather instrument

Page 6

Assembly Notes

Tools Required

This kit requires basic to intermediate level soldering & construction skills. You will need:

•low-wattage fine tipped soldering iron & Solder (rosin core solder – never use acid core solder for electronics)

•Screwdriver

•Wire cutters

•Hacksaw

•Sharp hobby knife

•Hobby files

•Adjustable spanner

•Flat nose pliers

•Drill & 3mm drill bit

Parts list

Review the parts list and identify the components you have received. If any are missing or damaged, contact

sales@zares.co.nz for replacements. Don’t worry if your kit includes extra resistors or other parts not listed above – these

may be provided for modifications and or an alternate versions of the kit.

Part Value Description Notes

C1 0.33 CAPACITOR Marked: 334

C2, C3, C 4 0.1 CAPACITOR Marked: 104

C5, C6 18p CAPACITOR Marked: BC 18J – remove from paper carrier and straiten leads

D1, D2 1N914 DIODE Marked: 1N4148

D3 LED3MM LED Installed with the short lead facing IC2 ( LM335); long lead facing up

IC1 LM7805 Voltage R egulator Marked: L7805CV

IC2 LM335 Temp Sensor Marked: LM335

IC3 68HC908KX8 Microcontroller Marked: MC908KX8CPE

Q1, Q2 2N7000 FET Marked: 2N7000

R12, R13 680 RESISTOR Colour bands: Blue – Gray – Brown – Gol d

R1, R7 10k RESISTOR Colour bands: Brown – Black – Orange – Gold

R11 20k RESISTOR Colour bands: Red – Black – Orange – Gol d

R2 220k RESISTOR Colour bands: Red – Red – Yellow – Gold

R3 2.2k RESISTOR Colour bands: Red – Red – Red – Gol d

R4 1k RESISTOR Colour bands: Brown – Black – Red – Gold

R5 3.3k RESISTOR Colour bands: Orange – Orange – Red – Gold

R6 6.2k RESISTOR Colour bands: Blue – Red – Red – Gold

R10 10m RESISTOR Colour bands: Brown – Black- blue – Gold

R8, R9 10k POTENTIOMETER Marked: 103

Y1 TC38H CRYSTAL Marked: 29.4C64

P1 F09D Radio port connector With PCB positioned as per the overlayi mage, this is the LHS connector

P2 M09D Serial port connector With PCB positioned as per the overlayi mage, this is the RHS connector

PCB1 - Double sided PCB

CSE1 H1551K Hammond Case + screws

Assembly

If you plan to install just the zTrak PCB inside a rig, may wish to skip this stage.

Attach the D c onnectors to

the PCB & layit on top of

the case. Use it as a

template to mar kthe cuts

you will need to make with

the hacksaw

Remove the PCB & make the

cuts stopping about 3~5mm

from the bottom. Using a hobby

knife, scribe a line between

them. Using a small adj ustable

spanner as pictured, slowly

appl y pressure toward the

inside of the case

You mayneed to wor kthe

spanner back and forth a

few times. Eventually the

plastic will come away

leaving a fairlyclean line

where you scribed

Use the hobby knife to

trim it up and r emove

any excess plastic

swarf. Check the socket

will clear the slot OK

and continue to trim as

required

The PCB is close fit to the

case and mayrequire filing

on both bevels. M ake sure

the PCB sits square in the

case and the sol der

terminals for the connectors

sit in the center of their

corresponding solder pads

Page 7

The DB9 connectors should now be soldered into place - male on the right, the female on the left.

With the board in the case as pictured, solder the connectors in pl ace

making sur e the connector pins are centered within the solder pads Remove the assembl y from the case, turn it over and sol der the other side

Referring to the overlay pictured, install the components in the sequence described.

Resistors mount flush with the

board Leads slightly bent at back to hol d

the components in place while

soldering

Its likely this kit will be used in close pr oximityto RF. Its important to keep

component lead length as short as possible so we don’t end up with allot

of little antennas! Trim leads as close to board as practical

Some c apacitors are supplied on paper tape and

will need their leads straitened Diodes are polarized and will onl y work correctly

when i nstalled one way. Make sur e the black

band on the diode matches the board layout

All resistors, capacitors & di odes now installed

Page 8

Install the semiconductors, crystal & GPS power link (if required)..

Regulator IC1 lays flat agai nst

the PCB so its leads must be

bent

Install all semiconductors (except IC 3) and the cr ystal.

Again make sure all lead lengths are kept as short as

possible

If you intend to power a GPS recei ver directl yfrom

zTrak, you will need to add a link between pin 9 & 10 of

the feature connector. A resistor lead cut-off is ideal for

this

If you want the LED to be visible through the case, now is a good time to drill the hole in the lid.

You need to drill a 3mm hole

approxi matel y35mm from the left

side and 8mm down

To position the LED correctly,

bend the legs over and place the

board backin the case. Attach

the lid and move the LED into

best position. If you wish, it can

sit proud of the lid hole for a

wider vi ewi ng angle

The final lead length of the LED

which sits flush with the lid hole is

about 5-6mm from top of board to

bottom of LED lens

If zTrakis being used in a highly

visible situation, the flashing LED can

become annoyi ng. Mounting it flush

with the lid ensures limited viewing

angle. You can also increase the value

of R4 to dim the LED

This would also be a good time to drill holes to access the TX & RX level pots R8 & R9. However in practice these tend to

be set-and-forget so it’s not necessary as they can be easily adjusted with the lid off.

The microcontroller IC3 is static sensitive so

make sure you handl e it as little as possible.

Preferably only handl e while wearing an

antistatic wrist strap or ensure you are grounded

Due to the manufacturing technique, the legs of

DIL ICs tend to be slightly wider than required.

To straighten them prior to insertion place one

row of pi ns on a hard, flat surface. Hold IC3

body bythe edges and gentlyroll it until the pins

reach the correct angle. Repeat for the other

row, and insert the IC into the board gentl y,

making sur e that each pi n is aligned with its hole

When soldering IC3, solder the ground pin1st

(as pictured) and then the other pi ns.

Assembly is now complete. You may wish to further secure the ZTrak board to the case at the screw mounting points and or install D

socket standoffs. Silicone sealer could also be used to fill the gap at the top of the D sockets. These optional items are not supplied

with the basic kit as the final installation will vary from customer to customer.

Page 9

Connecting it all up

The Radio Port

The pin out of the ZTrak radio connector is identical to that used by the OpenTracker, Kantronics KPC-3 and Byonics

TinyTrak3. Any cable that was made to interface a radio to these devices should work with ZTrak. BUX Comm provides

detailed wiring diagrams and pre-assembled cables for a wide variety of radios at http://www.packetradio.com/wiring.htm.

Pin no Description

1 Audio out

2 COR / Squelch input

3 PTT

4 No connection

5 Audio in

6 Ground

7 Power in

8 PTT input

9 No connection

The Serial Port

The serial port is wired as a RS-232 DTE device so standard serial GPS receivers can be directly connected. To connect

to a PC, a null-modem cable oradapter will be required. By default, the OpenTracker processor expects GPS data to be

in NMEA-0183 format at 4800 baud.

Pin no Description

1 No connection

2 RX data (from PC or GPS recei ver)

3 TX Data (to PC)

4 V(ext). +5V @ appx 450mA max bydefault. Can be

set to supply voltage bychanging an internal

jumper.

5 Ground

6 No connection

7 1-wire weather station for AAG wind instrument

8 No connection

9 No connection

Typical null-modem wiring

Deluo GPS receiver

The Deluo GPS receiver is supplied with a 6 pin round mini-din plug. Most users will choose to cut off this connectorand

wire up their own DB-9 female plug. The following table outlines the connections.

Deluo Pin Deluo wire colour Deluo Signal name Connect to ZTrak pin

1 Green GPSData Out 2

2 Blue Noconnection Noconnection

3 Red Power in 4

4 Black Ground 5

5 White GPSData in Noconnection

6 Yellow TTL GPS Data Out Noconnection

Page 10

1-Wire Weather Station

The ZTrak is capable of connecting to the AAG TAI8515 1-Wire Weather Instrument. This weather station provides wind

speed, wind direction, and temperature readings.

The weather instrument uses a RJ11 connector. Common 2-conductor

telephone line cord can be used to carry the 1-Wire signal from the instrumant

to the zTrak.

Pictured here are the pin assignments on the end that connects to the weather

instrument.

On the ZTrak end terminate the cable with a DB9 connector. The data line

should be connected to pin 7 and ground to pin 5.

Be sure to leave the supplied loopback device installed in the wind instrument’s

second port.

You then need to load the 1-wire weather station firmware into the ZTrak. Refer

to the Firmware section of this guide formore details.

Expansion Port

The expansion port allows you to interface directly with the OpenTracker

processor.

Pin No Description

1 Transcei ver power control

2 Ground

3 ‘Jumper’ switch input – usuall y used to switch between OpenTracker

profiles. Refer to the Configuration section of this manual for more details.

4 IRQ – if pulled to ground will force an immedi ate transmission

5 ADC0 – on board temperature sensor

6 ADC1 – on-board voltage di vider provides 1/3 Vin

7 ADC2 – Spar e ADC input – also used for 1-wire data bus

8 Connects to Vin

9 Vext – connected to pi n 4 of D B-9 – a jumper wired between JP9 & JP10

provides + 5V on pin 4 of the serial port to power a GPS receiver.

10 regulated +5V DC

•Pin 1 can be used for either PTT input formic encoder operation, or as

a relay control output if power control is enabled. When used as a relay

output, the pin can provide no more than 15 ma current.

•Pin 4 pulled momentarily to ground will force an immediate transmit.

•If Pin 8 and Pin 9 are jumpered together, pin 4 on the serial connector

can be used to supply raw voltage (Vin) to an external device such as a

GPS receiver, or to receive power via a specially wired cable assembly.

•If Pin 9 and Pin 10 are jumpered together, pin 4 on the serial connector

will be supplied with regulated +5V.

•Most handheld radios (with the notable exception of those made by

Kenwood) assert PTT by grounding the microphone input. Resistor R3 is

used for this purpose.

R3 should be omitted if ZTrak is used with mobile radios

or with handhelds that do not use this method of PTT keying. If the tracker

will be used with both mobile and handheld radios, R3 can be installed in

the cable used to connect the handheld to ZTrak.

1…………………….10

Page 11

•ZTrak operates on 6.7 to 35 volts DC. An onboard voltage divider consisting of R11 & R7 is used to measure input

voltage however the reported range is limited to 6.7 to 15 volts.

•Power may be supplied at three points on the ZTrak board. Most often, it is supplied through pin 7 of the radio

connector. It may also be supplied through pin 9 of the expansion header. In addition, if a jumper is installed between

pins 9 and 10 of the expansion header, power may be supplied through pin 4 of the data connector.

•Make sure the squelch level is set correctly. If it is set too light, the ZTrak will detect the static as a carrierand think

another station is transmitting and will not send the packet. Set too strong and you run the risk of doubling with a

weaker station on the same frequency.

Theory of Operation

The heart of the ZTrak OpenTracker is a Freescale MC908KX8 microcontroller unit (MCU). The MCU contains 192

bytesof RAM and roughly 8 kilobytes of Flash program memory. It runs at a clock speed of 7.3728MHz.

U2 is a linear voltage regulator that provides regulated 5 VDC power to the circuit, and optionally to an external device

connected to Vext. C1 and C2 are the input and output filter capacitors, respectively.

Y1, C6, C7, and R10 form the clock oscillator circuit. The oscillator frequency of 29.4912MHz is divided by four in the

MCU’s clock module to produce the bus clock signal.

Audio output originates at pin 13 of the MCU. This pin is configured as a timer channel output and generates a pulse-

width modulated signal between 0 and 5 volts. Audio tones are generated in software using a sine wave lookup table. R2

and R8 limit the audio output level, and C2 couples the AC component of the signal to the audio output at radio port pin 1.

Pin 15 of the MCU produces the PTT output signal. It switches Q3, pulling the audio output down through R3 for handheld

PTT, and pulling radio port pin 3 to ground for other radios.

An externally applied PTT signal on the radio port pin 8 will pull the PTT output low through D2, and will pull pin 14 of the

MCU low (it is normally held high by an internal pull-up resistor) through D3.

The audio input from the radio is AC-coupled by C3 and biased by R9. R9 sets the carrier detect threshold. Radio port Pin

2 provides a DC-coupled input for radios with a squelch or carrier operated relay output.

R5, R1, and Q4 form an inverter/buffer circuit for the RS-232 input.The RS-232 output polarity is controlled in software.

The output level swings between 0 and 5 volts, and may not be compatible with all RS-232 devices.

U3 is a temperature sensor with an output of 10 mV per Kelvin. R6 limits its input current, and its output drives one of the

analog inputs on the MCU.

R7 and R11 form a voltage divider, the output of which is one third of the supply voltage. This voltage drives another

analog input on the MCU.

The LED is driven by a high-current output line from the MCU, through current limiting resistor R4. Lowering the value of

R4 will increase the brightness of the LED.

Page 12

TX & RX Adjustments

Transmit Adjustment

The TX trimpot sets ZTrak transmit audio level. Setting the

properaudio level is critical to ensure you do not over

modulate the transmitted signal or cause clipping in the

transmitters audio circuit to occur. Either can adversely

effect the received signal performance. There are two ways

you can set the TX level:

1. Dev iation meter connected to transceiver - set

the TX level for +/- 3Khz maximum deviation.

2. Listening to the signal on another radio - turn the

level up slowly until the signal doesn’t get any louder, and

then turn it back down until it gets noticeably quieter.

Continue turning it down for about 1/8 turn after that point.

Receive Adjustment

The ZTrak does not decode incoming packet data, it detects

audio / carrier energy (voice, data, or static). This avoids

doubling or transmitting over the top of other stations. The

sensitivity of the detection circuit is determined by the RX

trimpot.

•Adjust the squelch on the receiver so that it remains

closed under average channel conditions with no signals

present.

•Turn RX trimpot all the way up so that the LED remains

lit (or flashes very fast), then turn it back down until it stops

blinking under quiet channel conditions.

LED Indicator

The LED indicator of the ZTrak indicates processor activity.

•Rapid Blinking – indicates a signal (or carrier) on the

audio input port has been detected. This could be because

another station is transmitting, the squelch level is set too

low or the receive adjustment has been set wrong.

•Slow Blinking – occurs when ZTrak is connected to a

1-wire wind instrument and is receiving 1-wire data.

•Repeated series of flashes – the ZTrak is receiving

valid NMEA data from the GPS receiver which has received

GPS lock. The actual series of flashes will depend on the

type of GPS receiver used.

•Repeated double flashes – the ZTrak is receiving valid

NMEA data from a GPS receiver that has not acquired GPS

lock. This may be because the GPS is just warning up and

in the process of acquiring enough satellites to get a positive

lock or the GPS antenna is not able to receive satellite data.

•Lit solid – indicates the ZTrak is transmitting an APRS

packet oris connected to a PC and is in configuration mode.

Page 13

Configuration

Profiles

The OpenTracker can store two separate configuration profiles. The profile currently being shown is selected by clicking

on the tabs at the top of the window labeled ‘Config 1’ and ‘Config 2’.

Setting Profile Conditions

The OpenTracker processor will switch between configuration profiles when certain conditions are met. The seven tests

are:

1. Altitude as indicated by a GPS receiver.

2. Speed as indicated by a GPS receiver.

3. Temperature as reported by the on-board temperature sensor

4. Voltage as reported by the on-board voltage sensor

5. ADC Input is the value of an analogue signal connected to pin JP7. The possible values are 0 to 255, corresponding

to a range of 0 to 5 volts.

6. Jumper detects if JP1 is high or low. Pulling this pin low (JP2) sets the On condition.

7. GPS Fix considered invalid if it has been more than 20 seconds since the last valid position was received from the

GPS unit.

The checkboxes to the left of each condition actives the test. The two radio buttons at the top test any or all of these

conditions. The comparison button in the middle can be either ‘>’ (greater than) or ‘<=’ (less than or equal to). Clicking on

the button showing the comparison operator toggles it between these two settings.

Page 14

How Conditions Are Tested

•When the ZTrak is first powered on, the OpenTracker processor always starts out using the Config 1 profile.

•The tests you have set are compared against values read by the OpenTracker processor. If the conditions are met,

the Config 2 profile is loaded.

•When a profile changes, the test criteria in the new profile take effect and the selected tests are run once every

second.

•If Transmit when switching to this profile is checked in the new profile, a packet is transmitted immediately.

•Another switch will not occur until the new criteria are met. Often, the criteria in each profile will be complementary.

For example, Config 1 might indicate a switch when the jumper is installed, and Config 2 would indicate a switch when

the jumper is removed. However, the criteria may be completely independent of each other.

•

If the criteria in both profiles are met at the same time, the configuration will swap every second. Keep in mind that

there may be a certain amount of noise or jitter on analog inputs such as voltage and temperature.

Configuration Options

Callsign

The radio callsign to use when transmitting.

Frequency

This option will only show when the PSK31 firmware is loaded (a 31.25 baud binary phase shift keying mode for HF SSB).

The option sets the audio carrier. If you're running USB, your carrier frequency will be the dial frequency plus the audio

carrier frequency. For LSB, its dial frequency minus audio carrier frequency.

Path

This specifies the digipeater path to use. Specific callsigns may be entered (e.g., ‘K6SYV-10, K6TZ-10’) but for APRS

operation a set of common aliases are usually used. A suggested default path is ‘WIDE1-1, WIDE2-1’. It is rarely

necessary to use a path greater than WIDE3-3 (requesting three ‘wide’ digipeater hops), and excessive paths generate

large amounts of traffic that degrade the performance of the network. If you’re not sure what path should be used for your

local area, check with a local digipeater operator. This field may be left blank.

TX Delay

All radios require a certain amount of time to stabilize on their transmitting frequency, and receivers also require time to

lock on. This value specifies the number of milliseconds the tracker should wait after the start of the transmission before it

begins sending data. Allowable values are 0 to 1023 milliseconds. Setting this value too high will keep the channel busy

longer than necessary. Setting it too low will prevent packets from being transmitted properly. Finding the optimum value

for your radio may require some experimentation.

TX Interval

How often the tracker should transmit. Allowable values are 0 to 65,535 seconds. This setting will depend on your

intended use. One transmission every two minutes is acceptable for most mobile stations. A fixed station (e.g., a solar

powered site reporting battery voltage and temperature) might choose an interval in the range of 5 to 30 minutes. If you

require transmissions more often than every two minutes or so, consider using the SmartBeaconing™ options detailed

below. Special events with many trackers and short transmission intervals should be operated on a separate frequency,

not on the shared APRS channel.

Symbol Table and Symbol Code

These settings control the symbol used to indicate the station’s position when drawn on a map. See Appendix B for a

listing of available symbols.

Page 15

Temp. Adjust

Calibration offset for onboard temperature sensor. The sensor used on the OpenTracker is fairly linear across its

operating range and requires a single point calibration. The easiest way to accomplish this is to set a thermometer next to

the tracker. Subtract the temperature reported by the tracker from the temperature shown by the thermometer, and enter

that value in this field. For example, if the thermometer shows the temperature as 26°C and the tracker reports 29°C,

enter –3 for the adjustment value.

Quiet Time

This setting determines how long the channel must be clear before the tracker will transmit. Units are approximately

1/56th of a second.

Text

This is a freeform text field. Anything entered here will be displayed in the comment portion of the transmission or in a

separate status packet, as selected. Keep comments as brief as possible to avoid wasting channel capacity, or use the

‘Every __ Transmissions’ option to reduce how often the text is sent.

Altitude, Course/Speed, Timestamp

When checked, report these values as indicated by the GPS receiver.

GPS Quality

Report fix type, number of satellites in use, and dilution of precision information as reported by the GPS receiver.

Temperature

Report temperature as indicated by the onboard temperature sensor. For APRS packets, this will be shown in the

comment field in degrees C.

Voltage

Report input voltage. The maximum value is 15 volts, and the minimum is the dropout voltage of the regulator– typically

6.7 volts. For APRS packets, this value is shown in the comment field.

Protocol

Selects the protocol(s) used for transmissions. If the ‘both’ option is selected, APRS™ and OpenTRAC packets will be

sent back-to-back in the same transmission.

Copy from Config n

This button copies the contents of one profile to the other. Be sure to check the profile switching options in the lower left

pane if you use this feature – having the same criteria here in both profiles is usually not desired.

SmartBeaconing™

Originally developed for the HamHUD by Tony Arnerich, KD7TA, and Steve Bragg, KA9MVA, the SmartBeaconing™

algorithm allows the tracker to operate more efficiently by changing how often it transmits depending on its speed and

direction of travel. When stopped or moving at a speed below the low speed setting, the tracker will transmit at a fixed rate

determined by the lower rate setting. Above the specified high-speed threshold, the higher rate setting is used. Between

these two extremes, the interval varies between the low and high rates depending on the speed. A turn angle can also be

specified to cause the tracker to transmit when turning.

Power Control

Enabled by default. In the ZTrak hardware design the power control is wired directly into the buck regulator control pin to

turn the transceiver on or off. The tracker will pause for the specified number of seconds to give the transmitter time to

power up. The power control feature is especially useful for solar powered weather or telemetry stations.

Timeslot

The timeslot option is typically used to coordinate multiple trackers, especially for special events where many transmitters

will be sharing the same channel with a high beacon rate. The number entered selects the timeslot’s offset, in seconds,

from the start of the hour. The tracker will transmit at this time, and every transmit interval after that.The timeslot value

should be smaller than the transmit interval.

PTB2 Output

This checkbox controls the output level of pin PTB2 (JP8). Because this pin is shared with the spare ADC input, the

checkbox is ignored if the ADC input is used. The output can be used as an indication of the configuration profile currently

in use.

Page 16

Enable Counter

This checkbox enables the digital counter function. When this function is enabled, the tracker will no longer transmit

immediately when JP5 is shorted to ground. Instead, it will increment a counter and include the current count in the status

text, e.g., ‘CNT00001’. The maximum count is 65535, after which the counter rolls over to zero.

Reset Counter on Transmit

Setting this checkbox causes the counter to reset with every transmission. Hence, the count reported is the number of

events since the last transmission.

Counter Rearm

This is a ‘debounce’ delay applied to the counter input. After a counter event is registered, all subsequent events are

ignored until the specified time has elapsed.

Inv ert Carrier Detect

Usually used with mobile radios, this checkbox indicates that the channel is busy when the carrier detect input is low. This

option is not used in the ZTrak design.

Suppress PTT Out on PTT In

This option allows the tracker to be used in burst-after-voice mode without breaking any lines between the microphone

and radio. PTT is not asserted by the tracker until the microphone PTT is released. This option is not used in the ZTrak

design.

Disable Transmit on Low Voltage

To avoid over discharging batteries, enable this option and enter the minimum voltage at which the tracker should operate

the transmitter.

Allow Transmit Without GPS Lock

Normally, while in GPS mode, the tracker will not transmit without a valid fix. When this option is selected, the tracker will

continue to transmit its last known position if GPS lock is lost. This condition is indicated by the text ‘NOFIX’ in the status

message. Note that the tracker will not transmit without a fix if it has not received any valid fix since startup. This option is

particularly useful for applications like high altitude balloons that may lose GPS lock after landing, but still need to transmit

to be found.

Send Telemetry Packet

Enabling this option causes the tracker to transmit a standard APRS telemetry packet after each position packet. The

telemetry packet contains raw readings from the three analog-to-digital converter inputs, the low eight bits of the counter,

the GPS HDOP reading, the profile in use, and the status of the jumper input.

Loading and Saving Settings

After changing any configuration options, you must click the ‘Write’ button to write the changes to the tracker’s firmware.

You may also use the ‘Save to File’ button to save the configuration options to a file, which can be loaded later using the

‘Load from File’ button.

Page 17

Receiving and Decoding APRS Data

This section describes one way of setting up a Windows PC to receive and decode APRS data. Be aware that there are

quite a few applications that will do the job however the author is only familiar with the details presented herein. Also note

an in depth step by step guide is beyond the scope of this manual so only a brief overview is presented. For an in depth

step-by-step guide, please visit http://patmedia.net/ralphmilnes/soundcardpacket/index.html.

What you will need

1. PC running Windows 98, NT, 2000, ME or XP with a built in sound card

2. 2m or 70cm receiver tuned to the same frequency as your ZTrak / Zares transceiver

3. An audio cable to connect the Zares to your PC

Download and install AGWPE

The key to sound card packet is a free program called AGWPE, a program written by George Rossopoulos, SV2AGW. It

can encode and decode packet tones using your computer's sound card. It is particularly valuable since it can act as a

"host" program for several good packet programs that do not have sound card packet capabilities of their own like

Tumonz, Etc.

•Download from http://www.elcom.gr/sv2agw/agwpe.htm

•Once installed, you need to set up a Sound Card Radio Port

Download and install AGWTracker

AGWTracker is a program that will display APRS packet data from the Sound Card Radio Port you set up. Among other

things, it allows you to receive and send APRS data to or from the radio port or Internet. You can monitor the decoded

APRS packets, view a list of stations received, send and receive APRS messages and view station location (globally) with

the stunning on-line VirtualEarth or GoogleMaps. You can even load in your own maps!

•Download from http://www.elcom.gr/sv2agw/tracker.htm

Here are a few AGWTracker screen shots..

Weather Station View Tracking objects Multiple maps (including satelite images!)

Distance calculator Station details Station cov erage Eagle ey e mode

Page 18

Firmware

Important Notes!

•The instructions and procedures described are applicable to the firmware shipped with ZTrak v1.0

•If you change the firmware, the procedures described may become altered, enhanced or even

redundant. Additionally, the entire functionality of the ZTrak may change.

•ZTrak v1.0 follows a similar architecture and uses the same firmware as OpenTracker (ot1.s19 -

Standard firmware, build 53969, 8-22-2006)

From time to time new firmware may be released to provide new features or resolve issues. Additionally, new firmware is

used to change the operation or purpose of the ZTrak.

Firmware Versions Available

The following firmware versions were available at time of writing:

•ot1.s19 - Standard firmware, build 53969, 8-22-2006

- APRS - 1200 baud AFSK for VHF/UHF

•ot1-300.s19 -300 baud firmware, 5-29-2006

- APRS - 300 baud AFSK for HF

•ot1-psk31.s19 - PSK31 firmware, 5-29-2006

– APRS – 300 baud PSK31 for HF

•ot1-dallaswx.s19 - Dallas 1-wire weather station support, 11-21-2005

Locating New Firmware

There are three ways you can obtain new firmware images.

1. The files may be downloaded from the Internet manually and uploaded to the device using the configuration program.

This is particularly useful if you will be configuring devices on a computer without Internet access. The various

firmware versions are available from http://n1vg.net/opentracker/downloads.php

2. Within the configuration program, clicking on the ‘Web’ button will cause the program to retrieve a list of the most

current firmware images available. Selecting one of these will automatically download the file from the website and

upload it to the ZTrak.

3. Zares stock an APRS CD-R which contains the latest Zares APRS information which includes OpenTracker firmware.

This can be ordered by phoning within NZ 07 549 2251 orinternationally +647 549 2251

Page 19

Uploading New Firmware

1. Connect a serial cable from your PC to the ZTrak serial port.

The ZTrak is a DTE device so a serial null-modemcable or

adapter will be required.

2. Locate and run the OpenTracker configuration program

otwincfg.exe

3. Select the serial port the OpenTracker is connected to and

click connect

4. If the computer finds the ZTrak, the OpenTracker

configuration screen will display. If you previously

downloaded and saved a firmware image, click File. If you’re

the computer is connected to the Internet, click ‘Web’.

5. Select the location of the file you want to load or choose

from the web list

6. If you are sure you want to upload new firmware, click yes to

continue.

7. The firmware will the load and advise when finished.

8. You are then passed back to the OpenTracker configuration

page where you will change the defaults setting of the new

firmware.

About firmware files

Firmware files are in Motorola S19 format. If you compile your own firmware, the S19 file generated by the linker can be

used without modification. Interrupt vectors are automatically rewritten by the configuration program.

Page 20

Appendix A - Telemetry Operation

With the telemetryoption enabled, the ZTrak will transmit an APRS-formatted telemetry packet after each position packet:

T#011,155,218,000,000,000,00000000

Six three-digit fields follow the ‘T#’ header. Each field has a range of zero to 255. The fields are interpreted as follows:

•Sequence number: Incremented with each transmission.

•ADC0: Multiply by 1.9608 for temperature reading in kelvins.

•ADC1: Divide by 17 for supply voltage readingin volts.

•ADC2: Divide by 51 for auxiliary analoginput reading in volts.

•Counter: Low eight bits of the digital counter input.

•HDOP: Divide by 10 for GPS horizontal dilution of precision reading.

Of the final eight-digit field, only two binary digitsare used – the rightmost bit reflects the jumper input, and the next bit indicates

the configuration profile in use.

Table of contents

Popular GPS manuals by other brands

Garmin

Garmin Cessna Caravan G1000 manual

Dynon Avionics

Dynon Avionics SkyView installation guide

SHINE MICRO

SHINE MICRO TRACKER SM150 quick start guide

Pioneer

Pioneer AVIC-8200NEX Important information for the user

Pharos

Pharos GPS 535+ Easy guide

STATSports

STATSports APEX POD user manual

rtd

rtd GPS16162HR user manual

Mongoose

Mongoose LT600 manual

Hemisphere GPS

Hemisphere GPS LiteStar II Air user guide

ffelectronics

ffelectronics PYXIS GPS Quick reference guide

Peiying

Peiying PY-GPS7014 owner's manual

Navman

Navman M-Nav 750 user manual

Ingersoll-Rand

Ingersoll-Rand Thermo King TracKing installation manual

TomTom

TomTom XL 540S - Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator Quick start and user guide

Navman

Navman F-Series user manual

Link

Link NT07 user guide

IPCMAX

IPCMAX WebTrac-4 user manual

Garmin

Garmin Cessna Caravan G1000 Maintenance manual

Zares ZTrak User manual

Popular GPS manuals by other brands