GE MDS iNET 900 Reference Manual Download

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Reference Manual

MDS 05-2806A01, Rev. J

JUNE 2010

Wireless IP/Ethernet Transceiver

iNET-II 900 Firmware Release 2.3

iNET 900 Firmware Release 6.3

MDS iNET Series

MDS iNET-II 900

MDS iNET 900

Summary of Contents for MDS iNET 900

Page 1: ...Reference Manual MDS 05 2806A01 Rev J JUNE 2010 Wireless IP Ethernet Transceiver iNET II 900 Firmware Release 2 3 iNET 900 Firmware Release 6 3 MDS iNET Series MDS iNET II 900 MDS iNET 900TM ...

Page 2: ...controlled by password BASIC CONFIGURATION DEFAULTS COM2 Serial RS EIA 232 compatible equipment COM1 Management System Default Serial Alternate 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 intermitt...

Page 3: ...0 1 3 6 Upgrading Older Wireless Network with Serial Interfaces 10 Replacing Legacy Wireless Products 11 Supplement legacy wireless network with IP services 11 1 3 7 High Speed Mobile Data 11 1 4 NETWORK DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 12 1 4 1 Extending Network Coverage with Repeaters 12 What is a Repeater System 12 Option 1 Using two transceivers to form a repeater station back to back repeater 12 Option ...

Page 4: ...work Configuration Menu 37 2 4 2 Network Interface Configuration Menu 39 Virtual LAN in iNET Series 40 Configuring for Operation with VLAN 40 Configuring the IP Address when VLAN Status is Enabled 41 Configuring the IP Address When VLAN Status is Disabled 43 2 4 3 Ethernet Port Configuration Menu 45 2 4 4 DHCP Server Configuration 46 2 4 5 SNMP Agent Configuration 48 2 4 6 Prioritized AP Configura...

Page 5: ...ce Security 78 2 7 2 Wireless Security 79 Local Authentication Approved Remotes Access Points List Submenu 80 2 7 3 RADIUS Configuration 81 Operation of Device Authentication 82 Operation of User Authentication 82 2 7 4 RADIUS Configuration 83 2 7 5 Certificate Management Remote transceivers only 83 2 8 PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION 84 2 8 1 RSSI by Zone Menu Remotes Only 86 2 8 2 Event Log Menu 87 Tim...

Page 6: ...P Server 108 2 9 6 Radio Test Menu 109 2 9 7 Ping Utility Menu 110 2 9 8 Reset to Factory Defaults 110 Password Reset 110 3 TROUBLESHOOTING 111 3 1 INTRODUCTION 113 3 1 1 Multiple Communication Layers 113 3 1 2 Unit Configuration 113 3 1 3 Factory Assistance 113 3 2 TROUBLESHOOTING WITH LEDs 113 3 3 TROUBLESHOOTING WITH THE MENU SYSTEM 114 3 3 1 Starting Information Screen 116 3 3 2 Packet Statist...

Page 7: ...dure 138 4 2 2 Antenna Aiming 139 Introduction 139 Procedure 139 4 3 dBm WATTS VOLTS CONVERSION CHART 141 4 4 PERFORMANCE NOTES 142 4 4 1 Wireless Bridge 142 4 4 2 Distance Throughput Relationship 142 4 4 3 Data Latency TCP versus UDP Mode 143 4 4 4 Data Compression 143 4 4 5 Packets per Second PPS 143 4 4 6 Station to Station Traffic 143 4 4 7 Interference has a Direct Correlation to Throughput 1...

Page 8: ...d under the FCC s Part 15 license free rules The iNET radio is a Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum FHSS transceiver that operates at data speeds of 256 and 512 kbps The iNET II is a similar design but it is certified under the Digital Transmission System DTS provisions of FCC Part 15 and can operate at data speeds of 512 or 1024 kbps Operational differ ences between these two models are identified...

Page 9: ...ry test results for this unit are available upon request from the GE MDS Quality Leader Contact the factory using the information at the back of this manual Serial numbers must be provided for each product where a Test Data Sheet is required OPERATIONAL SAFETY NOTICES UL CSA Notice This product is available for use in Class 1 Division 2 Groups A B C D Hazardous Locations Such locations are defined...

Page 10: ...otices Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 this device may not cause interference and 2 this device must accept any interference including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device To reduce potential radio interference to other users the antenna type and its gain should be chosen so that the Equiv alent Isotropic Radiated Power EIRP is not more than that per...

Page 11: ...rvices 10 1 3 6 Upgrading Older Wireless Network with Serial Interfaces 10 Replacing Legacy Wireless Products 11 Supplement legacy wireless network with IP services 11 1 3 7 High Speed Mobile Data 11 1 4 NETWORK DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 12 1 4 1 Extending Network Coverage with Repeaters 12 What is a Repeater System 12 Option 1 Using two transceivers to form a repeater station back to back repeater 12...

Page 12: ...2 iNET Series Reference Manual 05 2806A01 Rev J ...

Page 13: ... Ethernet and serial data interface options at over the air data speeds of up to 1 Mbps iNET II and 512 kbps iNET NOTE For information on the MDS iNET 900 ENI which provides expanded gateway and protocol conversion capabilities not found in the iNET 900 DF1 to EIP and MODBUS to MODBUS TCP conversions refer to the iNET ENI Supple ment 05 4131A01 Invisible place holder Figure 1 1 The GE MDS iNET 900...

Page 14: ...cal ISM band It can provide reliable communications at distances up to 25 miles 40 km over favorable terrain even in the presence of weak signals or interference Frequency hopping allows the transceiver to avoid interference from other transmitters in the same band and pro vides frequency diversity for more reliable transmission The over the air MAC increases reliability by adding retries to faile...

Page 15: ...ge configuration option requires minimal setup Serial Ports Gateway for serial based equipment to IP Ether net networks with embedded terminal server Site to site con figurations are also possible Single hardware package provides configuration as Access Point or Remote 1 2 1 Model Offerings The transceiver comes in two primary models Access Point and Remote Additionally three types of Remote Gatew...

Page 16: ...between Transceiver A and Transceiver B as the active radio Figure 1 2 shows a view of the protected chassis For system level information on this product see publication 05 4161A01 Table 1 1 Transceiver Models and Data Interface Services Model Type LAN1 COM11 COM2 Access Point3 N A Yes Yes Yes Remote Ethernet Bridge2 Yes No No Serial Gateway2 No Yes Yes Dual Gateway3 Yes Yes Yes NOTES 1 Provides a...

Page 17: ...rovides communications between a central WAN LAN and remote Ethernet segments The operation of the radio system is transparent to the com puter equipment connected to the transceiver The Access Point is positioned at a location from which it can commu nicate with all of the Remote units in the system Commonly this is a high location on top of a building or communications tower Messages are exchang...

Page 18: ...tworks in operation today still rely on serial networks at data rates of 9600 bps or less These networks can use the transceiver as a means to continue using the serial service while allowing the rest of the infrastructure to migrate to an IP format A Remote transceiver using one serial port for the data stream and the other for network wide diagnostics can support operational radio net works buil...

Page 19: ...ing a single radio the cost of deployment is cut in half Beyond requiring only one radio instead of two the biggest cost reduction comes from using half of the required infrastructure at the remote site one Data Data MDS 4790 Master MDS 9790 Master MDS 9810 Master Diagnostics Data Diagnostics Diagnostics MDS 4710 Remote NMS Control Point SCADA Host Modbus IP HUB Access Point MDS 4710 Remote MDS 97...

Page 20: ... such as offices warehouses and homes They provide high data rates but have limited range The iNET transmits at a higher power level uses a different frequency band has higher sensitivity and a narrower channel to concentrate the radio energy and reach farther distances It is designed for industrial operation from the ground up IP based devices that may be used with the transceiver include a new b...

Page 21: ...terface connectors to control sleep func tions and alarm lines for example These special functions are not provided nor supported by the iNET Series Consult equip ment manuals for complete pinout information Supplement legacy wireless network with IP services The iNET Dual Gateway model can support up to two serial devices and one Ethernet connection at the same time The serial interfaces COM1 and...

Page 22: ... 8 This arrangement should be used whenever the objective is to utilize the maximum range between stations In this case using high gain Yagi antennas at each location will provide more reliable communications than their counter parts omnidirectional antennas Invisible place holder Figure 1 8 Typical LAN with a Repeater Link Overview Two transceivers may be connected back to back through the LAN Po...

Page 23: ... the horizontal plane an additional 20 dB of attenuation can be achieved Remember that the corresponding stations should use the same antenna orientation when cross polarization is used Network Name The two radios that are wired together at the repeater site must have dif ferent network names Option 2 Using the AP as a Store and Forward Packet Repeater A wireless network can be extended through th...

Page 24: ...with its own independent antenna In this scenario Remotes will associate with either one of the available Access Points In case of a failure of one of the AP s the Remotes will quickly associate with another of the remaining Access Points re establishing connectivity to the end devices The Access Points are unaware of the existence of the other AP s Because the hopping algorithm uses both the Netw...

Page 25: ...e programmed in order to pass data and begin normal operations Can radio frequency interference RFI disrupt my wireless network When multiple radio networks operate in close physical proximity to other wireless networks individual units may not operate reliably under weak signal conditions and may be influenced by strong radio signals in adjacent bands This radio frequency interference cannot be p...

Page 26: ... its local authorized list of AP Dictionary attacks where a hacker runs a program that sequentially tries to break a password Failed loginlockdown 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 with SSH or HTTP...

Page 27: ...on 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 Sales Representative for details Call factory Yagi Antenna Directional Rugged antennas well suited for use at Remote installations ...

Page 28: ...he 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 25 F to DB 9 M shielded cable assembly 6 ft 1 8 m for connection of equipment o...

Page 29: ...tion 35 Device Names Menu 36 2 4 CONFIGURING NETWORK PARAMETERS 37 2 4 1 Network Configuration Menu 37 2 4 2 Network Interface Configuration Menu 39 Virtual LAN in iNET Series 40 Configuring for Operation with VLAN 40 Configuring the IP Address when VLAN Status is Enabled 41 Configuring the IP Address When VLAN Status is Disabled 43 2 4 3 Ethernet Port Configuration Menu 45 2 4 4 DHCP Server Confi...

Page 30: ... Serial and IP Application Example 75 Operation and Data Flow 76 2 6 10 Virtual LAN in iNET II and iNET 77 2 7 CYBER SECURITY CONFIGURATION 77 2 7 1 Device Security 78 2 7 2 Wireless Security 79 Local Authentication Approved Remotes Access Points List Submenu 80 2 7 3 RADIUS Configuration 81 Operation of Device Authentication 82 Operation of User Authentication 82 2 7 4 RADIUS Configuration 83 2 7...

Page 31: ...u 99 Upgrading the Firmware 101 Error Messages During File Transfers 103 2 9 2 Configuration Scripts Menu 104 How Configuration Files Work 104 Sample of Configuration Script File 105 Editing Configuration Files 106 2 9 3 Authorization Keys Menu 107 2 9 4 Change the Type of Remote 107 2 9 5 Auto Upgrade Remote Reboot Menu 107 Firmware Upgrade with AP Acting as a TFTP Server 108 2 9 6 Radio Test Men...

Page 32: ...22 iNET Series Reference Manual 05 2806A01 Rev J ...

Page 33: ...TWORK PARAMETERS beginning on Page 37 Section 2 5 RADIO CONFIGURATION beginning on Page 51 Section 2 6 CONFIGURING THE SERIAL PORTS beginning on Page 61 Section 2 7 CYBER SECURITY CONFIGURATION begin ning on Page 77 Section 2 8 PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION beginning on Page 84 Section 2 9 MAINTENANCE beginning on Page 98 Each of these sections has a focus that is reflected in its heading The section y...

Page 34: ...configurable Some menu items depend on the Device Mode selected RTS Threshold RF Hopping Format AP Skip Zones AP Some models RSSI Threshold RM SNR Threshold RM 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 UTC Time Offset Date Device Names Login Status Wireless Security RADIUS Confi...

Page 35: ...lace holder Figure 2 3 View of the MS with a Browser Selections at left provide links to the various menus 2 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 36: ...ng 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 SSH 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 made directl...

Page 37: ...tion TIP The HyperTerminal communications program can be accessed on most PCs by selecting this menu sequence Start Programs Accesso ries Communications HyperTerminal NOTE Early versions of PuTTY might not operate when using SSH to connect to the transceiver However beta versions 0 59 and later do work properly Both the latest released and the latest development snapshot can be downloaded from www...

Page 38: ...ou can review basic information about the unit or press G to proceed to the Main Menu Invisible place holder Figure 2 6 Starting Information Screen Local Console Session Telnet has similar menu structure Starting a Telnet 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 In...

Page 39: ...odel Press Next the Password prompt appears Enter your password default password is admin For security your password keystrokes will not appear on the screen Press The unit responds with a Starting Information Screen see Figure 2 6 From here you can review basic information about the unit or press G to proceed to the Main Menu NOTE Passwords are case sensitive Do not use punctuation mark character...

Page 40: ...l Default Password is admin Invisible place holder Figure 2 7 Log in Screen Web Browser Example NOTE Passwords are case sensitive Do not use punctuation mark characters You may use up to eight alpha numeric characters 5 Click OK The unit responds with a startup menu screen similar to that shown in Figure 2 8 From here you can review basic informa tion about the unit or click on one of the menu ite...

Page 41: ...ur mind before pressing the key simply press to restore the previous value In some cases when you type a letter to select a parameter you will see a prompt at the bottom of the screen that says Choose an Option In these screens press the keyboard s to step through the available selections When the desired option appears press the key to choose that selection In some cases several parameters may be...

Page 42: ... pre sented with a screen that provides an overview of the transceiver and its current operating condition It provides an array of vital information and operating conditions Figure 2 9 Starting Information 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 se...

Page 43: ...ta Associated This unit has successfully synchronized and associated with an Access Point Alarmed The unit is has detected one or more alarms that have not been cleared NOTE If an alarm is present when this screen is displayed an A appears to the left of the Device Status field Pressing the A key on your keyboard takes you directly to the Current Alarms screen Uptime Elapsed time since the transce...

Page 44: ...Configuration Tools to configure the two serial ports See Serial Data Port Configuration Menu on Page 64 Security Configuration Tools to configure the security services available with the transceiver s environment See CYBER SECURITY on Page 15 Device Information Top level user specific and definable param eters such as unit password See Device Information on Page 35 Performance Information Tools t...

Page 45: ...sion Display only Firmware Version Display only Current firmware installed and being used by the transceiver Uptime Display only Elapsed time since powering up Console Baud Rate Used to set display data communications rate in bits per second between a connected console terminal and the radio 19200 Device Names Menu Fields used at user s discretion for general administrative purposes The Device Nam...

Page 46: ...y US mm dd yyyy Device Names Menu Figure 2 12 Device Names Menu Device Name Device Name used by the transceiver as the Realm name for network login web browser only and menu headings NOTE Do not use a colon or percent symbol in the device name Owner User defined appears on this screen only Contact User defined appears on this screen only Description User defined appears on this screen only Locatio...

Page 47: ...thernet protocols There are some differences between AP and Remote type radios regarding these parameters and they are noted where appro priate Invisible place holder Figure 2 13 Network Configuration Menu From Access Point Invisible place holder Figure 2 14 Network Configuration Menu From Remote Unit Device Mode Either Access Point or a variation of a Remote Access Point Remote Remote ...

Page 48: ... Otherwise it gets it from the AP at authentication time The transceivers use UTC Universal Coor dinated Time with a configurable time offset 0 0 0 0 Maximum Remotes AP only Number of Remotes permitted to be associated with this Access Point 50 DatabaseTimeout AP Only This sets the database age time See Remote Listing Menu Access Points Only on Page 95 to determine when a remote is declared unavai...

Page 49: ...Access Point radios When this option is disabled communication can only happen from Remote to Access Point This setting prevents a PC connected to one Remote radio to access a network con nected to a different Remote within the same AP realm enabled disabled enabled Prioritized AP Configuration This option is only available on Remotes It allows the definition of a Primary AP to which a Remote radi...

Page 50: ...te radios always acts as a trunk port The Ethernet port of an Access Point radio is normally configured as a trunk port This type of port expects incoming frames to have a VLAN ID and sends outgoing frames with a VLAN structure as well When the Ethernet port of a Remote is configured as a VLAN Access Port the radio tags incoming traffic with a VLAN ID and strips the tag before sending out traffic ...

Page 51: ...o Management VLAN ID Defines the VLAN ID for traffic directed to the radio itself other than the terminal server process This VLAN ID is used for filtering and for tagging purposes 1 4094 2 DataVLAN ID Defines the VLAN ID assigned to traffic directed to and from the Ethernet port and the terminal server process in the radio This VLAN ID is used for filtering and for tagging purposes 1 4094 3 Confi...

Page 52: ... address 192 168 1 1 Static IP Netmask The IPv4 local subnet mask This value is used when the radio attempts to send a locally initiated message either from the terminal server or management process 255 255 0 0 Static IP Gateway The IPv4 address of the default gateway device typically a router 0 0 0 0 The lower three lines of the screen show the current addressing config ured at the transceiver NO...

Page 53: ... 168 1 1 Static IP Netmask The IPv4 local subnet mask This value is used when the radio attempts to send a locally initiated message either from the terminal server or management process 255 255 0 0 Configuring the IP Address When VLAN Status is Disabled When the radio is not configured for operation with VLAN it uses one IP address to support remote management and serial device services The IP ad...

Page 54: ... Status is enabled Static Static Dynamic Dynamic Mode Enabling this option forces the transceiver AP or Remote to obtain an IP address from any DHCP server avail able on the LAN Dynamic Mode is also known as DHCP Client mode Disabled Static IP Address The IPv4 local IP address It need not be defined if DHCP Client mode is enabled 192 168 1 1 Static IP Netmask The IPv4 local subnet mask This value ...

Page 55: ...witch between 10BaseT and 100BaseT connections Confirm that your hub switch is capable of auto switching data rates To prevent Ethernet traffic from degrading performance place the transceiver in a segment or behind routers Figure 2 20 Ethernet Port Configuration Menu Remote menu shown AP omits items D and E Ethernet Port Status Allows enabling disabling Ethernet traffic for security purposes Sett...

Page 56: ...is reachable this beacon signal changes to AVAILABLE and Remotes are allowed to join in 0 0 0 0 dis ables this function Any other valid IP address enables it 0 0 0 0 Ethernet Filtering Configuration Menu Figure 2 21 This selec tion brings up a submenu for defining which Ethernet devices will be listened to for forwarding of data packets into the wireless network When Ethernet Filtering is enabled ...

Page 57: ...e DHCP server exists network devices may randomly get their IP address from different servers every time they request one NOTE Combining DHCP and RADIUS device authentication may result in a non working radio module if the DHCP server is located at a remote radio The DHCP server should be placed at the AP location if possible Server Status Enable Disable responding to DHCP requests to assign an IP...

Page 58: ...ws the flexibility to change areas of the MIB and not affect other existing installations or customers msdreg mib GE MDS sub tree registrations MDS_comm mib GE MDS Common MIB definitions for objects and events which are common to the entire product fam ily inet_reg mib GE MDS sub tree registrations inettrv1 mib SNMPv1 enterprise specific traps inettrv2 mib SNMPv2 enterprise specific traps inet_com...

Page 59: ...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 privacy...

Page 60: ... 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 2 4 6 Prioritized AP Configuration Submenu The Prioritized AP feature Figure 2 24 ...

Page 61: ...that matches the network name If the Prioritized AP option is enabled then the Wireless MAC Address of the AP must be part of the list at the remote The initial list includes only the first entry of the table If no beacon is received that matches the requirement and the Scan Time is exceeded then the list is expanded to include the first two entries When a beacon matches the requirements then the ...

Page 62: ...Dis played in dBm Setting should reflect local regulatory limita tions and losses in antenna transmission line See How Much Output Power Can be Used on Page 135 for information on how to calculate this value 20 30 20 Data Rate Shows the over the air data rate setting for the Remote radio Remotes can operate at one of two data rates when communicating with an AP 1024 kbps 1 Mbps or 512 kbps for iNE...

Page 63: ...and the dwell time expires the packet will be completed before hopping to the next frequency Beacon Period Amount of time between Beacon transmissions in msec Available Intervals Normal 104 ms Fast 52 ms Faster 26 ms Slow 508 ms Moderate 208 ms These values provide rel atively quick association times where Fast is very fast 5 sec and the other end the largest recommended value the 508 ms period is...

Page 64: ... a trade off giving up some throughput in order to prevent collisions in a busy over the air network The RTS Threshold should be enabled and set with a value smaller than the Fragmentation Threshold described above RTS forces the Remotes to request permission from the AP before sending a packet The AP sends a CTS control packet to grant permission to one Remote All other Remotes wait for the speci...

Page 65: ...annel Config Menu The Channel Configuration menu displays the utilization of channels in the 902 928 MHz range This selection is available only on iNET II or specially provisioned iNET units The radio hops only on the channels selected in this menu Invisible place holder Figure 2 27 Channel Config Submenu Key to channel indicators n no Radio channel is not used y yes Radio channel is used NA not a...

Page 66: ...s the current utilization of zones Each zone consists of eight RF channels In some instances there may be a part of the spectrum used by another system that results in continuous or persis tent interference to your system To alleviate this form of inter ference the transceiver may be programmed to block out affected portions of the spectrum using the Skip Zones Menu Figure 2 28 Skip Zone Options S...

Page 67: ...e range of the RSSI Delta set ting causes a data rate change in the transceiver 50 to 100 87 dBm ADR RSSI Delta A user specified difference from the RSSI Threshold figure which if exceeded causes a data rate change in the transceiver 0 10 5 ADR SNR Threshold A user specified signal to noise ratio which if exceeded by the range of the SNR Delta setting causes a data rate change in the transceiver 1...

Page 68: ... definition of SNR RSSI or SNR figures alone mean little when determining signal quality Both parameters must be considered to get a true understanding of signal quality For example a strong but noisy signal would likely be less useful than a weak signal with low noise levels Proper use of the threshold and delta settings will result in smoother more reliable perfor mance from your wireless link F...

Page 69: ...tempted with the same AP as before An Access Point is added to the blacklist when the Remote detects that the RSSI has dropped below the RSSI Threshold set in the Radio Config uration menu and should try to find an alternate AP to connect to An Access Point is removed from the blacklist table when it has been in the table longer than the time set by the Blacklist Timer Additional Considerations fo...

Page 70: ...dleware running on the mobile laptop PC Gains in efficiency are made because middle ware compresses data at a higher stack level and it aggregates multiple data frames and streams into a single packet Compres sion at the radio level although highly efficient works at the individual packet level Dwell Time Set to the minimum value This setting controls the amount of time that the unit spends on eac...

Page 71: ...us to Enable prevents access to the Management System MS through this port However the MS can still be accessed via the LAN port using Telnet or a web browser To restore the COM1 port to support Management System services connect a terminal to the port select the proper baud rate 19 200 is default and enter an escape sequence to reset it to the console mode TCP vs UDP Both types of IP services are...

Page 72: ... a server a client or both TCP servers listen and wait for requests from remote TCP clients to establish a session A TCP client is a program running on a device other than the TCP server Alternately TCP clients actively attempt to estab lish a connection with a TCP server In the case of the transceiver this happens whenever data is received on the serial port The transceiver operates in either cli...

Page 73: ...gns an IP address to the device that connects through this interface To gain access to the transceiver from a PC even if the network is down a modem may be connected to one of the transceiver s COM ports that has been configured with PPP Data Buffering Data buffering is always active regardless of the selected mode When Seamless mode is selected a buffer size of 256 bytes is used When custom mode ...

Page 74: ... 2 Serial Data Port Configuration Menu The first two menu items present the identical parameter fields for each port with one exception Flow Control This is available only on COM2 Figure 2 31 Serial Configuration Wizard Begin Wizard Tool for configuration of serial ports using a step by step process View Current Settings Displays all settable options Depend ing on the selected IP protocol ...

Page 75: ...lid Class D IP address 224 0 0 0 239 255 255 255 IP packets received with a matching destination address will be processed by this unit Any legal IP address 0 0 0 0 Multicast IP Port used instead of Local IP Port when using UDP Point to Multipoint This port number must match the number used by the application connecting to local TCP or UDP socket 1 64 000 COM1 30010 COM2 30011 Local IP Port Receiv...

Page 76: ...ived to cover worst case gaps in trans mission 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 permits operation with protocols such as MODBUS that do not allow gaps in their data transmission Seamless Custom Seamless Seamless Inter Frame Delay Amount of time in number of characters that signal the end of a mes...

Page 77: ...gh the serial port on the transceiver 1 64 000 COM1 30010 COM2 30011 Local IP Port Port number where data is received and passed through to the serial port This port number must be used by the application connecting to this transceiver 1 64 000 COM1 30010 COM2 30011 Packet Redundancy Mode For proper operation all radios Serial Packet Redundancy mode must match Single Packet mode vs Packet Repeat m...

Page 78: ...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 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...

Page 79: ...r ity and stop bits 7N1 7E1 7O1 8N1 8E1 8O1 8N1 7N2 7E2 7O2 8N2 8E2 8O2 8N1 Flow Control Com2 Only RTS CTS handshaking between the transceiver and the connected device Enable Disable Disabled Serial Mode If data buffering is Enabled the radio will oper ate in seamless mode Data bytes will be sent over the air as quickly as possible but the receiver will buffer the data until enough bytes have arri...

Page 80: ...9200 Configuration Interface signaling parameters Data bits par ity and stop bits 7N1 7E1 7O1 8N1 8E1 8O1 8N1 7N2 7E2 7O2 8N2 8E2 8O2 8N1 Flow Control COM2 only RTS CTS handshaking between the transceiver and the connected device Enable Disable Disabled Serial Mode If data buffering is Enabled the radio will oper ate in seamless mode Data bytes will be sent over the air as quickly as possible but ...

Page 81: ...Protocol PPP This is the type of IP port that will be offered by the transceiver s serial device server TCP UDP PPP TCP Device IP Address IP address that will be assigned to the dialing device once the connection is established 0 0 0 0 Data Baud The baud rate of the serial port of the transceiver to which the external device is connected 1200 2400 4800 9600 19200 38400 57600 115200 19200 Configura...

Page 82: ... connect Link Established A successful PPP connection has been negoti ated and an IP address is assigned Port not Enabled The serial port is disabled 2 6 6 IP to Serial Application Example You have a choice to use UDP or TCP to establish communications This will depend on the type of device you are communicating with at the other end of the IP network In this example we will use TCP to illus trate...

Page 83: ...he Access Point see Figure 2 38 and Table 2 2 on Page 73 Invisible place holder Figure 2 38 Point to Multipoint IP to Serial Application Diagram Ethernet Crosssover RTU EIA 232 Computer or Network 192 168 0 10 192 168 0 1 192 168 0 2 LA N COM 1 COM 2 PW R LIN K Remote Access Point Table 2 1 Serial Port Application Configuration IP to Serial Connection Transceiver Location Menu Item Setting Access ...

Page 84: ...ation Menu Item Setting PC IP Protocol UDP Remote IP Address 224 254 1 1 Multicast Address1 Local IP Port 30011 Access Point COM2 2 N A None required Remote Units COM2 1 Enable Enabled Baud Rate 2 400 Example Serial Mode Custom Flow Control Hardware Example IP Protocol UDP Remote IP Address 192 168 0 1 Remote IP Port 30011 Local IP Port 30011 Local Multicast Address 224 254 1 1 Multicast Address2 ...

Page 85: ...s can be configured for TCP 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 2 3 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...

Page 86: ...M port All communication paths can be used simultaneously Invisible place holder Figure 2 41 Mixed Modes Application Diagram EIA 232 Terminal or Computer RTU C EIA 232 EIA 232 EIA 232 RTU D EIA 232 LA N COM 1 COM 2 PW R 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...

Page 87: ...rpose Device Security controlling how and when radios communicate with each other as well as how data traffic is han dled Wireless Security and a special section dealing with authentica tion and authorization using a central server RADIUS Configuration Figure 2 42 shows the Security Configuration Menu which is the entry point for these categories IP Protocol TCP Receive on Port 30011 Remote Units ...

Page 88: ...isible place holder Figure 2 43 Device Security Menu User Auth Method Defines whether username and password is verified locally or via a central server Local RADIUS Local User Auth Fallback Defines the alternate authentication mode in case the authentication server is not available Local None Local User Password Local password for this unit Used at log in via COM1 Port Telnet SSH and Web browser U...

Page 89: ...lnet Access Controls remote access through Telnet sessions on Port 23 Enabled Disabled Enabled SSH Access Controls remote access through SSH Secure Shell sessions on Port 22 Enabled Disabled Enabled HTTP Mode Controls remote access through HTTP sessions on Ports 80 and 443 Selecting HTTPS forces secure connections to Port 443 When HTTP Mode is disabled access through HTTP or HTTPS is not allowed D...

Page 90: ... a new encryption key after 500 kilobytes of information has been transmitted or one hour has elapsed Enabled Disabled Disabled Approved Access Points Remotes List Displays a menu to man age the list of other radios with which this unit will be permitted to communicate Encryption Phrase Phrase text numbers that will be used by the encryption algorithm 8 to 29 alphanumeric characters Blank Force Ke...

Page 91: ... 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 approved Remotes by MAC address of radios authorized to join this AP If a Remote is not in this list it will not be able to associate with this ...

Page 92: ...S as the active mode The behavior of this setting differs depending on whether it is implemented on an Access Point or a Remote transceiver An explanation of these behaviors is given below Access Point When Device Auth Method is set to RADIUS the AP disasso ciates all associated Remotes and waits for the RADIUS Server to Authenticate the Remotes before allowing data to be passed from them When app...

Page 93: ... entry must match the string used to configure the appropriate files on the RADIUS Server User Auth Mode Should be set to PAP or CHAP depending on the configuration of the server NOTE CHAP is more secure than PAP PAP may display the login password in log files at the RADIUS Server while CHAP will encrypt the login password NOTE The security password may not exceed 40 characters in length 2 7 5 Cer...

Page 94: ...entioned above Root Certificate Client Certificate Private Key Certificate Root Certificate Retrieve Certificate Initiates the retrieval of the certificate file from the storage location A successful installation issues a Com plete status message NOTE It is imperative that the three certificate files are installed correctly into the Remote radio in their respective file types If they are not it wi...

Page 95: ...perating frequencies No value displayed on APs NOTE The RSSI is an average of the last 20 RSSI samples The RSSI value is reset every time the radio returns to scanning mode Display only Current running average Received Signal Strength Indication for all active operating frequencies No value displayed on APs Actual Data Rate Display only Over the air transmission rate as opposed to selected data ra...

Page 96: ...e Listing Menu Access Points Only on Page 97 2 8 1 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 data link In general signal levels stronger than 80 dBm will provide reliable communication that includes a 15 dB f...

Page 97: ... in Table 2 5 Some of these events will result from a condition that prevents the normal of the unit 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 ...

Page 98: ...of events stored in the current log Some of these events are stored in volatile memory and will be 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 101 for an ov...

Page 99: ...ing 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 different f...

Page 100: ... 2 8 3 Packet Statistics Menu An iNET radio maintains running counters of different categories of events in the Ethernet protocol The Packet Statistics refer to each Ethernet interface from the perspective of the radio Figure 2 53 Sample Packet Statistics Menu Wireless Packet Statistics Packets received Over the air data packets received by this unit ...

Page 101: ...received Packets received by the transceiver through the Ethernet port Packets sent Packets transmitted by the transceiver through the Ethernet port Bytes received Data bytes received by this Remote through its LAN port Bytes sent Data bytes sent by this Remote Packets dropped Received packets dropped as a result of a lack of buffers Receive errors Packets that do not pass CRC This may be due to c...

Page 102: ...is defined as an Access Port or as a Trunk Port Invisible place holder Figure 2 55 VLAN Packet Statistics Packets Received by Zone This screen shown in Figure 2 56 presents a breakdown of wireless packet statistics by zone All zones should report similar numbers If one or more zones report lower numbers than the others 2 reduction the specific zone is probably experiencing interference An improve ...

Page 103: ...emote will stop its scanning and temporarily synchro nize its frequency hopping pattern to match the one encoded 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 s...

Page 104: ...radio RF connec tion with the Access Point but has not obtained cyber secu rity clearance to pass data Associated This unit has successfully synchronized and associated with an Access Point This is the normal status Alarmed The unit is has detected one or more alarms that have not been cleared Current AP Mac Address Wireless address of Access Point with which the Remote is associated Current AP IP...

Page 105: ...emote transceiver AgeTime Time in minutes remaining before the device address will be deleted from the table Each transceiver maintains a table with the addresses of the devices it communicates with The age time countdown is restarted to 5 minutes every time a message to from that device is detected If no traffic is exchanged with that device it then ages out of the table When traffic is detected ...

Page 106: ...ore 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 countdown is restarted to 5 min utes every time a message to from that remote is detected If no traf fic is exchanged with that remote it then ages out of the table When traffic is detected it is included again in the table This opti mizes memory...

Page 107: ...olumn 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 RxViaEP Packets received by the transceiver thr...

Page 108: ...et 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 In On Socket Clear Com1 Statistics Resets counter to zero Clea...

Page 109: ...ving the new firmware See Auto Upgrade Remote Reboot Menu on Page 107 Radio Test A diagnostic tool for testing RF operation See Radio Test Menu on Page 109 Ping Utility Diagnostic tool to test network connectivity See Ping Utility Menu on Page 110 Figure 2 62 Maintenance Tools Menu 2 9 1 Reprogramming Menu The transceiver has two copies of the firmware microprocessor code used for the operating sy...

Page 110: ...com mended that you wait until this 5 10 minute process is complete before verifying operation of HTTP HTTPS or SSH NOTE Always read the release notes for downloaded firmware Some versions may not be compatible over the air or with the partic ular unit you have Figure 2 63 Reprogramming Menu Shown with Image Copy Selected TFTP Host Address IP address of the host computer from which to get the file...

Page 111: ... Page 101 for details on setting up the TFTP server Upgrading the Firmware Firmware images are available free of charge at www gemds com NOTE MDS iNET firmware may not be installed in MDS iNET II radios or vice versa To install firmware by TFTP you will need A PC with a TFTP server running The IP address of the PC running the TFTP server A valid firmware file The IP address of the radio can be fou...

Page 112: ...o the transceiver loading firm ware configuration files into the unit s flash RAM is much slower than loading software onto a PC hard drive or RAM Upgrade Procedure To load a new firmware file filename ipk into the transceiver use the following procedure LA N CO M1 CO M2 PW R LINK LAN PORT LOCAL WINDOWS PC WITH iNET FILES IP ADDRESS 172 0 0 A IP ADDRESS 172 0 0 B TFTP SERVER TELNET MDS iNET 900 CR...

Page 113: ...ramming Menu Retrieve File Status messages on the transfer are posted on the Management Sys tem screen NOTE The new firmware image file that replaces the Inactive Image file will be automatically verified 6 Reboot the transceiver Main Menu Maintenance Menu Reprogramming Menu Reboot Device 7 Test the transceiver for normal operation End of Procedure Error Messages During File Transfers It is possib...

Page 114: ...cal support How Configuration Files Work When a configuration script file is downloaded to a radio Retrieve the radio executes the parameters as commands and takes the values con tained in it When a configuration script file is uploaded from the radio Send it contains the current values of the parameters that the radio is configured with Figure 2 66 below shows the Configuration Scripts Menu Bad C...

Page 115: ...FTP server Before exporting a unit s configuration you may want to name it in a way that reflects the radio s services or other identifica tion 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 th...

Page 116: ...rs you want to change from the default value Change only the parameter values Capitalization counts in some field parameters Example System Mode Comment Fields a Edit or delete anything on each line to the right of the comment delineator the semicolon b Comments can be of any length but must be on the same line as the parameter or on a new line that begins with a semicolon character c Comments aft...

Page 117: ...t of authorized features available for use enabled disabled MDS iNET II radios will show an additional selection called Encryption under Authorized Features 2 9 4 Change the Type of Remote Enter the serial number of the unit to be changed in the Auth Key field to turn a Serial Gateway Remote into an Ethernet Bridge Remote or vice versa 2 9 5 Auto Upgrade Remote Reboot Menu NOTE This menu is only a...

Page 118: ...eir 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 still at 3 5 0 or older you can upgrade the Remote by using the AP as a file server This method allows for only one remote to be ...

Page 119: ...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 turned off Test Mode Controls access to the transceiver s suite of tools ON OFF OFF Frequency Set radio operating frequency during the testing per...

Page 120: ...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 2 9 8 Reset to Factory Defaults To reset all transceiver parameters back to the factory defaults including the password you must enter a special code authorization key provided by the factory in place of the user name at the time of login This procedure is us...

Page 121: ... Configuration 113 3 1 3 Factory Assistance 113 3 2 TROUBLESHOOTING WITH LEDs 113 3 3 TROUBLESHOOTING WITH THE MENU SYSTEM 114 3 3 1 Starting Information Screen 116 3 3 2 Packet Statistics Menu 117 3 3 3 Serial Port Statistics Menu 117 3 3 4 Diagnostic Tools 118 3 4 Using Logged Operation Events 118 3 5 Alarm Conditions 118 3 6 Correcting Alarm Conditions 120 3 7 Logged Events 121 ...

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Page 123: ...nfigurable parameters in the Management 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 ti...

Page 124: ...f 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 reading S...

Page 125: ...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 Possible R...

Page 126: ...n 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 able to associate with an Access Point unit then there may be problem with the wireless network layer Call in a radio technician ...

Page 127: ...verage level is less 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 MEASUREMENTS on Page 139 for information on antenna system checks NOTE For a data rate of 512 kbps 1 Mbps for iNET II...

Page 128: ...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 2 5 summarizes these classifications These various events are stored in the transceiver s Event Log and can be a valu...

Page 129: ...ressionChanged 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 Invalid ipAddressNotSet ...

Page 130: ... 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 3 5 Alarm Conditions Alphabetical Order Continued Alarm Condition Reported Event Log Entry SNMP Trap Table 3 6 Correcting Alarm Conditions Alphabetical Order Event Log Entry ...

Page 131: ... 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 assistance Power Control Railed High Power control can no longer compensate and rea...

Page 132: ...Below threshold Above threshold INFORMATIONAL Self explanatory Console Access Locked for 5 Min MAJOR Self explanatory Console User Logged Out Logged In MAJOR Self explanatory Country SkipZone Mismatch INFORMATIONAL 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...

Page 133: ...lf explanatory Received Beacon AP is Blacklisted INFORMATIONAL Self explanatory Received Beacon Netname Does Not Match INFORMATIONAL Self explanatory Received Beacon Valid Errored INFORMATIONAL Self explanatory Rem Ethernet Link Connected Disconnected MAJOR Self explanatory Reprogramming Complete INFORMATIONAL Self explanatory Reprogramming Failed MAJOR Self explanatory Reprogramming Started INFOR...

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Page 135: ...4 2 RADIO RF MEASUREMENTS 137 4 2 1 Antenna System SWR and Transmitter Power Output 137 Introduction 137 Procedure 138 4 2 2 Antenna Aiming 139 Introduction 139 Procedure 139 4 3 dBm WATTS VOLTS CONVERSION CHART 141 4 4 PERFORMANCE NOTES 142 4 4 1 Wireless Bridge 142 4 4 2 Distance Throughput Relationship 142 4 4 3 Data Latency TCP versus UDP Mode 143 4 4 4 Data Compression 143 4 4 5 Packets per S...

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Page 137: ...ransceiver and the data device Figure 4 1 shows a typical Remote Gateway installation NOTE The iNET network port supports 10BaseT connections but does not support 100BaseT connections This should not present 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 ...

Page 138: ...ith factory supplied brackets If possible choose a mounting location that provides easy access to the connectors on the end of the radio and an unobstructed view of the LED status indicators Figure 4 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 FR...

Page 139: ...of the radio without the need for tools of any kind Figure 4 4 shows how the DIN Rail bracket attaches to the back of the unit s case and how the entire unit attaches to the mounting rail Invisible place holder Figure 4 4 DIN Rail Mounting of GE MDS Equipment 4 1 2 Site Selection Suitable sites should provide Protection from direct weather exposure A source of adequate and stable primary power 2 7...

Page 140: ... to a well grounded metal surface If the transceiver is not mounted to a grounded surface it is rec ommended that a safety ground wire be attached to one of the mounting brackets or a screw on the transceiver s case The use of a lightning protector is recommended where the antenna cable enters the building Bond the protector to the tower ground if pos sible 4 1 4 Terrain and Signal Strength While ...

Page 141: ... a system Contact your factory representative for specific recommendations on antenna types and hardware sources In general an omnidirectional antenna Figure 4 5 is used at the Access Point station site This provides equal coverage to all of the Remote Gateway sites NOTE Antenna polarization is important If the wrong polarization is used a signal reduction of 20 dB or more will result Most systems...

Page 142: ... 8A U may be acceptable Otherwise we recommend using a low loss cable type suited for 900 MHz such as Heliax Table 4 1 lists several types of popular feedlines and indicates the signal losses in dB that result when using various lengths of cable at 900 MHz The choice of cable will depend on the required length cost considerations and the amount of signal loss that can be tolerated The tables below...

Page 143: ... kHz thus the iNET II Trans ceiver is factory set to 29 dBm When calculating maximum transceiver power output for iNET II installations use 29 dBm if antenna gain is 6 dBi or less See How Much Output Power Can be Used on Page 135 for power control of higher gain antennas 4 1 6 How Much Output Power Can be Used The transceiver is normally supplied from the factory set for a nominal 30 dBm 29 dBm fo...

Page 144: ...and held antenna positioned near the proposed mounting spot a technician can check for synchronization with the Access Point station shown by a lit LINK LED on the front panel and measure the reported RSSI value See Antenna Aiming on Page 141 for details If adequate signal strength cannot be obtained it may be necessary to mount the station antennas higher use higher gain antennas select a dif fer...

Page 145: ...ch network name has a differ ent hop pattern See Protected Network Operation using Multiple Access Points on Page 14 Additional isolation can be achieved by using separate directional antennas with as much vertical or horizon tal separation as is practical If constant interference is present in a particular frequency zone collection of 8 RF channels it may be necessary to skip that zone from the r...

Page 146: ...by cable type and length To determine the loss for common lengths of feedline see Table 4 1 on Page 134 For assistance in the conversion of dBm to Watts see dBm WATTS VOLTS CONVERSION CHART on Page 143 4 1 9 Notes on Using 28 VDC Power Supplies Common 28 Vdc supplies are often high current power supplies designed primarily to charge battery banks The radio can be operated from these supplies provi...

Page 147: ...vely high 1 or 2 Ω source impedance or from a power source with out a large amount of output capacitance no overshoot occurs Therefore use a power supply that is rated appropriately for the radio if possible avoid using power supplies that far exceed the radio s current requirements Please direct any questions you may have about interfacing to GE MDS radios to the Technical Services Department usi...

Page 148: ...he reflected power is more than 10 check the feedline antenna and its connectors for damage Record the current transmitter power output level and then set it to 30 dBm for the duration of the test to provide an adequate signal level for the directional wattmeter Procedure 1 Place a directional wattmeter between the ANTENNA connector and the antenna system 2 Place the transceiver into the Radio Tes...

Page 149: ...irectional antennas usually require some fine tuning of their bearing to optimize the received signal strength The transceiver has a built in received signal strength indicator RSSI that can be used to tell you when the antenna is in a position that provides the optimum received signal RSSI measurements and Wireless Packet Statistics are based on mul tiple samples over a period of several seconds ...

Page 150: ...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 Dropped and Received Error rates at the point of maximum RSSI level They should be the same or lower than the previous reading Main Menu Performance Information Packet Statistics Wireless Packet Statistics If the RSSI peak resu...

Page 151: ...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 0 80...

Page 152: ... the destination address is a multicast or broadcast address forward the packet to all remotes If the destination address is not known forward the packet to all remotes If the destination address is known forward the packet to the port that the destination is known to be on usually the RF port The bridge code uses Spanning Tree Protocol STP to pre vent loops from being created when connecting brid...

Page 153: ...ta Text files are typically the most compressible whereas binary files are the least compressible On average a 30 increase in throughput can be achieved with compres sion enabled Compression is used on data packets of 100 bytes or more including Ethernet IP and TCP UDP headers 4 4 5 Packets per Second PPS The iNET II radio has a limit of approximately 140 PPS 70 PPS in iNET Consider this restricti...

Page 154: ...echanism is used to reserve a time slot if packets exceed this number On the other hand a hidden node might interfere more often than if RTS was not used Main Menu Radio Configuration RTS Threshold Decreasing the RTS Threshold to the 100 to 200 range may improve throughput on a busy network It will add small packets but reduce collisions and resulting re tries of large packets Main Menu Radio Conf...

Page 155: ...ent supports SNMP version 3 SNMPv3 The SNMPv3 protocol introduces Authentication MD5 SHA 1 Encryption DES the USM User Table and View Based Access Refer to RFC2574 for full details The SNMP Agent has limited SNMPv3 support in the following areas Only MD5 Authentication is supported no SHA 1 SNMPv3 provides support for MD5 and SHA 1 Currently only MD5 Authentication is supported in the SNMP Agent L...

Page 156: ...ords are configured and managed locally they are non volatile and will survive a power cycle If passwords are configured from an SNMP manager they will be reset to whatever has been stored for local man agement on power cycle This behavior was chosen based on RFC specifications The SNMP Manager and Agent don t exchange passwords but actually exchange keys based on passwords If the Manager changes ...

Page 157: ...ill now be used by the Agent to re generate keys The Manager will need to know these passwords in order to talk to the Agent Passwords are currently being managed locally The local pass words are Fairport Auth and Churchville Priv Configuration is changed to handle the passwords from the Manager The same passwords will continue to be used but now the Manager can change them Passwords are currently...

Page 158: ...r 5 Min httpLogin 49 MAJOR HTTP User Logged Out Logged In countrySkipZoneMismatch 50 INFORMATIONAL Country SkipZone Mismatch desiredAPIPMismatch 51 INFORMATIONAL Desired AP IP Addr Mismatch eventLogCleared 52 INFORMATIONAL Log Cleared authDemoMode 53 MAJOR Auth Demo Mode Expired Rebooted Radio Enabled keyEntered 54 MAJOR Auth Key Entered Key Valid Key Invalid apEthLinkDown 55 MAJOR Association Los...

Page 159: ...ote lost association due to a change in the AP s netname ipConnectivityOK 75 INFORMATIONAL Radio is associated AND 1 has an IP address statically defined OR 2 received an IP address via DHCP compressionChanged 76 INFORMATIONAL Compression state has changed enabled disabled macDecryptError 77 INFORMATIONAL MAC has received a packet that it could not decrypt lanPortStatus 78 INFORMATIONAL Ethernet p...

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Page 161: ... 151 5 TECHNICAL REFERENCE 5 Chapter Counter Reset Paragraph Contents 5 1 DATA INTERFACE CONNECTORS 153 5 1 1 LAN Port 153 5 1 2 COM1 Port 154 5 1 3 COM2 Port 154 5 2 FUSE REPLACEMENT 155 5 3 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 156 5 4 CHANNEL HOP TABLE 159 ...

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Page 163: ...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 Ethernet RJ 45 ca...

Page 164: ...rt use a DB 9F to DB 9M null modem crossover cable These cables are available commer cially or may be constructed using the pinout information in Figure 5 3 and Table 5 3 Figure 5 3 COM2 Port DTE Viewed from the outside of the radio Table 5 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 Tabl...

Page 165: ...n 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 5 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 other continui...

Page 166: ...4 Vdc 9 watts 24 5 30 Vdc Receive 2 8 watts 10 5 24 Vdc 3 5 watts 24 5 30 Vdc MTBF Reliability Consult factory for on file data Size Excluding mtg hardware 1 25 x 6 75 x 4 5 H x W x D 3 15 x 17 15 x 11 43 cm Mounting w Optional Hardware DIN Rail 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 A...

Page 167: ...SLOG GE MDS NETview MS DATA CHARACTERISTICS PORTS Ethernet Interface Connectors RJ 45 Standard Data Rate 10BaseT 10 Mbps Serial 2 Ports Signaling Standard EIA 232 V 24 Interface Connectors DB 9 Interface COM1 DCE COM2 DTE Data Rate 1200 115 200 bps asynchronous Data Latency 10 ms typical Byte Formats 7 or 8 bit even odd or no parity 1 or 2 stop bits OPERATING MODES Configurable as Access Point or ...

Page 168: ...igurable 2 5 MHz wide zones each containing 8 frequencies iNET iNET II From one and up to 75 overlapping channels Hop Patterns 8192 based on network name Frequency Stability 20 ppm TRANSMITTER Power Output at antenna connector 0 1 to 1 0 watt 20 dBm to 30 dBm 1 0 dB set by user Duty Cycle Continuous Modulation Type Binary CPFSK Output Impedance 50 Ohms Spurious 67 dBc Occupied Bandwidth MDS iNET 3...

Page 169: ...in and a mix of agricultural and commercial terrain with line of sight Range calculations for mobile units assume a 6 dBd gain Omni on a 100 ft tower at the AP a 5 dBd gain Omni with 1 watt output power at 6 ft height a 10 dB fade margin and 90 confidence with near line of sight in a mix of agricultural and commercial terrain Actual performance is dependent on many factors including antenna height...

Page 170: ...4 7155 2 8 905 0320 2 9 905 3485 2 10 905 6650 2 11 905 9815 2 12 906 2980 2 13 906 6145 2 14 906 9310 2 15 907 2475 3 16 907 5640 3 17 907 8805 3 18 908 1970 3 19 908 5135 3 20 908 8300 3 21 909 1465 3 22 909 4630 3 23 909 7795 4 24 910 0960 4 25 910 4125 4 26 910 7290 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 3...

Page 171: ...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 10 73 925 6045 10 74 925 9210 10 75 926 2375 10 76 926 5540 10 77 926 8705 10 78 927 1870 iNET II DTS highest channel 10 79 927 5035 iNET FHSS highest c...

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Page 173: ...ctors 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 of dig...

Page 174: ... istrators to avoid the tedious process of manually configuring and man aging IP addresses for a large number of users and devices When a network device powers on if it is configured to use DHCP it will con tact a DHCP server on the network and request an IP address The DHCP server will provide an address from a pool of addresses allo cated by the network administrator The network device may use t...

Page 175: ...e the pat tern appears to jump around it is said to hop from one frequency to another Frequency Zone The radio uses up to 80 discrete channels in the 902 to 928 MHz spectrum A group of 8 channels is referred to as a zone in total there are 10 zones Hardware Flow Control A transceiver feature used to prevent data buffer overruns when handling high speed data from the connected data communications d...

Page 176: ...ble to determine the file based on the fingerprint For more details review RFC 1321 available on the Internet MIB Management Information Base Microcontroller Unit See MCU Mobile IP An emerging standard by which access points and stations maintain network connectivity as the stations move between various IP networks Through the use of Mobile IP a station can move from its home IP network to a forei...

Page 177: ... nects the station from the access point PING Packet INternet Groper Diagnostic message generally used to test reachability of a network device either over a wired or wireless net work Point Multipoint System A radio communications network or system designed with a central control station that exchanges data with a number of remote locations equipped with terminal equipment Poll A request for data...

Page 178: ...ints are co located for redundancy roaming allows the stations to switch between them to provide a robust network Roaming may also be employed in conjunction with Portability where the station has been moved beyond the range of the original AP to which it was connected As the station comes in range of a new AP it will switch its connection to the stronger signal Roaming refers to a station s logic...

Page 179: ...rol Protocol TFTP Trivial File Transfer Protocol Trap Manager Software that collects SNMP traps for display or log ging of events UDP User Datagram Protocol UTP Unshielded Twisted Pair WINS Windows Internet Naming Service Part of Microsoft Win dows NT and 2000 servers that manages the association of workstation names and locations with Internet Protocol addresses It works without the user or an ad...

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Page 181: ...7 110 defined 165 Authorized Features 107 Auto Data Rate Menu SNR Threshold Delta 58 Auto Key Rotation 80 Auto Upgrade Remote Reboot 107 B Backhaul for Serial Radio Networks 8 Network 9 bandpass filter 137 Beacon Period 53 145 146 signal 93 Begin Wizard 64 Bit defined 165 Bits per second bps defined 165 BPDU 144 defined 165 BPS defined 165 bridging 159 remote to remote 39 Bytes defined 165 in on p...

Page 182: ...k H W Watch 46 Link Poll Address 46 Packet Statistics 91 port enabled disabled 45 Rate Limit 45 46 Event Log 85 87 118 120 122 123 F Fade Margin 167 Feedline selection 133 134 Filename 89 100 firewall 147 firmware installing 101 upgrade 101 108 version 33 35 Flow Control 64 66 68 69 70 71 hardware defined 167 Force Key Rotation 80 Force Reboot 108 Fragmentation defined 167 Threshold 54 146 Frame d...

Page 183: ...rk Name 14 32 Name defined 169 Time Protocol NTP defined 169 network maintenance 98 performance verification 84 network design 12 antennas 13 collocating multiple radio networks 14 network name 13 repeaters 12 using multiple Access Points 14 Using the AP as a Store and Forward Packet Repeater 13 using two transceivers to form a repeater station 12 NTP Network Time Protocol defined 169 O Owner 36 P...

Page 184: ... 170 Threshold 54 RTS Threshold 54 146 RTS CTS handshaking 66 RTU 10 61 72 76 defined 170 RxBCMC 97 RxPkts 96 97 RxRate 97 RxViaEP 97 S Save Changes 81 SCADA 9 10 62 defined 170 Scanning 118 Active defined 169 Passive defined 169 Seamless Inter Frame Delay 66 68 69 71 72 Secondary Host Address 69 IP Port 69 security Approved Access Points Remotes List 80 Auto Key Rotation 80 encryption 80 Encrypti...

Page 185: ...ng the Embedded Management System 116 Two Way Authentication 78 TX Output Power 109 TxKey 109 TxPkt 96 TxPkts 97 TxViaEP 97 U UDP 11 62 75 76 145 defined 171 mode 65 Unit Name 106 Uptime 33 35 User Password 78 Using multiple Access Points 14 V V3 Authentication Password 49 Privacy Password 49 via Remote 96 View Approved Remotes 81 Current Alarms 89 Current Settings 64 Event Log 90 Log 88 VLAN 38 3...

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Page 187: ...gn your 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 N...

Page 188: ...GE MDS LLC Rochester NY 14620 General Business 1 585 242 9600 FAX 1 585 242 9620 Web www gemds com 175 Science Parkway ...

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Summary of Contents for MDS iNET 900

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