DM Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION COMMAND DESCRIPTIONS How ZK-SAM/DM works SAM mode CTRL mode VOIC mode INIT mode CLR PLAY mode Menu summary Display summary SAMPLE OUTPUTS 2 3 5 6 8 10 12 12 14 17 18 19

APPENDICES

THE CALL PROCESS CONNECTIONS / GETTING STARTED MOTOROLA PHONE NOTES CHANNEL SET LAYOUTS

24 26 27 30

Copyright (c) 1994 ZK Celltest Inc. All Rights Reserved

March 1994

INTRODUCTION
The System Access Monitor (SAM) was conceived by ZK engineers in 1977, who at that time were working at Bell Labs. The original SAM was designed to monitor call processing events, such as handoffs, call origination, dropped calls, power level changes, call termination, and RSSI readings, to name a few, at the mobile telephone end and to give discrete, quantitative values to those events. Then, when problems developed, the system engineers or technicians could isolate, diagnose, and fix the problem. Before the SAM, this could not be done in an easy manner. The engineers had no way of measuring the coverage or call events in a given cell, and had to resort to qualitative descriptions of problems, which led to engineers having to spend more time and effort to properly understand and fix the problem. The SAM greatly simplifies and streamlines this process. Over the years, SAM technology has progressed. The modern SAM monitors more data in varied manners, measures with a greater level of accuracy, and displays, stores the data for downloading to a personal computer, and/or outputs the data in real time. At the computer, the engineer or technician can analyze the data in a variety of ways to understand the subtleties of the cellular system better. With TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), the next generation in cellular phone technology, the cellular operating community needs to have a SAM capable of performing the same duties for TDMA systems. However, E/AMPS (Extended Advanced Mobile Phone System) is not going to be just dropped overnight. Rather, TDMA will be phased in. Therefore, the SAM must be capable of performing its tasks in either the current analog E/AMPS format or the new digital TDMA format. More importantly, it must be able to cope with the varying formats and phones that will be introduced. The ZK-SAM/DM (Dual Mode - Analog / Digital) brings two primary benefits to the cellular operating company: 1) It greatly increases the productivity of engineers and technicians assigned to cellular troubleshooting; and 2) it ensures greater cellular customer user satisfaction brought about by the reduction or elimination of operational problems. With these goals in mind, ZK Celltest has developed the ZK-SAM/DM. This is a fourth generation SAM, capable of operating in either E/AMPS or TDMA modes. First of all, the ZK-SAM/DM is designed to satisfy all the goals outlined above. Secondly, it is small, lightweight, and equipped with a easy to read LCD display. It measures two inches high, five wide, and six and a half deep, and weighs just over a pound. Lastly, it boasts a four key, easy to understand, intuitive menu system.

COMMAND DESCRIPTIONS SAM mode: SAM mode is the primary function of the ZK-SAM/DM. In this main mode, ZK-SAM/DM displays and saves call processing events. These include channel re-scan, call origination, power level changes, hand-offs and call termination. In analog mode, the display includes the control/voice channel number (CHAN), the associated received signal strength indicator (RSSI), the power level (PL), the supervisory audio tone (SAT) when present, and a log number for keeping track of the related location. In digital mode, the assigned time slot is added to the channel number, and SAT is replaced by the number of bit errors (BER). Analog extended data output includes the above and a transmitter on/off indicator. Digital extended data output includes digital verification color code (DVCC) and Audio on/off indicator. CTRL mode: Control mode scans all control channels from the selected system for the strongest RSSI value. Optionally, the user can select to scan a set of up to three channels exclusively. These channel(s) are user selected, and can be either control or voice. Control mode only operates in analog mode. The display includes the strongest channel number, associated RSSI, and log number. Optionally, the user can select digital color code (DCC) to be displayed. Also, the data is available in ZK (C) CONTROL CHANNEL COVERAGE MAP form. See page 15 for details. VOIC mode: Voice channels can be auto-scanned by set number for the selected system (A or B). Scan stops when the observed RSSI exceeds a selected threshold to permit channel audio quality assessment. This data is saved in memory. Scan resumes automatically after a selected delay or when a key is pressed. Manual mode is available for continuous monitoring on any selected channel. xmtr mode: The xmtr function is an option in the INIT menu. This mobile test transmitter function provides on-the-air control of channel, power level and SAT for testing the receiving system at the cell-site. This mode is only available for analog system testing. rcal mode (signal strength auto-calibration): The rcal function is an option in the INIT menu. This function calibrates the ZK-SAM/DM so that the RSSI can be measured within an accuracy +/- 1dB. It requires a calibrated signal source, at 10 dB steps from -20 dBm to -120 dBm, on channel 333. See page 13 for details on how to calibrate your ZK-SAM/DM.

Data Memory: The ZK-SAM/DM can store 1 to 2 hours of mobile status data in SAM mode and up to 6 hours of control channel System A/B comparison data in CTRL mode. The ZK-SAM/DM does not depend upon an external power supply in order to keep the contents of memory. The display on the ZK-SAM/DM shows an abbreviated summary of the data collected, with the full extended version available for downloading to a PC. This allows the user an easily read display when in the field, with complete data available when they arrive at the office. Alternatively, the user could connect the ZK-SAM/DM to a PC or portable printer while in the field, and collect the data with the PC or printer and the ZK-SAM/DM as it is being gathered. By using this option, the user would have immediate access to the extended data. A 9600 baud serial interface and cable is included for downloading purposes to a PC. If you wish to download data to a portable printer, a different cable is required. It is supplied with the SEIKO portable printer if ordered from ZK Celltest, Inc., or see page 15 if you wish to make your own cable.

HOW ZK-SAM/DM WORKS The ZK-SAM/DM presents the user with a system of menus which allow access to all of its functions in a very simple and logical fashion. Only two arrow keys, an ENTER and a BREAK key are needed to traverse the entire command tree. The one-line display offers the menu items at a glance, to be selected by moving the blinking cursor to the desired function and pressing the ENTER key. When a menu offers more than fits on one line, the arrow keys scroll the rest of the options on to the display. The main menu contains six functions, three of which are commands to start live data collection (SAM, CTRL, and VOIC), and three of which lead to secondary functions (INIT, CLR, and PLAY) handling scan parameters and manipulation of stored data. DATA COLLECTION All data collected in the SAM, CTRL, and VOIC modes is stored sequentially in nonvolatile memory, with LOG number tag for later playback (play), printout (prnt) or transfer to PC (dump). This is the complete record of the data collected in the various modes, containing some status data not seen on the ZK-SAM/DM display during live data collection, and some formatting for increased readability. The play command allows data to be played back on the display for easy review. The prnt command prints the desired section of the memory. Dump transfers an ASCII file readable by word processing programs which can be edited after transfer. Also, as data is being collected, real time output of the complete record is available from the COM port for a PC or serial printer. This option may provide a more practical method of viewing live data. Use a terminal program such as PROCOMM on the PC to read the output from the COM port. See PLAY description, page 14, for connection and operational details.

SAM SAM (System Access Monitor) mode is the familiar call processing mode. Abbreviated mobile status is displayed and updated approximately once per second. The display consists of CHAN, RSSI in dBm, power level (PL) 0 through 7, SAT 0, 1 or 2 and a logging count number (LOG#). For easy display reading, power level and SAT values are not displayed until conversation mode, when the phone is transmitting on a voice channel. So when the mobile is idling on a control channel, only CHAN, RSSI and LOG# are displayed. When a voice channel assignment and "transmitter on" occurs, PL and SAT numbers appear.
ANALOG

122
CHAN

97
DBM

3 1 015
PL SAT LOG

SAM mode, active on voice channel 122 RSSI is -97 dBm, power level is 3, SAT is 1, LOG# is 15 When a Signaling Tone (ST) is detected, a black box appears between SAT and LOG#. The printout, dump, and real time COM port output all contain the complete status record (ST, carrier on/off, etc.), to the extent it is provided by the mobile phone. The digital mode status is described on the following page.

DIGITAL

122A 97
CHAN TS DBM

3 1 015
PL BER LOG

SAM mode, active on voice channel 122, time slot A RSSI is -97 dBm, power level is 3, bit error rate is 1, LOG# is 15 In digital mode, time slot is added to channel number display and SAT is replaced by number of bit errors. DVCC (Digital Verification Color Code) is also received from the mobile phone and stored in data memory. The number of bit errors, BER, ranges from 0 to 7. The definition of the BER levels is in the table below.

Bit Pattern 000 001 010 011 100 101 110 111

AVE_BER interval (%) < 0.01 0.01 to less than 0.1 0.1 to less than 0.5 0.5 to less than 1.0 1.0 to less than 2.0 2.0 to less than 4.0 4.0 to less than 8.0 8.0

CTRL In CTRL mode, the selected control channels are scanned. Both systems (A and B), either system (A or B), or up to three target channels (Control or Voice, from either system, ) may be scanned. When only a single system is chosen, Digital Color Code (DCC) is reported. To make these selections and set other scan parameters, use INIT, then ctrl (see page 12). CTRL mode data is saved in memory and also output in real time to a PC or serial printer. Two different formats are available via dump (see the dump command description, page 14), although the 3chn data is only available in scan format.

SYSTEM A AND B SCAN (both) The CTRL function operates in the following way: First, all 42 control channels are scanned to determine their RSSI. From these measurements (for each system) the strongest five channels are noted, in order of decreasing signal strength. Only these ten channels (the five strongest in each system) are then scanned the next nine times. Then the entire scanning process is repeated. For every scan, the channel with the maximum signal strength and its RSSI is recorded for both systems. The display alternates between the preferred system CHAN, RSSI, LOG# and both systems' CHAN and RSSI.
FIRST SCREEN SECOND SCREEN

323
CHAN

79
DBM

L 068
LOG

323
CHAN

79
DBM

339 81
CHAN DBM

(Preferred system is A) System A System B CTRL scan, chan. 323 at -79 dBm, LOG# 68 (chan 339 at -81 dBm) The 'preferred system' will appear on the left side of the display, and does not alternate with the LOG#. This system is selected under INIT, voic, systm. The LOG# advances once for every ten scans. After each scan, both system's CHAN and RSSI are sent to the COM port for a PC or serial printer, as well as stored in ZK-SAM/DM memory. DCC is not recorded in this mode.

SINGLE SYSTEM SCAN (sysa or sysb) The CTRL scan of a single system operates in a similar way, except that only 21 control channels are scanned. The five strongest are scanned nine times more, and at the end of each scan the strongest is displayed and recorded. If DCC is selected, it will be displayed between CHAN and RSSI (CHAN DCC RSSI LOG#).

323 3 81
CHAN DCC DBM

L 102
LOG

CTRL scan of system A, with DCC selected Channel 323 at -81 dBm, DCC 3, LOG# 102

TEST CHANNEL SCAN (3chn) This option allows continual scanning one to three individual channels, which focuses the measurements on the specific channels of interest. Voice as well as control channels may be included, allowing evaluation of non-standard setup channels. The channel with the maximum RSSI is displayed on the ZK-SAM/DM screen, and the RSSI values for all three channels are sent in real time to the COM port. This data may also be played, dumped or prnted later.

241
CHAN

64
DBM

L 077
LOG

3chn scan of channels 241, 288 and 331 Channel 241 stronger at -64 dBm, LOG# 077

VOIC VOIC mode scans the voice channel set of your choice. Considerable flexibility is available to tailor this mode to suit your needs. Use INIT then voic to choose auto (automatic) or manl (manual), audio on or off, threshold setting, sysa or sysb, and your choice of the channel set identification, 1-21 or A1, B1, C1, etc. (See INIT description, page 12) auto Selecting auto gives auto-scan, which stops on the next channel with signal strength greater than the selected threshold. The ZK-SAM/DM displays CHAN, RSSI, and channel set during the scan. Motorola phones do not provide SAT in this mode.

535 102
CHAN DBM

S13
SET

VOIC scan on system B, threshold -105 dBm, audio on Channel 535 (set 13) detected at -102 dBm ZK-SAM/DM pauses and turns audio on At any point during the scan, the arrow keys may be used to scroll through the channel sets. When an active channel is found, CHAN, RSSI (initial reading only) and channel set are output to the COM port in real time and stored in data memory. Then, if audio is on, ZK-SAM/DM turns the speaker on and stops reading RSSI. Otherwise, if audio is off, ZK-SAM/DM continuously reads and displays RSSI for this channel although the values (after the first) are not stored in memory. The auto scan automatically resumes in any of the following conditions: 1) the signal drops below the threshold, 2) the ENTER key is pressed, 3) a new set is selected (arrow key), 4) the dwell time runs out. Control channels are not included in auto VOIC scans. Using INIT to select auto and audio on prompts you to enter scan paus or stay, and selecting scan paus prompts you to enter the dwell time in seconds. scan stay requires you to press the ENTER key to resume scanning. See INIT description for details, page 12.

10

manl manl provides manual channel and set selection. The arrow keys are used both for set selection and for channel selection within a set. Once the desired channel set is found, an ENTER key stroke will show a "C" on the display. Now arrow key strokes will change channels, up and down, within a channel set. Another ENTER key stroke shifts back to set control and the "C" disappears. Each subsequent ENTER key stroke toggles between set and channel control (and takes a new RSSI reading). Data from manl scans is neither output in real time to the COM port nor stored in memory. Control channel audio is available only in manl mode.

678
CHAN

98
DBM

C
CHAN MODE

S6
SET

VOIC scan, manual, audio on, threshold -105 dBm, system A User has selected set 6 and used arrow keys to scroll to Channel 678 Channel 678 is active at -98 dBm, above threshold, so ZK-SAM/DM turns audio on

Motorola note: The normal manual handset test commands are still available and can be used to bypass or augment ZK-SAM/DM control. Two very important examples are the audio path command, 35X#, where X=1 (speaker) and X=3 (handset), and the audio volume command, 47X#, where X=0 (soft) to 7 (loud). If you attempt to use these commands in auto, scan paus, the repetitive ZK-SAM/DM commands may interfere. Press BREAK, then re enter VOIC.

11

INIT INIT is the general mode for selection of ZK-SAM/DM operating parameters, which are stored in non-volatile RAM. The left/right arrow keys are used to move the blinking cursor and ENTER key is used to make the selection. INIT provides operating choices as follows: voic --auto/manl, audio off/on, thres -xx dBm, sys a/sys b, set# 1-21/A1-G3 To set the threshold, use the arrows keys to change the value on the display in increments of five. The limits are -70 to -120 dBm. auto, audio on -- paus/stay (paus asks for dwell time in seconds, five to thirty in increments of five) ctrl -- 3chn/sys a/sys b/both 3chn -- # of scan chans: x, yyyy x denotes number of channels to be scanned (1 - 3), yyyy denotes channel number. Use left arrow to decrease digit, right arrow to increase, enter to select. sys a/sys b -- dcc: no/yes xmtr -This function permits channel, power, and SAT selection followed by carrier on for any voice channel of your choice. When xmtr is selected, the message " CHAN SET # X " is displayed. Use the arrow keys to select the set and press ENTER. Then the display changes to show channel, RSSI, power level, SAT and carrier ON\OFF state. Use the arrow keys to select the channel (blinking) and press ENTER to move to power setting (blinking). Again, use the arrow keys to choose the power setting and press ENTER to move to the SAT selection. Use the arrow keys again to select SAT and press ENTER to move to carrier ON\OFF selection. Use the arrow keys to turn the carrier on and off. The carrier turns on and off immediately as the displayed state changes with the arrow keys. While the mobile is transmitting, the power and SAT may be changed by pressing ENTER repeatedly to cause the desired parameter to blink, indicating it can be changed with the arrow keys. Use the voic menu to set sysa or sysb.

12

cal -- rcal - recalibrate RSSI / romc - default calibration rcal - is an auto-calibration process which requires a calibrated signal source on channel 333 (879.99 MHz). Connect the signal generator output to the mobile antenna port, select rcal, press ENTER and you will be prompted to set signal generator level to -20 dBm. Wait 3 seconds for the phone to settle, press ENTER to record the level, and you will be prompted to set -30 dBm, etc. Press ENTER after each setting. After the last setting, new calibration constants are stored in non-volatile RAM and the display returns to the main menu. Note - Only one calibration table can be stored. Selecting romc at this point will replace the rcal table with default values. mobl -Mobile initialization. This option is not used in this version. CLR Resets LOG# to 0. No data is erased. This data may still be accessed, printed, or dumped to a PC.

13

PLAY The PLAY command on the main menu displays a secondary menu where either play, prnt or dump may be chosen. play This mode provides playback of recorded data on the ZK-SAM/DM display. The default starting LOG# is 5 numbers back from the current LOG#. During live playback, the left/right arrow keys allow scrolling back/forward to the desired start LOG# (in increments of 5), and data will be displayed from the selected point until the current LOG#. prnt Connect the printer to the COM port using the printer cable, turn on the printer, select prnt, use the arrow keys to select the start LOG# then ENTER and data will be transferred to the printer memory at 9600 baud. The display shows the data as it goes out, so you may press the BREAK key at any time to terminate the transfer, or wait until auto-termination at end-of-data or printer-buffer-full. The SEIKO printer input is buffered with 8K bytes. If all the ZK-SAM/DM memory has not been printed, select prnt again, and the next block of data will be printed. The interface is 9600 baud, 8 bit word, 1 stop bit, no parity. The SEIKO DPU-411, type II, battery powered parallel/serial printer is supported, and when supplied by ZK with the ZK-SAM/DM, has already been set up and tested for this interface. dump Data is sent to a PC via the COM port at 9600 baud. Connect a null modem to the 25pin printer cable for dumping to a PC, or use the ZK-SAM/PC cable for a direct connection. On the PC you must use a terminal program such as PROCOMM to receive the data from the ZK-SAM/DM. PROCOMM (or other terminal emulation software) should be set for 9600 baud, no parity, 8 bit word, 1 stop bit. On PROCOMM, this is done on the Alt-S ("Line Settings") menu by selecting option 11. To start receiving data, press the Page Down key, select ASCII (option 7), and enter a DOS filename for your dump. The filename can be up to 8 characters, with no punctuation marks, and the extension .TXT.

14

For those who wish to make their own cables, the following diagrams give the necessary connections :
ZK-SAM computer connections COM port 6 pin plug 1 2 3 RS-232 DB-9 female 5 2 3 4 6 ZK-SAM printer connections COM port 6 pin plug 1 2 3 RS-232 DB-25 male 7 2 3

Jumper

Front of plug

Front of plug

Data from the CTRL mode may be formatted either as scan, one line per scan, or map (ZK CONTROL CHANNEL COVERAGE MAP(C)) which combines the results of ten scans (one log number) onto one line (see example on page 20). After this choice is made, data transfer begins. The stored data is transferred to a computer starting at LOG# 000 until the current LOG# is reached and "#XXX, ENTER/GO ON" is displayed. To return to the menu, press BREAK. To continue sending data beyond the current LOG# (may be valid if data has been recorded beyond LOG# 399), press ENTER. Again, BREAK at any point will stop the data transfer and return to the menu. If both systems' data have been saved in CTRL mode and the map option has been selected, two passes through the memory are made, one for each system, formatted as a ZK CONTROL CHANNEL COVERAGE MAP(C).

15

RESET HANDLING If a memory error occurs, the following message is displayed: "ERROR, HIT ENTER" To continue, press the ENTER key and one (or more) of the following messages will be shown. If more than one is displayed, the user will need to press "ENTER" between messages. "LOG# RESET 000 " "ROM CALIB IN USE" "RESET voic " The message "LOG# RESET 000 " indicates that a memory error has occurred in the LOG# memory pointers. The LOG# and pointers have been reset to zero, however data memory may still be intact. "ROM CALIB IN USE" indicates that a memory error occurred in the calibration tables being used. The ROM default calibration data has been loaded into the calibration table being used. To maintain data accuracy, a recalibration (rcal) may be needed. "RESET voic param" indicates that a memory error occurred in the parameters which control the voice scan process. Default parameters have been loaded. Reset voic parameters as necessary. If error messages occur each time the unit is turned on, the RAM backup battery may be dead. The unit should be returned to ZK Celltest for repair.

16

-- runs call processing event logging

dwell time: 5-30 sec)

17

DISPLAY SUMMARY

ANALOG

DIGITAL

SAM mode

122
CHAN

97
DBM

3 1 015
PL SAT LOG

673B 72
CHAN TS DBM

5 3 015
PL BER LOG

FIRST SCREEN

SECOND SCREEN

CTRL both

323
CHAN

79
DBM

L 068
LOG

323
CHAN

79
DBM

339 81
CHAN DBM

CTRL sysa /sysb

323 3 79
CHAN DCC DBM

L 102
LOG

CTRL 3chn

323
CHAN

79
DBM

L 108
LOG

VOIC auto

535 102
CHAN DBM

S13
SET

VOIC manl

678
CHAN

98
DBM

S6
SET

18

SAMPLE OUTPUTS The following outputs are examples of SAM and CTRL exercises. The data files were dumped to a PC via its COM1 RS-232 port. Descriptive notations were added with a word processor.

1. This is a sample output of a SAM mode where two calls were placed, one an analog call and one a digital call.
ZK-SAM/DM CALL PROCESSING SUMMARY CHAN RSSI PL SAT ST XMTR LOG# 338 - 75 -000 338 - 81 -338 - 82 -737 - 85 -567 - 93 5 0 -X 567 - 88 5 0 -X 001 567 - 92 5 0 -X 002 567 - 84 5 0 -X 003 567 -103 5 ST X 337 - 77 -337 - 76 -CHAN TS RSSI PL #BE DVCC AUD XMTR LOG# 735 A - 76 6 0 4 ON X 735 A - 78 6 0 4 ON X 004 735 A - 78 6 2 4 ON X 735 A - 78 6 0 4 ON X 735 A - 78 6 0 4 ON X 005 735 A - 80 6 1 4 ON X 735 A - 79 6 1 4 ON X 006 735 A - 85 6 2 4 ON X 735 A - 79 6 2 4 ON X 007 735 A - 80 6 1 4 ON X 735 A - 76 6 2 4 ON X 735 A - 76 6 1 4 ON X 735 A - 79 6 0 4 ON X 008 735 A - 78 6 0 4 ON X CHAN RSSI PL SAT ST XMTR LOG# 347 - 63 -009 337 - 74 --

Call orig analog VC 567 Call end

Call orig digital VC 735 timeslot 1 (A)

Call end

19

2. This is a sample output of a single system CTRL data collection with DCC reported. The 'map' format was used for the PC dump.
ZK CONTROL CHANNEL COVERAGE MAP
LOG# 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 MIN MAX DBM - 80 - 71 - 78 - 72 - 79 - 77 - 84 - 64 - 82 - 71 - 80 - 68 - 84 - 66 - 83 - 68 - 81 - 66 - 78 - 65 - 66 - 64 - 75 - 65 - 80 - 61 - 68 - 61 - 84 - 66 - 83 - 64 - 82 - 66 - 78 - 69 - 74 - 66 - 75 - 63 - 57 - 49 - 64 - 53 - 75 - 56 - 84 - 63 - 79 - 57 - 59 - 53 - 82 - 70 - 74 - 53 - 87 - 56 - 70 - 64 - 69 - 64 - 78 - 60 - 77 - 58 - 68 - 59 - 71 - 57 - 85 - 73 - 81 - 72 - 88 - 71 - 89 - 74 CHANNELS (RANK/DCC) DCC A=0, B=1, C=2, 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 - 6B - 2D - 10B - 8B - 1D - 1B - 1A - 2A - 2A - 7A - 4A - 4A - 1A - 1A - 8A - 2D - 8A - 1D - 4A - 6A - 7A - 10A - 2A - 3A - 1A - 6A D=3 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 - 2B - 1C - 8B - 7B - 1C - 6B - 2C - 3B - 6B - 3B - 3C - 1B - 8C - 10C - 1B - 9C - 1B - 8C - 2C - 5B - 4B - 3B - 8C - 10C - 10C - 10C - 1B - 9C - 10C - 10C - 10C - 10C 1C - 9C - 10C - 10C - 10C 1C - 9C - 10C - 1B - 9C 5C - 2B 1C - 1B - 8C 1C - 1B - 7C 1C - 2B - 1C Maple Ave resume Cedar Springs Lemmon stop N on Lemmon W University

Lovers Lane

NW Hwy turnaround at Almazon NW hwy stop W on NW hwy

Webb Chapel

COPYRIGHT (C) 1994

LOG #115:

Six out of ten scans, channel 338 is the strongest with a DCC value of 1. Two out of ten scans, channel 340 is the strongest with a DCC value of 3. Two out of ten scans, channel 350 is the strongest with a DCC value of 1. Out of the ten scans, the strongest channels have a RSSI values from -80 to -71 dBM.

Printing ZK CONTROL CHANNEL COVERAGE MAP is most easily done by dumping the data in map format to a PC. Use a word processor to reformat the map to fit on one page, to avoid line breaks in the middle of the map. A standard16 character-per-inch font (such as Courier font, size 7) allows the map to fit on letter-size (8 1/2" x 11") paper.

20

3. This is a SAM example on a MOTOROLA phone using a cell-site simulator. The data record shows mobile call origination, voice channel assignment, power change to level 7, two handoffs and call termination.
CHAN 319 325 319 456 456 456 456 567 456 456 456 335 334 317 313 342 334 325 314 349 334 331 313 322 319 319 ZK-SAM/DM CALL PROCESSING SUMMARY RSSI PL SAT ST XMTR LOG# - 84 -000 -- 84 -0 -X - 82 0 1 -X 001 - 82 0 1 -X 002 - 82 7 1 -X - 82 7 1 -X 003 - 82 7 1 -X - 82 7 1 -X 004 - 82 7 1 ST X -118 -------005 ------- 85 -- 84 -006

'SEND' Re-scan VCA ch 456, PL 0 SAT 1 PL 7 Handoff 567 Handoff 456 'END', ST on Re-scan

Re-lock ch 319

21

4. This is a sample output from the ZK-SAM/DM CTRL mode, dumped to the PC with 'scan' format. It is a very brief excerpt from a 300 mile data run. Vehicle odometer readings and location notations were recorded on a tape recorder and later added to the PC file.
** CSCAN ** SYSA RSSI 330 320 330 330 330 320 330 330 330 321 321 330 314 314 320 314 321 321 321 321 320 320 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 321 - 95 -102 -101 -104 -103 -109 -104 -105 -104 -107 -103 -102 80 81 83 84 74 75 69 68 66 66 64 61 63 69 58 49 56 57 53 56 57 52 52 52 55 55 53 MAX CONTROL CHAN SYSB RSSI 346 346 346 338 346 335 335 335 346 336 346 346 336 336 337 346 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 339 - 94 - 96 - 98 -105 -104 -105 -107 -107 -101 -103 - 98 - 99 85 81 89 85 89 76 69 66 66 67 68 61 69 64 50 51 69 48 50 50 55 56 57 50 49 49 49 LOG# Mile 180 173.8 Comment East of Sacramento, westbound on Rt. 50W surrounded by hills.

181 | | 183 176.1 Break out into open view of valley below-signal strength increased 20 dB

184 | | 187 cell-site near road

188

22

5. This data is from a CTRL scan of channels 316, 737, and 339, in 3chn mode. The scan shows voice channel 737 going "off the air."
** CSCAN 316 - 98 - 90 - 89 - 92 - 88 - 89 - 89 - 90 - 88 - 91 - 91 - 86 - 82 - 83 - 81 - 81 - 81 - 82 - 80 - 80 - 80 - 81 ** 3 CHAN/RSSI 737 339 -110 - 84 -106 - 85 -103 - 85 -102 - 85 -102 - 86 -102 - 86 -102 - 88 -102 - 88 -103 - 87 -104 - 87 - 88 - 95 - 98 - 98 -100 -101 - 99 - 95 - 97 - 99 -101 - 93

021

022

023

23

THE CALL PROCESS

To place a call from a cellular phone, dial the number to be called, and press 'SEND'. Pressing 'SEND' is different from placing a call on a non-cellular phone for a very good reason; no transmission is made from the cellular phone until the 'SEND' key is pressed. The number is saved so that the dialed number and other essential information can be sent out in a fast data burst to the cell-site, thus minimizing the control channel air time. When the 'SEND' key is pressed, the cellular phone rescans the control channels to verify that it is using the best (strongest signal) one and then sends the call origination request to the cell-site. In addition to the called number and the cellular subscriber's number, this message contains the Electronic Security Number (ESN), if requested by the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO). The cell-site passes the request for service to the MTSO, which is the main phone switching office responsible for managing all operational functions. The MTSO examines the origination request and verifies the ESN. Then it processes the call by setting up a connection between the called party, and the serving cell-site. An Initial Voice Channel Designation (IVCD) message (analog), or Initial Traffic Channel Designation (ITCD) message (digital), is then sent from the cell-site to the cellular phone over the control channel. In response the cellular phone changes frequency from the control channel to the assigned voice channel. ANALOG When it arrives on the voice channel, the cellular phone receiver detects the Supervisory Audio Tone (SAT) modulation on the cell-site signal and re-transmits (transponds) it back to the cell-site, which acknowledges that the mobile arrived on the proper channel, and is ready to initiate conversation. During the conversation, the cell-site continues to monitor the transponded SAT and the signal strength to insure that circuit quality is maintained. Low signal strength usually results in a "handoff" to a better cell-site, if there is one. If not, continued degradation of the signal can result in loss of SAT, which automatically mutes the audio and starts a timer. If the SAT loss persists for 5 seconds or more, the call is terminated and the cellular phone returns to idle state monitoring the control channel. To minimize cochannel interference, three SAT tones are available for use at geographically adjacent re-use channels.

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Periodic audio muting is normal in fringe areas of system coverage during brief losses of SAT. Normally, this should come as no surprise to the users because by this time the channel has probably already become noisy because of the low signal level. However, if the user is experiencing audio muting in areas of normally good coverage and the signal is not noisy, poor SAT detection sensitivity should be suspected. Signaling Tone (ST) is a 10,000 Hz tone, deviation 8 kHz, which is transmitted by the mobile to the cell-site. The ST is transmitted by the mobile to the cellsite when being alerted, in response to a handoff, and upon call termination. DIGITAL After the phone has re-tuned to the traffic channel, it receives and re-transmits the assigned DVCC. The cellsite responds with a time alignment message, which enables the mobile to synchronize. Then follows a message exchange which includes the mobile sending the dialed number. This enables the MTSO to set up the connection to the dialed number for conversation. When a handoff appears to be needed, the mobile can help to improve the handoff decision. It does this by supplying the bit error rate (BER) information on the serving channel and signal strength measurements on many candidate cell-sites.

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CONNECTIONS / GETTING STARTED

All connectors are located on the end panel. On older units, the ON/OFF switch is here as well. Please see the following pages for connecting to Motorola phones. Connect 12 VDC and turn on the power switch. The main menu appears. Turn to page 5 for a summary of command choices.

ON

COM PWR 12V

MOB2

Use the left/right arrow keys to select menu items. The displayed menu selection blinks; press ENTER to activate selection. Pressing BREAK at any time stops the action and returns to the main menu with SAM menu item flashing. STARTING SAM MODE You are ready for the SAM command, since the ZK-SAM/DM is already setup for TDMA operations. In this mode, the cellular phone can make or receive calls. Simply press the ENTER key while the SAM menu item is flashing. Call processing status information is collected from the mobile and displayed on the ZK-SAM/DM screen. This data is also saved in non-volatile memory, formatted, and sent via the COM port to a PC or serial printer. In order to receive this data, the PC needs a terminal program such as PROCOMM. A tape recorder, scratch pad, or local map may be used by the ZK-SAM operator to note the log number and/or location of particular events.

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MOTOROLA TDMA/DUAL-MODE MOBILE

To enable status display and test mode operation, pins 20 and 21 in the 25 pin data connector must be connected together at the transceiver. A small wire may be used, or a double-ended test connector can be fabricated with 1 male and 1 female DB-25 connector (Motorola P.N. 3084406R06). All pins are wired straight through, and pins 20 and 21 must also be connected together. However, the jumper wire is the simplest and most economical solution.

To use a jumper wire, simply bend a short, thin piece of bare wire into the female 25 pin connector as shown above, so that pins 20 and 21 are jumpered. Then carefully reattach the connector to the transceiver without dislodging the jumper. Power up the phone, and observe that 1 or 2 lines of numbers are now flashing on the display. This is the status message that ZK-SAM interprets for SAM mode. If RSSI levels are not correct, the SAM must be calibrated using the 'INIT', 'cal', 'rcal' command sequence. Allow 3 seconds for phone RSSI to stabilize before pressing "ENTER" at each new level. See page 13 for more information.
TRANSCEIVER ANT SPKR MIC
TEST ADAPTER EXTENSION CABLE

POWER

+12 v

POWER

TO "MOB 2" JACK

ZK- SAM

BREAK ENTER
PL SAT LOG

CHAN

DBM

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MOTOROLA TDMA/DUAL MODE MICROTAC

To enable status display and test mode operation, the Microtac test mode pin must be grounded. Phones ordered from ZK Celltest together with a ZK-SAM/DM Portable already have this modification. If you are using ZK-SAM/DM with your own Microtac, please follow these instructions to set up your phone. To ensure proper operation. a battery must be attached to the Microtac TDMA at all times.

Jumper wire

Rear panel of Microtac with battery removed

This jumper should be installed with thin wire so as not to interfere with battery contact. When it is installed, power up the phone. and observe that 2 alternating lines of numbers are now flashing on the display. This is the status message that ZK-SAM interprets for SAM mode. If RSSI dBm levels are not correct, the SAM must be calibrated using the 'INIT,' 'cal', 'rcal' command sequence on page 13 of the manual, together with a suitable antenna coupler.

Important Notes 1) The "flip" cover must be open to begin 'CTRL' or 'VOIC' test mode operations. It may be closed as soon as scanning has begun. 2) Call processing operations may temporarily disable the phone status display. Press the "CLR" key to restore the flashing status message and ZK-SAM display.

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MOTOROLA NOTES
The MOTOROLA phone characteristics (status display, default calibration and test mode prodocol) are present in the unit for either the TDMA mobile phone or the TDMA Microtac handheld. The standard formats for the Motorola dual-mode status display are:

ANALOG
Digit: 1 2 3 CHAN 1 S A T 2 3 X S M T T R 4
blank

DIGITAL
5 6 7 RSSI 5 M O D E

Line 1

1 2 3 CHAN 1 2 3 DVCC

Digit:

4 P L

6 7 Line 2 R T X X AUDIO

4 5 6 7 TIME RSSI SLOT 4 5 6 7 P X B A L M E U T R D R I O

This flashing status message is interpreted by ZK-SAM/DM, based on the settings in INIT, mobl, and displayed in SAM mode.

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SYSTEM A FREQUENCY GROUP LAYOUT (N=7)

333 1 A1 332 2 B1 331 3 C1 330 4 D1 329 5 E1 328 6 F1 327 7 G1 326 8 A2 325 9 B2 324 10 C2 323 11 D2 322 12 E2 321 13 F2 320 14 G2 319 15 A3 318 16 B3 317 17 C3 316 18 D3 315 19 E3 314 20 F3 313 21 G3

312 311 310 309 308 307 306 305 304 303 302 301 300 299 298 297 296 295 294 293 292 291 290 289 288 287 286 285 284 283 282 281 280 279 278 277 276 275 274 273 272 271 270 269 268 267 266 265 264 263 262 261 260 259 258 257 256 255 254 253 252 251 250 249 248 247 246 245 244 243 242 241 240 239 238 237 236 235 234 233 232 231 230 229 228 227 226 225 224 223 222 221 220 219 218 217 216 215 214 213 212 211 210 209 208 207 206 205 204 203 202 201 200 199 198 197 196 195 194 193 192 191 190 189 188 187 186 185 184 183 182 181 180 179 178 177 176 175 174 173 172 171 170 169 168 167 166 165 164 163 162 161 160 159 158 157 156 155 154 153 152 151 150 149 148 147 146 145 144 143 142 141 140 139 138 137 136 135 134 133 132 131 130 129 128 127 126 125 124 123 122 121 120 119 118 117 116 115 114 113 112 111 110 109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95 94 93 92 91 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1023 1022 1021 1020 1019 1018 1017 1016 1015 1014 1013 1012 1011 1010 1009 1008 1007 1006 1005 1004 1003 1002 1001 1000 999 998 997 996 995 994 993 992 991 716 715 714 713 712 711 710 709 708 707 706 705 704 703 702 701 700 699 698 697 696 695 694 693 692 691 690 689 688 687 686 685 684 683 682 681 680 679 678 677 676 675 674 673 672 671 670 669 668 667 -

SYSTEM B FREQUENCY GROUP LAYOUT (N=7)

334 1 A1 355 376 397 418 439 460 481 502 523 544 565 586 607 628 649 733 754 775 796 335 2 B1 356 377 398 419 440 461 482 503 524 545 566 587 608 629 650 734 755 776 797 336 3 C1 357 378 399 420 441 462 483 504 525 546 567 588 609 630 651 735 756 777 798 337 4 D1 358 379 400 421 442 463 484 505 526 547 568 589 610 631 652 736 757 778 799 338 5 E1 359 380 401 422 443 464 485 506 527 548 569 590 611 632 653 737 758 779 339 6 F1 360 381 402 423 444 465 486 507 528 549 570 591 612 633 654 717 738 759 780 340 7 G1 361 382 403 424 445 466 487 508 529 550 571 592 613 634 655 718 739 760 781 341 8 A2 362 383 404 425 446 467 488 509 530 551 572 593 614 635 656 719 740 761 782 342 9 B2 363 384 405 426 447 468 489 510 531 552 573 594 615 636 657 720 741 762 783 343 10 C2 364 385 406 427 448 469 490 511 532 553 574 595 616 637 658 721 742 763 784 344 11 D2 365 386 407 428 449 470 491 512 533 554 575 596 617 638 659 722 743 764 785 345 12 E2 366 387 408 429 450 471 492 513 534 555 576 597 618 639 660 723 744 765 786 346 13 F2 367 388 409 430 451 472 493 514 535 556 577 598 619 640 661 724 745 766 787 347 14 G2 368 389 410 431 452 473 494 515 536 557 578 599 620 641 662 725 746 767 788 348 15 A3 369 390 411 432 453 474 495 516 537 558 579 600 621 642 663 726 747 768 789 349 16 B3 370 391 412 433 454 475 496 517 538 559 580 601 622 643 664 727 748 769 790 350 17 C3 371 392 413 434 455 476 497 518 539 560 581 602 623 644 665 728 749 770 791 351 18 D3 372 393 414 435 456 477 498 519 540 561 582 603 624 645 666 729 750 771 792 352 19 E3 373 394 415 436 457 478 499 520 541 562 583 604 625 646 730 751 772 793 353 20 F3 374 395 416 437 458 479 500 521 542 563 584 605 626 647 731 752 773 794 354 21 G3 375 396 417 438 459 480 501 522 543 564 585 606 627 648 732 753 774 795 -

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