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14

MDS iNET 900 Series User’s Guide

MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. E.1

antenna separation between the two AP antennas on the same support 
structure. If that does not work, consult with your factory representative 
about other techniques for controlling radio frequency interference 
between the radios. (

See “A Word About Radio Interference” on 

Page 136

 for more details.)

1.4

MDS SECURITY SUITE

Today the operation and management of an enterprise is becoming 
increasing dependent on electronic information flow. An accompanying 
concern becomes the security of the communication infrastructure and 
the security of the data itself.

The MDS iNET 900 transceiver is capable of dealing with many 
common security issues. 

Table 1-2

 profiles security risks and how the 

transceiver provides a solution for minimizing vulnerability. 

Table 1-2. Security Risk Management

Security Vulnerability

MDS iNET 900 Solution

Unauthorized access to the backbone 
network through a foreign remote radio

 Approved Remotes List

Only those remotes included in the 
AP list will associate

“Rogue” AP, where a foreign AP takes 
control of some or all remote radios and 
thus remote devices

 Approved AP List 

A remote will only associate to those 
AP included in its local authorized 
list of AP

Dictionary attacks, where a hacker runs a 
program that sequentially tries to break a 
password.

 Failed-login lockdown 

After 3 tries, the transceiver ignores 
login requests for 5 minutes. Critical 
event reports (traps) are generated 
as well.

Denial of service, where Remote radios 
could be reconfigured with bad 
parameters bringing the network down.

Remote login

Local console login

Disabled HTTP & Telnet to allow 
only local management services

Airsnort and other war-driving hackers in 
parking lots, etc.

900 MHz FHSS for 

i

NET (DTS for 

i

NET II) does not talk over the air 

with standard 802.11b cards

The transceiver cannot be put in a 
promiscuous mode

Proprietary data framing

Eavesdropping, intercepting messages

128-bit encryption

Key cracking

 Automatic Rotating Key algorithm

Replaying messages

128-bit encryption with rotating keys

Summary of Contents for iNET 900 Series

Page 1: ...User s Guide MDS 05 2806A01 Rev E 1 DECEMBER 2005 Wireless IP Ethernet Transceiver Firmware Release 4 MDS iNET 900 Series Microwave Data Systems Inc ...

Page 2: ...ssed through this method HTTP Telnet access and changing some parameters are controlled by password BASIC CONFIGURATION DEFAULTS Step 6 Check for Normal Operation Observe the transceiver LED status panel for the proper indications In a normally operating system the following LED indications will be seen within 30 seconds of power up PWR Lights continuously LAN On or blinks intermittently LINK On o...

Page 3: ...7 High Speed Mobile Data 10 1 3 NETWORK DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 10 1 3 1 Extending Network Coverage with Repeaters 10 1 3 2 Protected Network Operation using Multiple Access Points 12 1 3 3 Collocating Multiple Radio Networks 13 1 4 MDS SECURITY SUITE 14 1 4 1 Early Warning via SNMP Traps 15 1 5 ACCESSORIES 15 2 TABLETOP EVALUATION AND TEST SETUP 17 2 1 OVERVIEW 19 2 2 STEP 1 INSTALL THE ANTENNA CAB...

Page 4: ...4 1 Network Configuration Menu 40 3 4 2 IP Address Configuration Menu 42 3 4 3 Ethernet Port Configuration Menu 43 3 4 4 DHCP Server Configuration 44 3 4 5 SNMP Agent Configuration 46 3 5 RADIO CONFIGURATION 48 3 5 1 Radio Configuration Menu 48 3 5 2 Mobile Data Configuration 54 3 6 CONFIGURING THE SERIAL INTERFACES 56 3 6 1 Overview 56 3 6 2 Serial Data Port Configuration Menu 59 3 6 3 Configurin...

Page 5: ...G 113 4 1 1 Interpreting the Front Panel LEDs 113 4 1 2 Troubleshooting Using the Embedded Management System 114 4 1 3 Using Logged Operation Events 118 4 1 4 Alarm Conditions 118 4 1 5 Correcting Alarm Conditions 120 4 1 6 Logged Events 121 4 2 RADIO RF MEASUREMENTS 123 4 2 1 Antenna System SWR and Transmitter Power Output 124 4 2 2 Antenna Aiming 125 5 PLANNING A RADIO NETWORK 129 5 1 INSTALLATI...

Page 6: ...e to serve and anticipate your needs We will strive to give you solutions that are cost effective innovative reliable and of the highest quality possible We promise to build a relationship that is forthright and ethical one that builds confidence and trust What Products are Covered in this Manual This manual covers two members of the MDS iNET Transceiver Series both of which are designed to be ope...

Page 7: ...e wireless leader in indus trial automation including oil and gas production and transportation water wastewater treat ment supply and transportation electric transmission and distribution and many other utility applications MDS is also at the forefront of wireless communications for private and public infra structure and online transaction processing Now is an exciting time for MDS and our custom...

Page 8: ... manual Failure to comply with these instructions may also void the user s authority to operate this device Part 15 rules also require that the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power EIRP from an MDS iNET Series installation not exceed 36 dBm Refer to Antenna Feedline Selection on Page 132 for more information Industry Canada RSS Notices Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 this devi...

Page 9: ...Serial Radio Networks 6 1 2 4 Multiple Protocols and or Services 7 1 2 5 Wireless LAN with Mixed Services 8 1 2 6 Upgrading Older Wireless Network with Serial Interfaces 9 1 2 7 High Speed Mobile Data 10 1 3 NETWORK DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 10 1 3 1 Extending Network Coverage with Repeaters 10 1 3 2 Protected Network Operation using Multiple Access Points 12 1 3 3 Collocating Multiple Radio Networks ...

Page 10: ...2 MDS iNET 900 Series User s Guide MDS 05 2806A01 Rev E 1 ...

Page 11: ...data communications The only user serviceable component inside the case is a fuse on the DC power input line Simple Installation Most installations employ an omni directional antenna at the Access Point AP location and a directional antenna at each Remote unit The antenna is a vital link in the system and must be chosen and installed correctly Consult INSTALLATION PLANNING on Page 129 for guid anc...

Page 12: ... can be done locally or remotely Four different modes of access are available local RS 232 console local or remote IP access via Telnet web browser and SNMP v1 v2 v3 The text based inter face RS 232 console and Telnet is implemented in the form of easy to follow menus and the terminal server configuration includes a wizard to help you set up the units correctly Transceiver Features The transceiver...

Page 13: ... transceiver instal lations This is meant as an overview only It is recommended that a net work manager be involved in all installation planning activities 1 2 1 Wireless LAN The wireless LAN is the most common application of the transceiver It consists of a central control station Access Point and one or more asso ciated Remote units as shown in Figure 1 2 on Page 6 A LAN provides communications ...

Page 14: ...common LAN WAN Invisible place holder Figure 1 2 Typical Wireless LAN 1 2 2 Point to Point LAN Extension A point to point configuration Figure 1 3 is a simple arrangement consisting of an Access Point and a Remote unit This provides a com munications link for the transfer of data between two locations Invisible place holder Figure 1 3 Typical Point to Point Link 1 2 3 Backhaul for Serial Radio Net...

Page 15: ...ere often used to service two different types of devices typically connected to different SCADA hosts An iNET 900 radio provides this functionality with a single remote radio Each of the two serial ports can be connected via IP to dif ferent SCADA hosts transporting different or the same protocols Both data streams are completely independent and the transceiver pro vides seamless simultaneous oper...

Page 16: ...xtreme environments a simple NEMA enclosure is sufficient to house the unit The transceiver trades higher speed for longer range Commercial 802 11b solutions are designed to provide service to relatively small areas such as offices warehouses and homes They provide high data rates but have limited range The iNET 900 transmits at a higher power level uses a different frequency band has higher sensi...

Page 17: ...erface equipment can be replaced with iNET 900 transceivers Legacy equip ment can be connected to the transceiver through the COM1 or COM2 port with a DB 25 to DB 9 cable wired for EIA 232 signaling The COM2 port supports all standard EIA 232 signaling and acts as a data terminal equipment device DTE NOTE Several previous MDS brand products had non standard signal lines on their interface connecto...

Page 18: ... A repeater works by re transmitting data from outlying remote sites to the Access Point and vice versa It introduces some additional end to end transmission delay but provides longer range connectivity In some geographical areas obstacles can make communications diffi cult These obstacles are commonly large buildings hills or dense foliage These obstacles can often be overcome with a repeater sta...

Page 19: ...as Two antennas are required at this type of repeater station one for each radio Measures must be taken to minimize the chance of interference between these antennas One effective technique for limiting interfer ence is to employ vertical separation In this arrangement assuming both are vertically polarized one antenna is mounted directly over the other separated by at least 10 feet 3 Meters This ...

Page 20: ...1 3 2 Protected Network Operation using Multiple Access Points Although MDS transceivers have a very robust design and have under gone intensive testing before being shipped it is possible for isolated failures to occur In mission critical applications down time can be vir tually eliminated by using some or all of the following configurations In a point to multipoint scenario the Access Point serv...

Page 21: ... Name should be avoided unless a redundant system is being deployed Using the same Network Name in multiple APs may result in Remotes associating with undesired APs and preventing data exchange from occurring The use of a different Network Name does not guarantee an interfer ence free system It does however assure that only data destined for a unique network is passed through to that network Co Lo...

Page 22: ...hrough a foreign remote radio Approved Remotes List Only those remotes included in the AP list will associate Rogue AP where a foreign AP takes control of some or all remote radios and thus remote devices Approved AP List A remote will only associate to those AP included in its local authorized list of AP Dictionary attacks where a hacker runs a program that sequentially tries to break a password ...

Page 23: ...c Table 1 2 Security Risk Management Security Vulnerability MDS iNET 900 Solution Table 1 3 Accessories Accessory Description MDS Part No AC Power Adapter Kit A small power supply module designed for continuous service UL approved Input 120 220 Output 13 8 Vdc 2 5 A 01 3682A02 Omni Directional Antennas Rugged antennas well suited for use at Access Point installations Consult with your factory Sale...

Page 24: ...ce Mounting Brackets Screws Brackets 2 x 3 plates designed to be screwed onto the bottom of the unit for surface mounting the radio 82 1753 A01 Screws 6 32 1 4 with locking adhesive Industry Standard MS 51957 26 70 2620 A01 DIN Rail Mounting Bracket Bracket used to mount the transceiver to standard 35 mm DIN rails commonly found in equipment cabinets and panels 03 4022A02 COM2Interface Adapter DB ...

Page 25: ...9 2 2 STEP 1 INSTALL THE ANTENNA CABLING 19 2 3 STEP 2 MEASURE CONNECT THE PRIMARY POWER 20 2 4 STEP 3 CONNECT PC TO THE TRANSCEIVER 20 2 5 STEP 4 REVIEW TRANSCEIVER CONFIGURATION 21 2 5 1 Getting Started 21 2 5 2 Procedure 21 2 5 3 Basic Configuration Defaults 21 2 6 STEP 5 CONNECT LAN AND OR SERIAL EQUIPMENT 22 2 7 STEP 6 CHECK FOR NORMAL OPERATION 23 ...

Page 26: ...18 MDS iNET 900 Series User s Guide MDS 05 2806A01 Rev E 1 ...

Page 27: ... from any currently in use in your area during the testing period This will eliminate unnecessary disruption of traffic on the existing network while you become familiar with the transceiver or evaluate variations of unit operating parameters To simulate data traffic over the radio network connect a PC or LAN to the Ethernet port of the Access Point and PING each transceiver several times 2 2 STEP...

Page 28: ... 760 mA 10 5 Vdc 580 mA 13 8 Vdc and 267 mA 30 Vdc A power connector with screw terminals is provided with each unit Strip the wire leads to 6 mm 0 25 Be sure to observe proper polarity as shown in Figure 2 2 with the positive lead on the left NOTE It will take about 30 seconds for the transceiver to power up and be ready for operation Invisible place holder Figure 2 2 Power Connector Polarity Lef...

Page 29: ...ocedure that must be done on each unit in the system Key parameters are shown on the Embedded Management System overview Figure 3 1 on Page 28 A lists of parameters can found in two tables Table 4 5 on Page 119 and Table 4 7 on Page 122 Detailed information on using the Management System can be found in MS INTRODUCTION on Page 27 NOTE The Management System supports the use of configuration files t...

Page 30: ... are use Telnet or the web browser through the Ethernet port use Telnet or the web browser through the antenna port remote management Figure 2 3 on Page 23 shows the default functions and services for the interface connectors Table 2 1 Basic Configuration Defaults Item Menu Location Default Values Range Device Mode1 Main Menu Network Configuration Device Mode Marked on unit s ID label Access Point...

Page 31: ...rmittently to indicate traffic flow Table 2 2 provides details on the LED functions Table 2 2 Transceiver LED Functions LED Label Activity Indication LAN ON LAN detected Blinking Data TX RX OFF LAN not detected or excessive traffic present COM1 MGT System Blinking Data TX RX OFF No data activity COM2 Blinking Data TX RX OFF No data activity PWR ON Primary power DC present Blinking Unit in Alarmed ...

Page 32: ...the link integrity with the Access Point or pointing your browser to another Remote unit s IP address in the same network LINK Access Point ON Default state Blinking Data Tx Rx OFF Traffic exceeds the capacity of the radio network LINK Remote Gateway ON Associated to AP Blinking Data Tx Rx OFF Not associated with AP Table 2 2 Transceiver LED Functions Continued LED Label Activity Indication ...

Page 33: ...4 1 Network Configuration Menu 40 3 4 2 IP Address Configuration Menu 42 3 4 3 Ethernet Port Configuration Menu 43 3 4 4 DHCP Server Configuration 44 3 4 5 SNMP Agent Configuration 46 3 5 RADIO CONFIGURATION 48 3 5 1 Radio Configuration Menu 48 3 5 2 Mobile Data Configuration 54 3 6 CONFIGURING THE SERIAL INTERFACES 56 3 6 1 Overview 56 3 6 2 Serial Data Port Configuration Menu 59 3 6 3 Configurin...

Page 34: ...Performance Information Menu 76 3 8 2 Network Performance Notes 87 3 9 MAINTENANCE 91 3 9 1 Reprogramming Menu 92 3 9 2 Configuration Scripts Menu 97 3 9 3 Authorization Keys Menu 105 3 9 4 Auto Upgrade Remote Reboot Menu 106 3 9 5 Radio Test Menu 107 3 9 6 Ping Utility Menu 108 3 9 7 Reset to Factory Defaults 108 3 9 8 Resetting the Password 108 ...

Page 35: ...3 4 CONFIGURING NETWORK PARAMETERS beginning on Page 40 Section 3 5 RADIO CONFIGURATION beginning on Page 48 Section 3 6 CONFIGURING THE SERIAL INTERFACES beginning on Page 56 Section 3 7 SECURITY CONFIGURATION beginning on Page 73 Section 3 8 PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION beginning on Page 76 Section 3 9 MAINTENANCE beginning on Page 91 Each of these sections has a focus that is reflected in its headi...

Page 36: ...ted RTS Threshold RF Hopping Format AP Skip Zones AP RSSI Threshold RMT SNR Threshold RMT Seamless Inter Frame Delay UDP Point to Point example shown Serial Number Hardware Version Firmware Version Console Baud Rate Uptime Model Number Date Format Time Date Device Names Login Status Two way Authentication Encryption Auto Key Rotation AP HTTP Access SNMP Mode Telnet Access Approved Remotes List AP ...

Page 37: ...milar menu structure Invisible place holder Figure 3 3 View of the MS with a Browser 3 2 ACCESSING THE MENU SYSTEM The radio has no external controls All configuration diagnostics and control is performed electronically using a connected PC This section explains how to connect a PC log into the unit and gain access to the built in menu screens ...

Page 38: ...see when viewing an Internet website The appearance of menu screens differs slightly from other methods of control but the content and organization of screen items is similar Web browser sessions may be run locally or remotely via the Inter net Telnet and Web Browser sessions require the use of a straight through or crossover Ethernet cable depending on the whether the PC to radio connection is ma...

Page 39: ... no flow control Use ANSI or VT100 emulation TIP The HyperTerminal communications program can be accessed on most PCs by selecting this menu sequence Start Programs Accesso ries Communications HyperTerminal NOTE The exact parameters given above must be used for console terminal communication Improper settings are a common cause of difficulty NOTE If the unit is powered up or rebooted while connect...

Page 40: ... Session NOTE This method requires that you know the IP address of the unit beforehand If you do not know the address use the Local Console method above and access the Starting Information Screen The address is displayed on this screen 1 Connect a PC to the unit s LAN port either directly or via a network If connecting directly use an Ethernet crossover cable if connecting via a network use a stra...

Page 41: ...eed to the Main Menu NOTE Passwords are case sensitive Do not use punctuation mark characters You may use up to eight alpha numeric characters Starting a Web Browser Session NOTE Web access requires that you know the IP address of the unit you are connecting to If you do not know the address start a Local Console session see Starting a Local Console Session Recommended for first time Users on Page...

Page 42: ...an review basic informa tion about the unit or click on one of the menu items at the left side of the screen Invisible place holder Figure 3 8 Starting Information Screen Web Browser Example 3 2 3 Navigating the Menus Via Terminal or Telnet Sessions Recommended for first time users Local Console and Telnet sessions use multi layered text menu systems that are nearly identical To move further down ...

Page 43: ...n appears press the key to choose that selection In some cases several parameters may be changed and then saved by a single keystroke The key can be used to cancel the action and restore the previous values Logging Out Via Terminal Emulator or Telnet From the Main Menu screen press Q to quit and terminate the session Navigating via Web Browser Navigating with a Web browser is straightforward with ...

Page 44: ...ion Screen Device Mode Current operating mode of the unit as it relates to the radio network Device Name This is a user defined parameter that will appear in the heading of all pages To change it see Network Configuration Menu on Page 40 Network Name The name of the radio network in which the unit is associated IP Address Unit s IP address 192 168 1 1 Device Status Condition of the unit s associat...

Page 45: ...n of firmware that is currently active in the unit HardwareVersion Hardware version of the transceiver s printed circuit board Serial Number Make a record of this number It must be pro vided to purchase Authorization Keys to upgrade unit capabili ties See Authorization Keys Menu on Page 105 3 3 2 Main Menu The next screen the Main Menu is the entryway to all user controllable features The transcei...

Page 46: ...io and data layer s performance of the radio network See Performance Information Menu on Page 76 Maintenance Tools Tools to use configuration files change firmware and use Authorization Keys to change major unit capabilities See Authorization Key Alter the unit s overall capabilities by enabling the built in resources See Authorization Keys Menu on Page 105 on Page 91 3 3 3 Configuring Basic Devic...

Page 47: ...lure if SNTP Simple Network Time Protocol server not accessible Time Current time of day User setable Setting HH MM SS Value lost with power failure if SNTP server not accessible Date Format Select presentation format Generic dd Mmm yyyy European dd mm yyyy US mm dd yyyy Device Names Menu Figure 3 12 Device Names Menu Device Name Device Name used by the transceiver as the Realm name for network lo...

Page 48: ...ion Menu is the home of three parameters that should be reviewed and changed as necessary before placing a trans ceiver in service Device Mode IP Address and Network Name Screens for both the Access Point and Remote units are shown below Figure 3 13 Network Configuration Menu From Access Point Figure 3 14 Network Configuration Menu From Remote Unit ...

Page 49: ...rom the AP at authentication time The transceivers use UTC Universal Time Constant with a configurable time offset 0 0 0 0 IP Address Configuration Presents a menu for configuring the local static IP address of the transceiver Detailed explanations are provided in the section titled IP Address Configuration Menu on Page 42 Ethernet Port Configuration Presents a menu for defining the sta tus of the...

Page 50: ...tion as described in the item above Available selections are Remote All endpoints and remotes or Disabled Ethernet Address Display Only Hardware address of this unit s Ethernet interface Wireless Address Display Only Hardware address of the unit s wireless interface 3 4 2 IP Address Configuration Menu The radios use a local IP address to support remote management and serial device services The IP ...

Page 51: ...et mask This field is unnecessary if DHCP is enabled 255 255 0 0 Static IP Gateway The IPv4 address of the network gateway device typically a router This field is unnecessary if DHCP is enabled 0 0 0 0 The lower three lines of the screen show the actual addressing at the transceiver whether it was obtained from static configura tion or from a DHCP server NOTE Any change made to the above parameter...

Page 52: ...ABLE and Remotes are allowed to join in Disabled Ethernet Link Poll Address AP Only When an IP address is pro vided the Access Point pings the remote IP device every 2 min utes to test the integrity of the backhaul link If this link is not available the AP will advertise its NOT AVAILABLE status in the beacon signal so Remotes do not try to associate to it Once the IP address is reachable this bea...

Page 53: ...ne Server Status Enable Disable responding to DHCP requests to assign an IP address Disabled Enabled Disabled DHCP Netmask IP netmask to be assigned along with the IP address in response to a DHCP request 0 0 0 0 Starting Address Lowest IP address of the range of addresses to be provided by this device 0 0 0 0 Ending Address Highest IP address in the range of addresses to be provided by this devic...

Page 54: ...ib MDS sub tree registrations mds_comm mib MDS Common MIB definitions for objects and events which are common to the entire product family inet_reg mib MDS sub tree registrations inettrv1 mib SNMPv1 enterprise specific traps inettrv2 mib SNMPv2 enterprise specific traps inet_comm mib MIB definitions for objects and events which are common to the entire iNET Series inet_ap mib MIB definitions for o...

Page 55: ...gent is managing pass words locally or initially for all cases on reboot This is the SNMPv3 password used for Authentication currently only MD5 is supported This string can be up to 30 alpha numeric characters V3 Privacy Password Privacy password stored in flash memory Used when the SNMPAgent is managing passwords locally or initially for all cases on reboot This is the SNMPv3 password used for pr...

Page 56: ...work that traps are sent to Any standard IP address NOTE The number in the upper right hand corner of the screen is the SNMP Agent s SNMPv3 Engine ID Some SNMP Managers may need to know this ID in order interface with the trans ceiver s SNMP Agent The ID only appears on the screen when SNMP Mode is either v1 v2 v3 or v3_only 3 5 RADIO CONFIGURATION There are two primary data layers in the transcei...

Page 57: ...when communicating with an AP 256 kbps or 512 kbps 512 kbps or 1 Mbps for iNET II 512 kbps data rates 1 Mbps for iNET II are possible with strong RF signal levels typically stronger than 77 dBm RSSI including a 15 dB fade margin When the data rate is set to AUTO the remote radio is able to change speeds based on the signal quality criteria set in the Auto Data Rate submenu described later in this ...

Page 58: ...motes in the network Hop Pattern Seed AP Only Not applicable to iNET II A user select able value to be added to the hop pattern formula This is done in the unlikely event that identical hop patterns are used with two collocated or nearby networks Changing the seed value will minimize the potential for RF signal collisions in these sit uations This field is only changeable on an Access Point Remote...

Page 59: ...w which the sig nal to noise ratio is deemed to have degraded and a critical event is generated and logged Under these conditions the PWR lamp flashes and a trap is sent to the trap manager if SNMP is enabled and set properly 0 to 40 Not Programmed RF Hopping Format Operation compliant to country specific restrictions into the frequency hopping algorithm This option must be specified when the orde...

Page 60: ...em to implement changes These changes will be forwarded to all units in the network through the Access Point s beacon signal A maximum of three zones can be skipped and still be compli ant with FCC regulations Auto Data Rate Configuration This selection brings up a submenu as shown in Figure 3 22 For the settings in this submenu to have any effect the Data Rate menu item Page 49 must be set to AUT...

Page 61: ...witch back to high speed This provides an operational window or hysteresis range over which the data speed stays constant despite minor changes in signal strength The SNR signal to noise ratio threshold and delta operate in the same manner described above with the exception that the units are expressed in relative dB instead of dBm In the example of Figure 3 22 a drop of 2 dB from a level of 26 dB...

Page 62: ...nsceiver 0 10 2 3 5 2 Mobile Data Configuration Because a mobile environment is more demanding than fixed site oper ation additional considerations must be made at the time of configura tion These key points should be considered for all mobile installations The use of middleware in the mobile laptops is important for the correct operation of a mobile data system This software is not pro vided by M...

Page 63: ...obility at Remote Radio Invisible place holder Figure 3 24 Radio Configuration Screen Remote Other parameter settings that should be reviewed for Mobility Mode Compression AP disabled Data compression is performed by the middleware running on the mobile laptop PC Gains in effi ciency are made because middleware compresses data at a higher stack level and it aggregates multiple data frames and stre...

Page 64: ...um value improves the probability of packets being sent complete on the first try RTS Threshold AP 0 1600 bytes This setting is a wireless equivalent to RTS CTS flow control in a normal communica tions circuit This mechanism removes packet collisions caused by the Hidden Node scenario in which remotes can t hear each other before transmitting When this value is set below 100 it is essentially disa...

Page 65: ...9 200 is default and enter an escape sequence to reset it to the console mode TCP vs UDP Both types of IP services are used by the transceiver embedded serial device server TCP and UDP TCP provides a connection oriented link with end to end acknowledgment of data but with some added over head UDP provides a connectionless best effort delivery service with no acknowledgment Most polled protocols wi...

Page 66: ...oming keep alive timer and outgoing counter UDP Multicast IP provides a mechanism to do a limited broadcast to a specific group of devices This is known as multicast addressing Many IP routers hubs and switches support this functionality Multicast addressing requires the use of a specific branch of IP addresses set apart by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority IANA for this purpose UDP multicas...

Page 67: ...y is settable in either Seamless or Custom modes Implementing Configuration Changes There are several configuration parameters for the Serial Gateway found under the Serial Configuration Menu of the Management System After making changes to the configuration you must use the menu s Commit Changes to assert the changes If you are connecting EIA 232 serial devices to the transceiver review these par...

Page 68: ...tep by step process View Current Settings Displays all settable options Depend ing on the selected IP protocol 3 6 3 Configuring for UDP Mode Invisible place holder Figure 3 26 UDP Point to Multipoint Menu UDP point to multipoint to send a copy of the same packet to multiple destinations such as in a polling protocol Status Enable Disable the serial data port ...

Page 69: ...y mode must match Single Packet mode vs Packet Repeat mode This is because a transceiver when in Packet Repeat mode sends 12 extra characters sequence numbers etc to control the delivery of the repeated data Misconfigurations can result in undesired operation Data Baud Rate Data rate payload for the COM port in bits per second 1 200 115 200 19200 Configuration Formatting of data bytes Data bits pa...

Page 70: ...vice Status Enable Disable the serial data port IP Protocol UDP Point to Point This is the type of IP port that will be offered by the transceiver s serial device server TCP UDP PPP TCP Remote IP Address Data received through the serial port is sent to this IP address To reach multiple Remotes in the net work use UDP Point to Multipoint Any legal IP address 0 0 0 0 Remote IP Port The destination I...

Page 71: ... seamless mode is selected data bytes will be sent over the air as quickly as possible but the receiver will buffer the data until enough bytes have arrived to cover worst case gaps in transmission The delay intro duced by data buffering may range from 22 to 44 ms but the radio will not create any gaps in the output data stream This mode of operation is required for protocols such as MOD BUS that ...

Page 72: ...s to be used as a desti nation for data received through the serial port in case the pri mary host address is not available Any legal IP address 0 0 0 0 Secondary IP Port The destination IP port for data packets received through the serial port on the transceiver used along with the secondary host address above Any valid IP port COM1 30010 COM2 30011 Outgoing Connection s Inactivity Timeout Amount...

Page 73: ... end of a message inter character time out MOD BUS defines a 3 5 character parameter 1 65 535 4 Custom Data Buffer Size Custom Packet Mode only Maxi mum amount of characters that the Remote end will buffer locally before starting to transmit data through the serial port 16 32 64 128 256 32 Commit Changes and Exit Wizard Save and execute changes made on this screen Shown only after changes have bee...

Page 74: ...ssion The delay introduced by data buffering may range from 22 to 44 ms but the radio will not create any gaps in the output data stream This mode of operation is required for protocols such as MODBUS and some variants which do not allow gaps in their data transmission Seamless Custom Seamless Seamless Inter Frame Delay Number of characters that repre sent the end of a message inter character time...

Page 75: ... as MODBUS that do not allow gaps in their data transmission Seamless Custom Seamless Seamless Inter Frame Delay Number of characters that represent the end of a message inter character time out MODBUS defines a 3 5 character parameter 1 65 535 4 Custom Data Buffer Size Custom Packet Mode only Maxi mum amount of characters that the Remote end will buffer locally before starting to transmit data th...

Page 76: ...oint to Point Serial to Serial Application Example Once the transceivers are configured and the changes have been exe cuted they begin processing any data presented at the COM ports Data presented at the Access Point s COM port will be packetized and sent via UDP to the Remote Upon receiving the packet the Remote strips the data out of the UDP packet and sends it out its COM port Likewise data pre...

Page 77: ...zed sent to the EIA 232 RTU EIA 232 Terminal or Computer 192 168 0 10 192 168 0 1 192 168 0 2 Remote Access Point LA N COM 1 COM 2 PW R LIN K Table 3 2 Serial Port Application Configuration Transceiver Location Menu Item Setting Access Point COM2 1 Status Enabled Data Baud Rate 9 600 Example Flow Control Hardware Example Serial Mode Seamless SIFD 4 IP Protocol UDP Remote IP Address 192 168 0 2 IP ...

Page 78: ...plication Configuration Transceiver Location Menu Item Setting Access Point COM2 1 Status Enabled Baud Rate 9600 Example Serial Mode Custom Flow Control Disabled IP Protocol UDP Remote IP Address 224 254 1 1 Multicast Address2 Remote IP Port 30011 Local IP Port 30011 Remote Units COM2 1 Enable Enabled Baud Rate 2 400 Example Serial Mode Custom Flow Control Hardware Example IP Protocol UDP Remote I...

Page 79: ... transceiver in a single network can run in both modes at the same time In other words some Remotes can be configured for TCP mode while others can be configured along with the Access Point for UDP mode In this configuration the Host PC can use both data paths to reach the RTUs This may be helpful when a mixed collection of RTUs is present where some RTUs can operate in a broadcast form while othe...

Page 80: ...LIN K iNET 900 Remote 4 Ethernet Crosssover RTU B RTU A iNET 900 Access Point LA N COM 1 COM 2 PW R LIN K iNET 900 Remote 1 LA N COM 1 COM 2 PW R LIN K iNET 900 Remote 2 LA N COM 1 COM 2 PW R LIN K iNET 900 Remote 3 Table 3 4 Serial Port Application Configuration Transceiver Location Menu Item Setting Access Point Status Enabled Baud Rate 9 600 Flow Control Disabled IP Protocol UDP Send to Address...

Page 81: ...Enabled Disabled Disabled Enabling forces the transceiver to check the Approved AP List before continuing the authorization process In the case of a Remote the AP must be in the Approved Access Points List before it accepts the beacon as valid In the case of an AP a Remote must be in the Approved Remotes List to be granted authorization Before enabling this option at least one entry must already e...

Page 82: ...List Menu Go to menu pro viding the creation and management list of units permitted pro visioned with which this unit will be permitted to communicate Encryption Phrase Phrase text numbers that will be part of the encryption algorithm Up to 29 alphanumeric characters Blank Force Key Rotation It triggers an immediate key rotation of the encryption keys before the internal counters do it automatical...

Page 83: ...ss 00 00 00 00 00 00 Delete Remote Enter MAC address of Remote For security purposes you may want to delete a stolen or depro visioned radio Add Associated Remotes Add all currently associated remotes to the approved remote list Alternatively you can enter each Remote MAC manually Delete All Remotes Remove complete purge of all Remotes from current list View Approved Remotes Simple listing of appr...

Page 84: ...reen is one of two primary sources of information on the radio layer and radio network performance Figure 3 39 Performance Information Menu AP Version Shown RF Output Power Display only Measured power output See How Much Output Power Can be Used on Page 135 Signal to Noise Display only Current running average SNR value all active operating frequencies No value displayed on APs RSSI Display only Cu...

Page 85: ...See Endpoint Listing Menu Access Points Only on Page 85 Remote Performance Listing AP Display only See Remote Per formance Listing Menu Access Points Only on Page 86 RSSI by Zone Menu Remotes Only This screen displays the strength of RF signals received from the cur rently associated Access Point Network integrity depends in large part on stable radio signal levels being received at each end of a ...

Page 86: ...it these are critical events These will cause the unit to enter an alarmed state and the PWR LED to blink until the condition is corrected All events are stored in the Event Log that can hold up to 8 000 entries Time and Date The events stored in the Event Log are time stamped using the time and date of the locally connected device Remote units obtain this informa tion from the Access Point when t...

Page 87: ... erased with a loss of power The events are numbered for easier iden tification and navigation Clear Log Purges the log of all events TIP Save your Event Log before choosing to clear it in order to retain potentially valuable troubleshooting information See Upgrading the Firmware on Page 93 for an over view on how to transfer files from the transceiver to a com puter on the network using TFTP Send...

Page 88: ...spending the file transfer 10 to 120 seconds 10 Syslog Server IP address to which alarms are sent using the sys log message format Any valid IP address 0 0 0 0 View Current Alarms Most events classified as critical will make the PWR LED blink and will inhibit normal operation of the transceiver The LED will remain blinking until the corrective action has been completed An alarm condition is differ...

Page 89: ...Packets received Over the air data packets received by this unit Packets sent Over the air data packets sent by this Remote Bytes received Over the air data bytes received by this Remote Bytes sent Over the air data bytes sent by this Remote Packets dropped To be transmitted packets dropped as a result of a lack of buffers in the RF outbound queue Receive errors Packets that do not pass CRC This m...

Page 90: ...s Receive errors Packets that do not pass CRC This may be due to collisions in the Ethernet LAN Lost carrier detected A count of the number of packets that the unit attempted to send out the Ethernet port when the carrier sig nal of the Ethernet was not present No carrier present could be due to a loose connection bad or wrong cable or equipment failure at the other end of the Ethernet cable Clear...

Page 91: ...d on the AP s beacon signal The Remote waits for three identical beacon signals from the AP and then it toggles into a fully synchronized associated state If the Remote does not receive three identical beacons from the Access Point unit within a predetermined time period it returns to a scanning mode and continues to search for an AP with a matching network name in its beacon Under normal circumst...

Page 92: ...ress of Access Point with which the Remote is associated Current AP IP Address IP address of Access Point with which the Remote is associated Association Date Date of last successful association with an Access Point Association Time Time of day association was established on the association date Latest AP Firmware Version AP Auto Upgrade AP Reboot when Upgraded Remote Listing Menu Access Points On...

Page 93: ...le of IP devices Figure 3 48 Endpoint Listing Menu Lists all equipment attached to REMOTE transceivers in the network MAC Address Hardware address of endpoint device IP Address IP Address of endpoint device AgeTime Time in minutes remaining before the device address will be deleted from the table Each AP maintains a table with the addresses of the remote radios it communicates with The age time co...

Page 94: ...s Point The parameters are displayed in a column format with each line corresponding to one Remote RxRate Over the air data rate the radio is currently using All transceivers do not need to use the same rate RxPkts Over the air data packets received from this unit TxPkts Over the air data packets sent to this unit RxBCMC Total number of Broadcast and or Multicast packets received over the air RxVi...

Page 95: ...ed by the trans ceiver through the IP socket Bytes out on socket Number of bytes transmitted by the trans ceiver through the IP socket In general the number of bytes Out on Socket should follow the number of bytes In On Port as all bytes received on the serial port should be transmitted out to the IP interface The same should be true in the opposite direction bytes Out On Port should follow bytes ...

Page 96: ... STP to pre vent loops from being created when connecting bridges in parallel For example connecting two remotes to the same wired LAN could create a loop if STP was not used Every bridge running STP sends out Bridge Protocol Data Units BPDUs at regular intervals so that the spanning tree can be built and maintained BPDUs are 60 byte multicast Ethernet frames 2 The wireless MAC has two settings th...

Page 97: ... Note that the overhead to put a single Ethernet frame over the air is 82 bytes If RTS CTS is invoked it is 148 bytes Therefore the overhead for a minimal Ethernet frame 60 bytes is 128 and as such gives the transceiver a poor small packet performance If any radio in your network is connected to a large LAN such as may be found in a large office complex there may be undesired multi cast broadcast ...

Page 98: ...exceed this number On the down side a hidden node might interfere more often than if RTS is not used Main Menu Radio Configuration RTS Threshold 5 Decreasing the RTS Threshold to the 100 to 200 range will improve throughput on a busy network It will add small packets but reduce collisions and resulting re tries of large packets Main Menu Radio Configuration RTS Threshold 6 Use the Performance Info...

Page 99: ...ion enabled Compression is used on data packets of 100 bytes or more including Ethernet IP and TCP UDP headers 3 9 MAINTENANCE In the normal course of operating a wireless network you will want to take advantage of product improvements and to read and archive the configuration of your individual transceivers using the Maintenance Menu This section provides detail information on how to take advan t...

Page 100: ...e Menu 3 9 1 Reprogramming Menu The transceiver has two copies of the firmware microprocessor code used for the operating system and applications One copy is active and the second one is standing by ready to be used You can load new firm ware into the inactive position and place it in service whenever you desire Figure 3 52 Reprogramming Menu Shown with Image Copy Selected ...

Page 101: ...booting the transceiver This will interrupt data traffic through this unit and the network if per formed on an Access Point Intended to be used to toggle between firmware images NOTE See Upgrading the Firmware on Page 93 for details on setting up the TFTP server Upgrading the Firmware From time to time MDS offers upgrades to the transceiver firmware One version of the firmware provides core softwa...

Page 102: ...dress of the radio can be found under the Management Systems Configuration menu See Network Configuration Menu on Page 40 A TFTP server can be found on the MDS Web site at www microwavedata com service technical support downloads asp There are several alternatives to connecting the transceiver for firmware upgrade Figure 3 53 and Figure 3 54 show two variations It is essen tial all of the equipmen...

Page 103: ...ch a TFTP server on a PC connected either directly or via a LAN to the Ethernet port LAN of the radio Point the server towards the directory containing the firmware image file 2 Connect to the Management System by whichever means is conve nient Browser or Telnet via the LAN or Terminal emulator via the COM1 port 3 Go to the MS Reprogramming Menu Main Menu Maintenance Menu Reprogramming Menu 4 Fill...

Page 104: ...rors can be quickly corrected by referring to Table 3 6 Table 3 6 Common Errors During TFTP Transfer Error Message Likely Cause Corrective Action Invalid File Type Indicates that the file is not a valid firmware file Locate proper file and re load File not found Invalid or non existent filename on TFTP server Invalid file path Invalid or non existent file path to TFTP server Timeout TFTP transfer ...

Page 105: ...g the unit s configuration you may want to name it something that reflect the unit s services or identifi cation TFTP Timeout Time in seconds the TFTP server will wait for a packet ACK acknowledgment from the transceiver before suspending the file transfer 10 to 120 seconds 10 Retrieve File Initiate the file transfer of the configuration file from TFTP server into the transceiver Send File Initiat...

Page 106: ...configuring multiple transceivers with the same profile Ultimately standardized files can be uploaded into the transceiver to speed up the installation process Configuration Files can also be uploaded into a transceiver to restore the settings of a unit using a previously saved configuration of the unit This is particularly convenient after finishing a test using some experimental settings Sample ...

Page 107: ...e physical wireless MAC Media Access Controller address of the device This value is set by the factory and cannot be changed Model Number 900 The model number of this unit This value is set by the factory and cannot be changed Serial Number 1026295 The serial number of this unit This value is set by the factory and cannot be changed Unit Name Library Admin Office A name for this unit It appears at...

Page 108: ...ration 190 Freq Calibration 8402 Network Name West Campus Net The name of the network this unit belongs to The unit will only communicate with devices having identical Network Names Date Format Generic Specifies the format of the date Generic dd Mmm yyyy European dd mm yyyy US mm dd yyyy Console Baud 19200 The baud rate of the serial menu console Default value is 19200 bps Company Name MDS Version...

Page 109: ...d Firmware TFTP Filename inet 4_4_0 ipk Eventlog TFTP Host IP 192 168 1 3 Address of TFTP Host to which to send the event log Eventlog TFTP Filename Config Script TFTP Host IP 192 168 1 33 Address of TFTP Host to which to send the event log Config Script TFTP Filename inet_config txt Fragmentation Threshold 1600 Maximum packet size allowed before fragmentation occurs RTS Threshold 500 Number of by...

Page 110: ... enable COM1 data mode Com1 Serial Data Mode UDP IP Protocol for COM1 data mode Com1 Serial Data Baud Rate 9600 Baud rate for COM1 data mode Com1 Serial Data Tx IP Address 0 0 0 0 COM1 data will be sent to this IP address Com1 Serial Data Tx IP Port 0 COM1 data will be sent to this IP port Com1 Serial Data Rx IP Port 0 COM1 data will be received on this IP port Com2 Serial Data Enable enabled Com2...

Page 111: ...CANADA Read Only The frequency hopping rules the radio is configured to operate under SNMP Enable disabled Enable Disable SNMP Agent Hop Protocol 1 Frequency hopping protocol version DHCP Server Enable disabled Enable Disable DHCP Server Daemon DHCP Netmask 255 255 255 0 The IP Address to be used as the DHCP Netmask DHCP Start Address 192 168 0 11 The IP Address to be used as the starting address ...

Page 112: ...fied using a text editor or an automated process Not pro vided by MDS We recommend that you review and update the following parameters for each individual unit Other parameters may also be changed Table 3 7 Common User Alterable Parameters Field Comment Range IP Address Unique for each individual radio Any legal IP address IP Gateway May change for different groups or locations Any legal IP addres...

Page 113: ... length but must be on the same line as the parameter or on a new line that begins with a semicolon character c Comments after parameters in files exported from a trans ceiver do not need to be present in your customized files 3 9 3 Authorization Keys Menu Figure 3 56 Authorization Key Menu Authorization Key Initiate the entering of an Authorization Key into the transceiver s non volatile memory A...

Page 114: ...t to the new firmware Force Reboot Causes all of the Remotes associated to this AP to reboot immediately They will reboot to their current active image the same as if the power were re cycled NOTE To use the Auto Upgrade Reboot feature both the AP and Remotes must already be running version 4 4 0 or newer firm ware Exception If the AP has already been upgraded to version 4 4 0 and the Remote is st...

Page 115: ... details Figure 3 58 Radio Test Menu Shown with Test Mode set to ON NOTE Use of the Test Mode will disrupt traffic through the radio If the unit is an Access Point it will disrupt traffic through the entire network Test Mode function is automatically limited to 10 minutes and should only be used for brief measurement of transmit power It may also be manually reset to continue with the testing or t...

Page 116: ...address shown on screen Screen will be replaced with detailed report of PING activity Press any key after viewing the results to return to this menu 3 9 7 Reset to Factory Defaults To reset all transceiver parameters back to the factory defaults you must enter a special code authorization key provided by the factory in place of the user name This procedure is useful when several parameters have be...

Page 117: ...default settings Because of this if the person requesting the pass word reset authorization key is not the true owner any custom configuration settings from the true owner are erased This prevents the new person from recovering the network settings of the true owner ...

Page 118: ...110 MDS iNET 900 Series User s Guide MDS 05 2806A01 Rev E 1 ...

Page 119: ...TING 113 4 1 1 Interpreting the Front Panel LEDs 113 4 1 2 Troubleshooting Using the Embedded Management System 114 4 1 3 Using Logged Operation Events 118 4 1 4 Alarm Conditions 118 4 1 5 Correcting Alarm Conditions 120 4 1 6 Logged Events 121 4 2 RADIO RF MEASUREMENTS 123 4 2 1 Antenna System SWR and Transmitter Power Output 124 4 2 2 Antenna Aiming 125 ...

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Page 121: ...t System Do not overlook the possibility that human error may be the cause of the problem With so many possible parameters to look at and change a parameter may be incorrectly set and then what was changed is forgotten To help avoid these problems we recommend creating an archive of the transceiver s profile when your installation is complete in a Configura tion File This file can be reloaded into...

Page 122: ...ame of Remote not identical to desired Access Point Verify that the system has a unique Network Name b Not yet associated with an Access Point with the same Network Name Check the Status of the unit s process of associating with the Access Point Use the Management System c Poor Antenna System Check the antenna feedline and connectors Reflected power should be less than 10 of the forward power read...

Page 123: ...inal terminal emulator or Telnet application is set to VT100 Cannot pass IP data to WAN a Verify your IP settings b Use the PING command to test communication with the transceivers in the local radio system c If successful with local PING attempt to PING an IP unit attached to a transceiver d If successful with the LAN PINGs try connecting to a known unit in the WAN Wireless Retries too high Possi...

Page 124: ...with the Access Point or low signal alarms Table 4 3 provides a description of the Device Status messages If the Remote is in an Alarmed state the unit may still be operational and associated Look for the association state in the Wireless Network Status screen to determine if the unit is associated If it is then look at the Error Log for possible clues If the unit is in an Alarmed state and not ab...

Page 125: ...than 85 dBm during normal conditions with a data rate of 256 kbps If the RSSI levels in each zone are within a few dB of each other but less than 85 dBm then a check should be made of the aiming of the antenna system and for a satisfactory SWR Refer to RADIO RF MEA SUREMENTS on Page 123 for information on antenna system checks NOTE For a data rate of 512 kbps the average signal level should be 77 ...

Page 126: ...h as those marking the rebooting of the system implementa tion of parameter changes and external access to the Management System Informational events are stored in temporary RAM memory that will be lost in the absence of primary power and Alarms will be stored in permanent memory Flash memory until cleared by user request Table 3 5 summarizes these classifications These various events are stored i...

Page 127: ...etting changed compressionChanged 76 EVENT_ENDPOINT Endpoint Added Removed AP only eventEndpoint 67 EVENT_ETH_LINK_AP AP Ethernet Link Disconnected apEthLinkLost 19 EVENT_FLASH_TEST Flash Test Failed EVENT_FPGA FPGA communication Failed fpgaCommunication 2 EVENT_FREQ_CAL Frequency Not Calibrated frequencyCal 7 EVENT_INIT_ERR Initialization Error initializationError 18 EVENT_IPADDR IP Address Inval...

Page 128: ...Single Remote sinRemSwitch 70 EVENT_SYSTEM_ERROR System Error Cleared Please Reboot systemError 16 EVENT_TFTP_CONN TFTP connectivity achieved tftpConnection 73 EVENT_TFTP_ERR Attempted TFTP connection failed tftpConnFailed 79 Table 4 5 Alarm Conditions Alphabetical Order Continued Alarm Condition Reported Event Log Entry SNMP Trap Table 4 6 Correcting Alarm Conditions Alphabetical Order Event Log ...

Page 129: ...ervices for assistance Network Interface Error Unit does not recognize the LAN interface Contact factory Technical Services for assistance Network Name Not Programmed Network name is Not Programmed Change Network Name to something other than Not Programmed PLL Out of Lock The FPGA reports a synthesizer out of lock condition when monitored by the CPU Contact factory Technical Services for assistanc...

Page 130: ...Access Locked for 5 Min MAJOR Self explanatory Console User Logged Out Logged In MAJOR Self explanatory Country SkipZone Mismatch INFORM Self explanatory Current AP No Longer Approved MAJOR May occur during the Scanning process at a remote Indicates that the received beacon came from an AP which is not in the Approved AP list This may be caused by some remotes hearing multiple AP s This event is e...

Page 131: ...nges to the new rate and forwards a signal to the AP This indicates link quality is changing and causing the data rate to adjust accordingly Max Beacon Wait Time Exceeded MAJOR Self explanatory Received Beacon AP is Blacklisted INFORM Self explanatory Received Beacon Netname Does Not Match INFORM Self explanatory Received Beacon Valid Errored INFORM Self explanatory Rem Ethernet Link Connected Dis...

Page 132: ... put into regular service For accurate readings a wattmeter suited to 1000 MHz measurements is required One unit meeting this criteria is the Bird Model 43 directional wattmeter with a 5J element installed The reflected power should be less than 10 of the forward power 2 1 SWR Higher readings usually indicate problems with the antenna feedline or coaxial connectors If the reflected power is more t...

Page 133: ...eceived at each end of a data link In general signal levels stronger than 77 dBm 80 dBm for iNET II provides the basis for reliable communication that includes a 15 dB fade margin As the distance between the Access Point and Remotes increases the influence of terrain foliage and man made obstructions become more influential and the use of directional antennas at Remote locations becomes necessary ...

Page 134: ...eless Packet Statistics Clear Wireless Stats 4 Read the RSSI level at the Remote Main Menu Performance Information RSSI by Zone 5 Optimize RSSI less negative is better by slowly adjusting the direction of the antenna Watch the RSSI indication for several seconds after making each adjustment so that the RSSI accurately reflects any change in the link signal strength 6 View the Wireless Packets Drop...

Page 135: ...ents 5 1 INSTALLATION PLANNING 129 5 1 1 General Requirements 129 5 1 2 Site Selection 131 5 1 3 Terrain and Signal Strength 131 5 1 4 Antenna Feedline Selection 132 5 1 5 How Much Output Power Can be Used 135 5 1 6 Conducting a Site Survey 135 5 1 7 A Word About Radio Interference 136 5 2 dBm WATTS VOLTS CONVERSION CHART 139 ...

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Page 137: ...esent a problem because most hubs switches auto switch between 10BaseT and 100BaseT connections Confirm that your hub switch is capable of auto switching data rates To prevent Ethernet traffic from degrading iNET 900 perfor mance place the iNET in a segment or behind routers Invisible place holder Figure 5 1 Typical Installation with a Tower Mounted Antenna Connect user data equipment to any compa...

Page 138: ... connectors on the end of the radio and an unobstructed view of the LED status indicators Figure 5 2 Transceiver Dimensions 4 25 10 8 cm 4 75 12 0 cm 1 4 3 56 cm 6 75 17 15 cm 4 5 11 43 cm TOP SIDE BOTTOM 2 5 6 35 cm 4 85 12 32 cm THREADED HOLES FOR MOUNTING SCREWS 4 6 32 X 1 4 LONG Not to scale FRONT ...

Page 139: ... familiar with the effects of terrain and other obstructions on radio transmission the discussion below will provide helpful background 5 1 3 Terrain and Signal Strength While the license free 900 MHz band offers many advantages for data transmission services signal propagation is affected by attenuation from obstructions such as terrain foliage or buildings in the transmission path A line of sigh...

Page 140: ...as The equipment can be used with a number of antennas The exact style used depends on the physical size and layout of a system Contact your factory representative for specific recommendations on antenna types and hardware sources In general an omnidirectional antenna Figure 5 4 is used at the Access Point station site This provides equal coverage to all of the Remote Gateway sites NOTE Antenna po...

Page 141: ...feedline used with the antenna should be carefully consid ered Poor quality coaxial cables should be avoided as they will degrade system performance for both transmission and reception The cable should be kept as short as possible to minimize signal loss For cable runs of less than 20 feet 6 meters or for short range trans mission an inexpensive type such as Type RG 8A U may be acceptable Otherwis...

Page 142: ...sceiver for each antenna type Table 5 1 Length vs Loss in Coaxial Cables at 900 MHz Cable Type 10 Feet 3 05 m 50 Feet 15 24 m 100 Feet 30 48 m 500 Feet 152 4 m RG 214 76 dB 3 8 dB 7 6 dB Unacceptable Loss LMR 400 0 39 dB 1 95 dB 3 90 dB Unacceptable Loss 1 2 inch HELIAX 0 23 dB 1 15 dB 2 29 dB 11 45 dB 7 8 inch HELIAX 0 13 dB 0 64 dB 1 28 dB 6 40 dB 1 1 4 inch HELIAX 0 10 dB 0 48 dB 0 95 dB 4 75 d...

Page 143: ...The allowable level is dependent on the antenna gain feedline loss and the transmitter output power setting NOTE In some countries the maximum allowable RF output may be limited to less than the figures referenced here Be sure to check for and comply with the requirements for your area 5 1 6 Conducting a Site Survey If you are in doubt about the suitability of the radio sites in your system it is ...

Page 144: ...ed in rural areas are least likely to encounter interfer ence those in suburban and urban environments are more likely to be affected by other devices operating in the license free frequency band and by adjacent licensed services Use a directional antenna at remote sites whenever possible Although these antennas may be more costly than omnidirectional types they confine the transmission and recept...

Page 145: ...alculating System Gain To determine the maximum allowable power setting of the radio per form the following steps 1 Determine the antenna system gain by subtracting the feedline loss in dB from the antenna gain in dBi For example if the antenna gain is 9 5 dBi and the feedline loss is 1 5 dB the antenna system gain would be 8 dB If the antenna system gain is 6 dB or less no power adjustment is req...

Page 146: ...e Table 5 1 on Page 134 For assistance in the conversion of dBm to Watts please see dBm WATTS VOLTS CONVERSION CHART on Page 139 Table 5 3 Antenna System Gain vs Power Output Setting Antenna System Gain Antenna Gain in dBi minus Feedline Loss in dB Maximum Power Setting PWR command iNET Radio Maximum Power Setting PWR command iNET II Radio EIRP in dBm Omni 6 or less 30 28 36 Omni 9 27 26 36 Yagi 1...

Page 147: ... 141 40mW 5 125 32mW 6 115 25mW 7 100 20mW 8 090 16mW 9 080 125mW 10 071 10mW 11 064 12 058 13 050 14 045 15 040 16 0355 dBm mV Po 17 31 5 18 28 5 19 25 1 20 22 5 01mW 21 20 0 22 17 9 23 15 9 24 14 1 25 12 8 26 11 5 27 10 0 28 8 9 29 8 0 30 7 1 001mW 31 6 25 32 5 8 33 5 0 34 4 5 35 4 0 36 3 5 37 3 2 38 2 85 39 2 5 40 2 25 1µW 41 2 0 42 1 8 43 1 6 44 1 4 45 1 25 46 1 18 47 1 00 48 0 90 dBm mV Po 49...

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Page 149: ...ENCE 6 Chapter Counter Reset Paragraph Contents 6 1 DATA INTERFACE CONNECTORS 143 6 1 1 LAN Port 143 6 1 2 COM1 Port 144 6 1 3 COM2 Port 144 6 2 FUSE REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE 145 6 3 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 146 6 4 CHANNEL HOP TABLE 149 6 5 SNMP USAGE NOTES 151 6 5 1 Overview 151 ...

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Page 151: ...ceiver provides a data link to an Internet Pro tocol based IP network via the Access Point station Each radio in the network must have a unique IP address for the network to function prop erly To connect a PC directly to the radio s LAN port an RJ 45 to RJ 45 cross over cable is required To connect the radio to a Ethernet hub or bridge use a straight through cable The connector uses the standard E...

Page 152: ... COM2 port use a DB 9F to DB 9M straight through cable These cables are available commercially or may be constructed using the pinout information in Figure 6 2 and Table 6 2 Figure 6 3 COM2 Port DTE Viewed from the outside of the radio Table 6 2 COM1 Port Pinout DB 9F RS 232 Interface Pin Functions DCE 1 Unused 2 Receive Data RXD Out 3 Transmit Data TXD In 4 Unused 5 Signal Ground GND 6 9 Unused T...

Page 153: ...a flat ribbon cable between the top cover s LEDs and the unit motherboard You do not need to disconnect the ribbon cable 4 Locate the fuse and fuse holder between the COM1 port and the power connector See Figure 6 4 for details 5 Loosen the fuse from the holder using a very small screwdriver Use a small pair of needle nose pliers to pull the fuse straight up and remove it 6 Using an Ohmmeter or ot...

Page 154: ...Vdc Receive 2 8 watts 10 5 24 Vdc 3 5 watts 24 5 30 Vdc MTBF 35 Years Telcordia Method 1 Case 3 Size Excluding mtg hardware 1 4 x 6 75 x 4 5 H x W x D 3 56 x 17 15 x 11 43 cm Mounting w Optional Hardware Flat surface mounting brackets 19 rack 1U high Weight 908 g 2 lb Case Cast Aluminum Boot Time 30 sec Time Required to Associate with Access Point 20 sec APPROVALS HOMOLOGATION FCC Part 15 247 E5MD...

Page 155: ... even odd or no parity 1 or 2 stop bits OPERATING MODES Configurable as Access Point or Station LAN Adapter CSMA CA Wireless Protocol with Collision Avoid ance 802 11 PROTOCOLS IEEE 802 11 CSMA CD Wireless IEEE 802 3 Ethernet IP Ethernet ICMP UDP TCP ARP Clear channel mode for serial async multidrop protocols including Modbus DNP 3 Bisync BSAP DF1 TotalFlow Poll Select SECURITY Approved AP Remotes...

Page 156: ...1x10 6 BER MDS iNET 99 dBm 256 kbps 1x10 6 BER MDS iNET II 95 dBm 1024 kbps 1x10 6 BER MDS iNET II 96 dBm 512 kbps 1x10 6 BER Intermodulation 59 dB Minimum EIA Desensitization 70 dB Spurious 60 dB RADIO CHARACTERISTICS GENERAL Frequency Range 902 928 MHz ISM Band Frequency Hopping Range Ten user configurable 2 5 MHz wide zones each containing 8 frequencies Hop Pattern Based on network name Frequen...

Page 157: ...ny factors including antenna height blocked paths and terrain 6 4 CHANNEL HOP TABLE The MDS iNET transceiver s hop table consists of 80 channels num bered 0 to 79 as listed in Table 6 4 Center frequencies are calculated as follows where Fn is the center frequency of channel n Fn 902 5 MHz n 316 5 kHz The MDS iNET II transceiver operates on the same channel assign ments but because the modulation b...

Page 158: ...90 4 27 911 0455 4 28 911 3620 4 29 911 6785 4 30 911 9950 4 31 912 3115 5 32 912 6280 5 33 912 9445 5 34 913 2610 5 35 913 5775 5 36 913 8940 5 37 914 2105 5 38 914 5270 5 39 914 8435 6 40 915 1600 6 41 915 4765 6 42 915 7930 6 43 916 1095 6 44 916 4260 6 45 916 7425 6 46 917 0590 6 47 917 3755 7 48 917 6920 7 49 918 0085 7 50 918 3250 7 51 918 6415 7 52 918 9580 7 53 919 2745 7 54 919 5910 Table...

Page 159: ...ow supports SNMP version 3 SNMPv3 The SNMPv3 protocol introduces Authentication MD5 SHA 1 Encryption DES the USM User Table and View Based Access 7 55 919 9075 8 56 920 2240 8 57 920 5405 8 58 920 8570 8 59 921 1735 8 60 921 4900 8 61 921 8065 8 62 922 1230 8 63 922 4395 9 64 922 7560 9 65 923 0725 9 66 923 3890 9 67 923 7055 9 68 924 0220 9 69 924 3385 9 70 924 6550 9 71 924 9715 10 72 925 2880 1...

Page 160: ...ge for one user they change for all users SNMPv3 Accounts The following default accounts are available for the SNMP Agent enc_mdsadmin Read write account using Authentication and Encryp tion auth_mdsadmin Read write account using Authentication enc_mdsviewer Read only account using Authentication and Encryp tion auth_mdsviewer Read only account using Authentication def_mdsviewer Read only account ...

Page 161: ...ager If the passwords are managed locally then the Manager must be re configured with any password changes in order to continue to talk to the Agent Password Mode Management Changes When the password management mode is changed the active passwords used by the Agent may also change Some common scenarios are dis cussed below Common Scenarios Passwords are currently being handled by the Manager The a...

Page 162: ...ost Established snr 41 INFORM Scanning Started ber 42 INFORM Bit Error Rate Below threshold Above threshold associated 43 MAJOR Association Lost Established apParmChange 44 MINOR Association Lost AP Hop Parameter Changed reprogStarted 45 MAJOR Reprogramming Failed reprogComplete 46 MAJOR Rem Ethernet Link Connected Disconnected reprogFailed 47 INFORM Reprogramming Complete telnetLogin 48 MAJOR Tel...

Page 163: ...ernet ethernet to serial chileChanCnt 71 INFORM Number of channels defined does not match Chile only tftpConnection 73 INFORM TFTP Server on AP started or finished a transfer apNetNameChanged 74 MAJOR Remote lost association due to a change in the AP s netname ipConnectivityOK 75 INFORM Radio is associated AND 1 has an IP address statically defined OR 2 received an IP address via DHCP compressionC...

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Page 165: ...connectors for example are subtracted from this figure to calculate the total antenna system gain AP See Access Point Association Condition in which the frequency hopping pattern of the Remote is synchronized with the Access Point station and is ready to pass traffic Authorization Key Alphanumeric string code that is used to enable additional capabilities in the transceiver Bit The smallest unit o...

Page 166: ... used to express the gain or loss of a system Delimiter A flag that marks the beginning and end of a data packet Device Mode The operating mode role of a transceiver Access Point or Remote in a wireless network DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol An Internet stan dard that allows a client i e any computer or network device to obtain an IP address from a server on the network This allows netwo...

Page 167: ...ength that will be anticipated under most conditions Provides an allowance for reduced signal strength due to multipath slight antenna movement or changing atmospheric losses A fade margin of 15 to 20 dB is usually sufficient in most systems Fragmentation A technique used for breaking a large message down into smaller parts so it can be accommodated by a less capable media Frame A segment of data ...

Page 168: ...imilar devices to manage the distribution of multicast addresses in a network IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Image File Data file that contains the operating system and other essential resources for the basic operation of the radio s CPU LAN Local Area Network Latency The delay usually expressed in milliseconds between when data is applied at the transmit port at one radio u...

Page 169: ...s the station employs roaming and Mobile IP Mode See Device Mode MTBF Mean Time Between Failures Multiple Address System MAS See Point Multipoint System Network Name User selectable alphanumeric string that is used to identify a group of radio units that form a communications network The Access Point and all Remotes within a given system should have the same network address Network Wide Diagnostic...

Page 170: ...ple locations without the need to reconfigure the network set tings For example a remote transceiver that is connected to an access point may be turned off moved to new site turned back on and assuming the right information is entered can immediately reconnect to the access point without user intervention PLC Programmable Logic Controller A dedicated microprocessor configured for a specific applic...

Page 171: ... number higher signal to noise ratios indicate improved performance SNTP Simple Network Time Protocol SSL Secure Socket Layer STP Spanning Tree Protocol Standing Wave Ratio See SWR SWR Standing Wave Ratio A parameter related to the ratio between forward transmitter power and the reflected power from the antenna system As a general guideline reflected power should not exceed 10 of the forward power...

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Page 173: ...ted 116 Association 157 Date 84 Process 83 Time 84 attenuation 20 Auth Traps Status 48 Authorization Key 105 108 157 Authorized Features 105 Auto Data Rate Menu RSSI Threshold Delta 53 SNR Threshold Delta 53 Auto Key Rotation 74 Auto Upgrade Remote Reboot 106 B Backhaul for Serial Radio Networks 6 Network 7 bandpass filter 136 Beacon Period 50 90 91 signal 83 Begin Wizard 60 Bit 157 bits per secon...

Page 174: ...75 Delimiter 158 deployment costs 8 Description 39 Device IP Address 67 Mode 36 40 41 158 Name 36 39 Status 36 116 DHCP 42 43 158 Netmask 45 Server Configuration 41 Diagnostic Tools 118 Digital Signal Processing DSP 159 dimensions 129 DKEY command 124 DNS Address 45 DSP Digital Signal Processing 159 DTE 9 57 159 Dwell Time 50 90 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol 158 Dynamic Mode 43 E EIA 232 9 E...

Page 175: ...ngineers 160 Inter Access Point Protocol 160 Interference 136 Internet Assigned Numbers Authority 58 Control Message Protocol 160 IP 44 Addr 108 Address 36 40 84 85 104 address 43 Address Configuration 41 Address Mode 43 Gateway 104 Mobile 161 Protocol 61 62 64 65 67 tunneling 57 K Key authorization 157 transmitter for antenna SWR check 124 KEY command 124 L LAN 43 160 Latency 90 160 Latest AP Fir...

Page 176: ...ame 11 repeaters 10 using multiple Access Points 12 Using the AP as a Store and Forward Packet Repeater 12 using two transceivers to form a repeater station 10 NTP Network Time Protocol 161 O Outgoing Connection s Inactivity Timeout 64 Owner 39 P Packet 161 Redundancy Mode 61 63 Size 108 Statistics 77 81 117 Packets Dropped 81 82 117 Received 81 82 Received by Zone 82 Sent 81 82 Passive Scanning 1...

Page 177: ...shaking 61 RTU 8 57 68 72 163 RxBCMC 86 RxPkts 85 86 RxRate 86 RxViaEP 86 S Save Changes 75 SCADA 7 8 58 163 Scanning 116 Active 161 Passive 161 Seamless Inter Frame Delay 61 63 65 66 67 Secondary Host Address 64 IP Port 64 Secure Socket Layer 163 security Approved Access Points Remotes List 74 Auto Key Rotation 74 encryption 74 Encryption Phrase 74 Force Key Rotation 74 general information 3 HTTP...

Page 178: ...Trap Community String 47 Manager 48 163 Version 48 Trivial File Transfer Protocol 163 Troubleshooting 113 123 Using the Embedded Management System 114 Two Way Authentication 73 TX Output Power 107 TxKey 108 TxPkt 86 TxPkts 86 TxViaEP 86 U UDP 10 58 68 71 90 163 mode 60 Unit Name 104 Unshielded Twisted Pair 163 Uptime 37 39 User Datagram Protocol 163 User Password 74 Using multiple Access Points 12...

Page 179: ...radio to its proper operating specifications If return of the equipment is necessary you will be issued a Service Request Order SRO number The SRO number will help expedite the repair so that the equipment can be repaired and returned to you as quickly as possible Please be sure to include the SRO number on the outside of the ship ping box and on any correspondence relating to the repair No equipm...

Page 180: ...Microwave Data Systems Inc Rochester NY 14620 General Business 1 585 242 9600 FAX 1 585 242 9620 Web www microwavedata com 175 Science Parkway A product of Microwave Data Systems Inc ...

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