Murata DN-24 User Manual

Revision

Date

Author

Change Description

1

05/03/2012

F. Perkins

Initial issue

2

01/09/2015

R. Willett

Reformatted to comply with new Murata V.I.

RFM products are now

DN-24 Series

2.4 GHz

User Guide

Revision History

Murata products.

Serial Modems

Important Regulatory Information

RFM Product FCC ID: HSW-DNT24

IC 4492A-DNT24

Note: 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 residential installation. This equip m ent generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or te levision reception, which can be determine d by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

1) Re-orientate or relocate the receiving antenna,

2) Increase the separation between the equipment and the radiator,

3) Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected,

4) Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

FCC Antenna Gain Restriction:

The DN-24 series 2.4 GHz serial modems have been designed to operate with any dipole antenna of up to 12 dBi of gain, any corner reflector antenna of up to 14 dBi gain, any patch antenna of up to 12 dBi gain. The antenna(s) used for this transmitter must be installed to provide a separation distance of at

least 20 cm from all persons and must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

IC RSS-210 Detachable Antenna Gain Restriction:

This radio transmitter, IC 4492A-DNT24, has been approved by the Industry Canada to operate with the antenna types listed below with the maximu m per miss i ble ga in and the requ ir ed a nten na imp eda nc e for each antenna type indicated. Antenna types not included in this list, having a gain greater than the maximum gain indicated for that type, are strictly prohibited for use with this device.

Le présent émetteur radio IC 4492A-DNT24 a été approuvé par Industrie Canada pour fonctionner avec les types d'antenne énumérés ci-dessous et ayant un gain admissible maximal et l'impédance requise pour chaque type d'antenne. Les types d'antenne non inclus dans cette liste, ou dont le gain est supérieur au gain maximal indiqué, sont strictement interdits pour l'exploitation de l'émetteur.

Type Model Number Gain Impedance

Omnidirectional OD12-2400 12 dBi 50 ohm Corner SCR14-2400CT 14 dBi 50 ohm Patch PA2412 12 dBi 50 ohm Dipole S181AH-2450S 2 dBi 50 ohm

Under Industry Canada regulations, this radio transmitter may only operate using an antenna of a type and maximum (or lesser) gain approved for the transmitter by Industry Canada. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the equivalent isotropically radiated power (e.i.r.p.) is not more than that permitted for successful communication.

Conformément à la réglementation d'Industrie Canada, le présent émetteur radio peut fonctionner avec une antenne d'un type et d'un gain maximal (ou inférieur) approuvé pour l'émetteur par Industrie Canada. Dans le but de réduire les risques de brouillage radioélectrique à l'intention des autres utilisateurs, il faut choisir le type d'antenne et son gain de sorte que la puissance isotrope rayonnée équivalente (p.i.r.e.) ne dépasse pas l'intensité nécessaire à l'établissement d'une communication satisfaisante.

This device complies with Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR d'Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio exempts de licence. L'exploitation est autorisée aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l'appareil ne doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l'utilisateur de l'appareil doit accepter tout brouillage radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est susceptible d'en compromettre le fonctionnement.

Changes or modifications to a DN-24 series serial modem not expressly approved by Murata Electronics N.A., Inc. may void the user’s authority to operate the module.

Table of Contents

1.0 DN-24 Series 2.4 GHz Serial Modems ............................................................................................... 5

2.0 DN-24 Systems ................................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Point-to-Point System s..................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 Point-to-Multipoint Systems ............................................................................................................. 6

2.3 Store-and-Forward Systems ............................................................................................................ 7

2.4 DN-24 Product Descript ion s ................................................................................................................ 8

3.0 Specifications ...................................................................................................................................... 9

3.1 Absolute Maximum Ratings ................................................................................................................. 9

3.2 System Specifications ......................................................................................................................... 9

3.3 LED Indicators ..................................................................................................................................... 9

4.0 Installation ......................................................................................................................................... 10

4.1 Mounting and Location ...................................................................................................................... 10

4.2 Attaching the Antenna ....................................................................................................................... 11

4.3 DN-24G Connector Details ................................................................................................................ 11

4.4 DN-24GI Connector Details ............................................................................................................... 12

4.5 Basic DN-24 Point-to-Point System Setup ........................................................................................ 12

5.0 DN-24 Technical Reference .............................................................................................................. 13

5.1 RF Channel Access ........................................................................................................................... 13

5.2 DN-24 Addressing ............................................................................................................................. 13

5.3 Network Linking and Slot Registration .............................................................................................. 14

5.4 Transparent and Protocol-formatted Serial Data .............................................................................. 14

6.0 DN-24 System Configuration ............................................................................................................. 15

6.1 Configuration Parameters .............................................................................................................. 15

6.2 Configuring a Basic Point-to-Point System .................................................................................... 15

6.3 Configuring a Basic Point-to-Multipoint System ............................................................................. 15

6.4 C onf igur ing a Cust omized Point-to-Point or Point-to-Mult ipo int System ....................................... 16

6.5 Configuring a Store-and-Forward System ..................................................................................... 18

6.6 Slot Buffer Sizes, Number of Slots, Messages per Hop and Hop Duration ................................... 18

6.7 Configuring the Serial Port ............................................................................................................. 21

7.0 DN-24 Protocol-form atted Messages ................................................................................................ 21

7.1 Protocol Formats ............................................................................................................................ 21

7.2 Message Types .............................................................................................................................. 21

7.3 Message Format Details ................................................................................................................ 22

7.4 Configuration Parameter Registers ................................................................................................ 28

7.4.1 Bank 0x00 - Transc eiver S etup .................................................................................................. 28

7.4.2 Bank 0x01 - System Settings ...................................................................................................... 30

7.4.3 Bank 0x02 - Status Param et ers .................................................................................................. 32

7.4.4 Bank 0x03 - Serial Settings ........................................................................................................ 33

7.4.5 Bank 0x04 - Host Protocol Sett ings ............................................................................................ 34

7.4.6 Bank 0x0FF - Special Functions ................................................................................................. 35

7.5 Protocol-formatted Message Example........................................................................................ 35

8.0 Utility Program ................................................................................................................................... 36

8.1 Serial Communication and Radio Configuration ............................................................................ 38

9.0 Warranty ............................................................................................................................................ 44

1.0 DN-24 Series 2.4 GHz Serial Modems

The DN-24 series 2.4 GHz serial modems provide a low cost, ready-to-use solution for robust wireless data communications in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. There are currently two products in the DN-24 series, the DN-24G and the DN-24GI. The DN-24G provides an RS-232C serial interface with optional hardware flow control. The DN-24GI offers a selectable 3-wire RS-232C interface or a two-wire, mult i-drop RS-485 interface. All DN-24 series modems are based on Murata’s DNT24 frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) transceiver, and can communicate with other DNT24-based modems and sensor nodes, as well as customer developed products. DN-24 series modems are suppl ied wit h a dipo le ante nna and a wallplug power supply. A DN-24 transmits data at 250 kbps. The RF output power can be set up to 100 mW EIRP using the supplied 2 dBi dipole antenna. Optional high-gain directional and omni-directional antennas are available to extend operating range where local regulations allow it. DN-24 series modems are well suited for sensor and data networks carrying moderate traffic that need robust communications in locations with non-ideal RF propagation and/or where RF interference or noise are present.

Key Features of the DN-24 Series 2.4 GHz Serial Modems include:

- 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity for RS-232C or RS-485 serial interfaces

- Optional 128-Bit AES Encryption

- Point-to-point, Po int-to-multipoint, Peer-to-peer and Store & Forward Capabilities

- Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum Transceiver

- 250 kbps RF Data Rate

- Transmitter Power up to 100 mW EIRP with 2 dBi Antenna

- FCC, Canadian IC Certified and CE Marked for Unlicensed Operation

2.0 DN-24 Systems

DN-24 wireless serial modems can be configured to operate in one of three modes - base, remote or router. A base controls a DN-24 system, and interfaces to an application host such as a PC. A remote simply functions to transmit or receive data. A router alternates between functioning as a remote on one hop and a network base on the next hop. When acting as a remote, the router stores messages it receives from its parent, and then repeats the messages to its child rad ios when ac ting as a network base. Likewise, a router will store messages received from its child radios when acting as a base, and repeat them to its parent when acting as a remote. Any message addressed directly to a router is processed by the router rather than being repeated.

2.1 Point-to-Point Systems

A DN-24 system contains at least one network. The simplest DN-24 topology is a point-to-point system, as shown in Figure 2.1.1. This system consists of a base and one remote forming a single network. Pointto-point systems are often used to replace wired serial connections.

Figure 2.1.1

2.2 Point-to-Multipoint Systems

Figure 2.2.1 shows the topology of a point-to-multipoint (star) system, which consists of a base and more than one remote in a single network. Point-to-multipoint systems are typically used for data, sensor and alarm systems. While most traffic in a point-to-multipoint system is between the base and the remotes, DN-24 technology also allows for peer-to-peer communication from one remote to another.

Figure 2.2.1

Figure 2.3.1

2.3 Store-and-Forward Systems

Figure 2.3.1 shows the topology of a store-and-forward system, which consists of a base, one or more routers, one or more remotes, and two or more networks. Networks in a store-and-forward system form around the base and each router. The base and the routers are referred to as the parents of the networks they form. The rest of the radios in each network are referred to as child radios. Note that a router is a child of the base or another router while being the parent of its own network. Each network parent transmits beacons to allow child radios to synchronize with its hopping pattern and join its network. Different frequency hopping patterns are used by the parent radios in a system, minimizing interference between networks.

Store-and-forward systems are used to cover larger areas than is possible with point-to-point or point-tomultipoint systems. The trade-off in store-and-forward systems is longer delivery times due to receiving and retransmitting a message several times. Store-and-forward systems are especially useful in applications such as agriculture where data is only collected periodically.

2.4 DN-24 Product Descriptions

There are currently two products in the DN-24 series, the DN-24G and the DN-24GI. The DN-24G provides an RS-232C serial interface. The DN-24GI offers a selectable RS-232C interface or a two-wire, multi-drop RS-485 int er f ac e. DN-24 series modems are based on Murata’s DNT24 frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) transceiver, and can communicate with other DNT24-based modems and sensor nodes, as well as customer developed products.

DN-24 series modems are supplied with a reverse SMA dipole antenna and a universal wall-plug power supply. DN-24 modems transmit data at 250 kbps. The transmitter output power can be set up to 100 mW EIRP using the supplied 2 dBi dipole antenna.

Optional high-gain directional and omni-directional

antennas are available from Murata to extend operating range where allowed by local regulations.

DN-24 series modems are well-suited for sensor and data networks carrying moderate traffic that need robust communications in loc atio ns with non-ideal RF propagation and/or where RF interference or noise are present.

As shown in Figures 2.4.1 and 2.4.2, serial data to/from a DN-24G is routed through an RS232C signal converter. In the case of a DN-24GI, serial data is routed through an RS-232C/RS-485 signal converter. When terminal 3 is left unconnected on the DN-24GI, serial communication is 3-wire RS-232C. When terminal 3 is connected to terminal 2 or 4, serial communication is 2-wire, multi-drop capable RS-485. Terminal 3 has no function in a DN-24G.

The switching regulator used in all DN-24 modems supports a

wide voltage range on the DC power input, from 9 to 24 Vdc.

Figure 2.4.1 Figure 2.4.2

o

Characteristic

Sym

Notes

Minimum

Typical

Maximum

Units

Operating Frequency Range

2406

2475

MHz

Hop Dwell Time

8

100

ms

Number of RF Channels

15 or 24

dBm

EIRP RF Output Power Level, 2 dBi Antenna

100

mW

Optimum Antenna Impedance

50

Ω

RF Connection

RSMA Coaxial Connector

Ad Hoc TDMA

DN-24G RS-232C

9-pin connector, hardware flow control optional

DN-24GI RS-232C Configuration

3-wire, no hardware flow control required

DN-24GI RS-485 Configuration

2-wire, multi-drop capable

V

mA

Base, Continuous Data Stream

129

mA

Remote, linked, No Data

34

mA

Remote, Continuous Data Stream

44

mA

Nominal Dimensions

3.3 x 3.2 x 1 inches (84.6 x 82.0 x 25.4 mm)

o

POWER

O

3.0 Specifications

3.1 Absolute Maximum Ratings

Rating Value Units

Power Supply Input Voltage Range -0.5 to +24 V Non-Operating Ambient Temperature Range -40 to +85

3.2 System Specifications

C

Modulation RF Data Transmission Rate Receiver Sensitivity @ 10-5 BER

Network Topologies Access Scheme

Serial Port Baud Rates

Power Supply Voltage Range VCC Peak Transmit Mode Current Average Receive Mode Current:

Mounting Operating Temperature Range

Operating Relative Humidity Range, Non-condensing

3.3 LED Indicators

Ref Name I/O Description

1

2

3

ACTIVITY O

LINK O

Left-most LED on the front of the unit, amber, indicates RF communications activity. Middle LED on the front of the unit, red. On a base, this LED indicates one or more remotes

are linked to it. On a remote, this LED indicates it is linked to the base. Right-most LED on the front of the unit, green, indicates the unit is powered up.

FSK 250 kbps

Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint,

Peer-to-Peer and Store & Forward

1.2, 2.4, 4.8, 9.6, 14.4, 19.2, 28.8,

38.4, 57.6, 115.2, 230.4, 250.0

+9 +24

190

Left and Right Flanges, Two Pre-drilled Holes

-40 85 10 90 %

-100

in Each Flange

kbps

C

4.0 Installation

4.1 Mounting and Location

The DN-24G and DN-24GI case outline drawings are shown in Figures 4.1.1 and 4.1.2. The supplied antenna is hinged, allowing it to be set vertically with the case mounted either horizontally or vertically. The DN-24 case is designed for indoor use. It must be installed in a weather proof enclosure when used outdoors, such as a NEMA 4X enclosure. The enclosure must be made of plastic or other materials with low RF attenuation to avoid compromising antenna performance. Metal enclosures are not suitable for use with internal antennas as they will block antenna radiation and reception.

DN-24 modems should be mounted at least six feet above the floor (ground) to achieve good communication reliability in a typical office or retail location. To achieve maximum range and reliability, especially in industrial locations, the DN-24 should be mounted as high as practical. Murata offers a number of high gain antennas that can be used to further extend the DN-24’s range. The use of these antennas is not allowed in all geographical regions; contact RFM’s technical service department for additional details.

Figure 4.1.1

+PWR

I

GND

-

DTR

I

GND

-

HOST_RTS

I

Figure 4.1.2

4.2 Attaching the Antenna

The antenna (or antenna cable) is attached by screwing the antenna onto the antenna connector. The supplied antennas are hinged, allowing them to be set vertically with the case mounted either horizontally or vertically as shown in Figure 4.2.1.

Figure 4.2.1

4.3 DN-24G Connector Details

A coaxial power connector is provided on the DN-24G for the DC power input, and a nine-pin male connector is provided for the RS-232C signal connection. Strai ght throu gh w iri ng should be used between the DN-24G and its host. The DN-24G serial interface can be used with or without hardware flow control.

DN-24G Power Connector Description

Ref Name I/O Description

T R

The center coaxial conductor (tip) is the positive power supply input, +9 to +24 V. The outer coaxial conductor (ring) is the DC power ground.

DN-24G Serial Port Connector Description

Pin Name I/O Description

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

DCD O RADIO_TXD O RADIO_RXD I

HOST_CTS O

- -

This pin is an output indicating the modem is linked to the radio network. This pin is the modem serial data output. This pin is the modem serial data input This pin is the data terminal ready input from the modem’s host. This pin is signal ground No connection This pin is the request to send input from the modem’s host This pin is the clear to send output from the modem. No connection

+PWR

I

GND

-

GND

-

4.4 DN-24GI Connector Details A terminal strip is provided on the DN-24GI for power and data signal connection. For RS-232C

operation, terminal 3 should be left unconnected and straight throu gh wir ing should be used between the DN-24GI and its host. RS-232C operation is 3-wire; no hardware hand-shaking signals are provided. If the host application requires hardware handshaking, CTS-RTS and DTR-DCD loopbacks should be installed on the connector that plugs into the host.

DN-24GI DC Power/Serial Port Termi nal Blo ck Des c rip t ion

Pin Name I/O Description

1 2

3

4 5 6

485 EN I

TX/A O RX/B I

For RS-485 operation, terminal 3 should be connected to terminal 2 or 4. RS-485 operation is 2-wire, and is compatible with multi-drop RS-485 install ations . The primary application for the DN-24GI is in RS-485 applications. In this case, the RS-232C mode provides a convenient way to configure the modem prior to installing it in an RS-485 network.

4.5 Basic DN-24 Point-to-Point System Setup

A basic DN-24 point-to-point system is suitable for many serial data applications. The default configuration of a DN-24 is a remote with the serial port configured for transparent operation at

9.6 kbps, 8N1. To set up a basic point-to-point system:

1. Configure one of the modules as a base by setting the DeviceMode parameter in Bank 0 to 0x01.

2. Set the MemorySave parameter in Bank 0xFF to 0xD2, which will save the DeviceMode parameter to EEPROM. Then reset the module, which enables base operation.

3. All other parameters may be left at their default values.

Murata provides a setup utility program called DNCONFIG.exe that configures a DN-24 modem as a base or a remote, and optionally sets the serial port to a baud rate other than the 9.6 kbps default. DNCONFIG.exe can be simply copied onto a PC (Windows XP or later operating system) and run. Select Base in the Mode drop-down box and click Configure and Reset. Note that a DN-24GI must be in RS- 232C mode to use this utility. Another utility program, DNTDEMO.exe, allows full control of all configuration parameters relevant to the operation of a DN-24 based system. Use this program to set up advanced DN-24 systems, such as a store-and-forward system. DNTDEMO is discussed in Section 8.0 of this user guide.

This terminal is the positive power supply input, +9 to +24 V. This terminal is a power supply and signal ground.

When this terminal is unconnected, serial operation is RS-232C. When this terminal is grounded to terminal 2 or 4, serial operation is RS-485.

This terminal is a power supply and signal ground. This terminal transmits serial data to the host, RS-232C TxD or RS-485 A signal. This terminal receives serial data from the host, RS-232C RxD or RS-485 B signal.

Figure 5.1.1

5.0 DN-24 Technical Reference

5.1 DN-24 RF Channel Access

The time a DN-24 network stays on each frequency in its hopping pattern is called the hop duration or dwell time, which can be configured from 8 to 100 ms. Radio communication during each dwell is organized as a time division multiple access (TDMA) frame. A DN-24 frame begins with a base-mode beacon, followed by 1 to 8 time slots used by the network children to transmit to their parent, as shown in

Figure 5.1.1. A base-mode beacon can include up to 8 messages addressed to one or more child radios. The number of slots is chosen accommodate the number of children that need to send messages each hop.

Each beacon includes the status of all slots - either registered (assigned) or open. When a child radio has information to transmit to its parent, it randomly selects one of the open slots and transmits all or the first part of its data. If the parent successfully receives the transmission, it includes the child’s MAC address in the next beacon. This signals the child radio that the slot is temporarily registered to it, allowing the child to efficiently stream any remaining data to the base hop-by-hop until it is all sent.

If a child radio does not see its address in the next beacon following its transmission, it again randomly selects an open slot and retransmits its data. During times when there are no open slots, a child radio keeps its data queued and continues to look for an open slot in each beacon until at least one slot becomes available. The access method the DN-24 uses is referred to as Ad Hoc TDMA.

5.2 DN-24 Addressing

Each DN-24 has a unique MAC address. The MAC address can be read or bar-code scanned from the label on the side of each radio. A DN-24 radio in any mode (base/router/remote) can be addressed using its MAC address. A DN-24 base can be addressed using either its MAC address or address 0x000000. A DN-24 can send a message to all other DN-24’s in its system by using the broadcast address 0xFFFFFF.

The base and all routers (parents) hold base-mode network IDs, which are transmitted in every beacon. All routers and remotes hold parent network IDs and optionally alternate parent network IDs to compare against the base-mode network IDs in the beacons they receive. A child router or remote is allowed to join a parent if the child’s parent network ID or alternate parent network ID matches the parent’s base- mode network ID, or with an y parent when its parent network ID is set to 0xFF (wildcard).

In a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint system, the default base-mode network ID of 0xFF (wildcard) can be used. In a store-and-forward system, however, the base-mode network IDs of all routers must be set to different values between 0x00 to 0x3F. If the base-mode network ID of 0x00 is assigned to a router, the

base must be assigned an unused base-mode network ID between 0x01 and 0x3F. Leaving all parent network IDs in a store-and-forward system set to the default value of 0xFF allows networks to automatically form, and self-repair if a parent router fails. Enabling the alternate parent network ID also provides self-repairing message routing.

All DN-24 radios hold a system ID that can be used to distinguish systems that physically overlap. In a DN-24 system, the system ID must be different from those used by overlapping systems to provide message filtering. Also, using different base-mode network IDs for all networks in overlapping systems helps reduce hopping pattern collisions.

The store-and-forward path between the base and any other radio in a system can be determined by reading the radio’s ParentMacAddress parameter. If this address is not the base, then reading the Parent- MacAddress parameter of its parent, grandparent, etc., in succession reveals the complete path to the base. Path determination is useful in optimizing and troubleshooting systems during commissioning and maintenance.

5.3 Network Linking and Slot Registration

When first turned on, a DN-24 router or remote rapidly scans all frequency channels in its operating band to acquire synchronization and link to a parent based on a system ID match plus a base-mode network ID to parent network ID/alternate parent network ID match (or by using a wildcard (0xFF) parent network ID).

In addition to the slot status and the MAC addresses of child radios holding slot registrations, each basemode beacon includes one of a number of cycled control parameters. The cycled parameters are collected by child radios, allowing them to register with a parent, and to later follow any control parameter changes. When a router or remote has collected a full set of cycled parameters, it can issue an optional initial heartbeat message and then optional periodic heartbeat messages which allows an application to maintain the status of all routers and remotes in its DN-24 system.

When a router/remote has data to send to its parent, it picks an open slot at random and transmits. It then looks for its MAC address in the next beacon. If its MAC address is present in the beacon, it is temporarily registered to the slot and continues to use it until all current data is sent, or its MAC address drops off the beacon.

5.4 Transparent and Protocol-formatted Serial Data

A DN-24 remote can directly input and output data bytes and data strings on its serial port. This is referred to as transparent serial port operation. In a point-to-point system or in multi-point systems when broadcast addressing is used, the base can also be configured for transparent serial port operation.

In all other cases, serial data will be protocol formatted:

- configuration commands and replies

Protocol-formatted messages are discussed in detail in Section 7 of this manual. Briefly, protocolformatted messages include a start-of-messages character, message length and message type information, the destination address of the message, and the message payload.

- announcement messages including heartbeats

Transparent data is routed using a remote transparent destinati on addres s . In a remote, this address defaults to the base, 0x000000, and in the base this address defaults to broadcast, 0xFFFFFF. These defaults can be overridden with specific radio addresses. For example, it is possible to set up transparent peer-to-peer routing between two remotes in a point-to-multipoint or store-and-forward system by loading specific MAC addresses in each radio’s remote transparent destination address.

6.0 DN-24 System Configuration

DN-24 radios feature an extensive set of configuration options that allows them to be adapted to a wide range of applications. Configuration defaults have been carefully selected to minimize the configuration effort for most applications, while providing the ability to individually adjust the configuration of each radio to achieve highly optimized system operation.

6.1 Configuration Parameters

The configuration of a DN-24 is controlled by a set of parameters (registers). Parameters that address a particular aspect of operation are grouped into a bank. All parameters can be accessed through a module’s serial port and over the radio link. Most parameters are read/write. Read-only parameters include fixed values such a MAC addresses, firmware version numbers and parameters that are dynamically adjusted during system operation such as link status. Write-only parameters include security keys and certain action triggers such as reset. Incorrectly configuring certain parameters can disable a module’s radio link, but the configuration can always be corrected through the serial port. The organization of the parameter register banks and the details of each parameter are covered in Section 7.4 of this guide. Sections 7.4.1 through 7.4.6 discuss which parameters apply to various aspects of configuring a DN-24 system, network or application interface.

6.2 Configuring a Basic Point-to-Point System

A basic DN-24 point-to-point system is suitable for many serial data applications. The default configuration of a DN-24 is a remote with the serial port configured for transparent operation at

9.6 kbps, 8N1. To configure a basic point-to-point system:

4. Configure one of the modules as a base by setting the DeviceMode parameter in Bank 0 to 0x01.

5. Set the MemorySave parameter in Bank 0xFF to 0xD2, which will save the DeviceMode parameter to EEPROM and reset the module, enabling base operation.

6. All other parameters may be left at their default values.

6.3 Configuring a Basic Point-to-Multipoint Point System

A basic DN-24 point-to-multipoint point systems is suitable for many serial data applications where multiple remotes are used. The default configuration of a DN-24 is a remote with the serial port configured for transparent operation at 9.6 kbps, 8N1. To configure a basic point-to-multipoint system:

1. Configure one of the modules as a base by setting the DeviceMode parameter in Bank 0 to 0x01.

2. If the host application driving the base will individually communicate each remote, set the ProtocolMode parameter in Bank 4 of the base to 0x01. This step is not required if messages from the base to the remotes will always be broadcast and/or the base does not need to know the MAC address of the remote sending a message.

3. Set the MemorySave parameter in Bank 0xFF to 0xD2, which will save the DeviceMode parameter to EEPROM and reset the module, enabling base operation.

4. All other parameters may be left at their default values.

5. If the host application driving the base will individually communicate with each remote, the MAC address for each remote can be obtained from announce packets, heartbeat packets, a ForceDiscover command, or by reading or scanning the MAC address from the label on top of each remote.

6.4 Configuring a Customized Point-to-Point or Point-to-Multipoint System

The DN-24 includes many configuration parameters that allow extensive customization of a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint system. Most applications will require only a few of these parameters be changed from their default values. But for those applications that need them, Murata recommends the following configuration sequence. Skip the configuration steps where the default parameter value is satisfactory.

1. Configure one of the modules as a base by setting the DeviceMode parameter in Bank 0 to 0x01.

2. Set the optional AES security key in all system radios by loading your selected 16-byte string into the SecurityKey parameter in Bank 0 (the default is 16 bytes of 0x00).

3. Select the frequency band of operation by setting the FrequencyBand parameter in Bank 1 of the base radio as desired (the default is Band 0).

4. Set the transmitter power level as needed in all radios by setting the TxPower parameter in Bank 0. The default is 63 mW (100 mW EIRP with supplied 2 dBi dipole).

5. Configure the system ID in all radios by setting the SystemID parameter in Bank 0 (the default is OK if there is no chance of overlapping systems).

6. Load the parent network ID in all remotes in the ParentNetworkID parameter in Bank 0 as needed (wildcard default is OK for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint systems).

7. Set the BaseModeNetID parameter in the base to match the ParentNetworkID parameter in the remotes if the default BaseModeNetID is not used in the base and the wildcard default ParentNetworkID is not used in the remotes.

8. For a point-to-multipoint system where DN-24 MAC addressing will be used, set the ProtocolMode parameter in Bank 4 of the base to 0x01. Set the protocol mode as needed in the base and remote of a point-to-point system, and as needed in the remotes in a point-to-multipoint system. Note that if the application data includes addressing information for individual remote hosts, the DN-24 broadcast mode can be used instead of the DN-24 protocol mode.

9. If using transparent serial mode in the system:

a. Set the remote transparent destination address in the RmtTransDestAddr parameter,

Bank 0, in each remote if the destination is not the base (the base address is the default destination).

b. Set the transparent point-to-point mode to select either the RmtTransDestAddr address

(default) or the address of the originator of the last received message as the remote destination address. The parameter that controls this destination address is the Trans- PtToPtMode in Bank 4. Set in all remotes as needed.

c. Set the timeout for transmission of transparent data in the remotes as needed. The

parameter that controls the timeout is the TxTimeout in Bank 4 (the default is to send as soon as possible).

d. Set the minimum message length for transmission of transparent data in the remotes as

needed. The parameter that controls the length is the MinPacketLength in Bank 4 (the default is one byte).

10. Refer to Section 7.4.1 below which discusses how to coordinate the values of the following four parameters:

a. Set the maximum number of messages that can be sent in a hop on each system radio.

The parameter that controls this number is MsgsPerHop in Bank 4. The default is 8

11. Configure the slot lease on the base by setting the SlotLease parameter. The default is 4 hops.

12. Set the heartbeat interval as required in each system radio. The parameter that controls heartbeats is the HeartBeatIntrvl in Bank 0. The default is 20 seconds/heartbeat.

13. Enable end-to-end message ACKs where required by setting the EndToEndAckEnable parameter in Bank 0 to 1. Enabling this parameter provides a confirmation that a message has reached its destination in peer-to-peer or store-and-forward routing. The default is disabled.

14. Set the message retry limit on the base with the ArqAttemptLimit parameter in Bank 1. The default value is 6 retries.

15. Set the link drop threshold on the base by setting the LinkDropThreshold in Bank 1. This parameter sets the number of sequential hops without receiving a beacon that will trigger a child to resynchronize and re-link to its parent. The default is 10 hops.

16. Set the point-to-point reply timeout on the base in the P2PReplyTimeout parameter in Bank 1. The default is 16 hops. See Section 7.4.2 for parameter details.

messages.

b. Load the required base slot size into the BaseSlotSize parameter, Bank 1, in the base.

The default is 40 bytes.

c. Configure the number of child slots per hop on the base by setting the NumSlots

parameter. The default is 3 slots.

d. Set the required hop duration on the base. The HopDuration parameter in Bank 0

controls hop duration. The default is 20 ms.

17. Configure the registration timeout on the base by setting the RegistryTimeout parameter in Bank 1. The default timeout is 50 hops. See Section 7.4.2 for a discussion of this parameter.

18. Load an optional “friendly description” in each system radio in the UserTag parameter, Bank 0.

6.5 Configuring a Store-and-Forward System

The following additional parameters must be set to configure a DN-24 store-and-forward system:

1. Configure the DN-24 radios designated to be routers by setting the DeviceMode parameter

The benefit of automatic system formation is self-healing. If a parent router fails, its child nodes can relink to any other parent router they can receive. However, automatic topology formation can result in an unnecessary number of hops between routers or remotes and the base. The benefit of manual system topology formation is to avoid unnecessary extra hops in the system, and to balance the number of children supported by each parent router. If a parent router fails and an active alternate parent network ID has not been assigned, all children downstream from the failure will be off the system until the failed router is repaired or replaced.

6.6 Slot Buffer Sizes, Number of Slots, Messages per Hop and Hop Duration

The base slot size (BSS) sets the maximum number of payload bytes the base can transmit during a single hop when the base is sending one message per hop. The maximum BSS is 105 bytes when a DN24 system is configured for one slot. Adding additional slots reduces the maximum BSS by three bytes per slot. The BSS buffer is set nine bytes larger than the BSS, to a maximum of 114 bytes. The base can potentially send more than one message per beacon, up to the limit set by its MsgsPerHop parameter value. Each message in the BSS buffer occupies nine header bytes plus the payload.

For example, the base can send three messages per hop when the BSS is 90 bytes, provided the total payload bytes in the three messages is 72 bytes or less:

in Bank 0 to 0x02.

2. Enable store-and-forward operation on all system radios by setting the Store&ForwardEn parameter in Bank 0 to 0x01.

3. In each router, load a unique base-mode network ID into the BaseModeNetID parameter in Bank 0, and into the base if a router is set to 0x00.

4. To configure a specific system topology, set the parent network ID parameter, ParentNwkID, and optionally the alternate parent network ID parameter, AltParentNwkID, in all routers and remotes. Note that a store-and-forward system topology can be formed either automatically or manually, based on the settings of the ParentNetworkID and optionally the AltParentNwkID parameters:

- Setting the ParentNwkID parameter to 0xFF in all routers and remotes allows each router and remote to automatically link to a parent, causing the system to form automatically (child routers picking each other as a parent cannot occur). In this case, the AltParent-NwkID parameter should be set to 0xFF, which disables it.

- Setting the ParentNwkID and optionally the AltParentNwkID parameters to specific values in each router and remote allows full manual control of the network topology.

slot size = 90 buffer = 90 + 9 = 99 3 headers = 3*9 = 27 net for payload = 99 - 27 = 72

The BSS must be large enough to accommodate any protocol-formatted message that may be sent over the wireless link, as each protocol-formatted message must be sent in a single transmission.

The remote slot size (RSS) is the maximum number of payload bytes a child can transmit during a single hop when it is sending one message per hop. The RSS is the same for all slots. The maximum RSS is 109 bytes. The RSS buffer is set nine bytes larger than the RSS, to a maximum of 118 bytes. A child can potentially send more than one message in a slot, up to the limit set by its MsgsPerHop parameter value. Each message in the transmit buffer occupies nine header bytes plus the payload. For example, a child can send two messages per hop when the RSS is 73 bytes, provided the total payload bytes in the two messages is 64 bytes or less:

slot size = 73 buffer = 73 + 9 = 82 2 headers = 2*9 = 18 net for payload = 82 - 18 = 64

Note that the RSS is calculated by a ll DN-24s in a system, rather than being a user configured parameter. The slot size depends on the current values of the following parameters:

- base slot size

- hop duration

The system must be configured such that the RSS is big enough to hold the longest protocol message a remote will send. This is done by setting the appropriate hop duration for the chosen BSS and number of slots. The required hop duration for a specific number of slots, base slot size and remote slot size is calculated as follows:

HD hop duration in µs NS number of slots BSS base slot size in bytes RSS remote slot size in bytes

Example:

HD = 4*(80*109 + 2440) + 80*96 + 3280 HD = 44640 + 7680 + 3280 HD = 55600 round to 56000 µs = 56 ms

Excel Formatted Equations (load the Excel analysis ToolPak add-in for the QUOTIENT function):

- number of slots in a frame

HD = NS*(80*RSS + 2440) + 80*BSS + 3280 (round HD up to an even multiple of 500 µs)

NS = 4 BSS = 96 RSS = 109

A B C

D

E

=0.5*QUOTIENT((D3+499),500)

1

Slots BSS RSS Hop Duration in µs Hop Duration in ms, Rounded

2 3

For transparent serial port operation without using hardware flow control, the BSS and RSS must be large enough to accommodate all message bytes that can accumulate between transmissions. The required BSS and RSS for protocol-formatted messages sent over the wireless link are shown in Table 7.3.1. For example, the BSS and RSS size required for a TxData protocol-formatted message is three bytes less than the value in the length byte field of the formatted message.

The default BSS is 40 bytes, number of slots is 3 and hop duration is 20 ms. These parameter settings provide a 25 byte RSS. These default settings are suitable for point-to-point and small to medium pointto-multipoint systems operating with protocol-formatted and/or transparent messages. To accommodate all configuration commands, replies, event messages and announce messages, a 20 byte minimum slot size is required.

The NumSlots and the MsgsPerHop parameters both affect the number of messages that can be sent on each hop. The distinction between these parameters is as follows:

- The NumSlots parameter controls the maximum number of individual children that can send messages to a parent on each hop.

- The MsgsPerHop parameter controls the maximum number of messages a parent or child can send on each hop.

The NumSlots parameter is configurable only for the base. The base then communicates the NumSlots value to all other radios in its system. The NumSlots parameter can be set to one for a point-to-point system, as there is only one child radio. The NumSlots parameter can be set to allow up to eight children to send messages to their parent during a hop. As discussed above, the hop duration must be increased as the number of slots are increased to achieve a specific RSS. The default NumSlots parameter value of three is suitable for many applications.

De facto TDMA operation (guaranteed bandwidth) can be implemented for up to 8 remotes by setting the SlotLease parameter to a value greater than any gaps in data being sent to a remote by its local host.

This will insure that the base keeps each remote’s slot reserved for it even when there is a gap in the data.

The MsgsPerHop parameter is configurable f or eac h DN-24 in a system. This parameter is usually set to a high value in the base and the routers, allowing traffic between a parent and multiple children on each hop. The MsgsPerHop parameter has little effect in remotes except when a remote needs to send multiple peer-to-peer messages during a hop. To support sending multiple messages on each hop, the BSS and RSS must be sized accordingly, requiring a longer hop duration. Note that the messages must be protocol messages and all messages to be sent on a single hop must be in the module before the module begins to transmit.

Up to the next 0.5 ms Step

1 20 20 =A3* (80*C3+2440) + 80*B3 + 3280

0 1 2

3 …

SOP

Length

PktType

variable number of arguments …

6.7 Configuring the Serial Port

The default serial port configuration is 9.6 kbps, 8-bit data, no parit y and 1 stop bit.

1. Configure the serial data rate as required from 1.2 to 250.0 kbps by setting the SerialRate parameter in Bank 3.

2. Configure the parity and number of stop bits by setting the SerialParams parameter in Bank 3.

7.0 DN-24 Protocol-formatted Messages

7.1 Protocol Formats

DN-24 modules can work in one of two serial data modes - transparent or protocol. Transparent mode requires no data formatting, but is limited to sending data to either a single destination or broadcasting data to all destinations. A node that needs to send messages to multiple individual destinations must use protocol formatting unless the data being sent includes addressing information. Protocol formatting is also required for configuration commands and replies, and sensor I/O commands, replies and events. Al l protocol-formatted messages have a common header as shown in Figure 7.1.1:

Figure 7.1.1 The scale above is in bytes. The Start-of-Packet (SOP) character, 0xFB, is used to mark the beginning of a protocol-formatted

message and to assure synchronization in the event of a glitch on the serial port at startup. The Length byte is defined as the length of the remainder of the message following the length byte itself,

or the length of the entire message - 2. The Packet Type (PktType) byte specifies the type of message. It is a bitfield-oriented specifier, decoded

as follows:

Bits 7..6 Reserved for future use Bit 5 Event - this bit is set to indicate an event message Bit 4 Reply - this bit is set to indicate a message is a reply Bits 3..0 Type - these bits indicate the message type

As indicated, the lower four bits (3..0) specify a message type. Bit 4 indicates that the message is a reply. A reply message has the original command type in bits 3..0, with Bit 4 set to one. Bit 5 indicates an event message. Arguments vary in size and number depending on the type of message and whether it is a message sent from the host, or is a reply or event message from the radio. See Section 7.3 below.

7.2 Message Types

Messages sent to the module on the serial interface by the user are referred to as host messages. Messages generated on the serial interface by the radio are referred to as reply or event messages. Host messages carry commands. For most commands, there is a corresponding reply message. For example, when the host sends a TxData command message, the radio can return a TxDataReply message to indicate the status of the transmission - whether it succeeded or failed. To assist in interpreting the

Command

Reply

Event

Type

Direction

Min Slot Size

0x00

- - EnterProtocolMode

from Host

N/A

-

0x10

-

EnterProtocolModeReply

from Radio

N/A

0x01

- - ExitProtocolMode

from Host

N/A

0x02

- - DeviceReset

from Host

N/A

-

0x12

-

DeviceResetReply

from Radio

N/A

0x03

- - GetRegister

from Host

N/A

-

0x13

-

GetRegisterReply

from Radio

N/A

0x04

- - SetRegister

from Host

N/A

-

0x14

-

SetRegisterReply

from Radio

N/A

0x05

- - TxData

from Host

length value -0x03

-

0x15

-

TxDataReply

from Radio

0x01

0x06

- - GetRemoteRegister

from Host

0x03

-

0x16

-

GetRemoteRegisterReply

from Radio

0x14

0x07

- - SetRemoteRegister

from Host

0x13

-

0x17

-

SetRemoteRegisterReply

from Radio

0x04

-

0x26

RxData

from Radio

length value -0x03

-

0x27

Announce/Error

from Radio

0x07

Enter Protocol Mode Command

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x07 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x00 = EnterProtocolMode

0x03 - 0x08

Payload

String = “DNTCFG” or 0x44 0x4E 0x54 0x43 0x46 0x47

command-reply data flow, the direction is indicated by the high nibble in the message type. For example, an EnterProtocolMode command from the host is a message type 0x00, and the EnterProtocolModeReply from the radio is a message type 0x10.

Event messages from a DN-24, such as received data or status announcements make up a third category of messages. Event messages, including RxData, RxEvent and Announce packets are indicated by 0x20 in the high nibble of the type byte. If multiple arguments are to be provided, they are to be concatenated in the order shown in Section 7.3 below. Little-Endian byte order is used for all multi-byte arguments except text strings. Little-Endian byte order places the lowest order byte in the left-most byte of the argument and the highest order byte in the right-most byte of the argument.

7.3 Message Format Details

Table 7.3.1 below summarizes the DN-24 protocol-formatted messages:

EnterProtocolMode command and reply format details are presented in Tables 7.3.2 and 7.3.3:

Table 7.3.1

Table 7.3.2

Enter Protocol Mode Reply

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x01 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x10 = EnterProtocolModeReply

Exit Protocol Mode Command

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x01 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x01 = ExitProtocolMode

Device Reset Command

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x02 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x02 = DeviceReset

0x02 = Reset to Over-the-Air Bootloader

Device Reset Reply

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-Of-Packet

0xFB = I ndicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x01 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x12 = DeviceResetReply

Get Register Command

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x04 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x03 = GetRegister

0x03

Register Offset

Register offset in its bank

0x04

Register Bank

Register bank number

produce an error response)

ExitProtocolMode command format details are shown in Table 7.3.4:

DeviceReset command and reply format details are shown in Tables 7.3.5 and 7.3.6:

Table 7.3.3

Table 7.3.4

0x00 = Normal Device Reset

0x03 Reset Type

0x01 = Reset to Serial Bootloader

Table 7.3.5

Table 7.3.6

GetRegister command and reply format details are shown in Tables 7.3.7 and 7.3.8:

0x05 Register Size Regist er si ze in bytes, onl y one parameter at a time (wrong register size will

Table 7.3.7

Get Register Reply

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x05 to 0x20 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x13 = GetRegisterReply

0x03

Register Offset

Register offset in its bank

0x04

Register Bank

Register bank number

0x05

Register Size

Register size in bytes

0x06 - 0x15

Register Value

Register value, all bytes in the register (only one parameter at a time)

Set Register Command

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x05 to 0x20 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x04 = SetRegister

0x03

Register Offset

Register offset in its bank

0x04

Register Bank

Register bank number

0x05

Register Size

Register size in bytes

0x06 - 0x15

Register Value

Register value, all bytes in the register (only one parameter at a time)

Set Register Reply

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x01 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x14 = SetRegisterReply

TX Data Command

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

= Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x05 = TxData

0x03 - 0x05

Destination MAC Address

Destination MAC address, in Little Endian byte order

0x06 - 0x72

Tx Dat a

Up to 109 bytes of data to Base, or 105 bytes from Base

Note: an Error message will be returned instead of a GetRegisterReply in case of a format error.

SetRegister command and reply format details are shown in Tables 7.3.9 and 7.3.10:

Table 7.3.8

Table 7.3.9

Note: an Error message will be returned instead of a SetRegisterReply in case of a format error.

Table 7.3.10

TXData command and reply format details are shown in Tables 7.3.11 and 7.3.12:

Table 7.3.11

TX Data Reply

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x07 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x15 = TxDataReply

0x03 - 0x05

Destination MAC Address

Destination MAC address, in Little Endian byte order

0x02 = “Device Not Linked” error

0x07

RSSI

Packet RX power in dBm, -128 to 126 or 127 if invalid

Get Remote Register Command

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x07 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x06 = GetRemoteRegister

0x03 - 0x05

Destination MAC Address

Destination MAC address, in Little Endian byte order

0x06

Register Offset

Register offset in its bank

0x07

Register Bank

Register bank number

produce an error response)

Get Remote Register Reply

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x0A to 0x25 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x16 = GetRemoteRegisterReply

0x03

Status

Error status (0x00 = No Error, 0xE1 = Invalid Argument)

0x04 - 0x06

Originator MAC Address

Originator’s MAC address, in Little Endian byte order

0x07

RSSI

(-128 to 126 or 127 if invalid)

0x08

Register Offset*

Register offset in its bank

0x09

Register Bank*

Register bank number

0x0A

Register Size*

Register size in bytes

0x0B - 0x1A

Register Value*

Register value, all bytes in the register (only one parameter at a time)

0x00 = ACK received from destination

0x06 Status

Note: TxDataReply messages are only returned to the host when the EndToEndAckEnable parameter is set to 0x01.

GetRemoteRegister c om mand and r eply details are shown it Tables 7.3.13 and 7.3.1 4:

0x01 = no ACK received from destination (NAK)

Table 7.3.12

0x08 Register Size Regist er si ze in bytes, onl y one parameter at a time (wrong register size will

Table 7.3.13

*Bytes eight through the end of the message will not be returned in case of an error

Table 7.3.14

Set Remote Register Command

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x07 = SetRemoteRegister

0x03 - 0x05

Destination MAC Address

Destination MAC address, in Little Endian byte order

0x06

Register Offset

Register offset in its bank

0x07

Register Bank

Register bank number

0x08

Register Size

Register size in bytes

0x09 - 0x18

Register Value

Register contents

Set Remote Register Reply

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x06 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x17 = SetRemoteRegisterReply

0x03

Status

Error status: 0x00 = no error, 0xE1 = invalid argument

0x04 - 0x06

Originator MAC Address

Originator’s MAC address, in Little Endian byte order

0x07

RSSI

Packet RX power in dBm, -128 to 126, or 127 if invalid

RX Data Packet

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x00 to 0x6D = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x26 = RxData event message

0x03 - 0x05

Originator MAC Address

Originator’s MAC address, in Little Endian byte order

0x06

RSSI

Packet RX power in dBm, -128 to 126, or 127 if invalid

0x07 - 0x73

Rx Data

Up to 105 bytes of data from Base, up to 109 bytes from Router or Remote

SetRemoteRegister command and reply format details are shown in Tables 7.3.15 and 7.3.16:

Table 7.3.15

Table 7.3.16

RxData event packet format details are shown in Figure Table 7.3.17:

Table 7.3.17

Startup Announcement or Error Code

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x02 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x27 = Indicates this is an Announce/Error message

0xEE = Hardware Error (Crystal or Radio Error)

Join Announcement

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x06 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x27 = Indicates this is an Announce/Error message

0x03

Announce Status

0xA3 = Joined network

0x04

Network ID

ID of network that was joined

0x05 - 0x07

Parent MAC Address

MAC address of parent, in Little Endian byte order

Exit Announcement

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x03 = Number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x27 = Indicates this is an Announce/Error message

0x03

Announce Status

0xA4 = Exited network

0x04

Network ID

ID of network that was exited

Heartbeat Announcement

Byte Offset

Field

Description

0x00

Start-of-Packet

0xFB = Indicates start of protocol formatted message

0x01

Length

0x0C = number of bytes in message following this byte

0x02

Packet Type

0x27 = Indicates this is an Announce/Error message

0x03

Announce Status

0xA8 = Heartbeat message

0x04 - 0x06

Device MAC Address

MAC address of originator, in Little Endian byte order

0x07 - 0x09

Parent MAC Address

MAC address of parent, in Little Endian byte order

0x0A

Parent Network ID

Network ID of device’s parent

0x0B

Base Mode Network ID

Network ID if device is a router, otherwise 0xFF

Average beacon RX power in dBm, uses 0.0625 “alpha” averaging filter,

-128 to 126 or 127 if invalid

RX power of packet as received by device’s parent in dBm, -128 to 126 or 127 if invalid

Announce/Error message format details are shown in Tables 7.3.18 through 7.3.21:

0xA0 = Startup initialization complete 0xE1 = Invalid argument

0x03 Announce Status

0xE4 = Register read only error 0xEC = Brownout reset 0xED = Watchdog reset

Table 7.3.18

0x0C Beacon RX Power

Table 7.3.19

Table 7.3.20

0x0D Parent RX Power

Table 7.3.21

Bank

Location

Name

R/W

Size

Range

Default

0x00

DeviceMode

R/W

0x01

0..2

0 (remote)

0x00

0x01

HopDuration

R/W

0x01

16..200

40 (20 ms)

0x00

0x02

ParentNwkID

R/W

0x01

0..63, 255

255 (any parent)

0x00

0x03

SecurityKey

R/W

0x10

0..2^128-1

0

0x00

0x13

SleepModeEn

R/W

0x01

0..2

0 (off)

0x00

0x14

WakeResponseTime

R/W

0x02

0..30000

500 (500 ms)

0x00

0x16

WakeLinkTimeout

R/W

0x01

0..255

5 (5 s)

0x00

0x17

AltParentNwkID

R/W

0x01

0..63, 255

255 (disabled)

0x00

0x18

TxPower

R/W

0x01

0..1

1 (+22 dBm)

0x00

0x19

UserTag

R/W

0x10

string

“DN-24”

0x00

0x29

RmtTransDestAddr

R/W

0x03 0x000000 (Base)

0x00

0x2C

Store&ForwardEn

R/W

0x01

0..1

0 (disabled)

0x00

0x2D

BaseModeNetID

R/W

0x01

1..63, 255

0xFF

0x00

0x2E

HeartbeatIntrvl

R/W

0x02

0..65535

0xFFFF (disabled)

0x00

0x30

SystemId

R/W

0x01

0..255

0

0x00

0x31

EndToEndAckEnable

R/W

0x01

0..1

0 (disabled)

0x00

0x32

LinkRetryInterval

R/W

0x02

0..65535

0 (off)

0x00

0x34

FastBeaconCount

R/W

0x02

0..65535

0 (off)

0x00

0x35

FastBeaconTrig

R/W

0x01

0..255

0 (off)

7.4 Configuration Parameter Registers The configuration parameters in a DN-24 module are stored in a set of variable length registers. Most

registers are read-write, with a few read-only or write-only. Changes made to the register settings are temporary until a MemorySave command is executed. Resetting or power-cycling the module will clear any changes that have not been saved to permanent memory using the MemorySave command. DN-24 modules can be configured to start in protocol mode at power-up, in which case the EnterProtocolMode command is not required. Some configuration parameters native to the DNT24 radio used in the DN-24 modem do not apply to DN-24 serial modem operation. The parameters are grayed out in the tables shown below.

7.4.1 Bank 0x00 - Transceiver Setup

DeviceMode - this parameter selects the operating mode for the radio:

0x00 = remote (default) 0x01 = base 0x02 = router (store and forward system)

Note that changing this setting does not take effect immediately. It must be followed by a MemorySave command and then either a hardware or software reset or a power off/on cycle. A router without a valid

BaseModeNetID operates as a remote.

HopDuration - this parameter sets the duration of the hop frame, and can only be set on the base. The

duration is an 8-bit value, 0.5 ms/count. The valid range is from 8 to 100 ms. Changing the hop duration on the base must be followed by a MemorySave command to allow the change to persist through a reset or power cycle. A HopDuration change takes effect immediately. Child radios will re-link following a HopDuration parameter change as they receive the updated hop duration value from the base.

Table 7.4.1.1

ParentNwkID - this parameter specifies the parent (BaseModeNetID) that a child radio is allowed to join. The valid range of this parameter is 0 to 63 (0x00 to 0x3F), plus 255 (0xFF). Setting the ParentNwkID to 255 allows connection to any parent. This parameter is applicable only to remotes and routers. Also see the discussion of AltParentNwkID below.

Security Key - this 16-byte parameter sets the 128-bit AES encryption key. To protect the key, it is a writeonly parameter for the user. It always reads back as 0x2A.

AltParentNwkID - this parameter specifies an alternate parent (BaseModeNetID) that a child radio is allowed to join. This parameter is used to provide more robust message routing when setting the ParentNwkID to its 0xFF wildcard value is not appropriate. The valid range of this parameter is 0x00 to 0x3F, plus 0xFF. Rather than specifying wildcard operation, setting the AltParentNwkID to 0xFF disables the selection of an alternate parent. This parameter is applicable only to remotes and routers.

TxPower - this parameter sets the transmit power level (default is 0x01):

0x00 = +10 dBm or 10 mW 0x01 = +18 dBm or 63 mW

UserTag - this parameter is a user definable field intended for use as a location description or other identifying tag such as a “friendly name”.

RmtTransDestAddr - this parameter holds the default destination for transparent mode data packets and event packets. This parameter defaults to the base station’s address (0x000000) except on a base station, where at startup it will be changed to the broadcast address (0xFFFFFF) if the firmware detects that it is set to 0x000000. Note - if a module’s configuration is changed from a base to a remote or router, this parameter must be set back to 0x000000 or the module will send broadcast packets in transparent mode or for event packets.

Store&ForwardEn - setting this parameter to 0x01 enables store-and-forward system operation. Storeand-forward operation is disabled by default.

BaseModeNetID - applicable to the base and routers only, this parameter specifies the network ID of a device’s own network when acting as parent. A child is allowed to join a network when its ParentNwkID parameter matches a parent’s BaseModeNetID. The valid range of this parameter is 0x00 to 0x3F. A value greater than 0x3F is invalid and will be forced to 0x00 on a base. A router with an invalid Base-

ModeNetID will be forced to operate as a remote.

HeartbeatInterval - when set to 0, all heartbeats are disabled, including the initial heartbeat issued after

link acquisition. When set to 0xFFFF (default), periodic heartbeats are disabled but the initial linkup heartbeat is enabled. The periodic heartbeat interval is scaled 1 second/count, and applies to DN-24s where sleep mode is disabled. Remotes with sleep mode enabled must have periodic reports and/or ADC sampling enabled for heartbeats to be generated.

SystemId - this parameter holds the ID for a DTN24 system. DN-24 systems that may physically overlap must have different system IDs.

EndToEndAckEnable - when this parameter is set to 1 and the module is in protocol mode, the originator will indicate in its transmitted packet that an ACK is expected from the packet’s destination node. Setting this parameter to 0x00 reduces network congestion in a store-and-forward system, but no TxDataReply will be sent from the destination to confirm reception.

Bank

Location

Name

R/W

Size

Range

Default

0x01

0x00

InitFrequencyBand

R/W

0x01

0..11, 255

0 (US)

0x01

NumSlots

R/W

0x01

1..8

3

0x01

0x02

BaseSlotSize

R/W

0x01

6..105

40

0x01

0x03

SlotLease

R/W

0x01

1..255

2 (hops)

0x01

0x04

BcstAttemptLimit

R/W

0x01

0..254

1

0x01

0x05

ArqAttemptLimit

R/W

0x01

1..255

6

0x01

0x06

LinkDropThreshold

R/W

0x01

1..255

10 (hops)

0x01

0x07

P2PReplyTimeout

R/W

0x01

0..255

100 (hops)

0x01

0x08

0x01

0x09

NumBaseParms

R/W

0x01

8..21

21

Subband

Channels

Frequency Range(s)

Notes

0x00

24

2406 - 2475 MHz

General purpose 24 channel band

0x01

15

2433 - 2475 MHz

15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 1-2

0x02

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 3

0x03

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 4

0x04

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

0x05

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

0x06

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 7

0x07

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

0x08

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

0x09

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

0x0A

15

2406 - 2475 MHz

0x0B

15

2406 - 2448 MHz

0x0C 5 2406 - 2466 MHz

0x0D 5 2415 - 2475 MHz

0xFF

Auto

Autoscan for remote to match base

LinkRetryInterval - when a remote enters sleep mode with any packet unsent in its transmit queue, if this parameter is set to a non-zero value, the remote will wake up after the specified number of seconds and try to link so that pending packets can be transmitted. When set to 0, this feature is disabled.

7.4.2 Bank 0x01 - System Settings

Bank 1 holds configuration parameters to be input to the base only. The base passes these parameters to the routers and remotes as needed. The exception is InitFrequencyBand parameter which can also be set in routers and remotes.

RegistryTimeout R/W 0x01 0..255 50 (hops)

Table 7.4.2.1

InitFrequencyBand - this parameter sets the range of frequencies and channel spacing over which the DN-24 system will initially operate. Twelve bands are available:

15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 5 15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 6

15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 8 15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 9 15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 10 15 channel band, avoids 802.11b/g channels 11 15 channel band for operation in France 5 channel band for fast linking, use US and Canada only 5 channel band for fast linking, use in US and Canada only

Table 7.4.2.2

NumSlots - this parameter sets the number of slots available for child transmissions following the parent’s beacon transmission on a hop.

BaseSlotSize - this parameter set the maximum number of payload bytes that the base can send on a single hop. The default value is 40 bytes.

SlotLease - this parameter set the number of hops a parent radio will reserve a slot for a child after receiving a message from that child. Small values such as 2 are suited to short data bursts, and larger values are generally a better choice when devices send a stream of non-continuous data across consecutive hops. The minimum value is 1, assuring that a child can receive an ACK on the next hop after it transmits.

BcstAttemptLimit - setting this parameter to 0 enables automatic broadcast message repeats based on the ArqAttemptLimit parameter value. Setting this parameter to a value between 1 and 254 specifies the number of broadcast message repeats independent of the ArqAttemptLimit. This parameter should not be set to 0 if ArqAttemptLimit is set to 255.

ArqAttemptLimit - this sets the maximum number of attempts that will be made to send a message on the RF link. Setting this parameter to the maximum value of 255 is a flag value indicating that there should be no limit to the number of attempts to send each packet (infinite number of attempts). This mode is intended for point-to-point networks in serial data cable replacement applications where absolutely no packets can be lost. Note - if this mode is used in a multipoint network, one remote that has lost link will shut down the entire network if the base is trying to send it data.

LinkDropThreshold - this is the number of consecutive beacons missed by a remote that causes the remote to restart a link acquisition search. Please contact changes to the parameter.

P2PReplyTimeout - this parameter sets the reply timeout for peer-to-peer messages sent from one node to another. Because each leg of the journey from one node to another and back may take multiple transmit attempts, the length of time to confirm receipt and issue a TxDataReply is subject to more variation than a transmission directly between a base and a remote. When AckEnable is selected, the P2PReply-Timeout parameter specifies the maximum number of hops or hop pairs that a remote will wait for a reply from its recipient. If a reply returns sooner than the timeout, the remote will send a TxDataReply indicating success (ACK) to its host as soon as it is received, and cancels the timeout. If a reply does not come back before the timeout expires, the remote will send a TxDataReply to its host indicating failure (NAK). If a reply should come back after the timeout expires the remote will ignore it, as a TxDataReply has already been sent. The units of this parameter are in hops for point-to-point and pointto-multipoint operation and in hop pairs for store-and-forward operation.

RegistryTimeout - this parameter sets the number of hops without contact from a child device for which a parent device will preserve the Transaction ID (TID) history for that child. The TID is used to filter out duplicate packets. After a registry timeout occurs, the TID history is discarded.

NumBaseParms - this parameter controls the number of cycled parameters sent in the base station beacon. It must be left in its default value of 21 until all nodes in a DN-24 system have received all cycled parameters and stored them locally in EEPROM. At this point the number of cycled parameters can be set to 8, which will significantly speed up future system resynchronizations.

Murata technical support before making

Bank

Location

Name

R/W

Size

Range

Default

0x02

0x00

MacAddress

R

0x03

0..0xFFFFFF

Fixed value

0x02

0x03

CurrNwkID

R

0x01

0..63, 255

Current Value

0x02

0x04

CurrFreqBand

R

0x01

0..2, 255

Current Value

0x02

0x05

LinkStatus

R

0x01

0..6

Current status

0x02

0x06

RemoteSlotSize

R

0x01

0..109

Current Value

0x02

0x07

SlotNumber

R

0x01

0..7

Current Value

0x02

0x08

HardwareVersion

R

0x01

0x41..0x5A

0x43 = Rev “C”

0x02

0x09

FirmwareVersion

R

0x01

0x00..0xFF

Current FW load

0x02

0x0A

FirmwareBuildNum

R

0x02

0..65535

Current FW load

0x02

0x0C

FirmwareBuildDate

R

0x03

BCD (“YYMMDD”)

Current FW load

0x02

0x0F

FirmwareBuildTime

R

0x03

BCD (“HHMMSS”)

Current FW load

0x02

0x12

RssiIdle

R

0x01

-128..127

Current Value

0x02

0x13

RssiLast

R

0x01

-128..127

Current Value

0x02

0x14

AvgBeaconPower

R

0x01

-128..127

Current Value

0x02

0x15

ParentMacAddress

R

0x03

0..0xFFFFFF

Current Value

0x02

0x18

ModelNumber

R

0x01

0x24, 0x90

0x24 = DN-24

7.4.3 Bank 0x02 - Status Param ete rs

MacAddress - this parameter holds the radio's unique 24-bit MAC address.

CurrNwkID - this parameter holds the ID of the network the radio is currently assigned to or connected to.

A value of 255 (0xFF) means the radio has powered up and is scanning for a network but has not yet joined one.

CurrFreqBand - this parameter holds the frequency band of the network that the radio is currently assigned to or connected to. A value of 0xFF means the radio has powered up and is scanning for a network but has not yet joined one.

LinkStatus - this parameter holds the link status of a router or remote:

0x00 = idle 0x01 = lost link 0x02 = acquiring link 0x03 = collecting parameters from the base 0x04 = registering 0x05 = registered 0x06 = linked in fast beacon mode

RemoteSlotSize - this parameter holds the current remote slot size, defined as the maximum number of message bytes a remote can send on a single hop. The RemoteSlotSize is calculated by each radio in a system based on the values of the HopDuration, BaseSlotSize, and NumSlots parameters.

SlotNumber - this parameter holds the current slot number assigned to a router or remote.

HarwareVersion - this parameter holds an identifier indicating the hardware revision (ASCII character). A value of 0x43 is defined for the DN-24 Revision C hardware.

FirmwareVersion - this parameter holds the firmware version of the radio in 2-digit BCD format.

Table 7.4.3.1

Bank

Location

Name

R/W

Size

Range

Default

0x03

0x00

SerialRate

R/W

0x01

0..10

3 (9600 baud)

0x03

0x01

SerialParams

R/W

0x01

0..7

0 (8-N-1)

0x03

0x02

SpiMode

R/W

0x01

0..2

0 (SPI disabled)

0x03

SpiRateSel

R/W

0x01

0..2

0 (125 kHz)

0x03

0x04

SpiOptions

R/W

0x01

0..7

0

0x03

0x05

SpiMasterCmdLen

R/W

0x01

0..16

0

0x03

0x06

SpiMasterCmdStr

R/W

0x10

0..16 byte string

All 0x00 bytes

FirmwareBuildNum - this parameter holds the firmware build number, in binary format.

FirmwareBuildDate - this parameter holds the date of firmware build in MM/DD/YY format.

FirmwareBuildTime - this parameter holds the time of the firmware build in HH:MM:SS format.

RssiIdle - this 2’s compliment parameter holds the last RSSI measurement in dBm made during a time

when the RF channel was idle. This parameter is useful for detecting interferers.

RssiLast - this 2’s compliment parameter holds the last RSSI measurement in dBm made during the receipt of an RF packet with a valid CRC. This parameter is useful for network commissioning/diagnostics.

AvgBeaconPower - this 2’s compliment parameter holds the alpha-filtered beacon power (dBm) received from a device’s parent, where alpha = 0.0625.

ParentMacAddress - this parameter holds the MAC address of a DN-24’s parent.

ModelNumber - this parameter specifies the DNT model, in this case a DN-24.

7.4.4 Bank 0x03 - Serial Settings

Table 7.4.4.1

SerialRate - this parameter sets the serial data rate as shown below:

Setting Serial rate

0x00 1.2 kbps 0x01 2.4 kbps 0x02 4.8 kbps 0x03 9.6 kbps 0x04 14.4 kbps 0x05 19.2 kbps 0x06 28.8 kbps 0x07 38.4 kbps 0x08 57.6 kbps 0x09 115.2 kbps 0x0A 230.4 kbps 0x0B 250.0 kbps

Bank

Location

Name

R/W

Size

Range

Default

0x04

0x00

ProtocolMode

R/W

0x01

0..1

0 (Transparent)

0x04

0x01

TxTimeout

R/W

0x01

0..255

0 (No timeout)

0x04

0x02

MinPacketLength

R/W

0x01

0..255

1 (byte)

0x04

0x03

TransPtToPtMode

R/W

0x01

0..1

1 (Last RX)

0x04

MsgsPerHop

R/W

0x01

1..8

8

SerialParams - this parameter sets the serial mode options for parity and stop bits:

Setting Mode

0x00 No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit (default) 0x01 No parity, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits 0x02 Reserved 0x03 Reserved 0x04 Even parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit 0x05 Even parity, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits 0x06 Odd parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit 0x07 Odd parity, 8 data bits, 2 stop bits

Note that 8-bit data with no parity is capable of carrying 7-bit data with parity for compatibility without loss of generality for legacy applications that may require it.

7.4.5 Bank 0x04 - Host Protocol Settings

Table 7.4.5.1 ProtocolMode - this parameter selects the host protocol mode. The default is 0x00, which is transparent mode, meaning the radio conveys whatever characters that are sent to it transparently, without requiring the host to understand or conform to the DN-24's built-in protocol. This setting is recommended for pointto-point applications for legacy applications such as wire replacements where another serial protocol may already exist. Setting this parameter to 0x01 enables the DN-24 protocol formatting. It is not necessary to define the same protocol mode for all radios in a network. For example, it is frequently useful to configure all the remotes for transparent mode and the base for protocol mode. Note that it is possible for the host to switch the radio from transparent mode to protocol mode and back as required by transmitting an

EnterProtocolMode command.

TxTimeout - this parameter is used to group transparent data to be sent in a single transmission rather

than being split over two hops. Messages sent over two hops can have gaps in the received data stream that can cause problems for the receiving application - for example, Modbus RTU. This parameter is the amount of time the DN-24 will wait without receiving a byte through the serial port before transmitting the data. Parameter units are in milliseconds. A message boundary is determined whenever a gap between consecutive characters is equal to or greater than the TxTimeout value, or the number of bytes reaches the MinPacketLength. Either condition will trigger a transmission. The default TxTimeout value is 0 ms which will have the radio send whatever data is in its transmit buffer as soon as possible.

MinPacketLength - this parameter is similar to TxTimeout except it uses the number of bytes received instead of the amount of time without receiving a byte. The default is one byte. A transmission is triggered when either the number of bytes reaches MinPacketLength or a gap is detected between consecutive characters greater than TxTimeout. If this parameter is set larger than the applicable slot size, the slot size overrides this parameter and a transmission is triggered when the slot size is filled.

TransPtToPtMode - when this parameter is set to 0x00, the destination address of transparent mode packets will be the configured RemoteDestAddr. When set to 0x01, the destination address of transparent mode packets will be the originator of the most recent RX packet processed.

Bank

Location

Name

R/W

Size

Range

Default

0xFF

0x00

UcReset

W

0x01

0..2

N/A

0xFF

0x01

MemorySave

W

0x01

0xD0..0xD2

N/A

0xFF

0x04

DiagSerialRate

R/W

0x01

0..10

7 (38400 kbps)

0xFF

0x0C

ForceDiscover

W

0x03

(See Text)

N/A

0xFF

0x10

DiagPortEn

R/W

0x01

0..1

0 (disabled)

SOP

Length

PktType

Lo MAC

MAC

Hi MAC

“H”

“e”

“l”

“o”

0xFB

0x09

0x05

0x56

0x34

0x12

0x48

0x65

0x6C

0x6F

SOP

Length

PktType

Lo MAC

MAC

Hi MAC

Status

RSSI

0xFB

0x07

0x15

0x56

0x34

0x12

0x00

0xB0

MsgsPerHop - this parameter sets the maximum number of messages a DN-24 can send in each hop frame. The default value is 8 messages, which is suitable for most applications. Setting MsgsPerHop to a low value allows message flow rate to be controlled.

7.4.6 Bank 0xFF - Special Functions

UcReset - writing a 0 to this parameter initiates a full reset, writing 1 to initiates a reset to the serial bootloader, or writing a 2 to initiates a reset to the OTA bootloader client.

MemorySave - writing 0xD0 to this parameter load default values, writing 0xD1 saves settings to EEPROM, or writing 0xD2 to save settings to EEPROM and resets the module.

ForceDiscoverRegister - a write to this register, typically using a broadcasted Set Remote Register command, will force a heartbeat reply if a device's parent has the specified base-mode network ID (or 0xFF wildcard), and the least significant byte of the device’s MAC address is within a specified min/max range. The payload consists of 3 bytes: NWKID (NN), minimum MAC address (LL), and maximum MAC address (XX). In Little Endian hexadecimal format this would appear as “XXLLNN”.

7.5 Protocol-Formatted Data Message Example

In this example, the ASCII text “Hello” is sent from the base to a remote using the TxData command. The MAC address of the remote is 0x123456. The protocol formatting for the host message is:

Table 7.4.6.1

There are 9 bytes following the length byte, so the length byte is set to 0x09. Note that the 0x123456 network address is entered in Little-Endian byte order, 56 34 12. When an ACK to this message is received from the remote, the base outputs a TxDataReply message to its host:

The 0x00 TxStatus byte value indicates the ACK reception from the remote. The RSSI value of the received ACK is 0xB0, indicating a received signal strength of approximately -80 dBm .

The ASCII “Hello” message is output at the remote as a 0x26 RxData event. The address field contains the originator’s address, 0x00 0x00 0x00, which is the base. The RSSI value of the received message is 0xB4, indicating a received signal strength of approximately -76 dBm. The data following the RSSI value is the “Hello” text.

SOP

Length

PktType

Lo MAC

MAC

Hi MAC

RSSI

“H”

“e”

“l”

“o”

0xFB

0x0A

0x26

0x00

0x35

0x48

0x65

0x6C

0x6F

Figure 8.6.1

Note that if the remote was in transparent mode, only the “Hello” text would be output.

8.0 DNT Demo Utility Program

The DNT Demo requires no installation and can be simply copied to the PC and run. It provides access to all configuration parameters relevant to DN-24 series modem operation, and allows basic testing of DN24 series modems and systems.

1. Start the Demo on the PC. The Demo program start-up window is shown in Figure 8.1.

Figure 8.2

Figure 8.3

2. Click on Connect to open the Select Comm Port Settings dialog box, as shown in Figure 8.2. If necessary, set the baud rate to 9600 bps. Set the CommPort to match the serial port connected to the Base, either the hardware port or the USB virtual serial port. Then click OK to activate the connection.

3. At this point the utility program will collect data from the Base, filling in the Local Radio column as shown in Figure 8.3.

4. Next power up a DN-24 Remote us ing a wall-plug power supply. The Remote will transmit a “heartbeat” message on power up.

5. Click on the drop-down box at the top of the Radio 1 column and click on the M AC Addres s (preloaded when the Remote is turned on after the Base), or load the MAC Addr es s for the Remote from the heartbeat message.

Figure 8.4

6. Next press the Start button using the default 1 second Refresh Delay.

7. DNT Demo will display data on the Remote in the Radio 1 column, including bar graphs of RSSI (signal strength) and percent packet success rate, as shown in Figure 8.4. You can change the Refresh setting from the drop down menu at the bottom left.

8.1 Serial Communication and Radio Configuration

Connect PCs to both the Base and the Remote for serial communication testing. Click the Stop button under the Refresh Delay label on the I/O Tools tab and move to the Transmit Tools tab, as shown in Figure 8.1.1.

Figure 8.1.1

Pressing the Transmit button on this screen sends the message in the Data to Transmit text box to the selected MAC Address. Note that the MAC address a remote uses for the base is 0x000000. Data sent to the local radio is displayed in the Received Data text box. Received data can be displayed as ASCII (default) or in Hexadecimal format by checking the Hex Mode check box. When the Transmit Interval is set to zero, Data to Transmit is sent once when the Transmit button is clicked. When the Transmit Interval is set to a positive number, Pressing the Transmit button once will cause a transmission each transmit interval (seconds) until the button is pressed again.

Figure 8.1.2

Returning to the I/O Tools tab, the multi-tab Configuration window for each radio can be accessed by clicking on its Config button. The data presented on the first four tabs corresponds to configuration register Banks 0 through 3 as discussed in Section 7.4 above. The remaining tabs do not apply to DN-24 modem operation.

The Transceiver Setup Tab is shown in Figure 8.1.2 and corresponds to Bank 0. The current values of each Bank 0 parameter are displayed and can be updated by selecting from the drop-down menus or entering data from the keyboard, and then pressing the Apply Changes button. Note that data is displayed and entered in Big-Endian order. The utility program automatically reorders multi-byte data to and from Little-Endian order when building or interpreting messages.

Figure 8.1.3

Figure 8.1.4

Figure 8.1.3 shows the System tab contents, corresponding to Bank 1. The current values of each parameter are displayed and can be updated by selecting from the drop-down menu or entering data from the keyboard, and then pressing the Apply Changes button. Note that Bank 1 holds configuration parameters for the base only except for Br oadc ast Mod e, which applies to both the base and the remotes.

Figure 8.1.4 shows the Status tab contents, corresponding to Bank 2. Note the Status tab contains readonly parameters.

Figure 8.1.5

Figure 8.1.6

Figure 8.1.5 shows the Serial tab contents corresponding to the serial parameters in Bank 3. The values shown are the defaults for serial port operation.

Figure 8.1.6 shows the Protocol tab contents, corresponding to Bank 4. Transparent serial data communication is currently chosen.

Figure 8.1.7

The Demo Utility File, Options and Help menus are shown in Figure 8.1.7.

9.0 Warranty

Seller warrants solely to Buyer that the goods delivered hereunder shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship, when given normal, proper and intended usage, for twelve (12) months from the date of delivery to Buyer. Seller agrees to repair or replace at its option and without cost to Buyer all defective goods sold hereunder, provided that Buyer has given Seller written notice of such warranty claim within such warranty period. All goods returned to Seller for repair or replacement must be sent freight prepaid to Seller’s plant, provided that Buyer first obtain from Seller a Return Goods Authorization before any such return. Seller shall have no obligation to make repairs or replacements which are required by normal wear and tear, or which result, in whole or in part, from catastrophe, fault or negligence of Buyer, or from improper or unauthorized use of the goods, or use of the goods in a manner for which they are not designed, or by causes external to the goods such as, but not limited to, power failure. No suit or action shall be brought against Seller more than twelve (12) months after the related cause of action has occurred. Buyer has not relied and shall not rely on any oral representation regarding the goods sold hereunder, and any oral representat io n sha ll not bind Sel ler and sh all not be a part of any warranty.

THE PROVISIONS OF THE FOREGOING WARRANTY ARE IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTY, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WRITTEN OR ORAL (INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OR MERCHANT ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE). SELLER’S LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF THE MANUFACTURE, SALE OR SUPPLYING OF THE GOODS OR THEIR USE OR DISPOSITION, WHETHER BASED UPON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE ACTUAL PURCHASE PRICE PAID BY BUYER FOR THE GOODS. IN NO EVENT SHALL SELLER BE LIABLE TO BUYER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA OR LOSS OF USE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE MANUFACTURE, SALE OR SUPPLYING OF THE GOODS. THE FOREGOING WARRANTY EXTENDS TO BUYER ONLY AND SHALL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CUSTOMERS OF BUYERS.

Part # M -0024-2002, Rev B