TransCore 05716 Users Manual
Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
This version of the MPRR guide is preliminary information,
which was provided to Rogers Lab to satisfy FCC licensing
submittal requirements.
This document can be used for internal review only. Please
forward any review comments to john.stikar@transcore.com.
DO NOT DISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT OUTSIDE OF
TRANSCORE.
TransCore
8600 Jefferson Street NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113
October 2010
P/N 412123
Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
For comments or questions about this document, e-mail tech.pubs@transcore.com.
Information in this document is subject to change and does not represent a commitment on the part of
TC License, Ltd.
© 2010 TC License, Ltd. All rights reserved. TRANSCORE, AMTECH, and EGO are registered
trademarks of TC License, Ltd. All other trademarks listed are the property of their respective owners.
Contents are subject to change. Printed in the U.S.A.
For further information, contact:
TransCore
3410 Midcourt Road, Suite 102
Carrollton, Texas 75006 USA
Phone: (214) 461-4031
Fax: (214) 461-6478
Technical Support
Web: transcore.com/rfidsupport
WARNING TO USERS IN THE UNITED STATES
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC)
LOCATION AND MONITORING SERVICE STATEMENT
47 CFR §90.351
NOTE: The user is required to obtain a Part 90 site license from the FCC to operate this radio frequency
identification (RFID) device in the United States. See product label for FCC ID number. Access the FCC
Web site at www.fcc.gov/Forms/Form601/601.html or at wireless.fcc.gov/index.htm?job=online_filing to
obtain additional information concerning licensing requirements.
NOTE: Users in all countries should check with the appropriate local authorities for licensing
requirements.
FCC RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENT
47 CFR §15.105(a)
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate RF energy and may cause harmful interference to radio communications if
not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual. Operating this equipment in a residential
area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case, depending on the laws in effect, the user may be
required to correct the interference at their own expense.
NO UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS
47 CFR §15.21
CAUTION: This equipment may not be modified, altered, or changed in any way without permission
from TransCore, LP. Unauthorized modification may void the equipment authorization from the FCC and
will void the TransCore warranty.
USE OF SHIELDED CABLES IS REQUIRED
47 CFR §15.27(a)
NOTE: Shielded cables must be used with this equipment to comply with FCC regulations.
TransCore, LP
USA
Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
Health Limits for Multiprotocol Rail Reader Using External Antenna (902 to 928 MHz)
Within the United S tates, environmental guidelines regulatin g safe exposure levels are
issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Section 1910.97 of OSHA Safety and Health Standards 2206 legislates a maximum
safe exposure limit of 10 milliwatts per square centimeter (mW/cm
minutes at 902 MHz.
Although not binding, other organizations such as the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) have issued similar guidelines that are more restrictive than the
OSHA limits (ANSI C95.1). ANSI guidelines recommend a maximum safe power
density in mW/cm
2
of:
2
) averaged over 6
Frequency
(in MHz)
1500
Thus, the maximum permissible exposure for general population /uncontrolled exposure at 902 MHz is 0.60 mW/cm
2
. The power limit is a six-minute average.
The RF power density generated by the Multiprotocol Rail Reader (MPRR) was calculated using a maximum antenna gain of 9.5 dBd, equivalent to the antenna gain of
the external antenna.
Warning
At 2 W conducted into the antenna and a distance of 30 inches (77 cm) from the
2
antenna, the maximum power density calculated was less than 0.60 mW/cm
. Install
the antenna at least 30 inches (77 cm) from the general public. Maintenance personnel must remain at least 14 inches (35 cm) from antenna when system is operating.
The data confirms that the TransCore MPRR effectively meets OSHA requirements
and thus does not represent an operating hazard to either the general public or maintenance personnel.
Contents
Health Limits for Multiprotocol Rail Reader Using External Antenna
(902 to 928 MHz). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
1 Introduction
Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Audience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
System Guide Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Licensing Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
2 Developing the Site Plan
Contents
System Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
How It Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Overview of Site Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Reading of Mixed Population Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Antenna and Tag Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Unobstructed Line of Sight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Antenna Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
AA3100 Yagi (without radome) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
AA3101 Yagi (with radome) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
AA3110 Parapanel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
AA3140 PCB Log Periodic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Site Layout and Traffic Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
The MPRR Read Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Other MPRRs in the Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Reflection, Refraction, and Diffraction of RF Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Existing Interference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Electrical and Communications Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Junction Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Power and Communications Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Electrical Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Host Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Input/Output Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Antenna Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
3 Choosing, Installing, and Removing Tags
Compatible Tag Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Reader and Tag Model Interoperability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Recommended Mounting Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Required Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Mounting Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Tag Positioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Surface Installation Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Rivet/Bolt Mounting Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Locomotive Mounting Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Tag Placement Window Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Tag Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Rail Car Mounting Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Tag Placement Window Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Tag Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Tank Car Mounting Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Tag Placement Window Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Tag Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
4 Installing the Multiprotocol Rail Reader
Installation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Materials Supplied by TransCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Contents of Shipping Carton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Installation Accessory Options (TBD). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Additional Materials Needed for Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Pre-installation Testing of the MPRR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Testing the MPRR Using an Audible Circuit Tester. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Connecting the Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Connecting the MPRR to a Power Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6
Mounting the MPRR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
Mounting to an Enclosure Wall or Flat Surface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Required Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
vii
Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
Mounting the Antenna Rail-Side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Connecting the Power Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Connecting Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Required Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Connecting the MPRR to the Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Connecting Sense Input and Sense Output Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Sense Input Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Sense Output Circuit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Marking the Read Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Required Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
5 General Software Information
Command Entry Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Command Response Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Operating Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Power Fail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Program Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Download Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Download Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Startup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Sign-On Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Boot Failure Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Tag/Message Buffer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
6 Communications Protocols
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Basic Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Error Correcting Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
viii
Basic Protocol and ECP Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Reader Transmissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
ECP Host ACK/NAK Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Switch to Command Mode Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Host Transmission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Reader Command Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Sample Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Contents
Reader Transmissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Host Command Transmissions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Timing and Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10
Reader-Addressed Failure Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Illegal Sequence Number (not in the range 0–9, A–F) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Wrong Sequence Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Incorrect CRC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Illegal Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Transmission Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Receive Timeout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Asynchronous Message/Command Message Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Host-Addressed Failure Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Illegal or Wrong Sequence Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Incorrect CRC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Transmission Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Receive Timeout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Asynchronous Message/Command Message Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
ECP Reliability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
CRC Calculation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Manually Disabling ECP for Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
7 Commands
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Data Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Command Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Download Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Command List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Reader Mode Control — Command Group 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
00 Switch to Data Mode (Factory Default) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
01 Switch to Command Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Communications Port Control — Command Group 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
100N Select Baud Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
101N Select Stop Bits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
102N Select Parity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Command Group 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
20 Set Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
21 Set Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
22 Display Time and Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Append Information — Command Group 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
30N Append Time and Date Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
31N Append Auxiliary Information Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
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ID Filtering — Command Group 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
40 Transmit All ID Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
410N Select Unique ID Code Criteria (Anti-passback Feature) . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
420N Select Valid ID Code Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
43 Buffer All ID Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
440 Reset Uniqueness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
44N Set Uniqueness Timeout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
452 Disable Tag Translation Mode (Factory Default). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
453 Enable Tag Translation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
454 Disable Multi-tag Sort (Factory Default). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
455 Enable Multi-tag Sort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
456 Enable SeGo Protocol Tag Initialization During Multi-tag Sort
(Factory Default). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
457 Disable SeGo Protocol Tag Initialization During Multi-tag Sort. . . . . . . . . 7-13
480 Disable ATA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
481 Enable ATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
484 Disable SeGo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
485 Enable SeGo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
488 Disable eATA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
489 Enable eATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
496 Disable Alternate Group Select (Factory Default) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
497 Enable Alternate Group Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Reader Status — Command Group 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
505 Display Software Version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
506 Display Hardware Configuration Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
510 Display RF Transceiver FPGA Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
511 Display RF Transceiver I Filter Chip Version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
512 Display RF Transceiver Q Filter Chip Version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
513 Display DSP Board Actel Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
520 Display Power Fail Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
521 Display Reader ID Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
522 Display Communications Port Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
524 Display Appended Information Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
525 Display Communications Protocol Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
527 Display RF Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
529 Display Presence Input Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
530 Display RF0 Filter Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
534 Display Tag Translation Mode Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
537 Display Echo Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
540 Display Flash Checksum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
543 Display Boot Checksum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
552 Display Antenna Multiplexing Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
560 Request Sensor Status Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
570 Display Operating Mode Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
577 Report Buffered Handshakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Reader Control Functions — Command Group 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
60NN Set Reader ID Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
610 Select Basic Communication Protocol (Factory Default). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
611 Select Error Correcting Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
612NN Select Error Correcting Protocol Timeout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
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Contents
613 Enable Data Inquiry Protocol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
614N Select Flow Control Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
6170 Disable Echo Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
6171 Enable Echo Mode (Factory Default). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
63 Reset Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
640N RF Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
641 Select RF-by-Input Control (Factory Default) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
643NN Select ATA Operating Range (Distance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
644NN Set RF Attenuation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
645NN Set SeGo Protocol Operating Range (Distance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
647XXX Select RF Operating Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
65 Reset Power Fail Bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
66F Load Default Operating Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
690N Select Presence Without Tag Report Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
692N Select RF Control Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
693N Select RF Timeout Period. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
694N Select Input Inversion Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
695S...S Set Serial Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
696S...S Store Hardware Configuration String. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
Auxiliary Reader Control — Command Group 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
8110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
8111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
8112 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
8113 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
8142X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32
8143X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
8150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
8151 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
8152 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
8153 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
830 Disable Automatic Periodic RF Status Report (Factory Default). . . . . . . . 7-33
831 Enable Automatic Periodic RF Status Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
836 Disable MPRR Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
837 Enable MPRR Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-33
850 MUX RF Port 0 (Factory Default). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
851 MUX Between RF Port 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
852 MUX Between RF Ports 0 and 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
853 MUX Between RF Ports 0, 1, and 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
891 MUX RF Port 1 Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
892 MUX RF Port 2 Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
893 MUX RF Port 3 Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Check Tag Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
MUX Operational Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-35
MUX Test Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-36
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8 Configuring the Multiprotocol Rail Reader
Configuring the Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
General Configuration Labeling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Default Operating Parameter Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Configuring Parameters with Terminal Emulation Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Starting the Terminal Emulation Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Verifying Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Verifying Tag Read Capability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Configuring MPRR Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Appended Tag Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
ID Separation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-13
Reset Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14
Radio Frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14
RF Transmission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-15
Vehicle Detector Controlling RF Transmission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-15
Host Controlling RF Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-16
Sense Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-16
Sense Output Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-16
Serial Port Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-16
Port Configuration Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17
Communications Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17
Software Flow Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-18
Fine-Tuning and Verifying the Read Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-18
Physically Orienting the MPRR Antenna(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19
Fine-Tuning the Read Zone by Lowering Output Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19
Fine-tuning the Read Zone by Adjusting Sensitivity Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20
9 Troubleshooting and Maintenance
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
MPRR Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Marketing Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Find a Problem with the MPRR or Have Suggestions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
10 Interface to Train Recording Unit
TBD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
xii
11 AT5270 Check Tag-to-MPRR Assembly
Required Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
A Glossary
B Reader Specifications
Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Hardware Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Physical Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Environmental Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4
Contents
C Communications Interfaces
D Command Syntax
Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-3
Numerical Command List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-5
Alphabetical Command List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-16
E Tag Configurations
Tag Data Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-4
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List of Figures
Figure 2-2 Antenna Location Relative to Tag Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Figure 2-3 Location of Communications/Power Port on MPRR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-11
Figure 2-4 Pin Assignments for Communications Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-11
Figure 3-1 Clear Zone - Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-5
Figure 3-2 Clear Zone - End View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-5
Figure 3-3 Mounting Location Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-6
Figure 3-4 Tag Placement Window for Locomotives -- Right Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Figure 3-5 Tag Placement Window Location for Locomotives -- Left Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-8
Figure 3-6 Optimal Tag Placement for Locomotives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Figure 3-7 Tag Placement Window Location for Rail Cars -- “A” Right Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Figure 3-8 Tag Placement Window Location for Rail Cars -- “B” Left Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-10
Figure 3-9 Optimal Tag Placement for Rail Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Figure 3-10 Tag Placement Window Location for Tank Cars -- “B” Left Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11
Figure 3-11 Optimal Tag Placement for Tank Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-12
Figure 4-2 MPRR Showing Antenna Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-6
Figure 4-3 Location of Communications/Power Port on MPRR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-7
Figure 4-4 Pin Assignments for Signal to Host Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-7
Figure 4-5 Sample Read Zone Marking Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-12
Figure 8-2 Phone Number Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Figure 8-3 COM 1 Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-7
Figure 8-4 Hyper Terminal Main Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-8
Figure 8-5 Sign-on Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9
Figure 8-6 Successful Tag Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-11
Figure 8-7 Second Successful Tag Read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-11
Figure 8-8 MPRR RF Control Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-15
Figure 11-1 Place Nut and Grommet Over Exposed Check Tag Wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-4
Figure 11-2 Feed Check Tag Wires through Plastic Housing Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-4
Figure 11-3 Connect Check Tag Wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-4
Figure 11-4 Two Check Tag Assemblies Connected to Terminal Strip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-5
Figure 11-5 Securing Terminal Strip into Connector Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-5
Figure 11-6 Plastic Nuts with Grommets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-6
Figure 11-7 Nylon Cap Securely Fastened in Unused Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Figure 11-8 Check Tag Assembly Secured to MPRR Port
(single check tag assembly shown) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-7
Contents
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Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
xvi
List of Tables
Table 2-1 Examples of Staggered Reader Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-8
Table 2-2 Connector Cabling Accessory Kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-10
Table 2-3 Power Supply Current Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-10
Table 2-4 Reader to Antenna Cable Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Table 3-1 Tags Read by the MPRR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3
Table 4-2 Commands for Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-11
Table 5-2 Sample Command Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-4
Table 7-2 Select Stop Bits Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Table 7-3 Select Parity Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Table 7-4 Append Time and Date Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-8
Table 7-5 Append Auxiliary Information Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-9
Table 7-6 Unique ID Code Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Table 7-7 Select Valid Code Commands and Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Table 7-8 Flow Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-24
Table 7-9 RF Control Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Table 7-10 RF Attenuation Command Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-26
Table 7-11 Select RF Frequency Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Table 7-12 Presence Without Tag Report Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29
Table 7-13 RF Control Algorithm Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-29
Table 7-14 Timeout Period Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-30
Table 7-15 Input Inversion Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31
Table 8-2 MPRR Default Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-4
Table 8-3 Command Sequence to Verify Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Table 9-2 Symptoms and Remedies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Table 11-1 Check Tag Kit Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-3
Table 11-2 Check Tag 0 Wire Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-4
Table 11-3 Check Tag 1 Wire Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-5
Contents
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Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
xviii
1
Introduction
Purpose
Audience
Chapter 1
Introduction
This chapter is the introduction to this manual and provides information
pertaining to the audience, organization, document conventions, system
description, and license information for the Multiprotocol Rail Reader
System.
This guide provides site planning and testing, installing, and operating instructions for
TransCore’s Multiprotocol Rail Reader (MPRR) System, which reads TransCore
®
Super eGo
nization for Standardization (ISO) protocols. Before you begin installing the MPRR,
TransCore recommends that you read this entire manual.
(SeGo) and American Trucking Associations (ATA)/International Orga-
This document is intended to be used by authorized TransCore MPRR dealers, installers, and service personnel. Because the MPRR has no operator- or end-user serviceable components or features, no end-user manual or operator guide exists. Once the
system is set up and tested by the authorized installer, MPRR operation requires no
end-user intervention.
System Guide Organization
The chapters of this guide and a description of the contents are listed below.
• Chapter 1, “Introduction,” explains the purpose and describes the audience for the
guide, outlines the manual’s organization, provides a brief description of the
MPRR, and discusses Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing
requirements.
• Chapter 2, “Developing the Site Plan,” discusses factors to be considered when
developing the site plan and before ordering equipment and installing the MPRR.
These considerations include antenna and tag alignment, site layout and traffic
flow, and electrical and communications requirements.
• Chapter 3, “Choosing, Installing, and Removing Tags,” contains information on
compatible tag models and provides procedures for installing tags onto, and
removing tags from, railcars where the MPRR is installed.
• Chapter 4, “Installing the MPRR,” lists the materials needed and provides proce-
dures to install the MPRR. Steps include:
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Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
• Pre-testing
• Installing the MPRR in a railside hut or NEMA enclosure (TBD)
• Connecting power and communications
• Connecting to TransCore’s Train Recording Unit (TRU)
• Marking the read zone
• Chapter 5, “General Software Information,” and Chapter 6, “Communications
Protocols,” provide reference information on various software-related topics and
communications protocols.
• Chapter 7, “Commands,” discusses the host-transmitted commands that are used
to control MPRR configuration and operation.
• Chapter 8, “Configuring the MPRR,” provides procedures for configuring and
fine-tuning the MPRR after installing it at the site.
• Chapter 9, “Troubleshooting and Maintenance,” answers the most commonly
asked questions about installing and maintaining the MPRR.
• Chapter 10, "Interfacing with Train Recording Unit," describes the interoperabil-
ity between the MPRR and TRU.
• Chapter 11, "Assembling and Connecting AT5720 Check Tags to the MPRR,"
explains how to connect one or two check tags to the MPRR.
• Appendix A, “Glossary,” contains frequently used terms.
• Appendix B, “Technical Specifications,” provides the MPRR specifications.
• Appendix C, “Wiring Tables,” shows the wiring connections for the communica-
tions interfaces, electrical cable connections, and the external interface signal wiring.
• Appendix D, “Command Quick Reference,” lists the MPRR factory default con-
figuration settings and provides host software commands in numerical and alphabetical order.
• Appendix E, “Compatible Tag Information,” provides helpful information about
tags that are compatible with the MPRR.
• Index provides an alphabetical listing of guide topics. (To be provided in the final
version of the guide)
1-4
Typographical Conventions
The conventions listed in Table 1-1 are used in this manual:
Table 1-1 Typographical Conventions
Convention Indication
Concerns about a procedure.
Introduction
Code
Dialog Box Title
Menu Item
Note
NUL Zero-value ASCII character or a zero-value byte.
NULL Zero-value pointers. Null-terminated string refers to strings
Licensing Requirements
Code, including keywords and variables within text and as
separate paragraphs, and user-defined program elements
within text appear in courier typeface.
Title of a dialog box as it appears on screen .
Appears on a menu. Capitalization follows the interface.
Auxiliary information that further clar ifies the current
discussion. These important points require the user’s
attention. The paragraph is in italics and the word Note is
bold.
of printable ASCII characters with a zero-value byte placed
in memory directly after the last printable character of the
string.
This procedure might cause harm to the equipment and/or
the user.
An FCC license provides the user with the legal authorization to operate the MPRR on
the licensed frequencies at the site specified in the license. Only an authorized installer
or service technician can set the RF frequency of the MPRR to the frequency specified
in the FCC site license. No end-user-operated controls exist on the MPRR.
The FCC license may provide the user with protection and authorization to maintain
the system should any other RFID product be used in the licensed area after the
MPRR equipment is installed.
Users of the MPRR in the United States must obtain a license from the FCC. In the
United States, the authorized modulated frequency band for this product is 911.75 to
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Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
919.75 MHz and the authorized continuous wave frequency band is 902.25 to 903.75
MHz and 910.00 to 921.50 MHz.
The user is responsible for filing the FCC license according to FCC regulations, but
the TransCore dealer will provide assistance and support as necessary to complete
these forms. Forms are available online at the FCC internet site http://wire-
less.fcc.gov/uls. For further information on obtaining the license contact TransCore.
Technical Support
Authorized dealers and distributors are responsible for the direct support of all
customers. Authorized dealers and distributors needing technical support can contact:
Technical Support
Web: transcore.com/rfidsupport
or
TransCore
3410 Midcourt Road, Suite 102
Carrollton, Texas 75006 USA
Phone: (214) 461-4031
Fax: (214) 461-6478
Please be prepared to answer a series of questions that are designed to direct you to the
best support resource available.
1-6
2
Developing the Site Plan
This chapter provides a brief description of the Multiprotocol Rail
Reader (MPRR) and discusses site plan development for installing the
MPRR System.
System Description
The MPRR is a reader that supports the low-cost, high-performance SeGo radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The MPRR also supports TransCore ATA/
ISO tag types.
The MPRR is a high-power unit that can read both half- and full-frame tags. The
reader output power can be adjusted using reader commands.
Reader
The MPRR consists of an input/output (I/O) module, a power supply, a reader logic
board (also called a tag decoder), and a radio frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver
(called the RF module) in a compact enclosure. These MPRR components are contained in a highly reliable, compact, and easy-to-install package. Figure 2-1 shows the
end views of an MPRR.
Chapter 2
Developing the Site Plan
Figure 2-1 MPRR End Views
Tags
The MPRR has the capability to read TransCore SeGo protocol tags and TransCore
ATA/AAR protocol read-only full- and half-frame tags.
How It Works
The MPRR directs the RF module to generate an RF signal, which is broadcast
through the external antenna mounted railside. Entering the MPRR’s reading range, a
TransCore RFID tag installed on a railcar or other asset to be tracked adds its pro-
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Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
grammed identification information to the signal and reflects the signal back to the
MPRR. The MPRR receives this modified, or modulated signal, and decodes the tag
data carried by the reflected signal and transmits this data to a local host computer for
processing.
Overview of Site Planning
Developing a site plan provides the foundation for the site’s system design and establishes the following system configuration parameters:
• Number and general location of primary components
• Number of different radio frequencies required
Gathering relevant site information is crucial before applying for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval and ordering and installing MPRR(s) and tags.
Also, consider the following factors when developing a site plan:
• Type of tags used
• Antenna and tag alignment
• Site layout and rail traffic flow
• MPRR and/or antenna mounting requirements
• MPRR electrical requirements
• MPRR communications requirements
These factors provide relevant information regarding each site’s physical and electromagnetic environment and the conditions under which the system must perform.
Reading of Mixed Population Tags
The MPRR reads TransCore’s Super eGo® (SeGo) protocol tags and the American
Trucking Association (ATA) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
read-only tags, whether powered by battery or beam, application-specific integrated
circuit (ASIC)-based tags with Intellitag technology.
The factors that influence the readability include, but are not limited to physical orientation and configuration, type of read-only tag, ratio of backscatter cross-section of the
tags, and whether the tag is battery- or beam-powered.
Antenna and Tag Alignment
The position of the antenna and placement of the tag on the vehicle must be compatible.
Two primary criteria must be satisfied to achieve the highest read reliability:
2-4
Developing the Site Plan
• Polarization of the tag and the antenna must be aligned in the same direction —
both horizontal.
• The installed tag must be in a direct, unobstructed line of sight to the antenna.
Caution
A tag may not be reliably read unless the preceding criteria are met.
Polarization
The polarization of the tag must be aligned in the same direction as the antenna, as
shown in Figure 2-1.
Note: Matching the tag and antenna polarization is critical to obtain optimal system
performance.
Figure 2-1 Tag and Antenna Orientation
Unobstructed Line of Sight
For optimum readability , install the MPRR and antenna(s) and the railcar’s tag so that
when the railcar approaches the antenna(s), the tag is directly facing the antenna and
the line of sight is clear between the antenna and the tag. If there is a physical obstruction between the tag and the antenna(s), the MPRR cannot reliably read the tags. Fig-
ure 2-2 illustrates possible installation locations of an antenna in relation to a tag’s
mounting location on a railcar. If the tags are not in the recommended location, reliable optimum operation requires lower train speeds.
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Multiprotocol Rail Reader System Guide
Figure 2-2 Antenna Location Relative to Tag Position
Antenna Selection
This section contains guidelines that assist in antenna selection for an MPRR installation that uses an external antenna. The following antennas are compatible with the
MPRR installation.
AA3100 Yagi (without radome)
Appropriate for installations with the following requirements and conditions:
• 902 to 928 MHz operation
• Non-icing environments
• Relatively symmetrical reading range
• Antenna profile not a major consideration
AA3101 Yagi (with radome)
Appropriate for installations with the following requirements and conditions:
• 902 to 928 MHz operation
• Exposure to harsh environments
2-6
• Relatively symmetrical reading range
• Antenna profile not a major consideration
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