VST5000W5000W Wireless Survey Tools User Guide June 21th, 2011 028-0297_R4_MAN VWG-SURVEY-E04
Product Overview Index Product Overview 2 The Viconics wireless survey tools are intended to verify and validate the deployment and use of the Viconics wireless controllers on a potential job site.
IEEE 802.15.4 along with ZigBee Networks and Application Support Layer provide: • • • • • recommends the use of 802.15.4 channels 15, 25 and 26 ONLY. 802.11 Wi-Fi transmissions overlap and may interfere with other channel selections allowed by 802.15.4 (Channels 11 to 24 ).
• In order to avoid interference from other wireless devices such as (wireless routers, wireless adapters or laptop using wireless networks, etc.) insure that a minimum distance of 3 feet or 1 meter is maintained between any Viconics node and any Wi-Fi devices. Maintain a distance of 10 feet or 3 meters or more would be preferable when possible (fig. 3). VWG in a metal box. If the VWG needs to be installed inside a metal cabinet, use the remote antenna accessory.
Site Survey Overview If available, it is best to have a floor plan layout showing the location of all the proposed controllers to be installed. If possible, perform the survey during occupied hours where other electronic devices such as (computers, wireless laptop, cell phones, PDA’s, wireless telephones, microwave ovens, light ballasts, etc.) would be in use as to generate as much interference as possible. Some of these devices can generate interference up to 20 feet or 6.
Performing a site survey: Let’s take this typical floor layout with the proposed controller & coordinator (VWG or Jace-Driver) (fig. 8). Fig. 8 t t t t t t t t t c Wireless Thermostat t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t c t t t Proposed Wireless Coordinator VWG /Jace-Driver link quality of the signal strength for each proposed controller location until you are out of range. 1) Find the potential coverage radius of the coordinator (VWG or Jace-Driver) at it’s proposed location.
5) Then find the potential coverage radiuses through a few of the controllers furthest away from the coordinator (VWG or Jace-Driver) covered radius (fig. 10). Fig.
Knowing and understanding the 6A / 5H rule of ZigBee ZigBee is a standard which is suitable for wireless sensor and controller networks. In ZigBee, a device / node / controller is said to join a network if it can obtain a ZigBee network address from a parent device. This ZigBee address is a value which is NOT initially exposed or available for the integrator to see. Devices / nodes / controllers can calculate and assign addresses for their surrounding devices by a distributed address assignment scheme.
Please note that this ONLY applies to the initial network start-up. Once all the devices are online to the Niagara database, everything will operate seamlessly even on power up / down & network re-starts. 5H stands for 5 hops maximum ANY given device / node / controller should be “optimized” to be NO FURTHER than 5 Hops to and from the Jace / Coordinator. This is due to the nature of the Viconics ZigBee stack in the wireless controllers. How Orphan nodes are created in the field. Ex.
Best practice ZigBee initial network start-up procedure 5. Leave survey tool B at this location and move survey tool A towards the other clusters of controllers. Locate the boundary where the signal strength is about 20%. This represents the maximum radius of the second hop where connectivity is possible based on the building environment and partition construction.
Points to Remember: new network. I.E. this is ONLY applicable during the initial network start-up. • Always write your transmission results on a plan when possible. • Use REP5000W repeaters if remote devices are too far to bridge or the signal is too weak. • You can move the coordinator (VWG or Jace-Driver) to a new location if it helps create better clusters of controllers. • You “should” always plan for a floor by floor horizontal architecture vs. a vertical one.
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