MultiHop Radio Overview
MultiHop networks are made up of one master radio and many repeater and slave radios.
The MultiHop networks are self-forming and self-healing networks constructed around a parent-child communication relationship. The
MultiHop Radio architecture creates a hierarchical network of devices to solve the most challenging wireless applications. A MultiHop
Radio is either a master radio, a repeater radio, or a slave radio.
• The single master device controls the overall wireless network.
• The repeater mode allows for range extension of the wireless network.
• The slave radios are the end point of the wireless network.
At the root of the wireless network is the master radio. All repeater or slave radios within range of the master radio connect as children of
the master radio, which serves as their parent. After repeater radios synchronize to the master radio, additional radios within range of the
repeater can join the network. The radios that synchronize to the repeater radio form the same parent/child relationship the repeater has
with the master radio: the repeater is the parent and the new radios are children of the repeater.
The network formation continues to build the hierarchical structure until all MultiHop radios connect to a parent radio. A MultiHop radio
can only have one designated parent radio. If a radio loses synchronization to the wireless network it may reconnect to the network
through a different parent radio.
For the simple example network shown below, the following relationships exist:
1
2
4
3
6
5
• Radio 1 is the master radio and is parent to radio 2 (repeater).
• Radio 2 (repeater) is child to radio 1 (master), but is parent to radios 3 (slave) and 4 (repeater).
• Radio 4 (repeater) is child to radio 2 (repeater), but is parent to radios 5 and 6 (both slaves).
On the LCD of each device, the parent device address (PADR) and local device address (DADR) are shown.
MultiHop Master Radio. Within a network of MultiHop data radios, there is only one master radio. The master radio controls the overall
timing of the network and is always the parent device for other MultiHop radios. The host system connects to this master radio.
MultiHop Repeater Radio. When a MultiHop radio is set to repeater mode, it acts as both a parent and a child. The repeater receives
data packets from its parent, then re-transmits the data packet to the children within the repeater’s network. The incoming packet of
information is re-transmitted on both the radio link and the local serial link.
MultiHop Slave Radio. The slave radio is the end device of the MultiHop radio network. A radio in slave mode does not re-transmit the
data packet on the radio link, only on the local serial (wired) bus.
MultiHop Configuration Tool
Use Banner’s MultiHop Configuration Tool software to view your MultiHop radio network and configure the radio and its I/O.
SureCross MultiHop Data Radio Module
2
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