[time-nuts] Z3801 Update with VP-Oncore 8Ch receiver

Art Sepin art at synergy-gps.com
Tue Feb 9 19:57:18 UTC 2016


The first 8 channel, B3 series Motorola VP Oncore was introduced in late 1996 and was followed by the B4, which included a better RF front end filter, and, finally, the B8 which used a revised PC Board layout for lower noise operation.  All of these 8 channel VP Oncore receivers included a backward compatible 6 channel mode. See the VP Oncore Command Reference here:
 http://www.synergy-gps.com/images/stories/pdf/vpcommands.pdf

The Synergy Adaptor Board product, with an M12+ or M12M GPS receiver, will not function in products expecting a 6 or 8 channel message. That’s because HP, and products from other manufacturers, are sending either a 6 channel @@Ba command or an 8 channel @@Ea 8 channel command to the receiver and, depending on the specific command sent, are expecting either a 6 channel @@Ba or an 8 channel @@Ea reply message. The 12 channel M12+ and M12M receivers do not have a 6 or an 8 channel backward compatible mode so the @@Ha 12 channel messages are not requested and are not recognized by HP and other timing products.

When used with an Adaptor Board, Synergy’s new u-Blox based SSR-6Tf GPS receiver board is mechanically and electrically plug-compatible with the older VP Oncore units. It also contains important 12 channel Motorola binary timing messages and some of the basic 6 and 8 channel command\reply messages needed for 6 and 8 channel based timing products (HP and others). Firmware updates for 6, 8 and 12 channel messages will also be available. Until Synergy's new web site is up and running, we can respond to SSR-6Tf questions or comments off list.

For VP Oncore receivers that don't seem to work, the B3, B4 and B8 VP Oncore receivers included a power saving idle mode for navigation applications. On occasion, a timing user would call to say their VP Oncore was not working. Nearly always the cure was to use the @@Cg Position Fix\Idle Mode Select command to put the receiver back to Position Fix Mode.  

Art Sepin

-----Original Message-----
From: time-nuts [mailto:time-nuts-bounces at febo.com] On Behalf Of Frederick Bray
Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2016 7:34 PM
To: time-nuts at febo.com
Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Z3801 Update with VP-Oncore 8Ch receiver

This brings up a question that I have been wondering about.  Has anyone tried using one of the Synergy M12/adaptor board assemblies as an update in the Z3801 or similar unit?  If the original firmware just ignores the extra data, perhaps the Synergy unit might work? They are quite inexpensive on the used market.

See:

https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.synergy-gps.com%2findex.php%3foption%3dcom_content%26task%3dview%26id%3d173%26Itemid%3d115&data=01%7c01%7cart%40synergy-gps.com%7cb4b40e483fe146c6a36608d3303c6ff1%7cc81f9fdec0e04d8c95779afaa0cad9ed%7c1&sdata=7Nk8Dj%2bE2H6yNAm2tWXnvCetomDrfxb1rITrKgxRgRg%3d

As a further upgrade, might it be possible to replace the M12 receiver unit on the Synergy board with a Jackson Labs M12M replacement receiver?  While the additional data would be lost / ignored, the superior characteristics of the Jackson Labs unit could prove helpful.

Thanks for any information.

Fred Bray
KE6CD
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