XLR PRO Radio Frequency (RF) Modem User Guide
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XLR PRO networking methods
This section explains XLR PRO networking layers and methods, starting from the simplest and moving to the most
complex.
Ethernet RF bridging
PHY stands for “physical layer.” The PHY layer manages the hardware that modulates and demodulates the RF bits.
MAC stands for “media access layer.” The MAC layer sends and receives RF frames. Each packet includes a MAC layer
data header that contains addressing information, as well as packet options. This layer implements packet
acknowledgments (ACKs), packet tracking to eliminate duplicates, and so on.
When a radio is transmitting, it cannot receive packets. There are no beacons or master/slave requirements in the
design of the MAC/PHY.
Related parameters: ID, PL, RR, MT
Networks are defined with a unique network identifier. For XLR PRO radios to communicate, you must configure them
with the same network identifier. The ID parameter allows multiple networks to co-exist on the same physical
channel.
The power level (PL) sets the transmit (TX) power level. You can reduce the power level from the maximum to reduce
current power consumption or to test at short distances. This comes at the expense of reduced radio range.
The RR parameter specifies the number of times a sending radio attempts to get an ACK from a destination radio
when sending a unicast packet. Only use RR for serial traffic; Ethernet RF bridging uses a fixed retry amount.
The MT parameter specifies the number of times that a broadcast packet is repeatedly transmitted. This adds
redundancy that improves reliability. Only use MT for serial traffic; Ethernet RF bridging does not use retransmissions.