Installation Manual

5
Front of crush/chute,
w
eigh crate or drafter
Animal flow inside crush/
chute, weigh crate or drafter
Read zone
Keep animals
out of this area
Antenna
Any tag that enters the read zone will be read. Only one animal at a time should be in the read zone. Prevent animals outside the crush/chute, weigh
crate or drafter from entering the area near the antenna where their tags could be read accidentally. To do this, set up the area beside the antenna so
that the read zone is isolated at all times. False tag readings will cause errors in management records.
Design of the crush/chute, weigh crate or drafter
The design of the crush/chute, weigh crate or drafter may affect read distance. Before mounting the antenna, test the proposed mounting location
and adjust the position of the antenna until optimum read rates are achieved. See
Testing a proposed location for the antenna on page 5.
Note: Because the XRP Reader is auto-tuning, the antenna will adjust automatically to compensate for moving parts such as an opening gate or
shifting sides on a cattle crush.
Vet inspection gates
Inspection gates behind the antenna may affect read performance. For best results, move the antenna away from them.
Testing a proposed location for the antenna
After reading the section Selecting a suitable location for the antenna beginning on page 4, test the proposed location for the antenna before
installing the antenna.
To test the proposed location for the antenna:
1 Connect the antenna cable to the XRP Reader.
2 Turn on the XRP Reader.
3 Hold the antenna in the proposed location.
4 Hold an EID tag in the ‘read zone’ where the animal will travel.
5 If the green ‘Tag Read’ LED on the XRP Reader is flashing rapidly, this indicates that the proposed location is suitable.
If the LED flashes only a few times per second, this indicates that the read rate is poor. The position of the antenna should be adjusted until a
reliable read rate is achieved.