RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio Revision: 8/11 C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 1 1 C a m p b e l l S c i e n t i f i c , I n c .
Warranty and Assistance PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED BY CAMPBELL SCIENTIFIC, INC. are warranted by Campbell Scientific, Inc. (“Campbell”) to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for twelve (12) months from date of shipment unless otherwise specified on the corresponding Campbell invoice. Batteries, fine-wire thermocouples, desiccant, and other consumables have no warranty.
RF450 Table of Contents PDF viewers note: These page numbers refer to the printed version of this document. Use the Adobe Acrobat® bookmarks tab for links to specific sections. 1. General Description.....................................................1 2. Specifications ..............................................................1 3. Configuration ...............................................................2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Theory of Radio Operation...........................................
RF450 Table of Contents Appendices A. Installation Scenarios ............................................. A-1 A.1 A.2 A.3 A.4 A.5 Example 1: Example 2: Example 3: Example 4: Example 5: PC-to-RF Network.......................................................... A-1 PC-to-RF Network with Repeater................................... A-3 PC-to-RF Network with Parallel Repeaters .................... A-5 Phone-to-RF Base ........................................................... A-7 Call-back..................
FCC Notifications This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1) This device may not cause harmful interference and 2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This device must be operated as supplied by Campbell Scientific, Inc.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio 1. General Description The RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio is a 900 MHz license-free radio specifically designed to work with Campbell Scientific dataloggers. RF450 radios consist of a FreeWave DGR09 radio module and an interface board. This manual addresses the RF450’s interface with CR3000, CR1000, and CR800-series dataloggers and a PC running LoggerNet.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio Data Interface: Protocol RS-232 Baud Rate: Connectors Antenna Power Requirements: Voltage Current Environmental: Operating Temperature Dimensions Weight Humidity RS-232, DCE, CS I/O, ME, and SDC; user selectable 1200 bps, 4800 bps, 9600 bps, 19.2 kbps, 38.4 kbps, 57.6 kbps, 115.2 kbps; user selectable DB9 SMA female connector External antenna required 7 to 28 Vdc Transmit 500 mA Receive 76 mA* Idle 22 mA* Sleep 7 mA* -40° to +75°C 1.44” x 3.17” x 5.70” (3.66 x 8.05 x 14.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio Slave Slave Master Slave FIGURE 3.1-1. Simplest Form of a Multi-Point Network In a multi-point network, outbound packets from the Master or repeater to Slaves or other repeaters are sent a set number of times determined by the user. The receiving transceiver, Slave or repeater, will accept the first packet received with the correct signature (32 bit CRC). However, the packet is not acknowledged.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio [4] Site4 [2] Site2 [4094] LN Server [1] Site1 [3] Site3 [5] Site5 FIGURE 3.2-1. Point to Multi-Point Network with Two Routers This same network will be depicted in PakBus Graph as shown in Figure 3.2-2. Dataloggers numbered 1 and 2 have RF450 radios configured as Slave/Repeaters. The RF450 radios are doing the networking, not the PakBus dataloggers. FIGURE 3.2-2. RF450 Point to Multi-Point Network with Two Routers as Displayed in PakBus Graph 3.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio 1. Launch DevConfig by double clicking the icon on the Windows Desktop or through the Windows Start Menu | Start | All Programs | LoggerNet | Device Configuration Utility. 2. From the Device Type list, select the RF450. Information, instruction and help are provided on each screen. FIGURE 3.4-1. Start-up DevConfig Screen for Configuring the RF450 3. Select the correct COM port for serial communications with the radio. 4.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio FIGURE 3.4-2. DevConfig Screen Showing the RF450 Settings Deployment, Settings Editor, Terminal, and Send OS tabs are available. The Deployment tab contains all the standard parameters that need to be set for a PakBus network. The Settings Editor or Terminal tabs may be used to access all of the FreeWave Radio settings. They should be used by experienced FreeWave Radio users only. New operating systems for the CSI board are loaded through the Send OS tab.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio FIGURE 3.4-3. DevConfig RF450 Summary Screen 3.5 Quick Start 1. Using DevConfig, set a unique PakBus Address for each datalogger in the network. Keep the other settings as their default. 2. Decide on a unique Network Identification Number between 0 and 4095, excluding 255. All radios in the network will have the same Network ID. 3. Select a Frequency Key Number between 0 and 14. It is recommended that you change this from 5 which is the default.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio NOTE 6. Master Radio: Using DevConfig, set the “Radio Operation Mode” to Multi-Point Master. Set the Network ID to the number decided upon in step 2 above. Set the Frequency Key to the number decided upon in step 3 above. Set the Radio ID to the PakBus Address assigned in step 1 above. Keep the remaining settings as their defaults. (See note below regarding repeaters.) 7. Select a datalogger, or PC running LoggerNet, to be a router. Using DevConfig, set this node to beacon.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio 3.6.4 RF450 Operation Mode Setting The Operation Mode option designates the method FreeWave transceivers use to communicate with each other. FreeWave transceivers operate in a Masterto-Slave configuration. Before the transceivers can operate together, they must be set up to properly communicate. In a point-to-point configuration, Master or Slave mode may be used on either end of the communication link without performance degradation.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio NOTE This box should be checked (set to 1 in Settings Editor) when running diagnostics from the Master. 3.6.5 Network ID All radios in a multi-point network need to have the same Network ID. The value must be between 0 and 4095 (excluding 255). The ID of 255 is reserved for point-to-point networks. Slaves will link with the first Master or repeater that it hears with a matching Network ID.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio 3.6.8 Transmit Power Setting This setting specifies the RF transmit power. Use a transmit power of 0 when bench testing to reduce RF exposure. The FCC specifies a maximum EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power) of 36 dBm. EIRP = (Transmitter Power) + (Antenna Gain) - (Cable Losses) [all in dB or dBm] The RF450 maximum power is 30.5 dBm; therefore, a 6 dB (or lower) gain antenna can be used with any Transmit Power setting.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio TABLE 3.6-2. Low Power Mode Settings Setting 0 1 2 3 4-31 Description Low Power, disabled LEDs dimmed, transceiver remains awake, transceiver is listening to the Master's transmissions on every slot. LEDs dimmed, transceiver sleeps every other slot LEDs dimmed, transceiver sleeps 2 of 3 slots LEDs dimmed, transceiver sleeps the number of slots corresponding to the setting. For example, with a setting of 31 the transceiver sleeps 30 of 31 slots.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio 3.6.11 Radio ID Setting This setting allows a transceiver to be designated with an arbitrary, userselectable, 4-digit number which identifies the transceiver in diagnostics mode. When used in conjunction with PakBus dataloggers, it is recommended that this value be assigned the PakBus address of the station. This is because the radio ID appears in the FreeWave diagnostics program, and allows the user to associate a particular datalogger with its attached radio.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio 3.8 Slave Radios configured as Slaves in a multi-point network are allowed to communicate with a multi-point Master (see Figure 3.8-1). The Slave may communicate with its Master through one or more repeaters. FIGURE 3.8-1. DevConfig Screen Showing Settings for a Slave in a Multi-Point Network 3.9 Repeater Setting the Radio Operation Mode to “Multi-Point Repeater” allows the transceiver to operate as a repeater in a multi-pPoint network.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio 3.10 Power Considerations The RF450 radio requires 6 to 30 VDC power. This may be supplied through either a wall charger (CSI part number 15966) connected to the DC power jack on the side of the radio or through the datalogger via the CS I/O port. Networks configured in multi-point mode take advantage of the low power mode of the Slave radios at the datalogger site. This reduces the required power at remote sites from about 75mA to less than 10 mA in most applications.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio Indoor, Omnidirectional 19512 0 dBd, ½ wave whip. SMA connector attaches directly to the radio; no antenna cable is needed. 20644 1 dBd, dipole, with window/wall mount. The antenna is shipped with a 79 in. cable that has an SMA male connector that attaches to the radio. Outdoor, Omindirectional 14221 3 dBd with rugged FM2 antenna mounts and a Type N female connector. It requires an antenna cable to connect to the radio.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio FCC OET Bulletin No. 63 (October 1993) Changing the antenna on a transmitter can significantly increase, or decrease, the strength of the signal that is ultimately transmitted. Except for cable locating equipment, the standards in Part 15 are not based solely on output power but also take into account the antenna characteristics.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio • Screw (pn 505) and grommet (pn 6044) to secure the polyphaser protector to the backplate of an enclosure • 1.5 ft, 10 AWG ground wire (insert one end of the wire between the #505 screw and the polyphaser, then secure the other end to a ground lug) 5. LoggerNet Software Setup The Device Map is configured from the “Setup” button on the LoggerNet or PC400 toolbar. Configure the Device Map as described below (see Figure 5.1-1). 1. Select Add Root | COM Port. 2.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio 6. RF450s with RF401 or CR206(X) in the Same Network Using RF450s in the same network as Campbell Scientific's RF401 radios or CR206(X) dataloggers is not recommended. RF450s will not communicate directly with RF401s and CR206(X)s. The RF450s will interfere with the RF401s’ and CR206(X)s’ transmissions. If RF450s and RF401/CR206(X)s must be in the same network, there are some things you can do to get better performance out of the RF401 portion of your network: 1.
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio Master Slave Repeater Repeater and Slave linked to Master, Master sending data to Slave Solid bright red Solid dim red Off Solid green Off Solid bright red (a) Solid green Solid dim red Solid bright red (a) Repeater and Slave linked to Master, Slave sending data to Master Solid bright red OR Solid green RCV data Solid dim red Intermittent flashing red Solid green Intermittent flashing red Solid bright red (a) Solid green Solid bright red Solid bright red (a
RF450 Spread Spectrum Radio LEDs flash when LoggerNet command transmitted but no response from datalogger: 1. Check SC12 cable on the datalogger's CS I/O port. 2. Check SDC address in RF450. 3. Check SDC address in datalogger. 4. Check the baud rate of all RF450s; they should be the same. 5. Check the baud rate of LoggerNet; it should match the baud rate of the RF450s. Using the diagnostics port.
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Appendix A. Installation Scenarios A.1 Example 1: PC-to-RF Network In this example, the Master radio is connected to a PC running LoggerNet (see Figure A.1-1). Slave radios are connected to CR1000s in the field. LoggerNet may be used to view real-time values from the dataloggers, collect data, set datalogger clocks, and send programs. Remember, each datalogger must have a unique PakBus Address. Slave Slave Master RF450 PC Running LoggerNet /PC400 Slave FIGURE A.1-1.
Appendix A. Installation Scenarios FIGURE A.1-2. DevConfig Screen Showing Master Radio Settings for Example 1 TABLE A.1-1.
Appendix A. Installation Scenarios A.2 Example 2: PC-to-RF Network with Repeater In this example, the Master radio is connected to a PC running LoggerNet (see Figure A.2-1). Slave radios are connected to CR1000s in the field. One Slave radio, also connected to a CR1000, is used as a repeater to go around an obstacle such as a hill. To take advantage of the low power mode, those devices that are NOT repeaters should be configured as multi-point Slaves and not as mult-point Slave/repeaters.
Appendix A. Installation Scenarios Master Radio Settings: FIGURE A.2-2. DevConfig Screen Showing Master Radio Settings for Example 2 Slave/Repeater Radio Settings: FIGURE A.2-3.
Appendix A. Installation Scenarios Slave Radio Settings: FIGURE A.2-4. DevConfig Screen Showing Slave Radio Settings for Example 2 The Device Map in LoggerNet's Setup screen will look something like this: A.3 Example 3: PC-to-RF Network with Parallel Repeaters (using the SubNet ID) In this example, the Master radio is connected to a PC running LoggerNet (see Figure A.3-1 and Table A.3-1). One stand-alone repeater (Repeater 1) is used to access several Slave radios connected to CR1000s in the field.
Appendix A. Installation Scenarios Slave 11 Master RF450 Repeater 1 PC Running LoggerNet /PC400 Slave 12 Slave 21 Slave/ Repeater Slave 22 FIGURE A.3-1. Schematic of PC-to-RF Network with Parallel Repeaters (using the SubNet ID) TABLE A.3-1. RF450 Settings for Example 3 Slave 11, 12 etc. Slave 21, 22 etc. CR1000, RF450 CR1000, RF450 CR1000, RF450 115.2K 115.2K 115.2K 115.
Appendix A. Installation Scenarios A.4 Example 4: Phone-to-RF Base In this example, a COM220 phone modem and Master radio are connected without a datalogger to a network of CR1000s in the field (see Figure A.4-1 and Table A.4-1). The computer running LoggerNet uses a phone modem to call into the Master site and connect to the rest of the network. The rest of the network can be configured as in other examples.
Appendix A. Installation Scenarios A.5 Example 5: Call-back Call-back is the ability of a remote site to initiate a call to LoggerNet and have LoggerNet call back to collect data. Call-back is supported in networks consisting of RF450s as the single communications device as in Examples 1, 2, and 3.
Appendix A.
Appendix A.
Appendix B. Settings Editor The Settings Editor of the Device Configuration Utility provides access to additional settings not shown on the Deployment Tab. Most RF450 networks do not need to make changes through the Settings Editor.
Appendix B. Settings Editor Radios deployed outside of the United States must use a Hop Table Version other than zero (the default). This setting can be changed through the Settings Editor tab. The Hop Table Version setting allows the user to choose the portion of the band in which the transceiver will operate. B-2 0 Standard Full 902-928 MHz 1 Australia 915-928 MHz 2 International 902-928 MHz, 16 fewer frequencies than full U.S.
Campbell Scientific Companies Campbell Scientific, Inc. (CSI) 815 West 1800 North Logan, Utah 84321 UNITED STATES www.campbellsci.com • info@campbellsci.com Campbell Scientific Africa Pty. Ltd. (CSAf) PO Box 2450 Somerset West 7129 SOUTH AFRICA www.csafrica.co.za • cleroux@csafrica.co.za Campbell Scientific Australia Pty. Ltd. (CSA) PO Box 444 Thuringowa Central QLD 4812 AUSTRALIA www.campbellsci.com.au • info@campbellsci.com.au Campbell Scientific do Brazil Ltda.
