Wi Lan EB02 User Manual

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AWE 120-58

Advanced Wireless Ethernet Bridge

Installation &

Conﬁguration Guide

APR 2001 Rev 3

Important Information ....................................................................vii

Notices ................................................................................................ix

Copyright Notice ..............................................................................................................................ix

Regulatory Notice .............................................................................................................................ix

Other Notices .....................................................................................................................................x

Warranty & Repair .............................................................................................................................x

Customer Support Contacts ...........................................................................................................x

Distributor Technical Support .......................................................................................................xi

Wi-LAN Product Information ........................................................................................................xi

Description ..........................................................................................1

Features ................................................................................................................................................1

About Spread Spectrum ....................................................................................................................1

About AWE Units 2

Some System Applications ................................................................................................................3

Making a Simple Wireless Bridge 3 Creating a Simple Wireless Network 3 Creating a Network with Cells 5 Using a Repeater Base 6 Building a WAN 6

Hardware Description ......................................................................................................................7

Shipping Package Contents 7 AWE 120-58 Unit 8

AWE 120–58 Specifications .......................................................................................................... 10

Installation .........................................................................................13

Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Obtain Network Plan ..................................................................................................................... 14

APR 2001 Rev 03

Assemble Units .................................................................................................................................14

Checking the Shipping Contents 14 Assembling AWE Units 14 Checking the Power 16

Pre-Configure Units .........................................................................................................................16

Configuring a Base Station 16 Configuring a Remote Unit 19

Bench Test Units ..............................................................................................................................21

Establishing a Basic RF Link 21 Testing the Link and Adjusting Tx Power 23 Performing Simple Network Tests 25

Install Units ........................................................................................................................................29

Point-to-Multipoint Installation 30 Co-Location Installation 30

Test Network ...................................................................................................................................30

Adding to a Network ......................................................................................................................30

Preventative Maintenance

and Monitoring ..................................................................................................................................31

Configuration .................................................................................... 33

Overview ............................................................................................................................................33

Main Menu 33

Accessing the Main Menu ...............................................................................................................34

Accessing the Main Menu with HyperTerminal® 34 Accessing Units via telnet 35 Setting VT100 Arrows 35

Configuring with the Main Menu ..................................................................................................36

Unit Identification .............................................................................................................................37

Viewing Unit Identification 37 Assigning Unit Identification Information 38

Hardware/Software Revision .........................................................................................................39

Viewing System Revision Information 39

System Software ROM Images ......................................................................................................40

Viewing System Software ROM Images 40

System Current Status ....................................................................................................................41

Viewing System Current Status 41

Network Configuration ..................................................................................................................42

Viewing Internet IP Addresses and Subnet Mask 42 Setting the Internet IP Address 43 Setting the IP Subnet Mask 43 Setting the Default Gateway IP Address (future) 44 Setting the SNMP NMS Trap IP Address (future) 44 Setting the MAC Filter Entry Age Time Minutes 44

AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

IP Filter Configuration .................................................................................................................... 45

Viewing IP Filter Configuration 45 Enabling IP Packet Filtering 47 Enabling IP Address Filtering 47 Setting IP Address Filter Range 48 Setting the IP Filter Base Address 48

RF Station Configuration ............................................................................................................... 49

Viewing Current RF Station Configuration 49 Setting the Operating Mode 51 General Equipment Setup for Performing RF Tests 52 Setting Test Mode Timer Minutes 53 Performing Link Monitor Test (Normal Mode) 54 Performing Transmit and Receive Tests 57 Performing the RSSI Test 59 Setting the RF Transmit Status 60 Setting the Link Monitor Period 61 Setting Maximum Remote Distance (Base Station Only) 62 Setting Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 63 Adjusting Throttling (Remote Station Only) 64

Radio Module Configuration ......................................................................................................... 65

Viewing the Radio Module Configuration 65 Setting Config Test Minutes 67 Setting the Station Type 68 Setting the Station Rank 69 Setting the Center Frequency 70 Setting Security Passwords 73 Setting the Scrambling Code 74 Setting the Acquisition Code 75 Adjusting the Tx Power Level 76 Setting a Base to Repeater Mode (Base Station Only) 77 Setting System Symmetry Type (Base Station Only) 79 Setting Dynamic Polling Level (Base Station Only) 80 Setting Remote Unit RF Group 81 Rebooting and Saving RF Module Configurations 84

RF/Ethernet Statistics ...................................................................................................................... 86

Viewing RF/Ethernet Statistics 86

System Security ................................................................................................................................ 89

Viewing System Security 89 Assigning Community Names 91 Setting Menu Passwords 92 Allowing Remote Access and Configuration 94 Setting the Auto Logout Minutes 95

System Commands .......................................................................................................................... 96

Viewing System Command Menu 96 Setting Default System Image 97 Setting the Reboot System Image 98 Rebooting the Current Image 98 Restoring Factory Configurations 99 Resetting Radio and Ethernet Statistics 100

Link Monitor Display .................................................................................................................... 101

APR 2001 Rev 03

iii

Viewing Link Monitor Statistics 101

Logout .............................................................................................................................................. 102

Logging Out 102

Setting Operating Mode with the Mode Button .................................................................... 102

Selecting RF Tests with the Mode Button 103

Command Line Interface ............................................................................................................. 104

Troubleshooting ............................................................................. 105

Administrative Best Practices ..................................................................................................... 105

Troubleshooting Areas ................................................................................................................ 106

Troubleshooting Chart 107

Appendix A: Planning Your Wireless Link ..................................111

Planning the Physical Layout ....................................................................................................... 111

Determine the Number of Remotes 111 Ensure LOS and Determine Coverage Area 111 Measure the Distance Between Units 112 Determine Shelter, Power and Environmental Requirements 112

Determining Antenna

and Cable Requirements ............................................................................................................. 112

Determining Unit Configuration Settings ................................................................................ 113

Calculating a Link Budget ............................................................................................................. 113

Link Budget Example .................................................................................................................... 117

Antenna Basics ............................................................................................................................... 118

Antenna Parameters 118 Implementation Considerations 119 Wi-LAN Approved Antennas 120 Antenna Installation Factors 121 Installing Antennas 122 Fine-tuning Antennas 123 Co-locating Units 123

Appendix B: Using HyperTerminal .............................................. 125

Starting HyperTerminal ............................................................................................................... 125

Determining the Communications Port .................................................................................. 126

Appendix C: Configuring a Simple Data Network ..................... 127

Checking Network Adaptor Installation .................................................................................. 127

Configuring the Network ............................................................................................................ 128

Enabling Sharing on the Hard Disk Drive ................................................................................ 131

AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Appendix D: SNMP ........................................................................133

About SNMP MIB .......................................................................................................................... 133

Wi-LAN Object Identifier Nodes .............................................................................................. 134

Using SNMP .................................................................................................................................... 134

Using Object Identifier Nodes ................................................................................................... 135

Appendix E: Technical Reference Information ...........................149

Front Panel LEDs ........................................................................................................................... 149

DC Power Plug Pinout ................................................................................................................. 150

Appendix F: Menu Map ..................................................................151

Appendix G: Upgrading Software .................................................153

Obtaining New Software Images ............................................................................................... 153

Downloading Image Software ..................................................................................................... 153

Activating New Software Images ............................................................................................... 155

Removing Old Software Images ................................................................................................. 155

Glossary ...........................................................................................157

Index ................................................................................................167

APR 2001 Rev 03

AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Important Information

Please be aware of the following information about the AWE 120-58.

• Tx power can be adjusted (attenuated) from 0 dB to –31 dB through the conﬁguration menu.

• Center frequency is typed into a data ﬁeld (rather than selected from a list). Available center frequencies range from 5.7410 GHz to 5.8338 GHz in 400 kHz steps.

• Indoor antennas are not supplied with the shipping contents. To test and conﬁgure units you need to purchase a Bench Test Kit (9000-0034). For bench testing, antennas must be separated by at least 2 meters.

WARNING

Never operate a unit without an antenna, dummy load, or terminator

connected to the antenna port.

Operating a unit without an antenna, dummy load, or terminator connected

to the antenna port can permanently damage a unit.

Important

All antennas must be installed by a knowedgeable and professional installer.

Antennas must be selected from a list of Wi-LAN approved antennas.

See Wi-LAN Approved Antennas , page 120 for list.

APR 2001 Rev 03

vii

Important Information

viii

AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Notices

Copyright Notice

This guide and the application and hardware described herein are furnished under license and are subject to a conﬁdentiality agreement. The software and hardware can be used only in accordance with the terms and conditions of this agreement.

No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, including photocopying and recording—without the express written permission of Wi-LAN, Inc.

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this guide is correct, Wi-LAN, Inc. does not warrant the information is free of errors or omissions.

Information contained in this guide is subject to change without notice.

Regulatory Notice

The AWE 120-58 product presented in this guide complies with the following regulations and/or regulatory bodies.

• RSS-210 of Industry Canada (www.ic.gov.ca)

• FCC Part 15 (www.fcc.gov)

Operation is subject to the following two conditions.

• This device may not cause interference

• This device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device

This equipment generates, uses, and radiates radio frequency and, if not installed and used in accordance with this guide, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Notices

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following methods.

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver

• Connect equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help

• Selecting and testing different channels, if employing 5.8 GHz equipment

As the AWE 120-58 is used on a license-exempt, non-frequency coordinated, unprotected spectrum allocation, and thus can be subject to random unidentiﬁed interference, applications must not be those of a primary control where a lack of intercommunication could cause danger to property, process, or person. An alternative fail-safe should be designed into any system to ensure safe operation or shut down, should communication be lost for any reason.

Other Notices

• Changes or modiﬁcations to the equipment not expressly approved by Wi-LAN, Inc., could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

• Appropriately shielded remote I/O serial cable with the metal connector shell and cable shield properly connected to chassis ground shall be used to reduce the radio frequency interference.

• Radio frequency exposure limits may be exceeded at distances closer than 23 centimeters from the antenna of this device.

• All antenna installation work shall be carried out by a knowledgeable and professional installer.

• Use only a power adapter approved by Wi-LAN.

Warranty & Repair

Please contact the party from whom you purchased the product for warranty and repair information. Wi-LAN provides no direct warranty to end users of this product.

Customer Support Contacts

Users of Wi-LAN equipment who require technical assistance must contact their reseller or distributor. For information on distributors in your area, please visit www.wi-lan.com/channel.

AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Distributor Technical Support

Distributors may contact Wi-LAN’s Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for technical support on Wi-LAN products. When requesting support, please have the following information available:

• Description of the problem

• Conﬁguration of the system, including equipment models, versions and serial numbers.

• Antenna type and transmission cable lengths

• Site information, including possible RF path problems (trees, buildings, other RF equipment in the area)

• Conﬁguration of units (base, remote, channels used, etc.) and Link Monitor statistics

Contact Wi-LAN’s Technical Assistance Center at the numbers listed below.

Canada and USA Call toll free: 1-866-702-3375

Business hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (GMT-7:00)

International Call: 1-403-204-2767

Business hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (GMT-7:00)

All locations Send an e-mail message to:

techsupport@wi-lan.com

Wi-LAN Product Information

To obtain information regarding Wi-LAN products, contact the Wi-LAN distributor in your region, call 1-800-258-6876 to speak with a Wi-LAN sales representative or visit our web site at www.wi-lan.com.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Notices

xii

AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Description

Features

The AWE 120-58 advanced wireless Ethernet bridge provides high-speed, wireless connectivity at a fraction of the cost of wired solutions. It operates over the license-exempt 5.7250 – 5.8500 GHz ISM radio band and has a maximum raw wireless data rate of 12.0 Mbps.

• Provides wireless connectivity at speeds up to eight times faster than regular T1 lines, making the AWE 12058 ideal for providing high-speed Internet access or for wirelessly extending existing communications infrastructures.

• Supports point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and multipoint-to-multipoint networks (if all remotes have

clear line of sight to the base station). Contentionless polling ensures efﬁcient access to remote data networks.

• Is self-contained and easy to use. Simply connect a AWE 120-58 to each LAN segment, and the unit

automatically learns where nodes are located on the network and performs dynamic packet ﬁltering to ensure the local LAN trafﬁc does not overload the wireless connection.

• Uses Wi-LAN's patented Multi-Code Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (MC-DSSS) technology, which

makes the unit spectrally efﬁcient and resistant to interference. MC-DSSS technology increases data throughput by as much as ten times compared to traditional spread spectrum technology.

• Other features include adjustable Tx power level, IP address ﬁltering, throughput throttling and monitoring,

high security and reliability, and a ﬂash-code upgrade path. SNMP, telnet and RS-232 management enable users to manage, conﬁgure and monitor their wireless network with ease.

About Spread Spectrum

Three license-free frequency bands (called the ISM bands) are allocated in Canada and the United States to a radio technique known as spread spectrum communication. The bands are located at 900MHz, 2.4 GHz, and

5.8 GHz (shown in the following illustration). The AWE 120-58 operates with spread spectrum technology

over the 5.7250 – 5.850 GHz band.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Description

License-Free ISM Bands

26 MHz Wide

900 MHz

902 MHz 928 MHz

83.5 MHz Wide

2.4 GHz

2.4 GHz 2.4835 GHz

125 MHz Wide

5.8 GHz

5.725 GHz 5.85 GHz

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technology converts a data stream into packets and spreads the packets across a broad portion of the RF band. The particular spread pattern depends upon a code. With multi-code DSSS (MC-DSSS), multiple codes and spread patterns are employed. A spread spectrum receiver reconstructs the signal and interprets the data.

Some advantages of DSSS are as follows:

• Fast throughput: A wide bandwidth means fast data throughput.

• Resistant to interference: DSSS overcomes medium levels of interference and multipath problems.

• Security: There must be a decoder at the receiving end to recover data (an AWE can only talk to

another AWE). Data is transmitted at irregular time intervals. Upon request, Wi-LAN can assign a customer a data packet security code so that a customer can only receive transmissions from another AWE with the same code.

• Low probability of detection: Due to a low amplitude signal and wide bandwidth.

• No license fee: A license fee is not required if used in the speciﬁed radio bands and the transmitter

power is limited.

About AWE Units

AWE 120-58 units can function as base stations, remote units or repeater bases.

Base Station: At least one unit in your wireless network must be conﬁgured as a base station. A base station

acts as the central control unit of the wireless network. The base station polls all remote units and controls how trafﬁc is routed to and from remotes. The base usually connects to a major access point of the wired network. The antenna of the base station must be capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals to and from all the remote units in a system. If remotes are spread over a large area, an omni-directional antenna is usually required. See Conﬁguring a Base Station , page 16 for information about setting up a base station.

AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Some System Applications

Remote Units: Remote units receive and transmit wireless data to the base station. You need at least one

remote unit for each wireless link. Remotes can limit the amount of data passed by the remote (a function called throttling), and they can ﬁlter data packets based on their IP address. Because remote units communicate only with the base station, their antennas can be more directional and have higher gains than base antennas. See Conﬁguring a Remote Unit , page 19 for information about setting up a remote unit.

Repeater Base: A base station can be conﬁgured as a repeater base. A repeater is needed when remote

units cannot communicate directly with each other, but direct transfers of data between them are necessary (as in a true WAN). When conﬁgured as a repeater, the base station passes data packets between remote stations based on the remote group status and a list of MAC (Media Access Control) addresses that the base station automatically builds. A single repeater uses a method called "store and forward" to receive data from the originating remote and to pass data to the destination remote. See Setting a Base to Repeater Mode (Base

Station Only) , page 77 for more information. Two units can also be employed as a dual unit repeater (back-to-

back) conﬁguration that maximizes data throughput.

Some System Applications

You can build a wireless network from AWE units and various other components such as cables and antennas. The following section shows some simple examples of AWE applications.

Making a Simple Wireless Bridge

The simplest example of using a AWE 120-58 is a point-to-point wireless bridge that connects two wired network segments or LANs. Two AWE units are required: a base station and a remote unit.

Point-to-Point Wireless Bridge

Wireless Link

Wired Network

Switch

Hub

Firewall

RemoteRouter

Base

Main Wired Network

Router

Hub

Switch

Firewall

Creating a Simple Wireless Network

You can create a point-to-multipoint wireless network by adding several remote units to a base station. A base station can support up to 1000 remotes, however, Wi-LAN recommends no more than 225 remotes per base station to esnure high levels of data throughput. See Determine the Number of Remotes, page 111 for more information.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Description

Point-to-Multipoint Wireless Network

Wired Network

Switch

Hub

Firewall

Wired Network

Switch

Hub

Firewall

Wired Network

RemoteRouter

Wireless Links

Main Wired Network

RemoteRouter

Base

Router

Hub

Switch

Firewall

Base station polls Remote Units

Hub

Switch

Firewall

RemoteRouter

Direct remote-to-remote communication can occur if a direct RF link can be established between remotes, and if remotes are in the same RF group.

Remote-to-Remote Communication

Remote

Wireless Links

Main Wired Network

Remote

Base

Remotes must be in the same RF group to communicate directly

Remote

4 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Some System Applications

Creating a Network with Cells

Cells or data nodes can be created with AWE units to maxmimize coverage, minimize interference, and increase data throughput. Directional antennas are mounted on a mast to divide cells into sectors.Each sector is connected to an antenna and a base station. Directional antennas increase signal gain within the sector and increase the distance possible between base stations and remotes. Center frequency, acquisition code and antenna polarization techniques are used to isolate sectors. The increase in data rate depends on the number of sectors. For example, the data rate of Cell 1 in the diagram below is 36 Mbps (12 Mbps x 3 sectors). Cells are distributed across a service area and can be linked to each other via a wireless link or a ﬁber optic cable.

LAN with Cells and Sectors

Cell 2

Remote

Cell 1

Remote

Base Stations (3)

Fiber Optiic Cable or

Remote

Fiber Optiic Cable or Wireless Link

In this example, cells are divided into120 degree sectors. Cells are linked to other cells by a wired or wireless link.

Remote

Wireless Link

Cell 3

Remote

Base Stations (3)

Remote

Base Stations (3)

Remote

APR 2001 Rev 03

Internet

Remote

Description

Using a Repeater Base

A base station can function as a repeater to enable wireless data communication around physical obstacles such as tall buildings or mountains. The repeater passes data around the obstacle to any remote in the same RF group. The single unit repeater slows data throughput due to the "store and foreward" process where each packet is handled twice. A dual unit repeater does not slow data throughput.

Base Station as a Repeater

Single Unit Repeater

Wired Network

Remote

Wired Network

Dual Unit Repeater

Wired Network

Remote

Wireless Links

Remote

Wireless Links

Repeater

Mountain

Ethernet

Base Base

Mountain

Wired Network

Remote

Wired Network

Remote

Wired Network

Remote

Building a WAN

LAN segments can be linked with AWE units to build a WAN (Wide Area Network). Wi-LAN networks are installed in many locations around the world. You can contact Wi-LAN for help designing your network.

6 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Hardware Description

Shipping Package Contents

The shipping package contains the following items.

• AWE unit

• Power supply, table top adapter (12 Vdc)

• Ferrite Block

• Power supply cord

• Installation and Conﬁguration Guide

• Warranty Card

If any of the above items are not included in the AWE 120-58 shipping package, contact Wi-LAN customer support.

You may also require the following items.

• Bench Test Kit (9000-0034) for unit testing and conﬁguration (kit contains two indoor planar antennas, test cables, and adapters)

• Cable, straight-through ethernet RJ45, when connecting a unit to a hub

• Cable, crossover ethernet cable RJ45, when connecting directly to the Ethernet port of a PC

• Cable adapter, DB25F to DB9M

• RS-232 DB25 serial cable

You can purchase any of these items directly from Wi-LAN or any authorized supplier. Please contact WiLAN for information about obtaining parts from you local supplier or ordering parts from Wi-LAN.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Description

AWE 120-58 Unit

The AWE 120-58 has indicator LEDs on the front panel.

Front Panel

Air Mode Wire Power

Air

Mode Wire Power

The front panel connector and LEDs are described below. The color of a LED indicates its status. See Front

Panel LEDs, page 149 for detailed information.

Air LED Color of LED indicates the transmit/receive status of the wireless link:

Red = transmitting data to the air Green = receiving data from the air Orange = transmitting and receiving approximately equal amounts of

data over the air

Off = listening to the air

Mode LED Color of LED indicates the operating mode of a unit:

Green = Receive Test mode Red = Transmit Test mode Orange= RSSI Test mode (measures fade margin, which is indicated by LED color) Off = Normal mode

Wire LED Color of LED indicates the transmit/receive status of the wire link:

Green = receiving data from wire Red = transmitting data to wire Orange = transmitting and receiving data on the wire Off = listening to wire or no wire connected

Power LED Green = power is connected to transceiver

Off = no power is connected to transceiver

Connectors for power, antenna and wired network are located on the rear panel, as well as a mode button and a Link LED.

8 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Rear Panel

Hardware Description

Power

Antenna

Port

Antenna

Mode

Mode Button

Air Vent

Serial Port

Link LED

Link

Ethernet

Items located on the back panel are described below:

Antenna N-type female connector antenna port is located at the top left of the rear

panel. This port should always be connected to an antenna directly or through a 50 ohm coaxial cable

Serial Port RS-232, DB9 connector used to communicate with a PC. Use this port to

locally conﬁgure and test a AWE

Power 3-pin power connector. See DC Power Plug Pinout, page 148 for detailed

pinout illustration

Mode Button Mode button can be used to set the operating mode of a unit without a

terminal. See Setting Operating Mode with the MODE Button, page 97 for information about the mode button

Ethernet Standard RJ45 female ethernet connector. To connect to a PC Ethernet card,

you must use the crossover twisted-pair cable. To connect to a hub, use a straight-through twisted-pair cable

Link LED Color of LED indicates the data rate and status of the twisted-pair

connection: green = 10BaseT link, functioning properly orange = 100BaseT link, functioning properly off = No link

Air Vent Air vent for unit’s internal cooling fan

APR 2001 Rev 03

Description

AWE 120–58 Speciﬁcations

General Speciﬁcations

Modulation Method: Multi-Code Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (MC-DSSS), time

division duplexing (TDD)

Wireless Data Rate: 12 Mbps raw data rate/up to 9 Mbps operational

RF Frequency Range: 5.725 - 5.850 MHz (unlicensed ISM band)

Power Requirements: 12Vdc (via 110/240 VAC 50/60 Hz adaptor)

30W (2.5A) maximum power consumption

Physical: Size: 19.3 x 4.4 x 25.5 centimeters

(7.6 x 1.75 x 10.0 inches) Weight: 1.49 kg (3.27 lb)

Radio Speciﬁcations

Antenna Connector: N-type female

Output Power: +21 dBm to –10 dBm

Receiver Sensitivity:

Processing Gain: >10 dB

Center Frequency 5.7410 GHz–5.8338 GHz in 400 kHz steps

Channel Width 33 MHz

Network Support

Packet Format: IEEE 802.3 and Ethernet II

LAN Connection: 10/100BaseT (autonegotiates)

Bridge Functionality: Local Packet Filtering (self-learning)

–80 dBm (1 x e

(High-level protocol transparent)

Static IP address ﬁltering Dynamic polling of remotes User conﬁgurable data rate (throttling) Software is upgradeable online via ftp

–6

BER)

10 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

AWE 120–58 Specifications

Wireless Networking Protocols

Network Topologies: Point-to-Point, Point-to-Multipoint, Multipoint-to-Multipoint

Repeater Mode: User Conﬁgurable

Private Network User conﬁgurable using repeater and RF Group

RF Collision Management: Dynamic Polling with Dynamic Time Allocation

Security

Data Scrambling: User Conﬁgurable

Data Security Password: Security password of up to 20 bytes in length

combinations)

(10

Conﬁguration, Management, and Diagnostics

Conﬁguration Methods: SNMP, telnet and RS-232 Serial Port

SNMP: Version I compliant (RFC 1157), MIB standard and enterprise

(RFC 1213)

Management Port Functionality: Supports system conﬁguration, security, access control,

wireless LAN diagnostics and management, menu-driven ASCII interface via RS-232 DB-9 connector

Environment

Units must be operated in a weatherproof environment with an ambient temperature from 0 to 40º Celsius and humidity 0 – 95% non-condensing

APR 2001 Rev 03

Description

12 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Installation

Overview

This section explains how to install AWE units. You will ﬁrst assemble, conﬁgure and test units in a controlled environment so that any problems can be solved easily, and then install units in the ﬁeld. By going through this process, you will ensure a successful installation, save time spent on-site, and reduce travel from site to site.

The following basic process should be followed.

Obtain

Network Plan

Assemble

Units

Pre-Configure

Units

Bench Test

Units

Install

Units

Test

Network

1. Obtain the network plan, equipment and tools.

2. Assemble units. —Check the contents of each AWE shipping package to ensure that you have received the required parts. —Connect an indoor antenna or dummy load, connect the power supply unit and check the power.

3. Pre-conﬁgure units—Conﬁgure units according to the network plan.

4. Bench test units—Test basic RF and network operation of units in a controlled environment.

5. Install units—Place the tested units in their ﬁeld locations and connect them to antennas, the wired network, and power. Install the ferrite block around the 10/100BaseT Ethernet cable.

6. Test Network—Test the operation of the installed network.

APR 2001 Rev 03 13

Installation

Obtain Network Plan

The network plan describes the network in detail, including the following:

• Type and number of units

• Physical layout

• Conﬁguration settings for each unit

• Site names, IP addresses and links

• Antenna types, RF cables and cable lengths, surge suppressors, terminators

• Network cable types and lengths

• Grounding kits and backup power requirements

• Link budget

• Floor plans and equipment cabinet requirements.

The network plan must be completed before any equipment is installed. See Appendix A: Planning Your Wireless

Link, page 111 for more information about network plans.

Check your equipment and tools: Ensure that you have all the required parts and equipment speciﬁed in the network plan. You will require a Bench Test Kit (9000-0034) and some tools to install and conﬁgure units–

in addition to a standard tool kit, you will require a laptop PC with HyperTerminal® or other terminal emulation software and RS-232 cable. You may require a spectrum analyzer, Site Master® communication test

set, digital multimeter, 2-way radios, binoculars, strobe lights, ladder, and weatherproof caulking.

Assemble Units

Checking the Shipping Contents

Check the contents of each AWE shipping package to ensure that you have received all the materials. See

Shipping Package Contents, page 7 for a list.

Assembling AWE Units

To assemble a unit

➧

1. Connect an indoor antenna (included with Bench Test Kit) to the antenna port at the back of the unit.

Important

An indoor antenna is required for each unit for testing and conﬁguration

purposes. Indoor antennas must be separated by at least 2 m.

Indoor antenna may differ from illustration.

14 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Assemble Units

Important

Antennas must be installed by a knowedgeable and professional installer.

WARNING

Never operate a unit without an antenna, dummy load, or terminator

connected to the antenna port.

Operating a unit without an antenna, dummy load, or terminator connected

to the antenna port can permanently damage a unit.

2. Connect the power supply unit to the Power connector at the back of the unit. The AWE 120-58 must be connected only to a Wi-LAN approved power supply unit with an output of 12 Vdc. See DC Power Plug

Pinout, page 150 for pinout information.

Antenna and Power Connections

DC Power Plug

12 Vdc

Power LED

Antenna port

Indoor Antenna

SMA to N-type Adaptor

Coaxial Cable

Hint: To turn unit power ON or OFF, connect or disconnect the power cord here.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Power Supply Unit

AC Power Cord

Installation

Checking the Power

To check the power

➧

1. Plug the AC power cord into the AC power outlet.

2. Plug the DC power plug (12 Vdc) to the unit’s power connector.

3. Plug the AC power cord into the power supply unit. The green Power LED on the front of the unit turns ON and the Air, Mode and Wire LEDs turn ON brieﬂy then turn OFF.

The green Power LED stays ON. The Mode LED stays OFF (indicating Normal mode). The Air LED is

orange, green, red or OFF. See Front Panel LEDs, page 149 for more information about LEDs.

If the green Power LED does not turn ON, check your AC power source and the power supply unit. Measure the power supply unit voltage at the DC Power Plug between pins 1 and 2. See DC Power Plug Pinout, page 150. The output should be 12 Vdc and the power supply unit power LED should be ON.

Pre-Conﬁgure Units

This section describes how to pre-conﬁgure a base station and a remote unit, which are the basic units required for a point-to-point wireless link. Once you have conﬁgured and tested this basic equipment, you can conﬁgure and test all remaining units. See Conﬁguration, page 33 for detailed information about conﬁguration settings.

Conﬁguring a Base Station

When you conﬁgure a unit as a base station, you need to perform the following tasks.

• Check the Network Conﬁguration information of the unit.

• Set the Station Type of the unit to "Base Station"

• Assign the Station Rank (# equal to or greater than the number of remote units)

• Choose a Center Frequency (must be the same for all units in network)

• Select an Acquistion Code (must be the same for all units in network)

• Set Tx Power Level Adjust intially to "0 dB"

• Set the security passwords (must be the same for all units in network)

• Change the default menu passwords

These tasks are described below in detail.

To conﬁgure a unit as a base station

➧

1. Connect a PC to the AWE unit that will be the base station. Connect the COM port of the PC to the serial port of the AWE with the adapter plug and straight through RS-232 cable.

16 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Connecting PC to Serial Port

Pre-Configure Units

Detail

AWE

Serial Port (DB9)

RS-232 DB 25 to 9 pin Adapter

RS 232 Serial Cable to PC COM port

Serial Port (See detail)

RS-232 Serial Cable to PC COM port

AWE Unit

2. Start HyperTerminal® (see Appendix B: Using HyperTerminal, page 125 for details) or another terminal emulation program such as Tera Term™. Use the following communication settings: 9600 bps, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no ﬂow control.

3. Press

Enter. The AWE 120-58 Login window is displayed.

Wi-LAN AWE 120-58 Login

Software: Rev 0.0.0 (Aug 25 2000 10:13:37)

Hardware: Rev 0.0.0 (4MB SDRAM, 4MB Intel Flash)

Enter Password:

4. Type the default password (supervisor) and press

Enter. The Main Menu is displayed.

Note: supervisor enables you to change the conﬁguration settings with the Main Menu. See Setting Menu

Passwords, page 87 for more information about menu passwords.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Installation

Main Menu

Wi-LAN AWE 120-58 Main Menu

How to Use the Main Menu

• To select an item from the Main Menu or a sub-menu, press the

-> Unit Identification Hardware/Software Revision System Software ROM Images Current System Status Network Configuration IP Filter Configuration RF Station Configuration Radio Module Configuration RF/Ethernet Statistics System Security System Commands Link Monitor Display

Logout

keyboard arrow keys to move the cursor –> next to the

item.

Press the

Enter key to

Enter

open the data entry ﬁeld.

• To scroll through items in the data

entry ﬁeld, press .

Press to select an item

Enter

from the ﬁeld.

• To exit from a menu, press the

Esc

key.

Esc

5. Select Network Configuration. Check the network conﬁguration information, the IP address and subnet mask settings. If necessary, change settings to match the network plan.

6. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press

Enter. The Radio Module

Conﬁguration window is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type -> Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 1 1 1 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

• Select Station Type. Choose Base Station.

18 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

• Select Station Rank. Enter the total number of remote units in your wireless network. For

Success

example, if you have only one remote unit, enter "1". If there are 20 remote units, enter "20".

• Choose a Center Frequency. Enter the value of the center frequency (range is 57410–58338 in 400 kHz steps). All wireless units must be set to the same center frequency.

• Select Security Password x. Type security passwords in hexadecimal for the unit. All units in the same network must have the same set of security passwords.

• Select Scrambling Code. Enter a hexadecimal value or leave the default at "0". All units in the same network must have the same scambling code.

• Select Acquistion Code. Enter a value from 0–15. (All units in the same network must have the same acquisiton code.)

• Select Config Test Minutes. Enter a time in minutes, for example, 10. The unit will automatically reboot when this time period expires, and uses the settings stored in ﬂash memory instead of current settings.

• Select Tx Power Level Adjust. Choose an initial value of 0 dB, which means no Tx power attenuation.

• Select Reboot New RF configuration and press

Enter. The unit reboots and the Login

window is displayed.

7. Log in to the unit. (Type supervisor for the password). The Main Menu is displayed.

8. Select Radio Module Configuration and press

Enter. The Radio Module Conﬁguration window

is displayed.

Pre-Configure Units

• Select Save Current Conﬁg to Flash and press

Enter. The new settings are stored in ﬂash

memory and displayed on the menu. The word appears on the screen.

9. Press Esc to go back to the Main Menu.

10. Select Logout to exit or press

Note: At this time you may want to ﬁnish conﬁguring the base station according to the network plan. See

Esc.

Conﬁguration, page 33 for instructions about viewing and changing various settings.

Conﬁguring a Remote Unit

When you conﬁgure a unit as a remote unit, you need to do the following tasks.

• Check the Network Conﬁguration information of the unit

• Set the Station Type of the unit to "Remote Unit"

• Assign the Station Rank (polling ID # of the remote unit)

• Select a Center Frequency (must be the same for all units in network)

• Select an Acquistion Code (must be the same for all units in network)

• Set Tx Power Level Adjust intially to "0 dB"

• Set the security passwords (must be the same for all units in network)

• Change the default menu passwords

These tasks are described below in detail.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Installation

To conﬁgure a unit as a remote unit

➧

1. Connect a PC to a AWE remote unit. Connect the COM port of the PC to the Serial port of the remote unit using an adapter plug and RS-232 cable. See Conﬁguring a Base Station, page 16 for cabling diagram.

2. Start HyperTerminal® or other terminal emulation program (see Appendix B: Using HyperTerminal, page

125). Use the following commnication settings: 9600 bps, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no ﬂow control.

3. Press

4. Type the default password supervisor and press

Enter. The AWE 120-58 Login window is displayed.

Enter. The Main Menu is displayed.

5. Select Network Configuration. Check the IP settings. If necessary, change the settings to match the network plan.

6. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press

Enter. The Radio Module

Conﬁguration window is displayed.

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

• Select Station Type. Choose Remote Unit.

• Select Station Rank. Enter the rank number of the remote unit. Enter a number from 1–1000.

• Choose a Center Frequency. Enter the value of the center frequency (range is 57410–58338 in 400 kHz steps). All wireless units must be set to the same center frequency.

• Select Security Password x. Type security passwords in hexadecimal for the unit. All units in the same network must have the same set of security passwords.

• Select Scrambling Code. Enter a hexadecimal value or leave the default at "0". All units in the same network must have the same scambling code.

• Select Acquistion Code. Enter a value from 0–15. (All units in the same network must have the same acquisiton code.)

20 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Bench Test Units

• Select Tx Power Level Adjust. Choose an initial value of 0 dB, which means no Tx power attenuation.

• Select Remote Unit RF Group. Enter a value from 0–63. (For testing purposes, you may leave the value = 0.)

• Select Reboot New RF configuration and press

Enter. The unit reboots and the Login

window is displayed.

7. Log in to the unit. (Type supervisor for the password). The Main Menu is displayed.

8. Select Radio Module Configuration and press

Enter. The Radio Module Conﬁguration window

is displayed. The settings under Current change to values that were in the New column.

9. Select Save Current Config to Flash and press

memory and displayed on the menu. The word appears on the screen.

Success

Enter. The new settings are stored in ﬂash

10. Press Esc to go back to the Main Menu.

11. Select Logout to exit or press Esc.

Note: At this time you may want ﬁnish conﬁguring the unit according to the network plan. See Conﬁguration,

page 33 for instructions about viewing and changing various settings.

Bench Test Units

In this section, you will perform the following tasks:

• Ensure that a basic RF link exists between a base station and a remote unit.

• Test the basic link with Link Monitor and adjust Tx power level.

• Perform some simple network tests.

Establishing a Basic RF Link

This test ensures that a basic RF link exists between a base station and a remote unit.

IMPORTANT

The quality of your digital data transmission depends greatly on the quality of your RF

link. Always try to establish a high-quality RF link ﬁrst. A high-quality RF link will

result in high-quality data transmissions and a low BER. A low-quality RF link will result

in low-quality data transmissions and a high bit error rate (BER). Digital data can always

be sent across a high-quality RF link. If the RF link is of poor quality, data either cannot

be sent at all or will contain too many errors to be useful..

Tip: First conﬁgure one unit as a base station, and then use it to test all the remote units.

To establish a basic RF link

1. Ensure that one unit is conﬁgured to a base station, select a center frequency and set the test minutes. See Conﬁguring a Base Station, page 16.

2. Ensure that the other unit(s) are conﬁgured as remote units with the center frequency the same as the base station. See Conﬁguring a Remote Unit, page 19.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Installation

3. Place the base station and a remote unit at least two meters apart with a clear line of sight between antennas. Point the antennas toward each other.

Basic Test Setup

Indoor

Antenna

Coax Adapter Cable

Air

Mode Wire Power

Air LED = orange

Base Unit Remote Unit

2 m

minimum

Air

Air LED = orange

Mode Wire Power

Indoor Antenna

Coax Adapter Cable

4. Power up the base station. The green Power LED is ON. The Air LED of the base unit is red. This Air LED color indicates that the unit is transmitting data but is not receiving a response. (The reason is that the remote is powered off.)

5. Power up the remote unit. The green Power LED is ON. The Air LED of the remote unit turns orange and the Air LED of the base station also turns orange as both units send and receive data from each other. Orange is the normal Air LED color.

The color of the Air LED during this step indicates the following conditions.

Orange (both stations) Units are continuously sending and receiving sync packets

Red (base station) Stations are conﬁgured incorrectly, and the base station is

transmitting without receiving acknowledgment

Green (remote station) Stations are conﬁgured incorrectly, and the remote station is

receiving packets to which it cannot respond

Off Nothing is being received (by the remote) or transmitted (from the

base)

Note: If antennas are placed too close together, the strong transmit signal will saturate the receiving unit.

Fine-tune antennas by changing antenna orientations until the Air LED is orange.

Next, you will test the link with the Link Monitor test and adjust the Tx power level to obtain a fade margin of 15–30 dB. .

22 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Bench Test Units

Testing the Link and Adjusting Tx Power

A basic RF link is established when the base station and remote unit can receive and transmit data to each another (indicated by orange Air LEDs on both units). Once you have established a basic RF link, you test the link by running the Link Monitor test and viewing the link statistics. Finally, you adjust the Tx Power of the base and remote units to obtain a 15–30 dB fade margin.

To test the RF link and adjust Tx power

➧

1. Connect the test PC to the serial port of the base station or remote unit. See Connecting PC to Serial Port,

page 17.

2. Log in to the unit and go to the Main Menu.

3. Select RF Station Configuration and press

displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode -> Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) 5

Enter. The RF Station Conﬁguration window is

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km

Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

• Select Operating Mode. Press the arrow keys to select Normal mode.

• Select RF Transmit Status. Select unblocked.

• Select Link Monitor Remote Station Rank. Enter the rank of the unit that you want to link test. (The rank is the identiﬁcation number of the unit. The rank of a remote can be any number from 1 – 1000. The rank number of the the base station is always 0. See Setting the Station Rank, page 69.)

• Select Link Monitor Period. Enter a link monitor period of 1. (A value of 1 means that 50% of available data packets will carry test data. The higher the period number, the fewer the number of data packets that will carry test data. See Setting the Link Monitor Period, page 61 for more information.) The Link Monitor test starts as soon as a non-zero value is entered in the ﬁeld.

Next, you view the link statistics and adjust Tx power level.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Installation

4. From the Main Menu select Link Monitor Display and press Enter. The RF Background Link Monitor Statistics window is displayed.

RF Background Link Monitor Statistics

Link Monitor Rank 1 Base to Remote BER 0.0E+00 Remote to Base BER 0.0E+00 Missed Packet Count 0 Base to Remote Env Power 27 Base to Remote Corr Power 28 Remote to Base Env Power 29 Remote to Base Corr Power 30

5. Check for the following statistics:

• Base to Remote BER = 0.0E+00

• Remote to Base BER = 0.0E+00

• Base to Remote Corr Power between 15 – 50 dB

• Remote to Base Corr Power between 15 – 50 dB

If the Corr Power is <15 dB the receive signal is probably too weak to be useful. If the power is

>55 dB the receiving unit is probably being saturated.

6. Adjust Tx power of both units to obtain a fade margin (Corr Power) of 15–30 dB, as displayed by the Link Monitor Statistics window. See Adjusting the Tx Power Level, page 76 and Performing Transmit and Receive

Tests, page 57.

7. When you are ﬁnished viewing link monitor statistics, disable Link Monitor to remove the overhead test data from the wireless link. To disable Link Monitor, select RF Station Configuration from the Main Menu and press Enter. The RF Station Conﬁguration window is displayed.

8. Select Link Monitor Period and press Enter. The ﬁeld is highlighted.

9. Type 0 in the ﬁeld and press Enter. The link monitor test ends.

10. Press Esc to exit.

You have now established an RF link between two units, tested the ability of the link to carry test data, and adjusted the Tx power level to 15–30 dB. Next, you connect the units to a network and perform some simple network tests.

24 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Bench Test Units

Performing Simple Network Tests

To test units within a simple network you require two AWE 120-58 units, a LAN connection, a PC and a crossover ethernet cable or hub connection. A ferrite block is placed around the 10/100BaseT Ethernet cable to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) from transferring from a unit to the Ethernet cable, and from the Ethernet cable to the unit. The ferrite block is included with the contents of the shipping box. Install a ferrite block when testing units, and ensure that a ferrite block is in place when units are installed in the ﬁeld.

To install the ferrite block

➧

1. Remove the ferrite block from the plastic packaging.

2. Pull the clip and open the ferrite block. See

Ferrite Block

Clip

3. Place the Ethernet cable in the center of the open ferrite block. Locate the block approximately 4 cm

from the cable connector end that plugs into the unit’s Ethernet port. See

4. Close the ferrite block around the Ethernet cable, making sure that the block snaps together. See

4 cm

APR 2001 Rev 03

Installation

5. Plug the Ethernet cable into the unit. See

Ethernet port

Ethernet

26 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Bench Test Units

To perform a simple network test

➧

1. Connect the Ethernet port of the base station to the internet port of the PC. You can either connect to

a network hub or connect directly using an RJ45 crossover ethernet cable.

Simple Network Test Setup

2 m

minimum

Cable connects to Ethernet port

Base Unit

10/100 BaseT Cable (Straight Through)

Direct 10/100 BaseT Cable (Crossover)

10/100 BaseT HUB

Air

Mode Wire Power

10/100 BaseT Cable

Air

2. Power up both AWE units. Initially the LEDs should appear as follows.

Power LED Green

Mode LED Off

Air LED Orange

Mode Wire Power

LAN

3. Conﬁgure the AWE units within your network. See Network Conﬁguration, page 42 for information about

AWE Internet addresses. See Appendix C: Conﬁguring a Simple Data Network, page 127 for information about conﬁguring simple peer-to-peer networks.

4. Create some network trafﬁc to test the wireless link. For example, use ping or ftp put and get to

transfer a large test ﬁles, in both directions, across the link. The Wire LED on the AWE indicates link ﬁle transfer activity to the wired LAN. When the ﬁle transfer is done, ftp displays the size of the ﬁle and the time it took to transfer the ﬁle. This information can be used to measure the data throughput of the wireless link, and is very useful for troubleshooting.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Installation

Using ping and ftp

ping

From the command line prompt, type: C:> ping IP Address

Example:

ping 192.163.2.88

ftp

To connect to the node, from the DOS prompt, type:

C:> ftp IP Address

For instructions about using ftp, type "help" at the ftp prompt.

ftp> help

5. Test all units in the network.

Follow the instructions.

28 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Install Units

This section provides some guidelines about installing units in the ﬁeld.

• Install the units at locations identiﬁed in the network plan.

WARNING

All antennas must be professionally installed following accepted safety, grounding, electrical, and civil engineering standards. An antenna (indoor or outdoor), dummy load, or terminator must be connected to the antenna port of a unit before a unit is powered

up to avoid damaging the unit.

• Verify that there is no interference at the site by performing spectrum sweeps with a spectrum analyzer. Perform sweeps at various times of the day (for example, 9AM, noon, and 3 PM are peak telephone trafﬁc times.) If there are problems, contact the network planner, who may need to change the system conﬁguration or design.

• Sweep antennas and cables with the Site Master® communications test set before securing antennas and cables to towers, while they are on the ground and easy to access. Sweeping helps to ensure that antennas and cables will operate as expected.

• Initially install equipment with ﬂexibility—do not tie down cables, antennas should be free to move, allow some slack in cables, avoid drilling and do not seal connections.

• Align antennas. (Two people are required, one at the base station and one at the remote unit. When in the ﬁeld, you may require binoculars and 2-way radios to communicate.) When aligning antennas, adjust the orientation of the remote antenna while running a link monitor test between the remote and the base station. Adjust the antenna until you achieve the highest fade margin with no bit errors (BER = 0). See Performing the RSSI Test, page 59 and Performing Link Monitor Test (Normal Mode), page 54 for instructions. Repeat the antenna alignment procedure for each remote.

• When antennas are aligned and cables are secured, sweep the antennas with the Site Master test set a ﬁnal time before connecting to AWE.

• Install ferrite blocks on all 10/100BaseT Ethernet cables at the end of the cable that plugs into the unit. See Performing Simple Network Tests, page 25.

• Perform diagnostic tests on the installed system. Compare ﬁeld results to bench test results using ping, ftp, fade margins, etc. Document your results (these results will be very useful when troubleshooting and monitoring the system’s performance).

• When the system works as speciﬁed in the network plan, lock down and weatherproof all equipment and connnections.

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Installation

Point-to-Multipoint Installation

The procedure for installing a point-to-mulitpoint system is the same as the procedure for installing a pointto-point system. Treat each link in a point-to-multipoint system as a single, point-to-point wireless link.

Co-Location Installation

When you install a system with sectors and co-located base stations (see Creating a Network with Cells, page 5 for an example), you install and test sectors as if they were point-to-point systems; however, in this case you must ensure that individual sectors are not interfering with each other.

• Align and test the ﬁrst sector. Measure the fade margin and run the link monitor test. Document your results, then turn off the radio in the ﬁrst sector.

• Align and test the second sector. Measure the fade margin and run the link monitor test. Leave the link monitor test running in the second sector.

• Turn on the radio in the ﬁrst sector again and run the continuous tranmit test. See Performing Transmit

and Receive Tests, page 57.

• Observe the BER and fade margin of the second sector radio. Look for changes to determine if the ﬁrst sector is interfering with the second sector.

• Repeat the tests for all sector/pair combinations.

Test Network

Run the link monitor test and other tests such as ping and ftp ﬁle transfers to verify network operation when the units are installed in the ﬁeld. See Performing Link Monitor Test (Normal Mode), page 54.

Adding to a Network

Always add to your network one link or device at a time, working from a known base network. Measure and document changes to the system and changes in performance. For example, you can transfer ﬁles with ftp and measure the performance with LAN analyzer software. The key to a successful network is to proceed one step at a time and to understand your network!

30 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Network Test Setup

Preventative Maintenance and Monitoring

Indoor

Antenna

Base Unit

Air

Mode Wire Power

10/100 BaseT HUB

Preventative Maintenance and Monitoring

Remote Unit

Air

PC with LAN analyzer software

Mode Wire Power

Indoor Antenna

LAN

You should set up a preventative maintenance schedule for your network. Wi-LAN recommends that the following preventative maintenance be performed at least semi-annually.

• Regularly run link monitor tests across the network and measure BER and fade margin. You can also

test the network with ping, ftp and ﬁle transfers. Other resources are available on the Internet that can help you monitor the performance of your link.

• If you have SNMP application software, you can check unit operation from a remote location. See

Appendix D: SNMP, page 133 for more information.

If you have SNMP application software, you can check unit operation remotely. See Appendix D: SNMP, page 133 for more information.

You should periodically perform a physical inspection of each site.

• Check that antennas and cables are secure and have not become loose.

• Check for physical obstructions in the line-of-sight radio path, such as trees and buildings.

• Sweep antennas and cables to ensure that antennas and cables are intact and operating properly.

• Check that there are no water leaks in cabinets.

• Check weatherprooﬁng.

• Check for new sources of electromagnetic interference.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Installation

32 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Conﬁguration

Overview

This section explains how to use the Main Menu to conﬁgure and test your AWE unit, and to obtain useful statistical and maintenance information.

Main Menu

In this section, each item in the Main Menu is described in the order that it appears in the menu. See Appendix

F: Menu Map, page 151 for a complete listing of submenus. Use the Main Menu and your keyboard keys to

select, view or change settings. Some items in the menu simply display information, while others ask you to enter data or make a selection from a list.

Main Menu

Wi-LAN AWE 120-58 Main Menu

Logout

APR 2001 Rev 03 33

Configuration

Accessing the Main Menu

You can access the Main Menu of a AWE unit with a HyperTerminal® session (via the Serial port) or a telnet session. Most instructions provided in this chapter assume that you have opened a HyperTerminal session.

You can also conﬁgure the AWE 120-58 remotely with the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). See Appendix D: SNMP, page 133 for information about SNMP.

Accessing the Main Menu with HyperTerminal

To access the Main Menu with HyperTerminal

➧

1. Disconnect power from the AWE unit.

2. Connect a serial cable from a DB9 serial port on the PC to the Serial port on the AWE. See Conﬁguring a

Base Station, page 16.

3. Start Hyperterminal or other a terminal emulation program on the PC. See Appendix B: Using

HyperTerminal.

4. Set the terminal emulation program to emulate a VT100 terminal with the following settings.

• COM port PC serial port connected to AWE unit

• Bits per second: 9600

• Data bits: 8

• Parity: none

• Stop bits: 1

• Flow control: none

5. Reconnect the power to the AWE unit.

6. Press Enter. The Wi-LAN AWE 120-58 Login menu is displayed.

Wi-LAN AWE 120-58 Login

Software: Rev 0.0.0 (May 25 2000 10:13:37)

Hardware: Rev 0.0.0 (4MB SDRAM, 4MB Intel Flash)

Enter Password:

7. Type a default password (user or supervisor) or type your personal password if already have one.

User user Read Only

Supervisor supervisor Read and Write

The Main Menu is displayed.

34 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Accessing the Main Menu

Accessing Units via telnet

To access units via telnet

➧

1. Ensure that the unit’s Internet IP address has been conﬁgured, the unit has a working Ethernet connection, and wire and remote access has been enabled (see Allowing Remote Access and Conﬁguration, page 94).

2. Ensure that the VT100 Arrows feature in your telnet session is enabled. See Setting VT100 Arrows, page 35.

3. From the DOS prompt, type C:>telnet <IP address> where <IP address> is the IP address of the unit that you want to conﬁgure.

4. Press

Enter. The Login menu is displayed.

Wi-LAN AWE 120-58 Login

Software: Rev 0.0.0 (Aug 25 2001 10:13:37)

Hardware: Rev 0.0.0 (4MB SDRAM, 4MB Intel Flash)

Enter Password:

5. Type the default password (user or supervisor) or type your personal password. The Main Menu is displayed.

Setting VT100 Arrows

To set the VT100 arrows in Microsoft telnet

➧

1. In the active Microsoft telnet 1.0 session, select Terminal, Preferences from the menu bar. The Terminal Preferences window is displayed.

2. Click the VT100 Arrows checkbox.

3. Click OK. The VT100 arrows are enabled in the telnet session.

You can now use the keyboard arrow keys to navigate the conﬁguration menus.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Conﬁguring with the Main Menu

This section describes how to conﬁgure units with the Main Menu. Menu items are presented in the order they appear in the menu shown below.

Main Menu

How to Use the Main Menu

Wi-LAN AWE 120-58 Main Menu

• To select an item from the Main Menu or a sub-menu, press the

Logout

keyboard arrow keys to move the cursor –> next to the

item.

Press the

Enter key to

Enter

open the data entry ﬁeld.

• To scroll through items in the data

entry ﬁeld, press .

Press to select an item

Enter

from the ﬁeld.

• To exit from a menu, press the

Esc

key.

Esc

36 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Unit Identification

Unit Identiﬁcation

Viewing Unit Identiﬁcation

You can view a unit’s serial number, production date, and MAC address with the Unit Identiﬁcation menu. The ﬁelds are view only and are set at the factory.

You can also view the Unit Name/Description, Unit Location, and Contact Name. These ﬁelds are optional and can be changed.

To view unit identiﬁcation information

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Unit Identification and press Enter. The Unit Identiﬁcation menu is displayed.

Unit Identification

Serial Number Serial-Number Production Date Jun 07 2000 Ethernet MAC Address 001030000000

Unit Name/Description -> System Name Unit Location System Location Contact Name System Manager's Name

Serial Number Unique serial number of unit (Read Only)

Production Date Date unit was produced (Read Only)

Ethernet MAC Address Unique Internet MAC (Media Access Control)

address of the unit (Read Only)

Unit Name/Description Name of unit (optional)

Unit Location Location of unit (optional)

Contact Name Name of contact person (optional)

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Assigning Unit Identiﬁcation Information

You can assign a name, location, and contact name to units. This information will help you to distinguish units by physical location or by meaningful names rather than just station rank. Unit identiﬁcation information is optional.

To assign or change unit identiﬁcation information

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Unit Identification and press displayed.

Unit Identification

Serial Number Serial-Number Production Date 01-01-2000 Ethernet MAC Address 001030040502

Unit Name/Description -> System Name Unit Location System Location Contact Name System Manager's Name

2. Select Unit Name/Description and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Type in a new name or description.

4. Press

5. Select Unit Location and press

Enter. The new name or description is displayed in the data ﬁeld.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

6. Type the location of the unit.

7. Press

8. Select Contact Name and press

Enter. The new location appears in the data ﬁeld.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

9. Type a contact or manager name.

10. Press

11. Press

Enter. The new name appears in the entry ﬁeld. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter. The Unit Identiﬁcation menu is

38 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Hardware/Software Revision

Viewing System Revision Information

The System Revision Information window shows the revision information of the unit including memory revision number, memory size, and software revision number.

To view system revision information

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Hardware/Software Revision and press Enter. The System Revision

Information window is displayed. The menu is view only.

System Revision Information

Hardware Rev 0.0.0 (4MB SDRAM, 4MB Intel Flash) ROM Size 0x400000 RAM Size 0x400000

2. Press

Software Rev 1.1.0 (Wi-LAN AWE 120-58 WEBII) Oct 26 2000 10:13:37 329868 Bytes File Name FACTORY-IMAGE

Hardware Revision number of the unit, and the amount SDRAM and

FLASH memory available in the unit

ROM Size Amount of Flash read-only memory in the unit = 4 MB

RAM Size Amount of random-access memory in the unit = 4MB

Software Revision number of the system image running on the unit,

the date of the revision, and the size of the image ﬁle (in this example FACTORY-IMAGE is about 318 Kbytes)

File Name File name of the system image running on the unit

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

System Software ROM Images

Viewing System Software ROM Images

A ROM image is the software that a unit uses to operate. The System Software ROM Images window lists software images currently available in the unit. New images can be loaded into a unit’s Flash ROM from an outside source such as a PC. The example below shows that only the "Factory-Image" is available, however, in the future other images may be available. If required, you can obtain a new image ﬁle from the Wi-LAN web site and download it to your AWE unit–see Appendix G: Upgrading Software, page 153 for instructions. See

Setting Default System Image, page 97 for instructions about selecting a default image.

To view system software ROM images

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select System Software ROM Images and press Enter. The System Software ROM Images window is displayed. The window is view only.

System Software ROM Images

File Name Revision Date Time Size Default Image

-------------------- -------- ----------- -------- ------ -------------

FACTORY-IMAGE 1.1.0 Aug 24 2001 10:13:37 306524 Current

File Name Name(s) of system image ﬁle(s) stored in the unit. To add or

delete images you must use ftp. See Appendix G: Upgrading

Software, page 151

Revision Revision number of the system image ﬁle. Each time the system

image is modiﬁed, the revision number increases by 1 unit. For example, the ﬁrst revision to the ﬁle would make the revision number 0.0.1

Date Date image ﬁle was last revised

Time Time image ﬁle was last revised

Size Size of image ﬁle in bytes

Default Image Indicates which image ﬁle is the default. Default Image is used at

power up. See Setting Default System Image, page 97 to modify default image

2. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

40 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

System Current Status

Viewing System Current Status

The System Current Status window provides administration information such as the amount of time a unit has been running and login statistics.

To view system current status

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select System Current Status and press Enter. The System Current Status

window is displayed. The window is view only.

System Current Status

Cumulative Run-Time Days: 0 Hours: 16 Current Run-Time Days: 0 00:38:38 Successful Logins 35 Unsuccessful Logins 1 Local User Logged In Supervisor Telnet User Logged In None FTP User Logged In None

2. Press

Cumulative Run-Time Number of hours the system has been running since it

was manufactured Information is required for maintenance purposes

Current Run-Time Time duration that has passed since the unit was last

reset or power cycled

Successful Logins Number of times that the conﬁguration menus have

been successfully accessed

Unsuccessful Logins Number of times that access to the conﬁguration

menus has failed

Local User Logged In Access level of the user currently logged into the

conﬁguration menus via the RS-232

Telnet User Logged In Access level of the user currently logged into the

conﬁguration menus via a telnet session

FTP User Logged In Access level of the user currently logged into the host

FTP server

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Network Conﬁguration

Each AWE 120-58 unit in a system must have a valid Internet IP address and subnet mask to communicate via TCP/IP. You will need to know this information to remotely manage units.

Viewing Internet IP Addresses and Subnet Mask

To view the Internet IP addresses and subnet mask

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Network Configuration and press Enter. The Network Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Network Configuration

Internet IP Address 192.168.1.100 New IP Address (Reboot Reqd) -> 192.168.1.100 Internet IP Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway IP Address 0.0.0.0 SNMP NMS Trap IP Address 0.0.0.0 MAC Filter Entry Age Time Minutes (1-60) 5

Internet IP Address IP address of unit

New Internet IP Address (Reboot Reqd)

Internet IP Subnet Mask Number used to determine if a node is part of LAN or

Default Gateway IP Address (future)

SNMP NMS Trap IP Address (future)

MAC Filter Entry Age Time Minutes

2. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

New IP address of unit Required when changing IP address

whether a transmission must be handled by router (the subnet mask is logically ANDed with the IP address)

Address of the main entry point into the network

NMS (network management system) trap address Collects alarms and events and passes them to the network administrator

Number of minutes after which the MAC (Media Access Control) ﬁlter entry will expire

42 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Setting the Internet IP Address

To set the new Internet IP address

➧

Network Configuration

1. From the Main Menu, select IP Network Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Network Configuration

Internet IP Address 192.168.1.100

New IP Address (Reboot Reqd) -> 192.168.1.100 Internet IP Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway IP Address 0.0.0.0 SNMP NMS Trap IP Address 0.0.0.0 MAC Filter Entry Age Time Minutes (1-60) 5

2. Select New IP Address and press

3. Type the unique Internet IP address for the unit.

4. Press the Enter key. The new Internet IP address appears in the New IP Address (Reboot

Reqd)ﬁeld, but the old address remains in the upper ﬁeld.

5. To save the changes, reboot the unit or power the unit down and up.

6. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. The Network

Setting the IP Subnet Mask

To set the default IP subnet address

➧

1. From the Network Conﬁguration menu, select Internet IP Subnet Mask and press Enter. The

data ﬁeld highlights.

2. Type the Internet IP subnet mask for the unit.

3. Press

4. Press

Enter. The Internet IP subnet mask appears in the ﬁeld and is assigned to the unit. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Setting the Default Gateway IP Address (future)

You can deﬁne the IP address of the system gateway. This address designates the main entry point into the network and is usually in the same subnetwork as the unit IP address.

To set the default gateway IP address

➧

1. From the Network Conﬁguration menu, select Network Configuration. The Network Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

2. Select Default Gateway IP Address and press

3. Type the default gateway IP address for the unit.

4. Press

5. Press

Enter. The default gateway IP address for the unit appears in the ﬁeld. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Setting the SNMP NMS Trap IP Address (future)

The SNMP (System Network Management Protocol) NMS (Network Management System) Trap IP address identiﬁes the IP address of the network manager. This address passes alarms or events from the unit to the network manager. The network manager can deﬁne the types of traps or alarms that will be forwarded to the IP address.

To set the SNMP NMS trap IP address

➧

1. From the Network Conﬁguration menu, select SNMP NMS Trap IP Address and press Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

2. Type the SNMP NMS Trap IP address for the unit.

3. Press

4. Press

Enter. The SNMP NMS Trap IP address appears in the entry ﬁeld and is applied to the unit. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Setting the MAC Filter Entry Age Time Minutes

The MAC Filter Entry Age Time Minutes setting enables you to control the number of minutes after which the MAC (Media Access Control) ﬁlter will expire. This feature enables you to set the MAC time period of a unit to a value that is most compatible with the MAC time period of other devices on a network.

To set the MAC Filter minutes

➧

1. From the Network Conﬁguration menu, select MAC Filter Entry Age Time Minutes and press Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

2. Type a value from 1–60 and press Enter. The number of minutes appears in the entry ﬁeld and is applied to the unit.

3. Press Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

44 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

IP Filter Configuration

IP Filter Conﬁguration

Two different IP ﬁlters are available: a packet ﬁlter, and an address ﬁlter. The IP packet ﬁlter determines which type of packets are allowed to pass through a unit. If the IP Packet Filter is OFF, the unit passes all packets. If the IP Packet Filter is ON, the unit passes only IP and ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) packets.

IP address ﬁlters are actually tables that contain lists of IP addresses. If an address is listed in the table, the unit will pass data packets to other IP addresses. If it is not listed, the unit will not pass data packets.

IP Address Filter Table

xxx.xx.xx.x

IP Addresses

WireAir

Data packets pass only if the IP address is listed in the IP filter table

When IP address ﬁltering is enabled, all IP packet are sorted according to the following conditions:

1. If the source IP address is contained in one of the IP address lists, IP packets coming from the wire will

be forwarded to the air. If not, IP packets are dropped.

2. If the destination IP address is contained in one of the IP address lists, IP packets coming from the air

will be forwarded to the wire. If not, IP packets are dropped.

Each IP address ﬁlter is deﬁned by a range and a base value. IP address ﬁltering improves system security and helps manage data throughput.

Viewing IP Filter Conﬁguration

To view current IP ﬁlter conﬁguration

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select IP Filter Configuration and press Enter. The IP Filter

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

APR 2001 Rev 03

IP Filter Configuration

IP Packet Filtering -> off IP Address Filtering off

Filter 1 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 1 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Filter 2 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 2 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Filter 3 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 3 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Filter 4 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 4 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Filter 5 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 5 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Configuration

IP Packet

off (disabled) All packets are passed

Filtering

on (enabled) Only IP (Internet Protocol) packets and ARP packets can pass

IP Address

off (disabled) Packets from all IP addresses pass

Filtering

on (enabled) Only packets whose IP addresses listed in at least one IP ﬁlter

pass. Up to ﬁve IP ﬁlters are available; each ﬁlter lists up to 255 IP addresses

Filter n Range n = 0–5 Deﬁnes how many contiguous IP addresses are in the ﬁlter’s list

of addresses

Filter n Base Address

n = lowest IP Address

Lowest numbered address on the ﬁlter’s list of IP addresses

Example: To conﬁgure a unit to pass only IP data packets from the IP addresses in the list below,

192.168.2.10

192.168.2.11

192.168.2.12

192.168.2.13

194.120.3.51

194.120.3.52

194.120.3.254

194.120.3.255

194.120.4.0

194.120.4.1

you would conﬁgure the unit as follows:

IP Packet Filtering = on IP Address Filtering = on Filter 1 Range (0 - 255) = 4 Filter 1 Base Address = 192.168.2.10 Filter 2 Range (0 - 255) = 2 Filter 2 Base Address = 194.120.3.51 Filter 3 Range (0 - 255) = 4 Filter 3 Base Address = 194.120.3.254

46 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

IP Filter Configuration

Enabling IP Packet Filtering

IP Packet ﬁltering should initially be set to off so you can start from a known state and observe changes that result from using the IP packet ﬁlter.

To enable IP packet ﬁltering

➧

1. From the IP Filter Conﬁguration menu, select IP Packet Filtering and press

highlights.

IP Filter Configuration

IP Packet Filtering -> off IP Address Filtering off

Filter 1 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 1 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Filter 2 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 2 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Filter 3 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 3 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Filter 4 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 4 Base Address 0.0.0.0

Filter 5 Range (0-255) 0 Filter 5 Base Address 0.0.0.0

2. Scroll to on.

3. Press

4. Press

Enter to make the change. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter. The data ﬁeld

Enabling IP Address Filtering

To enable IP address ﬁltering

➧

1. From the IP Filter Conﬁguration menu, select IP Address Filtering and press Enter. The data

ﬁeld highlights.

2. Scroll to on and press

3. Press

APR 2001 Rev 03

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter.

Configuration

Setting IP Address Filter Range

To set IP address ﬁlter range

➧

1. From the IP Filter Conﬁguration menu, select Filter 1 Range (0 - 255) and press data ﬁeld highlights.

2. Type in the number of contiguous addresses in the ﬁlter list (0 - 255) and press

3. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter.

Setting the IP Filter Base Address

To set IP ﬁlter base address

➧

1. From the IP Filter Conﬁguration menu, select Filter 1 Base Address and press ﬁeld highlights.

2. Type the IP address and press

3. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. The data

Enter. The

48 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

RF Station Configuration

RF Station Conﬁguration

The RF Station Conﬁguration menu enables you to choose the operating mode, run some tests and optimize the RF link. Four tests can be run from this menu: link monitor test, transmit test, receive test and RSSI test. You can optimize a link by setting the maximum remote distance to a remote and by controlling the rate of data throughput (throttling). You can also block a unit so that it cannot pass any data.

Viewing Current RF Station Conﬁguration

To view current RF station conﬁguration

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press Enter. The RF Station

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode -> Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

Operating Mode Four modes are available: Normal Mode, Receive Test,

Transmit Test, and RSSI Test

RF Transmit Status Determines if data transmissions through the unit will be

blocked or passed

Link Monitor Period Period determines the amount of test data that is used to

test the link. The smaller the number, the larger the amount of test data and test data overhead. A non-zero value starts the link monitor test

Test Mode Timer Minutes

Maximum Remote Distance

Maximum time in minutes that a unit will be allowed to stay in test mode

Distance value compensates for polling delay due to large distances

Link Monitor Remote Station Rank

APR 2001 Rev 03

Rank (or ID number) of the remote that you want to test

Configuration

Throttle Enable Turns throttling (data throughput control) on or off

Throttle Level Determines the data rate of a remote unit. When

2. Press Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

throttling is enabled, the data rate passed is equal to the throttling level times 128 kbps

50 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Setting the Operating Mode

Four modes are available: Normal Mode, Receive Test, Transmit Test, and RSSI Test.

Normal Mode Normal operating mode of a unit. Unit transmits and receives data in

both directions across the RF link. Link Monitor test is run with the unit set to Normal mode. (You can view the link statistics with Link Monitor Display.)

RF Station Configuration

Receive Test

Receives test data only. Processes expected packet data and displays statistics on RS-232 monitor. Use this mode to test a unit’s ability to receive data.

Transmit Test

Transmits test data only. Sends known packet data to the receiving unit. Use this mode to test a unit’s abilty to transmit data.

RSSI Test RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) test–indicates signal strength.

Unit receives known data packets and displays fade margin data on the Air LED. Use this mode to get a quick visual indication of the signal strength. See Performing the RSSI Test, page 59 for more information.

To set the operating mode

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press Enter. The RF Station

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode -> Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km

Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

2. Select Operating Mode and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Press the arrow keys to select the desired mode: Normal mode, Transmit mode, Receive mode or RSSI

mode.

4. Press

Enter. The screen clears, and the Mode LED on the unit is ON. The color of the Mode LED

indicates the current mode: Normal Mode = off, Transmit Test = red, Receive Test = green and RSSI Test = orange.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

5. To exit a mode, brieﬂy disconnect the power or press and hold the Mode button on the rear panel of the unit. The Mode LED goes off (normal mode) and the Login menu is displayed.

Note: The operating mode can also be set with the Mode button on the back of the AWE. See Setting

Operating Mode with the Mode Button, page 102 for more information.

General Equipment Setup for Performing RF Tests

The general equipment setup is shown below. The speciﬁc setup depends on the test you want to run.

• To perform the Normal Mode (Link Monitor) test you need to connect a PC to either the base

station or a remote unit.

• To perform the Transmit Test or Receive Test you need at least one base station with PC, a remote

station with PC, and an RF link between units. See Establishing a Basic RF Link, page 21 for instructions about establishing an RF link.

• To perform the RSSI test you need a PC for the unit that will transmit. The receiving unit does not

require a PC. You can also run this test with the Mode button.

General Equipment Setup

Base Unit

Air

Mode Wire Power

RS-232 Serial Cable

2 m

minimum

Remote Unit

Air

Mode Wire Power

To Serial PortTo Serial Port

RS-232 Serial Cable

COM Por t

PC PC

COM Por t

Before you run any tests, you should set the number of test minutes, as descibed below in Setting Test Mode

Timer Minutes, page 53.

52 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

RF Station Configuration

Setting Test Mode Timer Minutes

Before you run any of these tests, you should set the maximum time, in minutes, that a unit will be allowed to stay in test mode. When this time period expires, the AWE unit performs an automatic software reboot and returns to Normal mode. (Test mode timer minutes setting applies only to Transmit Test, Receive Test, and RSSI Test modes.)

Note: The test mode timer minutes can be changed only with this menu. This time period does not apply to

Normal mode or the Link Monitor test. See Setting Operating Mode with the Mode Button, page 102.

To set test mode timer minutes

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press

Enter. The RF Station

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) -> 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km

Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

2. Select Test Mode Timer Minutes and press Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Type the desired time in minutes (1-1000). (20 minutes is a suggested starting value.)

4. Press

5. Press

Enter. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Performing Link Monitor Test (Normal Mode)

The link monitor test can be run from either a base station or a remote unit that is set to Normal Mode. The test operates in parallel with the message stream, so it consumes some of the link’s total data capacity. You can control the ratio of test data to message data (and thereby control the amount of test data overhead) by setting the link monitor period. See Setting the Link Monitor Period, page 61 for more information.

Note: Link monitor test stays in effect even if you power cycle or reboot units, so you must turn it off using

the Link Monitor Period (0 = OFF) setting.

To perform Link Monitor test from a base station

➧

1. Connect the test PC to the Serial port of the base station. See General Equipment Setup for Performing RF

Tests, page 52.

2. Log in to the unit and go to the Main Menu.

3. Select RF Station Configuration and press displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Enter. The RF Station Conﬁguration menu is

Operating Mode -> Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

4. Select Operating Mode and press

5. Press the arrow keys to select Normal mode and press

6. Select RF Transmit Status and press

7. Press the arrow keys to select unblocked and press

8. Select Link Monitor Remote Station Rank and press

9. Type the rank of the remote unit that you want to link to and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. (The rank is the identiﬁcation

number of the remote unit. The rank of a remote can be any number from 1 – 1000. See Setting the

Station Rank, page 69.)

10. Select Link Monitor Period and press

11. Type a link monitor period (1) and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. Link Monitor starts as soon as a non-zero value is

entered in the ﬁeld. (A setting of 1 means that 50% of all data is test data.)

54 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

RF Station Configuration

12. View the link statistics. From the Main Menu select Link Monitor Display and press Enter. The RF

Link Monitor Statistics window is displayed.

RF Link Monitor Statistics

13. Check for BER = 0.0E+00 and Corr Power between 15 – 50 dB. If the Corr Power is <15 dB the

receive signal is probably too weak. If the power is >55 dB the receiving unit is probably saturated. See

Viewing Link Monitor Statistics, page 101 for more information about Link Monitor Statistics.

If you have problems, ensure that the unit is conﬁgured to its basic default settings (see Restoring Factory

Conﬁgurations, page 99) and reconﬁgure the unit, or contact Wi-LAN Technical Assistance Center.

14. When ﬁnished viewing link monitor statistics, disable Link Monitor to remove the test overhead data

from the RF link. Select RF Station Configuration from the Main Menu and press

Enter. The RF

Station Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

15. Select Link Monitor Period and press

16. Type 0 in the ﬁeld and press

17. Press

Esc to exit.

Enter. The link monitor test ends.

Enter. The ﬁeld is highlighted.

To perform Link Monitor test from a remote unit

➧

1. Connect the test PC to the Serial port of the remote unit. See General Equipment Setup for Performing RF

Tests, page 52.

2. Log in to the unit and go to the Main Menu.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

3. Select RF Station Configuration and press Enter. The RF Station Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode -> Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km

Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

4. Select Operating Mode and press

5. Press the arrow keys to select Normal mode and press

6. Select RF Transmit Status and press

7. Press the arrow keys to select unblocked and press

8. Select Link Monitor Remote Station Rank and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights and the

remote automatically connects with the base station.

9. Select Link Monitor Period and press

10. Type a link monitor period (1) and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. Link Monitor starts as soon as a non-zero value is

entered in the ﬁeld. (A setting of 1 means that 50% of all data is test data.)

11. View the link statistics. From the Main Menu select Link Monitor Display and press Link Monitor Statistics window is displayed.

RF Link Monitor Statistics

Enter. The RF

12. Check for BER = 0.0E+00 and Corr Power between 15 – 50 dB. If the Corr Power is <15 dB the receive signal is probably too weak. If the power is >55 dB the receiving unit is probably saturated. See

Viewing Link Monitor Statistics, page 101 for more information about Link Monitor Statistics.

56 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

RF Station Configuration

If you have problems, ensure that the unit is conﬁgured to its basic default settings (see Restoring Factory

Conﬁgurations, page 99) and reconﬁgure the unit or contact Wi-LAN customer support.

13. When you ﬁnish viewing link monitor statistics, disable Link Monitor to remove the test overhead data

from the RF link. Select RF Station Configuration from the Main Menu and press Station Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

14. Select Link Monitor Period and press

15. Type 0 in the ﬁeld and press

16. Press

Note: When testing, it is possible to run the link monitor in both directions over one link by enabling link

Esc to exit.

monitor on the base and the remote at the same time. This situation should be avoided during normal operation because it causes needless overhead.

Enter. The link monitor test ends.

Enter. The ﬁeld is highlighted.

Enter. The RF

Performing Transmit and Receive Tests

When performing transmit or receive tests, one unit is set up to operate in Transmit Test mode and the other unit is set up to operate in Receive Test mode. The transmitting unit sends packets of known data to the receiving unit. The receiving unit analyzes the data and displays link statistics on the PC connected to the Serial port.

To set up the transmit unit

➧

1. Connect a PC to the Serial port of the unit.

2. Log in to the unit and go to the Main Menu.

3. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

4. Select Operating Mode and press

5. Select Transmit Test and press

transmitting.

To set up the receive unit

➧

1. Connect a PC to the Serial port of the unit.

2. Log in to the unit and go to the Main Menu.

3. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

4. Select Operating Mode and press

5. Select Receive Test and press

receiving. The link statistics are displayed on the receiving unit. Alternating lines of statistics across the screen indicate that data is incoming. See the following example.

Enter. The ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. The Mode LED on the unit is red, indicating that the unit is

Enter. The ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. The Mode LED on the turns green, indicating that the unit is

Enter. The RF Station

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Link Statistics Example

Previous Sample

Current Sample

- BER = 0.0E+00, MPC = 0, EnvP = 63, CorrP = 63 | BER = 0.0E+00, MPC = 0, EnvP = 63, CorrP = 63

BER Bit Error Rate

MPC Missed Packet Count

EnvP Envelope Power—the power of the received signal inlcuding noise,

CorrP Correlation Power—the power of the received signal, excluding noise,

Bit Error Rate

measured in dB (0–63)

Missed Packet Count

Envelope Power

Correlation Power

6. Check for BER = 0.0E+00 and CorrP between 15 – 50 dB. If the CorrP is <15 dB the receive signal is probably too weak. If the power is >55 dB the receiving unit is probably saturated.

If you have problems ensure that the unit is conﬁgured to its basic default settings (see Restoring Factory

Conﬁgurations, page 99) and reconﬁgure the unit, or contact Wi-LAN customer support.

7. To end the test, brieﬂy disconnect power from the unit or press and hold the Mode button to return to Normal mode.

58 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

RF Station Configuration

Performing the RSSI Test

RSSI mode is used to measure the signal strength (fade margin) of a system. When running the test between two units, the transmit unit is set to Transmit Test mode (using either the RF Station Conﬁguration menu or the Mode button). The receive unit is put into RSSI Test mode (using either the RF Station Conﬁguration menu or the Mode button). The Air LED on the receiving unit indicates the fade margin.

To run the RSSI test

➧

1. Put the receiving unit into RSSI mode. See Setting the Operating Mode, page 51 or Setting Operating Mode

with the Mode Button, page 102. The Mode LED is orange when the unit is in RSSI mode.

2. Put the transmiting unit into Transmit Test mode. The Mode LED on the unit is red, indicating that

the unit is in transmit mode. See Setting the Operating Mode, page 51 or Setting Operating Mode with the

Mode Button, page 102.

3. Observe the color of the Air LED on the receiving unit. The Air LED is green when the signal strength is

acceptable.

Air LED Color Signal Strength

Green Reliable signal—greater than 15 dB fade margin

Orange Marginal signal—between 11 and 15 dB fade margin

Red Poor signal—less than 10 dB fade margin

Blank No signal at all

4. To exit from the test, brieﬂy disconnect power from the unit or press and hold the Mode button to

return to Normal mode.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Setting the RF Transmit Status

This setting can block a unit (or link) from carrying data trafﬁc. It is used to disable units and to discontinue service to customers, if necessary.

To set RF transmit status

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode Normal Mode RF Transmit Status -> unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

2. Select RF Transmit Status and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Select a setting.

Enter. The RF Station

unblocked Unit passes data in both directions (default setting)

blocked Does not pass data in either direction

4. Press

5. Press

Enter. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

60 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

RF Station Configuration

Setting the Link Monitor Period

The Link Monitor Period determines the ratio of test data to message data that is sent when you run the link monitor test. The higher the period number, the smaller the ratio of test data to message data. The following diagram shows the ratios of test data to link data

Link Monitor Period Settings

Period Setting

Packet Ratio

(Test/Link)

Test Msg

Test Msg Msg

Test Msg Msg Msg

Test = test data Msg = message data

50% (1/2)

33.3% (1/3)

25% (1/4)

See Performing Link Monitor Test (Normal Mode), page 54 for information about running the Link Monitor test.

To set Link Monitor Period

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press

Enter. The RF Station

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) -> 1 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

2. Select Link Monitor Period and press

3. Type the period setting (0=OFF, 1-10000)

4. Press

5. Press

APR 2001 Rev 03

Enter. The test starts as soon as a non-zero value is entered. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Configuration

Setting Maximum Remote Distance (Base Station Only)

The Maximum Remote Distance setting is used to optimize dynamic polling by compensating for time delays caused by long distances between the sending unit and the receiving unit.

IMPORTANT

In the base unit, the Maximum Remote Distance should always be set to the distance

between the base and the farthest remote.

To set the maximum remote distance

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press Enter. The RF Station Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer (1-1000)mins 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance -> 5 Km Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

2. Select Maximum Remote Distance and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Press the arrow keys to set the distance of the furthest remote unit (5 km increments are used).

4. Press

5. Press

Enter. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

62 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

RF Station Configuration

Setting Link Monitor Remote Station Rank

When you run the Link Monitor Test from a base station, you need to specify the rank (ID number) of the remote that you want to test. When you run the link monitor test from a remote, there is only one base, so the rank number does not need to be entered.

To set the link monitor remote station rank

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0-OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer Minutes (1-1000) 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km Link Monitor Remote Station Rank -> 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

2. Select Link Monitor Remote Station Rank and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Type the station rank (ID#) of the remote to test.

4. Press

5. Press

Enter. Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter. The RF Station

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Adjusting Throttling (Remote Station Only)

Throttling enables you to control the rate that data passes though a remote, so data throughput can be adjusted to make the data rate compatible with the rest of the system. Throttling restricts the ﬂow of data from air to wire or from wire to air. When throttling is enabled, the amount of data passed is equal to the throttling level times 128 kbps, to a maximum of 6.4 Mbps. Throttling applies to both down link and up link trafﬁc, so a throttle level of 1 means the unit will pass 128 kbps in each direction. A throttle level of 50 means that 50 x 128 kbps will be passed. When throttling is disabled, the unit uses the maximum available bandwidth. The default setting is to disable throttling.

To enable throttling

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

RF Station Configuration

Operating Mode Normal Mode RF Transmit Status unblocked Link Monitor Period (0=OFF, 1-10000) 0 Test Mode Timer (1-1000)mins 20

Base Station Only Parameters

Maximum Remote Distance 5 Km Link Monitor Remote Station Rank 1

Remote Station Only Parameters Throttle Enable -> off Throttle Level (1-50) 1

2. Select Throttle Enable and press

3. Scroll to select on or off, and press

4. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter.

Enter. The RF Station

To set the throttle level

➧

1. Set Throttle Enable to on, then select Throttle Level from the RF Conguration menu and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

2. Type a value from 1–50 to select the data throughput rate (where 1 = 1 x 128 kbps, 50 = 50 x 128 kbps) and press

3. Press

Enter.

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

64 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Radio Module Conﬁguration

The Radio Module Conﬁguration menu is used to change several key parameters, including station type, station rank, and security passwords. Because these settings can affect service, they are changed in three progessive stages: new, current, and ﬂash. (New and current are for temporary storage, while ﬂash is for long-term storage.) The general procedure for changing settings with the Radio Module Conﬁguration menu follows.

1. View the current Radio Module Conﬁguration menu. See Viewing the Radio Module Conﬁguration, page 65.

2. Select Config Test Minutes. To begin, enter a time of 15–20 minutes. See Setting Conﬁg Test

Minutes, page 67.

3. Select a parameter and, if necessary, change the value in the "New" column.

4. After making changes, select Reboot New RF Configuration and press Enter. The unit reboots

and the "New" settings become the "Current" settings of the unit. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

5. If the unit operates as expected, you can save the current settings to "Flash". See Rebooting and Saving

RF Module Conﬁgurations, page 84.

If current settings do not operate as expected, do not save them to "Flash". Either change the current

settings or wait for the Config Test Minutes time period to expire. At expiry, the unit will automatically reboot and revert to the last-saved ﬂash memory settings. See Rebooting and Saving RF

Module Conﬁgurations, page 84.

Viewing the Radio Module Conﬁguration

To view the current radio module conﬁguration

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Enter. The Radio Module

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Station Type Deﬁnes unit as either a base station or a remote station

Station Rank For a base station, the number of remotes that the base polls

For a remote, the polling ID # of the remote

Center Frequency Deﬁnes the channel the unit uses to transmit and receive

Security Password n Password(s) for the unit

Scrambling Code Code used to scramble messages

Acquisition Code Code used to reduce system-induced interferance in a multi-

sector system

Config Test Minutes Amount of time before unit returns to its pre-conﬁguration state

Tx Power Level Adjust Reduces the power below maximum Tx power by the speciﬁed

amount in dB.

Repeater Mode Sets up a base station to pass data to and from remotes rather

than function as a control unit

System Symmetry Type Deﬁnes the amount of priority the base unit has when polling the

remotes

Dynamic Polling Level Number of polling cycles that inactive remote units are ignored by

the base station

Remote Unit RF Group Identiﬁes the goup number of the remote unit

Remote units with same RF group number can communicate directly with each other

Reboot new RF

Reboots unit to save New settings as Current settings

configuration

Save Current Config

Stores current settings in ﬂash memory

to Flash

2. Press Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

66 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Setting Conﬁg Test Minutes

When changing Radio Module Conﬁguration settings, you may enter settings that cause a unit or system to not function as expected. If this happens, you can return to the last-saved settings if you ﬁrst set the Conﬁg Test Minutes test period. When this test period expires, the unit automatically reboots and returns to its last-saved ﬂash memory settings. The time period can be ﬁxed from 1 to 120 minutes.

Tip: To begin, enter a time period of 30 minutes. If the time period is too short, you will not have enough time to make conﬁguration changes and save them to ﬂash ROM. If the time period is long, you will have to wait a long time before the unit automatically reboots and restores the settings to the original ﬂash ROM state.

To set the conﬁg test timeout period

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 0 0 0 Config Test Minutes (1-120) -> 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

Enter. The Radio Module

2. Select Config Test Minutes and press Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Type the number of minutes (1-120) and press

4. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The number of minutes is stored in the New state.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit will now use the current settings to operate, for the length of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

5. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module

Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

6. Press

APR 2001 Rev 03

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Configuration

Setting the Station Type

Each unit must be set up as either a base station or a remote station. In a given system there is only one base station, but there can be numerous remote stations. (A base station can also be set up as a repeater base.) You deﬁne the unit as a base station or remote unit by setting the Station Type.

To set the station type

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

Enter. The Radio Module

2. Select Station Type and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Scroll to select the Station Type (base station or remote unit).

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" station type for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

68 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Setting the Station Rank

Station Rank is deﬁned two different ways, which depend on the station type: For a base station, rank is the total number of remotes that a base will poll. For a remote unit, rank is a unique polling ID number that identiﬁes a remote to a base station.

When it polls remotes, the base station begins polling at the remote with rank number 1, then proceeds to the remote with rank number 2, then goes to the remote with rank number 3, and so on. The base continues polling remotes until it reaches the remote with the highest rank number. The base then repeats the polling cycle.

Note: Dynamic polling gives you some control over the polling process. See Setting Dynamic Polling Level (Base

Station Only), page 80.

To set the station rank

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) -> 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 1 1 1 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

Enter. The Radio Module

2. Select Station Rank (1-1000).

3. Type the rank (a number from 1–1000) of the station.

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" rank for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module

Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

APR 2001 Rev 03

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Configuration

Setting the Center Frequency

A center frequency deﬁnes the RF channel that a unit uses to transmit and receive. The AWE 120-58 can operate at a center frequency ranging from 5.7410 GHz to 5.8338 GHz, in 400 kHz steps. All units in the same system must be set to the same center frequency.

If you plan to co-locate AWE 120-58 systems, you will need to use more than one center frequency.You will choose center frequencies that are well-separated from each other. The following section Choosing Center

Frequencies explains how to choose center frequencies.

Choosing Center Frequencies

A simpliﬁed diagram of the spectrum around a center frequency (when transmitting) is shown below.

Center Frequency Spectrum

66 MHz

16 MHz16 MHz 33 MHz

Data

Region

SideSide

LobeLobe

5.7410 GHz 5.8338 GHz

Center Frequency

Only the 33 MHz data region of the 66 MHz spectrum contains data; the remaining 16 MHz side lobes contain no useful information (frequency ranges given are approximate).The side lobes operate at a much lower power than the data region.

If only one center frequency is required, simply choose a frequency between 5.7410 GHz and 5.8338 GHz (in 400 kHz increments). You will probably choose a center frequency where the 5.8 GHz ISM band is cleanest, meaning a frequency where no other people are transmitting.

If two or more AWE 120-58 systems must be co-located, center frequencies are selected that have as much separation as possible so different systems do not interfere with each other. It is very important that the 33 MHz data regions of adjacent systems do not overlap. System performance is also better if the side lobes of one system do not overlap the data region of another system. It does not matter if the side-lobes of two systems overlap.

70 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Some examples of center frequency separation and performance ratings are provided below.

Excellent

Fair

Good

Poor

These examples show that there is no beneﬁt to separating the center frequencies of adjacent systems by more than 66 MHz. 48 MHz of center frequency separation is more than adequate in most cases. Separation of 33MHz is adequate for strong RF links, but weak signals will be degraded by the overlap of the side-lobes into the data region. Overlapping of data regions is not recommended and will cause problems.

The following diagram shows seven different center frequencies in the 5.8 GHz ISM band that are spaced as far apart as possible. If you wish, you can choose your center frequencies from these sample schemes.

Sample Center Frequency Schemes for Co-located Systems

1 System

2 Systems

Choose any one center frequency

Choose any two center frequencies

3 Systems

4 Systems

ABCDEFG

5.7250

5.7410

5.7562

5.7718

5.7874

5.7803

5.8182

5.8338

5.8500

Center Frequency (GHz)

Three co-located system could use the A,D and G center frequencies. Frequencies B, D and F would probably work equally as well. Four co-located systems could use the A, C, E and G frequencies. Having more than four co-located systems would require careful radio network planning to ensure the proper operation of each system.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

To set the center frequency

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) -> 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 1 1 1 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

Enter. The Radio Module

2. Select Center Frequency and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Type the value of the RF center frequency. The value can range from 57410 GHz to 53338 GHz in steps of 400 kHz. (Numbers are automatically rounded down to the nearest step.) All units in a system must have the same center frequency.

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" center frequency for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

72 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Setting Security Passwords

Passwords are always exchanged between units when they communicate with each other. A set of ﬁve security passwords is assigned to each unit. The set of passwords must be exactly the same for all units in a system. (A convenient, but non-secure option is to set all passwords to "0".) The more password levels you use, the greater the security of your system. For example, using a set of ﬁve different passwords will result in a highly secure system. All units in the same network must use the same set of security passwords.

To set security passwords

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press Enter. The Radio Module

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) -> 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 1 1 1 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

2. Select Security Password 1 and press

3. Enter a password in Hex code and press

4. Select Security Password 2 and press

5. Enter a different password in Hex code and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. The password is stored in the New state.

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. The password is stored in the New state.

6. Repeat this process until you complete all ﬁve password levels.

7. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" set of passwords for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

8. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module

Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

9. Press

APR 2001 Rev 03

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Configuration

Setting the Scrambling Code

To protect the privacy of a wireless link, units can scramble messages—the message content is rearranged so that messages are difﬁcult to read by unintended receivers. The scrambling code determines how messages are scrambled by a unit. Only units with the same scrambling code as the originating unit can de-scramble and read the message. The scrambling code can be 0-32 bits long. All units in the same wireless network must have this setting set to the same value.

To set scrambling codes

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press Enter. The Radio Module Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) -> 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 1 1 1 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

2. Select Scrambling Code and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Type the code (hexidecimal number).

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" scrambling code for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

74 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Setting the Acquisition Code

An acquisition code is a unique code contained within the preamble of a transmitted message. Units search the air for messages that begin with a particular acquisition code. Messages without the correct code are treated as interference and are rejected by a unit. Messages with the correct code are accepted and processed. Acquisition codes serve to isolate units from each other, especially when several units operate in close proximity or at the same frequency in a multiple-sector or multi-cell environment. All units in the same network must have the same acquisition code in order to communicate with each other.

To set the acquisition code

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press Enter. The Radio Module

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) -> 0 0 0 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

2. Select Acquisition Code and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Type the Acquisition code (0-15).

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" acquisition code for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module

Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

APR 2001 Rev 03

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Configuration

Adjusting the Tx Power Level

Tx Power Level Adjust enables you to reduce the transmit power output level by up to 31 dB. For example, selecting a value of 0 sets the transmit power to maximum power, while selecting a value of –31 sets the transmit power to 31 dB below maximum power.

To adjust the Tx power output level

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 0 0 0 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust -> 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

Enter. The Radio Module

2. Select Tx Power Level Adjust and press

3. Scroll through the list and press

Enter to select a power attenuation level. Choose a value between 0

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

and –31, where 0 means no Tx power attenuation and –31 means Tx power is attenuated by 31 dB.

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" acquisition code for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

76 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Setting a Base to Repeater Mode (Base Station Only)

When repeater mode is enabled at a base station (Repeater Mode = on), the base acts as a repeater in addition to performing its normal base station functions. As a repeater, the base station receives incoming messages from remotes, stores them and broadcasts them to all remotes within RF range. Remotes belonging to the same RF group (with the same RF Group number) can communicate via the repeater. (See Setting

Remote Unit RF Group, page 81 for information about RF groups.) The diagram below expains the process.

Repeater Mode

Message is sent from

originating remote

Wired Network

RF Group n

n = 1–63 Rank = 1

(ID # of remote)

Wired Network

RF Group n

n = 1– 63 Rank = 2

(ID # of remote)

Remote

Message is stored

and broadcast to all remotes in RF Group n

Base

Repeater Mode = on

(number of remote units)

Rank = 4

Remote

(ID # of remote)

Remote

(ID # of remote)

Wired Network

RF Group n

n = 1– 63

Rank = 3

Message is received by destination remote

Wired Network

RF Group n

n = 1– 63 Rank = 4

When repeater mode is disabled (Repeater Mode = off), the base station functions normally (it polls remotes and links the various segments of the network). By deﬁnition, Repeater Mode does not apply to units of RF Group = 0.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

To set base to repeater mode

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 0 0 0 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode -> off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

Enter. The Radio Module

2. Select Repeater Mode and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Scroll to select the desired setting where:

off Base unit does not re-transmit messages

Default setting

on Base unit re-transmits messages received from one remote to other

remotes in the same RF group

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" repeater mode for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

78 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Setting System Symmetry Type (Base Station Only)

System symmetry type ﬁxes the priority of the base unit when it polls remotes. The default "asymmetric" setting alots the base one time slot for each time a remote is polled—this setting is useful when the base is the access point to a large network. The "symmetric" setting alots the base one time slot per polling cycle. A symmetric system gives the base station the same polling priority as a remote unit.

To set system symmetry type

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 0 0 0 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type -> Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

2. Select System Symmetry Type and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

3. Scroll to the desired setting where:

Enter. The Radio Module

asymmetric Base unit has higher priority than remotes: the base unit has one time slot

after every remote time slot Default setting

symmetric Base unit has the same priority as all remotes: the base unit has one time

slot for every polling cycle

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" symmetry type for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module

Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

APR 2001 Rev 03

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

Configuration

Setting Dynamic Polling Level (Base Station Only)

Dynamic polling improves system performance by reducing overhead due to idle remote units. A base station automatically learns which remote stations are active and which are idle. The base station waits a brief time period for a remote to respond to a poll. If the remote doesn’t respond within the time period, the base considers the remote to be idle. (This process is called dynamic time allocation or DTA.) Idle remote units are ignored by the base station for the number of polling rounds entered in the Dynamic Polling Level ﬁeld. The higher the dynamic polling level, the more efﬁcient the throughput and the longer it takes to move a subscriber from an inactive state to an active state. Dynamic Polling improves system performance whenever there is more than one remote. When there are a large number of remotes system performance improves signiﬁcantly.

Note: Polling level is set only at the base station.

To set the dynamic polling level

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Station Configuration and press Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 0 0 0 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) -> 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

Enter. The RF Station

1. Select Dynamic Polling Level and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

2. Type the desired polling level (1-60).

3. Press

4. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" dynamic polling level for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

5. To save the current setting(s) to ﬂash memory, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

6. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

80 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Radio Module Configuration

Setting Remote Unit RF Group

The RF Group setting enables you to determine which units in a system can communicate with each other. For example, in a system consisting of a base station and associated remotes, you can: 1) assign units to different groups so that only members of the same group can communicate with each other and the base (an open system); 2) isolate remotes so they cannot talk to other remotes, but can talk only to the base (a closed system); 3) assign remote units to groups and conﬁgure the base station as a repeater (a closed system); and

4) combine closed units with open units in the same system. These conﬁgurations are explained below.

Remote units with the same RF group number (RF Group = 1– 63) can communicate directly with each other and with the base station (if there is a line-of-sight RF path between units and base station Repeater Mode = off.) An example is a company where the Human Resources department needs direct access to the Payroll department, but the two departments must be isolated from other departments. Since HR and Payroll are in the same RF group 14, they can talk directly to each other, but they cannot talk directly to other groups such as R&D, which belongs to RF Group 20.

Example 1: Open System

Repeater Mode = off

Base

Remote

RF Group = 20

R&D

Remote

RF Group = 14

Human Resources

Remote

RF Group = 14

Payroll

RF Group = n

n = 1 – 63

Remote units conﬁgured as RF Group = 0 are independent, closed units. Closed units cannot talk directly to each other, they can only talk directly to the base station. This setup acts to isolate remote units and the associated LANs from each other. Example 2 shows a situation where independent companies are connected wirelessly to a single base station and communication between the companies is prevented.

Example 2: Closed System

Repeater Mode = off

Base

Remote

RF Group = 0

Company 1

Remote

RF Group = 0

Company 2

Remote

RF Group = 0

Company 3

RF Group = 0

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

A repeater is used to bypass obstacles that block the RF path (for example, a mountain). When a base station is set to repeater mode (Repeater Mode = on), it can pass data from remotes in an RF group to other remotes in the same group. A system with a repeater is a closed system. Example 3 shows a repeater with four remotes. All the remotes are in the same RF Group 4, so they can talk to each other via the repeater base.

Example 3: Repeater Conﬁguration (Closed System)

Repeater Mode = on

Base

Closed

System

Remote

RF Group = 4

n = 1 – 63

Remote Remote

RF Group = 4 n = 1 – 63

Mountain

No direct communcation

possible due to obstacle

RF Group = 4

n = 1 – 63

Remote

RF Group = 4

n = 1 – 63

Closed remote units (RF Group = 0) can be combined with open remote units (RF Group = non-zero) within the same system. In this case each group in the system behaves according to its RF Group characteristics: closed remotes could communicate only with the base, remotes with the same (non-zero) group number could communicate with each other, and remotes with different (non-zero) group numbers could not communicate with each other. A base or repeater would not pass packets originating from a closed remote.

The following table summarizes the ﬁrst three situations.

Repeater Mode

(Base only)

Repeater Mode = off

RF Group

(Remote only)

1–63 Open Remotes can communicate directly with

System Type

System Characteristics

the base and each other if remotes that have the same non-zero RF group number (if a LOS RF path can be established)

Repeater Mode = off

0 Closed Remotes can communicate only with the

base station—they cannot talk to each other

Repeater Mode = on1–63 Closed Remotes cannot communicate directly with

each other, they can only communicate via the repeater base with other remotes that have the same RF group number

In a mixed system, each RF group behaves according to the RF Group charactersitics assigned to it (0 = closed , 1–63 = open; same non-zero group number = communication, different non-zero group number = no communication).

82 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

To set remote unit RF group

➧

Radio Module Configuration

1. From the Main Menu, select RF Module Configuration and press

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 1 1 1 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) -> 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

2. Select Remote Unit RF Group and press

Enter. The data ﬁeld highlights.

Enter. The g menu is displayed.

3. In the Remote Unit RF Group entry ﬁeld, type the RF group number, using the following table as a guide.

4. Press

5. Select Reboot New RF Configuration and press

Enter. The new setting is displayed in the "New" column.

Enter. The unit reboots and the AWE 120-58

Login menu is displayed. The unit now runs using the "Current" remote unit RF group for the amount of time speciﬁed by Config Test Minutes.

6. To save the current setting(s) to FLASH, log in, go to the Main Menu, and select Radio Module Configuration, Save Current Config to Flash. See Rebooting and Saving RF Module

Conﬁgurations, page 84.

7. Press

Esc to exit to the Main Menu.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

Rebooting and Saving RF Module Conﬁgurations

Because changes to radio module conﬁguration settings can affect service in a wireless system, changes are made in three progessive stages: new, current, and ﬂash.

New Intended conﬁguration changes. Temporary memory storage.

Current Conﬁguration actually running on the unit. Temporary memory storage.

Flash Conﬁguration stored in FLASH memory. Long-term memory storage.

A reboot of a unit is required to save New settings as Current settings. If Current settings are valid (and do not disrupt the system), they can be saved to Flash memory. If the changes disrupt the system, the original conﬁguration will be restored automatically when the Conﬁg Test Minutes period expires.

To reboot a unit

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press Enter. The Radio Module Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 1 1 1 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration -> Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash Press Enter to Execute

2. Select Reboot New RF configuration and press

Enter. The unit reboots with the with new

settings and with the Conﬁg Test Minutes timeout period in effect. The new settings can be viewed in the "Current" column of the Radio Module Conﬁguration menu. The old, last-saved conﬁguration remains in Flash memory.

If the conﬁguration is the one you want and the unit operates as intended, you can save the current

changes to "permanent" ﬂash memory by selecting Save Current Config to Flash from the Radio Module Conﬁguration menu. When you save the current settings to "Flash" the new settings overwrite the old ﬂash memory settings.

84 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

To save current conﬁguration to FLASH

➧

Radio Module Configuration

1. From the Main Menu, select Radio Module Configuration and press

Conﬁguration menu is displayed.

Radio Module Configuration New Current Flash Station Type Remote Unit Remote Unit Remote Unit Station Rank (1-1000) 1 1 1 Center Frequency (57410-58338) 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz 5.7874 GHz Security Password 1 (Hex) 1 1 1 Security Password 2 (Hex) 10 10 10 Security Password 3 (Hex) 100 100 100 Security Password 4 (Hex) 1000 1000 1000 Security Password 5 (Hex) 10000 10000 10000 Scrambling Code (Hex) 0 0 0 Acquisition Code (0-15) 1 1 1 Config Test Minutes (1-120) 30 30 30 Tx Power Level Adjust 0 dB 0 dB 0 dB Base Station Only Parameters Repeater Mode off off off System Symmetry Type Asymmetric Asymmetric Asymmetric Dynamic Polling Level (1-100) 1 1 1 Remote Station Only Parameters Remote Unit RF Group (0-63) 0 0 0

Reboot New RF configuration Press Enter to Execute Save Current Config to Flash -> Press Enter to Execute

Enter. The Radio Module

2. Select Save Current Config to Flash.

3. Press

Enter. The current conﬁguration is saved to ﬂash memory. A reboot is not required. The new ﬂash

memory values are displayed in the "Flash" column of the Radio Module Conﬁguration menu.

APR 2001 Rev 03

Configuration

RF/Ethernet Statistics

Ethernet and RF statistics are useful for troubleshooting, monitoring link performance, and measuring throughput. Ethernet and RF statistics are cumulative and increment until reset. The window is view only. See

Resetting Radio and Ethernet Statistics, page 100 for information about resetting RF/Ethernet statistics.

Viewing RF/Ethernet Statistics

To view RF and Ethernet statistics

➧

1. From the Main Menu, select RF/Ethernet Statistics and press Enter. The RF/Ethernet Statistics window is displayed. The window is view only.

RF/Ethernet Statistics

Ethernet Receive Statistics Ethernet Transmit Statistics Total Packets Received 0 Total Packets Transmitted 0 Packets For Local Host 0 Packets From Local Host 0 Receive Errors 0 Packets Dropped 0 Packets Dropped 0 Total KBytes Transmitted 0 Packets Discarded 0 Broadcast KBytes Transmitted 0 Total KBytes Received 0 Broadcast KBytes Received 0

RF Receive Statistics RF Transmit Statistics Total Packets Received 0 Total Packets Transmitted 0 Packets For Local Host 0 Frames From Local Host 0 Packets Dropped 0 Packets Dropped 0 Packets Discarded 0

RF Super Frame Rx Statistics RF Super Frame Tx Statistics Super Frames Received 0 Super Frames Transmitted 0 Receive Overrun Errors 0 Frame Control Word Errors 0 Header Checksum Errors 0 Throughput Statistics Packet Control Word Errors 0 Ethernet-to-RF Throughput 0 Super Frame Length Errors 0 RF-to-Ethernet Throughput

86 AWE 120-58 Installation & Configuration Guide

Wi Lan EB02 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Important Information

Notices

Copyright Notice

Regulatory Notice

Other Notices

Warranty & Repair

Customer Support Contacts

Distributor Technical Support

Wi-LAN Product Information

Description

Features

About Spread Spectrum

About AWE Units

Some System Applications

Making a Simple Wireless Bridge

Creating a Simple Wireless Network

Creating a Network with Cells

Using a Repeater Base

Building a WAN

Hardware Description

Shipping Package Contents

AWE 120-58 Unit

Installation

Overview

Obtain Network Plan

Assemble Units

Checking the Shipping Contents

Assembling AWE Units

Checking the Power

Bench Test Units

Establishing a Basic RF Link

Testing the Link and Adjusting Tx Power

Performing Simple Network Tests

Install Units

Point-to-Multipoint Installation

Co-Location Installation

Test Network

Adding to a Network

Preventative Maintenance and Monitoring

Overview

Main Menu

Accessing the Main Menu

Accessing Units via telnet

Setting VT100 Arrows

Unit Identification

Hardware/Software Revision

Viewing System Revision Information

System Software ROM Images

Viewing System Software ROM Images

System Current Status

Viewing System Current Status

Viewing Internet IP Addresses and Subnet Mask

Network Configuration

Setting the Internet IP Address

Setting the IP Subnet Mask

Setting the Default Gateway IP Address (future)

Setting the SNMP NMS Trap IP Address (future)

Setting the MAC Filter Entry Age Time Minutes

IP Filter Configuration

Enabling IP Packet Filtering

Enabling IP Address Filtering

Setting IP Address Filter Range

Setting the IP Filter Base Address

RF Station Configuration

Setting the Operating Mode

General Equipment Setup for Performing RF Tests

Setting Test Mode Timer Minutes

Performing Link Monitor Test (Normal Mode)

Performing Transmit and Receive Tests

Performing the RSSI Test

Setting the RF Transmit Status

Setting the Link Monitor Period

Setting Maximum Remote Distance (Base Station Only)

Setting Link Monitor Remote Station Rank

Adjusting Throttling (Remote Station Only)