Campbell RF407 Series Setup Manual

Datalogger RF407-Series

Copyright © 2016

Campbell Scientific, Inc.

COMMUNICATIONS SETUP GUIDE

Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Revision: 9/16

Guarantee

This equipment is guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship.
We will repair or replace products which prove to be defective during the
guarantee period as detailed on your invoice, provided they are returned to us
prepaid. The guarantee will not apply to:



Equipment which has been modified or altered in any way without the

written permission of Campbell Scientific



Batteries



Any product which has been subjected to misuse, neglect, acts of God or

damage in transit.

Campbell Scientific will return guaranteed equipment by surface carrier
prepaid. Campbell Scientific will not reimburse the claimant for costs incurred

in removing and/or reinstalling equipment. This guarantee and the Company’s

obligation thereunder is in lieu of all other guarantees, expressed or implied,
including those of suitability and fitness for a particular purpose. Campbell
Scientific is not liable for consequential damage.

Please inform us before returning equipment and obtain a Repair Reference
Number whether the repair is under guarantee or not. Please state the faults as
clearly as possible, and if the product is out of the guarantee period it should
be accompanied by a purchase order. Quotations for repairs can be given on
request. It is the policy of Campbell Scientific to protect the health of its
employees and provide a safe working environment, in support of this policy a

“Declaration of Hazardous Material and Decontamination” form will be

issued for completion.

When returning equipment, the Repair Reference Number must be clearly
marked on the outside of the package. Complete the “Declaration of
Hazardous Material and Decontamination” form and ensure a completed copy
is returned with your goods. Please note your Repair may not be processed if
you do not include a copy of this form and Campbell Scientific Ltd reserves
the right to return goods at the customers’ expense.

Note that goods sent air freight are subject to Customs clearance fees which
Campbell Scientific will charge to customers. In many cases, these charges are
greater than the cost of the repair.

Campbell Scientific Ltd,

80 Hathern Road,

Shepshed, Loughborough, LE12 9GX, UK

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

www.campbellsci.co.uk

PLEASE READ FIRST

About this manual

Please note that this manual was originally produced by Campbell Scientific Inc. primarily for the North
American market. Some spellings, weights and measures may reflect this origin.

Some useful conversion factors:

Area: 1 in2 (square inch) = 645 mm2

Length: 1 in. (inch) = 25.4 mm

1 ft (foot) = 304.8 mm
1 yard = 0.914 m
1 mile = 1.609 km

Mass: 1 oz. (ounce) = 28.35 g
1 lb (pound weight) = 0.454 kg

Pressure: 1 psi (lb/in2) = 68.95 mb

Volume: 1 UK pint = 568.3 ml

1 UK gallon = 4.546 litres
1 US gallon = 3.785 litres

In addition, while most of the information in the manual is correct for all countries, certain information
is specific to the North American market and so may not be applicable to European users.

Differences include the U.S standard external power supply details where some information (for
example the AC transformer input voltage) will not be applicable for British/European use. Please note,

however, that when a power supply adapter is ordered it will be suitable for use in your country.

Reference to some radio transmitters, digital cell phones and aerials may also not be applicable
according to your locality.

Some brackets, shields and enclosure options, including wiring, are not sold as standard items in the
European market; in some cases alternatives are offered. Details of the alternatives will be covered in
separate manuals.

Part numbers prefixed with a “#” symbol are special order parts for use with non-EU variants or for
special installations. Please quote the full part number with the # when ordering.

Recycling information

At the end of this product’s life it should not be put in commercial or domestic refuse but
sent for recycling. Any batteries contained within the product or used during the
products life should be removed from the product and also be sent to an appropriate
recycling facility.

Campbell Scientific Ltd can advise on the recycling of the equipment and in some cases
arrange collection and the correct disposal of it, although charges may apply for some
items or territories.

For further advice or support, please contact Campbell Scientific Ltd, or your local agent.

Campbell Scientific Ltd, 80 Hathern Road, Shepshed, Loughborough, LE12 9GX, UK

Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

www.campbellsci.co.uk

Precautions

DANGER — MANY HAZARDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INSTALLING, USING, MAINTAINING, AND WORKING ON
OR AROUND TRIPODS, TOWERS, AND ANY ATTACHMENTS T O TRIP ODS AND T OWERS SUCH AS SENSORS,
CROSSARMS, ENCLOSURES, ANTENNAS, ETC. FAILURE TO PROPERLY AND COM P LE TE LY AS S E MB LE ,
INSTALL, OPERATE, USE, AND MAINTAIN TRIPODS, TOWERS, AND ATTACHMENTS, AND F AI LURE TO HEED
WARNINGS, INCREASES THE RISK OF DEATH, ACCIDENT, SERIOUS INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND
PRODUCT FAILURE. TAKE ALL REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID THESE HAZARDS. CHECK WITH YOUR
ORGANIZATION'S SAFETY COORDINATOR (OR POLICY) FOR PROCE DURES AND REQUIRED PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT PRIOR TO PERFORMING ANY WORK.

Use tripods, towers, and attachments to tripods and towers only for purposes for which they are designed. Do not
exceed design limits. Be familiar and comply with all instructions provided in product manuals. Manuals are
available at www.campbellsci.eu or by telephoning [phone] (UK). You are responsible for conformance
with govern i ng codes and regulations, includi ng safety reg ulations, and the integrity and location of structures or la nd
to which towers, tripods, and any attachments are attached. Installation sites should be evaluated and approved by a
qualified engineer. If questions or concerns arise regarding installation, use, or maintenance of tripods, towers,
attachments, or electrical connections, consult with a licensed and qualified engineer or electrician.

General

• Prior to performing site or installation work, obtain required approvals and permits. Comply with all

governing structure-height regulations, such as those of the FAA in the USA.

• Use only qualified personnel for installation, use, and maintenance of tripods and towers, and any

attachments to tripods and towers. The use of licensed and qualified contractors is highly recommended.

• Read all applicable instructions carefully and understand procedures thoroughly before beginning work.

• Wear a hardhat and eye protection, and take other appropriate safety precautions while working on or

around tripods and towers.

• Do not climb tripods or towers at any time, and prohibit climbing by other persons. Take reasonable

precautions to secure tripod and tower sites from trespassers.

• Use only manufacturer recommended parts, materials, and tools.

Utility and Electrical

• You can be killed or sustain serious bodily injury if the tripod, tower, or attachments you are installing,

constructing, using, or maintaining, or a tool, stake, or anchor, come in contact with overhead or
underground utility lines.

• Maintain a distance of at least one-and-one-half times structure height, or 20 feet, or the distance

required by applicable law, whichever is greater, between overhead utility lines and the structure (tripod,
tower, attachments, or tools).

• Prior to performing site or installation work, inform all utility companies and have all underground utilities

marked.

• Comply with all electrical codes. Electrical equipment and related grounding devices should be installed

by a licensed and qualified electrician.

Elevated Work and Weather

• Exercise extreme caution when performing elevated work.

• Use appropriate equipment and safety practices.

• During installation and maintenance, keep tower and tripod sites clear of un-trained or non-essential

personnel. Take precautions to prevent elevated tools and objects from dropping.

• Do not perform any work in inclement weather, including wind, rain, snow, lightning, etc.

Maintenance

• Periodically (at least yearly) check for wear and damage, including corrosion, stress cracks, frayed cables,

loose cable clamps, cable tightness, etc. and take necessary corrective actions.

• Periodically (at least yearly) check electrical ground connections.

WHILE EVERY ATTEMPT IS MADE TO EMBODY THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF SAFETY IN ALL CAMPBELL
SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTS, THE CUSTOMER ASSUMES ALL RISK FROM ANY INJURY RESULTING FROM IMPROPER
INSTALLATION, USE, OR MAINTENANCE OF TRIPODS, TOWERS, OR ATTACHMENTS TO TRIPODS AND TOWERS
SUCH AS SENSORS, CROSSARMS, ENCLOSURES, ANTENNAS, ETC.

Table of Contents

PDF viewers: These page numbers refer to the printed version of this document. Use the
PDF reader bookmarks tab for links to specific sections.

1. Introduction ................................................................ 1

2. Communication Setup ............................................... 2

2.1 Basic Procedure: PC with RF407 to CRX-RF407 ............................... 2

2.2 PC with RF407 to Multiple CRX-RF407s ......................................... 14

2.3 CRX-RF407 as a Router .................................................................... 16

2.4 Communication Combinations ........................................................... 21

2.5 Network Planner ................................................................................ 21

3. Troubleshooting ....................................................... 22

i

NOTE

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread
Spectrum Radio Option

1. Introduction

This manual discusses the RF407-series frequency-hopping spread-spectrum
(FHSS) radio option for the CR6-series and CR300-series dataloggers. This
manual will refer to these dataloggers collectively as “CRX-RF407.”
Throughout the manual CRX-RF407 can be replaced with any datalogger and
radio option, unless otherwise noted. The standalone radios (that is, not the
dataloggers with the radio option) will be referred to collectively as “RF407.”
Throughout the manual RF407 can be replaced with RF412 or RF422, unless
otherwise noted.

The radio options cannot be mixed. A CRX-RF407 can only be
used with other CRX-RF407s and RF407s. A CRX-RF412 can
only be used with other CRX-RF412s and RF412s. A CRX-RF422
can only be used with other CRX-RF422s and RF422s.

These dataloggers are designed for license-free use in several countries:

• The RF407 option has a 902 to 928 MHz operating-frequency range

appropriate for use in the United States and Canada (FCC / IC
compliant).

• The RF412 option has a 915 to 928 MHz operating-frequency range

appropriate for use in Australia and New Zealand (ACMA compliant).

• The RF422 option has an 863 to 873 MHz operating-frequency range

appropriate for use in most of Europe and some of Asia (ETSI
compliant).

A CRX-RF407 can be used with an RF407 at a base computer to establish
communication between LoggerNet and the CRX-RF407. A CRX-RF407 can
also be part of a new or existing RF407 network.

This document describes how to set up a simple base RF407 to remote
CRX-RF407 network. It also describes how to extend that system to include
more CRX-RF407s and how the CRX-RF407 can be used in combination with
other communication methods.

A CRX-RF407 contains the same radio as a standalone RF407. Most of the
radio settings are the same for the CRX-RF407 and the RF407. See the RF407-

Series Spread Spectrum Radios manual for more information on specifications

and radio communication using the CRX-RF407.

1

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Click the Device Configuration

(DevConfig) opens.

NOTE

NOTE

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the
interference at his or her own expense.

2. Communication Setup

2.1 Basic Procedure: PC with RF407 to CRX-RF407

This procedure assumes the RF407 and the CRX-RF407 are in
their Factory Default settings.

Utility icon on the PC.

Device Configuration Utility

In DevConfig, select Device Type |
Radio | RF407 Series.

DevConfig displays RF407 series
information in the right pane.

2

On the right pane, click the Install
the USB device driver link.

The Device Driver Installation
Wizard opens.

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Click Next.

The device drivers are installed and
the Wizard advances to the next
screen.

3

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Click Finish.

The Device Driver Installation
Wizard closes.

Connect the USB port on your
RF407 to a USB port on your
computer.

The TX/PWR and RX LEDs flash
once, after which the TX/PWR
LED begins blinking at the Power
Mode interval (0.5 sec, by default).

4

In the lower left of the DevConfig
screen, click the Communication
Port list button.

A list of available communication
ports appears.

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

In the list of available
communication ports, click RF407-
Series (COMnn), where nn is the
COM port number assigned by your
PC. Click OK.

The COM port number assigned to
the RF407 populates the
Communication Port box.

5

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

In the lower left of the DevConfig
screen, click Connect. If the Avoid
Conflicts with the Local Server
window appears, click OK.

DevConfig displays the Deployment
tab in the right pane.

In the Deployment tab, set the
Active Interface to USB or RS-232
depending on how your computer
will be connected to the RF407.

6

Click Apply.

The Confirm Settings Apply dialog
box appears.

Click Yes.

The TX/PWR and RX LEDs flash
once, after which the TX/PWR
LED returns to blinking at the
Power Mode interval (0.5 sec, by
default).

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

The settings changes have been
saved dialog box appears.

Click OK.

DevConfig disconnects from the
RF407 and returns to the main
RF407 screen.

7

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Attach an antenna to the RF407.

Provide power to the RF407. (The
RF407 can be powered through the
USB port or through the DC Power
jack.)

Attach an antenna to the
CRX-RF407.

Provide power to the CRX-RF407:

• connect 12 Vdc at the green
–BAT+ terminals,

• or connect 16 to 32 Vdc at the
–CHG+ terminals.

Open LoggerNet.

8

From the LoggerNet toolbar, select

Setup from the Main category.

If the Setup screen does not say EZ

(Simplified) View at the top, click
EZ View in the top-right corner, to

switch to the EZ View.

Click Add.

The EZSetup Wizard opens.

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Click Next.

9

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Select CR6Series or CR300Series
depending on your datalogger. Click
Next.

Select Direct Connect. Click Next.

In the list of available
communication ports, click RF407-
Series (COMnn), where nn is the
COM port number assigned by your
PC. Click Next.

(Note that you choose RF407-
Series (COMnn) to select the USB
port to which the RF407 is attached.
LoggerNet sees the CRX-RF407 as
directly connected to this port. The
RF407-to-datalogger link does not
need to be indicated in LoggerNet.)

10

Enter the PakBus Address of your
datalogger. The default address is 1.
Keep all other defaults. Click Next.

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Leave the datalogger security
settings at their default values. Click
Next.

The Communication Setup
Summary screen shows a summary
of the settings that you entered.
Click Next.

11

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Make sure that Yes is selected.
Click Next.

LoggerNet attempts to communicate
with the CRX-RF407 and, if
successful, the EZSetup Wizard
advances to the Communication
Test Succeeded screen. (If
communication is unsuccessful,
click Previous and verify all of the
settings are correct.)

Click Next.

Click Set Datalogger Clock, and
then click Finish.

The datalogger clock is set to the PC
clock, the EZSetup Wizard closes.

12

The CRX-RF407 is added to the
Setup screen. (Note that it will be
named CR6Series or CR300Series.
The radio option will not be
indicated.)

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Use LoggerNet Connect to connect
to the datalogger, send programs,
and view and collect data.

13

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

CRX-RF407

RF407

CRX-RF07

CRX-RF407

PC Running

LoggerNet

/ PC400

NOTE

2.2 PC with RF407 to Multiple CRX-RF407s

The Basic Procedure can be extended to include multiple CRX-RF407s in the
system.

With multiple CRX-RF407s, DevConfig must be used to give each
CRX-RF407 a unique PakBus Address. This changes the hardware setting in
the CRX-RF407.

Most Campbell Scientific devices come from the factory with a
default PakBus address of 1. For this reason, it is best not to assign
PakBus address 1 to any device in the network. Then, if a new
device with default settings is added to the system, it will not
create a conflict.

14

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

These unique PakBus® addresses must be entered on the Datalogger Settings
tab of the LoggerNet EZSetup Wizard. This change is to make the software
settings (LoggerNet) match the change we made in the hardware settings using
DevConfig.

Once you have used the EZSetup Wizard to add all of the dataloggers in your
network, they will all appear on the Setup screen.

15

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

RF407

Leaf

CRX-RF407

Leaf

CRX-RF407

Router

CRX-RF407

PC Running

LoggerNet

/ PC400

2.3 CRX-RF407 as a Router

The previous procedure can be extended to use one CRX-RF407 as a router in
the network to go around an obstacle such as a hill or to reach longer distances.

This requires only a few changes to the previous procedure.

First, use DevConfig to connect to the CRX-RF407 that will be used as a
router. On the Com Ports Settings tab, set Select the ComPort to RF. Set the
Beacon Interval to 60 seconds (or the amount of time you are willing to wait
for the leaf dataloggers in the network to be discovered) and the Verify
Interval to something slightly greater than the expected communication
interval between the router and the leaf dataloggers in the network. For
example, the following screenshot shows the Verify Interval set to 90
seconds.

16

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Next, use the Advanced tab in DevConfig to set Is Router to True in the
CRX-RF407 that will act as a router.

As in the previous example, DevConfig should be used to give each
CRX-RF407 in the network a unique PakBus Address.

17

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

To set up the network in LoggerNet, select Setup from the Main category. If
the Setup screen says EZ (Simplified) View at the top, click Std View in the
top-right corner to switch to the Standard View. Select Add Root | ComPort |
PakBusPort (PakBus Loggers) | CR6Series or CR300Series (the type of
datalogger that will be used as a router). Close the Add selection window.
Select the ComPort in the network map. Use the ComPort Connection drop­down list to select the COM port assigned to the RF407-Series.

Select the PakBusPort in the network map. Select the PakBus Port Always
Open checkbox. If it is possible that LoggerNet could communicate with any
other dataloggers in the network without going through the router CRX-RF407
and you wish to prevent this, set the Beacon Interval to 00 h 00 m 00s.

18

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Select the router datalogger in the network map. Set the PakBus Address to
the address that was assigned in DevConfig.

For each of the leaf CRX-RF407s in the network, right-click on the router
CRX-RF407 and select the appropriate datalogger type. Select the newly added
datalogger in the network map and set the PakBus Address to that assigned
using DevConfig.

19

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

After all of the leaf dataloggers have been added to the network map, click
Apply.

All of the dataloggers will be added to the Connect screen, where you can
connect to each datalogger, send programs, and view and collect data.

20

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Leaf

CRX-RF407

Leaf

CRX-RF407

PC Running

LoggerNet

/ PC400

RV50 /
CPI/RS-232
Data Cable /

Router

CRX-RF407

2.4 Communication Combinations

The CRX-RF407 can be used in a system with multiple communication
methods. For example, in the figure below, the router CRX-RF407
communicates with LoggerNet through an RV50 cellular modem connected to
the CRX-RF407 using a CPI/RS-232 Data Cable. (An Ethernet connection
could also be used between the RV50 and the CRX-RF407. See the RV50
manual for more information.) The router CRX-RF407 communicates with the
leaf CRX-RF407s through RF.

The RF portion of this network requires no changes to the hardware settings
described in the previous procedure (Section 2.3, CRX-RF407 as a Router
See the manual for the communication product being used in combination with
the CRX-RF407 (in this example, the RV50) for information on setting up
LoggerNet to communicate with the router CRX-RF407.

(p. 16)).

2.5 Network Planner

For more complicated networks, LoggerNet Network Planner is recommended
for the network setup. Select devices from the Device Palette and place them
on the drawing canvas. Use the link tool to draw lines indicating the
communication links between devices. Use the activity tool to indicate
activities that will take place between devices.

21

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

Network Planner calculates the optimum settings for each device in the
network and allows you to send these settings to the device. If any change is
made to a device in the network, that change is propagated to every affected
device setting. Network Planner can then use the information entered to
configure LoggerNet Setup.

Refer to the Network Planner help for more information.

3. Troubleshooting

If there are intermittent communication problems with the above setups, there
may be another network in the area causing interference. To help remove the
interference, use DevConfig to change the Network ID and RF Hop Sequence
in all RF407s and CRX-RF407s to a different value. Each of these settings
must have the same value in all RF407s and CRX-RF407s. For example, the
Network ID in all devices could be set to 1726, and the RF Hop Sequence in
all devices could be set to 1. This is just an example. The Network ID can be
any number between 0 and 32767. The RF Hop Sequence can be any number
between 0 and 7 in an RF407 or RF412 network; it can be any number between
0 and 9 in an RF422 network.

22

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

23

Datalogger RF407-Series Spread Spectrum Radio Option

24

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UNITED STATES

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