TransCore AP4118, User Manual

Page: 33 / 40

Operating the Programmer
27
data format, command #230 if you are verifying a page of SeGo data in the tag,
or command #231 if you are verifying a byte of SeGo data in the tag.
2. When the programmer begins its 10-second timer indicated by an audible beep
once every second, slide the proper tag (using the AT5549 End-of-Train Tag
programmer adapter) into the tag holder and close the door. (
Figure 8 and Figure
9 ).
If you place the tag during the 10-second period, the programmer reads the tag
data, checks for data integrity, and sends the tag data and a #Done response to the
host system. If you do not slide the tag into the holder during the 10-second period,
the programmer aborts the command and sends the #Error<cr> response to the
host.
If the verification process is not successful, repeat this sequence beginning at step 1.
Also refer to
Table 5 on page 28 for troubleshooting remedies.
Security Characters
The tag security character function prevents the use of unauthorized tags in TransCore
electronic identification systems. All AP4118 Rail Tag Programmers have the capabil-
ity, when enabled by settings in the PT5780 or PT5785 Permissions Tag, to program
specific, predefined security characters into a tag. This capability must be specified in
an authorized TransCore order administration requisition. Security characters are
available for American Trucking Associations and International Standards Organiza-
tion tag data formats.
When enabled, the security characters, which are specific 6-bit patterns designated for
security coding purposes, will be two specific characters from the list of security char-
acters in Appendix F or one character each from
Appendix F, “Security Characters, ”
and Appendix C, “TransCore 6-Bit ASCII Format. ”
When a tag programmer has tag security enabled, all tags programmed with secure
characters will contain the assigned security characters in the designated positions of
the tag data. Security characters comprise the second half of the 26th character
through the first half of the 29th character when data is in the 4-bit hex format. The
security characters are the 18th and 19th of the 20 six-bit ASCII characters in the tag
ATA frame.
The programmer places security characters into their associated tag data locations, via
the permissions tag, when security characters in the tag data match the internal secu-
rity characters stored in the programmer.
The programmer will not store in a tag any security codes that differ from those stored
in the programmer’s internal memory. If you attempt to program the tag with security
characters that do not match the internal security characters of the programmer (i.e.,
incorrect or improperly obtained codes), the programmer automatically programs the
space character into both security character locations.