Identifying Digital Input States in a $PRAVE message

js — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:51:16 +0000

The $PRAVE message has the status of each input as represented by a single digit hexadecimal number in field 12. For example, the the $PRAVE message below, the last 3 represents the digital inputs from transponder 0001.

$PRAVE,0001,0001,3308.9051,-11713.1164,195348,1,10,168,31,13.3,3,-83,0,0,,*66

In this example field 12 has value 3. The field 12 value is the hexadecimal binary representation of the bits. Refer to the following table:

*IN 2* *(TXD)*	*IN 1* *(RTS)*	*IN 0* *(DTR)*	*Hexadecimal Representation*
0	0	0	0
0	0	1	1
0	1	0	2
0	1	1	3
1	0	0	4
1	0	1	5
1	1	0	6
1	1	1	7

The stock RV-M7 GX has up to 3 digital inputs, using the input pins of the RS-232 serial port. An open circuit or ground is a 0, and if they are connected to a positive voltage greater than 3V, they are a digital 1. If all 3 pins are allowed to float (nothing connected – same as ground) the value should be 0. If positive voltage is applied to a pin the pin value will be 1. The field 12 value will be 1 or 2 or 4, depending on which pin had the voltage applied.

RS-232 Pin	Function
4 – DTR	Input 0
7 – RTS	Input 1
3 – TXD	Input 2
5 – Ground	GND	Connect to vehicle chassis or other ground point.

Note that the weatherproofed (-WX) model has less RS-232 pins and only 2 digital inputs. Inputs 1 and 2 are valid, but input 0 is indeterminate (state can float).

In the RavTrack PC software it is easy to not monitor this missing pin, so any change of state or change of value of this pin would not matter to the software. Simply configure this input as unused.

RS-232 Pin	Function
4 – RTS	Input 1
3 – TXD	Input 2
5 – Ground	GND	Connect to vehicle chassis or other ground point.

On the M7 series of transponders, if an input is left floating/unconnected, the transponder will read it as a digital 0 (low), and report it this way.

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Identifying Digital Input States in a $PRAVE message