User's Guide
Table Of Contents
3.2 Consider Battery Life
Batteries for the Ranger Pro device have a typical life of five years under the following conditions:
l The Ranger Pro ISA100 sensors are configured as a I/O device (not a router).
l Ambient temperatures under 40°C (104°F).
l Good quality radio frequency communications.
l Measurement interval of 30 minutes.
To maximize Ranger Pro device battery life:
l Minimize the number of hops between devices and access points. Poor quality radio
frequency communications increase packet retransmission and reduce battery life.
l Avoid environments with elevated temperatures. Temperatures above 40°C (104°F) cause
the device to consume more power and the battery to discharge more quickly. Elevated
temperatures can reduce battery life by up to 40%.
l Avoid using Ranger Pro ISA100 devices as both sensors and repeaters. Using a sensor as a
router can reduce battery life to 18 to 24 months.
l Minimize the number of Ranger Pro ISA100 devices routed through Ranger Pro Repeaters.
Avoid connecting more than eight devices through a single Ranger Pro ISA100 Repeater, or
more than five devices through a sensor with router enabled. Since Ranger Pro ISA100
Repeaters are continually in listen and transmit mode, their battery life is less.
l Use the lowest reasonable measurement interval to monitor vibration and temperature.
More frequent vibration measurements consume more power. For example, changing the
interval from 30 to 10 minutes reduces battery life by about 30%.
3.3 Choose Network Topology
The two most commonly used ISA100.11a network configurations are star and mesh topologies
while WirelessHART networks inherently form mesh topologies. Your existing network
infrastructure may determine the number of devices you can connect to backbone routers
(ISA100) or access points (WirelessHART) or the maximum number of hops permitted. A star
topology is recommended for ISA100 networks, although you may use a combination of both,
depending on your needs. Consult your network infrastructure documentation for details.
Star Topology
A star topology is the most efficient method for building a ISA100 network. It is suitable for smaller
areas where all devices can directly communicate with an access point.
Mesh Topology
A mesh topology creates redundant communication paths for devices on the network. Mesh
topologies are suitable for devices that cover a large area. When planning a mesh network, it's
critical to avoid a choke point, where many devices attempt to connect to a single point. Avoid
network topologies that require more than three hops and too many nodes routed through a
single node, creating a choke point.
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Ranger Pro Wireless Condition Monitoring Device
User Guide 125M6113 Rev. F