62-2024-05
ZigBee Wireless Survey Toolkit
for TB7200/TB7600 Series
Thermostats
USER'S GUIDE
The TB7200 and TB7600 Series wireless communicating
thermostats are ideal for retrofit applications where the
addition of communicating field bus wiring within the
building space is prohibitive. These wireless thermostats
allow for the use of equipment wiring used by existing
electronic thermostats.
The Honeywell wireless thermostats, along with the
TB-VWG-APP-1014 wireless communication card and
the network driver and device .jar files, are specifically
designed to be used by Honeywell WEBs-AX controllers
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The Honeywell TBST-5014W wireless survey tools are
intended to verify and validate the deployment and use of
the Honeywell TB7200 and TB7600 Series wireless
thermostats on a potential job site.
This document provides wireless guidelines and
instructions on how to use the wireless survey tools to
perform a site survey.
NOTE: Wireless installations require careful con-
sideration of the environment where the
wireless devices will be installed. We highly
recommend a site survey be performed prior
to bidding on or accepting a job.
WEB-2xx, WEB-6xx, and WEB-7xx controllers powered
by Niagara
More Information
To learn more about the TB7200 and TB7600
thermostats visit http://customer.honeywell.com.
• Wireless Installation & Integration Reference Guide
• TB7600 Series RTU/Heat Pump Communicating
• TB7200 Communicating Zoning Thermostats
• Sensor Selection Guide (Form No. 63-9285) for a
Product Overview ..................................................... 1
ZigBee Mesh Network Overview .............................. 3
Basic Design and Deployment Considerations ........ 4
Site Survey Overview ............................................... 5
Disclaimer .............................................................. 10
Trademarks .............................................................. 10
AX
®
.
for TB7200, TB7600 Series Thermostats (Form No.
63-4522)
Thermostats Specification Data (Form No. 63-2706).
Specification Data (Form No. 63-2708).
complete listing of compatible sensors.
Contents
ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
HONEYWELL THERMOSTAT(S)
MAIN MESH CLUSTER
NETWORK
FIELD WIRING
ELIMINATED
MESH TOPOLOGY
WIRELESS NETWORK
TB-RP5000W
REPEATER
REMOTE HONEYWELL
THERMOSTAT(S) CLUSTER
M32554
M33045
Fig. 1. TB7200, TB7600 ZigBee Wireless Network.
GETTING STARTED
Included in the TBST-5014W wireless survey kit, you will
find the following items:
• 2 ea. survey tools
• 2 ea. 120 Vac charger for the survey tools
IMPORTANT
Before performing a survey, please insure that
both survey tools are fully charged overnight.
The survey tool will display a numerical percentage value
on the LCD screen which represents the wireless network
ZigBee RSSI dBi value (Receiving Signal Strength
Indicator).
IMPORTANT
Please note that it is normal for the value to fl
uctuate slightly (up to 10-20%). The final reading
value is representative of the median averaged
values displayed.
• Any value from 10 to 100% indicates good ZigBee
connectivity.
• Any value below 10% may indicate that a repeater (TBRP5000W) may need to be installed.
Before you use the wireless survey toolkit to complete a
site survey, review this document to learn how to
configure the site survey tools and how to perform a site
survey using these tools.
About the Wireless Survey Tools
About The Survey Tools
• The survey tools feature an auto-shutdown after 10
minutes. After 10 minutes, 10 quick beeps will sound; if
the ON button is not re-pressed, the unit will shutdown
to prevent unnecessary battery drainage.
• The minimal expected battery life is at least 50 full
charge cycles. The maximum expected battery life is
200 full charge cycles.
• Contact Honeywell for replacement batteries. The
survey tools use a custom rechargeable battery type.
DO NOT USE regular rechargeable batteries for
replacement. Doing so MAY result in critical failure
and/or injury.
Configuring the Wireless Survey Tools
1. Charge the survey tools overnight.
2. Press the red ON button on the top of each device.
The green ON LED will light and the LCD will display Signal % 254 then display Signal % 0. If the
devices have already been configured, the signal
strength reading will be greater than zero and very
likely 99 or 100 since the devices are in close proximity to one another.
3. Press and hold the Override button for five seconds,
as shown in Fig. 2, until Com addr displays on the
LCD.
Fig. 2. Press the left (red) button.
4. Press the Override button once and PAN ID will dis-
play.
5. Assign the PAN ID with the up/down arrows on the
right, as shown in Fig. 3. Both devices should be
assigned the same PAN ID.
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ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
M33046
Fig. 3. Assigning PAN ID.
6. Press the Override button once and Channel will
display.
7. Assign Channel number 15 or 25 with the up/down
arrows on the right. Both devices should be
assigned the same Channel.
ZIGBEE MESH NETWORK OVERVIEW
ZigBee is a specification for a suite of high level
communication protocols using small, low-power digital
radios based on the IEEE 802.15.4-2003 standard for
wireless personal area networks (WPANs).
Mesh networking is a type of network where each node
acts as an independent router. It allows for continuous
connections and reconfiguration around broken or
blocked paths by “hopping” and “re-meshing” from node to
node until the final destination is reached.
General characteristics of the wireless
physical communication layer are:
• Uses a wireless physical layer of 2.4GHz with data
rates of 250 kbps
• Yields high throughput and low latency
• Automatic topology configuration: star, peer-to-peer,
mesh
• Handshake protocol for transfer reliability
• Range: 50 feet (15 meters) typical and up to 100 feet
(30 meters) depending on environment
IEEE 802.15.4 along with ZigBee
networks and application support layer
provide:
• Low cost installation deployment
• Ease of implementation
• Reliable data transfer
• Shor t range operation
• Very low power consumption
For a successful ZigBee deployment, it is important to
understand that the ZigBee wireless network is influenced
by the same environmental factors that affect other
wireless systems:
• Interference from radio emitters
• Various electronic devices
• Interference caused by solid objects that may slow or
stop communication between devices
Even with potential sources of signal interference, the
presence of these factors should not result in noticeable
network performance degradation. Environmental issues
will occur with any wireless network installation.
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ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
MCR32615
NOTE: MAXIMUM 50 FEET (15 M) BETWEEN 2 THERMOSTAT NODES.
C
10 FEET (3 M)
PREFERABLY 10 FEET (3 M) OR MORE BETWEEN WI-FI
EQUIPMENT AND HONEYWELL WIRELESS DEVICES
3 FEET (1 M)
MINIMUM 3 FEET (1 M) BETWEEN WI-FI
EQUIPMENT AND HONEYWELL WIRELESS DEVICES
MCR32635
BASIC DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Proper design considerations need to be addressed prior
to any installation of a WEBs-AX controller with a
Honeywell wireless communication card and related
wireless thermostats.
• Honeywell recommends using a per floor horizontal
architecture vs. a vertical one. Transmitting from one
floor to the other may be possible in certain
applications (such as going through stairways), but the
design and optimization of the thermostat antenna is
designed for optimal horizontal distance penetration
and not a vertical one. As such, be prepared to use AT
LEAST ONE WEBs-AX controller and wireless
communication card per floor.
• Please note that radio transmissions CANNOT travel
through steel. If floors are constructed with steel joists
or other steel materials it is highly unlikely that the
wireless thermostat transmissions will be successful
between floors.
Clear line of sight deployment
• To avoid network interference with 802.11 Wi-Fi
devices in the 2.4GHz spectrum, Honeywell
recommends the use of 802.15.4 channels 15 and 25
ONLY. 802.11 Wi-Fi transmissions overlap and may
interfere with other channel selections allowed by
802.15.4 (Channels 11 to 26).
• With clear line of sight deployment (no physical
obstacles between 2 communicating thermostats), the
maximum distance between each thermostat is 100
feet (30 meters). See Fig. 4 .
Fig. 5. Non-clear line of sight distance between two
thermostat nodes is a maximum of 50 feet (15 M).
• In order to avoid interference from other wireless
devices, such as wireless routers, wireless adapters or
laptops using wireless networks, etc., ensure that a
minimum distance of 3 feet (1 meter) is maintained
between any Honeywell wireless device and any Wi-Fi
devices. A distance of 10 feet (3 meters) or more is
preferred when possible (Fig. 6).
NOTE: LINE OF SIGHT DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO NODES IS A MAXIMUM
OF 100 FEET (30 M).
Fig. 4. Line of sight distance between two nodes is a
Non-clear line of sight deployment
• The maximum non-clear line of sight distance between
thermostats for gypsum wall partitions which may
include metal stud framing is a maximum of 50 feet (15
meters). See Fig. 5.
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maximum of 100 feet (30 M).
C
Fig. 6. Minimum 3 feet (1 M) between Wi-Fi equipment
MCR32614
• Ensure that at least one thermostat is within 50 feet
• Always install the controller with wireless card closest
and Honeywell wireless devices.
Preferably 10 feet (3 M) or more between Wi-Fi
equipment and Honeywell wireless devices
(15 M) of the controller with wireless card for every
cluster of 10 thermostats installed. WEB-2xx
controllers have a recommended max of 30 wireless
thermostats per controller. If 30 thermostats are
installed, three thermostats should be installed within
50 feet of the controller with wireless card. WEB-6xx
and WEB-7xx controllers have a recommended max of
50 wireless thermostats per controller. If 50
thermostats are installed, five thermostats should be
within 50 feet of the controller with wireless card. (Fig.
5 and Fig. 6)
to the center of all associated wireless ther mostats.
ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
• Always locate the controller with wireless card near or
in the direct line of sight to as many wireless
thermostats as possible.
• Avoid metal, brick walls or concrete obstructions
between wireless devices as much as possible.
• Make sure the antenna on the wireless card is
perpendicular to the floor.
SITE SURVEY OVERVIEW
If available, it is best to have a floor plan layout showing
the location of all the proposed thermostats to be installed
(Fig. 7).
If possible, perform the survey during occupied hours
when other electronic devices such as (computers,
wireless laptop, cell phones, PDA’s, wireless telephones,
microwave ovens, light ballasts, etc.) would be in use as
• Avoid placing the controller with wireless card and the
thermostats near metal or enclosing the controller with
wireless card in a metal box. If the controller needs to
be installed inside a metal cabinet, use the remote
antenna accessory (TB-RA-1014).
to generate as much interference as possible. Some of
these devices can generate interference up to 20 feet (6.8
meters) away during normal operation. Even with possible
sources of signal interference, the presence of these
wireless devices will most probably not result in any
network performance degradation.
C
WIRELESS THERMOSTAT PROPOSED WEBs-AX CONTROLLER WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATION CARD
C
Fig. 7. Floor plan with proposed thermostats to be installed.
It is important to understand that the survey values
recorded are provided as a worst case scenario of a point
to point application. Once the whole network is deployed
with a WEBs-AX controller and wireless communication
card and all wireless thermostats are present and
functioning as routers, the ability of the network to
efficiently route wireless signals cannot be compared to
this simple survey analysis method (Fig. 8). Thus, it is
important to remember that the displayed percent signal
ONLY represents the signal strength from point A to point
B. As other devices join the network mesh, the route
taken from device A to device B will most likely change.
5 62-2024—05
MCR32617
ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
MCR32620
WIRELESS THERMOSTAT
PROPOSED WEBs-AX CONTROLLER WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATION CARD
C
C
A dense cluster of wireless thermostats will allow your
network to recover from temporary disturbances more
swiftly.
Fig. 8. A fully deployed wireless network will outperform the point-to-point wireless survey.
PERFORMING A SITE SURVEY
This section provides information to complete a site
survey.
Tools Needed
• One TBST-5014W ZigBee Wireless Survey Toolkit
• Site floor plan drawing
Preparing for the Site Survey
Prepare the following prior to going to the job site to do a
site survey.
1. Create a site drawing of proposed locations for all
wireless devices like the floor plan shown in Fig. 7.
2. Charge the wireless survey tools overnight.
3. Ensure the wireless survey tools are working by
powering them up and verifying that they both display a signal strength very near 100% when in close
proximity to each other. If a 0% signal strength displays, see “Getting Started” on page 2.
NOTE: To ensure a proper survey, Honeywell recom-
mends using ONLY channels 15 or 25 to
avoid network interference with 802.11 Wi-Fi
devices in the 2.4GHz spectrum range.
Best Practices When Performing the
Site Survey
• Always hold the wireless survey tools vertically to
ensure proper measurements. The wireless survey
tool antenna is designed for optimal horizontal
distance penetration. Holding the device horizontally
will dramatically lower the range of connectivity.
• Hold the wireless survey tool at the location where you
would like to install the thermostat. The closer the
device is to the actual installation location of the
thermostat, the more accurate the survey results will
be.
• Do NOT stand directly in between the wireless survey
tools while measuring. Your body will interfere with
transmission signals. Always stand out of line of sight
to avoid interfering with the signal readings.
• To ensure accurate readings, ALWAYS hold the
wireless survey tool near the bottom. Do not hold it up
higher, as you may cover the antenna (Fig. 9).
NOTE: Always place the wireless survey tool as
close as possible to the final installation
location of the wireless thermostat.
Fig. 9. Hold the wireless survey tool, as shown in the
left image, when doing a site survey.
MCR32634
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ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
MCR32618
WIRELESS THERMOSTAT PROPOSED WEBs-AX CONTROLLER WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATION CARD
C
C
24%
28%
58%
35%
23%
65%
At the Job Site
1. Begin by positioning one of the wireless survey
tools in the proposed location for the WEBs-AX controller.
2. Find the coverage radius for the controller at its proposed location. This coverage radius is the first hop
from the controller. Any thermostat or repeater
should be installed NO FARTHER than 5 hops to
and from the WEBs-AX controller with the wireless
communication card. This is due to the nature of the
ZigBee stack in the wireless controllers. Walk about
Fig. 10. Measuring the radius of the first hop.
4. Next test the signal strength at each location where
a thermostat is to be installed. The signal strength
at each location can be anywhere from 10% to
100%. Testing each proposed thermostat location
ensures no unexpected obstacles or unforeseen
sources of interference will affect each wireless
thermostat at the time of installation.
5. Once all thermostats within the radius have been
tested, place one of the wireless survey tools at the
first cluster of thermostats tested, go to another
cluster of thermostats extending outward from the
radius of the first hop. Locate the boundary where
the signal strength is about 20%. This represents
the floor where a cluster of thermostats are to be
installed. Locate the boundary where the signal
strength is about 20%.
3. Move to another cluster of thermostats at different
points to determine the radius. This represents the
maximum radius of the first hop where connectivity
is possible based on the building environment and
partition construction. Please note that this distance
can be anywhere from 0 to hundreds of feet (Fig.
10). It’s possible that another location may improve
your network performance or that you may require
an additional controller with a wireless communication card or additional wireless repeaters.
the maximum radius of the second hop where connectivity is possible based on the building environment and partition construction.
6. Next test the signal strength at each location where
a thermostat is to be installed. The signal strength
at each location can be anywhere from 10% to
100%. Testing each proposed ther mostat location
ensures no unexpected obstacles or unforeseen
sources of interference will affect each wireless
thermostat at the time of installation. Fig. 11 shows
the Proposed Site Floor Plan Example with three
hops as indicated by the gray arc (hop 1), the
dashed line arc (hop 2) and the dotted line (hop 3).
7 62-2024—05
ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
MCR32619
WIRELESS THERMOSTAT
PROPOSED WEBs-AX CONTROLLER WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATION CARD
C
C
24%
84%
84%
41%41%
43%43%
39%39%
33%33%
36%36%
63%63%
57%57%
28%
58%
35%
23%
65%
MCR32623
MAXIMUM LINEAR DISTANCE COVERED BY A SINGLE WEBS CONTROLLER.
PROPOSED
LOCATION
WEBS
CONTROLLER
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
2
1
5
4
3
MCR32624
CHANNEL 15 PAN ID=10
CHANNEL 25 PAN ID=20
PROPOSED
LOCATION
WEBS
CONTROLLER
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
PROPOSED
LOCATION
WEBS
CONTROLLER
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
1
1
2
3
4
5
5
4
3
2
Fig. 11. Proposed floor plan with three hop radiuses.
7. Repeat steps 2-5 until you establish the maximum
range covered by 5 hops where the last position
recorded represents the safest furthest position that
can be covered by a single controller (Fig. 12) and
each thermostat location has been confirmed to
have a signal strength of 10% or greater.
Fig. 12. Maximum of 5 hops from controller.
If more than 5 hops could be required by any
device, we recommend adding another controller
with wireless communication card. (Fig. 13).
Please note that a hop in this case is defined as
the maximum linear connectivity between 2
devices independently of other devices being
Once the network is deployed and all wireless
thermostats are present and functioning as routers, the
ability of the network to efficiently route wireless signals
cannot be compared to this simple survey analysis
method.
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Fig. 13. Two wireless networks covering a maximum of 5 hops each.
present in between. If adding another network,
use a different PAN ID and Channel on the
second network. If additional networks, alternate
between Channel 15 and Channel 25 for each
level.
ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
Site Survey Summary
• Always write your transmission results on a site floor
plan when possible.
• Use TB-RP5000W repeaters if remote devices are too
far to bridge or the signal is too weak.
• You can move the proposed location of the WEBs-AX
controller with wireless card to a new location if it helps
create better clusters of thermostats.
• Always plan for a floor by floor horizontal architecture
vs. a vertical one.
• Additional controllers with wireless card can be used
when clusters become too far apart in an installation.
• Contact your Honeywell sales representative for
recommendations if you have a floor plan layout
available for review.
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ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
DISCLAIMER
NO WARRANTY. Honeywell. (herein after referred to as
“Honeywell”) makes no warranty as to the accuracy of or
use of this technical documentation. Any use of the
technical documentation or the information contained
therein is solely at the risk of the user.
Documentation may include technical or other
inaccuracies or typographical errors. Honeywell reserves
the right to make changes to this document without prior
notice, and the reader should in all cases consult
Honeywell to determine whether any such changes have
been made. The information in this publication does not
represent a commitment on the par t of Honeywell.
Honeywell shall not be liable for incidental or
consequential damages resulting from the furnishing,
performance, or use of this material.
This guide contains links and references to third-party
websites that are not under the control of Honeywell, and
Honeywell is not responsible for the content of any
reference material or linked websites. If you access a third
party website mentioned in this guide, then you do so at
your own risk. Honeywell provides these links only as a
convenience, and the inclusion of the link does not imply
that Honeywell endorses or accepts any responsibility for
the content on those third-par ty sites.
Electronic controls are static sensitive devices. Discharge
yourself properly before manipulation and installing the
Honeywell wireless gateway.
All Honeywell wireless gateways and related wireless
thermostats are to be used only as operating controls.
Whenever a control failure could lead to personal injury
and/or loss of property, it becomes the responsibility of
the user to add safety devices and/or alarm system to
protect against such catastrophic failures.
All Honeywell Series wireless thermostats and associated
components have been rigorously tested to ensure
reliable operation in most building applications using the
latest 2.4 ZigBee technologies. Honeywell cannot
guarantee against potential network interference should
additional wireless systems be deployed sharing close
proximity.
Best practices covered in this manual and all related
Honeywell documents should be considered as a guide to
apply Honeywell Wireless Network devices only. The
instructions included in this manual are based upon
Honeywell in house testing and should be referred to as a
guide only.
Honeywell Inc. may not be held liable for continued
reliable or robust operation of any and all wireless based
devices. Although Honeywell has taken many precautions
in assuring the robustness of the TB7000 series wireless
thermostat product line and associated network access
point (WEBs-AX controller’s with wireless option card)
please note; future application of additional wireless
devices utilizing the same or similar channels and / or
frequencies may degrade performance of overall system
and / or reliability.
Non-approved modifications or changes made to the
communication card, the wireless thermostat driver or
wireless thermostats may void the FCC compliance of the
wireless card and wireless thermostats.
Ferrites supplied with the power supply and controller with
wireless card MUST be installed according to instructions.
Failure to do so may void the FCC compliance of the
wireless card and wireless thermostats.
THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE FCC
RULES. OPERATION IS SUBJECT TO THE
FOLLOWING TWO CONDITIONS: (1) THIS DEVICE
MAY NOT CAUSE HARMFUL INTERFERENCE, AND (2)
THIS DEVICE MUST ACCEPT ANY INTERFERENCE
RECEIVED, INCLUDING INTERFERENCE THAT MAY
CAUSE UNDESIRED OPERATION.
Honeywell may not be held liable for continued reliable or
robust operation of any and all wireless based devices.
Although Honeywell has taken many precautions in
assuring the robustness of the TB7200 and TB7600
Series wireless thermostat product line and associated
network access point. Please note future application of
additional wireless devices utilizing the same or similar
channels and / or frequencies may degrade performance
of overall system and / or reliability.
Non-approved modifi cations or changes made to the
Wireless Communication Card TB-VWG-APP-1014 or
wireless thermostats may void the FCC compliance of the
TB-VWG-APP-1014 and wireless thermostats.
NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE
FOR ANY RADIO OR TV INTERFERENCE CAUSED BY
UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS TO THIS
EQUIPMENT. SUCH MODIFICATIONS COULD VOID
THE USER’S AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE
EQUIPMENT.
TRADEMARKS
Niagara, Niagara AX is a registered trademark of Tridium,
Inc.
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ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
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ZIGBEE WIRELESS SURVEY TOOLKIT FOR TB7200/TB7600 SERIES THERMOSTATS
By using this Honeywell literature, you agree that Honeywell will have no liability for any damages arising out of your use
or modification to, the literature. You will defend and indemnify Honeywell, its affiliates and subsidiaries, from and against
any liability, cost, or damages, including attorneys’ fees, arising out of, or resulting from, any modification to the literature
by you.
Automation and Control Solutions
Honeywell International Inc.
1985 Douglas Drive North
Golden Valley, MN 55422
customer.honeywell.com
® U.S. Registered Trademark
© 2014 Honeywell International Inc.
62-2024—05 M.S. Rev. 12-14
Printed in United States
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