User's Manual

3-5
you are entering data from the RF Terminal keypad, you must press the ENTER
key to transmit your data. If the Base Station receives the data, the RF Terminal
displays the following prompt:
Data Received Was
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Enter Data?
Where aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa is the data received by the Base Station (and
transmitted to the Host Computer if connected). You can exit One-Way Mode
simply by pressing the F1 key on the RF Terminal keypad.
In One-Way Mode, the RF Terminal transmits its Terminal ID to the Base Station
but it does not pass it on to the Host Computer. If your application on the Host
Computer needs to know which RF Terminal data came from, use the Preamble
setup parameter to enter unique identifying information. Data is also transmitted
without a Terminator Character (like a CR or TAB that is transmitted after the
data); so if you need one, use the Postamble setup parameter to add the
appropriate character(s) after your data. For more information on Preambles and
Postambles see Chapter 2; RF System Setup for details.
How Site Testing works
The RF Terminal uses Site Test mode to: 1) test the radios at short range, (30
ft.) as an acid test for correct operation, and 2) to evaluate a specific site for
effective coverage. Because each operating environment is different, it is almost
impossible to predict the range without Site Testing.
Before you permanently install any hardware, you should perform a Site Test to
fully evaluate your planned area of operation. During the test the RF Terminal is
transmitting 50 messages and waiting for acknowledgement from the Base
Station. The Site Test evaluates the percentage of successful transmissions on
the first and second tries from any given area. The higher the percentage, the
more successful your communications will be from that area. Site Testing does
not require your Base Station be attached to your Host Computer. All you need
is your Base Station, 5v power supply and RF Terminal. For detailed
information on how to perform a Site Test and use the results to determine the
best location for your Base Station, go to Chapter 4; Performance Issues.