1. Manuals
  2. Brands
  3. Inovonics Manuals
  4. Media Converter
  5. 730
  6. Programming and operation instruction manual

Inovonics 730 Programming And Operation Instruction Manual

Radiodata encoder
Hide thumbs
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Quick Links

Download this manual
PROGRAMMING AND OPERATION
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
MODEL 730
R R R R D D D D S S S S
R R R R
D D D D
S S S S
ADIO
ADIO
ADIO
ADIO
ATA
ATA
ATA
ATA
YSTEM
YSTEM
YSTEM
YSTEM
(Advanced Scheduler • Increased RT+ and ODA Support)
'RADIODATA' ENCODER
Rev. 3 – February, 2010

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading
Need help?

Need help?

Do you have a question about the 730 and is the answer not in the manual?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for Inovonics 730

Summary of Contents for Inovonics 730

  • Page 1 PROGRAMMING AND OPERATION INSTRUCTION MANUAL MODEL 730 R R R R D D D D S S S S ‘RADIODATA’ ENCODER R R R R D D D D S S S S ADIO ADIO ADIO ADIO YSTEM YSTEM YSTEM YSTEM Rev.
  • Page 3 —— USER’S RECORD —— Model 730 – Serial No. ____________ Date Purchased __________________ Warranty Registered? — PROGRAMMING AND OPERATION INSTRUCTION MANUAL MODEL R R R R D D D D S S S S ‘RADIODATA’ ENCODER R R R R...

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    RDS vs. RBDS or “What’s in a Name?” RDS APPLICATIONS SUPPORTED BY THE 730 ENCODER ........ AF • CT • DI • M/S • ODA • PI • PS • PTY • PTYN • RT • RT+ • TP • TA...
  • Page 6 THE TERMINAL UTILITY ..................Using the Terminal Utility • Correcting Typing Errors Updating the AF List • Saving to Non-Volatile Memory Interrogating the 730 Encoder ENCODER HOUSEKEEPING COMMANDS ............Encoder Initialization • Encoder Reset • Firmware Version THE SCHEDULER ....................
  • Page 7 SETTING THE SUBCARRIER INJECTION LEVEL ..........Setting Subcarrier Amplitude The On-Screen RDS Level Display Subcarrier Phase Section VI - CONNECTING THE 730 ENCODER TO AUTOMATION SERIAL CONNECTION ..................COM Port Auto-Detect • 1-Way Data Links Disabling Responses • Changing Baud Rates Multiple Addressability AUTOMATION SYNTAX REQUIREMENTS ............
  • Page 8 THE DEFAULT RADIO TEXT MESSAGE ............Section IX - APPENDIX ENCODER COMMANDS AND PROMPTS ............US AND EUROPEAN PTY LISTINGS ..............ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY CHANNEL NUMBERS ......... LIST OF RT+ CONTENT TYPES ................INOVONICS WARRANTY ............(INSIDE BACK COVER) — 4 —...

  • Page 9: Section I - Introduction

    ‘in-house’ applications. The front-panel LCD screen, built-in diagnostics and safeguards offered by the 730 Encoder allow for near-foolproof RDS im- plementation at any FM radio station. Every step has been tak- en to guarantee simple, straightforward and safe operation.

  • Page 10: 730 Encoder Technical Specifications

    730 ENCODER TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Full specifications of the 730 Encoder are really too numerous to list completely here in tabular form. Please use the Table of Contents and refer to in-depth descriptions of various features where they are described in detail.

  • Page 11: Block Diagram

    USB, serial (COM) port or BLOCK DIAGRAM Figure 1 is a simplified Block Diagram of the 730 Encoder. This product provides most of its functionality through firmware coding and utilizes a high degree of surface-mount device (SMD) manufacturing technology.

  • Page 12: Unpacking And Inspection

    States NRSC Specification. It is assumed that the user has some familiarity with the concept of RDS as the balance of this Ma- nual will deal exclusively with Inovonics 730 Encoder imple- mentation. In particular, the explanations of the various messaging and...

  • Page 13: Rds Applications Supported By The 730 Encoder

    RDS APPLICATIONS SUPPORTED BY THE 730 ENCODER The following is an alphabetical listing of RDS applications that are fully supported by the 730 Encoder. The standardized RDS application abbreviation is followed by an expansion of the ap- plication name and a short explanation of the function.
  • Page 14 The principal utility of this RDS function is with European radio networks and US stations with translators. The 730 can hold as many as 25 Alternative Frequencies. The Radio Data System is capable of set- Clock Time and Date: ting the date and time on RDS receivers equipped with a clock.
  • Page 15 CENELEC and the NRSC standards to flash or scroll the PS display. Nevertheless, this nefarious practice of ‘Scrolling- PS’ has become ubiquitous, both in the US and abroad. The 730 Encoder has various modes for message scrolling that offer a safe alternative to the static PS display.
  • Page 16 Or he might simply leave the TA flag on inadvertently (or not!). The 730 Encoder incorporates a TA countdown timer that limits the traffic announcement to a user-programmed maximum number of seconds.

  • Page 17: Section Ii - Initial Encoder Setup

    GETTING TO KNOW YOU e e e e Q Q Q Q This section of the manual will make you familiar with the 730 Encoder by taking you step-by-step through an initial pro- gramming (setup) procedure. The encoder may then be con- nected in the station’s airchain and placed in working service.

  • Page 18: Front Panel Programming

    FRONT-PANEL PROGRAMMING The 730 Encoder may be programmed almost entirely from the front panel, although this is more tedious than using a comput- er and the supplied Windows® software or the built-in Terminal utility. But because an understanding of the LCD display is es-...
  • Page 19 To back up to a previous character, push and hold the jog wheel down. The cursor will back up one character at a time at a fixed rate. If the blinking cursor backs up all the way and leaves the screen on the left-hand side of the data entry area, any changes that have been made will be cancelled.

  • Page 20: 730 Encoder Menu Items Defined

    Jog Wheel Editing Procedure The STATUS menu screen is intended as the ‘de- No jog wheel action is associated with this menu fault’ display of the 730 Encoder. This screen: screen. a) …shows whether the encoder is locked to the stereo pilot or is running off the encoder’s in-...
  • Page 21 Up to 128 characters of DPS messaging may be selection order. After entering text, dial up as the sent to the 730 Encoder in one data transfer. The final character and press the jog wheel. This will message is held in encoder memory and parsed finalize the entry and exit the operation.
  • Page 22 Menu No. Menu Item Description Jog Wheel Editing Procedure ‘Parsing’ is the utility built into the encoder that Push the jog wheel to select among the nine parsing breaks a scrolling DPS message of up to 128 cha- options, and then press the jog wheel again to enter racters into groupings of words that will fit the 8- the selection The most popular options are listed character display common to all RDS radios.
  • Page 23 For North American broadcasters (RBDS mode), letter call sign. (A blank for a 3-letter call follows ‘Z’.) the 730 has a built-in utility to calculate the PI code The conversion utility automatically pops-up the from station call letters automatically. The call sign...
  • Page 24 TATIME is the timeout setting for the TA flag. This Push the jog wheel and rotate it to choose an appro- is a safety feature built into the 730 Encoder that priate TA auto-timeout interval. 30 seconds should prevents it from sending a ‘never-ending’ TA flag if,...
  • Page 25 Menu 76 or by using the Windows software. ® ‘Dynamic DNS’ is a feature of the 730 that allows On Menu 54, push and turn the scroll wheel to select continuous Internet connection with a unit working among these IP-address forwarding sites: behind a dynamic (changing) IP address.
  • Page 26 PS message, including all programming tures of the 730 Encoder, but of course this mode commands! requires scrolling messages to be formatted proper- ly and carry the appropriate preambles.
  • Page 27 Page This screen shows whether a NETPASS (network The password is most easily set using 730 Encoder password) has assigned to protect the two TCP software or the Terminal utility (see Page 66). The ports (Menus 51 and 52).

  • Page 28: Hook It Up Or Keep Programming

    HOOK IT UP OR KEEP PROGRAMMING? If all flags and registers of the 730 Encoder have been com- pletely and conscientiously programmed per the foregoing tu- torial, the unit may now be connected in the station’s air chain.

  • Page 29: Section Iii - Software Installation And Initial Encoder Setup

    (hex) code rather than ASCII commands. UECP operation is available on serial and network ports and is most easily set using the 730 Encoder software (see Page 38). It is also possible to toggle ports between UECP and ASCII opera-...

  • Page 30: Installing The Software

    Microsoft’s Windows® XP or later operating systems. Software First! should be installed on the computer before the computer is connected to the 730 Encoder. The same software is used for USB, serial or network connections between the computer and the 730 Encoder.
  • Page 31 Software installation will place a shortcut on the com- puter Desktop. The icon indicates that the software program is common to several Inovonics RDS encod- ers. Do please resist the overwhelming temptation to double-click the icon at this time. The USB driver should first be installed, and we recommend installing this driver whether or not the encoder’s USB port will be your pri-...

  • Page 32: Running The Software

    Page 59, network connection is addressed in Section VII, beginning on Page 66. With the computer and encoder USB ports connected, double-click the 730 Encoder Desktop icon shown at the left to launch the program and bring up the initial data-entry window shown below.

  • Page 33: Writing To And Reading From The Encodedr

    WRITING TO AND READING FROM THE ENCODER When using the 730 Encoder software program to address the unit from a computer, once any single or series of RDS parame- ters have been set and any text entered, it is always necessary to click: WRITE to send the data to the encoder.

  • Page 34: File Options

    The screen might look like the following snapshot if you became impatient with the jog wheel entry method. The remainder of this section will explain 730 Encoder setup and housekeeping functions using the Windows® software. These procedures are common to USB, serial and network con- nection to the 730 Encoder.

  • Page 35: Device Selection And Connection Options

    The Terminal window is shown on the next page. ASCII commands may be typed directly into this window and are sent to the 730 Encoder as they are typed. An Enter command, represented in this manual with this symbol: ends the command string and tells the encoder to processes the entries.
  • Page 36 If the ASCII command is not valid be- cause of an improper command or the wrong syntax, the 730 Encoder will send back: NO. Now go to the 730 Encoder front panel and dial up Menu 01. FLY ME TO THE MOON FLY ME TO THE MOON...
  • Page 37 98.9MHz. Sending the command: AF0=0 will clear all AF entries from the Encoder. Most commands sent to the 730 Encoder as ASCII text strings Saving to Non- with headers using the Terminal utiltity are automatically saved Volatile Memory in non-volatile memory and will not be lost in the event of a power interruption.

  • Page 38: Encoder Housekeeping Commands

    730 Encoder internal memory. Typing: ?? into the Terminal window (two question marks fol- lowed by Enter) causes the 730 Encoder to send a copy of eve- rything in its memory back to the Terminal screen. Keep in mind that this is a great deal of data and will spill off the screen.
  • Page 39 Up to 20 separate, 120-character messages or encoder com- mands may be uploaded to the 730 Encoder for scheduling by the onboard clock. Events or messages may be scheduled by the date and time or by the day(s) of the week and time.
  • Page 40 There are two checkboxes at the top of the Scheduler window. Updating and Update Scheduler on Next Read/Write must be checked to up- Enabling load scheduled events to 730 Encoder memory, and also to Scheduled download scheduled events to a computer other than the one Events...

  • Page 41: Daylight Saving Time

    (scrolling message or [header]=X) is uploaded to the 730 Encoder. Only when Duration is zero will an incom- ing command have priority over the scheduled event. An example of the usefulness of zero-duration might be that Little League baseball game shown in the example schedule on Page 35.

  • Page 42: Dynamic Dns

    UECP PORT SELECTION Click: Tools/UECP to bring up the port assignment utility shown at the top of the next page. All 730 Encoder ports are listed, and each port may be assigned as either a normal ASCII port or a UECP-enabled port. Ports assignments will be effective on the next WRITE command.

  • Page 43: Other Setup Options

    Page 13 at the very start of the exer- cise in Section II, holding down the jog wheel and making the proper selection. An important feature of the 730, and one that sets it apart Header from earlier models and most competitive products, is the abil-...
  • Page 44 730 Encoder. A PDF file of the Model 730 Encoder manual opens when Manual (730) is selected. About will disclose the current...
  • Page 45 The Check for Updates button is an easy way to confirm that everything is current with respect to both the Windows® soft- ware installation and the firmware in the connected encoder. This utility checks the Inovonics server directly for any up- dates. — 41 —...

  • Page 46: Section Iv - Software Setup For On-Air Operation

    RDS radios may actually tune away from a station trans- mitting RDS data groups that do not include a valid PI code. When the 730 Encoder is operated in the European RDS mode, the 4-character, hexadecimal PI code must be typed directly in- to the PI box.
  • Page 47 PTY should not change from song to song or to accommodate a 5-minute newscast. The 730’s built in Scheduler may be used to create a changing PTY. A discussion of this option begins on Page 34. The optional Program Type Name (PTYN) identifier enables the station to send an additional 8-character descriptor that can describe the broadcast format in greater detail.

  • Page 48: The Ps Field - Static And Scrolling

    RBDS Standards, although the scrolling of song titles and even advertising messages is practiced on all continents. The 730 has a PS register that will hold up to 128 characters. Into this field you may enter either a fixed, 8-character station- ID or station ‘street name’...
  • Page 49 . In addition, a delay is also introduced be- fore the scrolling message repeats. The 730 affords several parsing modes that may be selected from the drop-down menu. 1 - Single introduces what we call our “safe scrolling” parsing method.

  • Page 50: The Default Scrolling Message

    THE DEFAULT SCROLLING-PS MESSAGE The 730 Encoder includes a provision to transmit a default scrolling message if the DPS field is not refreshed within a spe- cified length of time. For example, the RDS serial or network...

  • Page 51: Radio Text And 'Rt

    DPS (scrolling PS) message field. Radio Text is transmitted to the receiver as a complete message and is not parsed by the 730 Encoder. The Radio Text message is held in buffer memory within the RDS radio, and then scrolled or otherwise displayed in a manner determined by the receiver manufacturer.
  • Page 52 RT+ packets regardless of data in the RTP field. The Radio Text message and its selected refresh rate will be up- loaded to the 730 encoder on the next WRITE command. Provision for a default Radio Text message is included, which is...

  • Page 53: Alternative Frequencies

    ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCIES As first mentioned on Page 10, the 730 accommodates as many as 25 Alternative Frequencies, the maximum number supported by the RDS/RBDS specification. These are other dial locations where the very same program can be heard at the very same time (in sync!).

  • Page 54: Ta Timeout

    CT - CLOCK TIME AND DATE The 730 Encoder gives full support to the RDS/RBDS timekeep- ing function. As described on Page 21, the time and date may be set manually in Menus 58 and 59. Even though these are set...

  • Page 55: Setting The Rds Data Delay

    So that content-related RDS messaging, such as song titles, do not appear on the radio faceplate in advance of the event, the 730 Encoder has a provision for delaying transmission of the dynamic messaging registers (scrolling PS, Radio Text and RT+ data).

  • Page 56: Section V - Encoder Installation

    2) Please resist the temptation to forge ahead without reading the instructions. Software should be loaded onto the com- puter before connecting it to the 730 Encoder for the first time. See Section IV for software installation instructions and for programming the 730 using the Windows® software.

  • Page 57: Radio Frequency Interference (Rfi)

    BLUE = AC NEUTRAL GRN/YEL = EARTH GROUND RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE (RFI) Although it is expected that the 730 may well be installed Location alongside powerful FM transmitters, please practice care and common sense in locating the unit away from abnormally high RF fields.

  • Page 58: Jumper Placement For Sidechain Connection

    RDS OR MPX Loop-Through OUTPUT will include the composite/MPX program signal at uni- Operation ty gain. The 730 provides a relay bypass of the composite/MPX signal in the event of power loss. Sidechain Mode...

  • Page 59: Connecting The 730 Encoder

    (composite/MPX) input of the FM exciter and the other (Preferred) side to the PILOT OR MPX INPUT of the 730 Encoder as shown in Figure 3. This is a bridging (high impedance) ‘sync’ connec- tion when the circuit board is jumpered for sidechain operation and has no effect on the composite/MPX signal.
  • Page 60 If a composite STL is used between the studio and the transmit- Composite STL ter site, the 730 Encoder may be kept at the studio for direct connection with station automation. Figures 3 and 4 still apply, with the STL transmitter taking the place of the FM exciter.

  • Page 61: Setting The Subcarrier Injection Level

    Pro- gramming of this timer is discussed under Menu 18 on Page 20, and may also be set using the 730 encoder software as de- scribed on Page 50. SETTING THE SUBCARRIER INJECTION LEVEL...
  • Page 62 Figure 5 – Subcarrier In Phase Figure 6 – Subcarrier In Quadrature The 730 Encoder is skillfully and meticulously aligned at the factory to ensure that the subcarrier has the proper phase rela- tionship with the stereo pilot, whether the encoder is used in the sidechain or in the loop-through operating mode.

  • Page 63: Section Vi - Connecting The 730 Encoder To Automation

    COM ports, determine which one is con- Auto-Detect nected to the 730 Encoder, and set the computer’s baud rate to match the encoder. A valid connection will be confirmed by a notification at the bottom of the window showing auto- detection progress.
  • Page 64 Once communications is established at the present rate, you may then reprogram the 730 Encoder for a new rate. Following this the computer baud rate can be reconfigured to be the same as the updated encoder baud rate value. USB or network connections can always be used to reset the encoder’s baud rate quickly, or the built-in...

  • Page 65: Automation Syntax Requirements

    Once COM port communication has been established, data en- try using the 730 Encoder software may be done in exactly the same manner as already described for the USB connection. With the 730 connected to station automation via the serial...

  • Page 66: The Oda 'Free Format' Groups

    The 730 Encoder offers a useful variation of the RAW= com- RAW(n)= mand: RAW(n)= , where (n), a number larger than 1, corres- ponds to the number of times RAW= will be sent in quick suc- cession, up to 9 times.
  • Page 67 ODA Auto-Repeat command needs to be sent only once to the encoder(s). Once the com- mand is uploaded, the 730 Encoder will continue to transmit the control data to the A/C units in the field until the command is replaced or disabled.

  • Page 68: Data Interconnection

    Terminal util- Requirements ity in the 730 Encoder software (see Page 31). A simple “dumb” RS-232 terminal and, of course, station automation may also address the encoder directly. The encoder can accommodate multiple baud rates with a factory default setting of 9600 baud.
  • Page 69 ‘straight-through,’ pin-for-pin DB9 exten- sion cable, and a short one has been provided with the 730 En- coder. Serial cable pinout is diagrammed in Figure 7A. A modem link also may be used for addressing the encoder Modem Link from a remote location.

  • Page 70: Section Vii - Networking The 730 Encoder

    (e.g.: PORT1=10018 . The command: (e.g.) PORT1=0 dis- ables the port). The IP (network) address of the 730 Encoder may be assigned IP Address manually, or it may be automatically assigned by Dynamic Host Assignment Configuration Protocol (DHCP). With DHCP enabled, the net- work router or server assigns the address.

  • Page 71: Dynamic Dns

    This is the case when using either the Windows® software or a Terminal utility with at TCP connection. For greatest security the password should be uploaded to the 730 Encoder using a USB or serial connection to the computer. The password may also be set using the Terminal utility with a NETPASS= com- mand.
  • Page 72 Ter- minal utility with a DYNDNS= command. A Hostname, Username and Password specific to your 730 En- coder will be determined when you sign up on the provider’s Website. This information may then be entered into the soft- ware window, set locally with the jog wheel under Menus 55, 56 and 57, or may be entered using the Terminal utility.
  • Page 73 Mode:7 Help! The hostname specified is not a fully qualified domain name; that is, not in the form of <hostname.dyndns.org> or <domain.com>. Mode:8 Help! The hostname specified does not exist in this user account or is not in the service specified in the system <domain.com>. Mode:9 Help! The hostname specified does not belong to this user account.

  • Page 74: Section Viii - "Radio Text Plus

    Section VIII “RADIO TEXT PLUS” “Radio Text Plus” (RT+) is a system of RDS message ‘indexing’ originally conceived by the German public-broadcasting com- pany, WDR; the German radio broadcast research center, IRT; and the Finnish mobile-phone manufacturer, Nokia. RT+ may be simply described as a protocol that describes (to a computer, for example) what the Radio Text means and how it should be interpreted.

  • Page 75: Rt+ Tags

    RT+ TAGS Each Radio Text Plus entry allows two RT+ tags to delineate the RT text. Each of these two tags consists of three ‘information elements’: The RT ‘Content Type’ from a list of 64 possibilities; The ‘Start Marker’ that points to the position of the first character of the ‘information element’;...
  • Page 76 RTP=01,13,15,04,34,07. Open the 730 software and click: TOOLS/RT+ Using the RT+ and Defaults. This will bring up the RT+ Con-...

  • Page 77: Command Options

    The next step would be to pick Tag type: ITEM.ARTIST for the second field, highlight the artist’s name, SURVIVOR, and click the Use Selected Text button. Click the OK button at the bottom of the screen to accept the tags; this information will then be uploaded to the encoder with the next WRITE command.

  • Page 78: The Default Radio Text Message

    RT+ Specification, which may be found here: www.rds.org.uk/rds98/pdf/R06_040_1.pdf THE DEFAULT RADIO TEXT MESSAGE As described in-brief on Page 48, the 730 Encoder provides means to send a default Radio Text message when, during dy- namic RT and RT+ operation, the incoming Radio Text message string is lost for a specified period of time.

  • Page 79: Section Ix - Appendix

    Section IX APPENDIX This section of the 730 Encoder Manual con- tains Certain Listings and Tabulated Items, plus an explanation of Inovonics’ Most Ge- nerous Warranty Policy. — 75 —...

  • Page 80: Encoder Commands And Prompts

    ENCODER COMMANDS AND PROMPTS The following table lists programming commands and special commands to control the Model 730 Encoder, and certain res- ponses that are received from the encoder. These are listed in the order received following a ?? (general interrogation) in- quiry, which itself is explained under Special Commands.
  • Page 81 COMMAND PARAMETER DATA ENTRY INFORMATION For North American stations only! Call letters entered with this command CALL= Call Letters PI Calculator will automatically be converted to the proper PI code; (e.g.): WHOO. 1 or 2 digit number from PTY list PTY= Program Type (Format) describing the station broadcast format;...
  • Page 82 COMMAND PARAMETER DATA ENTRY INFORMATION Password assigned by provider; DynDNSPass= Dynamic DNS Password 21 characters, max. Manual entry with Internal Clock TIME= Current Local Time (e.g.) 10:45:00 (hh:mm:ss). Entry is disabled with Internet connection. Manual entry with Internal Clock DATE= Current Date (e.g.): 07/24/09 (mm/dd/yy).
  • Page 83 COMMAND PARAMETER DATA ENTRY INFORMATION 0 = Scheduler disabled; SCHEDULE= Scheduler Status 1 = Scheduled events are active. Up to 16 alphanumeric case- NETPASS= TCP/IP Port Password sensitive characters Transmission Delay of DELAY= 0 to 120 seconds Scrolling-PS, RT & RT+ ODA Auto-Repeat Repeat cycles, refresh interval ODA1= or ODA2=...

  • Page 84: Us And European Pty Listings

    US AND EUROPEAN PTY LISTINGS PTY US (NRSC) ‘RBDS’ EUROPE (CENELEC) ‘RDS’ None None News News Information Current Affairs Sports Information Talk Sports Rock Music Education Classic Rock Music Drama Adult Hit Music Culture Soft Rock Music Science Top 40 Music Varied Country Music Pop Music...

  • Page 85: Alternative Frequency Channel Numbers

    ALTERNATIVE FREQUENCY CHANNEL NUMBERS CHAN CHAN CHAN CHAN 87.6 92.7 97.8 102.9 87.7 92.8 97.9 103.0 87.8 93.9 98.0 103.1 87.9 93.0 98.1 103.2 88.0 93.1 98.2 103.3 88.1 93.2 98.3 103.4 88.2 93.3 98.4 103.5 88.3 93.4 98.5 103.6 88.4 93.5 98.6...

  • Page 86: List Of Rt+ Content Types

    LIST OF RT+ CONTENT TYPES — 82 —...

  • Page 87: Inovonics Warranty

    INOVONICS WARRANTY TERMS OF SALE: Inovonics products are sold with an understand- ing of “full satisfaction”; that is, full credit or refund will be issued for products sold as new if returned to the point of purchase within 30 days following their receipt, provided that they are returned complete and in an “as received”...

Table of Contents