System Manual

EkoTek System Installation and Configuration Manual

9261-8173 issue: 8 Page 8

A further benefit of two-way radio is the ability to download configuration parameters

to all devices from the hub, using over-the-air programming. Devices do not hold

their own configuration, as this is sent by the hub upon request when devices are

powered up. Even pagers and call fobs have their configuration held at the hub,

making it unnecessary to recall mobile devices for configuration change, as all

updates are made centrally at the hub.

8. Frequency hopping

EkoTek radio links can be configured to operate on a fixed frequency, or to hop

across all 16 available frequencies. Frequency hopping increases the immunity of

EkoTek systems to radio interference. If a message is lost due to interference on a

frequency, the loss is immediately detected and the message retransmitted on the

next frequency in the hopping sequence.

Frequency hopping is especially useful where the local radio environment may be

unknown, or subject to change. EkoTek’s combination of message loss detection,

automatic message retransmission and frequency hopping, makes for a very robust

radio infrastructure.

9. ESPA and TAP paging I/O

In addition to the in-built support for EkoTek two-way pagers, the hub provides the

ability to connect the EkoTek system to external systems via a one-way paging

interface. This allows the EkoTek system to either receive or to send messages to a

pre-existing one-way paging system.

The hub paging interface can be selected from ESPA or TAP as an input or

output

through Port A and by using Port B TAP or ESPA input only

. This allows EkoTek to

be used as a paging system, e.g. for connection to a nurse call system or to send

messages to a pre-existing one-way paging system.

10. Configuration

All configuration of the EkoTek system is performed via web pages stored on the

EkoTek hub. Access to this web server is either via the 10/100Base-T Ethernet port

or using PPP via an RS232 serial port. Configuration for all devices is held on the

hub and downloaded to each device at power-up.

The hub defaults allow a new system to operate ‘out-of-the-box’, only requiring the

location names for the repeaters and user names for the mobile devices to be

entered on the hub’s web server configuration page.

Each device has its own unique factory set serial number for identification, but there

is no factory programming of the devices. The hub configuration set for the devices

during installation defines whether device options (e.g. the man down alarm) are

enabled or not.