9.125 Comstream-CM601A-SCPC

This page describes the device driver and the device window for the Comstream CM601A PSK Satellite Modem. In future, there will be several variants of this device driver to be used with different modem configurations. Actually the Comstream-CM601A-SCPC driver variant is available only.

Device window pages

The following table shows which device window pages are available with this individual device type. Tool-bar functions not mentioned here are described at the general description of device windows .

• --- The IF parameters (frequency, level, etc.) and some global modem settings.
• --- The modulator settings, transmit clocking.
• --- The demodulator settings, receive clocking, doppler buffer.
• --- The TX interface settings.
• --- The RX interface settings.
• --- The receive quality.
• --- The faults page.
• --- The device info page.
• --- The maintenance page. The configuration parameters described below are set at this page.

Configuration parameters

At the maintenance page of the device window there are a couple of configuration parameters which must be set to make the software talk to the CM601A.

• parameter --- description
• address --- The modem's RS485 packet address. Valid addresses are 1..31, 31 is the factory default. If you have multiple devices connected to one RS485 bus, each device must have it's unique address. If you want to access a CM601A through a CX801/CX101 protection switch, you have to prepend the address of the CX801/CX101 separated by a comma: "1,15" addresses the modem "15" through the protection switch "1".
• type --- Select if the modem is equipped with a standard 512 kBit modem card or with a high speed modem card (5 MBit).
• faultMask --- The modem's fault mask (both, the STO and the FO mask). Common values are:
  • 4294967295 --- All faults enabled.
  • 1440583691 --- RX faults disabled (TX-ONLY mode)
  • 2863594484 --- TX faults disabled (RX-ONLY mode)

See the Comstream manual for mode details.

• faultLogMask --- The modem's fault log mask (FLO), coded in the same way as "faultMask".
• txAutoOn --- The carrier state when the modem gets powered on.
• txFaultOff --- Defines if the modems switches off the carrier on some faults conditions.
• vsatMode --- Turns the VSAT mode on/off
• demodLength --- The "DL" parameter. See the Comstream manual for details.
• Serial --- Remember to set the line parameters for the serial interface connected to the CM601. While the CM601's factory preset setting is 1200,O,7,1 , the recommended line setting for the use with the sat-nms software is 9600,O,7,1 .

Communication protocol / Interface type

The recommended communication protocol for the CM601 is the Comstream-Packet-Protocol (The driver works with the Comstream-ASCII-Protocol , too, but there are several issues when using the ASCII protocol (unsolicited "ST/FL" reports, multi-line terminal commands). You are free to use either a RS232 or a RS485 interface to access the modem.

Installation

Before the sat-nms software will recognize the modem, you have to set the communication parameters at the modem's front panel. The following values must be set (all in the "M&C" menu):

• 9600 baud
• 7 bit / odd
• packet protocol
• packet address 1..31
• interface RS232/RS485

Variables defined by this device driver