MW-520 Product Information

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Pj
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MW-520 Product Information

Post by Pj »

This information has been compiled from several sources. Model specific information will be added as it is discovered. As of this writing, the MW-520 series has been discontinued. They can usually be found on eBay time to time. The most common internal option with the radios are the internal data modems. Not all MW-520s had the data modems or the optional GPS. All appear to have the video input.

The 5203 series does support USB booting by a USB floppy drive but seems not boot from a CD based on several tests. The floppy boot support is questionable as several disks will boot, but the machine may stop reading the data after a few minutes. The 5205 has excellent USB floppy and USB CD-ROM support.

A side note, the display unit buttons are designed to work with software written to support them. They are mapped as extended Fxx keys. The red emergency key is mapped differently. If you do have applications that actually support these keys, you need to have a program installed for them to be used. Its called HWDRIVER. This "run once" program installs the proper hardware drivers unqiue to the display and MW-520 to allow the monitor buttons to work. Motorola programs that utilized these buttons are Tx Messenger and Virtural Radio Control Head (vRch). There is a program floating around called "ExtraKeyApp" to allow the buttons to be assigned to other tasks. There are two versions floating around the internet. One is for the MW520, the other is for the MW800. When you run the program it will be obvious if you have the correct one. The file name for both is "extrakey". The MW520 version can be found on the MW520 Yahoo Groups.

The scan/BIOS codes for the display buttons:

Going from left to right they are:

Emergency button: Unknown
Key 1: Windows (124 or 0x7c) / BIOS (100 or 0x64)
Key 2: Windows (125 or 0x7d) / BIOS (101 or 0x65)
Key 3: Windows (126 or 0x7e) / BIOS (102 or 0x66)
Key 4: Windows (127 or 0x7f) / BIOS (102 or 0x66)
Key 5: Windows (128 or 0x80) / BIOS (103 or 0x67)
Key 6: Windows (129 or 0x81) / BIOS (104 or 0x68)

Thanks siigna!

Most 520 displays are 640x480. There are some 800x600 displays out there, but appear to be rare or still in service. Displays came in the following flavors:

VGA Monochrome (amber)
VGA Color
VGA Color Touchscreen
VGA Color Touchscreen 1000NIT (Most common) (FLN2877B)
SVGA Color Touchscreen 350NIT (FLN3020A)
SVGA Color Touchscreen 1200NIT

The high bright/NIT displays can be recongized by the metal "fin" heatsinks on the rear of the displays. These displays also require its own power cable that uses the standard Motorola/spectra style plug.

If there is an IMAGE file on the hard drive, BACK IT UP SOMEWHERE SAFE. There are not too many CD's with factory image files out there. The image file requires Norton Ghost to extract, and that software is not included on the CD's that I have seen.

The touchscreens were made by ELO Touchsystems. If you cannot find the driver packaged with your MW-520, the older generic ELO driver on the ELO site will work with the unit.

The GPS option, if installed, is a Trimble SKII or SK8, and should occupy one of the internal COM ports. If you cannot communicate with the GPS, go to the Trimble website and find TISP Monitor and Trimble Studio. This program will let you configure the GPS. Its a bit tricky, and may require some time to get it to work if its out of wack, but once its setup, you shouldn't have to play with it again. The GPS is installed using a flex cable that is NLA from motorola and mounts top hard drive mount. If you have a GPS equipped MW, you must unscrew the retaining nut on the outside of the unit first or you will not be able to remove the hard drive unit thus preventing you to get to the motherboard.

With the exception of the HWDRIVER for the six display buttons, just about everything else can be downloaded driver wise from the internet once you figure out what hardware is on the main board. Again, the MW520 Yahoo group has most of the Windows 98/2000/XP drivers there.

Windows 95 will work on the F5201 series MW's. Windows 98se, Windows 2000, Windows XP will work on the 5203 and 5205 series MW's. A WORD OF WARNING - You must use the CPU mount (spectra radio mount will also work) if you are going to use Windows XP. As there are no fans on the MW520, Windows XP heats up the unit quite a bit, and if the unit is not elevated to allow the CPU heatsink on the bottom of the unit to have airflow, the CPU WILL fail. You have been warned.

There are two different keyboards that will work with the MW-520. The orginal and most common keyboard features two lights that display over the keyboard. The second, and last release has a slightly smaller form factor, and has red backlit keys. Both connect to the DB connector on the back of the unit. A USB keyboard has also worked with both models running Win98se and better.

The max memory in the 5203 is 128MB. 256MB for the 5205. The 5205 came in both 500MHz and 700MHz and was the last model 520 sold. To my knowledge, there are no "B" models. PC100 is the memory type.

The 5205 out of the box supports the SVGA displays. Recent firmware 5203 also will, older BIOS's on the 5203 will not unless the firmware is bumped up.

For those units that have the data modems, the parameters can only be changed by MW-520 RSS that configures them. WinRSS will program the modem - but is pretty much useless (as in the modem) unless you own your own data network that is supported by the data modem. Pretty much, if you have a supported data network, then you don't need to worry about finding the software. The internal modem supports RD-LAP 9.6, RD-LAP 19.2, MDC4800.

The hard drives are standard 2.5" IDE.

A note on PC Cards: Running anything BUT Windows XP, both cardslots can be used. For whatever reason, under Windows XP, only one card slot seems to work (the bottom one). I have tried all sorts of driver updates, but nothing seems to enable the 2nd slot. You will hear the speaker "clicks" when a card is inserted, but the card will not operate.

When opening the MW-520 CPU, lift the cover from the connector side of the box. If you open from the front (PC Card side), you may damage the hard drive flex. Lift the connect side towards the PC card side to that the cover is vertical, unhook the flex, then it can be completely removed. If you have the internal GPS, you must remove the lock nut on the outside connector to remove caddy.

The 5200/5201 appear to have an internal CF card slot standard on the motherboard. I have heard that some 5203's do as well, but I have never seen one and may have been an early option.

Looking for hardware drivers? Well, there are some files and CD floating around with them, but can be hard to track down. The entire MW520 series appears to have fairly standard hardware thoughout the entire line, with the exception of CPUs. These are the common hardware componets, and can usually be downloaded from the vendor's websites:

Audio: ESS1868
Video: Chips And Technologies / Chips Video Accelerator(64300/10 65535/40/45/48/50/54/55)
Touch screen: ELO Technologies Serial Controllers (IntelliTouch(R) 2310, 2300, AccuTouch(R) 2210)

Most of the rest should be standard windows drivers.

5203 vs 5205 Compatibility Table
Just some interesting tidbits. No, I don't know what the phases mean yet.

Issue 5203 Phase 3.5? 5205 Phase 3.5
PCMCIA Boot - Yes1, Yes
Floppy USB Boot - Yes, Yes
Advanced USB Boot2 - No3, Yes
Windows 95 - Hidden (End of life)7, No
Windows NT4 - Yes (End of life), No
Windows 98 - Yes, Yes
Windows 2000 - Yes, Yes
Windows ME - Yes, Yes
SVGA BIOS - No4, Yes
USB DVD drivers built in - No, Yes
USB Floppy drivers built in - Yes, Yes
Speaker Bar Setup file - No, Yes
IDEN Driver support - No, Yes - Not with WinME5
CDPD Driver support - No, Yes - Not with Win20005
Backlight keyboard - No, Yes
64MB Memory for Win2000 - Yes, No
IDB Drivers - No, Yes
Video capture driver for Win2000 - No, Yes
Video capture driver for WinME - No, Yes
Hardware Updates
Processor - 333MHz (Host 66MHz), 500MHz (Host 100MHz)
Disk - 6GB, 6GB
Radio Option - RPM / RPM, iDEN, CDPD,
Display option - VGA 350NIT, VGA 1000NIT / VGA 350NIT, VGA 1000NIT, SVGA 1000NIT
-----
1 When customers will update the BIOS this option will be disable by default.
2 CDROM/DVD USB Boot.
3 There will be an option to add this component by loading new BIOS.
4 There will be an option to add this component by loading new BIOS.
5 Currently not supported – a future release will address this.
6 Currently not supported – a future release will address this.
7 Not supported for this model.
SPECIAL NOTES:
1 When customers will update the BIOS this option will be disable by default.
2 CDROM/DVD USB Boot.
3 There will be an option to add this component by loading new BIOS.
4 There will be an option to add this component by loading new BIOS.
5 There will be an option to add this component by loading new BIOS.
6 There will be an option to add this component by loading new BIOS.



Part Numbers - In true Motorola fashion, there may be more than one part number for the same basic item. This is not an all inclusive list. Most parts are now NLA from Motorola.

Manuals
98-08901C24-A, Service Manual F5201C/F5200C
98-08901C31-O, Mobile Workstation 520 Model F5203 Application Developer’s Guide
68P02950C60 - MW-520 Owners Manual
68P02950C99 - MW-520 Quick Reference Card
68P02951C30 - MW-520 Vehicle Installation Manual
IMR452, Instruction Manual Revision for Imaging the MW520-5203A


Parts
FLN8825A - Standard MW-520 Keyboard
FLN9229A - Keyboard Amber Light
FLN9674A - Keyboard, red backlit
FVN4703B - BIOS Software for the F5200C/F5201C
FLN9107A - 10MB Compact Flash Kit
FLN2424 - RF PA, 800 MHz 35Watts (external RF amp)
CDN1280 - 3.5 Floppy Drive/PCMCIA
FLN9219A - GPS
0186450J01 - GPS Flex
3002823C30 - GPS cable, antenna



Software
RVN4146 - MW520 Radio Service Software
RVN4107 - FORMGEN TX-Forms Generator Software
FVN4320 - Tx Configuration Utility with Manual

Electrical Load
For the 5200/5201 models
Main power switch off - 5ma typical, 60ma max
Main power switch on, unit off - 20ma typical, 75ma max
Unit on, radio tx, backlights on -1.2a typical, 3.4 max
Suspend - 200ma typical, 750ma max

Same unit with high brightness display
Main power switch off - 40ma typical, 60ma max
Main power switch on, unit off - 90ma typical, 100ma max
Unit on, radio tx, backlights on -3.3a typical, 7.5 max (with heater on)
Suspend - 200ma typical, 750ma max


MW-520's

F5200C/F5201C
Pentium 233MHz MMX
8MB-64MB RAM
Optional Color VGA
2 Serial Ports
1 Parallel Port
VGA port
2 PC Card Slots
No USB
3.2GB+ Hard driver or 10MB flash disk


F5203 Series - 333MHz CPU

General Specifications
Processor - Intel Pentium II, 333 MHz MMX
Internal Memory - 32MB expandable to 128MB
Operating System - Microsoft Windows? 98, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000

LCD
Resolution 640 x 480
LCD Luminance 350 NIT Color VGA, 1000 NIT Color VGA (optional)
Gray/Colors 256,000 Colors
Type Active Matrix
USB
Optional Touch Screen

Communications/Expansion
Serial 1 with UART support
Parallel 1 with ECP/EPP support
Video Analog VGA
PCMCIA Two Type II or One TypeIII
USB 1

Input
Main Keyboard
-QWERTY, 84 total keys
-12 function keys
-Spill-resistant
-Illuminated

Pointing Device Integrated Touch-Pad
Display Keys 6 Illuminated function keys

Physical Size
Processor Unit 2.65x7x8.5
Display Unit 10.5x12x2
Keyboard Unit 2x12x8

Mass Storage
Hard Disk 6.0 GB or larger

FCC Information
3W 800 MHz Type Acceptance Number ABZ9QCT5782

Safety
Safety UL 1950

Radio Communications
Frequency Range 806-824 MHz Tx, 851-869 MHz Rx
Protocol MDC 4800, RD-LAP 9.6 RD-LAP 19.2(25 kHz spacing)
RF Power Output 3 Watts into 50 ohm load
Power Amplifier 35 Watt, External (optional)

Environmental
Operating Temprature
0? to +55?C w/o Hard Disk heater
-20? to +55?C w/ Hard Disk heater

Storage Temperature -40? to +70?C
HDD Thermal Protection 0?C for the Hard Disk 68?C for the LCD
Display
Humidity 95% non-condensing @ 50?C
Vibration Per MIL STD 810E


F5205 Series - 500MHz CPU, 700MHz CPU

Specifications
Processor - Intel Pentium III, 500MHz, 700MHz
VGA Controller - 2.0 MB internal video RAM
Power Management - APM 2.1 or ACPI, Windows? compatible. Supports standard power management modes, such as suspend and resume.
Mass Storage - Hard Disk: 10.0GB with 3 dimensional Shock absorber, with heater
Internal Memory - SDRAM, 64MB up to 256MB
External Memory - Available through two PC Card slots and USB CD-ROM

Communications/Expansion Ports
USB - 1, V1.1
Serial- 1, 16550 UART support
Parallel - 1, ECP/EPP support
PC card Slots- 2 type II or 1 type III
Video Input - 1, standard Composite video input (CVBS) port, (PAL or NTSC)
Sound - Internal Speaker - 0.5 W External Speaker - 5W, optional, Adjustable volume

Display
Display With Thermal Protection Mechanism
LCD Type Color Active Matrix
LCD Size 10.4 Diagonal
Resolution 640 x 480 VGA, 800 x 600 SVGA
LCD Luminance 350 NIT or 1000 NIT for VGA, 1200 NIT for SVGA
Touch Screen Standard - 5 Wire Resistive
Coating Anti Reflective - Optional for VGA & SVGA

Input
-Main Keyboard
QWERTY style layout
84 total keys
12 function keys
Spill resistant
Illuminated

Illumination - Toplit keyboard: 2 amber lamps
Pointing Device - Integrated Touch-Pad
Display Keys - 6 illuminated programmable function keys
Emergency Button - Dedicated emergency key located on the display module

General Specifications
Physical Size (H x W x D)
-Processor 2.65 x 7 x 8.5 (6.7 x 17.8 x 21.6 cm)
-Display 10.5 x 12 x 2 (26.7 x 30.5 x 5.1 cm)
-Toplit Keyboard 2 x 12 x 8 (5.1 x 39.5 x 20.3 cm)

Weight
-Processor 5.5 pounds (2.5 Kg)
-Display 4 pounds (1.8 Kg)
-Keyboard 3 pounds (1.4 Kg)

Durability Specifications:
Shock - 20G peak 1/2 sine wave @ 11mS 30 impacts
Vibration - Per TIA/EIA 603 Paragraph 3.3.4 and MIL-STD-810E category
Drip - Per MIL-STD 810E method 506.3 procedure II
Dust Blowing - 5 hours in dust (140 mesh silica flour), laden atmosphere dust agitation time is for 2 seconds every 15 minutes, per MIL-STD 810E
Salt Fog - 8 hours, 5% Sodium Chloride at 35?C per MIL-STD-810E 509.3, procedure I
Flammability - Per UL94-HB
Solar Radiation - 7 cycles of 24 hours w/o functional degradation per MIL-STD-810E, 505.3, procedure I
Shock Crash Hazard - 75G, 6ms per MIL-STD-810E

Automated Vehicle Location
Optional Devices
-Internal GPS Trimble , SK II

Environmental
Operating Temperature -6 to +131?F (-20 to +50?C)
Storage Temperature -40 to +158?F (-40 to +70?C)
Humiditiy - 90 to 95% Relative humidity at 50?C for 8 hours

Electrical Enviromental
Power Source - Vehicle Battery (12v, negative ground)
Power Instability - 13.8V DC +/- 20% w/o loss of functionality
Electrical Transients - Per SAE J1113
Safety - Per UL 1950

FCC Specifications for internal Radio Options
Private DataTAC Radio, 3W 800MHz - ABZ9QT5782
CDPD Radio - N7NOEM2
iDEN Packet Data Radio - AZ489FT5796

Communication Protocols
Private DataTAC Internal Radio (0ptional)
-Frequency - 806 - 824MHz Tx, 851 - 869 MHz RX
-Protocol - RD-LAP 19.2, RD-LAP 9.6, MDC 4800
-RF Power Output - w Watt into 50 ohm load
-Power Amplifier - 35 Watt, External (optional)

CDPD Internal Radio (optional)

Frequency - 825 - 849 MHz Tx, 870 - 894 MHz Rx
Protocol - CDPD (30kHz spacing)
RF Power Output[/i:9ecc26a5a7] - 0.6 watts (variable in 6 steps) into 50 ohm load

IDEN Packet Data Internal Radio (0ptional)
Frequency - 806 - 821 MHz Tx, 851 - 869 MHz RX
Protocol - iDEN ( 25 kHz spacing)
RF Power Output - 0.6 watts (variable in 6 steps) into 50 ohm load

External Radios

Any wireless data service capable network including:

Private DataTAC (RD-LAD 19.2, RD-LAP 9.6, MDC 4800)
Public DataTAC (motient)
Mobitex
iDEN Packet Data Tetra
GSM/GPRS
CDPD
Lowband radio. The original and non-complicated wide area interoperable communications system
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Randyclements
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Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:25 pm

Re: MW-520 Product Information

Post by Randyclements »

how can i get copies of the manuals?

Randyclements
ScannerDan
Posts: 433
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:00 pm

Re: MW-520 Product Information

Post by ScannerDan »

Randyclements wrote:how can i get copies of the manuals?

Randyclements
Try the following Yahoo group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/mw520/
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