User's Manual

Rajant Corporation BreadCrumb® ME4 v11 User Guide
03-100126-011 Version 11.0.0
● Devices placed too far away or in RF “shadows” may experience total loss of connection.
● RF transmit power and receive sensitivity are important in determining the distances over which
the device will be effective.
● When placing a BreadCrumb device, check the connection status to the nearest available device
using either the BreadCrumb device’s status LED (described in section 2.6 Status LED), or the
BC|Commander management application. If the connection is poor or non-existent, attempt to
relocate the BreadCrumb device closer to another device until an acceptable connection is
obtained. If a poor connection or no connection is made at even relatively close distances, you
should refer to Chapter 6 Troubleshooting.
● When the connection quality is found to be acceptable from BC|Commander, the distance of the
BreadCrumb device from the network can be increased until an optimal balance between
distance, connectivity and tactical placement is achieved.
4.3.3 Weather
Precipitation and fog also act as obstructions blocking the propagation of the wireless network’s radio
waves.
Light fog or precipitation may result in noticeable degradation of wireless network performance. Heavy
precipitation or fog may result in severe performance degradation and possible loss of network
connectivity.
If the performance of a well functioning network is degraded by worsening weather conditions, it may
be advisable to add BreadCrumb devices into the network to act as short haul repeaters to counteract the
effects of the weather. An alternative is to move the devices closer together.
4.3.4 Interference
RF interference can degrade network performance and can come from many different sources,
including:
● Other BreadCrumb devices that are placed too closely together.
● Other RF devices such as microwave devices, cordless phone base stations, radio transmitters,
other wireless networks, jamming devices, etc.
● Metal surfaces such as fences and building can cause radio waves to be reflected, causing
multipath interference.
Caution
Plan the BreadCrumb Wireless Network to minimize the effects of RF interference.
4.3.5 Placement of Mesh Components
The placement of BreadCrumb devices has a major impact on maximum effective range, and therefore
network performance. The components must be elevated above the surrounding terrain to allow for
adequate wave propagation. A device placed directly on the ground has a significantly reduced effective
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