Tactical Technologies TX-500 Operating Instructions Manual - page 4
FAMILY IDENTITY CODE
Each MINDA system, when supplied to a customer, will have already been programmed at time
of manufacture with a common default ‘Family Identity Code’ (hexadecimal 94) enabling it to be
used with any other of the standard MINDA products. The Family Identity Code for a particular
family of MINDA units can easily be re-programmed by returning all of the equipment to Tactical
Technologies Inc. or, if a MINDA computer interface package has been purchased, by the user.
For a MINDA system to operate with, and recognize up to four independent transmitters, the
Family Identity Code of the receiver and transmitter(s) all have to match AND each of the
transmitters must have a different Unit Identity (1,2,3 or 4).
A microprocessor controlled MINDA receiver will only respond to signals from those transmitters
sending the same Family Identity Code that it has been pre-programmed to accept. This
capability minimizes the risk of interference between similar systems that happen to be operating
within radio range of one another. It is absolutely vital therefore, to ensure that all transmitter
and receiver units that have to operate together are programmed with the same Family Identity
Code. Signals received from any ‘alien’ transmitter operating within range will not be decoded
and, instead, treated by the receiver as radio interference on the channel.
LOW BATTERY WARNING
When the battery voltage of a MINDA TX-500 transmitter drops to a level where battery
replacement is desirable, each subsequent transmission made will be ‘tagged’ to indicate this fact
to the receiving end. When a MINDA receiver recognizes a ‘tagged’ signal from a MINDA
transmitter, the LED indicator appropriate to that transmitter’s Unit Identity will start to ‘blink out’
briefly about once per second.
BATTERY LIFE
The MINDA TX-500 transmitter consumes about 400 times more power when actually
transmitting compared to that required when it is dormant. If the unit is programmed to send
frequent confidence transmissions, or is used manually a great deal, the battery drain will be
significantly increased. The following table shows the typical life that can be expected of a
transmitter in relation to the time interval between automatic transmissions made.
Time between each
automatic transmission
Typical battery life (hours)
Typical battery
life (days)
15 seconds
37
1.5
30 seconds
68
2.8
1 minute
120
5
2 minutes
195
8
5 minutes
309
13
15 minutes
418
17
30 minutes
458
19
1 hour
482
20
The above times have been calculated on the assumption that the MINDA TX-500 transmitter is
programmed to send the default (normal duration) automatic confidence signal and that it has
been fitted with a new MN-21 alkaline battery and switched on to run continuously. Switching the
unit on and off frequently and manually sending a number of alarm signals longer than 1 second
in length both consume additional power from the battery and will reduce its life below the
estimated figures shown above.