How To Operate a CTM-200
The supply voltage must be a minimum of 9VDC for the CTM-200 to operate. With the power applied it will power-up in its operating mode.
Note: In some vehicle operation, when starting the engine the vehicle supply voltage will dip below 9VDC momentarily. The gateway can handle power dips below 9VDC down to 6VDC. If continual operation is required, cmd pwr vcct needs to be configured appropriately.
The Chameleon CTM-200 gateway has two power modes:
The CTM-200 can be configured to remain on for a defined period after the standby/ignition signal has been turned off. This enables the gateway to continue sending position reports or be used for data operations even after the vehicle ignition has been switched off – e.g. for short duration driver breaks.
When in its power shutdown mode the gateway may be configured to resume full operation by either the standby/ignition signal becoming active, an input event occurring, the power OFF timer expiring, or other wake up events (see pwr woe for complete list of wake up events).
Note: In some vehicle operation, when starting the engine the vehicle supply voltage will dip below 9VDC momentarily. The gateway can handle power dips below 9VDC down to 6VDC. If continual operation is required, cmd pwr vcct needs to be configured appropriately.
The Chameleon CTM-200 gateway has two power modes:
| Mode | Description | Mode change event |
| Operation | In this mode the device is fully powered up and ready to receive or make network connections | The device will go back into shutdown mode when the ignition/standby signal is deactivated or upon expiry of the power ON timer as configured. |
| Shutdown | Only the gateway’s power management circuits are operating. | The device will go back into operation mode when the ignition/standby signal is activated, wake event occurs (e.g. input, temperature, acceleration), or upon expiry of the power OFF timer as configured. |
The CTM-200 can be configured to remain on for a defined period after the standby/ignition signal has been turned off. This enables the gateway to continue sending position reports or be used for data operations even after the vehicle ignition has been switched off – e.g. for short duration driver breaks.
When in its power shutdown mode the gateway may be configured to resume full operation by either the standby/ignition signal becoming active, an input event occurring, the power OFF timer expiring, or other wake up events (see pwr woe for complete list of wake up events).
The power consumption of the CTM-200 gateway will depend on its supply voltage, its current operating function and its RF environment.
The following table is provided to assist application integrators in defining the power requirements for their specific application.
The following table is provided to assist application integrators in defining the power requirements for their specific application.
| Power Consumption | Weak RF signal(12V) | Strong RF signal(12V) | Weak RF signal(24V) | Strong RF signal(24V) |
| Shutdown Mode | 1.5mA typical | 1.5mA typical | 2.0mA typical | 2.0mA typical |
| Downloading (Receive data) | 450mA max | 350mA max | 220mA max | 195mA max |
| Uploading (Transmit data) | 500mA max | 390mA max | 260mA max | 210mA max |
The CTM-200 gateway may be manually reset via the front panel using a < 1mm diameter (0.04”) wire tool (a standard paper clip). This can be used to cause the gateway to reset its operation, to reset the LAN IP settings, or to reset the gateway's configuration.
Power reset: Press and hold for 1 to 3 seconds
LAN IP reset: Press and hold for 3 to 10 seconds
Power reset: Press and hold for 1 to 3 seconds
LAN IP reset: Press and hold for 3 to 10 seconds
- The PWR LED will turn off at the 3-second mark and start flashing slowly once the button is released. It keeps flashing until the LAN IP reset is complete.
- LAN IP addresses will be reset as follows:
- WAN Ethernet port: 192.168.1.1
- LAN Ethernet port: 192.168.2.1
- The PWR LED will turn off at the 3-second mark and start flashing rapidly at the 10-second mark. It keeps flashing until the configuration reset is complete.
There are five LED indicators on the top of a CTM-200. These are used to show the status and operation of the device.
For wireless data devices that provide network diagnostic information:
For wireless data devices that provide network diagnostic information:
| LED | Description | Solid | Blinking | Off |
| PWR | Power status of the device | Full operating mode and able to connect | Device is in shutdown mode | Device has no power |
| RF | Status of the device on the wireless network | Receiving a signal greater than or equal to -95dBm | Receiving a signal less than -95dBm | Device is not detecting a valid RF signal |
| IP/DATA | Data is being transmitted or received | Solid on if CTM-200 has an IP address on the wireless network | Flashing intermittently if data packets are sent/received via the wireless network | No data being transmitted, not connected to the wireless network |
| GPS | Status of the GPS module or external GPS device | GPS module or external GPS device has obtained a valid position fix | GPS module or external GPS device does not have a valid position fix | |
| MODE | Indicates the type of wireless data connection | Off if no cell registration or 2G only or not available due to RF module limitations | Blinking slowly if 4G is detected (LTE) | No cell registration or 2G only or not available due to RF module limitations |
The CTM-200 will attempt to connect to the wireless network whenever power is applied, when configured with cmd autoconnect 1 (default).
If no wireless network connection is available the IP address will be given as 0.0.0.0. This can be queried using cmd ipadr.
For wireless data devices that provide network diagnostic information, wireless signal strength information can be queried using cmd rssi. These values for both Primary and Secondary RSSI are given in dBm with typical range of -60dBm (very good) to -105dBm (weak).
With the wireless network connection active you may now open Windows® applications that will make use of this connection – this includes email, web browsers, and VPN connections.
For wireless data devices that provide network diagnostic information, wireless signal strength information can be queried using cmd rssi. These values for both Primary and Secondary RSSI are given in dBm with typical range of -60dBm (very good) to -105dBm (weak).
With the wireless network connection active you may now open Windows® applications that will make use of this connection – this includes email, web browsers, and VPN connections.
The GPS module in the CTM-200 will continuously track the unit’s position whenever power is applied and the GPS antenna has a clear view of the sky. The time taken for the module to achieve a valid positional fix is determined by the previous state of the unit:
For a “cold” start (after all power is removed from the gateway) the acquisition time typically will be less than 38 seconds.
For a “warm” start (standby power is maintained to the CTM-200) the acquisition time will typically be less than 3 seconds.
For reacquisition (after the GPS module has temporarily lost signal) the time to acquire a valid position fix is typically less than 2 seconds.
The GPS information can be sent by the device as a message in any of the configured reports. The GPS receiver uses the WGS-84 datum.
The CTM-200 supports GPS data from an external GPS device connected to the gateway via USB or serial port, or from a wireless module via A-GPS (Sierra Wireless devices only). When the CTM-200 has been configured to use an external GPS or an A-GPS device, the GPS LED will reflect the current status of the selected GPS device.
For a “cold” start (after all power is removed from the gateway) the acquisition time typically will be less than 38 seconds.
For a “warm” start (standby power is maintained to the CTM-200) the acquisition time will typically be less than 3 seconds.
For reacquisition (after the GPS module has temporarily lost signal) the time to acquire a valid position fix is typically less than 2 seconds.
The GPS information can be sent by the device as a message in any of the configured reports. The GPS receiver uses the WGS-84 datum.
The CTM-200 supports GPS data from an external GPS device connected to the gateway via USB or serial port, or from a wireless module via A-GPS (Sierra Wireless devices only). When the CTM-200 has been configured to use an external GPS or an A-GPS device, the GPS LED will reflect the current status of the selected GPS device.