Getting Started #1 - Programming a Radio

Tutorial Scripts

The Introduction to Programming a Radio See This Tutorial Segment

Welcome to Motorola’s "Customer Programming Software", also known as CPS. This software is needed when programming Motorola’s APX Family of Radios.

Opening the CPS lands you in the CPS’s "Home Mode". The CPS Home Mode allows for quick-access to radio codeplug programming. For instance, the Browse button allows you to easily browse your computer system for a previously-saved codeplug file. The Read button allows you to easily read a codeplug from a radio that is currently attached to your computer’s USB port.

Note that the Home Mode also keeps track and allows you to easily re-open any of the last-four "Recent Codeplug" files that have been used. Once a codeplug is loaded into the CPS, you are automatically taken to the “Codeplug Configuration Mode” where the features of the codeplug are then able to be programmed.

Note that when in this Configuration Mode, the Navigation Pane is converted into a tree-like representation of the codeplug’s current set of features.

And do notice that at any time, the Navigation Pane’s three Mode buttons can be reduced, allowing for more room within this Navigation Pane. You are now able to more easily navigate this codeplug’s set of features.

Begin programming by locating desired features from the branches of this tree. For instance from the Emergency Configuration branch, the Emergency feature may be programmed for Conventional and for Trunking dispatch. From the Scan Configuration branch, the Scan List feature may be programmed for specific Conventional and for specific Trunking dispatch channels. And from the Call List Configuration branch, another popular feature is the Unified Call List which allows for Call Hot Lists to be created for Conventional and Trunking dispatch channels, as well as a Hot List for phone.

Notice that from the Radio Ergonomics branch, the radio-user’s specific button features and menu-item features may be programmed. Using the 09 Control Head as an example, radio-user initiated features can be assigned to buttons on the radio; for instance, Emergency Mode, and Scan Mode. Note that the same feature may sometimes also be assigned to a menu selection. The Universal Call List and Hot Lists for instance may be radio-user modified once accessed with the Contacts button-press, or even the Contacts menu selection.

Be aware that from the Online Help’s Radio Features menu you may review a list of many more possible Radio Features, while also having instant access to their very specific and detailed CPS-programming guidelines.

Once all of the desired radio features are programmed, including assigning the Conventional Personalities and Trunking Personalities to the desired Zones and Channels of the radio, ultimately you will select to write this codeplug to the radio.   

Note that writing is possible through the computer’s USB port, or even by using the Over-the-Air POP25 protocol.

Selecting the Write button then transfers all of this CPS-programmed information to the radio.

And you may also want to select the Save button to backup your programming information to an archive codeplug file.

Further notice that, clicking the folder button closes the current codeplug, and in the same step allows you to easily browse for a new codeplug.

And, the Radio Management quick launch “RM” icon, offers the ability to do just that. Be sure to also see the tutorial on Radio Management.

CPS Programming Tools including: See This Tutorial Segment

Radio Upgrade Tools, Radio Security Tools, and CPS Productivity Tools

Let’s begin with CPS Upgrade Tools, which include the FLASHport Radio Software Refresh tool, and the FLASHport Upgrade tool. Detailed information on both of these Upgrade tools is available from within the CPS’s online help system. A detailed Tutorial Segment is also available for each of these Upgrade tools.

Moving on to CPS Radio Security tools, which include the Advanced System Key tool  and the Write Protect a Radio tool. Be aware that, the Write Protect a Radio tool is dependent on Advanced System Keys. And again, within the CPS’s online help system  all of the necessary elements of these two tools are thoroughly explained. A detailed Tutorial Segment is also available for each of these Security Tools.

Additionally, the CPS contains many Productivity Tools, such as Cloning and Clone Express.

Let’s also consider the Programming Over Project 25 Communication Type, which allows for wireless Over-the-Air Radio Programming, as well as future Over-the-Air Batch Programming of multiple radios, and at a date and time that is convenient to both the CPS-programmer and the radio-user.

Other CPS Productivity Tools include: Drag and Drop, Import and Export, Copy and Paste, Undo and Redo, and the Table View’s Fill Up and Fill Down tools.

Several other CPS Productivity Tools do also exist. Detailed descriptions of these tools are readily accessed from the online Help System’s “CPS Tools” menu.

Note that this menu indicates when a feature’s help content contains a detailed software simulation type Tutorial. Many of the Help System’s “CPS tools” do offer these additional animated and narrated eLearning methods.

This concludes the first Getting Started Tutorial. Be sure to continue-on with the second Getting Started tutorial “Codeplug Navigation: Modes, Nodes and Toolbars”.