900 MHz Belt-Clip Radio
User’s Guide
900 MHz Belt-Clip Radio
Identification
900MHz Belt Clip Radio User’s Guide
12/16/2009 TDC-0889-000
Copyright
© 2009 Itron, Inc. All rights reserv ed.
Confidentiality Notice
The information contained herein is proprietary and confidential and is being provided subject to the condition that (i) it be
held in confidence except to the extent required otherwise by law and (ii) it will be used only for the purposes described
herein. Any third party that is given access to this information shall be similarly bound in writing.
Trademark Notice
Itron is a registered trademark of Itron, Inc.
All other product names and logos in this documentation are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or
registered tr ademarks of their respective companies.
Suggestions
If you have comments or s uggestions on how we may improve this documentation, send them to
TechnicalCommunicationsManager@itron.com
If you have questions or comments about the software or hardware product, contact Itron Technical Support:
Contact
• Internet: www.itron.com
• E-mail: support@itron.com
• Phone: 1 800 635 8725
Patent Notice
US and foreign patents pending
Manufacturer: Itron, Inc.
Trade name: 900MHz Belt Clip Radio
Model number: 900 BCR Radio
Compliance Statement
This device c omplies 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 cuse undesired operation.
Class B Part 15 Compliance Statement
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a r esidential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause har mful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interfer ence will not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is enc ouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the followi ng measures:
Industry Can ad a
This equipment complies with policies RSS-210 and RSS-GEN of the Industry Canada rules . Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
Note Modifications to the device or its antenna not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could v oid
the user’s authority to operate the device.
Transportation Classification
The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits operating transmitters and receivers on all commercial aircraft. When
powered, 900MHz Belt Clip Radios are considered operating transmitters and receivers and cannot be shipped by air. All
product retur ns must be shipped by ground transportation.
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outl et on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienc ed radio or TV technician for hel p.
• This device m ay not cause interference, and
• This device m ust accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 1
Related Documents .................................................................................................. 1
Documentation Conventions .................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2 900MHz Belt Clip Radio Basics ................................................................ 3
Unpacking Your 900MHz Belt Clip Radio ................................................................. 3
Turning the 900MHz Belt Clip Radio On and Off ...................................................... 7
Chapter 3 900MHz Belt Clip Radio Features ............................................................ 9
LED Status Indicators ............................................................................................. 10
POWER LED ..................................................................................................... 10
COMM ............................................................................................................... 11
LINK .................................................................................................................. 11
USB Communication Port ....................................................................................... 12
Chapter 4 Mounting the 900MHz Belt Clip Radio ................................................... 13
Chapter 5 Maintaining Your 900MHz Belt Clip Radio ............................................ 15
Battery Overview .................................................................................................... 16
Replacing the Charging Cradle’s Contact Pins ...................................................... 19
Storing Your 900MHz Belt Clip Radio .................................................................... 19
Daily Operation ....................................................................................................... 20
Chapter 6 Safety ....................................................................................................... 23
AC Power Adapter .................................................................................................. 23
Chapter 7 Troubleshooting ...................................................................................... 25
Optimizing Bluetooth Performance ......................................................................... 26
Appendix A 900MHz Belt Clip Radio Capabilities and Limitations ..................... 29
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Contents
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Convention
Example
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1
Introduction
This document details the features and functions of the 900MHz Belt
Clip Radio (BCR) and provides information relating to its use and
maintenance.
Related Documents
The 900MHz Belt Clip Radio is designed for use with handheld and
laptop computers running Itro n mobile data collection software
applications. For detailed info rmation about these applications, see
the following documents:
• Endpoint-Link Pro Field Service Representative's Guide
• Endpoint-Link Endpoint Programming Guide (TDC-0744-xxx)
• Endpoint-Link Installation Guide (TDC-0758-xxx)
• Service-Link Field Service Representative’s Guide
Documentation Conventions
This guide uses the following documentation conventions:
(TDC-0735-xxx)
(TDC-0433-xxx)
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Key presses appear in
boldface.
Menu paths appear in
boldface.
Hypertext links appear in
blue text.
Warning This type of note is used to warn of
potential physical harm to the user or hardware. It is
critical that you pay strict attention to Warning notes,
read the information carefully, and heed the advice
and/or instructions.
Press Enter when complete.
From the Start menu, choose
File > Save As.
(This exa mpl e instructs the user
to choose File from the Start
menu; then c hoose Save As
from the File menu.)
See Copyright for identification
information.
Introduction
Tip This type of note provi des the user with extra
hints/tips to make a task easier to perform or a
concept easier to understand.
Caution This type of note advises users that failure
to take or avoid a specified action could result in a
loss of data.
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900MHz Belt Clip Radio Basics
The 900MHz Belt Clip Radio is a lightweight, compact device
designed for use with Itron mobile data collection software running
on FC200 and FC300 series handhelds and laptop computers. It is
used for reading, programming, and maintenance of Itron endpoints.
Because of its size and mounting options, the 900MHz BCR is easy
and comfortable to use.
Unpacking Your 900MHz Belt Clip Radio
The 900MH z BCR comes with the following items:
900 MHz Belt Clip Radio
Charging cr adle
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AC power adapter
Belt clip
Communication cable
When you unpack your BCR, make sure you have all of the
components listed here. If any are missing, contact Itron Support
Services immediately.
Charge the BCR’s battery to 100 percent capacity (this takes about
three and half hours) before using it. This helps insure the accuracy
of the BCR’s power gauge calculations. Frequent incomplete charges
lead to progressively larger errors that only a full charge can rectify.
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900MHz Belt Clip Radio Basics
Caution Use only Itron-approved and -supplied
antennas with the 900MHz Belt Clip Radio. This
device has been designed to operate with an antenna
having a maximum gain of 2.1 dB. Antennas having a
gain greater than 2.1 dB are strictly prohibited for use
with this device. The required antenna impedance is
50 ohms.
Use only Itron-approved accessories with this device.
To install the battery
1. Unscrew the four screws that secure the battery compartment
cover to the back of the 900MHz Belt Clip Radio.
Remove the cover.
2. Four wires protrude from the top of the battery and end in a
small connector.
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Plug the connector into t he socket in t he top of the ba ttery
compartment.
3. Insert the battery into the compartment, carefully tucking the
wires into the space above the battery.
4. Replace the compartment cover and fasten it in place with the
four screws you removed i n step 1.
Caution Be careful not to pinch the battery wires when
replacing the cover
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Turning the 900MHz Belt Clip Radio On and Off
Turn on your 900MHz BCR as soon as you have unpacked and
charged it.
To conserve battery power, turn the radio off whenever you are not
using it.
To turn the radio on
• Press the ON/OFF button (see 900MHz Belt Clip Radio
Features on page 9).
The POWER LED shines green for two seconds to indicate the
power is on, and then it flashes to indicate the battery’s power
level (see Conserving the BCR’s Battery). After that, all three
LEDs (POWER, COMM, and LINK) flash in sequence,
indicating the system i s ready for use.
To turn the radio off
• Press and hold down the ON/OFF button (see 900MHz Belt
Clip Radio Features on page 9) for three seconds.
The POWER LED shines red for five seconds to indicate the
radio is tur ning off.
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900MHz Belt Clip Radio Features
The 900MHz BCR unit comes equipped with:
• An ON/OFF button (1) (see Turning the 900MHz Belt Clip
• Three LED status indicators (2) on top of the unit
• A dual-function USB communication port (3) on the bottom
Also shown here are the two contacts (4) on the bottom of the BCR
through which the radio ’s battery is charged when t he BCR is in its
cradle.
Radio On and Off on page 7)
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Power status
LED indicator
LED Status Indicators
Three LED status indicators are located on the top of the radio,
labeled POWER, COMM, and LINK.
POWER LED
The POWER LED indicates the power status of the BCR’s battery
pack.
On/charging Double-flashes green every two seconds
On/fully charged Shines steady green
Off/charging Flashes red and green alternately
Off/fully charged No light
Low battery Flashes red every two seconds
Tip A charging status label is affixed to the bottom of
the BCR’s charging cradle to help you remember the
POWER LED indicators and the corresponding power
statuses.
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900MHz Belt Clip Radio Features
COMM
Bluetooth status
LED indicator
Radio activity
LED status indicator
The COMM LED indicates the radio’s Bluetooth connectivity status.
On and waiti ng to
Double-flashes blue every two seconds
connect
On and connected Single-flashes blue every two seconds
USB Connection Flashes red every two seconds
LINK
The LINK LED indicates radio activity.
Radio off Unlit
Radio enabled, no
Unlit
actvity
Radio activity
indicated
Flashing ye llow light
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USB Communication Port
The 900 MHz Belt Clip Radio has one dual-function communication
port on the bottom of the device.
The port provides the radio with a USB cable connection that enables
it to receive both USB communications and power from a host PC.
In addition, the radio is equipped with an internal port for wireless
Bluetooth communications.
Note When you connect the BCR to a PC, the computer’s
Windows operating system may prompt you to install an
updated driver for the device. If so, download the latest
FTDI driver from the web site of Futur e Technology
Devices International Ltd. (http://ftdichip.com). From the
site’s available D2XX direct (no t virtual) drivers, select
the one appropriate for your operating system (version
2.06.00 or later). Download the instal la tion .zip file to
your computer and, if needed, the corresponding
installation guide.
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