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HF RFID System User Manual MARS-24 Multiple Antenna Reader-Writer System - 24 Document Number : 63-70-006-DOC ver.
Content 1. INTRODUCTION------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 1.1 REGULATION AND STANDARDS.......................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 WARRANTY ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.
Please read before proceeding Please read and understand this document before using Magellan’s Readers. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about the User Manual please contact Magellan Technology. Important Information Installation Environment For indoor use only unless otherwise specified. Install Magellan’s Readers within the temperature and humidity range according to the product specification.
1.Introduction Thank you for your recent purchase of a Magellan RFID reader-writer. This User Manual will provide you with information to rapidly adopt Magellan’s PJM technology for your needs, to install the Reader hardware and ReaderManager software and get the Reader running. Refer to the ReaderManager Guide (40-01-006-DOC) for a description of the various tools and advanced options available in the ReaderManager software. Programming is covered in the Application Programmer’s Guide (40-01-000DOC). 1.
Other Regulations EU AS/NZS ETSI EN 300 330-1 v.1.3.1 (2001-06) ETSI EN 300 330-2 v.1.2.1 (2004-11) ETSI EN 489-1 v.1.5.1 (2004-11) ETSI EN 489-3 v.1.4.1 (2002-08) EN 61000-3.2: 2002 EN 61000-3.3: 1995 Safety: IEC/EN 60950 CISPR 22: 2004 4268: 2003 Pending Pending ISO/IEC 18000 – 3 Mode 2 (Air Interface at 13.56 MHz) Compliance Magellan’s Readers fully complies with the ISO/IEC 18000 Part 3 Mode 2 (Information technology – Radio frequency identification for item management.
! ! CAUTION ! WARNING MARS-24 USER MANUAL This part of the Manual requires your attention. Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in minor or moderate injury. Can cause property damage. Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in minor or moderate injury, or may result in serious injury or death. Can cause significant property damage. Warning! In order to avoid electric shock follow the instructions provided.
1.7Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations Antenna Antenna axis Antenna tuning Create axis group Configure axis group D/C DSB HDF HF GUI IT ItemTag tags (IT tags) LAN LED MDF MLC MRD Network Connections window OEM label PJM PJM ItemTag® PJM StackTag® P/N MARS-24 USER MANUAL A Reader antenna that emits radio waves and receives reply signals from tags. The Reader antenna can be internal which is integrated into the Reader and external which is connected to the Reader via a cable.
Power cycle the PC Power cycle the Reader Reader/s ReaderManager ReaderServer RFID RFID inlet RFID label RFID tag RFID reader-writer RMA Setup axis S/N ST StackTag tags (ST tags) MARS-24 USER MANUAL Shut up Windows and switch the PC off at the wall and wait for 30 seconds before powering the PC back up again. For laptops this means removing the battery and waiting for 30 seconds. This ensures that the USB host controller chips on the motherboard have had a chance to be fully reset.
2.Product Overview Intended use of Magellan’s RFID Reader is to read and write information to individual Magellan ItemTags and multiple Magellan StackTags. The communication protocol used by the Reader is compliant with ISO/IEC 18000 - 3 Mode 2 (Air Interface at 13.56 MHz). 2.1MARS-24 Multiple Antenna Reader System – 24 Multiple antenna system (up to 24 antennas) 8 reply channels MARS-24 USER MANUAL 7 63-70-006-DOC ver.
3.Before you begin 3.1Unpacking and Inspection When you receive your system, inspect it for any obvious damage that may have occurred during shipment. If there is damage, notify the shipping carrier and the supplier of the equipment or Magellan if purchase directly from Magellan. Until you have checked the system, save the shipping carton and packaging materials in the event the unit has to be returned.
! As shielded cables are generally required in order to comply with EMC emissions limits, the shielded cables recommended by Magellan Technology must be used. Unshielded cabled may be used where explicitly allowed in the Installation Requirements section of this User Manual. Ethernet cable is not included with the supply. Magellan recommends CAT5 Ethernet cable. CD-ROM The CD-ROM should contain the following files: AdbeRdrxx_enu_full.exe 40-01-000-DOC Application Programmer Guide.
3.2Installation Environment Magellan’s Readers are designed to operate in indoor environments where temperature and humidity are controlled unless other conditions are specified for customised Readers. For standard Readers the temperature range is from +10oC to +45oC. The humidity range is from 10% to 80% (non-condensing humidity). Install the Readers within the temperature and humidity ranges according to the product specification.
3.4Installation Requirements Power supply requirements: Mains input: Low voltage input (MARS-24): 110 - 240 VAC @ 50/60 Hz 12 VDC @ 2 A MARS-24 requires special installation and tuning of external antennas. Refer to the ReaderManager User Guide (40-01-006-DOC) for the antenna matching, tuning and testing instructions using the Reader Setup Wizard tool. MARS’ external antennas are suitable for applications where many reading points are required.
The materials that antennas are mounted on/into should not be metallic or conductive. Materials such as wood, laminated MDF, HDF or plywood have a limited conductivity. If an antenna is mounted into these materials some drop in the read range is expected in comparison with the equipment specification. Plastics are the best materials to embed antenna into provided they are graphite/carbon free. Try to avoid using black plastics as they may be conductive due to carbon/graphite based colouring agents.
Antennas may be shielded by a purpose built ferrite sheet only. In special circumstances devices such as keyboards and computers may be placed under antennas where a purpose built ferrite antenna shield (64-50-001) is provide to protect the antenna. A ferrite shield consists of a sheet of aluminium with ferrite tiles, minimum thickness 5 mm.
3.5Antenna Maintenance (Tuning) Antennas may require periodic re-tuning and testing. Detuning of an antenna may occur if physical environment around the antenna is changed. For example when large metal objects are located near the antenna or electronic devices or cables are placed in close proximity with the antenna. The severity of detuning is dependent upon the size of the metal object and can only be determined by measurement.
Quality Assurance/ Quality Control If the maximum read distance is important for your application then the antennas have to be protected/shielded from the interference with a mounting material firstly and then tuned at maximum voltage. In case the maximum read distance is not an issue the antennas can work properly even at lower voltage but at a reduced read range. Method 1 To confirm optimum antenna operation measure the maximum read-write distance. 1.
3.6Working with Tags Do not stack ItemTags on top of each other. Only StackTags can be stacked, overlapped or touch each other. Single-axis Readers are tag orientation sensitive. Refer to the Tag-to-Reader/Tag-to-Antenna section of this document. Reading and writing speeds depend on readertag communication speeds, the number of receiver channels, amount of information to be read and/or written and the number of tags presented at a time.
How to check a tag configuration mode 1. In the ReaderManager go to Tools -> System -> Interrogate Command. 2. In Reply select Normal and click Send. 3. Then go to Tools -> System -> Table of Tag Messages to see the tag configuration in the Config column. The messages of all the tags currently in the reader antenna field can be seen. 2000 means that the tag has been reconfigured to ST ¼ normal power mode configuration. 6000 means that a tag is in ST normal power mode.
3.7Tag-to-Antenna Orientation Tags should always be presented face on to the external antenna surface. They may still work at some angle depending upon the distance between the tag and the external antenna. Correct orientation Correct orientation Incorrect orientation (90o angle) MARS-24 USER MANUAL 18 63-70-006-DOC ver.
4.Installation QUICK START GUIDE MARS Readers HF RFID Readers-Writers PJM® Technology ISO/IEC 18000-3 Mode 2 Connect external antenna/s to the Reader Connect a power pack to the Reader Install the ReaderManager software from the supplied CD-ROM Software Installation (4.2 User Manual) Hardware Installation (4.1 User Manual) Connect a communication cable (USB or Ethernet) to the Reader and host PC Connecting to a Reader using the ReaderManager (4.
4.1Hardware Installation User I/O Antenna Interface OEM Label MARS-24 User I/O, Antenna Interface and OEM label panel LEDs RJ45 (Ethernet port) USB host port USB device port Power switch Power port MARS-24 User Interface panel MARS-24 USER MANUAL 20 63-70-006-DOC ver.
RCA connector Adjustable tuning capacitor Round 124 mm diam. antenna (63-10-005) MARS-24 USER MANUAL 21 63-70-006-DOC ver.
4.1.1Connecting to a power supply Step 1. Connect a low voltage power pack to the unit. The connection to the power source is realized via a low voltage power pack. The power cable is not supplied with the Reader and recommended to be purchased in the country of use. Step 2. Plug the power supply into AC power mains.
LEDs are controlled by the MARS-24 software The MARS-24 has an external interface connector called the USER I/O. This provides a number of digital input and outputs points. These can be used under application control to connect to external devices, such as buttons and lights. The connector is an IDC 20 pin male.
4.1.2Connecting a Reader to a Computer using USB Connect the MARS-24 Reader to a host computer using the USB data communication cable by plugging the USB cable into the MARS-24 USB device port and the host computer USB port. Only one Magellan Reader can be connected to the PC via USB at a time (limited by Windows). ! When the USB connection is used only a screened USB cable should be used. MARS-24 with the USB communication cable and power cable 4.1.
4.1.4Connecting Multiple Readers to a local network Multiple Readers can be connected to a local network using an Ethernet hub/switch. Plug the Ethernet communication cable into the MARS’s RJ45 socket (Ethernet port) and Ethernet Hub. ! Always connect Ethernet cable before power is applied to the Reader. MARS-24 with the Ethernet communication cable and power cable 4.1.5Connecting External Antennas Connect each external antenna to a Reader’s Antenna Axis/port via a supplied connection cable.
4.1.6Antenna Matching, Tuning and Testing Before you start tuning and testing the antennas it’s required to install the ReaderManager software and connect to a Reader in the ReaderManager’s Connection menu. Refer to the ReaderManager Guide (40-01-006-DOC) for the antenna matching, tuning and testing instructions using the Wizard tool in Reader Setup. Follow the procedure, making sure that the Magellan Antenna Tuning Probe and voltmeter are used to measure when the tuning is correct.
4.2ReaderManager Software Installation The ReaderManager application software allows tag data to be viewed and programmed. The ReaderManager can only connect to one Reader at a time. The Connections menu allows the user to connect to other Readers by disconnecting from the currently connected Reader and then establishing a connection to a new Reader. It is possible to run many ReaderManagers on the same computer at the same time.
4.2.2Upgrading software Magellan recommends to upgrade the ReaderManager software at least once a month and ReaderServer software on network based Readers every 3-4 months. You can download the latest version of the ReaderManager operating software from Magellan’s website. Contact Magellan or its representatives to receive a user name and password. Refer to the ReaderManager Guide (Upgrading Reader Software) for more information about how to upgrade the ReaderServer from the ReaderManager File menu.
4.3Connecting to a Reader using ReaderManager Magellan’s Readers are complex and powerful network devices. As most network devices they should be handled by well trained network administrators. A Reader provides Ethernet and USB device interfaces to allow for user connection.
If the Reader is to be assigned an IP address from a DHCP server click the Obtain an IP address automatically check box. To assign a static IP address, uncheck the check box and enter the IP address in the IP address text box. The box will turn red if the IP address is not valid. Care should be taken not to duplicate IP addresses on your network. If you are unsure what IP address to use consult your systems administrator.
4.3.1Getting an IP address using Ethernet Here is a general guide to the way Reader network address assignment works: The Ethernet interface is either served an IP address via DHCP or is assigned a static IP address by the user. If the Reader is set to use a DHCP assigned address and no DHCP server is available it will automatically use a link local address of 169.254.0.0/16. The Reader must be powered up with the Ethernet connected to get a DHCP assigned IP address.
If the address here is not 169.254 followed by 2 other numbers, then the user needs to check the following: 1. Right click on the Ethernet connection in the Network Connections window. 2. Select the Properties menu option. 3. In the properties window, look in the list of items for Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). 4. Double click on this item 5. In the Internet Properties window, click on the Alternate Configuration tab 6. Make sure that the Automatic private IP address radio button is the selected one. 7.
4.3.2Getting an IP address using USB The USB interface uses TCP/IP networking over USB as the protocol. This allows you to connect to a Reader as if it was a normal network. So all the usual services, such as telnet and FTP are available. Any device hardware when it’s first connected to a PC via USB requires a device driver. The device driver is provided by Microsoft. No USB device drivers are available instantly. They have to be installed and require a certain amount of configuration.
3. Linux USB Ethernet/RNDIS Gadget Once it says Connected in the Network Connections window (Windows XP SP2) you can go to the Step 4. If it says Disabled or Broken, then right click and select Repair or Enable to try and fix the connection. If this fails, disconnect the reader, reboot your PC and repeat from Step 1. The Reader can disconnect in situations where the Reader has been repeatedly plugged and unplugged before Windows has had a chance to properly and completely process the network connection.
4.3.3Getting a Reader connected using the ReaderManager Step 1. Open the Reader Manager. ReaderManager will automatically detect all Readers on the local network. When a Reader is connected for the first time to a network using an Ethernet cable or a host computer using a USB cable, the Reader is identified by its Model Name-Serial Number (recommended to keep). Users can replace or add additional information to the Model Name-Serial Number such as a physical location or customer ID number.
Click the Save button on the right to save your changes to the reader, or click the Refresh button to restore the previously saved name. Step 2. Click the Connection menu item to view Readers found on the local network. The ReaderManager will use network broadcasts to look for active readers via USB and Ethernet. If you click on the Connection menu, you can see readers defined in there automatically. A list of Readers will be displayed.
4.4Communication Test Perform the tag reading test. From the Tools menu, select System -> Grid of tags sight count. Check some default settings in Tools -> System-> Reader Settings: Tag Type. Default is IFX_STACK. If you use ItemTags the default should be changed to IFX_ITEM. If you want to read both IT and ST tags the Tag Type should be IFX_STACK. The Powering Field should be ticked.
5.Reporting a Problem If you are having a problem with a Magellan Reader, you will need to send a report to your support organisation.
If a Reader needs repairing after one year warranty period expires, your support organization or Magellan if you purchased directly from Magellan will first provide an estimate of repair charges. Then upon receiving approval from you the Reader can be sent for repair. Refer to above Warranty Repairs information for return procedures. MARS-24 USER MANUAL 39 63-70-006-DOC ver.
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The PC does not recognise the Reader at all The PC recognises the Reader, but claims that it is faulty in the Windows’ Device Manager and does not create a network connection The Reader is connected, and appears to be working correctly but the network connection drops out after a few seconds No network connection can be made to a Reader but the Network Connections window shows that the Reader is connected and all other network status information indicates that networking should be working MARS-24 USER MAN
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6.Contact Us Magellan Technology pty limited 65 Johnston St. Annandale NSW 2038 Australia Tel.: +61 2 9562 9800 Fax: +61 2 9518 7620 Email: info@magtech.com.au Website: www.magtech.com.au MARS-24 USER MANUAL 43 63-70-006-DOC ver.
7.Revision History Version Ver.1 Date 09.2006 MARS-24 USER MANUAL Person Olga Kolesnik Reason Initial User’s Guide (40-01-005-DOC) has been split into separate User Manuals for each reader. New user-friendly document layout/design, new logo, new sections added (Alert Symbols, Glossary, Product Overview, Service Form, Specifications, Revision History) 44 63-70-006-DOC ver.
8.Appendix 8.1Specification MARS-24 Multiple Antenna Reader System – 24 Read and write operations No user-serviceable parts ISO/IEC Compliance 18000-3 Mode 2 Operating Frequency 13.
8.2External Antenna Types Magellan’s MARS Readers have been designed to operate with the antennas listed below. Each antenna is connected to a Reader via a supplied RCA cable. Each supplied RCA cable has a fixed length of 1.5 m. The antenna must be connected using the cable supplied by Magellan. The antenna operating volume is inside the antenna turns. All antennas have a maximum gain of 3.5 dB. Antennas that are not included in this list or having a gain greater than 3.
64-10-004 Single axis, Rectangular, 202x352 mm inner antenna coil, 250x400 mm overall dimensions, thickness 0.8 mm MARS-24 USER MANUAL 47 63-70-006-DOC ver.
8.3Reader-Tag Compatibility READER-WRITERS Maximum Read-Write Distance* (MRD), mm S T A C K T A G S I T E M T A G S MPR- 5050 MARS and round external antenna (124 mm diam) MSTRP5050 MDOCR2505 MDR1109 MTR1310 Rectangular, 76 x 45 mm, 5 turns 315 235 60 Rectangular, 76 x 45 mm, 2.
8.4Maximum Read-Write Distance Maximum Read-Write Distance: MARS with External Antennas Maximum Read-Write Distance* (MRD), mm StackTag tags 20x15 mm 28x16 mm 20 mm diameter 25 mm diameter 35 mm diameter 56x26 mm 73x37 mm, 3 turns 76x45 mm, 2.
Magellan Reader Manager Guide Document Number : 40-01-006-DOC Last Changed : 14 September 2006 Version: 2.
Reference Documents Document Number Description 40-01-000-DOC Applications Programmer’s Guide Date Version 27 June 2006 For Version 3 Reader Server 45-00-001-SPC BT and ST Chip Logical Specification 30 June 2003 Ver 2 Document History Date Version 14 Dec 2005 1 Change Description Author Jeff Gray original document Jeff Gray 6 Sep. 06 2.00 Changed formatting, updated to show new tools. Daryl Dusheiko 14 Sep. 06 2.01 Added more instructions to the axis test section.
Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................... 1 2 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................ 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 3 INSTALLATION ..........................................................................................................................................
1 Introduction The ReaderManager is a graphical application for Windows and Unix. It provides a platform for reader setup, configuration, demonstrations, testing and application development. When it is run, the ReaderManager can connect to a single reader at one time. It can switch between multiple readers. Multiple copies of ReaderManager can be run, each of which can be connected to different readers.
2 Frequently asked Questions This section provides a list of commonly asked questions. 2.1 How do I install or upgrade ReaderManager? 1. Run the install program ReaderManager-Install.exe. This can be downloaded from the Magellan website www.magtech.com.au, or run from the CD supplied with your reader. 2. If you already have ReaderManager installed run the program ReaderManager-Upgrade.exe. 3. Follow the installation instructions given in section 3 Installation. 2.
6. From the Reader Configuration menu select ClearAll. 2.6 How do I restore the reader to its default settings? 1. Open the Reader Settings tool. 2. Click the Clear Saved Settings button. 3. Power the reader off then on. 2.7 How do I get the ReaderServer version of my Network based reader? • Open the Console tool. • Type Version() in the Command Entry area. • The ReaderServer and operating system will be shown in the Message Log area.
3 Installation This section describes how to install, upgrade and start ReaderManager and how to get ReaderManager updates. Installation instructions are only given for installation on a computer running Microsoft Windows, for installation on computers running Linux please contact Magellan Technology. 3.1 New Installation All that needs to be done is to run ReaderManager-Install.exe. This contains the Python interpreter, the PyQt and Twisted libraries and the application itself.
Figure 2 Like the -Install version, this installer will check the currently installed application versions and un-tick already installed components accordingly. The user can manually tick an application to force reinstallation. If the version of the Python, PyQt libraries or Twisted libraries is not present, is damaged or has changed, the installer will indicate that a full install is required. In this case it will be necessary to follow these steps: 1.
not matter where you save it. Just note which directory it is in. Click the Save button to complete this action. Installation files can be run from any directory, even directly off a CD-ROM.
4 The ReaderManager Desktop This section gives a brief overview of the main ReaderManager elements, such as the menu bar, desktop and status bar. The ReaderManager desktop is shown in Figure 3 and consists of several items: 1. The menu bar, providing the primary user interface to ReaderManager. 2. The main window, which can contain one or more tool windows open at any given time. 3. A status line at the bottom used to show connection information between ReaderManager and the reader. 1 2 3 Figure 3 4.
Sub Menu Description Preferences Opens a dialog box which allows the user to change the font, user level, language and upgrade directory. Print For tools which support this function, allows the user to print a text representation of the active tool. Print Preview For tools which support this function, allows the user to preview a text representation of the active tool which can be printed.
4.1.3 Tools Menu From the main ReaderManager menu click Tools. If ReaderManager is not connected to a reader only the Console tool is shown in this menu. When ReaderManager is connected to a reader there will be two sub menu items, Demonstrations and System. This document will only describe the System menu options. A detailed description of all System tools is given in section 6 Tools. The System tools menu is shown in Figure 5.
4.1.4 Reader Configuration From the main ReaderManager menu click Reader Configuration. This menu item provides access to all user defined scripts and commands. The menu also provides an item to open a form which is used to create and edit scripts. The default menu is shown in Figure 6: Figure 6 Sub Menu Description Edit Configurations Provides an interface to create and edit custom scripts and tag commands. Clear All Clears Interrogate and Immediate commands.
Index Description The MAC address and IP address when the mouse is moved over a reader name in the dynamic connection menu. Shows connection status – Connecting -> Getting Settings -> Connected -> Disconnected. 2 Indicates reader manager is connected / disconnected to / from the Reader Server. 3 On AVR reader indicates if the reader server is connected to the reader. On all other readers shows the tag type. 4 On AVR readers shows the tag type.
5 Managing Connections This section details how to create static connection profiles, how to connect or disconnect ReaderManager from a reader. The ReaderManager is capable of connecting to a variety of readers. Each reader is distinguished by a number of parameters which give it a unique address. The set of all these parameters is referred to as a connection profile.
Index Description 1 Shows the names of already defined static connections. To edit an already defined connection, click on the name and change the required fields on the right hand side of the dialog. 2 Title is the text that will appear in the Connection menu and in the list of connections in this dialog. This can be any name that can act as a brief summary of the reader being connected to. For example, the reader type, network address shortcut or location can be used.
Select the connection profile you would like to connect to. Statically defined connection profiles are shown below the Close Current Connection item. The message on the right of the status bar will change to Connected in green if the ReaderManager successfully connected to the reader. For connections to a ReaderServer on the same computer, a status message will indicate that the server is being started automatically. This takes a little longer than a network connection because of this activity. 5.1.
6 Tools This section gives a more detailed explanation of the System tools available in the Tools menu. It is possible to open more than one tool at the same time. They are shown overlapped in the main window area. The Window menu contains options which allow the open windows to be cascaded or tiled. Also, any open tool can be selected, so it can be seen in the foreground. Some tools will issue commands to the reader to change its operating state.
6.1 Configuration System This tool is used to view the reader’s hardware module part numbers and version numbers. The tool is also used to set the networks settings and to change the name of the reader as seen on the network. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Configuration System. The configuration system tool consists of two tab items: 1. System configuration – shows part and version numbers of various components which make up a reader. 2.
Index Description 1 Click this tab to show the part numbers and version numbers of various components which make up a reader. 2 Click this tab to show the reader’s network settings. This field allows the user to give the reader a descriptive name. This name will appear on the dynamic connection list and will be the hostname of the reader on the network. 3 1. Click the field column opposite Customer ID. 2. Enter the name you would like assigned to the reader. 3. Press Enter.
6.2 Console The console dialog provides a command line interface to a reader. Reader commands are described in the Application Programmers Guide (40-01-000-DOC). The Command Entry area also accepts Python code. The console tool is shown in Figure 14. Table 8 describes the various elements of the Console tool. To access this tool select, Tools->System->Console. 1 2 3 Figure 13 Index Description 1 Message Log window shows all message received from the reader. 2 Window size adjustment bar.
• Show Commands Sent if ticked will enable the display of all commands sent from this application in any window to the reader. This is an excellent diagnostic tool if you are seeing error messages from the reader in response to a command or you just want to see how the various tools work by looking at what they send. • Show Messages enables the display of all other messages that the reader sends. This includes error messages, so normally it is advisable to never turn this option off. • Open Log File...
6.3 Grid of Tag Sight Counts This tool shows a graphical representation of tag sighted by the reader. To access this tool select, Tools->System->Grid of tag sight counts. This tool is shown in Figure 15. When a tag is placed on the reader the cells turn light blue and shows the specific ID. The tool can also be setup to show the number of times the tag has been sighted and show data read from the tag. Expired tags are shown as a grey cell.
6.4 Immediate Command This tool is useful to construct an Immediate command. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Immediate Command. Immediate commands are sent to tags after the initial interrogate cycle. These commands can be sent to specific tags or to groups of tags. A more detailed of description of immediate commands is given in the Application Programmer’s Guide (40-01-000-DOC). The tool is shown in Figure 16, the elements are described in Table 9.
Index Description Index Description 15 Enter the Group ID of tags you would like to be affected by the command. Only tags with a matching Group ID will respond to the command. Leaving this field blank means all tags will respond to the command. This field accepts a single word hexadecimal value. 16 Enter the Conditional ID used in the command. Only tags with a Conditional ID equal to or less than the value in this field will respond. Leaving this field blank means all tags will respond.
6.5 Interrogate Command This tool used to set the Interrogation command. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Interrogate Command This tool is shown in Figure 17. This is the command that is sent continuously in an effort to identify new tags entering the reader. If you do not want to specify a read address and length, then put an address of 10 (for example) and a length of 0 (zero). Once the settings are made, press Send to transmit the command to the reader.
6.6 Memory Map This tool allows the entire memory of tags to be examined and changed. It also supports creation of tag configurations that define a series of writes that can be applied to any tag. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Memory Map Whenever a tag is clicked once, the memory panes will be updated to reflect that tag. This tool is shown in Figure 18, its elements are described in Table 10.
Index Description Shows system tag memory: 4 5 • The Lock column shows the position of the lock pointer. If the check box is ticked the address is locked. Once changed the Lock pointer can’t be undone. • To change the data at a system memory address, edit the number in the Value column. • To change the Configuration word, select the configuration from drop down list in the details column at address 6.
6.7 Reader Settings This tool provides controls for the user to change operating parameters on the reader. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Reader Settings The tool has two tabs User Settings and System Settings. The user settings form is shown in Figure 20 and the various controls described in Table 10. The system settings form is shown in Figure 21 and the various controls described in Table 11.
6.7.1 User Settings 1 4 2 3 5 6 14 15 16 17 18 10 11 12 13 7 8 9 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 36 28 29 30 33 31 32 37 34 35 38 Figure 19 Index Description / Command 1 When multiple groups have been defined this drop down list can be used to display the settings for a specific group. 2 3 Index Description / Command ShowExpired() 20 Tick this to enable tag expired message to be sent from the reader.
Index Description / Command Index AxisPeriod()1 ToggleReaderID() 6 Tick this enable the reader to change the Reader ID periodically. 25 TimeStamp() 7 Change the TimeStamp sent to the reader. Set the number of small power breaks to send to the reader when operating in stack mode. Set the number Interrogate Commands per break to unmute tags during the unmute phase of an ID cycle. 27 Change the ReaderID sent to the reader in an interrogate command. Only valid when Toggle Reader ID is disabled.
Index Description / Command Index Refresh the displayed settings WithTime() 17 If ticked the time and date will be added to the tags reply. 36 FastReplyDecode() 18 If ticked the reader will decode all tag replies as soon as they are received. In most cases this should be left un-ticked. 37 To add a reply mode: Click the mode you would like to add from the left list. 2. Click the right pointing arrow. Clear the settings on the reader which are loaded when the reader is powered.
6.7.2 System Settings 1 6 7 8 9 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 Figure 21 These settings should be left at their default values. Index 1 Description / Command Index IndependentAxis() PostBreakDelay() Tick this to make all axes in a group behave as separate antennas. If not ticked, antennas in the same group are treated as one antenna – tags will not expire when moved between them. Sets the delay between a small power break in the command sent to a tag.
Index Description / Command Index CommandCycleEnabled() 4 When ticked the reader will send tag commands. This should always be ticked. SpecificPhaseMax() 11 AxisBreak()1 5 When ticked the reader will power off periodically and switch axes. The setting should always be ticked. This is the fixed delay after an axis start before the command is sent.
6.8 Reader Setup This tool provides a wizard which is used to: • Create, edit and delete axis groups • Configure axis groups • Select the antennas which are connected to each axis port. • Configure each axis. • Tune each antenna. • Test each antenna. • Report the antenna configuration. Readers can not be used reliably without correct antenna setup. It is vital for correct operation that this tool is used to setup a reader and the setup is saved to the reader.
This setup flow chart makes the following assumptions: 1. The settings in the reader are set to the factory default. 2. Only one axis group is required. 3. ReaderManager is connected to the reader. Before starting the setup procedure ensure you have the following: 1. DC voltmeter able to measure 100mV to 12V. 2. Tuning block. 3. Trim tool. 4.
The reader setup tool is designed to take the user through a sequence of steps to setup a reader. Each step must be completed for all axes / antennas before the next step is started. When a setup stage is complete a green tick is shown next to the setup stage description in the Reader setup progress frame. Ensure the Use Wizard check box is ticked, then click Go. 6.8.
2. Click Load settings. 3. Acknowledge the configuration has been loaded when the message box is shown. 4. Click Edit groups. 6.8.2 Create axis groups This form provides an interface for users to create or delete axis groups and to move antennas between groups. Groups are used to define different behaviours for groups of antennas. The concept of grouping antennas is described in more detail in the Programmers Guide (40-00-000-DOC). In most cases one group containing all antennas is sufficient.
Typical the sequence of events when using this form is (when more than one group is needed): 1. Click Add Active Group. 2. Move antennas from group 0 into the new group. 3. Click Configure groups. 6.8.3 Configure axis groups This form is used to configure reader settings for the groups created in the previous step. The following group parameters are setup using this form. • Independent axis – ticked if the antennas in the group do not operate as one axis.
Index 5 Description Select the Group priority or disable all axis selections for axes in this group. Set the reply mode for all axes in this group. To add a reply mode: 1. Click the mode you would like to add from the left list. 2. Click the right pointing arrow. To remove a reply mode: 6 1. Click the mode you would like to remove from the right list. 2. Click the left pointing arrow. To change the order of the active reply mode parameters: 1.
1 2 3 4 6 5 7 8 9 10 Figure 26 Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Configure axis groups as being complete. 2 Current axis indicator. 3 Enter the label for this axis. 4 Drop down list showing antennas which are compatible for the reader being configured. The version number indicated the minimum version which is compatible. 5 Selected antenna details shows: the part number, description and version. 6 Go back to the Configure axis group form.
No configuration is written to the reader until this point. If you click Save Configuration to save the configuration as a file on the hard disk, you must also click Save to Reader to write the configuration to the reader. If you do not click Save to Reader the reader will remain in an un-configured state. This form is shown in Figure 28 and the elements are described in Table 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Figure 27 Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Setup axis as being complete.
4. Click Tune Axis. 6.8.6 Setup axis tuning This form provides instructions for tuning the antenna connected to each axis port. The Setup axis tuning form is shown in Figure 29 and its elements are detailed in Table 16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Figure 29 Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Save configuration as being complete. 2 Current axis indicator. 3 Tuning instructions for the current axis / antenna. 4 Enter the voltage measured on the tuning block.
5. Click Test Axis. 6.8.7 Test axis This form shows how well each axis / antenna pair is working. The test sends 10 tag commands and expects all commands to be received on each receiver stream. Readers such as the Mars-24 and Mars-8 have eight receiver streams; the axis test expects to receive replies on all eight streams. The form shown in Figure 30 shows the results of a successful antenna test for an eight stream reader.
1 2 3 4 5 8 9 6 10 7 11 Figure 30 Figure 31 Reader Manager Guide Page 42 of 62 40-10-006-DOC 15/09/2006
Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Setup axis tuning as being complete. 2 Current axis indicator. 3 The table shows the number of replies received per channel. Each cell shows how commands have been received on that channel. All cells should be green and should show 10 replies received. The column on the right shows the total percent received for all channels. 4 Click this button to start or stop a test. 5 Select the number of test iterations.
1 2 3 Figure 32 Index Description 1 Setup progress – should show Test axis as being complete. 2 Show group and axis setup details. 3 Click this to go back to Test axis. Table 18 This form can be printed by selecting print from the file menu on the main reader manager menu.
6.9 Simple Tag Test This tool is provided to test a number of tags. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Simple Tag Test The test writes a checker board pattern from address 10 to 31 to each tag sighted by the reader. All data is read and verified. All tests must be read and written to and verified within 20 seconds for the test to pass.
6.10 Table of Tag Messages Shows the tag messages that come from the reader in a table. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Table of tag messages The columns in the table depend on the message received by the reader. Figure 34 shows a typical response to an InterrogateAction command which reads two words from address. InterrogateAction(readAddress=10, readLength=2) A tag reply field will be placed under the corresponding table label and a column number.
6.11 Tag Test The tag test tool can be used to test the reliability of tags. To access this tool, select Tools->System->Tag Test This is of use to tag manufacturers only. All tags in the field will have already been through this process. Each tag is sent 10 read commands and the number of replies is counted. If the tag passes a threshold, then a write command is sent. There are also optional additional write commands to configure the tag's behaviour.
Index Description 9 Resets the test success counter. 10 The Save To Log button opens a dialog to save the messages displayed to a log file 11 When Turn off power between tests is ticked, click this to start the test.
7 Reader Configurations This section describes ReaderManager’s script building tool. It is provided for users to create custom scripts and commands which are accessed from the main ReaderManager menu. A reader configuration is a collection of a combination of the following items: • A script which is run immediately. This is a number of any valid API commands and Python syntax. • A number of tag commands, which may be applied to interrogation, specific or immediate actions.
The Scripts tab shows a list of titles of all of the Python scripts that have been defined for this configuration. Click on a title to view it. Right click and Edit... to change the script contents. The scripts used may contain optional markers of the form %(Parameter)s indicating the location of a parameter to be substituted. The user will be asked to provide parameter values when running the script. This is done through a dialog which has a list of parameter name and value pairs.
8 Upgrading Reader software Upgrading AVR type readers is described in section 13.1 Upgrading An AVR Series Reader. 8.1 Upgrading ARM and x86 Readers This form is used to update the reader server or operating system on network based readers. The Upgrade form is accessed from the File menu item on the main reader manager menu. From the main reader manager menu, select File->Upgrade->Upgrade AReaderManager or x86 Readers. The upgrade form is shown in Figure 36. The form elements are shown in Table 21.
1 2 5 3 4 7 6 Figure 36 Index Description 1 This frame shows all x86 and ARM based readers detected on the network. If ReaderManager is connected to a reader, this reader will be shown as the first item in the list and will be highlighted in red. ReaderManager does not need to be connected to a reader to use this dialog, multiple readers can be upgraded at the same time. 2 Tick this to reset the reader after the upgrade package is copied to the reader.
9 Troubleshooting 9.1 Can’t see my reader on the dynamic connection list • The computer IP address on the computer running ReaderManager must be in the same subnet as the reader. • The reader must be running ReaderServer 3.xx or better. • AVR readers can not be discovered on the network. 9.2 My reader is behaving strangely or tags are timing out. • Have you setup the reader to use the antenna you are using? Use the Reader Setup tool.
10 Reporting a Problem If you are having a problem with the ReaderManager, you will need to send a report describing your problem. To make diagnosis easier, please try and supply this information with any problem report. • Have you tried connecting to the reader with a different PC? • Have you successfully installed the ReaderManager application? • In the ReaderManager, select the Help/About ReaderManager menu item and record what version numbers are shown in the window that appears.
11 Minimum System Requirements This section defines the minimum computer system recommended to run ReaderManager. Computer / Processor 133 MHz or higher Pentium-compatible CPU. Memory At least 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM Hard Disk 50 MB. Optical Drive Required for installation only. Display 1024 x 768 resolution or better. Keyboard Required Mouse Required Ethernet 10/100 Mbps USB 1.10 Operating System Windows 2000 SP4, or Windows XP professional with SP2.
12 Getting more information If you require any further information about a reader or associated software, please contact Magellan, or the supplier of the equipment. Magellan’s contact details are: Magellan Technology Pty Limited 65 Johnston Street Annandale Sydney NSW 2038 AUSTRALIA Phone: ............+61 2 9562 9800 Fax: ................+61 2 9518 7620 Email: ............info@magtech.com.au Website:.........www.magtech.com.
13 Appendix A – AVR Options 13.1 Upgrading An AVR Series Reader To upgrade the firmware in the reader, follow this sequence of steps: • Make sure that the ReaderServer is NOT running. In most environments, just disconnect and the server will be shut down. If you have selected Start server when computer boots in the Connection settings or manually started it, closing the connection will not close the ReaderServer.
This command line execution must always be run in the directory where the ReaderManager.py file resides, which on Windows is \Lib\ReaderManager\. The connection names given in this example must exactly match the name that appears in the Connection menu, including case. If the connection name contains spaces, it must be surrounded by quotes as shown. 13.
Notes: Reader Manager Guide Page 59 of 62 40-10-006-DOC 15/09/2006
