MSF5000 / Wild Card / external controller Q&A

n5rwc · Post by **n5rwc** » Wed Jun 12, 2002 11:39 am

Hello

I am looking for some help on a wild card I picked up for an MSF5000. I am trying to install a link-comm controller to the repeater. I know nothing about this device and have no documentation on this either. But I think I know what it is for and I have read the documentation on this site and some posting about this device as well. I am trying to interface an external controller and I have found the pins in the wild card that corresponds to the information found here on BL. But I am not sure exactly how I need to physically go about connecting this all up. So I need to hear from someone that has been down this road before.

When I open the wild card I see two separate PCB's installed. There are two ribbon cables. One cable attached to the smaller PCB on the far right side and on that same cable there is another female 34 pin plug attached to the larger board situated just next to the far right hand board - this is where J1302 is located and I believe PTT is found here. Also this same cable has two (2) more plugs on it but nothing is attached to it.

The second ribbon cable runs from the far right hand side PCB again as well but attached to the lower half of that board and runs under the larger board where the connector is facing down through an opening where it can attach to the control shelf - I believe this is correct please let me know. From that spot I just mentioned the cable continues on to the far left side where it makes a 90 degree turn upward that has another plug sitting behind a small cover that I believe your metering panel will plug into. Yes/No?

My question is how should I or what is the best way to interface an external controller to this? There are two plugs attached to these two boards - How do I attach onto pin 22 off J1302 for PTT when there is a ribbon cable on it? Solder onto it under the board? Would you would recommend that I use a cable with a DB9 plug from within the wild card to the outside where I can connect the controller up easily?

If you can offer some additional documentation on this I would really like to see it. The information here was helpful a great deal but I think I need just a little more help trying to get this setup correctly.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Will · Post by **Will** » Thu Jun 13, 2002 12:52 am

That is the correct instalation for the Wild Card(s), one is the power supply board for the expansion housing and the Wild card. I usally interface the external controller direct to the J800 and a couple of points on the controller board and do not use the Wild card or expansion housing. There was something about having to change the code plug to have the station reconise the wild card.