User's Manual

Configuration
Crescendo VHF Half-Duplex User Manual Page 13 of 74
3.5 Front Panel Interface
The front panel interface allows for real-time monitoring of radio parameters without external equipment.
The front panel can also be used to enable the menu on the Crescendo‟s auxiliary port regardless of the
current serial port configuration.
There are six front panel modes. To select a front panel mode, press the front panel button. The current panel
mode is shown by lighting a single red LED. To select another front panel mode, continue to hold the button
until the LED scrolls down to the appropriate mode, then release. The list of modes is shown in Table 2.
LED
Mode
Function
1
Radio Status
Section 3.5.3 on page 14 describes the functionality of the
LEDs when in radio status mode.
2
RSSI
Displays the current RSSI as a bar graph. Table 3 shows
the level for each bar item.
3
Transmit
Power
Displays the configured transmit power as a bar graph.
Table 3 shows the level for each bar item.
4
Temperature
Displays the internal temperature as a bar graph. Table 3
shows the level for each bar item.
5
Serial Port
Shows the main serial port status. The meaning of each
individual LED is shown in Table 4.
6
Configuration
Enables the terminal menu on the auxiliary port at 19200
8N1. The LED display is the same as mode 1.
Table 2: Front panel modes
3.5.1 RSSI, Tx Power, Temperature Status (Mode 2, 3, 4)
When in mode 2, 3, or 4 the front panel is used as a bar graph, with the lowest value indicated by all LEDs
off, and the highest by all LEDs on. The bar grows by lighting LED 6 up to LED 1 green. If the top LED is
red, then it indicates that the current value is half way between the listed value and the previous value. Table
3 shows the levels for the bar graph display.
LED
RSSI
Transmit Power
Temperature
1
-60 dBm
+37 dBm
+62ºC
2
-70 dBm
+36 dBm
+50ºC
3
-80 dBm
+30 dBm
+38ºC
4
-90 dBm
+27 dBm
+26ºC
5
-100 dBm
+20 dBm
+14 ºC
6
-110 dBm
+0 dBm
+2 ºC
All Off
-120 dBm
Not Used
-10 ºC