Batboard

Came across an 800MHz data base station today at the shop that had a "Station Access Module" in it. Looked like it was monitoring forward & reflected power, door alarms, etc.

What's the Station Access Module used for?

Is the same Station Access Module used on the Data Base Station used on regular VHF/UHF conventional stations?

If not, whats the difference?

I've worked on my share of conventional & trunking MSF 5000's, but none have ever had this module in them.

Thanks!

A SAM or station access module does alot of different things.

It was originally designed for the MSF and is now used in the quantar/quantro.

It uses separate SAM software, other than the quantar, and I believe the MSF ware.

It allows funtions to be controlled in the repeater and with external equipment based on MDC or DTMF signalling to control repeater functions, such as, station set-up-knock down, repeater access, controlling external rxr's, controlling external alarms, creating tones over the air when functions are completed, or to ackowledge external functions.

I am missing some stuff here I am shure.

I have been searchng high and low for more info on the SAM module, and even the station guys at Motorola are fairly clueless about it.


For some reason it is a highly gaurded secret. There is a programming use manual for it from motorola (don't have # handy).

I wish someone would publish the part number for the manual which has commands for programing this unit.

Also, Try to do a quick search for SAM unit or quantar/quantro

Good Luck, Rob

I have a couple of Quantars with the SAM card option.
The functions when used in Quantar is limited than when used in an MSF,
like channel change that the Quantar won't do. Go Figure!

When I get into the office later I can list the option#.

EDIT- The SAM Module part # for Quantar is X932AB.

Mark

There's actually several pages covering its operation in the MSF 5000 RSS manual... Looks like it's main function is RAT (MDC/DTMF/Singletone) and some other things... Lets you control MUXBus bits and such...

Basically gives you extended repeater controller functionality for the commercial/public safety world.

I wonder if the data base station uses the same SAM as a regular conventional station...

In the MSF5000, before there was SAM, there was RAC - Repeater Access Control module.

SAM incorporated that capability as well as the ability to interact with the station MUXbus. Hence, it was also known as the Smart Wildcard. It is that Smart Wildcard capability that is utilized in the data base station to interface station alarms and states to a companion data base station controller. [e.g. BSC2100]

Many of the SAM commands are designed for that Smart Wildcard role and since there is no MUXbus in a Quantar, they simply are not valid in that environment. However, in a Quantar, there are SAM I/O bits that are extended into the station so that the SAM programming can be made to interact with the station wildcard programming. This is accomplished with the enhanced wildcard states known as "SAM ALARM" and "SAM COMMAND" as well as the enhanced wildcard command "SET SAM SPI X"

In that manner, you can accomplish just about anything you can think of - including changing the station's channel - by a combination of station wildcard and SAM programming.


Additionally, not all of the SAM's wildcard inputs and outputs are connected to the Quantar backplane. There is a cable inside the Quantar SAM that can be used to connect SAM wildcard I/O to other stuff. This other "stuff" could be external devices, or, you can even cross connect these SAM wildcard inputs and outputs to externally available Quantar station wildcard inputs and outputs to further expand your programming capabilities. In this manner you can have SAM interact with a station equipped with only the basic wildcard option.


Programming a SAM in an MSF is done with the regular MSF5000 RSS, whereas there is a separate SAM RSS for the Quantar. That RSS comes with a 60 plus page manual that details the programming and commands. It is rather arcane and takes some study to master.

It may also help to review the SAM programming section in the MSF RSS manual for background on the SAM capabilities. There are charts there that show the interrelationships between SAM encode / decode tables, SAM modes, SAM action tables, SAM encode sequences, SAM action table conditions, and SAM wildcard inputs and outputs.

For Quantar applications, a thorough study of the Quantar wildcard capability is necessary if you want to get maximum use from the SAM option.

This is a rather advanced issue. The vast majority of systems have no need for these capabilities, hence the SAM is rather rare and the people who have mastered it are also hard to find. The few in Motorola that really know SAM simply don't have the time to conduct field training.