Bridgecom Systems provides documentation for connecting Bridgecom repeaters to the S-COM 7330.  This example sets up the following configuration:

• the Bridgecom repeater decodes the CTCSS tone and the 7330 generates the CTCSS encode tone.
• the 7330 generates all IDs and repeater timing.

Here's how to set this up.

The most common way to execute a macro on only one controller is to use different macro names for each site.  This way the macro names don't collide when DTMF is decoded by multiple controllers. 

For example, you can have control macros to enable and disable transmitters.  You could make the first two digits of the macro name unique and keep the last two digits the same.  So the Enable Transmitter macro could be named 8801 on one controller and 7701 on another.  The Disable Transmitter macro could be named 8800 on one controller and 7700 on another.

You can include an If/Then/Else command in a macro to execute one or more commands based on  the test of a controller data type at run time.  The test will return true or false.  The meaning of true and false depends on the data type.  See page 5-21 for details of the supported data types and page 3-9 for more detail of each data type.

Most of today’s electronic manufacturing is done in Surface Mount Technology (SMT), developed in the 1960s. It was formerly done in Through-Hole Technology (THT), which is now considered a secondary operation by assembly houses.

The 7330 main board contains 710 components, the majority of which are SMT. What’s involved in SMT manufacturing? It starts with the board.

A benefit of the 7330’s highly flexible design is its ability to generate tones in old or obsolete formats, allowing it to breathe new life into radio systems that may otherwise have to undergo expensive upgrades. For example, a customer recently needed a tone encoder for a legacy Plectron paging system. Here’s what we did and how you can program Plectron tone page macros into your Release 1.8 or newer 7330.

Background

For repeater builders who don’t enjoy soldering wires to the small solder cups on D-subminiature cable connectors, there’s a simple solution: breakout boards, also known as terminal boards.

 A breakout board lets you connect wires to a D-sub via convenient screw terminals. Boards are available with male or female DE-9, DE-15, DA-15, and DB-25 connectors, and some come with plastic enclosures.

S-COM’s 6K, 7K, and 7330 support a feature known as Long Tone Zero, or LiTZ. If you’re not familiar with it, read on!

LiTZ is a system for requesting aid during an emergency. It’s simple: Transmit a DTMF “0” character for at least 3 seconds and then announce your emergency. Nearly all modern mobiles and handhelds have DTMF keypads, so no additional hardware is needed by the user.

(Revised 07-03-2018)

The 7330 User Manual’s Appendix B (Installation) recommends adjusting the three receive audio pots for 1 V peak-to-peak as measured by an oscilloscope at test points TP9 (RX1), TP10 (RX2), and TP11 (RX3).

The 1 V p-p level is maintained throughout the audio section of the controller. This blog explains why that level was chosen.

Lithium coin cells (batteries) are very popular for timekeeping and memory backup applications. Ever wonder why?

Fast facts

The output voltage is 3 V, roughly double that of other common battery types. Designers can use one lithium coin cell instead of two cells of other chemistries.