Astro programming questions

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Motorama
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Astro programming questions

Post by Motorama »

Please forgive my childish questions, but:

1) Is The newest programming software for Astro portables 9.5?

2) Is that the same thing as Astro CPS? (I'm familiar with the old DOS based software (v8.0 & v8.5) and I understand "CPS" is Windows based) My Lord, what will I do with my old 386 radio PC??? Boat Anchor?

3) Is there a way to get both APCO-25 digital freqs and analog freqs in the same radio, (different modes is fine).

Don't take too much time replying, don't want to take up much of your time. Simple 1 sentence, or even YES, NO, YES is fine.

Cheers!
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Pj
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What radios do you own?: X9000 thru APX

Post by Pj »

1) Is The newest programming software for Astro portables 9.5?
I believe for DOS RSS, yes. Newest Windows version is 2.0 (CPS)

2) Is that the same thing as Astro CPS? (I'm familiar with the old DOS based software (v8.0 & v8.5) and I understand "CPS" is Windows based) My Lord, what will I do with my old 386 radio PC??? Boat Anchor?
DOS 9.5 will work with CPS v1.x back and forth. I am not sure how far up in verisons that work with each other. I believe once you hit CPS v2, DOS RSS no longer works.

3) Is there a way to get both APCO-25 digital freqs and analog freqs in the same radio, (different modes is fine).
YEs, as long as your radio is flashed for digital operation. The radio is programmed on a per channel basis for whatever you want.
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RocketNJ
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Post by RocketNJ »

The latest Astro software is 2.0 CPS and 9.05.00 DOS. They are interchangeable, you can write with one and read with the other.

If you order RVN-4182 (Astro portable) or RVN-4184 (Astro portable and mobile) from Motorola it comes with both the DOS and Windows CPS version.

Enjoy,
George
ASTROMODAT
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Post by ASTROMODAT »

I thought there was a post here fairly recently indicating that ASTRO P & M software is now only shipping ijnh the CPS version and DOS RSS for P & M is NLA.
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wavetar
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Post by wavetar »

Not quite. You can no longer order the Astro DOS RSS seperately under part# RVN4100. However, it does still come included with the latest version of CPS, whether you order the portable (RVN4182) or mobile (RVN4183) seperately, or both together (RVN4184). The latest version of CPS is 2.00.00, and is compatible with the latest DOS 9.05.00, meaning you can read a radio with the latest version of DOS which has been programmed with the latest version CPS...for now.

Todd
John
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Post by John »

Here is the README.TXT file from CPS 2.0 Portable.

===============================================ASTRO SABER & XTS3000 CUSTOMER PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE R02.00.00
===============================================

Enhancements in this Release:
-----------------------------
- Tip of the Day on application startup to help users become familiar with features in the CPS
- Dynamic Accelerator Keys for quick access to screens and tools
- Top Node Drag and Drop for copying complete codeplug data from one radio to another, including ASTRO to ASTRO 25 Conversion and ASTRO Spectra Plus to ASTRO Spectra and vice versa.
- Across-band Drag and Drop for copying non-frequency-related information from 700/800 radios to UHF and VHF radios and vice versa
- Port Selection via View->Options
- Access to User Settings without loading a codeplug

Please refer to the CPS Online Help for more information on these features.


Defect Fixes in this Release:
-----------------------------

Application crashes when user right clicks on title bar of the CBI dialog, this issue is now fixed.


During FLASHport, if upgrade file path is a long path, the application would generate an 'Error with upgrade file' message. This issue is now resolved.


System Requirements:
--------------------
Operating Systems: Windows 98, Window NT 4.0 (SP 6 or higher),
Windows ME, Windows 2000 Professional,
Windows XP (Home and Office)

Hardware Requirements:
Processor 400 MHz or higher Pentium grade Processor
Memory 128 MB RAM recommended (Win 98/98SE/ME)
128 MB RAM minimum (Win NT 4.0 SP6+ / Win2000/ XP)

Hard Disk Space 1 Gigabyte Drive with 300 MB minimum Free Space (for a full Installation, including Help Audio-Visual Tutorials) or 25 MB minimum Free Space (for a Compact Installation)

Peripherals Microsoft Windows supported Mouse or Trackball
Microsoft Windows supported Serial Port for radio communication
Microsoft Windows supported Printer Port for report printing
1.44 MB 3 1/2 inch Floppy Disk Drive
CD-ROM for software installation
Internet Access and Windows Email Application for application email support

Installation:
-------------

You can now install the CPS and the Tuner at the same time, no separate installs are required!!

1) Before installing the ASTRO Saber & XTS3000 R02.00.00 CPS, you must uninstall any previously installed versions of the ASTRO Saber & XTS3000 CPS, and reboot your machine. You can uninstall the CPS by going to the Windows Control Panel, double-clicking on Add/Remove Programs, selecting the CPS in the list of installed programs, and clicking the Add/Remove button. If you insert the installation CD for the new CPS before uninstalling the old CPS, you will be presented with a screen containing three buttons: Remove, Modify, and Repair. You must select Remove to uninstall the old CPS, then reboot your machine, then install the new CPS.
2) When you insert the Installation CD into the CD-ROM drive, the installation will start automatically. You may select to install the CPS or the Tuner applications. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software.
3) Before uninstalling the CPS, disable the CPS Password if you have enabled this feature, and close the CPS Launcher if it is running in the system tray.
4) During the installation of the CPS, a message might come up saying that the following dll's are read only: MSVCRT.dll and MFC42.dll. If this happens, select "YES" for both dll's to be replaced.


Programming Hints:
------------------
1) You can use your DOS archive files in the ASTRO CPS without the need for any conversion process. Unlike the MCS and MTS CPS products, there is no CPS Archive Converter; you simply read your DOS archives directly into the CPS. To open a DOS codeplug in the ASTRO CPS, select File -> Open from the Menu, and change the setting in the "Files of type" drop-down to "All Files (*.*)". You will then be able to select any DOS archive and click the "Open" button. When you are ready to save the archive, select File -> Save As from the Menu, and save your archive as a .cpg (Windows archive) file.

The DOS RSS cannot read archive files saved with the Windows CPS. Radios programmed by Windows CPS can be read by the DOS RSS, and vice versa. The DOS RSS that corresponds to this Windows CPS Release is R09.04.00 or higher.

2) If your DOS archive ends in an extension that Windows recognizes as a particular file type (*.xls, which Windows recognizes as an Excel file, for example), you may need to enter the .cpg extension in the Save As dialog.

3) Before using the CPS to program radios, we recommend that you use the DOS RSS to save your codeplugs as archive files if you have not already done so. This will provide a failsafe recovery method in case of any radio programming failures with the CPS.

4) The first time you start the CPS, you should go to the User Settings Dialog under the Tools menu and set up the directories where you will store your system keys and codeplugs.

5) To get help on a field, press F1 while you are on the field, or click on the Help button on the tool bar (an Arrow with a question mark) and then click on the field for which you want to view help.

6) For more information on the features available in the Windows CPS, we suggest you view our audio-visual help tutorials. They can be accessed from the CPS menu by selecting Help->CPS Help Topics, and then double-clicking on CPS Tutorials, then The Tutorials Menu. Then select the tutorial you wish to view.

7) In order to Drop/Drag fields from ASTRO Saber & XTS3000 CPS version R02.00.00 to XTS2500 & XTS5000 CPS, you must use XTS2500 & XTS5000 CPS version R02.00.00.

Known Issues with the ASTRO Saber & XTS3000 R02.00.00 Release:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Depending on your computer configuration, "USB" may be listed in the Port Configuration drop-down when you attempt to read a radio. USB communication is not supported by ASTRO Saber & XTS3000 radios. You must select a valid Serial Communication Port to read from and write to your ASTRO radio.

CBI Programming may fail intermittently, especially on Dell PCs. On machines where this is an issue, multiple retries might be required. Changing the port settings as follows may help:

On Windows 2000:

1. Right click 'My computer' and select 'Manage' from context menu.

2. Select 'Device Manager' on the tree in the left pane.

3. Expand the node 'Ports' on the tree in the right pane.

4. Double click the port that is being used

5. Go to 'Port Settings' Tab

6. Click 'Advanced'

7. Uncheck 'Use FIFO buffers' check box.

8. OK

On Windows NT 4.0:

1. Double click 'Ports' icon in control panel.

2. Select the port that is being used and click Settings.

3. Click 'Advanced'

4. Uncheck 'FIFO Enabled' check box.

5. OK

If the user has two CPS applications open, and has opened Help in one of them, an error will sometimes appear if the user attempts to open Help in the other CPS application. If this situation occurs frequently, the user can copy both .hlp files (AstroMob.hlp for the ASTRO Spectra CPS and AstroPort.hlp for the ASTRO Saber & XTS3000 CPS) from the installed location (usually C:\Program Files\Motorola\<Application Name>) to the Windows\System folder (for 98 and ME) or the Winnt\System32 folder (for NT, 2000, and XP). Help can then be run from both CPS applications at the same time.

For particular computer configurations, the radio display may get stuck in "Self Test" after communicating with the CPS. This especially happens with Dell Latitude or HP Omnibook laptops running Windows 2000, after performing a read, write, or clone operation. The CPS operation has been successful, but the serial port on the computer has not released the communications line. A quick workaround is to simply disconnect the radio from the computer for a few seconds. This will allow the radio to reset itself and return to a normal operating mode. The fix for this issue is extensive, but may be obtained by contacting the Motorola Customer Support at 888-567-7347.


===============================================ASTRO Radio Tuner Software R01.01.01
===============================================
Added feature:
--------------
This version of the Tuner contains minor fixes for the Bit Error Rate (BER) feature.


Pre-Installation:
-----------------

Before installing the ASTRO Radio Tuner on a Windows 98 system, certain Microsoft update procedures must be performed in order to ensure compatibility. No update is needed for other operating systems. You have been provided with the executable files required in the CPS\System Upgrade folder on the Installation CD.

1) Windows98. Double-click on the dcom98.exe file in the System Upgrade folder of the Installation CD. Restart your computer.

2) No update is needed for other operating systems.

You must exit any active CPS or Tuner applications. If the Motorola Application Launcher appears in the system tray of the taskbar, close this too. (Right-click on the radio icon, and select Close.)


ASTRO Radio Tuner Installation:
-------------------------------

When you insert the Installation CD into the CD-ROM drive of your computer, the installation should run automatically. If it does not, run Setup.exe directly from your CD drive and follow the instructions.You may choose to install the CPS or the Tuner or both.


Uninstalling the Tuner:
-----------------------

Before uninstalling the ASTRO Radio Tuner, the following must be performed.

1) Close the Motorola Application Launcher, if its icon appears in the system tray of the taskbar.

2) Exit any active CPS/Tuner applications.

Then to uninstall, select Start->Settings->Control Panel and double click on Add/Remove Programs. In the Add/Remove Programs window, select ASTRO Radio Tuner and follow the instructions.


Online Help:
------------

Extensive online Help is available from within the application. After activating the Tuner (Start>Programs->Motorola->Astro Products-> Astro Radio Tuner), choose "Help Topics" from the Help menu. A full listing of Help and Tutorial topics will appear.


Known Issues:
-------------

1) Tuner performance varies with processor speed and RAM.

2) The Program button will fail to store the value if the radio contains a non-standard serial number.

3) When running Windows 98 or Windows ME, in the Bit Error Rate (BER) feature screen, running a continuous test when BER integration time in .360 seconds, sometimes the application will generate a "Synchronization with radio failed" message after the test has reported "Test in Progress...Please Wait". Please reset the radio and read the radio again with the Tuner application.

4) When running Windows 98 or Windows ME, in the Bit Error Rate (BER) feature screen, sometimes when changing Audio field for "External" to "Internal" or vice versa, the radio resets after the test has reported "Test in Progress...Please Wait". When this happens, please read the radio again with the Tuner application.

5) It has been reported that in some Dell Optiplex GX1 computers, Bit Error Rate (BER) feature generates "Communications with radio failed" message. When this happens, please reset radio and read the radio again with the Tuner application.
ASTROMODAT
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Post by ASTROMODAT »

John, thank you very much for the EXCELLENT information you have provided regarding the CPS V 2.0!

Regarding the FIFO Buffers, in general is it O.K. to leave this box checked (per standard WINDOWS 2000 default settings) and only uncheck it if there is a problem? I ask because many WINDOWS 2000 programs will run into trouble with this box deselected.

Also, do you know of any problems with CPS 2.0 and WINDOWS 2000 Professsional running on a DELL Precision laptop? (the "Known Problems" cites the case involving the Dell Latitude laptop re: radio getting stuck in "Self Test" mode.)

Thanks!

Larry
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Pj
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What radios do you own?: X9000 thru APX

Post by Pj »

Clicking on FIFO is usually a good ideal. Usually you uncheck the box if you are having comm problems. This is usually a problem with older computers and shouldn't be an issue with newer ones...
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john1158
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Re: Astro programming questions

Post by john1158 »

I have an XTS5000 with the CPS password enabled. I have used the Hex editor to find it with no success. I even enabled it on another and searched but each time it appears in a different place. I have CPS ver 15.0. Is there a definite place I should be looking?
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