Specifications

Sheet 28 of 39 Document 12245 Rev. I
3.8.10 Get Configuration (16 5A)
This message returns information about the SSPA hardware. The following information is returned:
B
OPT_PARALLEL_IO
B
OPT_1:1
30 B
OPT_ANT_DL
B
OPT_1:1_SW
B
OPT_BUC
30 31 30 30 30 30 B
OPT_REFLECTED_PWR
30
30 , 31 , B
OPT_FAN_MONITOR
The first 15 bytes are flags that indicate whether various options are present (31) or not (30). These flags are
present in this message for compatibility with earlier SSPAs, but most are not currently applicable to outdoor
and antenna-mount amplifiers using this protocol.
The 1
st
byte indicates the presence (31) or absence (30) of optional Parallel I/O in a connected RCP-2001.
The 2
nd
and 5
th
bytes, B
OPT_1:1
and B
OPT_1:1_SW
, both indicate whether the 1:1 option is enabled in this
amplifier. In the original implementation of this protocol, the 1:1 switch flag (B
OPT_1:1_SW
) was intended to
indicate whether the 1:1 switch was connected or not. However, in all versions of Antenna Mount firmware
described by this document, both B
OPT_1:1
and B
OPT_1:1_SW
are set to 31 if the 1:1 option is enabled, or to 30 if it
is not. The 6
th
byte indicates the presence (31) or absence (30) of an optional block upconverter (BUC). The
8
th
byte is set (31) to indicate the presence of gain control, which is standard in the outdoor and antenna-
mount amplifiers. The 13
th
byte is used to represent the reflected power detector option being enabled (31) or
not (30).
The first 15 bytes are followed by a comma (2C), and then a positive integer value representing the number
of current stages in the SSPA module, returned in the Get Module Current message (section 3.8.3). For
SSPAs using this protocol , this value is always ”1” (31).
Finally, following another comma to separate it from the number of current stages, is a flag which is used to
represent the Fan Monitor option being enabled (31) or not (30).
3.8.11 Get Reflected Measurement (16 5B)
The reflected power of the output of the amplifier will be periodically measured. The Reflected Measurement
can be reported as a power level (in the same power units chosen for the Output Power measurement), as
Return Loss in dB, or as VSWR. The operator selects this with the Reflected Measurement Type control (see
3.10.6).
 The output power measurement is used as a reference for Return Loss or VSWR calculation. If one of
these measurement types is selected, and the output power is too low to calculate Return Loss or
VSWR, “Undefined” will be reported.
 If the reflected power is out of range low, Return Loss is displayed with a leading “>”, and VSWR is
displayed with a leading “<”.
 If the reflected power is greater than or equal to the output power, and the Reflected Measurement Type
is VSWR, it will be reported as “>99.99”.
 Reflected power will be represented as “?Prefl” if the measurement is unavailable due to failure of the
Reflected Power Detector. Via serial I/O, reflected power will be represented as “?” if the measurement
is unavailable either because the detector has failed, or because the Reflected Power option is
disabled.
The range of the reflected power measurement is from the Nominal Power of the amplifier minus 30 dB plus
the Reflected Power Calibration Offset, to the Nominal Power of the amplifier plus 2 dB plus the Reflected
Power Calibration Offset. Power measurements are displayed to 0.1 dB resolution, although the resolution
can be worse when the power readings are low (more than 20 dB down from the Nominal Power of the
amplifier).
The operator may set a Reflected Power Fault Limit, which, if exceeded, produces a Reflected Power High
condition. This condition may be reported as either a Fault, or a Warning, at the operator’s discretion. If
reported as a Fault, High Reflected Power will cause a switch in a 1:1 system. Note that the amplifier’s output
is NOT turned off in response to a High Reflected Power condition. VertexRSI SSPA amplifiers are capable of
operating into an infinite VSWR at full power without damage.