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Firmware Notes

Notes on Version 0.98 Software for the M5 Class Modem - July 25, 2005

The 0.98 version of firmware for the M5 modem made a minor change to the contents of the BUC status packet in binary control mode. The change added a status bit for the BUC power supply.

Notes on Version 0.90 Software for the M5 Class Modem - December 4, 2003

The 0.90 version of firmware for the M5 modem contains two corrections since version 0.88. The 0.88 version included a subtle error which could cause acquisition problems only in the TPC "CT" compatibility mode when hundreds to thousands of repeated fast acquisitions were performed.

Notes on Version 0.88 Software for the M5 Class Modem - July 21, 2003

The 0.88 version of firmware for the M5 modem contains two corrections since version 0.84. The 0.84 version contained an error that caused the AUPC software associated with the IBS Multiplexer Option card to malfunction. This error is corrected in version 0.87. If you are using the IBS Multiplexer (or Reed-Solomon) Option card with firmware version 0.84 we suggest that you update to version 0.87. Version 0.88 corrected an interface alarm configuration issue that resulted in incorrect information returned from a remote control request.

Notes on Version 0.84 Software for the M5 Class Modem - May 28, 2003

This latest version of firmware for the M5 modem contains two new changes in addition to the three significant changes made in version 0.81. Version 0.84 corrects a potential problem when operating in TPC rate 7/8 at several specific data rates and updates the Eb/No calculation accuracy. In version 0.81 there were two changes to the Turbo Product Codes (TPC) operation of the modem and one new modulator clock feature for all modems.

In addition the 0.81 revision includes the 0.80 firmware changes to accept a newer main processor production run as outlined in Service Bulletin DSB03-001 and a minor change to correct operation of frequency inputs to automatically compute RF operating frequency in the L-Band modem.

  1. Improved performance for rates 3/4 and 7/8 (First introduced in 0.76)
    The TPC rate 3/4 and 7/8 Full block modes have changed. These changes improve the TPC performance for the above code rates significantly. Nearly a dB better at 1E-10 error rates. The TPC rate 1/2 and Short block modes are unchanged.
  2. New TPC Compatibility Modes added: (First introduced in 0.76)
    Also added is a Comtech TPC rate 3/4 compatible mode that allows inter-operation with Comtech modems. Rate 3/4 QPSK is currently the only supported Comtech TPC compatible mode (and the only expected one for the M5).

    The TPC menu choices for the FEC options have changed to support these new modes. When TPC is installed the available choices are as follows:

    When the modem is set for Rate 1/2:

    • Viterbi
    • TPC Full

    When the modem is set for Rate 3/4:

    • Viterbi
    • TPC Full
    • TPC Short
    • TPC (Legacy)
    • TPC (CT)

    When the modem is set for Rate 7/8:

    • Viterbi
    • TPC Full
    • TPC Short
    • TPC (Legacy)

The "Legacy" mode is the original Datum TPC Full mode for compatibility with earlier PSM-4900 modems where the firmware has not been updated. The "CT" mode is the Comtech QPSK rate 3/4 compatibility mode. This is the only TPC mode available in the Comtech CDM550T and one of the modes available in the CDM600.

Two new bits have been added to the mod and demod data binary packets to support these new options.

  1. New Modulator Auto Clock Mode (First introduced in 0.81)
    The new automatic clock mode appears in the "Interface I/O" menu column. This is a new modulator clock mode called "Auto". In this mode the modulator measures the phase relationship between the transmit clock and data and automatically sets the clock phase correctly. This gives improved performance on slightly longer data cables when operating at bit rates above approximately 1.5 Mbps.

  2. TPC Rate 7/8 Correction (First introduced in 0.84)
    The re were very specific data rates that could cause faulty operation in Turbo Product Codes at rate 7/8. An example is operating at exactly 1.600 Mbps with AUPC and multiplexer enabled, which led to corrupted data. The correction does not affect performance.

  3. Eb/No Calculation Improvement (First introduced in 0.84)
    The Eb/No calculations were very slightly off at low Eb/No and high data rates leading to an approximate maximum error of 0.1 dB. This has been improved in the latest version.

Specific Previous Version Releases for the M5 Class Modem -

This revision list is useful to determine the minimum software version level required to support specific options. For example if your modem is at revision 0.34 and you wish to add Turbo Product Codes (TPC) operation then the modem software must be updated. Always update to the latest version.

  • Version 0.80 - Jan 28, 2003 - Added firmware changes to accommodate the main processor "GA" step revision.
  • Version 0.76 - Dec 10, 2002 - Added improved TPC performance at Rates 3/4 and 7/8, Added compatibility mode with some Comtech modems.
  • Version 0.72 - Jul 27, 2002 - Released to add support for the new L-Band Modem version.
  • Version 0.62 - Aug 20, 2001 - Released to add support for the new Hybrid Modem version and the new Turbo Product Codes FEC Option Card.
  • Version 0.34 - Dec 20, 2000 - Released to add support for the new Ethernet Interface Card.
  • Version 0.32 - Dec 5, 2000 - Released to add support for the new Reed-Solomon FEC Option Card.
  • Version 0.11 - Sep 5, 2000 - Released to add support for the new 1:1 Redundancy Mode.