Ritenergy International Air-485 User manual

Brand: Ritenergy International

Model: Air-485

Type: User manual

AIR-485

User’s Guide

Ritenergy International, LLC

©April 2010 Ritenergy International, LLC

General Description:

The Air-485 modems are high performance 900MHz FHSS industrial grade long range wireless

modems that are designed to provide reliable data link to RS485 serial devices and to offer a

simple cost effective alternative to running costly RS485 data cables, specially in commercial

environments that make wire connections challenging or impractical.

The AIR-485 modems are optimized to work with Cansec’s SmartLock, Maesto and Zodiac

products but can be used with any product that support RS485 communication.

They provide wireless link which are totally transparent to the connected devices.

Features

Plug and Play communications

Unlike most wireless modems the AIR-485 modems do not require the use of a PC or laptop

and complicated software to set up the radio and communication parameters. Instead the AIR-

485 modems are configured through simple DIP switch settings (see Figures 1 and 2 below).

Long Range

Indoor/Urban: up to 1300 ft (400m) depending on antenna height and RF interference

Outdoor line of sight: up to 10 Km (6 miles) with standard antenna provided

USB and RS-485 support

The AIR-485 units support both USB and RS-485. When connected to PC via USB the device is

powered from the USB. When connected to an RS485 data cable, an external power supply

must be used...

The

unit

automatically detects the type of connection and configures itself

automatically. Support for both types of connections provides great flexibility in accommodating

almost every imaginable configuration (samples provided later in this document.)

Adjustable RF Power Level

Four output power levels 10, 250, 500 and 1000 milliwatts can be easily set in the field using

two DIP switches. The RF power level should be set higher as needed for longer operation.

Note that setting the RF power to a high level when doing testing at 2m can overload the

receiver and cause erratic operation.

Visual Signal Level indication

The built in continuous signal strength diagnostic test that could be initiated from any remote

AIR-485 modem reference to the base modem provides real time signal strength indication

through three green LEDs (Figure 2). This feature helps the installers tremendously in terms of

choosing the correct location and elevation for the modems and aligns the antennas for

maximum signal reception. Also eliminates the need for expensive tools and power meters.

Multiple network support

Because the range of the AIR-485 modems can be up to 10km (line of sight), it is possible that

installations in close proximity could interfere with each other. To address this, the units have

two DIP switches which allow up to 4 Network ID numbers to be specified. Modems which are

set to ID 1, for instance, will only recognize transmissions from modems with a matching ID

number.

Secure data communications

The AIR-485 modems use 128bit encryption to insure that the data integrity is not compromised.

Setup

DIP Switch Settings

There are two sets of DIP switches which must be set.

Figure 1

SWITCH

POSITION OPERATION

DOWN SETS MODE TO MASTER

UP SETS MODE TO SLAVE

DOWN LOW

DOWN POWER

UP MEDIUM

LOW

DOWN POWER

DOWN MEDIUM

UP POWER

UP HIGH

UP POWER

DOWN NORTH AMERICA

UP AUSTRALIA

DOWN 9,600 BAUD (hardwired)

UP 38,400 BAUD (hardwired)

MUST BE DOWN

DOWN NORMAL MODE

UP SIGNAL STRENGTH TEST

MUST BE DOWN

1) NOTE: Any time DIP switch settings are changed, the RESET switch must be pressed.

2) LINK LED (Figure 1) – For a Master unit, if this LED is on SOLID, it indicates that the

unit is successfully connected to at least one Slave. For a Slave unit, this LED indicates

that it is successfully connected to a Master.

3) TX\RX LEDs (Figure 1) – These LEDS indicate the transmission and receipt of data.

What a surprise!

4) When the AIR-485 Master is connected to a PC via USB it is powered from the USB port.

Because

of the limited current available, only the two lowest power setting should be

used. If a higher transmit power setting is required, you need to use an optional plug- in

power supply.

5) Switch 1 – For Point To Point, set one unit to Master and the other to Slave. If one

connected

to the PC via USB, it must be set to Master. For Multi-Point, set the unit

connected to the PC (via RS-485 or USB) as Master and set the field units as Slaves.

6) Switches 2 and 3 – The factory default setting is Low Power. If the distance between the

Master and Slave(s) is MORE THAN 100 feet, set the switches to HIGH POWER on

both the Master and Slave(s). Note that the Master and Slave(s) should always be set

to the SAME power level. If the distance from the Master to the Slave(s) is LESS THAN

100 feet, start with both units set to LOW POWER and progressively increase the power

level

until

you get an acceptable signal level (see Signal Level Test below). This is

important as

using

power setting that is too high for a Master and Slave which are in

close proximity will result in a poor communications link.

7) Switch 4 – Set to DOWN (default) for North America. Set to UP for Australia.

8) Switch 5 – Used to set the hard wired baud rate. The baud rate through the air is fixed

and is 115K bps.

9) Switch 6 – Must be DOWN.

10)

Switch 7 – Applies to Slave units only. When this switch is UP, the unit is in Signal Test

Mode. In this mode, the Slave unit interrogates the Master which returns a diagnostic

message which allows the to measure the received signal. The three green LEDs

display this relative signal strength (see below).

11)

Switch 8 – Must be DOWN.

Figure 2

RS-485

NETWORK

SIGNAL

STRENGTH

GND

SIGNAL A

SIGNAL B

NETWORK ID SIGNAL STRENGTH

1 2 3 4

NO SIGNAL OK

STRONG VERY

STRONG

12. Signal Strength Indicator LEDs – These LEDs ONLY indicate the strength of the

received signal when DIP switch 7 (Figure 1) is UP. The rule of thumb is that more

LEDs are better. However, as long as you have at least ONE LED and it is on SOLID,

there is a solid data connection. In NORMAL mode, the lower LED will be on SOLID

and indicates that the unit is powered on.

Outdoor Installation

For outdoor applications, use the CA-AIR485-N which consists of an AIR-485 unit housed in a

plastic Nema enclosure c\w external antenna. This configuration is temperature rated for -40oC

to +85oC. The front of the enclosure is transparent allowing the status LEDs to be checked

without opening it.

Applications

ƒ Access Control

ƒ Security

ƒ Industrial Controls and Robotics

ƒ Oil Fields

ƒ Agriculture

Specifications

Operating Frequency Range

902 - 928 MHz

Number of RF Channels

Modulation

FSK

Serial Data Rates

9600 , 38400 kbs

RF Data Transmission Rate

115.2 kbs

Receiver Sensitivity

-102 dBm 0.00001 BER @ 115.2 kbs

Transmission Output Power

10, 250, 500 and 1000mW

Power Requirement

USB Power (low RF output) or

12VDC 1A (high RF output)

Network Topologies

Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint

Optimum Antenna Impedance

50 Ohm

Antenna

3dBi

Antenna connection

RPSMA

Peak Transmit Mode Current@1 W

1200 mA

Base Operating Receive Current

105 mA

Remote Operating Receive Current

Operating Temperature Range

60 mA

-40oC to +85oC

Dimensions

11.2cm x 9.0cm x 2.7cm

Weight

220 Gm

Ritenergy International Air-485 User manual

Brand: Ritenergy International

Model: Air-485

Type: User manual

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Ritenergy International Air-485 User manual

Ritenergy International Air-485 User manual

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