Batboard

I have a Centracom II+ CRT system in use and i want to add an op position to it... I have 4 Button and Led Coims available to blow away and make into CRT what do i have to do to make it work??? I do have the Series 2 software cable and Rs-232 card I can get the Shooter and UV light from someone... Do I have to blank out the eproms and start from scratch or can i read another coim and dump it into the new coim and change tdm addresses?? My experience is mostly with centracom gold elite so forgive me if this seems like a lame question but not many people have the info and know how for the older stuff... I also have newer CC gold (elite?) coims available if i can use them I figured out that they do actually pass the audio fine if you set them up right but dont know how to program them for the older stuff (if it is possible)

Thanks

Series II+ systems don't use COIM's, they use TOMI or TTOMI cards. Centracom Gold systems use COIM's regardless of whether they are Elite or Classic CRT/button & LED.

You can't add a COIM based OP to a CCII+ system nor can you use the CCII+ software to program COIM's.

If the system you want to add the OP to is actually CCII+, you should first find an OP card of the same part number as the existing OP cards and quite preferrably also with the same firmware version.

You would then read one of the existing OP's into the Series II programmer and use that database as a starting point from which to add a new OP.

You must then program all of the OP's including your new one with the new data.

Whether or not you need the Shooter depends on the age of the system. Earlier CCII+ systems used EPROM's for the OP codeplug. Later ones use EEPROM's and can be programmed through a serial card similar to the way you would MUPL a Gold system.

The process is completely described in the manual that came with your Series II RSS package.

Thanks that answered some questions.. I did read one of the existing op postions with the series 2 software and the rs-232 ... so i guess my next question would be how do i change the ccII+ button and led tomi to a crt tomi I tried just dumping the read info in and the software gave a eeprom error... I would look at the manual but you know how those thing disappear when they arent locked down... I am assuming i can make an OMI into a Tomi right??

Again thanks

You use a tomi in a trunking system (trunking omi), but I understand it will support conventional systems. Requires an aie card per tomi with a y cable, and a lomi if you log calls.

Out of curiosity - are you expanding an existing system, or exploring for personal use?

Attempting to expand and existing system... By one op ...

To expand by one OP you need the following:

1 Trunked Operator Multiplex Interface (TOMI)
1 Audio Expansion Interface (AEI)
1 Audio/Control breakout ("Y" cable)
1 7-pair to said OP
1 Series II+ CRT Console Interface Electronics (CIE)
1 PC and all associated cabling to CIE

-OR-

Delete the last two items above and substitute 1 B&L compact OP or full-size B&L OP.

Use Series2 programmer with your RS232 card to blow the database into the new TOMI and all the other TOMI's. You shouldn't need a PROM burner or any of that nonsense unless you're using older Centracom Series II OMI's or your TOMI's haven't been taught about EEPROMS. If that's the case, you need to upgrade all TOMI's to EEPROM's.

You *MIGHT* be able to replace the TOMI's with Gold series COIM's, but your Series2 software doesn't know what COIM's are. If you're going to use COIM's, you need to use the Gold series CDM (Console Database Manager) and associated "Elite Admin" to set up the B&L OP's as Gold Classic B&L.

I don't know if your Series II+ CRT CIE's will work as Gold Classic CRT CIE's. Some folks at TSO have told me yes, you can use them as Gold Classic CRT OP's, some have said you can't.

To digress, I also don't believe you can use a Series II+ CRT CIE as a Gold Elite OP. That I don't know about, but I recall having tried it once and things didn't work.

I know that to use the COIM's you WILL have to replace your system timers with BLN7011 Gold series system timers. You can get away with just one set to "S" mode (single), but I recommend anyone setting up anything Centracom have two system timers with both set to "M" mode (multiple). They'll pass operations off to each other about midnight every night providing your clock is set right.

You cannot turn an OMI into a TOMI, and you cannot turn a TOMI into a TTOMI. They are all VERY different cards. OMI's should be deposited into the garbage can after all useful parts have been removed, as they can't be reprogrammed without the shooter and all that trash. They also cannot control display CCM's and do not support advanced features such as trunking, etc.

Additionally, in the Series2 programmer software, buried deep in the OP management screens is an option that defines if the OP is Standard, Compact or CRT. It's there, you just have to find it. I echo xmo's statements that you should definitely get your hands on the programming software manual. IIRC, it's only about $25 and still available from parts. The manual not only defines how to use the software, but also decodes all the cryptic nonsense the software uses to define what the OP's actual equipment is (CCM, Dual CCM, Display CCM, ACM, AUXIO controls, Phone, Phone Patch), and then the individual options that go on those buttons within the CCM (Patch, Repeater setup/knockdown, DVP on/off, etc) or Auxiliary Control Module (Alert 1/2/3, paging controls, all mute, APB x, MSEL x, etc.)

Without that book, you're gonna have a hell of a time getting this thing set up just the way you want it. I speak from experience on this one.

I'm one of two people left in our company that can even work on this equipment anymore. That tells you how much of it is still out there in our service area. Everyone else (including myself) deals with Gold Elite and MCC 5500/7500 series stuff.

Don't get me wrong though - this stuff is built like a brick you-know-what, and failures, if any, are very VERY rare. The best part is that 90% of the cards in Series II/II+ are interchangeable, and can be repaired yourself (through-hole components).

Series II+ can also use the latest BIM's from Gold Elite systems. I know this for a fact as I'm doing it on my shop CEB. They can also control ASTRO consolettes using ACIM cards.

About all Series II+ can't do that Gold Elite can is control iDEN control stations by way of iCIM's, but that's such a :o to set up you wouldn't want to anyway (I've done about 100 of those setups and each one was just awful to make work.) That and obviously the fact that Gold Elite runs on Windows XP and Series II+ CRT does not.

If you have COIM's and want to turn them into TOMI's, PM me.

D119,


Thanks for the response it enlightened me a bit... I do have all the required equipment but i am assuming the B&L tomis i have dont know about eeproms cause i get an eeprom error when i try and write to them with the rs232... I guess i am going to have to have the other shop dig out the shooter and try and get that going... I am trying to update an existing system but i am testing all what i am doing at the shop on a test setup ... So whatever i do i wont take them off the air... Amazingly enough these CCII+ were in storage for 5 years while the customer was using zetron 4010 consoles which they hated and swapped out with the CCII+'s ..

Got one more question on this topic and hopefully ill be good to go... Where do you program in the cross-mutes on a non-aeb system... I did find the software book but cant seem to find the info on cross-muting channels and muting between consoles on non-embassy ceb...

thanks again to all that answered ...