EDACS Features

[Thayne]

Question:

If new EDACS radios are ordered with ESK feature present, can the radio still be programmed with programmer 16 up until the time the ESK is activated with programmer 19 or 20 or RPM?

I know after that is done there is no going back.

 

[Thayne]

I guess hoobody knows--

 

[JungleJim]

ESK is supported not just by R19 or R20 versions of Programmer but by the older versions as well. Further, the feature is not "activated" by Programmer. It loads the key in when you set up the system.

All Programmer personalities are not backward compatible. A personality written to a radio, or saved to file, in one version of Programmer cannot be read by an older version.

New EDACS radios will have to be from the 5100, 7100 or 7200 lines. The 7200's can only be programmed with RPM and the 5100/7100's come factory loaded with the most current flash code that requires they also be programmed with RPM

 

[Thayne]

Thanks, I appeciate the info. I am looking at a 500M that already is ESK capable, but I want to be sure I can program it to enable ESK without RPM.

 

[MMIC]

The EDACS 500M is not supported in RPM - the only software that will program that radio is ProGrammer.

You will need to purchase a key card from M/A-COM, along with the proper software to program keys onto that card, before ESK will work in the radio. I am unsure if they will sell those cards to people who are not enterprise or government customers.

And you can blow a new personality over an ESK-enabled personality that is in a radio. It's not (entirely) like Motorola's advanced system key.

 

[Thayne]

I definitely don't want to get involved with key cards or keyloaders, especially nowdays.

I only asked because some media type has some 500M's that supposedly have ESK enabled. I think the best thing would be to recommend they purchase some GRE scanners & tell them to hope ProVoice won't be used for everything.

 

[MMIC]

Good idea. A 500M won't do ProVoice anyway.

Just out of curiosity - they have 500Ms with the feature turned on AND had an agency program the radio with the proper key card, or they just have the 500M with the feature turned on? Simply having the ESK feature turned on in a radio will not allow it to operate on a system with ESK. It will only work after it has been programmed with the proper ESK code.

 

[Thayne]

The feature list shows ESK is enabled, but I can't imagine any agency actually putting in a key for any radio outside their system, but it is a "Valid" media agency. I could read it so it can't have ESK turned on yet.
Last time I talked to him I told him about the new GRE's that will track systems with ESK anyway, but I don't think he believes it. (Probably paid a premium to buy what he has)

When I asked where they were purchased he just said the "internet."

 

[DOH6713]

dont ask me how but our local police department has ESK's enabled on 5 talkgroups. I too have the 500m and "aquired" the supervisor personality to monitor. After loading the personality into my ProGrammer i am still at a loss as to how this 'individual' esk works... but my ProGrammer has a feature(more less a backdoor plug in) that will display the 'esk codec' and load key cards, and make coffee from the "plug in". Befor we get into panic mode (and besides would it kill some one to actually be honest on these forums once in a while about there own radios and "programming") Macom supplies these extra's to Universities for study's, improvements, the list goes on and on. This new RPM and all 20 versions of Programmer are actually some of the most simplistic software, yet is capable of doing so much more than the "owners manual" actually prints. So thanx to MaCom our frat is now not so worried about "Party Patrols". College is so much fun and Pro Voice is so easy to hack. *Remember in the end it's still just radio waves.

 

[Thayne]

As far as ESK on only 5 talkgroups, I don't get how that can be done if there is only 1 control channel all the radios use. Maybe there is another "system" you don't know about.

As far as your comments on the software I don't doubt what you said; having been aware many backdoors in lots of other software I have used over the years. I am just too old and jaded to care much anymore.

 

[DOH6713]

"As far as ESK on only 5 talkgroups, I don't get how that can be done if there is only 1 control channel all the radios use. Maybe there is another "system" you don't know about."

I think there probably is, and MACOM is still "guinea pigin" some agencies with there systems. Believe me i have tried to find the answer to the indiv. esk's but its beggining to be MACOM's "Area 51" lol. One theory was an intergration or patch of multiple control channels that were conv. freq's. But like i said just a theory. However i am aware that some Motorola systems have the ability to go encrypted at the drop of a hat but i think the "command" has to come from the main dispatch console. This may be a simular or shared secret btwn the 2 companies. Then again if GRE can recieve ESK's than it once again proves in the world of radio, Anything is possible...

 

[MMIC]

dont ask me how but our local police department has ESK's enabled on 5 talkgroups. I too have the 500m and "aquired" the supervisor personality to monitor. After loading the personality into my ProGrammer i am still at a loss as to how this 'individual' esk works... but my ProGrammer has a feature(more less a backdoor plug in) that will display the 'esk codec' and load key cards, and make coffee from the "plug in". Befor we get into panic mode (and besides would it kill some one to actually be honest on these forums once in a while about there own radios and "programming") Macom supplies these extra's to Universities for study's, improvements, the list goes on and on. This new RPM and all 20 versions of Programmer are actually some of the most simplistic software, yet is capable of doing so much more than the "owners manual" actually prints. So thanx to MaCom our frat is now not so worried about "Party Patrols". College is so much fun and Pro Voice is so easy to hack. *Remember in the end it's still just radio waves.

Alright, I am going to call bullsh*t here.

Without using lingo that doesn't make sense (like "back door plug in", "esk codec", and "coffee") please describe in more detail what you are doing and what it accomplishes. Considering that you find R20 software to be simplistic, I would think that you could do this rather easily. And since you want to be more honest about things you should be happy to humor me with your explanation.

ESK is enabled on a per-CSD (node/IMC) basis, not on a talkgroup-by-talkgroup basis. Are you confusing ESK with encryption such as AES and DES?

And not to burst your bubble, but it is not a "hacking victory" to decode ProVoice talkgroups.

 

[rescue161]

Alright, I am going to call bullsh*t here.

Without using lingo that doesn't make sense (like "back door plug in", "esk codec", and "coffee") please describe in more detail what you are doing and what it accomplishes. Considering that you find R20 software to be simplistic, I would think that you could do this rather easily. And since you want to be more honest about things you should be happy to humor me with your explanation.

ESK is enabled on a per-CSD (node/IMC) basis, not on a talkgroup-by-talkgroup basis. Are you confusing ESK with encryption such as AES and DES?

And not to burst your bubble, but it is not a "hacking victory" to decode ProVoice talkgroups.

He's probably confusing ESK with ProVoice. DES keys won't be displayed either with Programmer, so he probably just copied another radio with the 5 talk groups that use ProVoice.

 

[MMIC]

That would be fine to say except an EDACS 500M radio does not support ProVoice.

I think he is full of it.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Coming back to the original question, a radio with an ESK enabled personality can still be reprogrammed by an earlier version of programmer, without ESK. Subject to the limitations of the firmware revisions, that is.


I know because I've done it. Written over ESK-enabled radios that had a useless codeplug.


Elroy

 

[Thayne]

That is good to know. The word is it will be turned on sooner rather than later.

 

[1268]

ESK is supported not just by R19 or R20 versions of Programmer but by the older versions as well. Further, the feature is not "activated" by Programmer. It loads the key in when you set up the system.

All Programmer personalities are not backward compatible. A personality written to a radio, or saved to file, in one version of Programmer cannot be read by an older version.

New EDACS radios will have to be from the 5100, 7100 or 7200 lines. The 7200's can only be programmed with RPM and the 5100/7100's come factory loaded with the most current flash code that requires they also be programmed with RPM

Junglejim you forgot the new 5300 line, it works on EDACS analog as well as Open SKY, have one on my desk doing just that . The 5300 line has some new code programmed as well , great post.

 

[JungleJim]

The point being all new models will need RPM and not Programmer

 

[ElroyJetson]

Would it be possible to flash older firmware into a newer 7100 via ProGrammer so as to avoid the need for RPM if I don't have access to RPM?


Elroy

 

[JungleJim]

Yes, but it ain't easy. You'll need the bootloader from RPM, a good programmer tracking data file for the type 7100 and a valid feature string for the radio in programmer format.

Not only is the personality format different in RPM, but so are the tracking data and feature encryption.

the details are

In order to prepare to recover radios, it is necessary to change the bootloader that ProGrammer uses to the new bootloader that is installed with RPM. Once this is done, recovery can be done. The following procedure assumes you have ProGrammer and RPM installed on the same machine. Following are the steps to prepare for recovering radios.

1. ProGrammer installs a file into the Windows directory, called Edacs4.ini. Open a Windows Explorer window and browse to the Edacs4.ini file. Right click on the file and select “Open With”, then select “Notepad”.
2. Find the line that reads “JaguarBootloader=R0R08B02.BIN”. Change the 2 to a 3 so that the line now reads: “JaguarBootloader=R0R08B03.BIN”
3. From the menu, select “File”, then select “Save”. Now exit from Notepad by clicking on the “X” in the upper right corner.
4. Copy the new bootloader file to the directory where ProGrammer will find it. If you installed RPM to the default directory, browse to the following directory “C:\Program Files\MA-COM Software Tools\Radio Personality Manager\Trans”. If you installed RPM to another directory, browse to the installed directory and then to the Trans directory below that. Select the file “R0R08B03.BIN”. Right-click on the file and select “Copy”. Now browse to “C:\Program Files\MA-COM Software Tools\ProGrammer\Trans”. Right-click anywhere on the right pane in the explorer window and select “Paste”.
5. In ProGrammer Maintenance, start the recovery procedure. Follow this procedure through writing code and dsp files. You must select R11 or earlier radio code.
When the recovery procedure asks that you put the radio in Programming mode, be sure to use the 3 button Programming mode on Portables.
6. ProGrammer will then ask if you want to erase Eeprom. Select Yes.
7. You will then be asked to select the tracking data file, followed by the feature data file. If the radio was upgraded on the same PC, the tracking data and feature data file will be in RPM’s backup dir. This dir can be found in RPM from the Tools menu, select Options and Directory Settings.

If this radio was not originally upgraded on this pc you may need to obtain tracking and feature data from TAC.

8. Return to ProGrammer (without cycling power), select a personality file, and write it to the radio.

If you are going to be using ProGrammer again to write code after this procedure, refer to Steps 1-3 and change “JaguarBootloader=R0R08B03.BIN” back to
“JaguarBootloader=R0R08B02.BIN”.
To make this change easier, both lines can remain and a semi colon can be used to REM out the one that is not in use:
JaguarBootloader=R0R08B02.BIN
; JaguarBootloader=R0R08B03.BIN