Setting up the DataGuard rf Scan Station and Antenna Pad
Follow these steps to set up and properly position the Scan Station reader and antenna pad:
•
Make sure the host computer is turned off and that no power is supplied to the Scan
Station.
o
The host computer should be using the either Windows® 2000 or XP
operating systems.
o
The host computer should have the RFID tracking software for the
DataGuard rf Tape Tracking System installed (see Section 3 of the manual
for the DataGuard rf Tape Tracking System).
•
Set up the antenna pad away from large pieces of metal that may interfere with the
operation of the antenna.
o
No power should be applied to the Scan Station reader until after the antenna
pad is attached.
o
The Scan Station reader must be at least 15 cm (6 inches) away from the
antenna pad.
Leave sufficient space around the Scan Station reader and antenna
pad to allow proper air circulation to avoid overheating.
Position the Scan Station reader so that the operator can observe the
activity LEDs (see below) during scanning or initialization of the tags.
o
The antenna pad must be at least 50cm (20 inches) away from large pieces
of metal. Large pieces of metal include—
Table legs, edges, and drawers
Metal cabinets, cases, and equipment
Metal studs in walls
Small pieces of metal may also affect the antenna depending on their
size and orientation.
Keep coiled cable or wire away from the antenna.
If there is a second Scan Station near by, its antenna must be at least
XX cm (XX feet) from this Scan Station or any other 13.56 MHz HF
RFID antenna.
•
Connect the antenna pad cable to the scanner body. See Figure 1 below.
o
Arrange the antenna pad cable away from the antenna.
Figure 1
•
Attach RS-232 cable from the Scan Station reader to the suitable RS-232/COM port
on the host computer.
o
Arrange the RS-232 cable away from the antenna pad.
o
Note—the operating system on the host computer will only allocate the COM
port once on start-up. Do not user other software on the COM port because it
might interfere with the operation of the Scan Station.
3
o
Use only the supplied RS-232 cable to maintain minimum radio interference.
