FF-Automation WSN169, WSN170, WSN225, WSN450, WSN470 Setup, Installation & Operating Manual

WSN SERIES

RADIO MODEMS

SETUP, INSTALLATION

&

OPERATING MANUAL

WSN Manual Page 1 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 3

1.1 PRODUCTS COVERED .................................................................................................... 3

1.2 IMPORTANT NOTICES ..................................................................................................... 3

2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW .......................................................................... 4

2.1 GENERAL .......................................................................................................................... 4

2.2 TRANSMITTER .................................................................................................................. 4

2.3 RECEIVER ......................................................................................................................... 4

2.4 MPU CONTROL ................................................................................................................. 5

2.5 PROGRAMMING & CONFIGURATION ............................................................................. 5

2.6 SOFT MODEM: .................................................................................................................. 5

2.7 MODES OF OPERATION .................................................................................................. 5

2.8 HANDSHAKING ................................................................................................................. 5

2.9 ADDITIONAL FEATURES ................................................................................................. 5

3 SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................. 7

3.1 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................ 7

3.2 APPROVALS AND LICENSING ......................................................................................... 9

4 PRE-PROGRAMMED CHANNEL PLANS ........................................... 10

4.1 UK MPT1411/VNS2111 CHANNELS .............................................................................. 10

4.2 UK MPT1329 CHANNELS ............................................................................................... 12

5 SETUP & INTERFACING ..................................................................... 13

5.1 INTERNAL CONSTRUCTION.......................................................................................... 13

5.2 INTERFACE PORT PIN CONNECTIONS ....................................................................... 13

5.3 12VDC POWER ............................................................................................................... 15

5.4 ANTENNA PORT ............................................................................................................. 15

5.5 CHANNEL SWITCHES .................................................................................................... 15

5.6 PROGRAMMING ............................................................................................................. 15

5.7 RF POWER ...................................................................................................................... 15

5.8 TIME-OUT-TIMER ........................................................................................................... 15

5.9 INTERNAL MODEM ......................................................................................................... 16

5.10 RADIO DATA FORMATS ................................................................................................. 16

5.11 FORWARD ERROR CORRECTOR ................................................................................. 17

5.12 SQUELCH TAIL (DRIBBLE BITS) ELIMINATION ............................................................ 17

5.13 SERIAL INTERFACE & HANDSHAKING ........................................................................ 17

5.14 TRAFFIC PROTOCOL & ROUTING MODES .................................................................. 19

5.15 TRANSMIT & RECEIVE TIMING ..................................................................................... 20

5.16 POWER CONSUMPTION ................................................................................................ 23

5.17 POWER SAVE MODE ..................................................................................................... 23

5.18 “RSSI” RECEIVE SIGNAL STRENGTH INDICATION ..................................................... 23

5.19 STATUS LEDS................................................................................................................. 24

6 STORE & FORWARD........................................................................... 25

6.1 STORE & FORWARD BASED ON CLIENT PROTOCOL. ............................................... 25

6.2 MODBUS ......................................................................................................................... 25

6.3 RFT ROUTING PROTOCOL............................................................................................ 27

7 INSTALLATION .................................................................................... 30

7.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 30

7.2 POWER SUPPLIES ......................................................................................................... 30

7.3 EFFECTIVE RADIATED POWER (ERP) ......................................................................... 30

7.4 ANTENNAS, COAX FEEDERS & PERIPHERALS .......................................................... 31

7.5 MOUNTING & INSTALLATION ........................................................................................ 33

7.6 FIXING DETAILS ............................................................................................................. 33

WSN Manual Page 2 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 PRODUCTS COVERED

This manual covers the WSN Series of low cost, high performance radio modems designed for
data applications in commercial and industrial systems.

The WSN is an advanced, simplex/half-duplex, data radio for transmission of serial data.
Versions are available with three different serial port configurations:-

A true RS232 interface full handshaking.
As above but with 5V TTL voltage levels on the interface rather than RS232 levels.
An RS232/RS422/RS485 interface with software selection of required mode. (RTS/CTS

and DSR/DTR Handshaking lines looped back to each other in RS232 mode)

Information is provided to assist with configuration, installation, and operation of the products in
point to point or point to multi-point applications. A separate programming manual covers the
use of the associated WinA4P software for programming and configuration of the radios.

Component level servicing is not covered in this document; if the product fails its first line testing
it should be returned to a service centre.

1.2 IMPORTANT NOTICES

1.2.1 Copyright

All rights to this manual are the sole property of FF-Automation Oy The copying of the manual
in whole or in part by any method without written permission is strictly prohibited.

1.2.2 Right To Change

In the interest of improvement, R.F. Technologies reserves the right to change the technical
specifications or functions of its product without notice.

1.2.3 Software

FF-Automation Oy software is delivered “as is”. FF-Automation Oy does not grant any kind of
warranty or guarantees on its saleability or it’s suitability for use in specific applications.

Under no circumstances is R.F. Technologies liable for any damages arising from using the
software.
The copyrights relating to all software is the sole property of FF-Automation Oy.
Any coping, editing, translating or modifying is strictly forbidden without prior written consent
from FF-Automation Oy.

1.2.4 Safety Critical Applications

The WSN has not been designed for, nor is it intended for, use in safety critical or life support
applications. No functional warranty is given if the product is used in such applications.

1.2.5 Use

The WSN radio modems have been designed to work on various licensed and license-free
frequency bands in use around the world. In the license-free bands, the user must ensure that
the radio modem is used under the terms & conditions applicable to the use of the bands
concerned.
In licensed bands, the user must obtain permission and the necessary licenses from the
relevant authorities.

WSN Manual Page 3 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW

2.1 GENERAL

The WSN Series has been designed as a range of high specification, low cost radio modems for
stand-alone applications or for integration into OEM products.

Through the use of advanced DSP technology, the design has been optimised for reliability and
low current consumption, making the WSN suitable for operation on remote sites without mains
power.

Applications include security, command & control, data logging, SCADA, telemetry, remote
switching or any similar applications where serial data needs to be transmitted.

The WSN is available with three different serial interfaces:-

An RS232 interface with all signalling lines to allow full handshaking if required.
A TTL version of the unit, which uses 5V TTL voltage, levels on the serial interface

connector rather than RS232 signalling levels, but is otherwise the same.

A version with an RS232/RS422/RS485 interface. Required interface mode is selected

using the configuration software. In RS232 mode, the RTS line is looped back to CTS
and the DSR line is looped back to DSR. RS422/RS485 half-duplex (2-wire) or full
duplex (4-wire) modes are both supported.

The data rate on the serial interface can set to a range of values from 150 baud to 38,400 baud,
while the over-air data rate can be independently set to a range of values between 150 baud
and 9,600 baud. If high throughput speeds are not required, the modem can be set to a slower
over-air rate to take advantage of the associated improvement in receiver threshold.

The WSN is available with two different transmit powers. The low power version meets the
licence-exempt ETS300-220 specification while the higher power 5W version meets the tougher
ETS300-113 and the USA and Canadian specifications.

2.2 TRANSMITTER

The transmitter frequency can be user programmed anywhere within it’s pre-aligned bandwidth.
There are two power versions available, 10mW to 750mW and 50mW to 5W. The transmit
power of any particular hardware version can be set accurately within the relevant range under
software control.

2.3 RECEIVER

The receiver is a very low current double conversion superheterodyne with an active balanced
mixer for very good intermodulation performance. Careful attention to spurious response,
adjacent channel and blocking performance, makes the product ideal for crowded telemetry
channels.
To achieve high performance the programmable bandwidth of the receiver has been limited (for
UHF it is 10MHz, + 5MHz from centre frequency), full details are in the technical specification
section.
Should re-alignment be required, the unit can be returned to our service centre.

WSN Manual Page 4 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

2.4 MPU CONTROL

The Microprocessor (MPU) is the heart of the product and at the centre is a 128k flash
microprocessor that controls all the interface circuits to the radio module and external
input/outputs. As well as the control function, the processor provides DSP functionality that
enables modem operation between 150 and 9,600bps. The processor has 128k of flash
memory from which the code is executed and internal EEPROM for storing programmed
parameters.

2.5 PROGRAMMING & CONFIGURATION

The parameters of the WSN are PC programmable via the serial port. Full details of all the
programmable parameters are covered in the separate programming manual. Details of cables
and adaptors needed for the various interface versions are given in Section 5.6.

2.6 SOFT MODEM:

The WSN has a “soft modem” which allows over-air transmission at rates between 150bps and
9,600bps using a range of different modulation schemes. The over-air rate can be selected by
the operator to optimise link performance.

2.7 MODES OF OPERATION

2.7.1 Transparent Operation

The WSN can operate transparently without packetising the data and without adding any other
overheads, thereby maximising data throughput rates. It requires no knowledge of the data it is
transmitting. Data is simply transmitted and received with minimal delay.

2.7.2 Protocol specific modem

The radio recognises a complete frame and only transmits and receives data conforming to that
format. No addressing of radios or routing of data is performed. Protocols such as MODBUS &
DNP3 can be supported in this way.

2.7.3 Routing modem

The radios recognise a protocol specific frame and the address to which the frame is to be sent.
Routing information must be stored in each radio for each destination address that requires the
use of repeaters. Any radio in the system can operate as a repeater. The radio does not
perform any acknowledgement or retries. Any protocol using a fixed address field such as
MODBUS can be supported.

2.8 HANDSHAKING

On the RS232 Full Handshaking and TTL versions, transmission control can either use RTS
control signals or be configured for automatic initiation of transmission on receipt of serial data
at the traffic interface. In either case, the radio provides a CTS output, which can optionally be
used for flow control.

On the RS232/RS422/RS485 version, transmission is automatic when transmit data is applied.
The DSR line is internally looped back to DSR and, when configured for RS232 mode, the RTS
line is also looped back to CTS.

In all versions, the radio incorporates a 1,024 byte internal buffer to cope with situations where
the interface data rate is higher than the over-air rate.

2.9 ADDITIONAL FEATURES

The WSN incorporates the following additional features which enhance the usability of the
product and assist with the operation and maintenance of systems using the product:-

2.9.1 Status LEDs:

The WSN Radio Modems have a number of front panel LED’s to enable the operator to see at a

WSN Manual Page 5 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

glance the status of the product and the serial data port.

2.9.2 Time-out Timer

The transmitter within the WSN has a user programmable time-out timer which allows the
maximum continuous transmission time to be set in order to prevent channel blocking due to a
fault.

2.9.3 Power-Save Modes

The WSN has both internally controlled and externally controlled power-save modes to reduce
overall power consumption to extremely low levels for operation on sites without mains power.

2.9.4 Squelch Tail Elimination

As a user programmable option, the WSN can also operate in a packetisation mode where
framing characters are added at the start and end of the user's message prior to transmission
and stripped off again at the receive end prior to passing the user data to the interface
connector. This can be useful in getting rid of any spurious characters which may otherwise be
generated at the end of messages by squelch noise as the receiver mutes and which can affect
old or non-tolerant protocols.
In a high interference environment, enabling packetisation will often help to block reception of
the interfering signals.

2.9.5 Forward Error Correction

The WSN allows an optional forward error correction to be switched in when the over-air data
rate is 9,600bps. This will improve error performance, but there is an associated data
throughput overhead of around 30%, which therefore reduces the effective transmission rate for
the user data. The forward error corrector is not available at lower data rates, as it offers no
significant performance enhancement at these lower rates.

WSN Manual Page 6 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

3 SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

3.1.1 General

Frequency Range: WSN169/170 138 - 175MHz
WSN225 175 - 225MHz
WSN450/470 406 - 512MHz
WSN869 869 - 870MHz
(50MHz – 950MHz to special order)

Power Requirements: 12VDC (10V – 15.5DC)
Standby: <75uA
Receiver on & decoding: <70mA
Transmitting: 300mA to 2.1A dependent on Tx power

Number of Channels: 80 sequential or 32 discrete user programmable channels.
Min. Programmable

Channel Step: 6.25kHz or 5kHz
Channel Spacing: 12.5kHz, 20kHz or 25kHz
Operating Temp.

Stability: 2ppm –30 to +60ºC
Construction: Aluminium enclosure.
Size: 75mm W x 130mm L x 30mm H (excluding brackets and connectors)
Mounting: Screws to a flat surface.
Weight: 250g
Connectors: DC Power 2-way Klippon Type

Serial Data 9-way D-Type Female
RF BNC (50 ohm)

LED Indicators: TX, Busy, System, RXD, TXD

3.1.2 Transmitter:

RF Output Power: WSN 169/450/869 10mW - 750mW
WSN 170/225/470 50mW - 5Watts

Bandwidth: VHF 10MHz without re-alignment
UHF 12MHz without re-alignment
869 30MHz without re-alignment

Internal Modulation: Programmable for FFSK, 2-Level FSK, GMSK or 4-Level FSK.
Max. Deviation: ± 7.5kHz max
Duty Cycle up to 70%
Adj. Channel Power: >65dB at 12.5kHz
Spurious Emissions: As per ETS300-113
Rise Time: < 9mS

3.1.3 Receiver

Sensitivity: 0.25uV (-119dBm) for 12dB SINAD de-emphasised

0.355uV (-117dBm) for 12dB SINAD flat
Bandwidth: VHF 5MHz without re-alignment

UHF 10MHz without re-alignment

WSN Manual Page 7 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

869 20MHz without re-alignment
Spurious Response: WSN 169/450/869 >65dB

WSN 170/225/470 >70dB
Blocking: WSN 169/450/869 >85dBuV

WSN 170/225/470 >90dBuV
Intermodulation: WSN 169/450/869 >60dB (3 Signal)

WSN 170/225/470 >65dB (3 Signal)
Adjacent Channel: >65dB at 12.5kHz
IF Frequencies: 45MHz and 455kHz
Spurious Emissions: WSN 169/450/869 <ETS 300-220

WSN 170/225/470 <ETS 300-113
Mute Response Time: <2msec

3.1.4 Internal Modem

Serial Comms: Asynchronous (or Synchronous with custom software).
Baud rate programmable between 150bps and 38,400bps

Interface: /232Full version :- RS.232 complete with signalling lines
/TTL version:- 5V TTL levels rather than RS.232
/232+485 version:- RS.422/RS.485 (2 or 4 wire) or
RS232 with looped back signalling lines.

Parity: Programmable as Odd, Even or None
NRZI: On or Off
Stop bits: Programmable 1 or 2
Data Bits: Programmable 7 or 8
Signalling Formats: Programmable as V23, Bell202 or MPT1327, up to 1200 baud, coherent

Synchronous/Async. Programmable as either up to 1200bps, synchronous above 1200bps
Over-air Baud Rate: 150 – 9600bps within 12.5kHz
Bit Error Rate: 150 - 2400 baud less than 1 x 10-3 at –120dBm

4800 baud less than 1 x 10-3 at –117dBm
9600 baud less than 1 x 10-3 at –115dBm (FEC on)
9600 baud less than 1 x 10-3 at –112dBm (FEC off)

Forward Error Corrector (FEC) is a programmable option at 9600bps.
The bit error rates quoted above are for fixed messages representing

FFSK at 2400 baud, GMSK at 4800 baud, 4 Level FSK at 9600 baud.

typical data sent over the link. The BER should not be directly compared
with other manufactures figures unless the data format is known, as
many manufacturers quote a BER based on a simple alternating data
pattern, which will generally give much better BER results.

WSN Manual Page 8 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

3.2 APPROVALS AND LICENSING

The WSN has been designed to meet the relevant standards outlined below. Should others be
required, please contact the sales office.

3.2.1 UK Approvals

MPT1411/VNS2111: The 5W version of the WSN has been tested to MPT1411 and the

replacement VNS2111 for licensed applications with a maximum data
rate of 9600bps within a 12.5 kHz channel. A licence is required and the

permitted output power is normally stated on the licence.
MPT1329: The radios meet the requirements of MPT1329
BS2011: The unit complies with the Vibration specification BS2011.

3.2.2 European Approvals

ETS 300-220 The unit meets the specification for European licensed exempt

communications with a maximum RF power level of 500mW. Please

note the permitted power level may vary from country to country.
ETS 300-113 The 5W version of the unit meets the specification for licensed data

radios
ETS 301-489: The unit meets the required CE specification and carries a CE Mark.
EN60950 The unit meets the relevant requirements of this Safety specification.

3.2.3 European Declaration of Conformance

Hereby, FF-Automation Oy declares that the WSN Series of Radio Modems is in compliance
with the essential requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive 1999/5/EC.

In the interest of improvement the above specifications are subject to change without notice.

WSN Manual Page 9 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

4 PRE-PROGRAMMED

CHANNEL

SCANNER

OUTSTATIONS

1

457.50625

463.00625

2

457.51875

463.01875

3

457.53125

463.03125

4

457.54375

463.04375

5

457.55625

463.05625

6

457.56875

463.06875

7

457.58125

463.08125

8

457.59375

463.09375

9

457.60625

463.10625

10

457.61875

463.11875

11

457.63125

463.13125

12

457.64375

463.14375

13

457.65625

463.15625

14

457.66875

463.16875

15

457.68125

463.18125

16

457.69375

463.19375

17

457.70625

463.20625

18

457.71875

463.21875

19

457.73125

463.23125

20

457.74375

463.24375

21

457.75625

463.25625

22

457.76875

463.26875

23

457.78125

463.28125

24

457.79375

463.29375

25

457.80625

463.30625

26

457.81875

463.31875

27

457.83125

463.33125

28

457.84375

463.34375

29

457.85625

463.35625

30

457.86875

463.36875

31

457.88125

463.38125

32

457.89375

463.39375

33

457.90625

463.40625

34

457.91875

463.41875

35

457.93125

463.43125

36

457.94375

463.44375

37

457.95625

463.45625

38

457.96875

463.46875

39

457.98125

463.48125

40

457.99375

463.49375

41

458.00625

463.50625

42

458.01875

463.51875

43

458.03125

463.53125

44

458.04375

463.54375

CHANNEL PLANS

Using the PC configuration software, the WSN can be programmed with a number of standard
channel plans. These currently include all UK MPT1411 or MPT1329 channels. Further
standard channel plans may become available in later releases of the configuration software. A
mixture of channels from different channel plans can also be entered discretely using the
software.

The following tables show the channel numbers and associated frequencies for various channel
plans:-

4.1 UK MPT1411/VNS2111 CHANNELS

WSN Manual Page 10 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007

45

458.05625

463.55625

46

458.06875

463.56875

47

458.08125

463.58125

48

458.09375

463.59375

49

458.10625

463.60625

50

458.11875

463.61875

51

458.13125

463.63125

52

458.14375

463.64375

53

458.15625

463.65625

54

458.16875

463.66875

55

458.18125

463.68125

56

458.19375

463.69375

57

458.20625

463.70625

58

458.21875

463.71875

59

458.23125

463.73125

60

458.24375

463.74375

61

458.25625

463.75625

62

458.26875

463.76875

63

458.28125

463.78125

64

458.29375

463.79375

65

458.30625

463.80625

66

458.31875

463.81875

67

458.33125

463.83125

68

458.34375

463.84375

69

458.35625

463.85625

70

458.36875

463.86875

71

458.38125

463.88125

72

458.39375

463.89375

73

458.40625

463.90625

74

458.41875

463.91875

75

458.43125

463.93125

76

458.44375

463.94375

77

458.45625

463.95625

78

458.46875

463.96875

79

458.48125

463.98125

80

458.49375

463.99375

WSN Manual Page 11 of 34 Rev. G – 4 March 2007