–

–

–

–

4

5

Using the Development Boards

Use of the development boards is straightforward. After unpacking the

development system, attach an antenna to each board, install the supplied

9V battery and turn on the power switches. The encoder and decoder

are set at the factory and work straight out of the box. To create a new

address, follow these steps:

1. Press and hold the CREATE button on the encoder board to create a

new Address. The Address is randomized for as long as the button is

held down. Once comfortable that the number is sufficiently random,

release the button.

2. Once the CREATE button is released, the MODE_IND LED begins to

flash to indicate that it is ready to accept Control Permissions. Press

all of the data line buttons that are to be authorized, then press the

CREATE button again or let the encoder time out.

3. Press the LEARN button on the decoder board and the MODE_IND

LED starts flashing. Press any of the data line buttons on the encoder

board and press the LEARN button again or let the decoder time out.

The encoder's Address has been learned by the decoder and they can

now operate together.

Troubleshooting

If the boards fail to work out of the box, then try the following:

• Check the battery to make sure it is not dead.

• Make sure that the baud rate switches are set the same on both

boards.

• Make sure that the antenna is connected and has the correct polarity

connector.

• Check to see if the PDN switch is on, placing the encoder and decoder

into Power Down Mode. In most cases, the encoder PDN switch

should be in the up position.

• Make sure that the Control Permissions are set correctly. If the encoder

is not set to use a particular line, then when the button on the encoder

board is pressed, the MODE_IND LED on the decoder board lights up,

but the data line LED does not light up.

If all of these appear to be in order, then call +1 800 736 6677 or email

techsupport@linxtechnologies.com for technical support.

The Prototyping Area

The prototyping area is the same on both boards and contains a large

area of plated through holes so that external circuitry can be placed

on the board. This circuitry can be interfaced with the MS encoder or

decoder through the header to the right. At the bottom of this area is a row

connected to the 3V power supply and at the top is a row connected to

ground.

All of the data lines are connected to a wire-wrap header to the right,

allowing easy access from the prototyping area. The DATA_IN, DATA_OUT

and TX_ID lines are also available on the header, as well as the PDN lines

from the RF modules. This allows complete control of the entire system

from the prototyping area, giving the designer a great deal of flexibility in

using the boards.

The Power Supply

The power supply is the same on both boards and consists of a standard

9V battery and a power jack connected to a 3.0V voltage regulator. The

regulator can provide approximately 500mA of current to the prototyping

area. If the added circuitry needs more than this, then the designer must

add an external supply. If the circuit consistently draws more than 100mA

of current, it might be better to use the power jack, as the battery may run

down fairly quickly, reducing testing and development time.

The jack accepts a standard 5.5mm plug with the tip ground and the outer

shell 7 to 16VDC positive supply. A reverse voltage protection diode is

included on the board to protect the circuitry in case the voltage on the

plug is reversed, but it is still a good idea to double-check the polarity.