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. A MultiHop Radio is either a master radio, a repeater radio, or a slave radio.
•
The master radio controls the overall wireless network.
•
The repeater radios extend the range 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.
The MultiHop Configuration Tool requires that you connect your master radio to
your computer using either a USB to RS-485 (for RS-485 radios) or a USB to
RS-232 (for RS-232 radios) converter cable. For RS-485 models, Banner
recommends using cable model BWA-UCT-900, an RS-485 to USB adapter cable
with a wall plug that can power your 1 Watt MultiHop radio while you are
configuring it.
If you use an adapter cable that does not also supply 10-30V dc to your radio,
use the DIP switches to set the MultiHop Radio to transmit at 250 mW.
When the MultiHop Configuration Tool launches, it automatically checks to see if a newer version of the software is
available. If a newer version is available, a dialog box displays on the screen to ask you if you want to download the new
version or ignore the new version. If you select download, the newer version automatically downloads, installs, and
relaunches the program for you.
SureCross MultiHop Data Radio
2
www.bannerengineering.com - tel: 763-544-3164
P/N 148947 Rev. C
