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- READING THE SID WITH THE MOTOROLA PHONE
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-
- Written on March 19, 1995. A sunny, but still somewhat cold sunday.
-
- The SID (System IDentification) of a control channel can be determined using
- the test mode of the Motorola cellular phone. This document assumes the reader
- understands cellular technology in general, and how to access Motorola's test
- mode in specific.
-
- Tune the phone to the desired control channel with 11xxx# where XXX is the
- channel number. Hit 39# to receive one control channel word. One should appear
- in less than two seconds, filling up all ten digits on the display with hexa-
- decimal digits. Do this repeatedly until one is found with the correct
- pattern. Digit places start at the left hand side and go to the right.
-
- The first digit should be C, D, E, or F. This letter can be used to determine the
- DCC/SAT of the cell. A "C" is SAT 0, D is 1, E is 2, and F is 3. Ignore digits
- 8, 9, and 10. They are parity bytes. Digit 7 should be "6" or "E", though I
- have never found it to be other than "E". The hexidecimal value of represented
- by digits 2 through 5 is then divided by two, and then 1 added if the carrier
- is a "A" side, "non-wireline" carrier. The result is the System ID.
-
- for example:
-
- E00388EA08
-
- E means this cell has an SAT/DCC of 3. The A08 is ignored. The E to the left of
- it is proper and normal, so this is the right kind of message. Ignore the 8 in
- position 6, that is, just to the left of the E. 0038 in hexadecimal translates
- ((3*16=48)+8)) to 56. 56/2 = 28. Looking up System ID 28 on my chart indicates
- Nynex in Boston. This is correct.
-
- Please be aware that the two SID charts I have seen around the net are very
- outdated. I have a more recent version on paper which I may eventually type in,
- when I have the time and energy.
-
- The methods used above are only a very crude way to do what could be done
- much more efficiently by computer. I am sure that programs will be written to
- do exactly this, but I am holding off until I have thoroughly hacked the
- meaning of all these types of messages before writing such a program. I am
- also contemplating the design of a cable to replace the handset, running
- from the 25 pin connector on the side of my Bag Phone to a computer.
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