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Trying to use pin 13 - Channel Activity on a new XTL2500 O3 remote mount radio.

Pin 13 appears to behave like an audio PA enable line, changing state anytime there is audio to be amplified (receive audio, key press beeps, alert tones, etc.) I need pin 13 to only change state when there is a qualified receive signal. Has anyone else observed this problem? The accessory connectors on both the radio drawer and the remote head exhibit this problem.

I don't have the s/w versions right now, but the radio was just delivered & should have the latest flash.

The document I have shows that pin 13 of the accessory connector is "CHAN ACT". A 0-5 volt output
is used for indicating detection / unsquelching of a qualified received signal.

Hope this helps.

Jim

kf8yk wrote:Trying to use pin 13 - Channel Activity on a new XTL2500 O3 remote mount radio.

Pin 13 appears to behave like an audio PA enable line, changing state anytime there is audio to be amplified (receive audio, key press beeps, alert tones, etc.) I need pin 13 to only change state when there is a qualified receive signal. Has anyone else observed this problem? The accessory connectors on both the radio drawer and the remote head exhibit this problem.

I don't have the s/w versions right now, but the radio was just delivered & should have the latest flash.

Jim202 wrote:The document I have shows that pin 13 of the accessory connector is "CHAN ACT". A 0-5 volt output
is used for indicating detection / unsquelching of a qualified received signal.

Thanks for your input, this is exactly why I posted this message, what Motorola describes for this pins function does not match the behavior that I am witnessing.

It would be nice if anyone else who has actually used pin 13 to chime in if they can verify if it works as advertised.

What firmware version does the radio have?

escomm wrote:What firmware version does the radio have?

I don't have the new XTL2500 in front of me now to look, but I just tested a XTL5000, W7 dash mount with R03.00.00 & it has the same problem, the Chanel Activity line changes state with beeps, alert tones, etc...

Edit:

Found a new XTL2500 dash mount with Host 12.00.13, DSP 12.00.04, Control Head 6.00.08.....Same problem.

Motorola now confirms there's a software bug with the channel activity pin. The software engineers are working on a solution now.

Anyone contemplating on using pin 13 for a COR signal may want to wait & see if Motorola issues a SRN on a fix or workaround.

kf8yk wrote:Motorola now confirms there's a software bug with the channel activity pin. The software engineers are working on a solution now.

Anyone contemplating on using pin 13 for a COR signal may want to wait & see if Motorola issues a SRN on a fix or workaround.

I am, so they better had fix it.

I'll be watching this thread and would appreciate any updates that you or others can post about this, as I am not privy to Big M's bulletins.

Thanks.

Motorola says that due to hardware & software limitations that they can't fix the function of this pin, so they are going to correct the documentation & help files to reflect how the channel activity pin functions now.

The only workaround is to disable as many of the alert tones & beeps as you can to minimize the problem of false activation of the channel activity line.

kf8yk wrote:Motorola says that due to hardware & software limitations that they can't fix the function of this pin...

I bet they saved a whopping 53 cents by not including an audio gate on the tone generator line. My heroes.

boteman wrote:

kf8yk wrote:Motorola says that due to hardware & software limitations that they can't fix the function of this pin...

I bet they saved a whopping 53 cents by not including an audio gate on the tone generator line. My heroes.

Considering the vast majority, including, as far as I'm aware, ALL of the audio generation is done in DSP, I don't think external components would help matters much. More than likely, three or four lines of code would do a whole lot more good for this condition...